Li Mu-chan and Wen Zhengliang looked down at the scene unfolding below. Wen Zhengliang murmured, "It's men from Luotuo Temple. They're looking for the Boss!"
Li Mu-chan pondered for a moment, then frowned. "Let's go. Find a place to hide!"
"Hide?" Wen Zhengliang instantly understood, nodding. "Then follow me. There's a hidden spot where no one can find us."
He waved his hand, and the large men stopped following.
He turned to lead the way. As they walked, he whispered, "The Boss always shouts about defeating Luotuo Temple, but the truth is, he's terrified of them. He knows they'd come looking for him eventually."
Li Mu-chan chuckled. "Everyone fears the name Luotuo Temple to some degree."
Wen Zhengliang led the way through the forest, heading east.
The sun was setting, painting the surroundings a rosy red. Birds chirped their way back to their nests.
The woods grew denser and taller. The pines were so massive that it took two men to embrace a single trunk, soaring upward to meet the clouds.
They stopped before a huge tree. Wen Zhengliang pointed. "There's a hollow here. If we hide inside, no one will ever find us!"
Li Mu-chan stepped forward, touching and knocking on the bark. It sounded hollow. Indeed, the tree was hollowed out, yet strangely, it remained lush and showed no sign of decay.
"How many can it hide?" Li Mu-chan asked.
"Only one person. But it's extremely discreet," Wen Zhengliang replied.
Li Mu-chan nodded. "Good. You go in."
"Me?" Wen Zhengliang looked surprised, shaking his head. "Why should I go in?"
Li Mu-chan shook his head. "The killing intent radiating from that monk is overpowering. He is a harbinger of doom. If he comes, he won't just kill the Boss; he'll leave no one alive on Wohu Mountain."
Wen Zhengliang's face paled. "N-no... that can't be."
Li Mu-chan said coolly, "Given what you mountain bandits—your bald-headed lot—have done, killing you all wouldn't be an injustice. He is carrying out Heaven's will."
Wen Zhengliang gave a bitter smile. "There are many children and women on the mountain..."
"Those people, naturally, are of no concern," Li Mu-chan stated.
Wen Zhengliang said sternly, "But if you kill all the men, these women and children will have no protector. They'll soon be seized and turned into playthings."
Li Mu-chan frowned, looked up at the sky, and let out a long sigh.
In this turbulent world, all beings suffer. Killing one person might bring satisfaction, and it might be necessary to eliminate a scourge, but it inevitably harms others. The karmic entanglements of this world were like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.
He sighed. "Very well. I will hold him off. I can only do my best. You hide here first."
Though usually resourceful, he was stumped now, caught in an internal conflict, unable to settle on a course of action. Logically, the bald-headed bandits should be wiped out; not doing so wouldn't placate the populace. But if they were killed, the women and children would suffer, or... perhaps he could kill the bandits and take the women and children away?
"I'll go with you!" Wen Zhengliang insisted.
Li Mu-chan smiled. "With your martial arts skills, you'd only be a hindrance. Stay here, and come out tomorrow morning."
"But I—" Wen Zhengliang started, unwilling to yield.
Li Mu-chan cut him off with a wave and turned away.
When he reached Wohu Temple, the area outside was already crowded. Besides the bald-headed bandits, members of the Li family were present, along with just a few retainers.
Xin Jue stood quietly outside the temple, palms pressed together, gazing up at the horizontal plaque, deep in thought.
The surrounding crowd watched him, holding their breath, fearful of disturbing him.
Xin Jue remained silent, calm, yet his mere presence exuded an inexplicable aura that made it hard to breathe. Though his demeanor seemed languid, they were gripped by terror. If it weren't for his focus on avenging his son at the Mei Estate, Li Jixian would have long since fled. Facing Xin Jue was like confronting a fierce tiger; every hair on his body stood on end.
Li Mu-chan stepped into the crowd, utterly soundlessly. Suddenly, Xin Jue turned his head, and their gazes locked in the air, holding steady.
Both men’s faces were serene: Li Mu-chan, still as deep water; Xin Jue, cold as ice, radiating a chill.
After a moment, Li Mu-chan broke the contact, lest he draw unwanted attention from the Li household, which would force him to flee.
Xin Jue slowly drew back his gaze and said calmly, "Patron Li, you should leave the mountain now."
Li Jixian gritted his teeth, inhaled sharply, and said hoarsely, "Master Monk, let's discuss this matter first!"
"Very well. Search," Xin Jue nodded.
The Second-in-Command hurriedly protested, "Master Monk, you cannot search!"
Xin Jue turned to him, his tone flat. "Why can't they search?"
"How can we allow just anyone to come and go on Wohu Mountain?" the Second-in-Command blurted out, ignoring all caution. If he allowed them to search the mountain, his authority as Second-in-Command would vanish, and he would be too ashamed to lead the brothers.
"I said, let them search," Xin Jue stated plainly.
The Second-in-Command bit his lip and stood squarely in the way. "No searching!"
Xin Jue pointed a finger. With a crisp pop, a bloody hole appeared on his brow, his eyes quickly dimmed, and he fell backward, motionless.
"Ah!" Everyone jumped back in shock.
Xin Jue turned his head, sweeping his gaze over the crowd calmly. Everyone quickly looked away, including Li Mu-chan, who sighed inwardly—truly a harbinger of doom!
Li Jixian and his contingent’s faces changed slightly, and they remained silent.
"Go ahead. Search everything," Xin Jue waved his hand.
Li Jixian hesitated, then cupped his hands. "Thank you, Master Monk!"
Xin Jue waved again and turned back to observe the three large characters marking Wohu Temple.
This display completely stunned the bald-headed bandits. They were reminded of the Boss’s dominance in the past, how he kept Wohu Mountain secure using only his "One Finger Shaking the World" technique.
"Search!" Li Jixian shouted, waving his hand.
Alas, now only a few retainers and four or five guards remained. They paired up and began systematically searching in four directions.
The bald-headed bandits glared, their eyes spitting fire, furious but daring not to intervene.
...
They watched with burning hatred, wishing they could carve Xin Jue into a thousand pieces and stuff him into a bun, yet they dared not move. The silence was profound, broken only by the sound of a pin dropping.
A while later, the Li family members returned. Li Jixian's face was ashen. He shook his head, sighed, cupped his hands in a gesture toward Xin Jue, and departed. It was now clear, even to a fool, that the Mei Estate had played them, costing them many experts, with only a few retainers surviving. Furthermore, they had now made an irreconcilable enemy of the bald-headed bandits—a disaster for the future.
Once the Li family members were gone, Xin Jue turned around and asked calmly, "Does anyone here know where my Senior Brother Xin Wu is?"
A sallow-faced man quickly replied, "The Boss went down the mountain to chase a monk and hasn't returned. None of us know where the Boss went. Perhaps... perhaps he's no longer around."
"No one knows?" Xin Jue murmured slowly.
The bandits all shook their heads, indicating ignorance.
Xin Jue sighed, shaking his head. "Alas... that bald-headed bandit. My Senior Brother created this mess, and as his junior brother, it is my duty to clean it up!"
"Master Monk..." someone began to speak.
Xin Jue suddenly pointed. With a pop, a bloody hole appeared on that man’s brow, and he slowly collapsed.
The bandits surged in a flurry, their morale high, ready to charge.
"I know where the Boss is!" Li Mu-chan suddenly spoke up.
People turned to look at him. The sallow-faced man pointed at Li Mu-chan and cried out, "It's him! Master Monk, the Boss went after him!"
Xin Jue looked toward Li Mu-chan and asked flatly, "Who are you?"
"I am Zhan Ran, Zhan Ran is who I am," Li Mu-chan replied with a slight smile, hands clasped.
"Where did you take your vows?" Xin Jue inquired.
Li Mu-chan smiled faintly. "I have entered the secular world. I am no longer in a temple."
Xin Jue asked quietly, "Do you know the whereabouts of my Senior Brother Xin Wu?"
"Your senior brother is dead. I killed him." Li Mu-chan stated.
"You killed Senior Brother Xin Wu?" Xin Jue suddenly laughed, shaking his head. "You could not have killed Senior Brother Xin Wu!"
Li Mu-chan chuckled, shaking his head. "Heaven willed his end, and borrowed my hand to achieve it!"
Xin Jue’s smile vanished instantly, and he stared fixedly at Li Mu-chan. Li Mu-chan met his gaze, and their eyes locked in the air once more, holding firm for a long time.
The surrounding air seemed to solidify.
Xin Jue slowly withdrew his gaze, shaking his head. "Alas... a pity..."
Saying that, he gently pointed his left hand. Li Mu-chan swiftly stepped to the left; a small hole appeared where he had been standing moments before.
Li Mu-chan was inwardly annoyed. That move again—all the men from Luotuo Temple used the same vicious trick!
"Wait! I have something to say!" Li Mu-chan interjected.
Xin Jue lowered his left hand and watched him calmly. "Speak!"
Li Mu-chan said, "I know you intend to kill all of them and wipe out the bald-headed bandits."
"Mm, correct," Xin Jue nodded languidly.
The crowd immediately erupted, buzzing with discussion, their eyes blazing with fury.
"Ahem!" Xin Jue coughed lightly. The crowd jolted, their internal energy churning as they were forced to resist, silencing their chatter. Li Mu-chan said, "Master Monk, reconsider!"
Xin Jue kept his eyelids slightly lowered, saying faintly, "These people shouldn't be killed?"
"They deserve to be killed," Li Mu-chan conceded.
Xin Jue responded, "Then kill them."
Li Mu-chan countered, "If you kill them, the elderly, women, and children will be subjected to indiscriminate cruelty by the surrounding populace—a truly tragic fate."
Xin Jue glanced at him dismissively. "They benefited from his protection, and now they suffer the consequences. There is cause and effect; as one sows, so shall one reap!"
Li Mu-chan frowned, surprised by Xin Jue's utter ruthlessness.
He laughed softly. "I heard Luotuo Temple is a sacred Buddhist land, filled with great monks and virtuous masters. Is this truly how the monks of Luotuo Temple conduct themselves?"
Xin Jue replied coolly, "How our Temple conducts itself is not for outsiders to comment upon."
Li Mu-chan took a deep breath and said firmly, "Instead of killing them all, why not make them swear a solemn oath never to descend the mountain again?"
"Impossible," Xin Jue shook his head.
Li Mu-chan announced loudly, "Put down the butcher's knife, and attain Buddhahood immediately. Are you not being overly cruel in your actions, Master Monk?"
Xin Jue smiled faintly, letting his eyelids droop, too dismissive to argue further.
Li Mu-chan shook his head inwardly with a bitter smile. This monk Xin Jue was arrogant and supremely haughty. In his presence, Li Mu-chan felt like an ant.
"Since that is the case," Li Mu-chan continued, "I have another idea!"
"Mm, state it," Xin Jue murmured, eyes still half-closed.
Li Mu-chan asked, "Could we request that the eminent monks of your Temple remain stationed at Wohu Temple to subdue demons and quell evil?"
A flicker of light appeared in Xin Jue's eyes, and he suddenly looked sharply at Li Mu-chan.
(Author's Note: I checked the group chat tonight, and very few people were online; it must be because I logged in too late. Because my neighborhood's air conditioning system strains the power grid, we've had two outages recently. It’s been like this for the last couple of days—my apologies to everyone. To know what happens next, please log in to the *** chapter for more, support the author, and support genuine reading!)