Chapter 82
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
The sound of Buddhist chants floated faintly yet swiftly, as a thin mist surged from the forest. Two pairs of pointed cloth shoes lifted green skirts, treading silently over the soil.
Wide yellow sleeves brushed against shrubs and leaves. Two figures emerged—one spun a prayer wheel, its hum resonating in the air. The other, a woman wearing a long, straight black horned hat and a dark blue patterned kasaya, held a long staff. Its top spiraled upward toward the heavens, while the circular base bore a yin-yang design of opposing flames.
As they stepped out of the woods, the staff struck the ground with a resounding thud. The woman’s voice was gentle and serene.
“Compassion guides all through the sea of suffering, as though the Venerable Master, Protector of the Nation, has personally descended.”
Outside the cave, the group of pale-faced individuals quickly knelt before her staff.
One, with his forehead pressed to the ground, stared intently at a stray blade of grass before him.
“Reporting to the Venerable Master’s Daren, we were pursuing the bandits and were about to succeed, but a scholar blocked our way…”
Venerable Master Protector of the Nation?
Lu Liangsheng was baffled. Weren’t these bandits chasing two men, a woman, and a child? How had a Venerable Master suddenly appeared?
Judging by appearances, the other side seemed to belong to the imperial court.
He shifted slightly, turning his head to ask the master seated at the game board.
“Master… how high-ranking is a Venerable Master Protector of the Nation?”
The Toad Daoist, eyes closed, replied: “No idea. Right now, your master is merely a toad…”
Then, cracking open one eye, he added: “But be cautious. Those two women reek of demonic energy—no small origins there. Hmph… If I were in my prime, this would be settled with a mere wave of my hand…”
Lu Liangsheng stood to the side, naturally aware that the opposing party’s background was anything but ordinary. If not for his master swallowing their spiritual bird and the child on their side, he wouldn’t have rashly stepped out in the first place had he known they were connected to the imperial court.
Letting his emotions take over—what a mistake…
“But how can these demons be mingling with officials of the imperial court?”
Lu Liangsheng channeled his qi into his eyes, activating a technique from the [Emerald Heart Dream Nourishment]. This was the perfect moment to use it. A faint blue light emerged in his gaze, and he observed the two women being worshipped. Their bodies were shrouded in thick demonic energy from head to toe, their faces heavily powdered to mask their pale complexions. Yet, even with this technique, it was impossible to discern exactly what kind of demon they had transformed from.
“So be it. Since I’ve taken on this trouble, I must see it through.”
He turned slightly, raising a hand toward the calligraphy brush hanging on the bookshelf. With a swift motion, it flew into his grasp. Calming himself, Lu Liangsheng adjusted his demeanor and strode toward the cave entrance.
Even knowing these were imperial officials, accompanied by two demons of unknown cultivation levels, he managed to maintain his composure. Upon reaching the outside, he cupped his hands in greeting.
“From your titles, it seems you serve under the Protector of the Nation’s Venerable Master…”
As he spoke, his spiritual energy surged, creating an imposing aura. The surrounding trees and grass swayed violently in the night wind, and the flames of the torches held by the black-clad men flickered erratically.
“… As servants of the Protector of the Nation’s Venerable Master, you represent the dignity of the imperial court. Might I ask why you are pursuing women and children here?”
The oppressive atmosphere grew suffocating. At the cave entrance, the burly man, the coachman, and the woman clutching the child were drenched in sweat, their clothes sticking to their bodies. They glanced at the scholar before them, silently praying that this seemingly extraordinary figure wouldn’t abandon them.
“Mercy, mercy!”
Among the two women being worshipped, the one holding the Dharma staff stepped forward gracefully, her hand forming an orchid gesture.
“The Protector of the Nation’s Venerable Master acts with compassion to save the world and bring aid to all…”
Her words trailed off as her gaze fell abruptly on the scholar’s brush, its green-jointed shaft faintly gleaming. Her previously expressionless face shifted slightly.
Exchanging a glance with her companion, she inclined her head and bent slightly at the waist.
“So, it turns out you are someone fated with the Venerable Master. We were rude.”
With that, they turned in unison and left without hesitation, vanishing into the swirling mist. Within moments, they disappeared from sight.
The pale-faced man kneeling nearby, along with the black-clad subordinates, looked at each other in confusion, entirely unsure of what had just transpired.
All they had heard was that the two envoys of the Venerable Master had referred to the scholar as someone “fated with the Venerable Master”…
Was this not a case of a ‘flood washing into the Dragon King’s Temple’, where allies mistakenly opposed each other?
The pale-faced man’s heart pounded wildly, and his subordinates, too frightened to speak, hurriedly helped their injured comrades by the copper coins and then bowed deeply toward the scholar.
“We did not know sir was a great and virtuous high master. Our earlier offenses were reckless; we beg your forgiveness.”
“Indeed, we acted out of ignorance…” “If we had known earlier, none of this would have happened.”
Seeing no reaction from the scholar, unease grew among the group. Some even dropped to their knees and began kowtowing.
“Master, please say something!”
“We were only acting under the orders of the Empe…Of the Venerable Master.”
At the cave entrance, the burly man and his companions watched the scene anxiously. The scholar waved his hand casually, and the copper coins scattered across the ground clattered as they flew back into his sleeve.
“You may go.”
The pale-faced man bowed again, not daring to linger. He quickly led his subordinates away, practically fleeing.
Once the area was clear, the burly man, the coachman, and the woman holding the child all turned their gaze toward the scholar, whose calm expression betrayed nothing. He wordlessly returned to the cave and resumed his seat at the chessboard. The three exchanged uncertain looks, caught between advancing or retreating, utterly at a loss.
Sitting at the board, Lu Liangsheng picked up a chess piece, though his heart was far less composed than his outward demeanor.
I’m someone fated with the Venerable Master?
How could this be explained? Among the people he knew, apart from his master—who once claimed to have unmatched cultivation—there was only Sun Yingxian, whose cultivation was on par with his own.
Just as Lu Liangsheng was about to ask his master, he turned slightly and saw the three figures at the cave entrance—still hesitating. Suddenly, they hurried back inside with the child in their arms and sat down near the fire.
The burly man scratched his head awkwardly and spoke.
“It’s dark outside, and the roads are rough. If a wild beast appears, it wouldn’t be good for the child…”
Still preoccupied with the phrase “someone fated” Lu Liangsheng nodded absentmindedly.
“Make yourselves comfortable.”
No further conversation followed. After some time, footsteps echoed from outside the cave. The burly man, who had been staring into the fire, instinctively gripped his blade. But before he could rise, a figure burst in hurriedly—it was none other than the Daoist.
“Why is it that you can eat loaches without a problem, but I ate just a few and almost got dehydrated from diarrhea!!”
Sun Yingxian’s complaints halted when he noticed the people by the fire. Lowering his voice, he sat across from Lu Liangsheng and asked,
“Hey, why are there three more people here, and with a child?”
“I only ate one.”
Lu Liangsheng absentmindedly turned a chess piece between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the board as he forced a faint smile. “…Same as us, just stopping by to rest.”
“Oh.”
Seeing that Lu Liangsheng was deep in thought, the Daoist grew restless. He quickly went over to warm himself by the fire, exchanging a few casual words with the newcomers. Occasionally, he would steal glances at the woman leaning against the cave wall. After a while, he hurried back.
“That woman’s got decent looks. Do you think I have a cha—”
“The child she’s holding is hers.” Lu Liangsheng interjected, placing a chess piece on the board.
The previously excited Daoist deflated instantly, his interest vanishing as he picked up a chess piece. “Then I’m not interested. Fox spirits are better, anyway.”
The two resumed their chess game, though neither was particularly focused.
