bestfiction Chapter 460
Chapter 460
Upon hearing this, the old monk went limp and lost his spirit. These words struck a chord with him. However, an obsession is an obsession, and it cannot be easily shaken.
"Old monk! Before you became a Buddhist, where did you get this robe? Do you know its purpose?"
"Hmph, you are naturally aware of that, benefactor."
"Do you know that this item was originally called the Soul-Guiding Banner? It was created by a compassionate and powerful being during the ancient war to guide the souls of the fallen heroes, so that they would not be scattered on the earth-shattering battlefield and would not become lonely ghosts on the ancient battlefield filled with malevolent energy?"
Upon hearing Zhong Ming's words, the old monk was utterly astonished. This Thousand Souls Banner had such a origin? Was this kid trying to trick me?
"A banner to guide the souls of heroes? Benefactor..." The old monk was about to retort when he realized that his actions could hardly be described as "committing numerous evils." Using this treasure to sustain the lives of the entire town was itself the best example of the "theory that the good or evil of a ritual implement depends on its user."
Zhong Ming brandished his steel gun and slammed it heavily into the ground. The spearhead shattered the floor tiles into several pieces, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out.
"That old monk speaks ill of others without reason. I came here to catch ghosts after receiving a bounty. I'm an upright and good person wherever I am, slaying demons, monsters, and ghosts. Ordinary people want to build shrines for me to worship. Do you think I'm a bad person? You're full of evil and don't believe that there are really good people?"
Zhong Ming gave him another sharp provocation. He thought the other party would waver between anger and Buddhist meditation, but to his surprise, he actually returned to calm.
The old monk straightened his body, his red kasaya shining brightly. After he lifted it up, a mournful cry flashed by. It was unknown which town's soul could not support him and collapsed. The vajra in his hand was even more frightening. Under the Buddha's light, its power seemed to have the force of thunder.
"Cough cough, don't take it too seriously, it was just said in anger. I'm not a Buddhist, but you are. You can't just kill me because I said something harsh. Cough cough..." Zhong Ming's momentum deflated, and he was about to back down when the old monk suddenly bent down and bowed to Zhong Ming.
"It was my rudeness, please forgive me, benefactor."
Suddenly, his body shone with a dazzling light, so bright that even the bell could not open its eyes.
When he came to his senses and looked around, the surrounding array had been dispelled, and the souls of countless townspeople were suspended in the air.
Some screamed in terror, some seemed thoughtful, and some suddenly realized something.
"I...I remember now, I'm already dead. I was bitten to death by a monster with a goat's head and a tiger's body. I...I remember now."
"Damn monsters, damn wedding banquet, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!!!"
"Ghost, haha, I'm the ghost! What am I afraid of in the mirror? Isn't that just my ghostly appearance? My ghostly appearance... oh, a ghost~"
"Wife, wife! My wife! I promised to leave with you, I'm looking for my wife!"
.....
They gradually disappeared from Zhong Ming's perception. He couldn't know where their souls ultimately went with his current abilities. All he could see was the gradual dissipation of the physical bodies that the great formation had used to contain the souls, which were being transformed by spiritual power.
"So, when those people look in the mirror, they are actually seeing their own ghostly form, but in their minds they still believe they are in human form, so they say they saw a ghost?"
The old monk nodded, and the ancient Buddha statue behind him collapsed with a crash.
“You are exceptionally intelligent. When the great formation weakened, it could no longer evolve more physical reflections. Therefore, things like mirrors became windows to the truth.”
"So, the reason these people were killed by the ghosts is that the great formation couldn't hold on anymore and sent them into reincarnation, right?"
"Amitabha."
The old monk changed the subject, saying, "What you have is still too dangerous. As the saying goes, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' Furthermore, 'With a steel knife in hand, the desire to kill arises; with wealth and honor, lust and evil are revealed.' Why not entrust it to this old monk for safekeeping?"
"Old monk, is your obsession greater, or mine?"
"Haha, benefactor, you have wisdom," the old monk had cultivated Buddhism for so long and had accumulated a lot of good intentions in his heart. Thinking that there was a possibility that he might have wrongfully killed an innocent person, he couldn't help but ask, "Benefactor, what you said earlier about someone being willing to build a shrine for you, is that true?"
"It's true. I did Yunshan Village a favor by catching a demon, but the construction of the shrine will probably take quite some time."
"If I am fortunate enough, I will pay a visit as an apology. Once this matter is settled, I will take my leave." The old monk walked calmly towards the edge of town, his thoughts unknown.
As he left, the autumn wind swirled around him, and fallen leaves drifted down, rising and falling around him, withered leaves unable to touch the ground or return to the soil.
Zhong Ming breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, he had met a good person today.
If this person were a bad guy, I don't know how many times I would have died.
He recounted the entire process of entering the town, realizing he had been running around like a clown. If someone had truly intended to harm him, he would have been lucky to escape with his life; he would most likely have become food for evil spirits or a wronged soul on the Kasaya Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Therefore, he constantly warned himself that he must never be reckless in such matters in the future. If he didn't understand something, he should run away as soon as possible.
...
Xuanjing wandered around outside the town for a long time when he suddenly saw Hongzhen "dissipate" and the entire town "turn into a ghost town with no living people left." He was so frightened that he pulled out a handful of talismans and cautiously probed into the town.
He looked left and right, proceeding with great caution with every step, and finally spotted the bell ringing at the temple entrance.
Where is the evil spirit?
"It's all settled. This is... a long story." The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with relief. "By the way, haven't Dahai and the others arrived yet?"
"I didn't see them. Given Fellow Daoist Yue's personality, if he had arrived in Hongzhen first, he would have definitely rushed up there noisily."
The two remained silent for a moment and decided to rest there until the next morning. If Yue Kaishan did not come to meet them, they would have no choice but to follow the path back.
Time passed quickly, and just as the first rays of the rising sun shone on the deserted town, Yue Kaishan arrived at the town gate.
"Hey, Brother Cuihong, Brother Xuanjing, oh dear, I'm really unlucky this time. I've lost here. I'll treat you to a good drink."
Yue Kaishan looked rather disheveled, with many pieces of his clothes torn. Chen Dahai, on the other hand, had his wheelchair deformed from being pulled, and his head was covered in bruises; it was clear he had suffered a great injustice.
"Brother Yue, what hardships have you encountered on your journey that make you look so disheveled?"
"That's a long story."