Chapter 636: The Dharma King Seeks to Enter Mongolia

But just at that moment, the cave entrance seemed like a bloody maw, and it snapped shut in an instant. The crack also slowly disappeared.

Just like that, a wall appeared before their eyes, and the people inside may have already disappeared.

……

"How come this guy Duan Di hasn't come back after so long? Did something happen down there?" Zu Shen asked, walking with his arms crossed.

She had been pacing in place for a long time, even forgetting how long she'd been standing. All she knew was that since Duan Di left, she had started to feel somewhat gloomy.

"Sister, don't be anxious, relax your mind. You and I both know Duan Di's cultivation level and strength; there's no need to worry." Cai Qing Nü Di's words eased Zu Shen's mind a little.

"But Duan Di has been gone too long, right? He said just a moment, and now..." Cai Qing Nü Di looked at the dark sky, couldn't help but frown, showing a look of disdain.

Just thinking about Duan Di abandoning them here made her inexplicably angry. But there was nothing she could do; if he really could find the Lord of the Great Wasteland or the Black Emperor and them, that would also be good news.

Before Duan Di returned, they dared not act rashly, only able to stay in place.

Even resting had to be done in shifts, with someone needing to stay alert to the surroundings.

Otherwise, if ambushed, their points would have to be handed over. It also meant that if ambushed, Cai Qing Nü Di would have only a dead end.

To protect this point, Cai Qing Nü Di had already devised a detailed plan.

……

"Look, that's the woman..." a voice whispered cautiously in the darkness.

"She's the one who earned a hundred points; if we kill this woman, wouldn't those hundred points be ours?" another man's voice sounded.

They had already set their sights on Cai Qing Nü Di, who sat beside the large stone with her eyes closed. After all, only her talent interested them.

A hundred points! What an honor!

Although these hundred points are just a small part of what Huang Tian Hou has, they are also something many people dream of. Because this competition is extremely dangerous, many people sacrificed themselves as soon as they entered.

At that moment, a huge canopy appeared on the scene. Although no one knew who created it, everyone who saw it froze in place.

The rankings on the screen were crystal clear: Huang Tian Hou occupied first place with five hundred points, leading everyone else. Second place had only three hundred points.

Even with just a hundred points, one could squeeze into the top hundred! For Cai Qing Nü Di, this also counted as a condition to advance to the third round of the competition, and moreover, it was an opportunity to directly come into contact with Ye Qin!

Thinking of this, Cai Qing Nü Di's face flushed slightly, then she quickly suppressed her smile and urged herself to fall asleep quickly.

However, at that moment, danger crept up silently.

Zu Shen wasn't sleeping; instead, he half‑closed his eyes and kept watch on the surroundings. Sometimes one doesn't need full concentration to sense a person; sometimes a bit of intuition is enough.

Just then, something moved in the darkness, and Zu Shen noticed it instantly.

She hurried over and saw a cute little furball rolling on the ground.

"Huh? What is this?" Zu Shen frowned, looking at the rolling object with puzzlement.

But this thing was indeed cute, making Zu Shen feel delighted.

This little meatball rolled round and round, like a clingy little sprite, clinging to Zu Shen and refusing to let go.

"Little thing, what exactly are you?" Zu Shen, annoyed by it, could only let it run wild.

However, just as Zu Shen relaxed his guard, the thing in his arms suddenly began to transform!

With a whoosh, it burst open directly from the center of the mountain peak!

"Damn it!"

Wu Ying E Fei's face was grim; even if he didn't believe it in his heart, he had to go check. At the same time, he ordered his subordinates: "Gather the remaining brothers and follow me to take care of that brat!"

He didn't believe that an innate master could still appear in Wu Ying Mountain, let alone wipe out the entire Wu Ying bandit gang—it was simply a huge joke.

However, suddenly, a figure in a brocade robe appeared before him, holding a blood‑stained long sword. Without further thought, Wu Ying E Fei also knew this sword must belong to the brothers in the stronghold.

"You, who exactly are you?"

He asked in terror: "But you are definitely not one of the Five Absolutes; I once saw their faces from afar years ago, and none of them looked like you."

Soon, the remaining twenty or so people gathered around, blocking Wu Ying E Fei from behind, and they too trembled with fear.

This brocade‑clad gentleman was none other than Ye Qin, who calmly surveyed the bandits and said, "I am Ye Qin, Commissioner of the Imperial City Office. You lot, who have taken to the mountains as bandits, constantly plundering merchants and civilians, are nothing less than a scourge of the world, guilty of heinous crimes. Today I will eradicate you and restore a bright and upright heaven and earth."

Of course, he wouldn't admit that he also wanted to boost his reputation along the way.

Wu Ying E Fei: "The Imperial City Office's Qin the Great Demon Head…?"

He felt truly unlucky, as if he had stepped in dung. Ye Qin's infamous reputation had already spread throughout Qin Hu; even he, a road‑blocking bandit, knew that attracting the attention of the Imperial City Office meant only a dead end.

Seeing this, Ye Qin couldn't help but touch his nose and say, "Looks like I've become this famous—any random mountain bandit knows me."

This remark almost choked Wu Ying E Fei to death, as if to say, "Your feelings make going up the mountain to kill people a whim."

"Sir, this is a misunderstanding, everything is a misunderstanding!"

Wu Ying E Fei still had twenty or so brothers at his side, but even so he dared not confront Ye Qin head‑on. He hurried to explain: "We usually only extort corrupt merchants, and taking just a tenth of the profit is enough to get by these days."

Then he looked at Ye Qin with a pitiful expression, hoping this great lord would give them a way to live.

"Oh?"

Ye Qin raised an eyebrow and then coldly said, "Then explain to me, official, why the corpses scattered from the mountain base to the summit, and the reeking blood smell filling the stronghold, are all just a misunderstanding?" This bunch of deceitful fellows actually still tried to fool him—killing them would be no loss.

Wu Ying E Fei: "I…"

He had just tried to open his eyes and spout nonsense when Ye Qin suddenly swung a blade and chopped off his head; even as he died, his eyes stared wide, obviously dying unwillingly. Seeing Ye Qin like a killing god, the other bandits dared not resist and fell to their knees begging for mercy.

"Great lord, spare our lives! We were forced into banditry by Wu Ying E Fei!"

"We have committed capital crimes; please, lord, grant us mercy!"

Voices of pleading rose up, but Ye Qin merely watched coldly. These people's hands were stained with countless people's blood; if he hadn't first killed their leader, they probably wouldn't have knelt to beg for mercy.

Finally, Ye Qin spoke: "Hand over all the money and valuables of your stronghold to me!"

Seeing that Ye Qin did not act immediately, they again demanded the stronghold's wealth be handed over—clearly they wanted them to buy their lives with money; otherwise they wouldn't be so long‑winded.

So these twenty or so people dug up pits, placing the money and valuables buried under the old locust tree neatly before Ye Qin, saying, "Sir, this is the savings of our Wu Ying stronghold over the years—altogether five million taels of silver, plus some rare jewels and ornaments."

Ye Qin nodded and muttered to himself, "Good, let's move on."

Before these people could react, he drew his long sword and, at top speed, slew the twenty or so individuals one by one, saying, "I'm just too lazy to go fetch the silver myself; I never said I wouldn't kill you."

After finishing off the last one, Ye Qin again brought Huang Rong and continued to the next bandit lair.

!

Three days later, Ye Qin annihilated a stronghold of over two hundred people by himself; the old, young, and able-bodied none escaped, all dying at his hand. He did not want to leave any future trouble, lest someone come seeking revenge eighteen years later.

Seven days later, in a hidden valley, Ye Qin in one fell swoop destroyed the assassin organization entrenched there, likewise seizing their wealth and taking their secret manuals.

And one month later, the bandits, gangits, outlaws, and assassin organizations wiped out by Ye Qin had accumulated to ten strongholds, with an average of one stronghold destroyed every three days, each averaging about two to three hundred people. He was practically a murderous demon who didn't blink an eye.

However, news also recently spread that many heinous bandits had been killed, and the government and common folk alike applauded. Since the government and common folk basically lacked the ability to exterminate these bandits, they generously bestowed upon Ye Qin the title—Swordsman of No Life!

Inside an inn in Changzhou.

A man gulping wine from a big bowl suddenly said to his friend at the same table: "I heard the Imperial City Bureau has been restless lately; I don't know if it's true."

Before his friend could answer, someone nearby laughed: "Hey, you man, your news is out of date! Nowadays, who on Qin Lake doesn't know the great name of Swordsman of No Life Ye Qin? He can wipe out ten bandit strongholds in a month, his hands surely stained with the blood of two or three thousand people, tsk tsk."

"Ah?"

The man stared, then frowned: "Swordsman of No Life? A swordsman who kills and leaves no life? Then he must be an outright demon. Even those righteous heroes who exorcise demons haven't stained their hands with so many lives."

Killing like hemp—what else could it be if not a demon?

Who would have thought, as soon as the man's words fell, some people shook their heads and said: "You can't say that.

First, Ye Qin himself is an official of the Imperial City Bureau, so killing bandits is reasonable; second, those he killed are all heinous, wicked to the core, and many of Qin Lake's chivalrous folk dare not readily act righteously; third, he is eliminating harm for the people—do you know how many common folk could live in peace and work if those ten bandit strongholds were gone, and how many other bandits he could deter? Fourth, he has cleared the passageway, allowing merchants to circulate goods and stabilizing the trade—you have no idea how great an impact that is!

After this incident, many merchants and common folk grew favorably toward Ye Qin, while feeling that those Qin Lake folk who constantly shout about righteousness are the most unreliable. They have practiced righteousness for years, yet bandits still run rampant across the Great Song realm—nothing compared to Ye Qin's monthly achievement.

The man objected, immediately retorting: "Even if eliminating harm for the people, must we exterminate every last one? Some strongholds contain the elderly, weak, women, and children; even if they are guilty, they could be taken to the magistrate's office for trial and then sentenced."

Who does such slaughter?

At that moment, the innkeeper stood up and said coldly: "If we don't kill them, will they come for revenge in eighteen years? The elderly, weak, women, and children who cling to bandits should have expected this outcome; otherwise, no one will care about it later. As for trial, that's even more laughable—they've already become outlaws committing murder and plunder; do we really have to go to Lin'an Prefecture to go through the procedure? Many Qin Lake folks are simply utterly foolish! Besides, today I'll charge you double for this food and drink!"

The man said weakly: "I was just asking casually…"

Changzhou, in the corner of an inn.

Ye Qin looked at the man with a bitter face, and, being continually pestered, the innkeeper gave him a hard time; he couldn't help but say irritably: "This is his own doing!"

If it weren't for this man's relentless pestering, why would the innkeeper bother him?

"Brother Qin, you've killed so many people, yet these merchants actually admire you—really…"

Huang Rong momentarily couldn't find a suitable word to describe Ye Qin—killing thousands yet becoming a hero; if it were anyone else, they'd likely have become the infamous demon renowned across Qin Lake long ago.

"What a heretical path!" Ye Qin shook his head, smiled indifferently, and said: "People on Qin Lake have long spoken of me this way; this time I again wiped out ten bandit strongholds, altogether two or three thousand souls, and they'll surely slap the label of wicked evildoer on me again. But it doesn't matter—I have a clear conscience, and if they dare provoke me, I'll kill them without hesitation."

What he pursues is a clear conscience and carefree ease, so he couldn't care less about others' opinions. His postnatal perfected cultivation level is his greatest reliance.

"Brother Qin is certainly no demon; in my heart, you are the most perfect person in the world." Huang Rong smiled sweetly.

"Really?"

Knowing he himself is not perfect and sometimes impulsive, Ye Qin still thick‑skinned said: "Then it's fine; from now on, Rong'er won't despise me, hahaha!"

This made Huang Rong blush all over; fortunately, no one saw it in the inn's corner, otherwise it would have caused another commotion.

Xiangyang, Yuelai Inn.

A group of ragged, dirt‑covered people suddenly appeared; one of them, with a solemn face, said: "We came to the Central Plains with over a hundred people, but in just a little over a month only three or five of us remain."

This trip we lost terribly.

"Dharma King, what do we do next?"

Beside the table, an old Tibetan monk stayed silent for a long time before speaking: "This loss is so heavy—how are we to explain it to the Living Buddha? Sigh!"

Really puts one in a bind!

The Vajra Dharma King also shook his head, vexed and troubled: "The relics weren't found, and I've stirred up a mess; if you hadn't arrived at the crucial moment, I probably couldn't have gotten out. I'm now completely flustered—you lot figure out how to explain things to the Living Buddha yourselves!"

"Dharma King, you…"

The remaining Tibetan monks furrowed their brows; at this crucial moment the Dharma King pays no heed, leaving them to decide—if they return and get punished by the Living Buddha, they'll suffer a huge loss.

The Vajra Dharma King wolfed down a few mouthfuls of rice, then said casually: "Just honestly report to the Living Buddha; with our strength we can't hide it from him—if he wants to know, he'll find out. Besides, it's only a loss of some manpower; if we bordered the Jin people's territory, we'd likely suffer their blade disaster."

The Esoteric Buddhist Sect is fine in the Tibetan Border. (End of chapter)