Six-tiered Pagoda

In Buddhism, the six roots— eye, ear, nose, body, tongue, and mind— are the primary channels through which ordinary people perceive the world. It is also through these six roots that the external world intrudes upon and corrodes the human mind. Six-Tier Pagoda takes its name from this concept.

This book is a collection of four short and mid-length novellas: Hallucinations, Illness, Poison Flower, and Fire in the Fog.

Hallucinations tells the story of Anna, whose dreamlike cross-border romance ends in disappearance when her French lover never returns. Love dissolves like an illusion, leaving her struggling within its lingering mirage.

Illness portrays a brilliant young woman who rises from a rural background, only to have a sudden illness expose the deep-rooted grip of feudal and backward beliefs still entrenched in the Chinese countryside.

Poison Flower unfolds through the dying trust of a patient, Huang Qishan, who entrusts her final wishes to a doctor, revealing the layered complexity and moral ambiguity of human nature.

Fire in the Fog follows a woman trapped in the virtual world of online romance, depicting her painful inner struggle within consciousness itself and reflecting the emotional entanglements between modern marriage, family, and digital desire.

All the dust, suffering, and worldly anguish converge within the Six-Tier Pagoda.At its highest and most difficult level—the realm of consciousness—the female protagonist confronts layers of illusion and inner fog. By breaking through them, she finally escapes the ultimate confinement of the pagoda and ascends toward a more awakened, higher form of life.