Chapter 264: The Cat-Faced Man's Reverse Operation

The old monk was already standing beside the mirror.

The young monk took a notebook, seemingly preparing to record something.

Yuanmiao Nun, Tiancong Monk, and the disciples behind them exchanged glances, and Yuanmiao stepped forward first.

Everyone watched carefully.

Yuanmiao Nun walked anxiously to the old monk, bowed, then stopped opposite the mirror.

In the mirror first appeared her silhouette, then a flash, showing scenes of her participating in slaying ferocious beasts and picking and consuming spiritual herbs and fruits, finally displaying a number:

Four!

The old monk didn't look at the mirror, yet seemed to perceive everything inside, nodding slightly: "Slaying the beast herd is merely a minor trick; seizing spiritual herbs and fruits, cutting off the beasts' source of power, is the greatest merit in eliminating the root of calamity. To seize four spiritual herbs is exceedingly rare—go on!"

As his words fell, a gentle white light appeared in the mirror.

Yuanmiao Nun's wounds instantly healed; she was slightly startled, then stepped aside and turned to look at everyone.

All the sect disciples felt relieved; it turned out the mirror checked the number of spiritual herbs and fruits consumed, not only allowing passage but also granting healing—truly excellent.

In this regard, everyone felt confident, since Yuanmiao Nun's four herbs were deemed 'exceedingly rare' by the old monk, and nobody had far fewer.

Tiancong Monk stepped forward second, imitating Yuanmiao Nun: he bowed, then faced the mirror, which finally displayed: 6!

The old monk again nodded slightly: "Not bad, go on!"

Tiancong Monk was likewise swept by the white light from the mirror, his wounds healed, and he stepped aside.

Next, everyone came forward in turn.

The one who gathered and seized the most spiritual herbs and fruits was the perpetually silent Luoxia Valley's Xiao Yujian, with sixteen stalks!

The others—Niu Wanli, Yu Qiuyi, He Bizhi, Jiang Runyan, etc. —each had between seven or eight and over ten stalks.

This was because there were too many people, and they had split up.

As for the remaining lower-ranked disciples, they were the cream of the crop after the winnowing, each also having between two or three and seven or eight stalks.

Soon, everyone passed; the mirror's miraculous white light swept away their fatigue and wounds, leaving them all spirited.

The old monk intoned a Buddhist salutation, saying: "Benefactors, do more good deeds; having gathered many spiritual herbs and fruits, those evil beasts will surely fade away—this is great merit!"

Niu Wanli hastily said: "Master, you overpraise us; exterminating beasts to protect the Way is what we ought to do!"

The old monk nodded, pointing to the end of the Red Spider Lily path: "This road leads to the Heavenly Opportunity Bridge; once there, you shall pass by your own abilities!"

Everyone exchanged glances, then in unison bowed to the old monk in thanks, turned, and stepped onto the Red Spider Lily path.

These Red Spider Lilies are most mysterious; though their surface brims with spiritual energy, stepping on them does not break them—one walks upon the petals, giving a feeling of ethereal softness.

Yu Qiuyi took a few steps, adapted to the light, floating sensation, pondered, and said: "Could it be that the Cat-Faced Man really met with mishap? Why hasn't he appeared yet?"

Everyone also felt strange, involuntarily turning their heads to look back the way they came.

Seeing the old monk again before the mirror, the young monk striking the bell, at some point a figure stood opposite.

It was none other than the "Cat-Faced Man".

He had somehow run over.

However, by now he had taken off his armor, donned a white long robe, his stature tall and slender, his bearing graceful.

Yet his face still bore a mask, prompting everyone with the urge to tear off his cat-face mask and see his true visage.

"He still came!" Yu Qiuyi whispered.

Everyone halted, curiosity outweighing hostility: how would the Cat-Faced Man face the old monk's difficult questions? How many spiritual herbs and fruits had he seized?

Just thinking of this, everyone collectively went blank.

Seeing the Cat-Faced Man utterly ignoring the old monk and young monk, preparing to walk straight past.

This could no longer be called mere boldness; it was an act of breaking rules and challenging taboos!

"If the old monk flies into a rage and slays him, that would be entertaining!" He Bizhi said solemnly.

Everyone stared unblinking; though silent, they all shared the same thought.

Yet the old monk did not act; merely the young monk stopped ringing the bell, gazed at the Cat-Faced Man, and shouted angrily: "You youngster, utterly ignorant of propriety—how can you barge in without uttering a word?"

Heng Xian tugged at his collar; he was still a bit damp, having just bathed and changed clothes before rushing over—after all, the sect disciples had cleared the way ahead, so he wasn't in a hurry. At this moment he looked bewildered at the young monk: "What should I say? Why should I say anything?"

"You're bold!" the young monk fumed: "This path was opened by our master and disciple; if you pass through it, you ought to greet those who cleared the way. You lack even basic courtesy, yet dare to dream of studying the Dao? Hah! Dream on!"

Heng Xian said sternly: "A radius of ten thousand li is a sacred ground of the Dao; you, monk and disciple, being Buddhist followers residing here, are inherently out of place."

"Opening the path for travelers, blessing the world, counts as your cultivation; Buddhists always hold compassion, so you master and disciple would not seek repayment for kindness—what difference is there from bandits?"

"This…" the young monk was speechless.

The sect disciples not far away were also dumbfounded: "Is this Cat-Faced Man mad? How dare he speak thus?"

At this moment the old monk turned, palms together: "Amitabha, what the benefactor says is reasonable, though our temporary residence here is improper, it is also unavoidable."

"Of course, opening mountains and laying roads is for cultivation, certainly not to seek repayment for kindness."

"The reason my disciple stopped the benefactor was to ask whether he had subdued the evil beasts ahead!"

The sect disciples not far away exchanged glances: "This old monk's attitude toward people seems to have changed!"

Yu Qiuyi said: "This Cat-Faced Man must have seen through some rules we don't know!"

Then the Cat-Faced Man said: "Oh? If I have subdued the evil beasts ahead, what then?"

The old monk replied: "I, your humble monk, shall naturally repay the benefactor!"

"Ah, I see!" Heng Xian said with hands behind his back: "Then how do you know how many I subdued? If I just throw out a number, it's not like I'm spouting nonsense."

The old monk pointed at the mirror: "This realm can examine the benefactor's merit in slaying evil beasts!"

Upon hearing this, Heng Xian walked to the mirror.

The sect disciples instinctively stepped forward, staring fixedly at the mirror surface, all wanting to see just how much this fellow had seized.

Only saw in the mirror first a series of images, then the picture shifted, revealing a line of text:

One hundred fifty-seven!

「One hundred... fifty-seven??? 」

「He alone snatched 157 spiritual herbs and fruits? 」

「Damn it! 」

The disciples of various sects felt depressed in their hearts; they had originally thought that, relying on their numbers, they could definitely out-snatch the "Cat-faced Man", but who could have imagined that this bastard alone could snatch such an astonishing number?

Even the Xiao Yu Sword possessing sixteen stalks amounts to nothing before him.

Since he snatched so much, and even brought the Beast King to take revenge on us, isn't that going too far?!

That old monk also let out a gasp, nodded and said: "Benefactor, you are truly Bu Fan; you may pass, the road of the other shore flowers ends here..."

"Wait!" Heng Xian suddenly interrupted, "Is this your repayment? Treating me like a three-year-old? Being so stingy, how can one pursue the Great Dao and enter the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?"

(End of chapter)