Chapter 77

As the disciple of the Dingjia Sect, Qing Shui swallowed the contents of the letter given to him by his mother, gradually regaining strength in his limbs. After a while, he was completely fine. With the help of the salt smugglers, the group quickly cleaned up the small courtyard and accommodated the disciples of the Wulun Sect there.

Saving their lives was just the first step; the most important thing was... to summon their souls!

The Dingjia Sect did not know where the missing souls of their disciples had gone or what had happened. They simply wanted to use magic to召回 the lost souls. Although Zunzhibao knew about the situation, he still remembered everything that had happened at Kunshan Fort. He was not yet familiar enough with these helpers to share all his thoughts, so he remained silent.

It was broad daylight, and summoning souls was impossible. The innkeeper, Flower Peacock, sent the kitchen staff to prepare some soup and steamed some cornbread, adding some salted vegetables. She then called everyone to eat. At this moment, Flower Peacock and Du Guozi formally addressed the rugged salt smuggler as 'Dongqing.'

Dongqing means 'Sea Falcon,' which is also the nickname of this tough man, indicating his fierce and brutal nature.

In their conversation, they reviewed everything that had happened, and they were quite fearful of the magic used by the Bikhu monk. Although Hai Dongqing was extremely respectful to the Shi family, Shi Butuan's words also expressed some regret about the incident. The group sighed and lamented, and Zunzhibao managed to piece together the entire story.

While the Bikhu monk was still struggling through the mountains and the Chechen Lama was plotting against Zunzhibao, the Wujiu had already discovered the group's trail. Although Elder Ji could not use the 'Borrowed Eyes' technique to see through the eyes of the Wujiu, he was quick-witted and quickly guessed their destination—Shimen Ferry.

The group from the Dingjia Sect quickly arrived at Shimen Ferry and, following the customs of the Jianghu, had Shi Butuan approach the local boss, Hai Dongqing. After explaining their identity and purpose, Hai Dongqing readily agreed to help. In the Kunlun Mountains, everyone knew that the Wulun Sect was the only Yin-Yang master in the area. Even if the Shi family asked for help, it would be a favor, and the Wulun Sect would not refuse.

Of course, this was only true if the situation was advantageous to them. If they were asked to help reverse the situation or act out of righteousness, it would be impossible.

Hai Dongqing sent his men to inquire around Shimen Ferry and quickly found the inn where the Bikhu monk had stayed. A plan was quickly formulated. According to the Wujiu's observations, the Bikhu monk's magic relied on the power of Vairocana Buddha, the Great Sun Buddha, to elevate his practice from the Womb Realm to the Diamond Realm. The best way to deal with this, according to the Yin-Yang master's methods, was to use the teeth and claws of the five animals, ground into a fine powder, mixed with cinnabar and coarse salt, and sprinkled around to cut off Vairocana Buddha's manifestation of the Mandala. Then, horsehair, ox horns, cinnabar, realgar, and incense ash from the Buddha's altar should be mixed into wine, used to cast spells, and finally poured on the body to suppress the power of the Bodhisattva of the Void and cut off the source of the Tushita Heaven...

In this way, the monk would be like a tiger with its teeth pulled and a wolf with its claws cut, rendered powerless.

The disciples of the Dingjia Sect prepared the necessary items, and Hai Dongqing went to discuss the matter with Flower Peacock and Du Guozi. He changed the story, saying that the Bikhu monk was behaving like a swindler, and the aggrieved party had come to find him, and he had some old ties to the matter. He did not mention the lamas' magic at all. At the time, Flower Peacock showed no fear, scolding and threatening, but if she had known the real reason, she would not have dared to act so boldly.

The goal was to gather the lamas in a small courtyard so that they could be easily surrounded and dealt with by sprinkling salt and water.

After breakfast, the disguised salt smugglers, including Hai Dongqing, returned to their gambling business, leaving the Dingjia Sect to arrange the guards. Shi Butuan sorted through the items left by the Bikhu monks for later disposal. After Elder Ji and Elder Shi sent a paper crane to contact the Wulun Sect's Plum Blossom Master, they received a reply saying that he would arrive in five to seven days. They were at ease but then thought about Zunzhibao, muttering to themselves.

They were puzzled, and so was Zunzhibao.

In the dilapidated temple, a ghost had invaded his body, trying to take over. However, Zunzhibao had no soul to compete with it. He only had the three souls and the three of the seven spirits, which were already distributed throughout his organs and veins, leaving no place for the ghost to take hold. The ghost was quickly trapped in his organs.

It was not that the opponent was too strong, but that there was no opponent to fight. However, the ghost could not control the body, and Zunzhibao fell into a coma. When the disciples of the Dingjia Sect started sprinkling salt, the ghost was forced out of Zunzhibao's body.

Where it went, no one knew.

The Chechen Lama's magic was the most powerful weapon in the world, and any secular thoughts could not be dispelled. The only way to counter it was to surpass it in cultivation. However, at the time, Elder Ji, the strategist of the Dingjia Sect, did not have the cultivation to do so, and Elder Shi, who was often ill, had long neglected his practice. Therefore, they were all affected and fell.

Only Zunzhibao, who walked between the realms of life and death, was immune to it, and by chance, he saved everyone.

Was this not the will of heaven?

After everything was settled, Elders Ji and Shi invited Zunzhibao to their room to inquire about his background. Zunzhibao, not knowing the truth, recounted what August had said, mixing truth and lies. The Wulun Sect, not skilled in divination or soul observation, could not see through his ghostly changes, but their words were filled with suspicion.

Zunzhibao was still a naive child in the ghost market, but after the events at Kunshan Fort, the human flesh cooking in the forest, and the oppression at Wanmang Peak, his mind had matured. How could he not see through their suspicions? He was angry and thought, "I saved your lives out of kindness, but you suspect and plot against me. You are truly despicable!"

He then began to make up more lies.

When the two elders saw that they could not get any information, they gave up and ordered Zunzhibao to stay in the room next to Shi Butuan to rest and wait for the Plum Blossom Master. However, Zunzhibao was unhappy and thought to himself, "I have done nothing wrong, and even if you watch me day and night, what do I have to fear?"

He then went to the courtyard to take a bath, changed his clothes, stole some rice wine and peanuts from the kitchen, and got a piece of smoked meat. He drank until he was drunk and unconscious. The next day, he did the same, drinking and sleeping. The elders of the Dingjia Sect just watched coldly, not interfering.

Thinking about August's frequent warnings about drinking, he felt a deep sadness and had no good feelings towards the people of the Dingjia Sect, cursing them in secret.

On the third night, he woke up from a dream and heard some noise in the next room. He strained to listen. Outside, someone whispered, "Master, Grandmaster told me to inform you that he will soon send a paper crane to the Plum Blossom Master. Yes, the child's recent activities should also be reported. What do you think?"

At the door, Shi Butuan 'uh'ed and hesitated, "There is nothing unusual, and I can't see anything—tell Uncle to inform the Plum Blossom Master that I will personally watch the child and report any actions."

The disciple of the Dingjia Sect then went to inform his master. The door creaked, and Shi Butuan entered. Zunzhibao was extremely angry and wanted to jump up and scold him but thought, "They are all the same, how can they admit it? They treat me like a prisoner, but I am not lacking in food and drink, and they still show some concern. If I make a scene, they will deny it and lock me up, which would be worse."

He then closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, even mumbling some dream talk. Shi Butuan quietly checked on him and then left. Zunzhibao knew he was reporting to his master and thought, "I thought only the people of the Dingjia Sect were suspicious of me, but even Grandmaster is like this. Humph, if my grandfather were still alive, he would not treat me this way."

His anger stirred his insides, and he felt the alcohol churning, making him very uncomfortable. He lay on the pillow, breathing heavily, and after a while, he gradually calmed down. He sat up, grabbed a cup of tea, and drank it, feeling a refreshing chill. He thought, "The Wulun Sect is weak, and a monk can drive them away from their sect. They have no great abilities! They say it is the will of heaven, and my grandfather's death was fate, but they do nothing to change it! I have been on the mountain for so long, just running to build my body, but they don't teach me any magic. It seems Grandmaster has always been suspicious of me and never treated me as a disciple... What's the point of staying here? I should leave and find someone with great abilities to help me find my grandfather's soul!"

He thought about his future and became more determined to leave. He got up, went to the window, and peeked into the courtyard, seeing two disciples of the Dingjia Sect on night duty. Knowing it would be difficult to leave, he slowly returned to bed and thought...

The next day.

Zunzhibao slept until late morning, grabbed a wine bottle, and splashed himself with alcohol. He wandered around the courtyard, seeing that the disciples were still asleep, and returned to the hall.

Seeing that the disciples in the back courtyard were still there, the front door seemed like a good exit...

PS: "Rebirth of the Heavy Armor Bandit," a story of bravery, revenge, and triumph—just one word: thrilling!

[bookid=3000714, bookname="Rebirth of the Heavy Armor Bandit"]

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