Chapter 73

As the peacock father first saw the two men accompanying the foreign monk, and now saw the awkward expression on their faces, he immediately understood the situation. He walked straight toward the tall, thin monk and called out, "Hey, Great Monk, let's make a deal — my son and I haven't seen each other for years, so we need to stay here for a few days to catch up. You see, the inn isn't very big, and I have a lot of people. It won't be possible for all of us to stay... How about this, I'll pay you back whatever you've spent, plus a few silver dollars for meat and wine. Would you mind changing to another inn?"

Though he said it was a negotiation, he had already started taking off his hat and removing his straw hat, neatly stacking the salt baskets in the corner. The rest of his men were also sitting at the table, pouring tea and water, and taking out their tobacco pipes... Clearly, they were acting as if it were a given and didn't take the matter seriously at all.

The tall, thin monk was revered and worshipped in Tibet, far surpassing ordinary people. This particular monk was a top-tier master, accustomed to receiving offerings and worship. He never expected to be repeatedly embarrassed in this small place, and he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Without a word, he coldly snorted, his face turning extremely unpleasant.

His subordinate monks, who had already gathered at the entrance of the inner courtyard upon hearing the commotion, had just relaxed a bit. Now, seeing the unexpected turn of events, they could no longer hold back. Seeing their master's displeased expression, they immediately drew various strange weapons and rushed into the main hall—

They angrily shouted, "You scoundrels, how dare you! You want us to move, but it won't be that easy!" They surrounded the three men from a distance, their faces filled with murderous intent, ready to attack...

These salt smugglers were accustomed to living a life of danger, often being ruthless and forming gangs. They would scatter when faced with a large group of soldiers, but when encountering a small group, they would draw their weapons and fight without hesitation. They had seen many such situations before. Without any orders, they quickly drew their knives and daggers, blocking in front of the monks, sneering.

The peacock father slowly drew a long object from behind his back, unwrapped the white cloth, and slung it over his shoulder, muttering, "You asked for it. Don't blame me. Hmph, Great Monk, who wants to try?"

He suddenly held the object horizontally and pointed it forward—revealing a shiny, new homemade musket!

This homemade musket had limited power and could only fire one lead ball before becoming useless. It wasn't a particularly lethal weapon, but it was illegal. The fact that the peacock father dared to carry it showed his considerable influence and boldness, far surpassing ordinary salt smugglers.

The tall, thin monk, though not afraid, had his pupils suddenly contract. He knew that if the gun was fired, the loud noise would either alert the Five Wheel Sect's reinforcements or the local warlords, making it impossible for him to stay. He had an important matter to attend to... Should he strike first or endure the humiliation?

The tall, thin monk hesitated.

When the musket was drawn, not only the monk but even Du Guozi and the peacock were startled. Du Guozi quickly grabbed his father's hand and laughed, trying to persuade the surrounding people, "Oh, Dad, don't be so angry! When we're out, we just want to make money, not trouble. Brothers, you've worked hard today, sit down, sit down, let's talk it over..." The salt smugglers, however, showed no respect.

The peacock thought for a moment and said, "Dad, don't think I'm not on your side, but you're in the wrong! The monk has given you a substantial amount of silver, and you want to drive them out, which is very inappropriate..." "Don't I have silver too?" His father interrupted, taking off his waist pouch and throwing it on the table, "Here! Whatever he gave, I'll give you, not a penny less!"

"Dad!" The peacock was anxious and suddenly became agitated, "This is my inn. Why are you causing trouble here? Do you really not consider me your daughter?" She grabbed the musket and slammed it on the table, "How about this, you all stay outside for one night. Once the monk leaves, I'll slaughter a sheep and throw a party for you, and we'll have a good time, okay?"

"No way!" His father's voice suddenly rose, "I want to drink and have fun with you today! Why wait until tomorrow?" He waved his hand, "No, no, it has to be today!"

The father and daughter glared at each other, the situation becoming tense!

The monk interjected, "If you say no, then it's no! You don't know when to die!"

The salt smugglers immediately retorted, "What the hell are you? We're talking among ourselves, what business is it of yours to stick your nose in? — Damn, are you looking down on us?"

The monk immediately pointed, "Who said that? Step forward!"

Several salt smugglers rushed forward, shouting, "I said it, what are you going to do?"

This commotion caused everyone to start arguing. The salt smugglers all spoke up for the peacock's father, while the monk spoke in broken language, creating a chaotic scene. The air was filled with tension as the weapons in their hands shook, and the fingers pointed closer and closer. Du Guozi tried to mediate, but it was useless!

"Bang!" Suddenly, a loud noise!

The peacock father slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "All of you, stop it!" Everyone was startled and looked at him. He thought for a moment and then said to the tall, thin monk, "Great Monk!"

"Hmm?" The tall, thin monk stood on the upper floor, unperturbed, "What is it?"

"Nothing much, just want to ask what you think?" He raised his eyes, "Since neither of us wants to leave, why don't we do something manly? Let's go outside and have a fight. Whoever wins stays, without dirtying my daughter's inn or arguing like a bunch of women. What do you think?"

The salt smugglers, being rough men, all laughed and shouted in agreement:

"Right, right! Men should settle things with their fists, that's good!"

"Whoever doesn't dare to go is a bastard's son..."

"Is the Great Monk a match for our leader?"

"Will you go? Speak up..."

The shouting grew louder, the salt smugglers cheering and laughing, the atmosphere becoming more intense!

The tall, thin monk, revered in Tibet, couldn't fight like a commoner. Seeing the salt smugglers' arrogance and their vulgar language, he didn't want to get entangled. He laughed and said:

"Actually, there's no need to fight! We met by chance and have no grudges. Why create unnecessary enmity? I suggest this: we are only a dozen or so, and we don't need the entire inn. We rented it for peace and quiet. If you want to stay, you can stay. As long as we keep to our own spaces, there will be no conflict!"

He bowed slightly, "You seem to be a group of good men, and you're reuniting with your family. As a monk, I should be accommodating. The second floor can be yours, and you can gather and drink in the front hall. We'll stay in the back yard."

The front of the inn was a tavern, with numerous rooms upstairs. Beyond the tavern was the back yard, which included stables, a kitchen, and a storage room. On one side was a small courtyard, and on the other was a stone wall and a back door. By retreating, he secured the back door, making it easier to supervise the children and move in and out.

"Oh?" The peacock father laughed, "You monks are good at talking, truly worthy of being monks—Great Monk, I was rude just now, please don't take it personally!" He bowed, adhering to the principle of the martial world:

If someone shows me respect, I will show them even more respect; if someone disrespects me, I will take it back threefold!

With this harmonious exchange, the subordinates put away their weapons. The peacock and Du Guozi were delighted and quickly called the staff to clean the back yard and move the monks' belongings. They also ordered chickens to be cooked and sheep to be slaughtered, inviting everyone to drink.

The tall, thin monk politely declined, saying he only ate "three pure meats" (meat that is not seen, heard, or killed for oneself). He asked for some hot water and soup, then returned to the small courtyard with his monks. They took out barley and roasted flour from their bags, along with some dried meat, and ate. They then sat in a circle and chanted scriptures until late at night.

The salt smugglers, having resolved the issue and seeing the good food and drink, feasted and drank, playing drinking games and laughing, until they were drunk and staggered upstairs to sleep.

When the inn was finally quiet, the monks in the back yard stopped chanting.

The tall, thin monk ordered someone to take out a skull bowl inlaid with gold, silver, and gems. The bowl was slightly yellowish-white, smooth and glossy, with a slight oiliness. The middle, where the brow bone was, was slightly raised, clearly made from a human skull. He then took out a skin scroll and slowly unfolded it on the table. As the scroll formed, the hands and feet became visible, forming a complete child's shape, with eyes, mouth, and other features intact, clearly taken from a child's body. Next, he took out a wooden box and carefully removed a black cake.

The tall, thin monk placed a rotating bell around the bowl and began to chant softly—his voice was extremely strange, rising and falling, echoing in the room, sounding as if it came from another world.

The monks lay on the ground, heads down, faces solemn, unlike anything ordinary.

After chanting for a while, the tall, thin monk suddenly held a bowl in both hands and said, "Blood." Immediately, someone dragged a Five Wheel Sect disciple in, and with a swift cut, a bloody wound appeared—

Instantly, blood dripped from the child's body into the bowl.

Then, he said, "Meat."

He made another cut on the child's chest, slicing off a large piece, which also fell into the bowl.

The tall, thin monk stopped speaking and placed the bowl on the skin, muttering incantations...

The blood and meat in the bowl slowly, slowly began to rotate!

PS: The skull bowl is a general term for items made from human bones, but here it specifically refers to a bowl made from a human skull.

Page break for ads

End of page break for ads