Chapter 139 Bodhisattva lowers his brows, Vajra glares fiercely (9) "You and I have absolutely no..."

Chapter 139

The sea of ​​clouds surged like waves, lifting the towering peak high into the sky. A square platform, about ten feet in size, was carved out of the summit, with white jade steps and red gold railings. Twelve bronze phoenix lamps stood along the steps, their wicks burning with ambergris incense, the wisps of smoke rising gently, yet unable to conceal the biting chill carried by the mountain wind.

There are many distinctive buildings along the Huanghua border, and this place is one of them. Feng Tan leaned on the railing, gazing at the vast landscape. The mountain breeze ruffled her neatly styled bridal hair, highlighting the bright red floral adornment between her brows. She rarely wore makeup, usually either wearing a human skin mask or going bare-faced. When she did dress up, it was easy to be mesmerized.

However, there was no one around her at the moment. Only Qing Cang was on the other side of the railing, looking around with his eyes darting around.

In March, after a snowfall, the earth was moistened, and many unnamed wildflowers bloomed on the mountain. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet flowers blended together, creating a vibrant and beautiful scene in front of the pavilion.

The sound of a man's footsteps approached from afar. Feng Tan did not turn around to look. The moment the cold, woody scent drew near, the dark dragon robe with its embroidered landscape pattern came into view. He had a jade belt with pearls at his waist, but he was not wearing a crown. His hair was tied up with gold thread, and his brows and eyes were as cold and stern as frost.

Xiao Yinshi looked down at her after she was made up, waved his hand to signal the palace maid who had followed to lower the curtain, and reached out to touch Feng Tan's sash, "Why did you come here?"

Feng Tan said casually, "The military camp is full of rough men who smell terrible, but the air here is fresh."

Feng Tan let him manipulate her, her outer robe fell off, revealing a nine-phoenix pearl-adorned shawl on her body, the colors of which complemented her makeup and made her face look stunning.

Xiao Yinshi glanced at her casually. Whether she was beautiful or ugly, Xiao Yinshi had never cared much about Feng Tan's appearance. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, saying, "I've never seen you so pretentious before."

She managed to negotiate with Gao Yu for a long time in the stinking prison for Wan Niang's sake, but when she got to the military camp, she started to complain about the smell of the soldiers. It was obvious that this reason was just a pretext.

Feng Tan raised her eyelashes, puzzled, and asked, "So you really have no internal energy left? Xiao Yinshi, why are you so ruthless to yourself?"

Xiao Yinshi's face was unusually pale, so Feng Tan could easily see that his physical condition was extremely poor. After thinking for a moment, he said, "When I was young, I read an ancient book about internal energy cultivation methods. It said that if someone with severed meridians forcibly circulates their internal energy, it will damage their heart meridian, and there will be no cure."

Feng Tan lowered her hand from his chest, a slight smile playing on her lips. "You're courting death... How much longer can you hold out?"

"The faster you die, the happier you'll be." Xiao Yinshi stated the facts indifferently, his tone flat. Looking at Feng Tan's occasional sly expression, he felt a slight stirring in his heart. "Feng Tan, today is our wedding day. It's too unlucky to talk about death."

Feng Tan said in a cold and mocking voice, "This is my first marriage, and yours is your second. Marrying you was a loss for me."

Xiao Yinshi: "..."

Feng Tan jumped down, her phoenix robe trailing behind her as she leaned on the stone railing. She spoke with an air of relentless urgency, as if she wouldn't rest until she had thoroughly infuriated Xiao Yin. She chuckled softly, "And... it's actually bad luck for me that you didn't die on the battlefield."

Xiao Yinshi found her unusually lively today. His handsome face was filled with condescending sarcasm as he stepped forward and placed one end of the red silk in her hand. "I'm really sorry to disappoint you. I'm still breathing."

Feng Tan ignored his dry humor. The official in charge of ceremonies, who was listening to their conversation, stood outside the pavilion holding the jade book, his voice trembling, and reminded them, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time is approaching."

Xiao Yinshi's chiseled face and deep, dark eyes were like an unfathomable abyss, concealing his cold and indifferent nature. "Since you want to get married here, then so be it."

The official in charge of ceremonies wiped the cold sweat from his brow. These two spoke of killing without ever explicitly mentioning it, yet their words were inextricably linked to it. His heart trembled with each passing moment. However, having served in officialdom for many years, he recited the prayer smoothly: "The union of two families is ordained by Heaven; the marriage of husband and wife is a union of Yin and Yang. Now, with mountains and rivers as our betrothal gifts, and the sun and moon as our witness, we wish you: harmonious marriage, peaceful years; weathering storms together, never to be parted until old age. If we share the same bed in life, we will share the same grave in death; if you break this vow, may Heaven and Earth punish you..."

Xiao Yinshi frowned upon hearing this and interrupted, "There's no need to kill them all."

The master of ceremonies wiped the thin layer of sweat from his brow and began his eulogy again: "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms bright and beautiful. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family. Today, two families unite in marriage, a covenant is made in this hall, a blessed union forever, a match made in heaven. Behold the peach blossoms in full bloom today, a symbol of a harmonious and prosperous home; may future years bring forth numerous offspring, a flourishing and prosperous family. With this vow of lifelong commitment, inscribed on fine paper; may this pledge of love be recorded in the marriage register..."

The spring breeze stirred the surrounding curtains. Xiao Yinshi's gaze swept over the city walls faintly visible beneath the sea of ​​clouds. Suddenly, he drew his sword, the tip of which stirred a wisp of mountain wind. The cold light reflected off the sea of ​​clouds, as if lightning had cleaved through the chaos. He spoke with hidden sarcasm, "Heaven and earth bear witness, we are here to become husband and wife. If we live, we will return; if we die, we will long for each other forever."

When the two ends of the colorful ribbon tied together Feng Tan and Xiao Yinshi, Feng Tan readily complied and did not resist, quietly cooperating with this wedding that was turning their lives apart.

Springtime is bright and beautiful, with wildflowers blooming in profusion, like a galaxy cascading down at everyone's feet. Red as rouge splashed on ink, white as silk woven from clouds, pink as a maiden's blushing cheeks. The winding mountain path is carpeted with fallen blossoms, and wild orchids bloom quietly in the crevices of the bluestone, their subtle fragrance wafting through the air as the officials proceed with the next step in an orderly fashion.

The prayer began again: "First bow to Heaven and Earth, to thank the Creator for His grace; second bow to our parents, to express our gratitude for their nurturing; husband and wife bow to each other, to pledge our eternal vow. From now on, we will be of one heart and one mind, sharing the candlelight by the west window; sharing joys and sorrows, watching the snow fall on the northern ridge together."

During the wedding ceremony, Feng Tan's sarcastic smile was barely concealed beneath her red veil. Xiao Yinshi glanced at her, and after the couple bowed to each other, he lifted her veil, lowered his head to her face, and said gently, "Tone it down."

Having said that, his gaze slowly descended, and he saw the red lips that were about to open and retort so close to his own. His thin lips sealed them shut.

He kissed her, feeling a long-lost surge of excitement spreading through his body. The passionate kiss became somewhat out of control, and he unconsciously bit Feng Tan's lips.

Kissing in front of everyone was a challenge to Feng Tan's bottom line. Then, she was suddenly bitten. Even a clay figure would want to jump up and down. She tried to push away his invading chest, but his wrists were twisted behind her back and she was pushed against the railing. At the same time, an even deeper kiss exploded in her mouth.

Amidst a passionate kiss, the official in charge of ceremonies led a group of palace maids away. The curtains fluttered down, shutting out the warm sunlight, and an atmosphere of ambiguity arose within the pavilion.

He sealed her lips with a kiss. After kissing her enough, Xiao Yin slightly pulled away from her lips, looked at Feng Tan's already swollen lips, and released her wrist. Feng Tan quickly and decisively slapped him.

"Slap!" A crisp slap rang out. Feng Tan looked at the red marks that quickly appeared on Xiao Yinshi's pale face and felt a little relieved.

Xiao Yinshi chuckled as if he had masochistic tendencies, pressed his tongue against his cheek, and lightly covered Feng Tan's lips with his fingers, grinding them as he said, "Your carefree attitude isn't very endearing. This vibrant side is what makes Feng Tan who she is."

After saying that, he drank the quilt wine and kissed her again like a madman. Even though he had lost all his internal energy, the man's strength was still astonishing. Feng Tan opened her mouth again with his chin being pinched by him, letting Xiao Yinshi's long tongue, carrying the wine, drive straight in.

Feng Tan had never experienced such an excessive kiss. He bit and sucked like a bloodthirsty man, as if trying to merge the person into his own bones. His lips were broken again, and his lips were shimmering with bright red blood. During the passionate kiss, explosions rang out one after another around the pavilion. The Luosha Army protecting the mountaintop was suddenly attacked and suffered heavy losses.

As if he had anticipated it, upon hearing the explosion, Xiao Yinshi merely held Feng Tan's head, bringing her closer to him, relentlessly taking every breath she had, until her cheeks flushed red, before slowly releasing his grip on her forehead.

Feng Tan was clearly exhausted and was breathing in the fresh air deeply.

Xiao Yinshi's thin lips moved slightly, piercing through the thin barrier between them, "You've been acting with me for so long, just waiting for this moment?"

Despite his disheveled appearance and labored breathing, Feng Tan's eyes remained unmoved, his gaze icy cold. "Yes."

Smoke billowed outside the pavilion. After the grenade explosion, the Imperial Dragon Camp troops rushed in from all directions, led by Feng Bingzhu.

Having been intercepted twice in a row while trying to bring Feng Tan back to Dahuang, a fierce look appeared between her brows today. Looking at the two figures indistinct in the pavilion, she raised her hand to signal the soldiers behind her to stop.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment. Xiao Yinshi felt the blood rushing to his chest. He released his grip on Feng Tan's hand, grabbed the railing, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

His well-defined fingers, with prominent veins, looked as if he was enduring pain. Feng Tan watched him indifferently, her expression unchanged.

Xiao Yinshi wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, a thick mockery and coldness rising in his eyes, and said, "Don't waste your time like this, I wasn't going to live past today anyway."

Killing a hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own, Feng Tan couldn't understand why Xiao Yinshi used such a stupid move to subdue Feng Tingxiao. He was playing with his life; in other words, he was exhausting his life.

Exhausted, Xiao Yinshi suddenly knelt on the ground, kneeling in front of Feng Tan.

Feng Tan looked down at Xiao Yinshi, his eyes chillingly cold. "Hatred is something that can only be truly satisfying when it is taken personally."

Xiao Yinshi knelt on one knee, a gesture of submission, but the danger in his eyes remained undiminished. He suddenly reached out and tapped Feng Tan's knee, forcing her to kneel on one knee in front of him as well. He leaned forward, his body close to her face. "You lured me here and have been dealing with me for so long, not just to kill me."

Feng Tan breathed into his mouth as they met, and seeing the faint smile that hadn't faded from his lips even as he faced death, he felt a strange, long-lost fear, even though he was clearly in a losing position!

The surrounding curtains fluttered gently. Feng Tan grabbed his collar, looked into his unfathomable black eyes, and asked, "What exactly are you doing?"

No one could see through what he was doing. He devoted all his efforts to killing Feng Tingxiao in one battle, assembled an army of 200,000 to besiege the city, and then, on the day he was about to die with all his internal energy depleted, he made a desperate gamble by getting married. What exactly was he trying to do?

Feng Tan reminded herself to be cautious in her actions, so she rarely asked such direct questions. However, Xiao Yin's current game was too unpredictable. She couldn't see through his actions at all, and she couldn't understand what he was doing, what he was trying to achieve by orchestrating his own death.

Xiao Yinshi leaned close to Feng Tan's ear, his deep, slightly hoarse voice saying, "Take Feng Tingxiao's life, and I'll make a ladder for you to ascend to heaven."

Feng Tan's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed his collar and said sternly, "You'd better explain yourself clearly!"

Xiao Yinshi reached out and pulled her into his arms. Feng Tan tried to struggle but found that her whole body was becoming weak and powerless.

It was that cup of wine used for the wedding ceremony!

She tried to call out to Feng Bingzhu, but her voice was so faint that only Xiao Yinshi could hear it.

Xiao Yinshi watched her red lips open and close, fed her a pill, and pulled her tightly into his arms. "A Bodhisattva may lower her brows, but a Vajra may glare fiercely. You are not suited to be an Asura, and even if you are a Bodhisattva, how can you return to Dahuang without Vajra protectors by your side?"

The Bodhisattva's lowered brows reveal the ruthlessness of the Great Way, while the Vajra's wrathful gaze is the sole expression of compassion arising from the Bodhisattva's compassion.

That year at Yongle Temple, it was the second time Xiao Yinshi had met Feng Tan. She asked, "Buddhism speaks of the Three Refuges: first, taking refuge in the Buddha; second, taking refuge in the Dharma; and third, taking refuge in the Sangha. What refuge does Lord Xiao take?"

At that time, Xiao Yinshi replied: Gods and Buddhas are nothing but illusions that people use to comfort themselves. I do not take refuge in any of them.

Later, when they were attacked by assassins, he embraced her waist, overcome with passion. The scriptures placed before the Buddhist shrine fell to the ground; they read:

These two aspects are two sides of the same coin, complementing each other. Without the compassion of the Bodhisattva, the majesty of the Vajra can easily degenerate into violence; without the majesty of the Vajra, the compassion of the Bodhisattva may be disregarded. As the Avatamsaka Sutra says, "The Bodhisattva lowers his eyebrows to show compassion to the six realms; the Vajra glares fiercely to display its power to demons." Like yin and yang, they are mutually generative, together building the Buddhist system of Dharma protection.

Later, in the waters off Linzhang, he asked Feng Tan why she was so determined to rescue Feng Youming. She replied: "At that time, the Heavenly Venerable of Salvation from Suffering pervaded the ten directions, constantly using his divine power to save all sentient beings from their delusions. Sentient beings are unaware of this, like blind people seeing the sun and moon."

She regarded Feng Youming as a savior from suffering, and now she herself wanted to be that savior. Little did she know...

The saying goes, "A teacher can be found in a thousand places, and love can always be a boat to ferry people across the river." She wanted to be that boat to ferry people across, but she forgot to ferry herself across first.

How can one save oneself? Can the forces of the Imperial Dragon Camp truly withstand the Great Chaos's iron cavalry? The Bodhisattva cannot be trapped no matter what, so to ensure the Bodhisattva's safety, Vajra can only angrily harm himself.

Xiao Yinshi gently whispered in Feng Tan's ear, pulling her closer into his embrace, "Feng Tan, I belong to you... I only belong to you..."

Feeling his meridians rapidly crumbling, Xiao Yinshi pursed his lips, hugged Feng Tan tightly, stepped out from behind the curtain, glanced at the Imperial Dragon Camp that was tightly surrounding him with spears, and slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff.

Feng Bingzhu, unaware of his current situation, said firmly, "Don't resist, put her down!"

Looking at the scene before her, Yu Ruxi's heart pounded. She said sternly, "Xiao Yinshi, if you surrender now, we can... let bygones be bygones!"

Xiao Yinshi ignored them and carried Feng Tan towards the cliff. As he advanced, the soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Camp could only retreat. When they reached the edge of the cliff, Xiao Yinshi took out a dagger, the thin and bright blade reflecting Feng Tan's eyes.

The moment he drew his dagger, the click of a gun being chambered rang out. He seemed oblivious, watching Feng Tan with amusement, twirling the dagger in his hand before gently pressing it against her throat. "Are you scared?"

Despite feeling weak all over, Feng Tan's eyes remained cold and clear, and she did not answer Xiao Yinshi's question.

Xiao Yinshi placed his hand on Feng Tan's heart again and said calmly, "It seems you're not afraid."

So Xiao Yinshi slowly moved the dagger to a different position, placed it in her palm, and then opened his own wrist. Under his festive wedding dress, nine scars on his wrist were clearly visible and menacing. He grabbed her weak fingers and slammed them down on the artery in his wrist. As the blood gushed out, it stained Feng Tan's eyebrows and eyes red.

Seeing this extraordinary scene, everyone present held their breath, looking at him as if he had gone mad.

Feng Tan's composure was shattered. She watched as Xiao Yinshi raised his eyelashes, and a drop of blood that had congealed on his eyelashes flowed down the corner of his eye.

Xiao Yinshi's lips were already terribly pale, but he still had that faint, mocking smile on his face as he said in a low voice, "It's really unfair. At least you cried when he died."

"You're really... insane..." Feng Tan managed to utter the words with all her might, the mountain wind tangling their hair together. "What on earth are you doing?"

Xiao Yinshi put Feng Tan down on the ground and stood up.

Feng Tan gathered his strength and sat up halfway, looking up at Xiao Yinshi standing on the edge of the cliff.

A piercing, unrestrained, and extremely dangerous gaze fell upon Feng Tan, carrying an unyielding stubbornness that seemed to persist even after death.

"Feng Tan," Xiao Yinshi, who had never shed a tear in his life, still held a thorn in his side as he fell backward, leaving behind a sentence that terrified Feng Tan: "We will never be separated again."

Beneath the towering, solitary peak, the sea of ​​clouds surged. Feng Tan struggled to climb forward, her fingers raw and bleeding at the edge of the cliff. Her eyes reflected Xiao Yinshi's dark gaze fixed on her, a smile playing on his lips as he plunged into the sea of ​​clouds.

Feng Tan closed his eyes, took out a pistol, aimed it at Xiao Yinshi's heart, and tightened his index finger on the trigger.