Chapter 41 The Golden-Clad Bodhisattva's Golden Armor Has Collapsed in One Corner
Three slender, purplish-red incense sticks were inserted into the incense burner, and the swirling white smoke was blown by the wind onto the two gilded characters of the name on the tombstone.
Meng Shutai burned the scriptures he had copied one by one in front of Jiu'an's tomb.
The surging flames swirled and danced with snow-like pieces of paper, illuminating the edges of the paper with faint red lines that vanished in an instant, turning to ash and settling on his shoulder.
In previous years, these scriptures would be offered to the Buddha and sealed away, but he changed his mind this year.
He wanted to end things once and for all.
Once he met someone more interesting, he lost patience with playing games with a dead person.
Meng Shutai stood by the fire, his handsome brows furrowing again and again.
How did he copy so much? It would be a struggle to even burn it.
With a large stack of scriptures left in his hand, he threw them all into the fire, not caring whether they were completely burned or not, just to get rid of them.
Standing sideways in front of the tomb, Meng Shutai tilted his head to look at the meticulously repaired grave mound, as if he were sizing up the person.
His heart was like a waterbird skimming by when he remembered something.
"I was so efficient that I didn't cause you any pain; you should thank me."
He seemed to have returned to when he was seventeen, his tone innocent and carefree.
What was he like when he was alive? White? Black? He seemed to be tall... but I guess he wasn't really that tall? Otherwise, why doesn't he have any recollection of him now?
It was as if that person was not human, but just a blurry shadow.
After scanning the tombstone, Meng Shutai suddenly sighed softly, his compassionate gaze lowered like that of Guanyin.
"You were a slave in life, and even in death I'm the one who built you a place to live..."
He pondered, his phoenix eyes curving upwards, his dazzling smile like stars falling from the Milky Way. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he was a truly good person.
Meng Shutai went through the motions, reached out and touched the stone tablet, and bid a final farewell to Jiu'an.
Suddenly, his expression changed, his hand paused, and he turned to reach into the niche.
Empty.
The osmanthus sachet he gave me is gone.
However, since they were scattered everywhere in the open, it's possible that some wild fox might have snatched them away.
Meng Shutai curled his lips into a smile, and his Guanyin-like appearance transformed into that of a Shura, filled with contempt and disdain.
"Can't even guard such a small amount of stuff, tsk tsk."
Living is foolish, dying is useless too.
He shook his head, turned, and walked back to Huayan Temple. The chess player had everything arranged, waiting only for him to set off home.
The blood dripping from the setting sun covered the ground, and Meng Shutai's shadow was long, swaying with his magnificent clothes. From a distance, it looked like a summoned ghost crawling at his feet, trembling.
The world was like a burning furnace, many times brighter and hotter than the scriptures he was burning. Meng Shutai squinted at the sun, in which was a pretty and lively girl.
His lips unconsciously curled up, and his eyes sparkled.
The girl must have been at her wit's end, like a butterfly with broken wings, struggling in the mud.
Recalling Le Jin's deft wave to him at the winery entrance and her crisp "fiancé," Meng Shutai's smile deepened.
She will come back to rely on him, she definitely will.
He was secretly thrilled, and quickened his pace, wishing the Meng residence were right in front of him.
"My lord!"
A man in black was waiting by the roadside on his way back to the temple. He stretched out his thick, dark neck and suddenly called out to him.
The surrounding area was desolate, and apart from the two of them, there were only three or four weary birds flapping their wings to return to the forest.
Meng Shutai cast an indifferent glance at the man, whose black clothes clung tightly to his body, stained with patches of blood.
"How is it? Is he dead or not?"
His lips parted slightly, his voice cold, like the bowls of mint leaves sold on the streets of Luojing in summer, with pieces of milky white ice floating on the green surface, a hint of spicy spiciness lurking beneath the bone-chilling cold.
The man in black knelt down with a thud, clasped his hands together, and bowed before daring to raise his head.
He spoke with difficulty, "...that person ran away again."
Meng Shutai gave him a cold, emotionless look, which made the man tremble with fear.
"The second time?"
The man's trembling hands struggled to support him on the sun-baked ground as he swallowed hard.
"My lord, the brothers really did their best. But that kid seems to be protected by some divine power; he dodged every few blows! We...we..."
He heard a melancholy sigh from the person in front of him, and that cool voice suddenly softened and became more gentle.
"Never mind, perhaps his life wasn't meant to end there."
Meng Shutai slightly moved his fingertips towards the man, "You've put in quite a bit of effort in these two attacks, go and rest for a while."
The man was deeply saddened, his eyes wide open as he looked up at Meng Shutai.
He was the bandit leader who kidnapped Meng Shutai and Meng Cizhang four years ago.
Thanks to Lord Meng's protection over the years, the group escaped the imperial court's suppression of bandits and massacres. They secretly followed Meng Shutai and did things for him entirely voluntarily.
Despite the mission's failure, Meng Langjun disregarded past grievances and kindly advised them to consider their situation. The bandit leader was so moved that he was speechless and could only kowtow to Meng Shutai again.
“Your kindness is beyond measure, my brothers and I have no way to repay you. Rest assured, if you ever need our help in the future, just say the word, and we brothers won’t even flinch if we lose an arm or a leg.”
After the bandit leader finished speaking, he rustled to his feet, patted the dirt off his knees, smiled at Meng Shutai, and turned to stride away.
Before his raised foot even touched the ground, an apricot-colored silk sash adorned with jade beads was suddenly looped around his neck, tightening sharply and digging into his flesh.
He clearly heard the cracking sound of his own throat breaking, like a dry branch snapping with a "crack".
The suffocating pain made his legs go weak, and he fell backward. The last glimpse of the person he saw made him shudder with fear:
Meng Shutai's thick, sharp eyebrows were now filled with a murderous aura like dark clouds. Her beautiful eyes were glaring, and her bloodshot veins, like the fine downy hairs of a flower stamen, surrounded her two trembling pupils.
The bandit leader's vision blurred, and the last sound he heard was Meng Shutai gritting his teeth and squeezing out two words: "Go, die."
The last weary bird carried the night back to the forest, and the bandit leader's eyes lost their luster and turned ashen.
But Meng Shutai was still not satisfied, so he squatted down and pulled on the silk ribbon, rubbing it back and forth fiercely around his neck until the apricot color was stained crimson.
The first robbery occurred on the day he and his sister arrived in the capital. Le Zhao had sent a formal invitation to bring his sister to the capital in advance, but Meng Shutai did not inform anyone except the bandits he secretly contacted.
But a childhood marriage certificate is enough to make him sleep soundly next to someone else? Dream on.
Meng Shutai swayed as he got up, his eyes filled with golden specks of stars that seemed to mock him, bouncing and leaping in his eye sockets like bees and moths.
He kicked the bandit leader's corpse a few more times with an indifferent expression, like kicking a dead dog.
That idiot let Yue Zhao escape on the very first try, and Yue Jin even rushed right in front of him.
However, she did indeed fall asleep beside him later... and didn't seem as annoying as he had expected.
But why is Yue Zhao still alive?
Even if she killed him, Le Jin would only find her brother's corpse at the other residence. She would be all alone in Luojing, and would have no choice but to return to her own grasp.
He could rightfully keep her as a pet.
As a result, these fools repeatedly failed, forcing him to go to great lengths and smiles to win Le Jin away from Le Zhao's side.
As in the past, Meng Shutai was most adept at handling such matters.
However, ever since Le Jin appeared, his patience seemed to be dwindling, as if everyone and everything was provoking him.
He remembered that he didn't have a strong urge to kill before.
The golden robes of the Bodhisattva had collapsed in one corner, and the dark, swirling desires swirled and emanated from Le Jin.
The night wind quietly approached, making the leaves in the cemetery rustle mournfully. A few withered leaves brushed against the hem of Meng Shutai's blood-stained robes, then were swept away by the dark wind, their destination unknown.
The wind stopped, and the girl hurriedly stepped over the fallen leaves on the steps, carrying a steaming bowl of medicine as she burst through the door.
"The medicine's here! Hurry and drink it while it's hot!"
A person sat on the bed, his black hair loose, and he seemed more scholarly than usual. His weak gaze had followed Le Jin since she entered the room, and it had even brightened a little, like adding oil to a lamp.
"It feels like a dream."
"Why?" Le Jin looked at him in confusion, but didn't want to ask any more questions. She turned around, scooped up a spoonful of medicine, blew on it, and fed it to him.
“When you were little, I was always the one giving you medicine, but today it’s the other way around.”
The spoon was brought to Le Zhao's lips, but the medicine could not be fed into her mouth.
The person is smiling.
Her pale smile was like a traditional Chinese ink painting of spring, colorless yet captivating enough to melt away the winter snow.
"What kind of time is this to be joking!"
Le Jin was as anxious as if she were in a hot pan, but then she thought that the burden of the Le family usually rested on Le Zhao's shoulders, and perhaps only when he was seriously ill could he relax for a while, so she softened her heart again.
"Never mind, you've survived a close call, so laugh if you want."
The medicine was set aside for the time being. While the doctor was still around, Le Jin remembered the sachet containing the medicinal powder.
"Doctor, can you check if the things inside are safe?"
The doctor nodded and took it, opened the sachet, took out the powder and examined it. His eyes suddenly brightened.
"Oh dear, this is a top-quality medicine for soothing and calming the mind!"
He couldn't wait to take some more powder into his palm, rub it between his thumb and for Le Jin to see.
"Look, just this little bit can wake someone who has fainted, suppress blood stasis, soothe the mind and spirit, and even treat the knife and sword wounds on this young man's body. This medicine is a life-saving miracle in times of crisis!"
"so good?"
Feeling guilty, Le Jin took the sachet back and forced a smile.
She thought Meng Shutai would do something underhanded, but she never expected him to be genuinely kind.
This man is truly unfathomable.
He got up to see the doctor out, giving Le Jin some instructions on how to care for the patient. Before leaving, he asked again, with a hint of reluctance:
"Where did you get this medicinal powder, my lady? I see that the ingredients inside are no ordinary ones; they are probably used by the imperial family..."
"It was a gift from a friend."
"Oh, this person must have put in quite a bit of effort. You are so lucky to meet such a person!"
? ? ?
A chill ran down Le Jin's spine, and she gave the doctor a bitter smile, speechless.
Who can say whether this is a blessing or a curse?
but……
The sachet was taken out again and weighed in Le Jin's palm.
Even evil roots can yield good results.
"Doctor, you just said this powder can save lives?"
From the moment he caught a whiff of the medicine, Le Jin knew he was itching to try it.
She presented it with both hands, saying, "It's for you."
"But I have only one request. This medicine cannot be resold for profit; it can only be used to help others."
Anyway, Le Zhao would prepare the medicine for her asthma, so she didn't need Meng Shutai's kindness.
"I can't concoct such precious medicine..."
Le Zhao leaned against the headboard, squinting as he examined his sister. "Tell the truth, where did you get the medicine?"
"Given by Meng Shutai."
Le Jin sat by Le Zhao's bedside, bowing her head as she braided the silk ribbons around her body into thin braids, speaking casually.
"That person from the Meng family...?"
"There's something I want to tell you..."
The two spoke at the same time, and a look of surprise flashed between them.
Le Jin spoke first, "My matter is more important, I'll speak first!"
With a flick of her fingertips, she knelt down by the bedside, half pleading and half coquettish:
"Brother, once you've recovered, go to the Meng family and set a date for my wedding."
These words were against her will, so Le Jin lowered her head and dared not look Le Zhao in the eye.
However, a cold, sharp voice came from above, startling Le Jin into looking up abruptly.
"No, you can't go to the Meng family."
Le Zhao frowned, his bloodless lips pressed together repeatedly.
The last time he was in danger in the outskirts of Beijing could be considered an accident, but this time the murder happened directly in the Meng family compound.
What kind of criminals could appear in the Meng family's home so quietly?
He traveled all over the country since childhood, struggling and working hard in the business world, so it's not surprising that he made a few enemies.
But right now, it's clear that the Meng family isn't safe either. Besides, weddings are such important events that they're most vulnerable to being targeted by all sorts of people. It's fine if they're after him, but if they're after his little Jin'er...
Le Zhao's voice gradually lowered, finally turning into a long sigh.
"Your brother just hopes you won't act impulsively. Marriage is a big deal, and you should think about it carefully."
His words were earnest, but they only made Le Jin feel dizzy and disoriented.
Didn't we agree to listen to her when we entered the capital?!
She was so flustered that she couldn't even squat down. She suddenly slumped down and helplessly hugged her knees.
This is terrible.
Meng Shutai definitely wouldn't want to marry her, and Le Zhao didn't want to get involved in the marriage between the two families...
After all this, is her second mission also going to end in failure?
Good heavens, this isn't just transmigrating into a book, it's like falling into a black hole!
"But I really want to marry him!"
Le Jin refused to believe it and crawled over to Le Zhao, desperately pulling on his blanket.
"I will marry no one but him in this life!"
Why?
Le Zhao was completely baffled by his sister's infatuation when he heard the voice of the old man, Uncle Gu, who was guarding the house, coming from outside the door.
"Young Master, the young master of the Meng family has come to see you."
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Author's note: Sorry I'm a little late today [kiss][kiss][kiss]
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