After Yan Budu finished speaking, a young monk walked out from the wind and snow and stepped into the cave.
The monk carried a blue-grey sword on his back. The sword had never been sharpened, as if it had been sharpened by a stone. He was tall, but not stout. Standing there in the wind and snow, he looked like a solitary peak that had stood here since ancient times.
Looking closely, the monk had a straight and resolute appearance, with deep facial features. He had a conspicuous scar on his right cheek, but his temperament was not aggressive.
Monk Kongshi.
Yin Ci recognized this man. A hundred years ago, he used the pseudonym "Su Zhi" and was known as one of the "Four Heroes of Jianghu" along with Yan Budu, Kong Shi, and Qu Tinglei. Except for Qu Tinglei who was over fifty years old, to outsiders, the other three were all under forty.
The young are formidable, full of vigor and vitality. That can be called the peak of the martial arts world since the founding of the country.
But the good times didn't last long. Yan Budu caused a bloody storm in most of the country in order to build a ghost tomb, and defeated countless masters by himself. The Jianchen Temple, which had always been detached from the world, finally intervened and sent Kongshi to hunt down Yan Budu.
The monks intended to capture Yan Budu and bring him to the dungeon of Jianchen Temple, then publicly try him and imprison him for life.
Yin Ci remembered the sequel of this story.
Monks always fight to the death, but Yan Budu was not captured and taken to Jianchen Temple, so Kongshi must have been killed by him. Then Yan Budu disappeared, and only Qu Tinglei and himself were left among the four heroes of Jianghu.
The two young heroes were like meteors in the dark night, shining brightly but falling just as quickly.
When Yin Ci was still "Su Zhi", he did a lot of good and evil, but he knew when to stop, so he was tolerated by the righteous. He had never fought with Monk Kong Shi, and he had no idea about him, so he couldn't guess the secret of the year - no one knew how Kong Shi died and where he died. To this day, Jianchen Temple is still looking for the remains of this young monk.
Could that be the answer
Yin Ci couldn't help but sit up straighter, but unfortunately the limp Shi Jingzhi hanging on his body made this movement a little more difficult.
Monk Kongshi's clothes were tattered and covered with sword marks, but he looked quite relaxed. Compared to the embarrassed Yan Budu, he seemed more like someone who came to enjoy the scenery in the snow.
He sat down opposite Yan Budu, straightened his clothes, and began to recite scriptures silently.
One thought takes up most of the day.
Shi Jingzhi finally couldn't hold on. He curled up, resting his head on Yin Ci's thigh, and fell asleep unconscious. Yin Ci continued to meditate, playing with the ends of Shi Jingzhi's hair while looking at the still scene in front of him.
Shi Jingzhi slept for several hours and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his hair out of Yin Ci's claws and rubbed his eyes: "How is it?"
Yin Ci: "They didn't say a word."
Shi Jingzhi: "... How long has it been? Yan Qing and the others have long memories, and they can piece together the inner demon scene and it will be over in a while. We can't stay here for the number of days he remembers, Aci, there's nothing to eat or drink here—"
Yin Ci felt that his master had become several times more noisy after his inner demons appeared. It was a good thing that Shi Jingzhi was willing to rely on him, but this person had not yet figured out the degree of dependence and wanted to pour out all his inner thoughts.
But even with such an energetic person making trouble around him, Yin Ci couldn't get annoyed at all.
He patted Shi Jingzhi's arm and said, "Don't panic. Since Yan Budu wants to leave a letter, he won't kill the messenger... You might as well close your eyes and feel the situation inside your body."
Shi Jingzhi closed his eyes as he was told, and then immediately got angry: "I slept for so long, why haven't I recovered any strength?"
"really."
Yin Ci smiled and said, "Yan Budu is not strong enough to create his own little world. This place should be a pure 'state of mind'. Everything that is happening right now is only within our consciousness - the formation speeds up our emotions. If the 'state of mind' is changed in one day, it will only take a blink of an eye outside."
In the real world, only a moment passed, so Shi Jingzhi's body naturally could not recover.
There are also advantages. Even if Yan Budu's memory lasts for a year, it will only take an hour in reality. They will not die of hunger or thirst, and they don't have to worry about cleanliness.
… but someone could very well die of boredom.
Shi Jingzhi always loved to toss and turn, and he couldn't stop for a moment. Now trapped in the narrow cave, he was visibly depressed.
Yin Ci wanted to laugh again: "No problem, even if they are trapped for a whole winter, it will only be three months."
He paused, then put his ear close to Shi Jingzhi's: "This is time stolen from the Heavenly Dao. Master, you don't have to worry about the pain. You might as well enjoy it... I'm still here with you, right?"
During the previous visit to Yuanxian Village, Shi Jingzhi had inexplicably become more stable and less playful. Now that he had passed through the Buddha Heart Formation, he had revealed a little of his true nature and became playful again—Yin Ci watched as a little red rose appeared on the tip of Shi Jingzhi's ear, and was very satisfied.
Shi Jingzhi looked like he wanted to move away, but he couldn't bear to leave the warmth of the people around him, so he had to turn around with a stern face and pretend nothing had happened.
The cave was dark and cold, as oppressive as a coffin. The wind howled and the atmosphere was extremely depressing. If one were trapped alone in this dull and suffocating environment, one might go crazy before starving to death.
"We were so busy fighting earlier that we had no time to talk. Now that we've called it a truce, why are you still so quiet?"
Perhaps feeling bored, Yan Budu spoke again.
"You bald asses in Jianchen Temple keep saying "saving all living beings" and you want to talk till your mouth is dry when you see me. But how come you become a saw-mouthed gourd when you are in front of the master?"
Monk Kongshi looked at him quietly and did not answer.
Yan Budu's interest became even higher: "Oh? Could it be that the master is another kind - he claims to be noble and pure, and is afraid that he will be contaminated by the evil deeds of this lord and his righteousness will be tainted?"
Yin Ci was speechless. Yan Budu not only vomited blood like Shi Jingzhi, but also became noisy.
Kong Shi was reciting the scriptures silently. He cleared his throat and finally spoke.
The monk's voice was like a spring breeze after rain, warm and pleasant: "Donor, I remember you are twenty-nine this year."
"yes."
"Since you founded the Ling Sect at the age of seventeen, until today, I don't know how much blood and gore you have caused, and how many murders you have committed."
"So what?"
"The donor founded the Demonic Cult with his own strength, and has been fighting against the righteous path with the strength of the cult for nearly two years. I think he is extremely smart."
Yan Budu narrowed his red eyes. He was used to being flattered by the followers, but it was the first time for him to be flattered by a monk. He almost became alert: "So what?"
"You have been immersed in evil for twelve years, but you have not lived to be a dog at your age, and there seems to be nothing wrong with your brain. So you must have heard what you should have heard, and you must have thought about what you should have thought about."
Kong Shi gave a peaceful and friendly smile.
"If you can achieve enlightenment with just a few words from me, then I shouldn't be here. I'm afraid I would have become a Buddha long ago."
It was the first time that Yan Budu met such a lackluster monk, and he was a little dazed for a moment: "You—"
Master Kongshi said with a pleasant face: "Amitabha."
His words were quite impolite, but his tone and manner were very gentle, without any contempt or anger.
Yin Ci: “…”
Shi Jingzhi: "... Jianchen Temple teaches people to abstain from greed, anger, and ignorance, but I feel like you, the master, should also abstain from being weird."
Yan Budu was caught off guard by a gentle "Amitabha". Looking at the monk's calm expression, which said "You are an adult and you should know your limits. I might as well save a stone than save you", he became furious and could not help spitting out blood again.
Kong Shi sighed, took out a cloth, and handed it to him with both hands.
Yan Budu chuckled, his sarcasm not changing: "You just broke my arm, and you're pretending to be merciful?"
Kong Shi said seriously, "But you have already wrapped your arm. How about this, if you really care, I will wrap it for you again?"
He really used a negotiating tone.
Yan Budu: “…”
The monk must have cultivated some kind of Yin-Yang Zen. Every word he said was so gentle that there was nothing wrong with it. There was also nothing wrong with his tone, but when put together, it sounded so sarcastic.
Yin Ci could see what Yan Budu was thinking.
If Yan Budu was a sad-faced monk who was worried about the people, or a living Arhat who hated evil, Yan Budu would feel better. Those two types of people were easy to see through, but the monk in front of him was hidden in the mist, and Yan Budu couldn't see clearly for a moment.
Seeing Yan Budu silently put away the cloth, Kongshi looked like a Buddha and continued to meditate.
If they hadn't known about the evil things Yan Budu had done, the master and his disciple would have almost started to blame him together. Shi Jingzhi returned to Yin Ci's side, and felt that in comparison, his disciple could be described as gentle and amiable.
It was gradually getting dark outside the cave, but the snowstorm showed no sign of stopping. Kongshi opened his bag, took out the iron bowl and rice, melted some snow water, and skillfully cooked porridge.
Yan Budu: "… We have been fighting for five days and five nights, and have walked thousands of miles in the mountains. Do you still have the leisure to carry rice?"
Kong Shi said slowly: "People have to eat."
He cooked the porridge, let it dry for a while, and pushed it in the direction of Yan Budu: "Donor, please have it first."
Yan Budu was not polite either, and quickly emptied the porridge. He regained some strength, and a bit of murderous aura spread out: "Baldy, do you know what I'm thinking?"
The monk continued to cook the porridge, saying calmly, "The donor is thinking about finding an opportunity to kill me later. This way, we will have rice and human flesh, and we can last longer."
Yan Budu: "Then why don't you sacrifice yourself to feed the tiger?"
Kong Shi blew on the porridge: "No."
Yan Budu snorted and laughed, and moved the red jade pipe. A sharp sword energy rose up and chopped towards Kongshi without hesitation. The latter tilted the stone sword casually, and the sword energy was bounced off by the big sword, leaving a deep crack on the ground.
"Alas - the conflict between the martial arts is really annoying." Yan Budu fell against the rock wall and sighed.
"Donor, please stop. If you kill me, you will definitely not be able to leave."
"What do you mean? There is nothing to be afraid of if the wind and snow stop."
The monk continued blowing the porridge: "The premise is that the donor knows how to go down the mountain. I see traces of ancient formations all around. This mountain is also disturbed by the formations, and illusions remain everywhere. We must use the nightmare-breaking method to break the interference before we can move forward normally."
Yan Budu was stunned, but not surprised: "Zongwu Mountain is quite large, and there are often strange things. Maybe some immortal has practiced here and left a lot of trouble."
After he finished speaking, his murderous aura almost disappeared.
Monks do not tell lies. Although Monk Kongshi may be annoying, he is still a famous monk in Jianchen Temple and he will definitely not lie to save his life.
Yan Budu adjusted his mood quickly. When he spoke, his tone returned to laziness, as if he was not the one who ordered the killing just now: "What about food? This little rice is not enough for two people."
Kong Shi was still calm: "This mountain is not barren. On the way here, I saw a lot of edible wild vegetables and mushrooms. You will definitely not starve to death."
"No meat! Monks are troublesome." Yan Budu looked at the broken arm with dissatisfaction and had to accept his fate.
After the meal, the monk put on his bamboo hat and stepped into the snow. He returned in the dark night, and his backpack was really filled with wild vegetables and plump mushrooms.
Unfortunately, Kongshi was covered in snow, and when he got close to the fire in the cave, the snow melted into water, making the cloth stick to his skin. Kongshi simply took off his shirt, spread out his clothes with branches, and dried them by the fire.
Yan Budu dried his pipe with fire, pinched a pinch of tobacco, and smoked it slowly.
The monk had his back to him, with the flames flickering and white smoke curling around. His hunched back was exposed, slightly shining.
Yan Budu was probably really bored. He spread his long hair and puffed out cigarettes bit by bit. "What a shame, what a shame. Among the four heroes, except for that old man Qu Tinglei, Su Zhi and you are both beauties, but each one is more difficult to deal with than the other."
Kong Shi: "The donor's definition of 'beauty' is really broad."
Yan Budu laughed loudly: "Master, you have a handsome face and a good figure, so don't underestimate yourself. As for that Su Zhi, it's true that he usually wears a mask, but I have heard interesting rumors about him. In other words, beauty lies in the bones, not in the skin. I have seen so many beauties, I will never make a mistake."
Kong Shi: “Oh.”
Yan Budu: "It's just that I love beauties, but I don't want to play with a dead person. I don't know what kind of demon that person is obsessed with, his eyes are dead, and his insides are rotten. Such people are the most boring, and they waste their good bones in vain."
Yin Ci: “…”
It feels quite refreshing to watch others talking bad about you behind your back. But this may not be considered "bad talk", but more like a thing.
He is indeed a genius, and his vision of people is very sharp.
However, seeing this, Yin Ci couldn't help but have some strange thoughts. Yan Budu's trick of judging people was somewhat similar to Shi Jingzhi's, but he was more experienced and mature than Shi Jingzhi.
Could it be a coincidence
On the other side, Yan Budu and Kong Shi did not stop their conversation.
Kong Shi obviously had no interest in talking. He concentrated on wiping his body. Ordinary people did not have the abnormal internal strength of Shi Jingzhi, so maintaining body temperature was their limit. The more humid the body was, the faster the heat would dissipate, which would only waste the true energy.
However, seeing that the topic was becoming more and more outrageous, Kong Shi turned around and glanced at Yan Budu.
Yan Budu seemed to be encouraged, and he spoke more excitedly: "I get angry when I talk about him. That guy picked up the Chigou Sect, a third-rate sect, and turned it into a bully in the north. If he hadn't occupied the north, my sect wouldn't have been beaten so badly. Alas, he has to cause trouble for me at a critical time."
Halfway through his speech, he began to feel wronged again: "If there was no Su, I would be lying in a silk quilt now, with a soft jade in my arms."
Kong Shi treated Yan Budu as a ball of grumbling air, so he sat in meditation with his upper body naked and his eyes closed.
Unexpectedly, Yan Budu restrained his true energy and approached silently. Without a trace of murderous intent, he approached Kongshi from behind, one arm passed over Kongshi's shoulder and touched his chest.
"Compared to that old man, the master is different... The master's eyes are full of vitality, which is very touching."
Yan Budu deliberately slowed down his tone, his voice was as soft as silk and full of smiles.
The long hair was like silk, and the smoke was curling. The two mixed with the warm breath and brushed against the bare skin of Kong Shiba.
"Master, we are destined to meet. Life is unpredictable, and we may all die here... I have nothing to do anyway, so why don't I teach you something else to do, just as a way to repay your kindness—"
It was a pity that Master Yan tried his best to deceive the monk, but he didn't understand the situation. Kong Shi tilted his head, as if he was watching a wolf chasing its tail.
He shifted his body and grabbed Yan Budu's broken arm. While Yan Budu was in pain, Kongshi pressed a few acupuncture points on him, then moved him back to his original place and kindly covered him with a coat.
After finishing everything, the monk resumed his sitting position and said earnestly, "Donor, our temple is particularly good at close combat techniques, you should remember that."
"When you leave, I will definitely kill you."
Kong Shi continued to choke him in a kind voice: "Good, could it be that the donor didn't intend to kill me before?"
It's rare to see a monk who has both excellent appearance and martial arts skills. Unfortunately, Yama's desire to conquer was extinguished by Wuxia just as it was ignited.
How come a good monk has a mouth
Yan Budu's expression was uncertain: "... Forget it, you should just continue to recite your sutra."