139 Competition (1/2)

Gu Shenwei had a constant feeling that Golden Roc Fort killers were hiding in the vicinity. It was only right that Supreme King would send personnel to keep an eye on a figure as important in Barren Sect as Kang Wenhui. However, not a single killer appeared as they made their way to the foot of the mountain on which Four Truths Temple was situated.

The four Barren Sect disciples took extreme caution. Kang Wenhui walked alongside the youth while the other three maintained at least ten steps' distance away from each other to keep guard. If anything unexpected occurred, Gu Shenwei would be the first one to be killed.

It was already evening by the time they reached Leftslope Vihara. Gu Shenwei had been worried that the monks remained in the city to look for Maid Lotus, but he began to feel at ease when he saw two bald heads in the distance.

Kang Wenhui seemed to have some apprehension towards the temple, so she ordered her three disciples to hide nearby while she and the youth walked towards the huts.

Lianhua and Lianye were sitting facing each other on the grass outside the hut, with a huge dog crouched between them. Lianhua could be heard speaking rapidly, as though chanting a scripture. Lianye placed both palms together, while occasionally reaching a hand out to keep the dog still.

There was something bizarre about the scene. Upon closer observation, the two realized something even odder: the crouching dog was actually a gray wolf.

It was certainly not small in size. Whining, it scratched its front paws on the grass nervously and revealed its fiendish white teeth every now and then. However, it did not dare to sit up, and every time it turned its head back to look at Lianye, the latter would turn it back again.

Gu Shenwei could clearly hear the content of Lianhua's chanting when he approached. It was, unquestionably, the more-than-ten-thousand-word-long Breaking Obsession.

The monks were, most surprisingly, trying to influence a wild wolf. Presumably, they were trying to emulate Master Tiger Monk's taming of a tiger.

But according to what Gu Shenwei had heard, Master Tiger Monk had raised the tiger since it was young, whereas this wolf was a genuine wild beast.

When Lianye noticed that people were approaching, he simply ignored them and instead concentrated on restraining the gray wolf for his senior brother.

Kang Wenhui felt bewildered. She had never heard of monks trying to influence a wolf. Even more unexpectedly, the scripture which the monk was chanting seemed similar to - but contained a lot more content than - the secret manuscript she was after.

Kang Wenhui had imagined that there would be a bitter fight once they reached Four Truths Temple in order to obtain the entire scripture. On the contrary, anyone could listen freely to the chanting. The only problem was that the chanted scripture contained many differences with the scripture she was familiar with, and she could not ascertain which version was correct. Regardless, she became more trusting of Slave Huan's words.

Gu Shenwei had no intention of letting Kang Wenhui listen to the entire scripture. Thus, he coughed a few times and spoke, ”Master, Yang Huan is here to visit you.”

He had to repeat himself three times before Lianhua turned his head and smiled slightly. ”Ah, the little benefactor is alive.”

”I'm indeed not dead, thanks to this senior who rescued me and gave me a few more years of life.”

Lianye turned his head and surveyed Kang Wenhui. ”Gee, as a woman, your Internal Strength is stronger than mine? You were able to purge the evil force which I couldn't?” He had previously attempted to heal Gu Shenwei without success, thereby explaining his current doubts.

While the two monks were distracted, the gray wolf found an opportunity to leap off the ground and run into the bushes with its tail between its legs.

Lianye was about to chase after it when Lianhua raised his hands to stop him. ”Let it go. We don't need a wild wolf now that we have this young benefactor.”

”What were you doing?” Kang Wenhui asked without responding to Lianye's inquiry.

”Oh, we humble monks were enlightening a wild wolf, and have been chanting scripture to it for the whole day. The effect isn't bad; the wolf's killing desire has weakened a lot, a heart of goodness has been born in it, and it's much more well-behaved than before. A pity you've scared it off.”

Gu Shenwei felt that the wolf's improved behavior had, in all likelihood, nothing to do with the scripture but instead was a result of Lianye's handling of it.

”I meant, what scripture were you chanting?” Despite many years of training as a killer, Kang Wenhui's heart began to beat faster at this time.

Monk Lianhua's eyes glimmered. ”Lady benefactor has interest in Breaking Obsession as well? Your energetic spirit and murderous exterior tell me you're most suitable to practice this scripture.”

Gu Shenwei hurriedly stepped forward, worried that the conversation between them would soon expose the truth. ”Master, this senior's purpose for being here is to listen to the full Exorcism Manuscript.”

Lianhua shook his head. ”I only have a portion of, and not the complete, Exorcism Manuscript. However, if you're willing to become a monk as well as my student, I can help you to distinguish the sounds, while Junior Brother Lianxin can share his notes with you. This won't be difficult.”

Monk Lianhua was telling the truth. Master Tiger Monk had carefully observed the agreement with Maid Lotus and did not divulge the Death Scripture beyond a thousand words. But how could Kang Wenhui believe him when she had clearly heard him chanting the strange passage? As a killer, she naturally looked upon everyone with the eyes of one and suspected that the monk was lying.

Gu Shenwei turned and spoke softly to Kang Wenhui. ”This particular monk yields only to a forceful approach. I'm afraid it's time for Managing Master to show her hand. However, he doesn't know any kungfu. It's that big and tall monk who'll be difficult to handle.”

Kang Wenhui humphed grimly and spoke toward the two monks. ”Master, I feel that you're unwilling to recite the entire scripture?”

”Lady benefactor wishes to listen to Breaking Obsession, right? Shanzai shanzai, we humble monks are only glad to help. Why would we be unwilling?”

Breaking Obsession was a more-than-ten-thousand-word long mantra created based on Death Scripture's syllabic system. Kang Wenhui would certainly make no sense of the complex relationship between the two without the monk providing an explanation. Unfortunately, she simply felt that the monk was unwilling to tell the truth. ”Breaking what? I want to listen to Wayless Book.”