Chapter 15 – The Ancient Monastery of the Celestial Dragon (2/2)

In addition, he was too familiar with that story, and told it too brilliantly, to the point where even the expressions on his face worked in concert with it, as though he had long since been used to it.

The conclusion one should reach from these clues were very obvious!

He intentionally stayed behind at the most populous teahouse to tell stories, for the sole purpose of Fu Hongxue seeking him out.

Gongsun Tu and the rest gave him money to tell lies for Fu Hongxue to hear.

So now, they killed him to shut his mouth.

But even if these conclusions were totally accurate, a few problems still existed.

Which parts of the story he told was true? Which parts were false? Why did they want him to tell those lies? Was it to cover up the identity of the true killer of Yan Nanfei? Or was it to get Fu Hongxue to go to the Ancient Monastery of the Celestial Dragon?

Fu Hongxue couldn’t be sure. But he had already made his mind up. Even if the monastery was a deadly ambush, he had to go no matter what.

Just at this moment, that naked woman lying in the middle of the puddle of the blood suddenly flew up. She withdrew a dagger from behind her pillow, thrusting it towards his chest.

Someone scurried out from the closet behind him as well. He wielded a silver spear, and thrust it, serpent-like, towards his back.

This was definitely a totally unexpected act.

Zheng Jin was really dead. No one would have imagined that the dead girl by his side was actually alive.

And even less might one imagine that her strikes were vicious and evil, and as quick as lightning.

Fu Hongxue didn’t move, nor did he dodge her dagger. He didn’t need to dodge at all.

Just at this moment, there was suddenly a dagger flash from outside. It flew past the right side of the neck of the silver-speared assassin, then nailed itself into the throat of the naked female.

Fresh blood spewed forth like an arrow from the neck of the silver-speared assassin. Just as that woman’s body rose up, it fell back down again.

With the single flash of a dagger, the lives and souls of two people were taken away.

Fresh blood sprayed down like rain.

Fu Hongxue slowly turned around. He saw Xiao Siwu.

He had another dagger in his hands. This time, he wasn’t pruning his nails. He was just coldly staring at Fu Hongxue.

Fu Hongxue coldly said, “One dagger, two lives. Good dagger!”

Xiao Siwu said, “Was it truly good?”

Fu Hongxue said, “Good!”

Xiao Siwu turned around and took two steps away. He suddenly turned his head and said, “Naturally, you could tell that I didn’t want to kill you.”

Fu Hongxue said, “Oh?”

Xiao Siwu said, “I just wanted you to look at my dagger again.”

Fu Hongxue said, “I already saw it just now!”

Xiao Siwu said, “You’ve already seen me strike three times, and two of those times it was directed towards you. With regards to my attacks, there’s already nobody else in the world who can see my attacks more clearly.”

Fu Hongxue said, “Very probably.”

Xiao Siwu said, “Ye Kai is your friend. Naturally, you’ve seen him strike as well.”

Fu Hongxue admitted to it.

He had naturally seen it, and not only once.

Xiao Siwu said, “Right now, I only want to ask you one thing. If you won’t tell me, I won’t blame you.”

Fu Hongxue said, “Ask.”

Xiao Siwu said, “Why, exactly, is my flying dagger inferior to Ye Kai’s?”

Fu Hongxue was silent. Only after a long time did he speak. “You ambushed me twice with your dagger. The first time, you used all your strength, but before you struck, you gave me a warning. The second time, although there was no warning, you held back twenty percent of your strength.”

Xiao Siwu did not deny it.

Fu Hongxue said, “This is because in your heart, you know that you shouldn’t kill me. You simply do not have a reason which makes it absolutely necessary for you to kill me, and so when you strike, you lack a righteous, all-conquering air.”

He slowly continued, “But the people whom Ye Kai killed, were all people who absolutely had to be killed. Therefore, he is superior to you!”

Xiao Siwu said, “Is it this alone?”

Fu Hongxue said, “This is enough. You will never be able to surpass him!”

Xiao Siwu was silent for a long time as well. Suddenly, he turned around. Without even looking back, he departed.

Fu Hongxue didn’t turn around.

After walking for some time, Xiao Siwu suddenly turned around again. He loudly said, “Just wait. There will be a day when I am stronger than him. When that day comes, I will kill you.”

Fu Hongxue lightly said, “I will definitely wait for you.”

If you intend to kill someone, abstain from nothing at all.

This time, should Fu Hongxue have killed Xiao Siwu?

“This time, you did not kill him. I fear that next time, you will die to him.”

This time, Fu Hongxue once again did not strike. But he didn’t regret it, because he had already laid down a seed within Xiao Siwu’s heart.

The seed of righteousness.

He knew that this type of seed would flower and bear fruit one day.

He walked out of the alleyway. That seventeen year old girl had once more placed that strand of jasmine flowers in her hair. She stood at the door to her home, secretly looking at Fu Hongxue. She appeared both fearful and curious.

No one had ever given her a few dozen taels of silver for no reason at all. This pale-faced cripple must be a true eccentric.

Although Fu Hongxue didn’t want to see her again, it was difficult for him to not even spare her a glance.

Just as he reached the exit, she suddenly said in a loud voice, “You hit me. That’s an indication that you like me. I know that you will definitely come back to find me.”

Her voice became even louder. “I will definitely wait for you.”

The Ancient Monastery of the Heavenly Dragon was actually the Great Heavenly Dragon Monastery. It was originally a place of great splendor and burning incense. No one knew why it suddenly became cold and desolate. But there were many legends and myths as to why that was now the case.

The most widespread legend said this: “This ancient temple which looked solemn and majestic on the outside, was actually a den of sin. The beautiful woman who came to this monastery to pray before the Buddha would often be kidnapped and taken to hidden rooms deep within the monastery. Those who resisted would be beaten to death.”

Thus, whenever there was no moon or stars in the sky, their lonely, wronged spirits would appear.

With regards to whether or not this temple actually had secret rooms, and exactly how many women from good families were raped and defiled, no one was sure, because no one had personally seen any of this!

But ever since this story became widespread, the people who came to this temple to pay their respects slowly became fewer in number.

The type of person who would actually believe that spending a little money on sesame oil would buy them four seasons worth of peace and prosperity naturally wouldn’t carefully consider the truth or falsehoods inherent in rumors.

There was a dense forest outside of the ancient monastery. Although it was spring, the fallen leaves were very plentiful.

The road which led to the monastery had long since been covered by fallen leaves. Even people who often came here might not be able to recognize the road from within the dark forest.

Fu Hongxue hadn’t come here even once!

From his current viewpoint, there were large trees all around which looked absolutely identical.

He couldn’t tell which direction was the right one.

Just as he was hesitating, the sound of footsteps could be heard on the fallen leaves. A monk with features as delicate and refined as a crane’s walked by on the leaves. There wasn’t a single speck of dust on his fluttering, moon-white robes.

Although he wasn’t very old, he appeared to definitely be a monk of very high learning.

Although Fu Hongxue wasn’t a pious follower of Buddhism, he still respected eminent monks and men of learning.

“Master, where are you headed?”

“I come from where I came from. Naturally, I am headed to the place I am going.”

The monk’s features were very heavy, and his hands were clasped together. He didn’t even look at Fu Hongxue.

But Fu Hongxue wasn’t willing to give up the chance of asking for directions. He didn’t have the time to go on a wrong road.

“Master, do you know by which road one should travel to the Ancient Monastery of the Celestial Dragon?”

“Come with me.”

The monk’s footsteps were slow and peaceful. It seemed as though even if this road were headed to the Western Paradise, he wouldn’t hurry up even slightly.

Fu Hongxue could only slowly follow him from behind!

The night became even gloomier. They finally arrived before a six-pillared pavilion. The red paint on the banisters of the pavilion had already peeled off. Within the pavilion, there was a zither, a chessboard, a kettle of wine, and a set of ink and a quill. There was also a little stove made from red mud.

To be stroking the zither and playing chess, chanting poems and boiling wine within such a secluded grove, this eminent monk was just like a scholar. Both were very aesthetic.

Although Fu Hongxue had never experienced this sort of relaxed luxury, he still respected others enjoy this sort of refined pleasure.

The eminent monk, as refined and elegant as a crane, had already entered the pavilion. He picked up a chess piece and stared at it. There was a look of great pondering in his eyes, as though he was considering how, exactly, he should make his next move.

Afterwards, he slowly put the chess piece in his mouth. With a gurgle, he swallowed it.

Next, he broke the zither apart and put the wooden pieces into the oven, and lit a fire. He poured the alcohol in the pot out and washed his feet with it, then poured the ink in the inkslab into wine kettle and boiled it on top of the fire. Then he lifted up the chessboard and rapped on it non-stop, revealing a satisfied smile on his face, as though this sound was much more beautiful than the sounds of zither playing.

Fu Hongxue, watching, was stunned.

This seemingly advanced, erudite monk was actually a crazy monk?

Fu Hongxue was stunned yet again.

That monk is not only crazy, he also likes to eat flesh. Human flesh.

That monk was looking at him up and down, as though appraising how much flesh there was on his bones.

But Fu Hongxue still couldn’t believe it.

“You really are a crazy monk?”

“Crazy is sane. Sane is crazy.” The monk giggled. “Perhaps the truly crazy one isn’t me, but you.”

“Me?”

“If you weren’t crazy, why would you court death?”

Fu Hongxue tightened his hands. “You know who I am? Know where I am going?”

The monk nodded, then shook his head. He suddenly raised his head to the sky, then mumbled, “It’s over, all over. A thousand-year old ancient monastery is about to collapse. A sea of people will become drenched with blood. Where do you want this monk to go?”

He suddenly picked up the wine kettle on the fire, then poured its contents into his mouth. The ink overflowed, pouring out of the corners of his lips, dripping down and staining his moon-white robes.

He suddenly fell to his knees and began to loudly weep. Pointing to the west, he loudly shouted, “If you want to die, hurry up and go die! Sometimes, living is a fate worse than death.”

Just at this moment, the sound of a bell being struck suddenly came from the west.

This was the thousand-year old copper bell of the ancient monastery. Only it could produce such a clear, loud, and melodious sound.

If there was only a mad monk in this ancient monastery, who was ringing the bell?

The bitterly crying monk suddenly jumped up. His eyes were suddenly filled with shock and terror.

“This is a funeral bell.” He loudly cried out, “When a funeral bell sounds, then someone is surely about to die!”

Rising to his feet, he threw the wine kettle at Fu Hongxue, then continued, “If you don’t die, others will die. Why don’t you hurry up and go die?”

Fu Honxue looked at him. He dully said, “I go.”