Chapter 11: Senior Brother, in the end it was all given in vain

Inside the food shop.

"Uh, Senior Brother, what is this?"

Hearing Abbot Xuan Ci's sudden words, Monk Xuanji couldn't help but be stunned.

Who was it just now that said they were leaving? How come now they're not leaving?

"Junior Brother, quick, drink some water!"

Paying no heed to Monk Xuanji's confusion, Abbot Xuan Ci directly pulled him down, then handed a cup of plain boiled water in front of him.

An originally utterly ordinary cup of plain boiled water, in Abbot Xuan Ci's eyes, was an absolute immortal spring!

With just one mouthful of plain boiled water entering his body moments ago, the Buddhist internal energy Abbot Xuan Ci had cultivated for many years was, under that cooling qi, purified once again.

Although his internal energy had not increased, Abbot Xuan Ci could clearly feel it.

The internal energy that had fluctuated in his early years due to breaking precepts had actually condensed and solidified once more.

This was simply far more potent than their Buddhist sect's Great Strength Pills.

Watching his own senior brother's excited appearance, Monk Xuanji couldn't help muttering inwardly.

Looking at the plain boiled water before him, he hesitated for a moment.

His senior brother had drunk this just now, and then turned into this state.

This couldn't be some kind of deadly poison, could it?

One couldn't blame Monk Xuanji for thinking this way—after all, the change in his own senior brother was simply too exaggerated.

It was just a cup of ordinary water; where did it warrant such a fuss?

"Senior Brother, I'm not thirsty. Let's just go back first!"

Unable to see through the strangeness of this place, Monk Xuanji still felt it best to take his senior brother back first.

But the moment his words fell, he saw Abbot Xuan Ci, who had been slowly sipping plain boiled water on the other side, his eyes suddenly light up.

"You're not thirsty?!"

Looking at the plain boiled water before Monk Xuanji that hadn't been touched at all, Abbot Xuan Ci was instantly overjoyed.

He drained the plain boiled water in his own hand in one gulp, then directly picked up Monk Xuanji's portion.

"Junior Brother, since you're not thirsty, this Senior Brother can only help share it for you!"

Speaking these words aloud, Abbot Xuan Ci felt he was helping his junior brother share the burden.

After all, such an immortal spring absolutely could not be wasted!

And Monk Xuanji, who had originally wanted to persuade his senior brother to leave, was instantly stunned.

Then, when he looked at Xuan Ci again, a trace of sorrow inevitably showed on his face.

It's over—his own senior brother has been poisoned and gone stupid!

Even a cup of water, he now treats as a treasure!

Watching Abbot Xuan Ci drink the plain boiled water in big gulps, a look of contentment on his face, Monk Xuanji felt he could not just let this go on.

"Senior Brother, stop drinking, give it to me!"

One hand reached out toward the plain boiled water.

Monk Xuanji had already concluded that deadly poison had been put in the plain boiled water; at this moment he did not want his own senior brother to be poisoned too deeply.

But such an action, in Xuan Ci's eyes, felt entirely different.

Holy crap, Junior Brother, you don't play by the rules!

It was clearly you who said you didn't want it just now—so how come now you're snatching it?

Having already drunk one and a half cups of plain boiled water, Abbot Xuan Ci could feel his internal energy cultivation growing ever more stable within him.

His gaze swept over Monk Xuanji's anxious expression. After thinking it over, Abbot Xuan Ci still felt he ought to leave a little for his junior brother!

"Alright, alright, Junior Brother, such an immortal spring—you have a taste too!"

Seeing Monk Xuanji already getting anxious, Abbot Xuan Ci couldn't help but set the plain boiled water down and hand it back over.

But upon taking the plain boiled water, Monk Xuanji did not drink it; instead, he placed it far off to one side.

At this moment, Monk Xuanji looked at Abbot Xuan Ci with a face full of worry.

It's over, everything's too late—Senior Brother has clearly been poisoned far too deeply!

A mere cup of plain boiled water, and he actually treats it as an immortal spring!

Why is he this miserable!

Now that his senior brother has been poisoned and gone stupid, how is he supposed to explain things to all their fellow disciples after he gets back!

"Sigh, Senior Brother, now that you've been poisoned and gone stupid, what am I to do!"

With a sigh, Monk Xuanji felt his life was truly bitter!

But the moment that sigh escaped his lips, Abbot Xuan Ci, who had been overjoyed on the other side, instantly froze.

What the heck? He's been poisoned and gone stupid?

His gaze now turned to his junior brother, only to find the other looking at him as if he were an idiot.

In an instant, Abbot Xuan Ci figured out the reason.

Damn you, you're the stupid one—your whole family's stupid!

Glancing at the plain boiled water off to the side, Abbot Xuan Ci directly picked it up and poured it down Monk Xuanji's throat.

What a real idiot—such an immortal spring, if not for the fact that you're my junior brother, you wouldn't even get a share!

And you actually say he's the stupid one—try it yourself and see who's stupid!

Inwardly, he furiously ranted at Monk Xuanji.

If it weren't for wanting the other to understand, Abbot Xuan Ci would long ago have drunk all the plain boiled water himself.

And at this moment, Monk Xuanji, caught off guard and having plain boiled water poured into his mouth by Abbot Xuan Ci, was instantly terrified to his very soul!

It's over, he's done for.

This was because he had discovered the truth that his own senior brother had been poisoned into a fool.

So Senior Brother wants to kill me to silence me!

As this thought rose within his heart, Monk Xuanji only felt a chill surge up to his head.

But the next moment, the plain boiled water at his mouth transformed into a cool qi that surged into his dantian.

The vast, chaotic dantian internal force within Monk Xuanji, under that cool qi, began to circulate on its own, and then transformed into pure qi.

The sudden scene made Monk Xuanji freeze on the spot.

Huh, he isn't dead yet?

How did the internal force in his body start circulating on its own?

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and then a clap of thunder exploded, and Monk Xuanji instantly understood.

"Th-this is an Immortal Spring!"

Monk Xuanji muttered, and at this moment Abbot Xuan Ci also withdrew his hand and sat down.

Watching Monk Xuanji's dazed look, he secretly felt smug.

What a fool — such an Immortal Spring, and he doesn't even know to cherish it!

On the other side, Monk Xuanji, slowly digesting the cool qi, also came to understand.

What kind of eerie place is this? This is simply an immortal realm!

He raised his hand, about to take another sip, only to find that his plain boiled water was already completely empty.

At this moment, Monk Xuanji recalled everything, and a pair of resentful eyes looked toward his own senior brother.

"Senior Brother, where's my water!"

Thinking that the share that should have belonged to him had actually been drunk halfway by his senior brother, Monk Xuanji immediately felt furious inside.

"No rush, no rush, Senior Brother will pour you another cup right now!"

Thinking of his earlier loss of composure, Abbot Xuan Ci also felt his face flush; he comforted Monk Xuanji with his words while preparing another cup.

But the moment his words fell, Yue Buqun, who was sitting not far away, spoke up.

"Another cup? Don't even dream of it — here, each person only gets one serving per day!"

Sweeping clean the food before him, Yue Buqun now leisurely held his plain boiled water, taking occasional sips, calming and purifying the internal force within his body.

As a regular at the shop, Yue Buqun had already mastered the use of plain boiled water.

Seeing the two new monks from Shaolin Temple, he kindly offered a reminder.

And when these words fell, they immediately made Abbot Xuan Ci feel a resentful gaze fixed dead on him.

"Senior Brother, I never thought you were this kind of person!"

Decades of brotherhood, all over half a cup of water!

In the end, it was all misplaced trust!