Chapter 700: The Beginning

Night had fallen.

A few sparse stars hung in the firmament, appearing particularly dim.

At the edge of the bottom of the Tiankeng, over a hundred tents dotted the grassland, appearing so minuscule against the backdrop of starlight.

At this hour in the past, the herdsmen, exhausted from a day's work, would have enjoyed a rare moment of rest, but today, the place was ablaze with light.

In the center of the cluster of tents, dozens of people were bound hand and foot. Compared to the ordinary herdsmen, these people were either nobles in gorgeous attire or burly thugs.

Surrounding them were a group of silent herdsmen, heads bowed, appearing somewhat fearful and uneasy.

"Who on earth are you people? I am a disciple of the Yuncheng Huofo! How dare you bind me!? Do you not wish to live?"

A monk draped in a golden cassock, with a string of beads made from human skulls hanging around his neck, asked with his head held high.

An incense stick's time ago, he was still enjoying the beauties offered by the local nobles; now, he had become a prisoner.

With his cultivation at the Perception realm, he should have been able to run rampant in this region, but in an instant, he had been captured by three men working together, then escorted here and forced to his knees.

"Quickly, call your leader out! I wish to have a proper talk with him," the monk barked loudly. Even as a prisoner, his demeanor remained extremely arrogant.

After all, within this Tiankeng, the Buddhist sect held supreme status. Even if serfs occasionally rebelled, they only dared to strike at the nobles in the tribe; when encountering monks like them, they still had to be respectful.

"Damn dog, you think you're worthy!? You're nothing but a dog raised by the Hanging Temple."

Xiao Heizi Zhuo Er stepped forward and kicked the monk in the face: "Is Master Yu someone you can see just because you want to? Stay obediently, you'll get yours later."

He did not hold back with this kick, knocking out several of the monk's teeth and leaving his mouth full of blood.

"You... you... you lowly commoner... how dare you..." The monk's eyes widened in disbelief. This damned commoner actually dared to hurt him.

"Damn it, you still dare to curse me?!" A cold sneer played on the corner of Xiao Hei's mouth as he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks upon the monk: "Commoner? You are the commoner, your whole family are commoners!"

The set of blade techniques Yu Liancheng had passed on to him was characterized primarily by its strangeness and lethality. Reaching a high level would, to a greater or lesser extent, affect one's temperament, making one cruel and cold. At the same time, because Zhuo Er already detested this monk, he naturally did not hold back. If not for Yu Liancheng's instruction not to take his life, he might well have finished the opponent off with a single blade strike.

As the herdsmen watched the Living Buddha begging for mercy incessantly, their eyes widened, and it seemed as if some belief in their hearts had collapsed.

So, the Living Buddha is also human.

So, the Living Buddha can also be hurt.

So, the Living Buddha will also beg for mercy after being beaten.

"Alright, Xiao Hei, stop the commotion." At this moment, a voice emerged from the Darkness.

"Yes, Master Yu." Xiao Heizi retreated obediently, leaving behind only the Living Buddha, whose bones were broken and who was vomiting blood incessantly.

"You are wrong. I am Buddha, the Wuliang Zhongsheng Fo." A figure appeared silently. His gaze was as if tangible as he swept it across the crowd below: "All of you, raise your heads!"

This voice carried an irresistible power, causing all the herdsmen to involuntarily raise their heads, and then they saw the handsome young man dressed in a black cassock. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a hint of eeriness amidst the warmth and geniality under the reflection of the firelight. He pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist name: "I have been here for several days; I imagine you all recognize me by now."

His voice was gentle, like a babbling brook, yet it flowed into the ears and hearts of everyone present.

"Look there, that is the Western Paradise, where there is no slaughter, no pain, only endless joy." Yu Liancheng pointed his hand toward the high peak in the Tiankeng.

"But now, it is occupied by a group of Demons. The Demons wear monk's robes, corrupt the Buddhist teachings, drink alcohol and eat meat, kill living beings, crave delicacies, possess not a shred of compassion, and harbor hatred and jealousy toward one another..."

"And you are the true Buddhist followers, hardworking and kind, struggling for your livelihood. Yet you are exploited and squeezed by the Demons, driven and kept like livestock. Even after working all day, you cannot fill your stomachs and are often hungry. Not only are you hungry, but you may be killed by the so-called nobles or sacrificed by the Living Buddha at any moment."

"Are you to live in this boundless hell for generation after generation forever? Stand up, knock down those who ride on your necks and act with power and influence, and take back everything that belongs to you."

In the firelight, this man in the black cassock seemed like a true Buddha born from a Black Lotus, radiating infinite compassion and unparalleled charisma.

"Stand up, resist. What we lose are our shackles, and what we will gain is the whole world."

His tone gradually shifted from low to high-pitched. Every word he spoke seemed to scatter a spark, igniting the silent herdsmen and turning them into a raging fire, causing the atmosphere to gradually boil over.

Lu Chenjia watched this man silently.

Since she began following this man, she had to admit that there was an unparalleled charisma about him that could influence everyone around him.

Now, she felt even more as if she were seeing this man transform into a beam of light, shining down from the horizon, intending to pierce through the entire Tiankeng and sprinkle upon every serf.

Seeing the increasingly fervent atmosphere, Yu Liancheng knew it was about time and waved his hand at Zhuo Er: "If you are wrong, you must be beaten; if you have committed crimes, you must accept punishment. Whether it is a noble, a thug, or a so-called 'Living Buddha', all must pay the price for your past actions."

Zhuo Er immediately picked up a piece of paper and read aloud the crimes committed by the nobles, thugs, and the Living Buddha kneeling in the square.

Depending on the severity, they received different punishments.

Of course, these people were all wicked to the core; basically, for every one announced, a head was severed. Blood splattered all over the ground, and heads rolled, their faces still bearing expressions of terror.

And with every head that fell, the atmosphere in the square became even more intense.

Later on, every time one was beheaded, it would even trigger a round of enthusiastic cheering.

As for that monk, his sins were even more monstrous; for the sake of a single ritual, it was common for him to skin dozens of people alive until they died. In his room, many ritual implements and vessels made from human skin and human bone were found. This person's crimes were truly too numerous; Zhuo Er felt that just beheading him was letting him off too easily.

Zhuo Er had intended to do it himself, planning to subject this Living Buddha to death by a thousand cuts.

Yu Liancheng shook his head, flicked his sleeve, and whipped up a gust of violent energy, throwing the monk directly into the midst of the herdsmen, leaving him to be dealt with by the group.

"You dare! If you touch a single finger of mine, you will surely suffer evil retribution in the future, you will never be reincarnated after death, and the Hanging Temple will never let a single rebel go..."

The monk had already been severely injured by Zhuo Er and, seeing heads rolling, had been scared out of his wits, but now, being thrown into the crowd of herdsmen, he perked up instead, shouting sternly with a majestic air.

Yet, the surrounding herdsmen, upon seeing this monk, actually retreated unconsciously, revealing looks of panic.

Because of this, the monk became even more arrogant and was just about to utter a few more harsh words. Suddenly, a stone flew over and struck the monk on the head. It was a thin young man who shouted angrily: "Bian Zhen was tortured to death by you. I don't care if you suffer evil retribution in the future; right now, I want you to die."

Saying this, he picked up another stone and threw it.

With this one person taking the lead, it immediately ignited public anger. They threw stones one after another, mostly young people whose blood had not yet gone cold. "What kind of bullshit Living Buddha, return my parents' lives!" "You killed La Sang and even made his skull into a ritual implement; he was my best friend!" "That's right, they are the real Demons."

As stone after stone was thrown, the monk was first angry, then began to beg for mercy. His voice grew weaker and weaker until finally, all his bones were shattered, his flesh and blood became a mess, and he finally lost his life. Having killed this "Living Buddha", some still looked resentful, while others showed expressions of terror. But no matter what, everything had changed.

Yu Liancheng saw this scene and nodded with satisfaction.

No matter what, they had not been completely tamed; the blood and spirit hidden deep in their marrow could not be extinguished.

He opened his hands slightly, as if welcoming the morning sun after a long night.

Everything shall begin from this tribe.