Chapter 69: Bodhisattva Protective Talisman

Before dawn he rose to stand post-stance; at first light he went to forge iron; at noon he ate in the inner courtyard and drank nourishing soup; after dusk he returned to the small courtyard to keep practicing hammer and stance.

Li Yuan's daily routine was extremely regular—he even took a certain pleasure in it.

In the courtyard, facing the newly risen morning sun, Li Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air, then drew in a long one, and slowly concluded his form:

"In my past life, if I'd been this diligent and self-disciplined, forget registering for the Dao roster—I might even have gotten to wear a purple Dao robe!"

Stretching his sinews, vigorous vitality flooding his whole body, Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

But he actually knew perfectly well: he was still him.

His present self-discipline was nothing more than the violent change of environment leaving him short of a sense of security, and with the Soldier Roster clearly pointing out his path ahead, the desire to raise his strength had overwhelmed his laziness and the few temptations of a small city.

All these conditions combined were what made him appear self-disciplined.

Without them, he didn't think he could have kept it up for long.

After all, sometimes in his dreams he could still dream of beer, drinks and little barbecues, air-conditioning, TV, sofa, phone, and his own little supermarket.

"I can't go back."

Li Yuan drew a deep breath. Inside the room, Fatty Sun, who had returned yesterday, was already rubbing the back of his head as he came out.

He yawned, a little puzzled:

"Out beyond the walls I slept on rocks in the wilds and didn't get a headache—how come the moment I'm back I get one?"

Li Yuan felt like laughing inside, but his face looked quite speechless: "You don't think I hit you, do you?"

"Maybe I'm just too tired…"

Fatty Sun didn't dig deeper either. He grabbed a steamed bun and gnawed on it, deeply worried.

"Sleeping rough out beyond the walls—look how thin you've gotten!"

Li Yuan had no way to comfort him.

After more than two months of searching, the dozen-plus factions of the inner and outer cities could no longer stand it and had withdrawn one after another; now even the Changyuan Escort Agency was starting to waver.

The lost ground couldn't be recovered, their reputation had plummeted, but if they kept dragging on like this, the escort agency would fall apart.

"Li Yuan, I'm miserable!"

Fatty Sun was thoroughly vexed, and as he spoke he felt like crying: "My brother-in-law, he may always scold me, hit me, look down on me, barely stand the sight of me, and also…"

As he went on, Fatty Sun suddenly didn't feel like crying anymore, but then immediately put on a long face again:

"And there's my sister, she…"

Fatty Sun was normally thick-skinned and carefree, but he truly cared about his sister and brother-in-law. Even though he was terrified, he had gone out beyond the walls many times, carrying two bone-chopping cleavers up the mountain.

"Second Shopkeeper might be all right."

Li Yuan also took a steamed bun and ate a few bites.

This wasn't entirely empty comfort—if, as he suspected, it wasn't the Venomous Snake Gang but people from the Divine Weapon Valley who had abducted Tang Tong, then he would be absolutely safe for now.

A witness—how could he not be safe?

"Sigh."

Fatty Sun sighed and groaned, ate his breakfast, and hurried off.

"Divine Weapon Valley's people have already been here over two months. Is Cao Yan afraid to return to the city, or is he trying to drag it out until next year when they have no choice but to leave?"

Li Yuan guessed to himself.

He didn't really care what Cao Yan wanted to do. The problem was—if it was the latter, then he'd have to find a way to go elsewhere to trade for red gold…

"Red gold isn't in circulation; the money shops and pawnshops don't have the stuff. Apart from a few households in the inner city that collect it, who could have any?"

Li Yuan felt a bit of a headache coming on.

The Soldier Roster's advancement was only short of red gold.

……

……

"Giddy-up!"

Riding a rented jade horse, provisions all packed, Fatty Sun set off in a whirlwind out of the city, two bone-chopping cleavers strapped to his back.

Before the great market, the city gates had already been opened early.

Racing the whole way, he only reached Fangjing Village not far from Mount Fajiu Mountain by late morning, and from afar he spotted a few apprentices of the Weapon-Forging Shop.

"Chef Sun!"

One apprentice called out a greeting.

"Yu—where's Second Shopkeeper?"

Fatty Sun flipped down from his horse, tied the jade horse in a farmer's yard nearby, tossed over a few copper coins, and strode off quickly.

He came out.

After several months, Sun Hao had lost some seventy or eighty jin, and already looked somewhat wiry and capable.

"Second Shopkeeper's at the Sightless Arhat Temple!"

Disheveled and grimy, Liu Qing called back an answer, took the strip of dried meat tossed to him, and thanked him again and again.

The Sightless Arhat Temple, at the head of the village against the mountain, was the most thinly attended of Gao Liu's nine temples; in recent years almost no one came, and weeds had grown up both inside and out.

"Bad luck!"

The feel of mud squelching underfoot made Fatty Sun's face twitch. He scraped his shoe soles on the steps before walking into the temple.

Though it was just noon, the temple gate was rather dim.

Before the enormous Sightless Arhat statue, Yu stood hugging his blade, eyes half-closed, as if he had been standing for quite some time.

From a distance, Fatty Sun even thought he looked a bit like that Arhat?

"Yu…"

Fatty Sun rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

"Shopkeeper Cao has led people into the mountains, instructing Yu Mou to take the others back first to rest..."

Yu Zhen turned around and glanced lightly at Sun Hao.

The latter felt a chill in his heart, quickly lowered his head, swallowed a bellyful of words he hadn't spoken, and held them back inside.

"Let's go."

Yu Zhen walked out of the temple gate.

Sun Fatty followed slowly; just before exiting the temple gate, he instinctively looked back and saw that the Eyeless Arhat statue, he didn't know when, was now covered in cracks, appearing extremely fierce and terrifying.

Terrified, he ran away as if fleeing.

As superior-grade sharp weapons, the three-pronged fish spear was far easier to forge than the inner armor; in just seven days, Li Lin had already polished the fish spear.

Clang~

Lifting the hammer to tap lightly, the two-meter-plus-long cyan fish spear trembled, emitting a pleasant, clear ringing sound.

"Not bad, superior-grade!"

Zhang Ben put down the hammer, his face showing approval.

Unlike the inner armor, he had not interfered at all with this three-pronged fish spear; it was forged entirely by Li Lin alone.

"The timing of the quenching was slightly off; otherwise, it would have been even better."

Wiping the fish spear lightly, Li Lin felt a slight regret, though it was still acceptable.

"Two control effects, just barely superior-grade... however, both are quite ordinary."

Muttering to himself, Li Lin picked up the three-pronged fish spear, left work early, and prepared to deliver it to Liang Liang Ashui; he was beginning to miss the taste of the spirit fish.

"Go ahead."

Zhang Ben buried his head in hammering iron.

Exiting the weapon forge, following the path Liang Liang Ashui had left...

As a direct disciple of Wang Wang Luan from the Lihe Martial Hall, Liang Liang Ashui had naturally already moved to the inner city, not far from the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple; the location could be said to be very good.

However, the usually bustling Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple was somewhat desolate.

Li Lin glanced at it from afar and paid it no mind.

During the rainy night a few days ago, lightning struck down the temple gate, and for these days it has been closed to visitors.

Li Lin knocked on the door; not long after, the courtyard gate opened, and Liang Liang Ashui, bare-chested with muscular definition, walked out. Looking at the fish spear, his face showed joy:

"It's already forged?"

"You can try it and see if you are satisfied."

Li Lin handed the fish spear over.

The bronze-colored fish spear split into three prongs at the tip; the entire body was of one color, emitting a cold gleam under the sunlight.

"Good, good!"

Liang Liang Ashui waved it a few times, quite reluctant to let go: "I happened to catch a spirit fish yesterday; I'll go get it for you right now!"

Good heavens, he caught one again already?

Li Lin was somewhat speechless.

As far as he knew, although there were many species of spirit fish in the Bishui Lake, they were extremely difficult to catch; in past years, catching one per year was considered good.

He even suspected whether Liang Liang Ashui had discovered a nest of spirit fish.

"Red-tailed fish, six jin and three liang."

Soon, Liang Liang Ashui came out carrying a fish basket: "The fish spear, you forged it very well, and faster than agreed; the extra, consider it a gift for you!"

Two taels of silver given away so casually?

Heart

sighing inwardly at his generosity, Li Lin naturally thanked him profusely, accepted the fish basket, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Brother Liang, do you have red gold?"

"Red gold?"

Liang Liang Ashui said nothing; a voice of an old man, filled with surprise, came from inside the courtyard.

Blocking Li Lin's view without leaving a trace, Liang Liang Ashui shook his head: "Mount Fajiu Mountain does not produce gold; not many people in the inner city possess red gold, and I do not have any."

"Then, I take my leave."

Li Lin turned and left, though his heart stirred slightly.

In that fleeting glance, he hadn't seen clearly, but it seemed he saw an old man holding a palm-leaf fan, cooling himself while lying on a rocking chair under a tree.

"Third brother, where are you going?"

As he was pondering in his heart, he heard Second Brother's voice; turning back, he saw Li Lin supporting Wang Juan as they walked toward him.

"Second Brother, are you going to the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple again?"

"Yes, your sister-in-law has been vomiting these past few days; her heart is uneasy and anxious, so I am taking her to worship the Bodhisattva."

Li Lin supported her carefully.

"Where am I anxious?"

Wang Juan glared at him:

"Don't listen to your Second Brother's nonsense; it is clearly that he heard several women on the front street had miscarriages, making his heart anxious and uneasy, so he insisted on bringing me to worship the Bodhisattva!"

"Sister-in-law, do you feel any discomfort?"

Li Lin looked; Wang Juan's complexion was very good, she was just showing her pregnancy, so walking was difficult.

"I am taking the fetal-stabilizing medicine."

Wang Juan huffed angrily: "I think your second brother insisted on dragging me here because he wants to ask for a son!"

"Where would I have such a thought?"

Li Lin protested his innocence at length.

Li Yuan was speechless. He didn't disturb his brother and sister-in-law's flirtatious bickering, only lifted the fish basket:

"Come back early, I bought fish, we'll have fish soup tonight!"

……

Closing the door, Liang Liang Ashui twirled his fish fork, quite satisfied.

"Red Gold is a material only used for forging top-grade sharp blades. That lad outside — from his voice, he seems very young?"

Under the old tree in the courtyard, Han Han Chuijun gently fanned himself with a cattail-leaf fan.

"Mm, Li Yuan from the weapons-forging shop. I hear his forging talent is excellent — after just half a year of study, he can already craft superior grade sharp blades. A pity his root bone is poor, reportedly only middling-to-low."

Liang Liang Ashui nodded:

"Don't worry, he shouldn't have seen you."

"Craft superior grade sharp blades in just half a year? That is some talent, but a pity his root bone is only middling-to-low? That's worse than even yours. If he could forge top-grade sharp blades, that would be something…"

Han Han Chuijun's heart stirred slightly. He glanced at Liang Liang Ashui, quite displeased:

"This old man doesn't show himself because his identity isn't convenient to be known — not because he's some wanted criminal!"

"This junior understands."

Liang Liang Ashui glanced toward the direction of the Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva Temple, didn't argue, just waved his fish fork: "As you say, old man — Jiao Wo Wu Gong."

"What stage are we even at?"

Han Han Chuijun lay back down, squinting for a nap:

"If you want to learn, catch ten more spirit fish!"

"What?"

Liang Liang Ashui froze, almost thinking he'd misheard:

"Ten?!"

……

……

"Smells amazing!"

With deft hands, he started stewing the fish. In no time, Li Yuan had already caught the unique fragrance of spirit fish, and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

This red-tailed fish smelled even better than the previous one.

"I've got to catch fish too!"

Taking a deep breath, Li Yuan already imagined how miserable it would be to never eat it again in the future.

Eating, drinking, and saving money were the only hobbies he'd had in both his past and present lives.

"Once the Weaponry Tome advances, I'll go try!"

Lifting the pot lid to check, Li Yuan busied himself briskly. Soon, a table full of dishes was ready — fish, meat, and soup.

At this moment, his brother and sister-in-law finally returned.

Li Yuan was still in the kitchen when he heard Li Lin's

voice:

"Third brother, your sister-in-law got you a Bodhisattva statue. The master at the temple said it protects one's safety!"

"What Bodhisattva statue?"

Li Yuan wiped his hands, and without even stepping out, saw Li Lin holding high the Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva statue — covered all over with tiny eyes, making his eyelids twitch.

"They say it's very efficacious. Your sister-in-law asked for two — one for you, one for her…"

Li Lin waved his hand:

"It's free!"

"…Fine, you keep it then."

Li Yuan only felt it was creepy. As he waved his hand in refusal, his expression suddenly stiffened.

"If you don't want it, then I'll…"

Before Li Lin could finish speaking, Li Yuan had already snatched the Bodhisattva carving from him, his brow tightly furrowed.

On the pendant, there was a wisp of blood-light tinged with black.

【Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva Boy Pendant (Unranked)】

【A Bodhisattva carving kneaded from incense ash mixed with spirit clay, blended with Fayin Fayin Tongzi's fresh blood. Wearing it often will drain the wearer's luck and blood qi…】

【Control Requirement: Wash body with incense ash】

【Control Effect: Misfortune, Bai Shen Fa (Remnant)】

What kind of sinister thing is this?!

It drains people's luck and blood qi?!

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched. Without a word of explanation, he took the pendant from his sister-in-law Wang Juan's hand as well.

"Weren't you just saying you didn't want it?"

Li Lin shook his head, laughing.

"No, I just thought the craftsmanship was exquisite, so I got curious. Sister-in-law, may I borrow yours to play with for a few days too?"

Li Yuan toyed with the two pendants, his heart turning cold.

One boy, one girl.

Sister-in-law, are these twins?

"What's wrong with that? The carving looks a bit eerie. Only your second brother thinks he got a bargain; I don't want it at all!"

Wang Juan held her waist with one hand and shuffled into the kitchen:

"I smelled the fragrance from far away. It's a Spirit Fish again... spending money recklessly..."

"No, someone gave this one as a gift. I didn't spend a thing."

Tucking the carving into his robes, Li Lin smiled and invited his elder brother and sister-in-law to eat, then casually asked about their day.

"The Bodhisattva Temple's main gate was just repaired, so there were hardly any people. Originally, the little Monk guarding the temple wouldn't let us in. Guess what happened?"

Li Lin spoke, sounding quite excited:

"My Lord Lu happened to be there too. Hearing the commotion, he allowed us to enter. Afterwards, a Monk gave us two pendants,

saying they were blessed treasures. If you replace them every three months, they will keep a person safe!"

My Lord Lu?

"The Magistrate, Lu Lu Yunqing?"

Li Lin frowned.

Last time, was that middle-aged man he met actually Lu Lu Yunqing?

"Third brother, that is My Lord, the father and mother of the county. It is not good to be heard calling him by his full name!"

"Mm."

Li Lin responded, but his mind was entirely on those two pendants.

Two fragments. Can they be combined into a whole?