Chapter 113 Unreasonable Behavior (Bonus Chapter for 2800 Nutrient Solution) If you...
Shen Zhengyuan smiled and readily admitted, "That's right."
After saying that, he looked at Li Chenjin with a gaze that was almost affectionate and admiring, and said softly, "Li Chenjin, you are really smart."
Li Chenjin naturally knew she was very clever. She chuckled and said, "You flatter me."
As she spoke, she opened the second letter, which read:
[It feels like we've met in person:]
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. You have neither returned nor sought revenge, and even in my dreams, your image vanishes. Day and night, my heart aches with unbearable pain. I imagine my filth must have disgusted you, causing you to avoid me. If you happen to see this letter, I beg you with tears in my eyes, pleading for a meeting.
For three years, I have maintained a secret correspondence with Zen Master Mingcun. I have gradually come to a conclusion about the whereabouts of that demonic race, but unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm it. If you would have mercy on me and lend me a hand, let us together slay this fiend, avenge my master, and rid the world of this scourge. When the time is right, even if I suffer a thousand cuts and be torn to pieces, I will gladly accept it and die without regret. I hope you will have mercy on me.
Shujin wept and bowed.
Then came the third letter:
[Xiang Huan Qing Ji:]
Four years have passed in the blink of an eye. I have already discovered the demon's whereabouts and told Zen Master Mingcun, begging him to take action to eliminate the demon. However, the Zen Master said: This demon has cultivated to a high level and has transformed into thousands of forms scattered throughout the world. Anyone with evil intentions can become its vessel. Even if you kill this body, you will only damage its shell. We must wait for the right opportunity.
Jin had to contend with this demon day and night, facing him day and night. Jin's heart was like being boiled in oil, filled with hatred and nausea, wishing she could kill him with her own hands immediately. However, as a disciple protecting the sect, she could only suppress her resentment and endure the pain of living a life of torment.
I know my sins are grave and I cannot expect your forgiveness, but before I die, I only ask to see you one last time. If I can see you, I will die without regret.
[Book in Blood]
Li Chenjin: "..."
She looked at the letter in her hand, remained silent for a long time, and then asked again, "Is what's in this letter credible?"
“It’s believable,” Shen Zhengyuan said again.
"Then who do you think this letter is talking about?" Li Chenjin asked again.
Shen Zhengyuan did not answer her question directly, but said, "You guessed it, but you don't believe it. Since you don't believe your own guess, even if I tell you, you won't believe me."
Li Chen shook his head. "There are many suspicious points in this matter. There must be other problems. It can't be her. I don't think Master would want to harm me, and neither would she. She wouldn't really want to harm me, much less harm Master."
Shen Zhengyuan listened to her words, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said in a somewhat cold voice, "You said before that the only people you trusted were me, Mingcun, and that idiot, but now you have a fourth person you trust."
Li Chenjin's eyes widened immediately. He said, "So you were waiting for me here? Sect Leader Shen, can you be a little less calculating? Can you stop going over what I say in your head five, six, seven, or eight times and then trying to find a way to test whether what I say is true or not? Can't you do that?"
"If what you're saying is all true, why are you worried that I'm testing you?" Shen Zhengyuan said.
"Sect Leader Shen, that's not how it works. Who can withstand being tested every day?" Li Chen said. "The only people I truly believe in are the three of you. The reason I said she couldn't be the one is because even if she would harm me, she would never harm Master."
"Her relationship with our master is the deepest among the three of us, and our master cares for her far more than he does for me and Shujin. Shujin and I may sometimes find it difficult to take care of her, but our master has been planning and worrying about her future since she was a child. Even the outer disciples of Wanshan Sect can see this concern, so how could she not feel it?"
"So she would never do such a thing. Just like Shujin, even if he had the thought of wanting me to die, he wouldn't think of Master that way. The reason I couldn't let go of him was because I always felt that he might have some difficulties, but when we met before and I heard what he said, I knew that he really wanted me to die."
"It's because he had those thoughts that he was controlled by demonic energy. But Master wouldn't harm me, so I think there must be things about the demon race that you and I don't know. Since the demon race can amplify the evil thoughts in a person's heart, causing them to be controlled by those evil thoughts and lose themselves, then A-Yuan, think about it, if that demon race has enough power, can't it directly control a person?"
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
He remained silent for a moment, then nodded, indicating that he was letting the matter drop without saying anything.
Li Chen silently breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head helplessly.
Shen Zhengyuan is only pleasing to her when he sheds tears. Otherwise, getting along with him is somewhat tiring. Like right now, she not only has to use her brain to think about things related to the demon race, but she also has to spare some energy to coax Shen Zhengyuan.
Otherwise, who knows what kind of wild thoughts he might have afterward.
So how exactly does Shen Zhengyuan come to have so many schemes?
Could it be from not having enough to eat in the past, and being starving?
Li Chen shook his head helplessly as he continued reading.
What she was reading now was the last letter Zeng Shujin had left for her. The letter read:
[It feels like we've met in person:]
Five years have passed, and the evil scourge has intensified in all directions, harming countless people. Although I have witnessed it all, my wisdom and strength are insufficient, and I can only lament my helplessness.
Now I am trapped within the Wanshan Sect, feeling like I am sitting on pins and needles every day, utterly exhausted and on the verge of death. I recall when you were in charge of the sect, your toil must have been twice as great as it is now, and I feel deeply ashamed.
We once vowed to grow old together, but alas, we have become like the stars Shen and Shang. The one who hurt you the most was Jin Shen. I have long lost the will to live, but for the sake of the great plan to rid the demon, I can only endure this hardship to survive.
Jin knew she was guilty of a grave sin, but her infatuation had not died. She still hoped to see Jun's face before she died. She wondered if her wish in this life could be fulfilled.
Shujin's tearful final words
After reading the last letter, she folded the letters back up, put them into their respective envelopes, and then placed them in the storage bag at her waist.
He clapped his hands, about to say something to Shen Zhengyuan, when he suddenly heard Shen Zhengyuan say, "Do you feel sorry for him?"
Li Chenjin: "..."
She pouted, looked up at Shen Zhengyuan, and slapped his arm.
She used some force, so the slap made Shen Zhengyuan's body tremble. He instinctively covered the spot where he was hit, frowned slightly, and rubbed his arm, clearly in a lot of pain.
But Li Chenjin didn't offer a single word of comfort. Instead, he said, word by word, "Right now, I'm only thinking about my master. If you dare to test me like this again and distract me, I'll really beat you up."
Shen Zhengyuan covered the spot where he had been slapped, lowered his head and remained silent, seemingly somewhat displeased. However, Li Chenjin disregarded his current mood and simply asked, "Tell me, in all these years, have you found anything about my master?"
Shen Zhengyuan asked, "Have you ever hit Zeng Shujin?"
Li Chen said, "If you keep making trouble for me, I'll show you what it really means to hit someone."
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
He lowered his hand, took out a letter from the Qiankun bag at his waist, and handed it to Li Chenjin. "It's a letter your master gave to Mingcun before. I got it from Mingcun."
It's that old monk Mingcun again. Just how much does that old monk actually know...?
As Li Chenjin pondered this, he took the letter. The letter read:
[To my dear friend Mingcun:]
After a long separation, my longing for you is even stronger.
I have recently been troubled by something that I cannot figure out: whenever I am awake during the day, I suddenly fall asleep; and when I am lying down at night, I often wake up for no reason. This reversal of sleep and wakefulness is really unusual.
Furthermore, I believe you are already aware of my declining health. I originally intended to pass the leadership of the sect to my son, Shujin, but for some reason, I have instead given it to Xianghuan.
Although I know that Xianghuan is kind-hearted and has no evil intentions, he is as swift as a rabbit and sometimes has a violent temper, and is too attached to grudges and right and wrong. Although I often try to teach him, I have not seen much effect. I only wish that he is safe and happy and does not go astray, then my wish will be enough.
When I was in charge of the sect, disputes would arise if my actions went slightly against their wishes. However, the position of sect leader, though seemingly prestigious, actually requires weighing many factors and cannot be judged solely by good or evil. Therefore, this position is most suitable for Shujin, who can maintain balance within the sect and also take care of Xianghuan and Shuqing.
Although this matter is now settled, it was by no means my original intention. Currently, Xiang Huan has been criticized by elders from many sects. If we hastily change his position, I fear it will hurt his feelings and give others ammunition to criticize him. If we maintain the status quo, I worry that Shu Jin will overthink things and cause discord among the disciples.
I am at a loss right now. I hope you can come quickly so we can discuss a solution and cure my illness.
Zeng Guyi bowed deeply.
Snap...
A single tear had just fallen onto the letter, blurring some of the writing, when Li Chenjin quickly wiped it away.
But the ink writing couldn't be exposed to water, and with just a little wiping, she made that small patch of writing even more blurry.
Her hand holding the letter trembled uncontrollably, and what came to mind was the time when he had once taught her alone.
In fact, although Zeng Guyi wanted to discipline her, he never really punished her severely. Unless she did something too outrageous, he would only give her a minor punishment as a warning. Otherwise, he would not care at all and would at most say a word or two.
If someone comes to Zeng Guyi demanding an explanation, saying that Li Xianghuan has done something wrong or damaged something outside, Zeng Guyi will tell Li Xianghuan to hide quickly, and then he and Zeng Shujin will step in to help her settle the matter.
It can be said that in the past, no matter how troublesome Li Xianghuan was or how many mistakes he made, he never had to take responsibility for his mistakes.
Because Zeng Guyi would always be at the forefront, not only with her, but also with Zeng Shujin and Zeng Shuqing. It was only because Li Xianghuan caused the most trouble that people felt he doted on and favored Li Xianghuan more. But in reality, he had three disciples, and he doted on each of them.
Yet, this was the very person least likely to do those things. The moment she saw the letter, she forgot all the kindness Zeng Guyi had shown her in the past. The only thing she remembered was that he had abandoned her in the end.
turn out to be……
It turns out that if you are a good person and do a hundred good deeds, but do just one bad thing, you will become a complete villain.
Even if he didn't do the bad thing, if someone wants to smear him, who will clear his name?
after all……
Even the person he loves most no longer trusts him.
Not only did they distrust him, but they also harbored resentment, doubt, and confusion for so many years. Even when they learned from others that Zeng Guyi had already passed away, they never thought of going back to pay their respects, and they didn't even burn a single piece of paper money.
Li Xianghuan raised her head and looked at the silent, cold memorial tablet in front of her, tears streaming down her face.
Finally, she knelt down on the ground with a thud, lowered her head, supported herself with her hands on the ground, and kowtowed three times to the memorial tablet in front of her.
She lowered her head and wept silently for a long time, so long that a small patch of water accumulated on the ground before she slowly raised her head and looked at the cold wooden sign in front of her.
She knelt down, moved forward a few steps, and then, just like when she was a child and had made a mistake, she hugged Zeng Guyi's legs to beg for forgiveness, and hugged the leg of the wooden table.
It was rare for her to cry so bitterly, and it was the first time she had lost control of her emotions so much that Shen Zhengyuan, standing to the side, didn't dare to step forward to stop her. He could only quietly watch Li Chenjin as she raised her head and looked in the direction of the memorial tablet on the table, choking out, "Master... I was wrong... I was wrong again... Why did I do so many wrong things?"
“I was wrong, Master. I shouldn’t have distrusted you, I shouldn’t have doubted you… I miss you so much, I really miss you so much… I’m sorry, Master. I promised you I would take good care of myself, but I haven’t taken good care of myself at all these years… I have to go to the fields to catch insects to eat, I have to beg someone to give me something to eat. Everything I learned before is useless. Sometimes I really can’t go on living, Master…”
"When I was young, I didn't know how good you were to me. I took your kindness for granted, thinking it was normal, something I should do... But when I stumbled and fell into the dust, I realized... there aren't many people in this world who will be good to me, and there aren't many people who care about me. I'm so tired, I'm so tired..."
“Master, I miss you so much… I missed you every day when I didn’t have enough to eat, and I still miss you every day now that I have enough to eat. But because I didn’t distinguish between truth and falsehood, and didn’t think it through, I took that letter as fact. I was wrong… I was really wrong…”
In the end, she hugged the table leg, remained silent for a long time, and shed tears for a long time.
It wasn't until Shen Zhengyuan walked to her side, pulled her hands away from the table leg, and drew her into his arms that she leaned against him, remaining silent for a long time before slowly raising her eyes to look again at the memorial tablet, seemingly murmuring, "You said..."
"I haven't dreamed of my master in all these years. Is it because my master thinks I'm too unfilial, so he doesn't want to see me anymore?"
"No, that won't happen," Shen Zhengyuan said. "The late Sect Leader Zeng wouldn't. Perhaps he's tied up with something right now, so he can't appear in your dream for the time being."
“After my parents and fellow disciples left, I never saw them appear in my dreams, not even once.”
Li Chenjin: "..."
A glint seemed to flash in her eyes. Then, she gently pushed away the person holding her, looked into Shen Zhengyuan's eyes, and said, "Please send a message to Monk Mingcun and ask him to come over. I need to see him."
Shen Zhengyuan shook his head and said, "He will come."
Hearing Shen Zhengyuan's words, Li Chen seemed to understand something instantly. He chuckled and said in a low voice, "So, you and Mingcun had this plan all along. So you were already certain that something would go wrong at this peace meeting, which is why you sent me here to oversee things, right?"
Shen Zhengyuan said, "But I never intended to use you. I just knew you would definitely want to know these things, and you would definitely..."
"No need to say more."
Before Shen Zhengyuan could finish speaking, Li Chen interrupted him, saying, "I've said before that I unconditionally trust you and Monk Mingcun. But there's something I need to confirm. I still don't think Shuqing would harm Master, so I'm going to go find her."
"If she is merely being controlled, please let her go. If not, I will naturally clean up the mess for my master, without any mercy."
“Okay.” Shen Zhengyuan answered without hesitation, “Everything will be done according to your plan.”
She lowered her head, took a deep breath, wiped away the tears on her face, and said, "There's still the peace talks coming up. Our identities are special, so we can't be late. Last time at the peace talks, you embarrassed Shujin so much. Don't do that again this time."
"Since he's the host of this peace talks, you have to give him some face. Otherwise, the people who come to these talks will inevitably have ulterior motives. How are the talks supposed to continue? We can't have the matter of the demon race unresolved and then the cultivation world start fighting amongst themselves, can we?"
Perhaps seeing that Li Chenjin was in a bad mood, Shen Zhengyuan did not test her again because she spoke up for Zeng Shujin. He simply nodded and replied, "Okay."
………………
When Li Chenjin and Shen Zhengyuan returned to Wanshan Sect, there was still nearly half an hour before the peace talks were to resume.
However, Li Chenjin's mind was still a bit chaotic at this moment, so she told Shen Zhengyuan to go back by himself first. She would wander around Wanshan Gate by herself, and when the peace talks were about to begin, she would go to the peace talks on her own, so Shen Zhengyuan didn't need to wait for her.
Shen Zhengyuan, unusually, did not contradict her. When she said she wanted to be alone for a while, he decisively turned around and left.
Li Chen walked on the land of Wanshan Sect, looking at the surrounding scenery. He couldn't quite describe his feelings. He felt that everything was like a dream, so unreal.
She walked for an unknown amount of time, and when she reached a fork in the road, before she could decide which way to turn, she saw a familiar figure standing on the left fork in the road.
When Li Chen saw the figure, he stopped and stared at it quietly before walking quickly toward her.
Once the other person had stopped in front of her, she forced a slight smile and said, "Senior brother, I saw the letter you wrote to me."
Zeng Shujin paused slightly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
But in the end, he still didn't say what he wanted to say. Instead, he said, "The cultivation world has already received the message from the Zen cultivation world. The reason why the peace talks have invited the leaders of all the worlds is mainly for this matter."
Li Chen smiled and said, "Whether the purpose of inviting the leaders of various sects is to discuss important matters or to give certain people a chance to appear and turn the cultivation world from the light to the shadows, I think only Monk Mingcun and Senior Brother know the answer."
After a moment of silence, Zeng Shujin asked, "Did Sect Leader Shen tell you this?"
Li Chen shook his head and smiled, saying, "I just guessed randomly."
Zeng Shujin lowered her eyes and smiled, then said, "Xianghuan, you're too smart. It's precisely because you're too smart that you can guess so many things that there's never any possibility between us, right?"
Li Chen didn't respond to his question, but instead asked, "How is Shuqing doing lately?"
She hadn't answered Zeng Shujin earlier, and Zeng Shujin didn't respond this time either. Instead, she said, "Xianghuan, after this peace talks... you won't be returning to Wanshan Sect, right?"
Li Chenjin: "..."
Li Chen sighed, as if murmuring, "Senior brother, you're actually quite clever too..."
At this distance, even if she spoke softly, Zeng Shujin could hear her, but he seemed not to hear her at all, and repeatedly asked, "Xianghuan, will you come back?"
Seeing Zeng Shujin's persistent questioning, Li Chenjin sighed again, looked up at the person in front of him, and said, "I'm not coming back."
“I have some things to do and some places to go back to. Besides, even if I don’t want to stay at Wufo Temple anymore, that old monk Mingcun is reluctant to let me go. If I leave, who will he ask to do things for him? Only someone as hardworking and efficient as me can do things.”
“Although his disciples are quite capable, if they encounter someone they want to teach a lesson, they have to preach Buddhist teachings for a whole day and night before they even start to act. It’s too much of a waste of their time to let them do many things.”
"Although there are many 'Bodhisattvas' in Wufo Temple, there always needs to be a 'Vajra God' who can act swiftly and keep order. After all, if you want to have the heart of a Bodhisattva, you always need some Vajra methods to protect yourself."
Zeng Shujin continued, "Xianghuan, you've really changed a lot. If it were you before, you would only say 'yes' or 'no,' not such a long string of words. These past years, you've suffered a lot outside, haven't you?"
Li Chen smiled and said, "No, I'm doing quite well. I have a dog, I've taken on a disciple, and I even have a meditation room at Wufo Temple to stay in. When I have free time, I play chess, drink tea, and talk about Buddhism with Monk Mingcun. You know what, I'm living a pretty comfortable and leisurely life."
"Although I don't plan to come back later, if you have time, you can come to Wufo Temple as a guest. I'll play chess with you, drink tea, and talk about Buddhism. My chess skills have been honed by Monk Mingcun over the years to the point where I could graduate from the master's level."
Zeng Shujin pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.
Under the sunlight, it seemed as if a few tears were faintly visible at the corners of his eyes.
A silence fell between the two of them, leaving Li Chen somewhat confused as to what she had said that was wrong.
Just as Li Chen was about to invite Zeng Shujin to the peace talks, he suddenly heard him say, "Xianghuan, may I hug you one last time?"
"this……"
Just as Li Chen was trying to think of an excuse to decline, Zeng Shujin said, "Let's just say goodbye as... as Zeng Shujin and Li Xianghuan."
"After this, I will still be Zeng Shujin, but you will be Li Chenjin. From now on, we will just be friends."
Li Chen looked at her gently, nodded, and said, "Okay."
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