Chapter 140: Years Ago

Xing Chi only had the time of one stick of incense left.

This time was too short. He had many things to say, but couldn't finish them.

Simply, he didn't say them.

"The third thing, after I enter Nirvana, Yong Jie will inherit the position of Shaolin Abbot."

Having said that, Xing Chi nodded to Li Miao, Li Miao understood, pressed one hand on Yong Jie's back, pinched Xing Chi's pulse with

Feeling the true energy that sustained his life constantly flowing away, Xing Chi closed his eyes.

He was nothing more than a dull-witted monk.

Because he could not recite scriptures, he went to practice martial arts; because he could not sit still on a meditation cushion, he went out into the Ordinary Jianghu; because he could not understand the interests and rules of this Ordinary Jianghu, he stubbornly followed what the Buddha had taught him and did so for his entire life.

He opened his eyes and scanned the Ordinary Jianghu people around him, who were either tearful, in pain, wailing, or panic-stricken.

Like hungry ghosts, like vengeful spirits, like sinners.

To most people, this Ordinary Jianghu was a hell to begin with.

As the transmission of energy ended, Li Miao withdrew his hand from Yong Jie's back and spoke to Xing Chi.

"Master, you have fifty breaths of time remaining."

Xing Chi nodded, looked at the crowd, and smiled at them.

Then, staggering and trembling, he sat cross-legged on the ground, released the hand with which Li Miao had been sustaining his life, and began to recite the scripture he had learned first.

It was also the scripture he had upheld his entire life.

"For all sentient beings who have not yet attained liberation, their nature and consciousness are unfixed."

"Evil habits lead to karmic results, and good habits lead to virtuous fruits. Whether doing good or evil, one is born according to the realm."

"Revolving through the five paths, there is no rest; moving through eons of dust, one is confused by obstacles and suffering. Like a fish swimming in a net, one flows along; escaping momentarily, one is caught in the net again."

"For such beings, I shall feel deep concern..."

Li Miao, listening to the scripture Xing Chi was reciting from the side, shook his head and smiled.

"The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vow Sutra."

This passage of scripture was what the Buddha said after Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made his grand vow to the Buddha to save all sentient beings suffering from karmic retribution.

Li Miao understood Xing Chi's thoughts—he had clearly regarded this Ordinary Jianghu as hell, and then, following the example of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, he had cast himself into it without hesitation. He had taken the scripture to heart and truly lived his life according to what was written in it.

But, thinking of this, Li Miao sighed.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said, 'Until hell is empty, I vow not to become a Buddha.'"

"Master, can you still depart in peace reciting this passage before you die?"

Sure enough, as Xing Chi recited, his speed grew slower and slower as he reached a certain point. His tone also carried a hint of hesitation.

"Since you have fulfilled these past vows, repeated your heavy oaths over eons, and extensively saved the sinful beings, what more do I have to worry about..."

"What more... do I have to worry about?"

"What more... do I have to worry about?"

Xing Chi murmured.

"My Buddha, can you really let go?"

His mind was already unclear; he seemed to see the Buddha revealing his golden body amidst the clouds, smiling as he held a flower. It was as if he were confirming that he had finally attained the fruit of enlightenment.

But he did not like that smile.

Because that smile was too clean; it was not stained with blood, not covered in dust, not gaunt and thin, and it bore no scars or wounds. The Buddha sitting on the lotus throne was neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing; he could not experience the suffering of the world, nor could he save the people of the world.

The Buddha could say, "What more do I have to worry about," but he could not say it.

In the end, he still could not let go.

Xing Chi stopped reciting the scripture and lowered his hands, which had been pressed together.

He raised his head, looked at the crowd, and spoke the last sentence of his life, which had nothing to do with the Buddha.

"The monk is leaving; the Ordinary Jianghu is entrusted to you all."

He did not close his eyes, but instead tried his best to look at this Ordinary Jianghu he could not let go of, until his vision dimmed and he lost his breath.

In Li Miao's arms, Xing Chi collapsed like a deflated ball, leaving only a pile of bones as light as a feather, covered in cracks.

Some were left by Ji Tianrui, and some were left from saving people over the past seventy-plus years.

The twenty-third year of Jiajing, the third day of the twelfth lunar month.

Shaolin Abbot, "Holy Monk" Xing Chi, passed away.

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That afternoon, Li Miao avoided others and walked out of the side gate of Shaolin with Yin Yin Minjun.

Yong Jie saw them to the gate and bowed to Li Miao.

"Lord Li, thank you."

Li Miao waved his hand: "Go back, Master, you still have plenty to keep you busy."

Yong Jie nodded and turned to leave.

"Ah, right, Master."

"Do you want to take revenge?"

Yong Jie turned around abruptly and looked at Li Miao.

Li Miao said unhurriedly: "I plan to slaughter Ji Tianrui and wipe out those brats of the Ming Sect."

"Are you interested in lending a hand?"

Yong Jie pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice.

"Lord Li insisted on following me; was this the plan all along?"

Li Miao smiled.

"At first, yes."

He did not intend to hide it; Li Miao had followed Yong Jie from the beginning to drag Shaolin into the water and make it an aid in his dealings with the Ming Sect.

"However, I don't really need Shaolin's help anymore."

"Master Xing Chi was my friend, and you are also my friend. I am asking you now: do you want to avenge your master?"

Seeing Yong Jie hesitate, Li Miao said faintly.

"Don't think too much; with me here, you won't die."

"You don't need to abandon Shaolin to follow me either. Once I have a plan, I will send word to you, and you can just come."

Yong Jie looked at Li Miao and nodded slowly.

"In that case, I will await Lord Li's news."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Only then did Li Miao smile, loosen his shoulders, and turn to look at Yin Yin Minjun.

"Elder Yin, I had intended to talk with you tonight."

"But that old monk Xing Chi was truly willful; I had to perfect the second path of the Heaven-Man Realm just to accompany him through such a scene."

Seeing the worry on Yin Yin Minjun's face, Li Miao waved his hand.

"I have my own ways to avoid the Five Decays of Heaven and Man; the price is that I will be drowsy for two hours afterward. There is no danger, but I likely won't be able to wake up."

"Therefore, the matter between us will have to wait until the day after tomorrow."

Yin Yin Minjun gasped, her hand clutching the corner of her clothes, her face pale.

She thought this was Li Miao's excuse.

Because Li Miao had already implicitly rejected her once before.

Seeing Yin Yin Minjun's anxious and insecure appearance, Li Miao laughed dumbly.

He stepped forward, took Yin Yin Minjun's hand, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her forehead lightly.

Then he leaned into her ear and whispered.

"The reason I have been delaying is that you are the first woman to express her heart to me since I began walking the Ordinary Jianghu."

"I was afraid that you were just momentarily infatuated and hadn't thought it through clearly."

"I am a wanderer, and I don't want to ruin a good girl."

Yin Yin Minjun's heart was soft at this moment; she leaned into Li Miao's arms and said softly.

"Li, Li Lang."

"I study the sword; I also know the method of washing the heart and spirit. How could I have lost my head?"

"I was only afraid that you had no feelings for me..."

Li Miao chuckled and said.

"In that case, are you willing to wait for me for a while?"

"What is Li Lang going to do? How long will you be gone?"

Yin Yin Minjun raised her head in Li Miao's arms and looked into his eyes.

"What else can the Embroidered Uniform Guard do? Nothing but kill, burn, and scatter ashes."

Li Miao's lips curled up, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"Slaughter Ji Tianrui, wipe out these animals of the Ming Sect, and cut off the Miao people's witchcraft inheritance."

"Send them down to see Master Xing Chi."

"Today is the third day of the twelfth lunar month; there are twenty-five days left until the New Year. I am a person who doesn't like to carry tasks into the New Year."

"Coincidentally, it is inconvenient for me to return to Shuntian Prefecture right now, so I have nowhere to spend the New Year."

"On New Year's Eve, wait for me at the Hengshan Sect."

"After I finish killing, I will come to find you."

Yin Yin Minjun gave a soft "mm," then pushed Li Miao away and mounted her horse.

"Li Lang, I will prepare good wine to wash your sword blade."

"I will wait for you."

Having said that, she spurred her horse and galloped away.

Li Miao smiled and stretched his back.

A person emerged from the woods nearby, walked quickly to Li Miao, bowed, and handed over a stack of papers.

"Pacification Commissioner, this is the letter from the Guard Commander, along with their locations."

"This is the map, marked with the Ming Sect hideouts we have uncovered."

Li Miao reached out to take it, scanned it, and gave a cold, chilling smile.

"Yo, quite a few."

"Get me two sets of clothes, and prepare some degreasing soap for me as well."

"There are too many people to kill; human oil and brains getting on my clothes are hard to wash off."

(End of chapter)