You easily purify the tree statue. The ghost of Zhi Hui manifests again, sighing in relief. "Thank you. You are making good strides towards cleansing this place. Two more statues remain to be purified. I have enough strength to answer two more of your questions now."
"What can you tell us of this fiend, Kugaptee, who appears to be behind trapping us in this cursed cycle?"
"Kugaptee is a nindoru fiend whose existence stands in opposition to the philosophy of Sangpotshi. Nearly a thousand years ago, he was defeated by Tan Sui-Jing. She perished in the fight as well, but her soul reincarnated as a towering sugi tree that grew over Kugaptee’s remains, serving as a seal that would keep his soul trapped. The central sugi tree in this monastery is that very tree. But it has sickened, for Kugaptee strives for rebirth.
"His influence is the source of the monstrosities you’ve been facing. This monastery was once a sacred place, with monks who cared for the land, the animals, and the spirits. At the same time, and even before the monastery, it has been a site that kept Kugaptee’s immense evil sealed away beneath the surface. I had hoped that this monastery would stand guard over Kugaptee’s grave for many generations to come, but I failed to see how my own death would affect my followers.
"No one was ready to take my place. Worse, one of my students, Xin Yue, became corrupted by Kugaptee, and even now toils below in his grave to see the fiend’s soul reborn. Now, the fiends who have gathered here have been desecrating the statues scattered throughout the monastery to amplify Kugaptee’s influence."
Xiung-Lau listens intently, then glances around, not wanting to hog all the questions.
Li Jie Qiang takes in the information with aplomb. The Nagaji seems to have expected such deviation from the lands normalcy.
Ssso thisss isss the place to ssstop him? I am prepared to put an end to thisss corruption.
So long as we can find the other statues, these need not be the last questions we ask. Kwan Tai thinks to himself. However, the idea of somehow indicating a question in the Tien language, which still comes to him with thought rather than instinct impels him to still his tongue until all questions are answered.
Xiung-Lau nods to Li Jie's question. "Yes, is this where we can confront him and stop Kugaptee's villainy then?"
"You cannot stop Kugaptee completely yet, but you can diminish his influence. Find Xin Yue below and stop her foul ritual, and you will have taken the first steps to breaking free of this cycling mindscape," Zhi Hui says.
The ghost groans and gasps as her spectral form is ripped apart once more!
"We have purified the entrance courtyard and this room. I say we go back and explore that front part of the temple building, to be sure there are no threats behind us, then push beyond this room." He motions down a hallway to the west.
The bulky Nagaji Alchemist nods enthusiastically at Xiung-Lau's suggested route, as he begins heading front part of the temple building...
You head to the western part of the monastery and into a large room here. A large hole has been torn into this room’s northern door. Shredded cots, ruined chairs and tables, and other debris adorn the floor, and deep, long gashes have been carved into the walls. A thick rancid smell permeates the chamber, while battered shelves lie in a heap against the western wall.
Two undead monks lurch toward you as you enter but don’t attack at once. Instead, they rasp out in unison, “Have you come to join Kugaptee? Are you here to escape the prison of life?”