Chapter 98: The Buddha Ape Subdues the Demon

In Qingzhou City, at Dashun Zhai.

At dusk, crowds bustled about, and the street lights shone brilliantly.

Tian Zhiwen stood at the entrance of the grand restaurant, smiling as he welcomed numerous disciples from sects and noble families: "Today, this humble brother will accompany you all. Please come inside, and do not stand on ceremony."

The young master of Tianhai Tower, the chief disciple of Bai He Hall, the young master of the Huang family...

Though all were of the younger generation and held no real power in Qingzhou, they were all prominent figures.

Now gathered together, aside from doing so for Tian Zhiwen's sake, it also slightly revealed the intentions of these sects and noble families.

Even though Old General Chen had acted with sufficient restraint, the fact that the Qingfeng Sect had collapsed like a fallen tree scattering its monkeys still made them feel an underlying unease, subconsciously wanting to cling more tightly together.

"Oh!"

Tian Zhiwen suddenly spotted a familiar figure, hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to greet him, and smiled ingratiatingly: "Young Master Zhao has arrived."

As he spoke, he quietly broke out in a cold sweat.

Today, he was hosting guests from all directions on behalf of Big Brother Li; according to the other party's wishes, the invitations sent were few, targeting only second and third-rate powers, so how had this lord been drawn here?

"Feeling troubled, I just took a stroll."

Zhao Kangyun fanned himself with a folding fan and slowly stepped into Dashun Zhai.

Seeing his slightly irritable expression, the others, while respectful, could not help but feel a chill in their hearts.

They had heard that a certain young master of the Zhao family had been defeated at Qingfeng Mountain this time.

As one of the Sixingwu Sect, the other party could only take a walk to relieve their sorrow; relying on the imperial court and the Regional Commander for support, the Zhen Mo Si truly acted with increasing recklessness.

If they did not unite soon, they feared they would be eaten down to the bone fragments.

Fortunately, the Regional Commander was not in Qingzhou City, and there was no Zhen Mo General; the remaining deputy generals and Captains could not stir up much trouble, so for the time being, they would not end up in the same situation as Qingfeng Mountain.

"Why has he come?"

On the second-floor pavilion, Li Xinhan had changed into a green robe to conceal his injuries, but unfortunately, his movements were restricted, so he could only lean against the back of a redwood chair.

"No need to worry about him."

Li Mujin, wearing a long skirt, stood quietly to one side.

For siblings of their status, hosting guests was simply about eating and drinking, and incidentally inviting the people of the Vajra Sect so that the latter would not develop apprehension prematurely.

As for everything else, whether standing with the noble families or with the Zhen Mo Si, it was not something for two juniors to consider.

"Please use this first; I will go instruct the cooks to change the dishes to a batch of lighter ones."

After attending to Zhao Kangyun, Tian Zhiwen found an excuse to slip away and quietly ascended to the second floor.

Stepping into the pavilion room, he looked at the Li siblings, then fixed his gaze on the youth in a black scholar's robe seated in the main position; the other party's expression revealed neither joy nor anger, gently scraping tea foam with the teacup lid, and for a long time did not bring it to his lips for a single sip.

Was he disdainful of the tea quality being too poor?

Tian Zhiwen immediately felt reassured in his heart; the hierarchy was clear at a glance.

He just looked unfamiliar; Tian Zhiwen did not know which power he came from.

What was the purpose of hosting guests from all directions today? Was it dissatisfaction with the Zhen Mo Si's crude methods, wanting to step forward and act as the leader?

"Big Brother Li, shall we begin the banquet?"

"Wait a little longer."

Li Xinhan gazed down from above, and after a moment, turned his head to look sideways: "He's here. Should we call him up directly for questioning?"

Hearing this, Tian Zhiwen was slightly stunned and likewise looked down.

What sort of person could warrant this youth in the black robe waiting specifically for him? The Li and Zhao families were both present; could it be the remaining Sun and Qian? But they hadn't notified me to send an invitation.

After clearly seeing the figure at the entrance of Dashun Zhai, confusion inevitably welled up in his eyes.

Inside the noisy main hall.

A slightly thin youth entered with a smile, his head topped with a thin inch of hair, draped in a wide white cloth that exposed half of a body as muscular as if coated in oil; one hand held a silver iron rod behind his back, while the other held a heavy iron chain.

"Everyone is here, and Young Master Zhao is here too; it seems this humble monk arrived late, for which I am guilty, guilty."

"A mere martial artist, pretending to be a bald monk."

Zhao Kangyun sneered disdainfully and closed his fan: "Your Vajra Sect only established its Buddha statues a few decades ago, conveniently three months before our Department Magistrate, who loves chanting scriptures, took office here; before that, they probably couldn't even handle prayer beads properly."

"Young Master Zhao's reprimand is well taken."

Yuan Gang was not angered; he merely smiled: "Diligence can make up for lack of talent; things like scriptures and prayer beads, if one recites them more and handles them more, one will gradually learn them."

Hearing this, the others immediately burst into laughter.

As Yuan Gang's gaze swept over them, most quickly fell silent.

The Vajra Sect now showed signs of rising; relying on half a scroll of the Nascent Core Body Tempering Method, the abbot had greatly increased his realm over several decades, and it was said he already possessed the capital to fight someone in the Nascent Core Realm.

After the Bodhi Treasure Tree withered, this sect, through some dog luck, regained signs of that former rapid body tempering, even more terrifying than before.

A group of body tempering martial artists comparable to the peak of Jade Elixir, and a group of body tempering martial artists barely reaching the Nascent Core Realm—these were two different concepts; if it were truly as everyone guessed, in a few hundred years, the Vajra Sect would probably fill the gap left by Qingfeng Mountain in the Sixingliu Sect and ascend to a first-rate power.

"Hmph."

Seemingly thinking of this, Zhao Kangyun let out a cold sneer and did not continue his mockery.

"This humble monk did not intentionally arrive late; recently, I have been traveling everywhere to preach and spread the Dharma, gathering good karma; these past days, I ran through seven or eight counties and only just managed to return to Qingzhou."

Yuan Gang looked carefully around, as if searching for something.

Not seeing the figure he imagined, he forced a smile again and tugged on the iron chain in his hand: "After eating and drinking enough, this humble monk will also perform a grand play of 'The Buddha Ape Subdues the Demon' for everyone to add to the fun."

With the clatter of the iron chain.

A tall, obese figure was dragged into Dashun Zhai.

He was as bulky as a small mountain, wearing a blue short jacket, with a huge belly that was particularly eye-catching.

Of course, aside from that belly, the man's face, covered in a large beard, was painted with ink to look like a demon; pig ears with fur hung on both sides of his head, and a raw pig snout hung over his nose and mouth.

He looked quite ridiculous.

His eyes were vacant, as if his soul was lost, with not a shred of spirit or energy.

Even as another wave of raucous laughter rose beside him, the big man only stared blankly at his feet.

This time even Zhao Kangyun was amused. "Where'd you dig up such fine material? Playing a pig demon — really a perfect likeness."

"This is an old friend of mine. He just loves playing the pig."

Yangang bared his teeth, turned his head and grinned: "Right?"

The big man seemed not to hear. Only when the buzz-cut youth yanked hard on the chain did he nod dazedly, his voice hoarse and dry: "Yes…"

"That dumb bastard."

Tian Zhiwen frowned.

If they're old acquaintances, whatever the grudge — if you must, fight to the death, heads fall, feuds end. Why drag him out to humiliate him like this?

Before the words had faded, he felt a chill at his back, and the atmosphere inside the room gradually turned strange.

Li Xinhan's body went rigid; Li Mujin bit hard on her lip.

Only the youth in the ink-dark robe set his teacup down gently, his expression growing calmer. He stepped out of the partitioned booth and walked down the stairs.

Amid the laughter and merriment, one out-of-place figure quickly drew many an eye.

Zhao Kangyun looked up, his face cooling fast. He himself had deigned to mingle with the common folk, sitting humbly downstairs — yet someone still lingered upstairs. What did Tian Zhiwen mean by this?

Soon, the face of the youth in the ink-dark scholar's robe came into view.

A few more notes of doubt, and a trace of faint familiarity, gathered between his brows…

Shen Yi came to a stop before the youth who had called himself a little monk.

He gazed quietly at the big man behind the other, yet seemed to be questioning everyone in the hall.

His voice was utterly flat: "Funny?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the big man instinctively looked up. The moment he saw the face before him, his whole body trembled. He stumbled two steps back and raised a broad arm to shield his face.

He had once bragged to that man about Outside Qingzhou, bragged about his own deeds.

A life of no great achievement, save for two or three acts of chivalry worth telling.

He was a butcher who, when his temper flared, feared no one — not a pig demon to be chained up.

Shen Yi had only just arrived in Outside Qingzhou; he ought not offend others over some fool playing at being a pig.

"…"

Yangang was briefly taken aback. The man was a stranger, yet he had come down from the second floor — and Tian Zhiwen was no fool, so… the man was at least on Zhao Kangyun's level, perhaps even higher.

Thinking this, he laughed it off: "If you don't like it, then we stop the show. Just a shame to spoil everyone's fun."

At these words, a strange look flashed in the others' eyes. Zhao Kangyun flipped his fan open again — he could see plainly enough that Yangang was stoking the fire from the middle.

But the trouble was, he himself had laughed just now, and had more or less guessed this man's identity.

Zhao Kangyun rose slowly, about to speak, when an indifferent voice sounded at his ear.

"Did I ask you that?"

Accompanying the words, Shen Yi's hand lifted in a casual gesture.

Almost in an instant, Yangang had flung away the chain, both hands gripping that gleaming long staff. Light surged beneath his skin as he drove every ounce of strength into a horizontal block!

Beneath that youthful exterior, he was in fact nearly a whole generation older than everyone in the building — even older than Butcher Zhang.

Cultivation at the early stage of Jade Liquid Realm, yet with a body comparable to the late stage of Jade Liquid Realm.

"You brought this on yourself, benefactor. This little monk has offended you!"

He clenched his teeth, his face hideously contorted — yet the next instant, a hand of clearly defined knuckles landed on the staff he gripped.

Terrifying force snapped that hundred-times-forged staff in an instant, then drove into Yangang's chest. A body tempered for years, once thought unbreakable, now caved in within a single breath!

Boom!

(End of chapter)