Chapter 8: Unaware of One's Own Flirting, Amitabha
It was as if a refreshing rain was falling on the humid earth, and the restlessness in my heart disappeared, and my mind became clear in an instant.
Seeing that Huali's eyes had regained their former clarity, Lianzhuo lowered her hand: "This is a 'Changgui' (a type of evil spirit), which specializes in absorbing people's fear. Don't be afraid of it, and it won't be able to harm you."
Huali nodded with lingering fear, "So that's how it is. Thank you, Lianzhuo. You Buddhist cultivators are quite powerful."
Lian Zhuo paused slightly in the hand that was entwining the prayer beads.
Everyone knows his Buddhist name is Tan Chen, but no one knows his real name is Lian Zhuo. He could have used a false name to hide his whereabouts, but when Mo Ziyan asked, the sudden widening of Hua Li's almond-shaped eyes reminded him of the cat sleeping at the entrance of the scripture hall.
They usually look lazy while basking in the sun, but they'll immediately come running when they smell the aroma of food, meowing and circling around with interest.
The two words, which she rarely heard, were pronounced crisply, and Lian Zhuo's eyelashes trembled uncomfortably.
Although she knew that the demon could not harm people, Karin still did not want to be visually shocked. She gently tugged at Renju's sleeve, "Let's go quickly."
As darkness fell, the moonlight cast shadows of the weeds on the bluestone slabs, making them sway and appear dark.
Mo Ziyan, who was in the lead, brushed past a crooked bamboo basket by the roadside, and half a rotten apple rolled out of it.
“It seems this village is deserted.” Mo Ziyan said gravely. “These farming tools are still here, so it seems they just left not long ago.”
“But there are no signs of fighting or monster damage here.” Tang Wanwan frowned. “The whole village has moved away. Something just doesn’t feel right.”
Lian Zhuo gazed calmly at the half-closed courtyard gate directly in front of her.
In order to give their disciples more experience, the four major sects in the cultivation world collect mission information on "Xianbo", which is divided into Heaven-level and Earth-level missions.
The case of the missing woman from Jishan is among them.
I never expected it would involve the Baiyun Mountain area.
Lianzhuo tried to remind him, but Huali was faster than him.
“Who said there was no one there?” Huali poked her head out from behind Lianzhuo. “There are people there.” She pointed to the chimney on the roof. “It was smoking just now.”
"And this apple, it's been bitten in half, there are teeth marks on the side that isn't rotten."
"These are all smokescreens. They want us to think that no one lives here. If you don't believe me, go inside and take a look. There's still steam on the stove right now."
A subtle hint of appreciation flashed in the Buddha's eyes.
Tang Wanwan and Mo Ziyan had been fasting for many years, and unlike Hua Li, who was a foodie who never missed a meal, they were not observant enough to notice. It was only after Hua Li reminded them that they suddenly realized what was going on.
Mo Ziyan stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate. Sure enough, a dark figure flashed past in the room.
"Who goes there!" Mo Ziyan raised his arm and swung it, the spirit sword at his waist instantly piercing through the wooden door and striking straight at him.
The next second, the other person was already inside the house.
The door opened, revealing everything.
An elderly couple huddled together beneath the spirit sword, rice cakes from the steamer spilled all over the ground, pleading for mercy: "Goddess, spare us! We'll never do it again!"
"What goddess? Don't be afraid, get up and talk." Seeing that the other party was just an ordinary old man, Mo Ziyan was startled and quickly helped them up.
"We're here to find someone. Have you seen two young people dressed similarly to us?"
Upon suddenly seeing four unfamiliar faces, the old woman's first reaction was relief. She nodded, "A man and a woman did come by a few days ago."
"The woman had her hair tied in a high ponytail and wore a blue dress, while the man held a whisk in his hand?"
"That's right." The old woman nodded. "You've come looking for them?"
Tang Wanwan's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, they are my friends. Do you know where they went?"
To everyone's surprise, the old woman shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't bother looking anymore."
Why?
"What else could it be? They're dead, of course." The old woman pointed to the towering mountain peak behind them. "See that mountain? That's the main peak of Baiyun Mountain. The goddess lives there."
"No one comes out of there alive."
"Dead?" The sudden blow turned Tang Wanwan's face deathly pale. She murmured, "Are we really too late?"
Mo Ziyan's heart sank as well.
Huali stood there dumbfounded, almost bursting with suppressed rage.
No? That's it? You believe everything they say? Are the people of the Spirit Sword Sect really that naive?
Then the sect's demise is imminent.
"Grandma, how do you know she's dead? Did you see her?" Hua Li couldn't help but interject, trying to awaken Tang Wanwan's remaining intelligence. She should have sold the two books to her for ten high-grade spirit stones back then.
"And why did you hide just now? And who is the goddess?"
A barrage of questions rained down on him, and the old man who had been silent all along sighed, "That's a long story."
"Stop! Wait a minute!" As any novel lover knows, once this sentence is uttered, it usually takes at least an hour to finish.
Huali looked around, quickly pulled out the bench next to the stove and sat down, then took out the candied fruit she had bought earlier and the almond shortbread she had made at Madam Xu's house from her pocket.
After first accommodating Ao Bai, who was already hunched over the stove with his belly warm, he made a gesture of invitation and obediently said, "I'm all ears."
Others: "......"
Tang Wanwan's eyebrows shot up. "How can you be like this? What time is it? You still have the appetite to eat!"
"Why don't I feel like eating? It's been a whole day, and if I don't eat soon, I'll be the next one to die."
Tang Wanwan: "You!"
Huali rolled her eyes. "What do you mean, 'you'? I'm just a mortal!"
What are cultivators like when they get old? If she were still alive then, she would definitely be the first person to ask Tang Wanwan to sell health products.
A hint of helplessness flashed across the Buddhist disciple's face, and he sighed softly, "Amitabha." Immediately afterward, Huali skillfully pulled his sleeve away.
The girl, no longer the sharp-tongued person she had been, was now inviting him with a beaming smile.
"Lian Zhuo, come and eat with us."
Of course, Huali didn't forget the most important thing on this trip: to find a way to get closer to Renzhuo.
She generously shifted her position, revealing half of the seat.
The Buddhist disciple, who always bathed only in water from the thousand-year-old ice lotus and fasted only by drinking the morning dew of the Udumbara flower, was thus forced onto the chair by her in a "forced love" manner.
Huali picked up a piece of almond shortbread with her fingertips and put it to his lips. "Try it. I made this myself at Madam Xu's place. It's a modern recipe, and it's fragrant and sweet."
The Buddhist monk, who had lived in seclusion in the Brahma Sound Pavilion for many years and had long practiced fasting, shook his head, "This humble monk... um..."
Huali didn't care whether he was a poor monk or not. Taking advantage of the Buddhist disciple's backward leaning motion to avoid it, she took the opportunity to stuff the almond pastry directly into his slightly open mouth.
The overly intimate contact caused her fingertips to brush against the Buddha's lower lip, and the Buddhist prayer beads on their wrists, which were of the same type, instantly emitted a spark of starlight.
The Earth-type card lit up its second star without warning.
The sweet-to-bitter peach shortbread, mixed with the pear scent emanating from the girl, exploded on her taste buds. Just as Lian Zhuo was about to hold her breath and cast a spell, the person opposite her suddenly raised her head, her beautiful almond eyes sparkling with gilded fireworks, her joy almost overflowing.
Ao Bai: "Ahhh, it's the second star! Host, you're awesome! The Earth-type card has been successfully upgraded to SR!"
"Skill activated: Ksitigarbha's Entanglement, Buddha's Bone Cage".
Ksitigarbha can create stone waves to attack enemies.
The Buddha Bone Cage can be activated in both defense and imprisonment modes, and can be switched freely.
Happiness came too suddenly.
"How many times? Is there a limit?" Huali asked in her mind.
Ao Bai cried out, "No restrictions!! There's still data that hasn't loaded yet, hopefully it's a powerful move."
Oh ho! Lotus is the best!
From this day forward, she will not allow anyone to disobey him! From this moment on, she is Lian Zhuo's most loyal and number one fanatic.
Forget about sandalwood dust and Buddhist disciples, all of you, step aside!
Hua Li's pupils shone with an astonishing brightness, and her gaze towards Lian Zhuo was more fervent than ever before. Even Ao Bai was afraid that she would lose control and pounce on her.
Overwhelmed with joy, Huali felt a wave of dizziness. She shook her head and smiled as she shoved another almond shortbread into her mouth. "How is it? Is it delicious? If you like it, I'll make it for you every day from now on."
Amidst the mingled breaths of sandalwood and pear blossoms, Lian Zhuo gazed at Hua Li's radiant face.
The lamplight illuminated her long, curled eyelashes like fluttering butterfly wings, and a genuine smile spread into the depths of her pupils, clear as glass.
Lian Zhuo held his breath, his gaze uncontrollably drawn to Hua Li's smiling face, as vivid as a crabapple blossoming on a spring branch. He curled his fingertips into his sleeve and lowered his eyes. "...Not bad."
Ao Bai glanced at the uneasy-looking Buddhist disciple, then at his own silly-looking host, and suddenly realized that he had worried for nothing.
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