Chapter 97

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“If you dare take his money, you’re done for.”

As soon as those words fell, the burly man heard a cry of pain from behind him, followed by the sound of heavy bodies collapsing to the ground. Gripping his saber hilt in reverse, he cast a glance toward the doorway out of the corner of his eye.

The men who had taken the silver were now sprawled on the floor, unable to rise no matter how they struggled, thrashing their limbs and flailing their blades in vain.

“Boss, there’s some sorcery… That scholar knows demon… demon… spells…!”

In the corner of the room, the two families trembled in terror, hastily setting down the porridge bowls in their children’s hands before retreating several steps until their backs pressed against the wall.

At the center of the hall, the bandit leader turned back in a panic, gulping down a mouthful of saliva as he cautiously stepped backward, his voice trembling.

“D-don’t come any closer! My blade has tasted more than a few lives…”

Swallowing hard again, he clenched his teeth, then suddenly roared in defiance, his face twisting in fury.

“AH—!”

But just as he turned to flee, Lu Liangsheng flicked his sleeve, and from the bonfire, a half-burnt chair leg wreathed in flames shot into the air, streaking toward the door.

Whoosh—

The flames curled backward as the burning wood flipped through the air before slamming with a thud into the bandit leader’s knee. His running figure instantly buckled, sending him crashing to the ground as his long saber clattered away, sliding nearly half a zhang across the floor.

“Since you’ve killed so many, you must be quite formidable.”

Lu Liangsheng didn’t even glance at the bandits still groveling at the doorway. Stepping outside, he came to stand beside their fallen leader. With two fingers, he picked up the saber from the ground and casually flicked it.

Clang—!

The blade shot forward, embedding itself half an inch deep into the distant mountain wall. Even as its hilt still quivered, the scholar’s calm voice continued.

“…That means your stronghold must still have many captives—women and children taken by force. Take me there.”

The bandit leader lifted his head, staring at the saber still trembling in the rock face. How could he have known that crossing paths with a mere scholar would be worse than kicking an iron plate? His breath grew ragged with fear, and after a brief hesitation, he nodded frantically.

“I-I’ll take you there right away, Young Master! Just spare my life!”

Seeing the man relent, Lu Liangsheng called for the Daoist to restrain him. Then, after returning to the hall to retrieve his old donkey, he turned to the two families huddled in the corner.

“The mountain winds are bitter and cold. You’d best stay here for the night. The two of us will go inspect the bandit stronghold. Rest assured, I’ve placed a binding spell on the bandits at the entrance—none of them will escape.”

The two pairs of parents, holding their trembling children close, nodded slightly toward the scholar. One of the men, slightly bolder than the rest, mustered the courage to respond.

“Young Master, please go ahead. We will take care of ourselves.”

Before the others could react, the scholar had already stepped outside. The distant jingle of copper bells echoed along the mountain path as he departed.

Ding-ding-ding…

The biting mountain wind howled mournfully across the slopes. Within the thin mist, the bell hanging from the donkey’s neck swayed with each step. Bound at the wrists, the bandit leader shivered as he walked ahead, his movements stiff with fear.

From behind, the Daoist kicked him every so often.

“Damn it, can’t you move any faster?! My porridge is about to burn in the pot!”

“Daoist Master, we’re almost there! Please, just stop kicking me!”

Amid his desperate pleas, they traversed a narrow mountain ravine. Through the dense trees ahead, faint firelight flickered. The bandit leader hastened his steps, glancing back every few moments.

“Young Master, Daoist Master, the stronghold is just ahead… There are only two men guarding it. Let me call them out.”

Lu Liangsheng remained silent, loosening the reins of his donkey as he and the Daoist strode forward. The bandit stronghold was not large, nor was it fortified. A bonfire blazed in the center, illuminating several wooden carts and tents. The largest was a leather canopy tent, its fabric faintly silhouetting the shadows of people moving inside.

“Young Master, please wait here!”

The bandit leader bowed and nodded, then suddenly quickened his pace, sprinting toward the leather tent while shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Everyone, get out here! Save me!!”

“Well, well! Trying to pull a fast one!”

Just as the enraged Daoist reached for his talismans, Lu Liangsheng raised a hand to stop him, his gaze fixed on the large tent as he lowered his voice.

“Something’s wrong inside.”

Sun Yingsian, fingers pinching the yellow talisman, halted in place. “Something’s wrong?”

Whoosh…

Whoosh…

The wind in the forest grew stronger, whipping through the encampment. The central bonfire flickered wildly, its flames leaning sideways as they dimmed and flared in turn.

At that moment, as the bandit leader reached the tent entrance, the curtain suddenly whipped open—A massive hand, larger than his entire face, lunged out!

Boom!

A thunderous crash erupted, accompanied by the sickening snap of breaking bones. The bandit leader, who had rushed toward the tent, was sent hurtling backward like a cannonball. Blood sprayed midair before he slammed into the ground, rolling into a bloodied heap.

“So there really was someone inside—”

The Daoist flicked his sleeve, summoning two talismans that instantly ignited in flames. With a swift motion of his fingers—

“Wind, Fire, Thunder, Lightning—strike!”

At his command, a fierce wind howled across the ground, carrying flames along its path. The four anchor ropes of the tent snapped from their stakes, and the entire canopy was ripped into the sky.

“Aah—!”

Shrill cries burst forth—five young children crouched on the ground, their faces pale with fear. Beside them stood a fat monk, his broad shoulders draped with a string of enormous prayer beads, each the size of a fist.

Noticing the presence of intruders, he tilted his head slightly. A brass earring dangled from one ear, swaying with the movement. His beady eyes flashed as he suddenly flipped open a large yellow cloth sack, instantly swallowing the children whole. At the same time, his other hand formed a Vajra Mudra, thrusting it outward.

The air trembled, rippling outward in golden waves.

Lu Liangsheng and the Daoist hastily swept their sleeves forward to shield themselves. Despite their defenses, an invisible force shoved them backward, their feet carving shallow trenches into the dirt.

Not far away, the old donkey neighed in distress, stamping its hooves. The wooden shelf rattled, and from its confined space, the Toad Daoist blinked awake. Pushing open a small door, he leaped to the ground and began sprinting toward them, his webbed hands smacking noisily against the earth.

Cough, cough…

The Daoist coughed as he waved his sleeve, dispersing the lingering dust. Lu Liangsheng lowered his own sleeve, only to find that the fat monk had already disappeared—the only trace left behind was the faint swaying of the branches overhead.

“A Buddhist monk…”

Lu Liangsheng had clearly seen the man’s appearance. A burly, obese monk—yet why would a Buddhist monk abduct children?

“Old Sun, we’re going after him!”

“Understood!”

The Daoist prepared his escape technique, ready to plunge into the earth, when suddenly, the Toad Daoist’s voice called out behind them—

“Wait.”

The Toad Daoist, clad in a tiny padded jacket, waddled forward with his webbed feet. He hopped onto the corpse of the bandit leader, lowering his gaze to the caved-in chest. His large, beady eyes narrowed slightly.

“…Vajra Demon-Subduing Mudra.”

Lu Liangsheng put away his writing brush and walked over to the Toad Daoist, crouching beside him.

“Master, do you know that fat monk?”

As he spoke, he used his fingertips to lift a blood-soaked part of the corpse’s clothing. Though the fabric was drenched, the skin beneath was eerily intact. However, the entire ribcage had collapsed inward—every single bone shattered.

The Daoist sucked in a sharp breath.

“The blood was forced out through his pores… That monk is terrifyingly strong.”

The Toad Daoist shook his head, slowly stepping off the corpse before finally answering the scholar’s question.

“I don’t know that fat monk. But that mudra? I’ve encountered it before. The question is—does he belong to All Beings Monastery or Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery? If it’s the latter, then that fat monk is probably that old bald donkey’s disciple… Remember how I once mentioned an old rival?”

Lu Liangsheng raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm? Master, I don’t think you’ve ever told me about this before.”

The Toad Daoist paused, then suddenly burst into laughter, his webbed hands waving dismissively as he walked toward the old donkey.

“As your master, I’m getting old and almost forgot… hehe… But you two shouldn’t go after that fat monk—his cultivation is still higher than yours.”