The Slaughter of Buddha Part 3
Inside the inner room, a masked man sat facing Xiang Wu.
Unlike the people in the front hall, this person wore a solemn mask, whether viewed from the side or from the current unobservable angle.
"first?"
"first."
"When handling matters at Buwang Pavilion, there should be no more than three attempts."
“That young lady already explained it to me in the front hall.”
"Ask away." The man slightly raised his head, as if he were now finally meeting Xiang Wu's gaze.
The eyes on the mask were extremely exaggerated, taking up a third of the face. If the mask were cut out, Xiang Wu would certainly be able to see the man's expression underneath, but this mask had no holes whatsoever.
Xiang Wu felt as if those huge eyes were scrutinizing him. He swallowed hard and said, "I want to know where Yanyu Tower is."
Without hesitation, the man raised his hand and pointed to Xiang Wu's left rear, saying, "It's in the southwest."
Withdrawing his hand, the man said, "But if you want to find the Misty Rain Pavilion, you'll probably have to offer some substantial information in exchange, at least something like 'the whereabouts of a prince from the previous dynasty'."
"Emperor Wen's princes who were exiled?" Xiang Wu hesitated. "I thought it was just a rumor."
“It’s not a rumor,” the man replied calmly.
"I'll give you an answer for free." Seeing Xiang Wu's bewildered expression, the man held up one finger and said:
"There are three hidden sects in the martial arts world, whose divine skills are unpredictable. Once a disciple masters them and emerges into the world, he will surely be unparalleled. However, these martial arts are difficult to learn, and only one person who has mastered them will emerge every one or two hundred years."
Xiang Wuyin vaguely realized something.
The man paused intentionally, as if he could observe Xiang Wu's expression through the strange eyes on the mask.
“That’s right, Misty Rain Pavilion is one of them.” The man looked up and pondered, “The last time Misty Rain Pavilion appeared in the martial arts world was about a hundred years ago, according to records. Now, few people know about it.”
"Now you know why I said we need extremely valuable information, right?"
Xiang Wu felt somewhat disheartened, even developing a sense of resistance. He didn't know why, but ever since his senior brother left, he had been caught in a strange vortex. Things like imperial edicts and the whereabouts of princes—things completely unrelated to him—frequently appeared, repeatedly blocking his way, which made him somewhat disgusted.
The man sat upright like a bronze statue and said in a deep voice, "You have two questions left."
“I have something urgent to tell you,” Xiang Wu said. “A friend of mine has been injured and unconscious for several days. I hope you can help me save her life.”
“A life for a life,” the man said. “In exchange, you need to kill someone.”
Xiang Wushen shook his head and said, "I can't kill anymore."
~
After listening to Xiang Wu's account, Qu You couldn't help but sigh softly, "So Miss Lin's sect has such a prestigious background."
Qu You looked at Xiang Wu: "So you rejected them."
“I can’t just kill someone without asking why.” Xiang Wu looked ahead and said, “After that, I did as you said, asked for a bowl of noodles, and then left.”
After saying that, Xiang Wu also turned around and asked, "But how did Miss Qu know about the affairs of the Unforgettable Pavilion?"
Qu You swallowed back the words that were about to come out, her bright eyes darting around, and said, "Of course I heard it from someone else."
"Don't talk about my business," Qu You quickly waved her hand and said, "What about Miss Lin's injury?"
"I want to take Miss Lin to Xinyuan Temple; perhaps there will be a way."
“Xinyuan Temple is in the north, far from here,” Qu You said worriedly.
Looking at the dejected and silent Xiang Wu, Qu You felt a pang of envy for the unconscious Miss Lin at home.
The sunlight had already crossed the rows of rooftops, falling directly onto the two people's faces and the stone path beneath their feet. In the middle of the road, the thin layer of snow left over from the night had long been trampled into a sparse mess by passersby, and was now melting even faster, almost completely losing its white color, leaving only wet stones and small streams of water.
On both sides of the road, the areas untouched by pedestrians resembled a dazzling ribbon. Each snowflake shimmered with iridescent light, a faint yet clear radiance.
A sea of light accompanied the two as they walked. Xiang Wu trod on the wet stone path, walking half a body length behind Qu You, following the hem of Qu You's clothes, seemingly close yet distant.
After walking through several somewhat deserted streets and turning a few corners, the surroundings gradually quieted down as we got further and further away from Changfeng Pavilion.
"strangeness."
Qu You's questioning voice pulled Xiang Wucong out of his chaotic thoughts.
"At this hour, Grandma should have opened the door."
The wooden door of the Qu Family Clinic was tightly closed, and the two slowly walked towards the clinic.
On the roof, the snow on the tiles melted, and water droplets dripped down in long lines, hitting the stone slabs with a crisp, rapid pattering sound.
~
"Mother-in-law?" Qu You called softly from the doorway.
Xiang Wu reached out, only to find that the door swayed back and forth a few times and was not locked.
The two exchanged a glance. Xiang Wu pulled Qu You behind him with one hand, and placed the other hand on the door, preparing to push the door of the clinic open.
"Wait a minute." Qu You pulled the fabric of the backless garment back suddenly with her index finger and thumb.
"Let's go in through the back door," Qu You said cautiously.
Circling around the house wall, Xiang Wu and Qu You arrived at the slightly dilapidated wooden door in the backyard. Qu You leaned forward, peering carefully into the yard through the hole in the door, then gently shook it, holding the edge of the hole. The flimsy wooden door creaked and groaned softly, seemingly about to collapse.
Qu You turned to Xiang Wu and said, "Fortunately, Grandma always forgets to bolt the door."
Qu You rummaged through her pocket for the key, picked up the rusty padlock, and inserted it into the keyhole.
With a crisp click, grayish-white dust was shaken from the holes and body of the copper lock and scattered into the air, forming a hazy cloud.
"Miss Qu, don't stray too far from me," Xiang Wu instructed Qu You behind him. The two of them, one after the other, tiptoed into the backyard.
Their gazes swept across the courtyard. This place was completely unfamiliar to Xiang Wu; they had only glanced at it briefly by the dim firelight last night, so they naturally couldn't discern anything special.
Qu You, however, was different. She lived in this small courtyard every day. Her mother-in-law practiced medicine in the small room in front, and Qu You helped her mother-in-law. In fact, Qu You managed the affairs of the backyard. It could be said that she was in charge of everything in the backyard of the clinic.
Qu You, her gaze quickly sweeping over each moved object, pressed herself against Xiang Wu's back. Though somewhat uneasy, she tried to remain calm as she said, "Behind the jar on the left and in the woodpile on the right."
Just then, the two of them saw the old woman lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, her hair disheveled. It was none other than Qu Peng, the owner of the clinic.
"Mother-in-law!"
In an instant, worry overwhelmed fear, and Qu You let go of his hand, running towards the kitchen without a second thought. Xiang Wu reacted immediately, grabbing Qu You's wrist.
"Miss Qu!" Xiang Wu shouted.
The huge jar in the northeast corner of the courtyard shattered with a crash, and the dry firewood in the southwest corner scattered in all directions. Two dark figures, accompanied by the light of snow-white swords, rushed over.
Xiang Wu raised his remaining left hand, channeled his inner energy, and frantically considered how to deal with the attack from both the left and right.
Although not so obvious in the sunlight, a silvery-white light was forming around Wuyu Quyou. The light wandered around the two of them, gradually becoming clearer.
Just then, a voice came from the small cubicle in front: "The Buddha told the monks: Mount Sumeru is 84,000 yojanas deep in the ocean and 84,000 yojanas deep when it emerges from the ocean."
The sound seemed to be affected by the narrow passage in the middle, constantly refracting on the walls, becoming layered upon layered.
A sudden, immense force descended from the sky.
When Qu You came to her senses, she found herself standing in a calf-deep pit, unable to move. She couldn't even lift a finger.
A silvery-white light, like a cocoon, surrounded Qu You, and most of the light that had previously surrounded the two of them was now focused on her. But this light was dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye. Cracks appeared on the cocoon, and the winding silk seams were spreading uncontrollably and rapidly, covering the entire cocoon.
Xiang Wu knelt on one knee to one side, his left hand supporting his hunched body, which was being pressed down by the immense force. A few specks of light flickered on his body.
Xiang Wu suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes wide. As the two dark figures drew closer, he focused all his attention on the dark end of the passage, showing no intention of responding.
The cocoon of light shattered, producing a clear, resonant sound. Qu You staggered forward two steps, and Xiang Wu had already stood up and released his grip on her hand.
The person hidden in the pile of firewood arrived first, piercing Xiang Wu's left shoulder with a single sword strike.
"Huh?" The dark figure uttered a puzzled sound; he had originally headed for Xiang Wu's heart.
Xiang Wu's hand moved like a wave, waving towards another person without the slightest hesitation.
"Not good!" the shadowy figure exclaimed in alarm, shouting to his companion who was about to attack, "Watch out! That bald monk has stopped his Sumeru Palm attack."
"It's too late," Xiang Wu said calmly.
The air rippled and distorted like water. In an instant, the ripples turned into surging waves, closing the distance between them and the shadowy figure.
Before they could react, the longsword shattered, and the other person who was about to attack Xiang Wu was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out blood.
The man who had stabbed Xiang Wu decisively abandoned his longsword, jumped back three steps, and cursed loudly at the small cubicle in front of him: "You little bald monk, what are you up to?"
"My lord, survival is paramount. If you don't stop now, I'll be the one to suffer." The young man in the cubicle replied, "Farewell, I will certainly come to apologize when you return!"
After saying that, there was no further movement from the other side of the cubicle.
"You little bastard!" the man cursed, drawing a short sword about fourteen inches long from his waist. He gripped the sword tightly, lowered his weight, and shouted at Xiang Wu:
"Young hero, a wise man submits to circumstances. Hand over the secret manual of the Misty Rain Pavilion, and I may spare your life. Once the officials from the capital arrive, even if you possess seventy-two transformations, you will have nowhere to escape!"
"The capital?"
“That’s right. You killed Yu Lie. The Palace Master has already ordered a full-scale manhunt for Lin Zhenna to obtain the secret manual. Not only the capital, but also the best fighters from nearby prefectures are rushing here.” The man tugged at his mask, which was stained with sweat, and then opened his left hand to Xiang Wu, panting heavily as he said, “As long as you give me the secret manual, you can leave without a problem. You weren’t even on our hunting list to begin with.”
“I’ll take the credit, you take the future. How about that?” The man looked at Xiang Wu sincerely, his feet subtly shifting. “You’re so young yet you have such excellent martial arts skills. I just don’t want us to fight like the snipe and the clam, letting those fishermen hiding in the shadows benefit.”
"You are also a member of the Hall of Longevity."
“That’s right,” the man glanced at Qu You, who had already run into the kitchen, then his gaze returned to Xiang Wu. He pointed to the other person lying behind Xiang Wu, “We are all from the Hall of Longevity, the leaders of the three great hidden sects. You have already killed a member of our sect. My decision to let you go is already taking a considerable risk for you.”
Qu You walked to the door, glared at the man, and said to Xiang Wu, "Grandma is fine."
"Don't worry, I can report to my superiors that he was killed by Nana. I didn't see you when I came here today. This way, I can eliminate any worries you may have. What do you think?" the man coaxed.
Qu You tried to stay as far away from the man as possible, running along the wall towards the entrance to the cubicle.
"I..." Xiang Wu's eyes darted around. It was this momentary lapse in concentration that gave the man an opportunity.
Before Xiang Wu could finish speaking, the man flicked his wrist and hurled the short sword at Qu You with lightning speed. Immediately afterward, he leaped forward, heading straight for the entrance to the passage.
As the sound of the short sword piercing the air rang out, the tension between the two men instantly dissipated.
Xiang Wu was not greatly alarmed. Without giving him a chance to think, he channeled his strength into his right hand and struck the man with all his might. Before the strike even landed, his body had already moved, rushing towards Qu You without hesitation.
The man turned his head and was shocked to find that the space in front of him had folded, and Xiang Wu seemed to be right in front of him. The man subconsciously reached out to strike Xiang Wu in front of him, but the next second his arm was like a withered branch in the wind, easily broken into several pieces.
Before the pain even reached his brain, the man was already flying through the air, his body contorted in agony. The entrance, growing ever more distant, turned blood red in his eyes. He crashed heavily against the courtyard wall, slid down, and collapsed to the ground.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the courtyard, the short sword that was originally thrown at Qu You pierced through Xiang Wu, pinning him to the stone wall like a painting.
Qu You scrambled to her feet in a panic, tears streaming down her face, at a loss for what to do.
“Xiang Wu, it’s all my fault,” Qu You said with trembling hands, blaming herself.
Xiang Wu mustered all his strength to curl his fingers and firmly grasp Qu You's hand, saying comfortingly, "Miss Qu, it's all thanks to you."
Qu You stared at Xiang Wu, who was pinned to the wall with bloodshot eyes and pale lips. Her voice lingered in her throat, but she couldn't utter a word.
"Thanks to you, I finally found a chance to defeat him." Xiang Wuxiang cleared his throat, feeling weak, and could only raise his voice with effort: "Thank you, Miss Qu. I have another favor to ask of you. Could you please go and check on Miss Lin in the next room?"
Qu You nodded repeatedly, suppressing her mixed emotions, and managed to squeeze out a reply from her throat. Her feet moved swiftly, and she ran like the wind towards the cubicle.
Seeing Qu You's sobbing yet running very fast, I suddenly felt envious.
Of the four people present, three were completely immobilized, unable to move an inch. At least not today.
"You really never intended to cooperate with me from the beginning," the man mumbled, his eyelids drooping and blood bubbles escaping his lips.
“I’m waiting for time,” Xiang Wu said. “At my current level, I can’t produce two palm strikes like that in a short period of time.”
The man sighed, as if nodding, and said nothing more.
Suddenly, a strong smell of blood rose up, and Xiang Wu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which splashed onto the edge of the pit in the center of the courtyard.
Amidst the mingled true energy in the air, a wisp of solemn golden aura drifted by, unnoticed by anyone, and slowly dissipated.
"Miss Lin," Xiang Wuqin called out to herself, head bowed.
~
"Miss Lin is alright." Qu You, who had returned from the next room, used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of Xiang Wukai's mouth. She had stopped sobbing.
"I'm fine." Xiang Wu looked at Qu You, who was filled with self-blame, and said weakly, "Look, I coughed up blood, but my lips look much better, don't they?"
Qu You gave a not-so-pleasant smile, wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand, and asked, "How can I help you pull this sword out?"
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