"And the fast sword...," murmured the head snake, whose mouth began to ooze blood.
The long sword pierced through the heart, and the magical power infused within it was also recklessly destroying his internal organs.
He collapsed straight, as if his vitality had been drained.
The long sword came out by itself without Jiang Liuer pulling it out.
The bloodstained long sword suddenly changed direction in mid-air.
Pointing towards Yuhu Yuju in the distance and Fa Ming Chan.
"Stop!" Jiang Liu'er interrupted immediately, grabbed the hilt of the sword, removed the sheath, and inserted the long sword into the sheath.
He looked at the snake head who had fallen to the ground.
He discovered that the opponent had already expired.
This was the first time in several days that Jiang Liuer had killed someone both in terms of intention and action. He had intended to kill the snake head, unlike the bandits he "mistakenly" killed earlier.
"Huff..."
Jiang Liuer took a breath and his face quickly changed from confusion to resolute determination: "You shouldn't have touched Master Fa Ming. Wanting to harm Master Fa Ming is like wanting to harm my parents."
He thought that killing the demons was not wrong.
Jiang Liuer involuntarily remembered a phrase that the elder with the yellow eyebrows had said: "Without killing, hatred will never cease."
Hatred...
Yes.
It's clear. Since he disrupted the wedding day of the Wolf Demon King, and as the head of the Snake Kingdom is under the Wolf Demon King's command, he naturally harbors resentment against him.
If he is not killed, his hatred will never cease against himself.
The never-ending hatred means constant trouble.
Today's incident with Master Fa Ming being captured by the monsters is the best proof of that.
But there should be more than just the head of the snake in the Wolf Gully Cave who harbors hatred towards him.
He remembers there are several heads in the Wolf Gully Cave!
And the Wolf Demon King who was unable to catch him and became enraged.
This demon must hold the deepest resentment against him!
Therefore...
Kill all of them?
In that brief moment, dangerous thoughts popped into Jiang Liuer's mind. He was also silently reciting the "Great Compassion Sutra of Killing Life and Creating Misery," transforming the restlessness caused by breaking his vows into a surging power beneficial for cultivation.
"Elder, Elder! Are you okay?" Huhu Yuju rushed over.
"No worries." Jiang Liuer shook his head.
He looked at Master Fa Ming and saw that Master Fa Ming was looking at the body of the head of the snake.
Jiang Liuer couldn't help but feel anxious in his heart. He realized for the first time that this killing was done in front of Master Fa Ming.
"Elder..."
Jiang Liuer wanted to say something.
"Amitabha." Master Fa Ming clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and his aged face showed a hint of emotion: "This is the karma of the black snake demon. His death in the bamboo forest today is the result of a kernel of karma maturing. Jiang Liuer, come with me to dig a grave and bury him. After burying him, let us chant sutras for him and help him achieve enlightenment in his next life. May he be good in this life and the next."
Jiang Liuer was overjoyed, as he knew that Master Fa Ming's words were an exoneration for his "killing life" act.
Master Fa Ming did not blame him!
"Yes, Elder!" Jiang Liuer immediately picked up the Fan Tianhuazu, which was the head snake's staff. He used it as a digging tool, and began to dig a pit on the spot, seemingly with endless energy.
Master Fa Ming also helped, picking up a thicker bamboo pole, rolling up his sleeves and digging the pit together with Jiang Liuer.
Huhu Yuju, seeing this, transformed into her true form and began to dig the pit with all four limbs.
The two men and the fox were busy for half an hour.
Finally, they managed to put the head of the snake in.
"Shouldn't we find a piece of stoneboard to make a gravestone?" Out of breath from the exertion, Huhu Yuju felt that the grave seemed to be missing something, and so suggested.
Master Fa Ming shook his head and said, "Amitabha, we can just bury him here. Cover it with some withered bamboo leaves to hide the fact that there is a body buried here."
He said this as he did it.
He seemed quite proficient at it.
Jiang Liuer was taken aback: "Elder...how did you become so skilled at this?"
He realized that Master Fa Ming didn't think it was a problem that he killed life, as if he wanted to do more than just not blame him.
Master Fa Ming shook his head, not wanting to say more.
"Elder, maybe this monk is the kind of monk who can immediately attain enlightenment after laying down his sword," Huhu Yuju whispered, "After all, it's only been a dozen or so years since the world was peacefully settled. A dozen years ago, that was a chaotic time. Who knows how he managed to survive in those days?"
"Moreover, he's been captured by monsters for so long, and he sees me, a talking fox, so calmly. He must have seen a lot of the world."
Jiang Liuer nodded in realization.
He nodded in agreement.
Master Fa Ming's proficiency in digging a pit to bury the body and hide the traces couldn't have been born from thin air, could it?
Thinking about it...
Jiang Liuer discovered that Master Fa Ming had already covered up the traces.
At this moment, the other party was reciting sutras to bless the departed soul.
For a long time...
After a long time, Master Fa Ming finally stopped. Although he was curious, he didn't ask Jiang Liuer where he learned his skills. Instead, he sighed and said, "Jiang Liuer, the government is looking for your tracks. You have injured someone after all. If you stay at the Jingguang Temple, the officials' agents may come to arrest you."
"Perhaps, you are not meant to follow Buddhism... " Master Fa Ming paused for a moment and continued, "You should first follow me back to the temple."
Hearing this, Jiang Liuer realized what was about to happen.
He pursed his lips and said, "...Alright."
……
The two men and the fox entered the Jingguang Temple through the back gate.
It was already midnight. The small sand mandarin who was guarding the back door was snoring. Their arrival did not disturb any of the monks in the Jingguang Temple.
Master Fa Ming returned to his residence, took a wooden box from the rafters, and handed it to Jiang Liuer.
He said, "This was supposed to be given to you when you were older, but never expected such a turn of events. This is the way of the world."
Jiang Liuer carefully took the wooden box and asked, "Is this what you meant?"
"You already have an answer. Why ask again?" Master Fa Ming said.
Jiang Liuer opened the wooden box, inside of which was a blood-soaked letter and a sweatshirt.
Jiang Liuer opened the blood-stained letter, and everything about his origins, his parents' names, and what happened to them was before him.
Although...
He had already learned about this from Elder Tang Sanzang.
But seeing his mother's blood-stained letter with his own eyes, he still could not calm the tumultuous thoughts in his mind.
Unconsciously, a few transparent tears fell from the bloodstained letter.
"You have already gained some skills. Perhaps there is a chance for you to meet your mother." Master Fa Ming said, "You can take this blood-stained letter and sweatshirt and go to the private office of Jiangzhou to meet your mother."
"Although the era is in the prosperity of the Zhenguan period, and the world is at peace, there are still bandits causing chaos, as well as monsters at work. Jiang Liuer, be careful on your journey. Do not blindly believe in others' false words."
"Wait for me for a moment."
Master Fa Ming fumbled around on the floor by the bed and came up with half a string of money, which was about four or five hundred coins. It felt quite heavy.
"If you're going to travel far, you can't do without money. You're not a monk, so you can't beg for alms. You'll have to pay for food, clothing, and accommodation. Don't steal or rob, and don't bully the weak. You need to have a heart of compassion. Do you understand?"
He gave Jiang Liuer the money he had accumulated in his lifetime at the Jingguang Temple.
"Understood!" Jiang Liuer nodded seriously.
"Go!" Recalling the scene of Jiang Liuer forcibly killing the head of the snake, Master Fa Ming said with emotion, "As vast as the ocean and as boundless as the sky, let birds fly freely; Jiang Liuer is not a creature confined to a pool. If you have time, disguise yourself and come to see me."
...
...
