Chapter 29 "Zhu Bao'e!!"
Young Master Nie was still embracing Bao'e, his arms tightly around her, unwilling to let go.
Upon hearing this, he slowly brushed his lips against her cheek, but hesitated.
This matter concerned his life and death, and he never told anyone.
But in a moment, he said to her, "There's no grave, the death was absurd and wretched, and you were all alone out there. Who would come to dig up soil and build a grave?"
Bao'e exclaimed in alarm: "Could it be that the body was left to rot in the wilderness and was carried away by wild dogs and wolves?"
She thought to herself: What should I do? What should I do? Where can I find the thief who stole the corpse? And how can I pry open the mouths of those wild dogs and jackals and take out the bones?
Fortunately, he said, "No."
Where is it?
Nie Guiyu's eyebrows twitched slightly, revealing an indescribable sorrow and anger.
After a long pause, he replied, "Under the Guanyin statue in that Buddhist hall."
“Amitabha, brother, you have committed so many sins of killing, how can the Bodhisattva allow you to accumulate good deeds? Even if you are buried under the Guanyin statue, it will probably be of no use.”
“I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, so why would I need the help of gods and Buddhas? I’m just trying to keep those soul-reaping monsters from coming to my door, and I’m using the Bodhisattva to suppress the yin energy.” Young Master Nie said coldly, “Besides, when I was attacked and killed, the Bodhisattva didn’t appear. Now that I’m dead, what’s there to revere or fear?”
“What you say makes no sense,” Bao’e said. “There are countless mortals in the world, and the incense in temples and Buddhist halls is even more abundant than the clouds and mist that swirl in the heavens. How can the gods and Buddhas possibly watch over each one? Brother, if you don’t have the strength to save yourself, you can blame the robbers for their crimes. They are a group of vicious villains, but you can’t blame yourself, nor can you blame the gods and Buddhas for being blind.”
Upon hearing this, Young Master Nie frowned, unsure of what to feel.
He said, "You have a broad mind."
The fool chuckled: "It is often said that 'gold is precious, but peace and happiness are the most valuable.' Worrying for a day means losing a day's happiness, which is really not worth it."
Nie Guiyu gave a soft snort, but remained silent.
After a long while, he called out, "Bao'e."
Bao'e looked at him and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Young Master Nie sat cross-legged on the bed, the candlelight flickering, the bed curtains hazy, casting indistinct shadows on his face.
He sighed softly, but said, "In my opinion, gold is not worth it, nor is comfort. Even if I had enjoyed the luxury of a noble family in my lifetime, my fate is too short. Now I am trapped in this desolate temple, neither alive nor dead, and I am suffering endless torment."
“You’re confused. You’re just like a headless fly, bumping around everywhere,” Bao’e said. “Both the mountains that don’t move and the driftwood that floats aimlessly on the water have their own pleasures. When the mountains don’t move, you can see birds coming, feel the wind rustling the trees, and see the rivers flowing; when the driftwood floats, you don’t know whether you’ll smell the fragrance of flowers or hear the chirping of insects tomorrow. But you insist on thinking about why the mountains don’t move and why the driftwood doesn’t sink, which naturally makes you feel lonely and depressed.”
Nie Guiyu listened and found relief from his sorrow and frustration, which greatly alleviated his resentment.
He held her close, buried his head in her shoulder, and murmured, "Yes, yes, I'm so lucky to have you now. Bao'e, don't leave me alone in this hardship."
Bao'e said, "Difficult, difficult! I am all alone, how can I accompany you all the time? Why don't you call my senior brother in and let him pluck a handful of hairs and conjure up hundreds of monkeys to play with you? It would be more lively and you wouldn't feel so lonely."
"Don't speak."
"Fine, fine, I'm getting a little sleepy anyway, I won't be a lazy bum." Bao'e squinted her eyes, about to go to sleep.
Young Master Nie forcefully pulled her aside, helped her wash up, and then let her go to sleep.
He then dressed and went out to arrange a vegetarian meal.
Half-asleep, Bao'e heard a sound, as if someone was calling her.
She mumbled something lazily, but it was impossible to hear what she was saying.
The man grabbed her and said, "You're only dressed up in this wedding robe because you're afraid he'll boil you alive?"
Bao'e then woke up.
An ugly face, too hideous to bear looking at, came into her view, startling the simpleton so much that he scrambled to his feet and angrily cursed, "You scoundrel, how dare you disturb my peaceful slumber! You're going to die!"
She looked around, searching for a suitable weapon.
The "bandit" wiped his face, revealing a handsome face with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes; he was indeed the swordsman.
“It’s me,” he said with a half-smile, half-annoyance. “Don’t blame me for coming at the wrong time and disturbing my senior sister’s good marriage with that ghost.”
Bao'e said happily, "So it's Junior Brother Yan! I was just wondering where you went to fetch water. Why didn't you come back all night? Did you have to make your own water buckets?"
The swordsman said, "That monster has set up an array; how could we possibly break in?"
He had worked hard all night and finally broke through the formation, only to encounter this scene.
He didn't care about his disheveled hair and slightly rumpled clothes; he really wished he could kill the evil spirit with a single sword strike.
But the thought of her in front of him made him suppress his anger.
Bao'e said, "You've really suffered, Junior Brother Yan. You've also made contributions, but the credit still goes to me."
Yan Jinxue was almost amused by her.
As he was speaking, he glanced at the bed.
The bedding on the bed was scattered, and even the gauze curtains were slightly damaged, as if someone had scratched them.
He looked at them one by one, and for no reason, his heart ached slightly, and he felt resentment and anger.
Bao'e: "Junior brother, you are too inflexible. If I refuse, I will anger him and he will try to vent his anger. Wouldn't he be distracted by you and even try to kill my master? It is better to give a vague answer first to save your life and that monk's life, and then coax him with some soft words so that he will not have the intention to kill."
"It was originally a delaying tactic."
"That's right, that's right."
“Bao’e, you think I’m some kind of foolish villager who’s easy to fool.” The swordsman grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed. “No need to say anything more. While he’s not here, let’s break through this illusory realm and get out.”
"What door are you trying to break through, and where are you going?" A cold voice suddenly came from not far away.
Yan Jinxue released Bao'e and turned to look at Nie Guiyu, who had appeared at the door.
But his face was cold and stern, pale and red, truly resembling a ferocious demon that devours people.
Bao'e was startled and was about to speak when the swordsman blocked her way, saying, "You evil spirit, get out of the way, and I may spare your life."
"Spare me? It's rare to see a lamb in a tiger's den pledging to forgive a vicious tiger." The monster sneered slightly. "No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere. You're just a beast in human skin, staying in this temple not to cultivate yourself, but to secretly be a lewd and shameless slut who crawls into other people's beds!"
The swordsman laughed instead of getting angry: "Why be angry? In this sacred Buddhist land, you owe a debt of killing and commit a sin of speech. You're really going to get a plague."
Enraged, Young Master Nie cursed him, "Yes, yes! I only suffer from you, you shameless, despicable plague!"
The swordsman raised an eyebrow, but there was no smile in his eyes: "It is often said that 'those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.' You are not on the same path as us. You are a lonely ghost who dares not face the gods and spirits, hiding in a desolate mountain temple, indulging in lust and pleasure, trapping my senior sister, and coaxing her into lustful thoughts. You deserve the title of 'despicable.'"
"I almost forgot about that. You're a lonely ghost. Not to mention your face, even your head and heart are cold and lifeless. You still have to pretend to be a person. It's really pitiful. That's why my senior sister had a compassionate heart and took pity on you, but you mistook it for true affection."
This unhurried and sarcastic remark infuriated Young Master Nie, making his eyes blaze with rage.
He looked at Bao'e and said, "Bao'e, don't hide behind this little beast, come here."
Bao'e really wanted to get out of bed.
The swordsman grabbed her and glanced at her sideways.
Bao'e said, "Brother, why are you grabbing me?"
"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Are you really going to marry him and become a pair of star-crossed lovers who never see the world?"
She replied, "I'm hungry; he smells like vegetarian food."
This infuriated Young Master Nie, who gritted his teeth.
The swordsman's expression softened slightly, and he laughed, "How can we eat a meal prepared by such a wandering ghost? Let's bear with it for now, and we can cook a meal after we've killed him."
Before Bao'e could answer, Nie Guiyu was already burning with rage.
He stared intently at the two clasped hands and said coldly, "Bring me your sword."
A bandit disguised as a servant rushed into the house and presented the sword.
Nie Guiyu stepped forward with his sword, abandoning all his skills, and fought with the swordsman.
The swordsman, unafraid, also drew his sword to meet him.
Young Master Nie was determined to kill him, and his every move was ruthless, as if he wanted to chop off his head.
The swordsman also used his supernatural powers, restraining his laziness and never letting his guard down for a moment.
The two fought for forty or fifty rounds without a clear winner. Nie Guiyu angrily said, "You shameless scoundrel! You have no morals whatsoever! What does her marriage to me have to do with you, a mere junior? How dare you sneak into the bedchamber and ruin someone's marriage?"
The swordsman smiled, but his heart was filled with anger and resentment. He laughed and scolded him, "You only talk about true feelings, but you are actually biased towards yourself. You talk about marriage and trap my senior sister here, which only hinders her journey to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures. This is against the will of Heaven. Even if I don't beat you, you will eventually suffer the calamity of Heaven."
"I see no heaven, so what do I have to fear? Enough talk, take a few of my sword strikes!"
This battle was truly fierce, with everything in the room damaged and the roof teetering on the verge of collapse.
Bao'e was about to get up and try to stop her, but somehow, before she could even speak, she suddenly sat down.
She stared intently at them, her perked-up ears twitching occasionally, as if listening to something.
The two fought for dozens more rounds, with no clear winner.
But the judge's pen was still in Young Master Nie's hands. He used a sorcery to strike the swordsman's shoulder with his sword. Taking advantage of the swordsman's weakness and exhaustion, he ordered his servants to tie him up.
He said coldly, "This wild Taoist priest injured me, which is disrespectful. Give him a good beating and vent my anger."
The bandits obeyed the order and began to beat the swordsman mercilessly.
Young Master Nie clutched his chest, panting heavily.
He glanced to the side and suddenly saw Bao'e sitting blankly by the bed, staring at the swordsman without moving or making a sound.
He shifted his feet, slightly blocking the view, his face still cold, but asked, "You wicked devil, why don't you say anything? Are you afraid because you can't bear to see this beating?"
Bao'e said, "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid."
Nie Guiyu said ominously, "Are you thinking of some words to plead for mercy?"
"I will not plead for mercy, I will not plead for mercy."
"You're neither afraid nor pleading for mercy, so why are you acting like a fool, not uttering a single word!"
The silly boy mumbled, "Brother, his panting and groaning actually sounds kind of nice."
Enraged, Young Master Nie roared, "Stop! Stop!"
The bandits stopped what they were doing.
He stopped mid-sentence, finding "Bao'e" too intimate, and the word "E" was stuck on the tip of his tongue.
The swordsman, having suffered greatly, sat down beside her, panting, and added, "She has the surname Zhu."
Young Master Nie then shouted angrily, "Zhu Bao'e!!"
“It is I,” Bao’e nodded. “Why did you call me, brother?”
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