Chapter 868: [Longevity Buddha] (Part 1)

Mingsheng softened, and besides his good impression of Hu Xiaotian, hearing him speak so movingly, he believed it, thought it over, and finally nodded, saying: "All right! I'll take you there, but once you get there you must not linger too long; after offering incense to the Buddha statue, leave immediately."

Hu Xiaotian heard Mingsheng's agreement and nodded repeatedly, saying: "Senior Brother Mingsheng, rest assured, with your help like this, I will definitely not cause you any trouble."

Hearing his words, Mingsheng involuntarily slipped into a vulgar tone, which was both funny and exasperating. He then led Hu Xiaotian toward Split Cloud Valley; the two lingered in the Hall of Merit for three hours, not even having time for lunch, and now both were a little hungry. Mingsheng told Hu Xiaotian to wait a moment, and after a short while returned with several steamed buns.

Each ate a few buns, drank some water, treating it as lunch; after a brief rest they headed for Split Cloud Valley.

Mingsheng led Hu Xiaotian around the temple's main hall, choosing as little‑traveled side paths as possible, since Hu Xiaotian was not a temple resident; encountering an elder‑level monk on patrol would surely bring unnecessary trouble. After walking for over an hour they finally arrived at the Split Cloud Valley the old monk had mentioned.

Though called Split Cloud Valley, it was merely a grass‑choked mountain hollow; the afternoon rain never came, the weather was extremely hot and humid, and the monk tasked with guarding the valley had vanished somewhere to cool off.

Mingsheng and Hu Xiaotian quickly entered the valley, winding down the twisting mountain path; the narrow road's sides were piled with many broken steles and Buddha statues, temporarily placed here for later repair. Upon arrival, Hu Xiaotian realized that even just the armless, legless Buddha statues in Split Cloud Valley numbered in the hundreds; searching them one by one would likely take three to five days. He decided first to look for the Longevity Buddha the old monk had mentioned, to see if any statue sponsored by Chu Fufeng was present.

Following the mountain trail all the way to the valley floor, there a three‑zhang‑wide small river rushed; on the cliff face across the mountain stream were numerous caves, densely packed side by side, initially estimated to be over a hundred.

Mingsheng pointed to the opposite side and said: "That is the Longevity Buddha."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Let's have a look!" He hurried to the riverbank, leapt across at the narrowest point. Mingsheng did not follow, staying where he was, for he dared not commit an offense against the Buddha statue.

Hu Xiaotian had already slipped into a cave, examining the inscriptions; though the years had worn them, each Buddha statue bore the donor's name, and he checked them one by one. After only a dozen or so, rain began outside; he looked up and saw Mingsheng still standing honestly in place, waiting for him, and couldn't help smiling inwardly. This monk had a good heart, but his actions were a bit stiff; he said to Mingsheng, "Senior Brother Mingsheng, come over to shelter from the rain!" His voice should have been loud enough, yet Mingsheng remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard a word, showing no reaction.

Only then did Hu Xiaotian feel something was off; he was about to leave the cave to investigate, but before he could move, he heard a person's breathing behind him, as if the exhalation brushed his neck. Startled, he whirled around—yet behind him there was nothing but that Buddha statue, no human shadow. His scalp prickled, and he cried out in alarm: "Who?"

From behind came an echo‑like voice: "Who?"

Hu Xiaotian spun around again, this time summoning all his strength; his turn was lightning fast, yet behind him remained empty. Someone exhaled lightly on his neck, gooseflesh rose all over his body, and in an instant his forehead was slick with cold sweat. He could tell someone stood behind him—his current martial skill could barely qualify him as an expert, and he even possessed the exquisite Dog‑Dodging Eighteen Steps, yet he could not see the attacker's shadow at all. Disbelieving in ghosts, he drew a deep breath, and heard the person behind him mimic his own deep inhalation.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Stop joking, scaring people to death!"

"Stop joking, scaring people to death!"

Hu Xiaotian had never in his life encountered anything so bizarre; frightened by this invisible stranger, his legs went weak, and his mind instantly forgot the purpose of this trip. "Thirty‑six stratagems, fleeing is best," he thought—no matter who it was, he simply could not provoke them. He oiled the soles of his feet and, with a swish, bolted for the cave mouth. Though he dared say nothing else, he had absolute confidence in his footwork; originally he could dodge Xu Mitian and Li Chang'an, two top masters, and even against a stronger foe he should still have a chance to escape.

Hu Xiaotian fled at breakneck speed; in the blink of an eye he reached the riverbank, leapt into the air trying to cross to the opposite shore, his body soaring above the water—yet his neck still felt someone's breath puffing on it. He reached back and grabbed something oily; pulling it before his eyes, he saw it was a bone, and let out a terrified scream.

The person behind him also mimicked his scream, the sound ringing clearly in his ear; Hu Xiaotian felt both shocked and afraid, unable to draw another breath, and plummeted from midair with a splash into the river.

Hu Xiaotian looked around; aside from the monk Mingsheng standing dazed on the bank, there was no one else. With his water skill he moved through the river like a fish in water, straining to swim downstream, but suddenly he felt the water part rapidly to both sides; in an instant his body sank into the riverbed's silt, while the water on either side remained, only the spot he occupied was completely drained. Hu Xiaotian's body sank into the mud—his panic and inner shock were beyond description. The opponent was like a divine dragon leaving no trace; to this day he still hadn't seen the person's appearance, yet this individual could actually cut off the river's flow—a power unmatched in ancient or modern times.

Hu Xiaotian clambered out of the mire, raised both hands high, and declared: "I surrender, I surrender! Dispose of me as you wish, Senior." Suddenly he recalled what Li Yuncong had told him: Heavenly Dragon Temple harbors an Innate‑Realm expert; surely he had run into that very person.

A strange voice came to his ear: "You little brat, stand still!"

"Yes!" Hu Xiaotian now stood perfectly still. Meanwhile Mingsheng suddenly plopped down on the ground, his face full of astonishment; he glanced at Hu Xiaotian, dared not speak, turned and fled—so hastily that he tripped twice in succession, and in the blink of an eye vanished without a trace.

Hu Xiaotian stood upright in the middle of the river, his eyes never resting, scanning left and right; about a zhang away on each side rose a wall of water, cutting off the river's flow, leaving only his own empty space.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Senior, I am unfamiliar with these roads, so I lost my way and disturbed your tranquility; I hope you will forgive me, considering this my first offense, and not hold it against me."

That strange old voice said: "Your dirty hands have touched my Longevity Buddha; I don't know how much of my lifespan has been diminished thereby, and if I were to let you off lightly, even the Buddha would not agree."

Hu Xiaotian replied: "The Buddha is compassionate; of course he wouldn't care about such a trifle, nor would he hold it against an ordinary mortal like me."

That voice suddenly grew stern: "You little brat, are you mocking me? Saying my mind is narrow?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "No…" but he saw the two walls of water closing in toward the center; although his water skill was superb, the sight of this unimaginable scene filled him with dread, and he instinctively clutched his head with both hands.

The two walls of water merged into one, and the river's flow returned to normal. Hu Xiaotian was caught between the two currents, as if slapped hard by two giant palms; relying on his superb water skill he bobbed back to the surface, and as his head broke the water for a breath, he felt a powerful surge erupt from below, striking his buttocks. He shot upward like a rocket, yelling "Mom!" as he soared ten or more zhang high; an invisible force then slammed his back, sending his limbs flailing toward the front cliff. With no strength to resist, impacting the rock at that speed would either pulverize him or break his bones and tendons, and he cried out: "Spare my life…"

Just as he was about to crash into the cliff, the thrust from behind suddenly vanished; a hand grabbed his shoulder, stabilizing his posture. Under gravity Hu Xiaotian fell straight down with a thud, landing on his buttocks, as if he had been smashed into four pieces.

Hu Xiaotian finally managed to get to his feet; something dropped onto his head—a wooden bucket containing a rag. The strange voice said: "Wash clean the Buddha statues your dirty hands have touched; if a single speck of dust remains, I will strip you naked and hang you from the mountain gate."

Hu Xiaotian dared not utter another word; the opponent's strength was staggeringly beyond comprehension, and to this day he had not even seen the person's face, having been toyed with from start to finish. He fetched a bucket of river water, then earnestly scrubbed every Buddha statue he had touched. He had visited a dozen or so caves, and wiping them all clean would take considerable time. He spent a full two hours, finally cleansing every statue he had contacted, and when he looked outside, night had already fallen.

Hu Xiaotian shouted: "Senior, I've finished cleaning!" He called twice with no reply; perhaps that mysterious monk had already left. Hu Xiaotian felt a secret gladness, naturally not bothering to look for any Chu Fufeng‑sponsored Buddha statue—leaving now was the proper course. As he stepped out of the cave, the strange voice sounded again: "There are 116 Longevity Buddha statues in total; all must be cleaned for me, and if even a speck of dust remains, I will not spare you!" (To be continued…^~^)