Chapter 85: The Essence of Karma! & The Master and the Book (I)
Translator: Sissy That Walk
Luo Jianqing sheathed Floating Frost Sword and decided to wait and see.
Right now, although his cultivation base was lower than the monk for a level of stage, he still owned much more powerful Spiritual Sense than the latter who seemed wasn’t aware of his snooping. Luo Jianqing concentrated his mind on what’s going on in the room, ready to take any action if needed.
Soul Summoning Streamer was suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hed by a stranger popping up from nowhere; Yun Xiang’s mind went blank for a moment, but after just a few seconds, she squinted, with right hand gradually forming a claw, warning the unwelcome guest in a low voice, “Now heed my words, monk, today I have no intention of griming my hand with blood, so you’d better return the Soul Summoning Streamer back to me, otherwise, I will send you to the hand of death!”
Though her words were threatening, Yun Xiang stayed vigilant.
With a faint smile hanging on the delicately chiseled face, the monk seemed like being shrouded by the Buddha Glow. He fixed his eyes on the girl in black and said, “Lady, the Soul Summoning Streamer is no benign item, why are you so obsessed with it?”
Yun Xiang sneered, “So, that’s a ‘no’, I guess?”
The monk slightly shook his head, “You can never deliver these enmity souls into samsara if they are confined by the streamer. An evil item like this should not exist in the world.”
Yun Xiang lifted her chin, losing her manner, “You bald donkey! I’m gonna tear you apart!”
The next moment, a black shadow dashed forward with the skeleton-like sharp claw aiming at the young monk’s neck. Yun Xiang was fast like a lightning, but her rival was even faster. Foot tapping the surface, he flew up from the sill and landed in the room swiftly, avoiding Yun Xiang’s attack.
Of course, Yun Xiang won’t give up this easily.
The battle was on. They scuffled together at once. The Fiend cultivatress struck mercilessly, while the monk kept backing off and dodging.
As the Fiend Exalt’s disciple, Yun Xiang was no mediocre kind of cultivator. She didn’t use her Lethal Maneuvers at first, but, gradually, the shadow of claws tended to be more and more brutal, and every single strike was targeting at the monk’s vital acupoints.
However, to Luo Jianqing’s surprise, the monk perfectly avoided all the whacks, remaining unharmed without taking a single action to fight back.
While adroitly leaning to one side and letting Yun Xiang’s claw jabbing in vain, he even had time to chuckle, “Amitabha, lady, why are you so obsessed with it?”
“Lady, the Soul Summoning Streamer is not suitable for a female cultivator like you to use. Moreover, it is obviously not a proper enhancer for your Claw Maneuvers.”
“Lady, you’ve been injured by the Enmity Qi when you were trying to tame it. Now is not the best time for you to rival with me.”
There was no doubt that the monk had a pleasant voice like an ethereal Buddha chant, but Yun Xiang felt nothing but sarcasm.
Determined to put this to an end, Yun Xiang squinted. Operating the roaring Fiend Power inside her body, she dashed forward. Along her side, the diabolic claw shadow was transformed into a gale of Fiend Qi, blotting out the ceiling, stunning the monk. The latter then ceased backing off, instead, he held the ground, reviving the Buddha Beads Bracelet around his wrist.
Crystal-like Buddha Beads were floating in front of him, glittering with golden Buddha Glow.
Boom!
The Beads and the claw crushed into each other with tremendous momentum, which knocked Yun Xiang in the air, making her body pound the wall. She spat out a mouthful of dark blood. Lifting her head, the girl was enraged, “Bald donkey! Do you have a slightest idea about who I am? Today, you mess with me; tomorrow, I’ll rip your head apart!”
The monk beamed, “No need to threaten me . Of course I know who you are.”
Yun Xiang was suddenly stunned, “How come…you already know that?”
Smiling elegantly, the monk replied with limpid eyes which seemed like concealing colossal amount of wisdom, “Reaching late-stage Cold Core Period cultivation with a thirtyish Bone Age, only the talented one can achieve these. Among all the Fiend Cultivators, I a.s.sume, only the Fiend Exalt has the ability to train such an excellent disciple like you.”
One hand covering her wounded chest, Yun Xiang got up and sneered, “So, you do know who I am, and still injured me whatsoever. Aren’t you afraid that my Master will tear you apart? No, there’s no need to bother him. After all, any one of the Fiend Palace’ Elders can chop you into pieces, and that won’t reduce my hatred! Even if you kneel and apologize right now, I will not forgive you!”
The young monk lifted his gaze, fixing his eyes on her. He remained calm and elegant as before.
Eyes meeting in the air, Yun Xiang was transfixed. Surprisingly, she didn’t say anything satire but stayed silent.
“Lady, you are possessed by your obsession. Eliminating insatiable greed, holding no desire for gluttony, not thinking for wrath, keeping away from the evil, these are already ways of cultivating Buddhism. I never did anything wrong, why and for what should you have my apology?”
His words, obviously, added fuel to Yun Xiang’s fire of rage, “You’ve s.n.a.t.c.hed my Soul Summoning Streamer! Isn’t it something you should be ashamed of? Do you need more reason to apologize?!”
The monk smiled, “The Soul Summoning Streamer belongs to no one. It might not do you any good in the future if you possess it.”
Irritated by his peaceful att.i.tude, Yun Xiang went furiously speechless. Turning around, she suddenly saw her reflection in the mirror. Eyes widened, she immediately gripped the pieces of fabric hanging on her chest and took out a set of clothes from her Interspatial Ring.
In a flash, Yun Xiang got an idea, “Ha! You’ve seen my body! You broke the commandment of l.u.s.t!”
The monk shook his head and bowed down to salute, “Experienced voidance of mind, purgation of heart, I hold none in filth, make no claim to l.u.s.t, and thee – therefore – are no differ to a vase, dazzling and delicate, but that is all I see.”
Before Yun Xiang could figure out what he meant, Luo Jianqing chuckled when he heard these words.
Though he already had an idea about the monk’s ident.i.ty, Luo Jianqing didn’t interrupt their fight. He heard about this superior disciple of Gui Yuan Sect even in his last life, an endowed genius with great wisdom whose name was Yu Chen. This legendary monk had no Dharma name, and was called by the commoners as ‘Fo Zi’ (Buddha in Chinese is p.r.o.nounced as ‘Fo’).
Ent.i.tled with a name like this, he must have reached a decent level on a.n.a.lyzing the Buddha essence.
Fo Zi’s cultivation level was not that high. Now, though he only reached the middle-stage Nascent Soul Period, all the Buddha Cultivators were impressed by his sharp understanding on the essence of Buddha, giving him a respectful t.i.tle of ‘Fo Zi’.
For instance, a moment ago, Yun Xiang criticized Fo Zi for peeking at her body. As a Fiend Cultivator, she was no traditional fusty girl. Actually, if her flesh was seen, she wouldn’t mind about it that much. What she really wanted was to humiliate him. Nonetheless, Fo Zi replied her that ‘though I’ve seen your nudity, it is nothing but a body composed of flesh and covered with skin because you are not in my heart. Then why should it count as breaking the commandment of l.u.s.t?’
Luo Jianqing finally understood that why Fo Zi would be Yan Su’s old enemy. If Yan Su didn’t enter the Thousands of Ghosts Cave for five-years of indoor training and endured the heart-chewing pain, he would be left behind by Fo Zi for several levels of cultivation.
In the end, Yun Xiang still failed to find out the meaning of Fo Zi’s words. Irritated, she tried to block Fo Zi’s way, keeping him from leaving the room, but the difference in their cultivation base was so distinct – plus her injuries of course – she had zero chance of success. Before Fo Zi left, she said to him in outrage, “Tell me your name! One day, I will definitely kill you even if I need to hunt you down to the very edge of the world!”
Slightly astonished, Fo Zi looked back to the glamorous girl and folded his hands together, “My humble name is Yu Chen. I have no Dharma name.”
Finishing the last word, he flew out, leaving behind a furious Fiend Cultivatress.
The next moment, Luo Jianqing walked to the backyard of the tailor shop, gazing at the firmament, then a light-colored figure entered the yard. The latter bowed slightly, giving him a smile, “Sir, if you also want the Soul Summoning Streamer like the lady does, give it up, I have no intention of giving it to anyone.”
Slowly, Luo Jianqing turned back, fixing his eyes on the monk.
Fo Zi didn’t show any sign of being impressed by Luo Jianqing’s resplendent visage when he saw his face.
Luo Jianqing beamed, “Fo Zi?”