Chapter 5222: Deadly Trap
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At that moment, the young Daoist felt a surge of determination. He resisted with all his might, breaking free from the chubby monks grasp and delivering a powerful punch to the monks face.
Knocking the chubby monk to the ground, he swiftly mounted him, grabbing the monks collar and demanding, Where have you hidden Red Girl?
Before the chubby monk could respond, a dizzy spell washed over the young Daoist, and he collapsed onto the monks chest.
A cold voice came from behind, Hurry up and clean this mess. We need to leave tonight!
Second Brother, what should we do with this kid? the chubby monk, now standing up, grinned.
If anyone else had witnessed this, they would have been utterly shocked. Two identical chubby monks existed in the world!
These two chubby monks looked exactly alike, but their personalities differed. The second brother was indifferent, while the third brother seemed like a friendly tiger, his face always bearing a smile. Bind him first, then throw him in the side room!
Alright, finally, we can leave this wretched temple.
Sometime later, Li Yushan regained a fragment of consciousness. Vaguely, he overheard the conversation between the two chubby monks.
It turned out these two were notorious bandits from another region. To evade pursuit by the authorities, they had sought refuge in this Transcendence Monastery, killing the original abbot and posing as monks.
Now, after swindling a considerable sum from Mr. Wang, they planned to escape with the money.
Second Brother, your scheme was truly ruthless!
Hmph, this Mr. Mang was never a good person to begin with. If his elder brother hadnt caught us back then, we wouldnt have had to hide here for over a decade. Now that his elder brother is dead and he has lost his backing, his days are numbered. Plus, hes fallen victim to my Heart-Poison Gu; he wont live much longer.
Second Brother, youve misunderstood me. I meant your scheme to marry off that girl to Mr. Wang was ruthless. The chubby monk smirked, If he knew that the girl he promised to marry was the daughter born to him and his original wife, hed probably go insane!
Its a pity, though. That girl was eccentric. Despite our attempts to stop her from hanging herself several times, she insisted on coming here to glance at this kid once, and then she jumped into the well when she returned!
Second Brothers eyes were icy as he recalled the events from over a decade ago when a barren woman had come to the temple seeking a child. In the end, both he and his brother had violated her. Astonishingly, she became pregnant, but the child, when born, was not theirs.
In their anger, they strangled the woman, who happened to be Red Girls mother and the first wife of Wang, a local official. When Red Girl was born, they had planned to raise her and sell her to a brothel when she grew up. However, a few months ago, Wang Yuanwai visited the temple and revealed his identity.
Fearing exposure, the brothers resorted to a poisonous scheme.
Unfortunately, the girl died by jumping into a well. Desperate for money, they had hastily brought in a woman from a brothel in another town, which was why they were now fleeing.
Its all because of this wretched boy; he ruined our plan. We should just kill him, Second Brother suggested.
No, lets leave him here. Soon enough, Wang Yuanwai will realize something is wrong and come here looking for trouble. Let this boy deal with Wang when the time comes. Hes going to the bridal procession today, isnt he? Let him have his fate, said the indifferent monk, his words laced with ruthless determination.
Li Yushan trembled, his lips quivering, his body immobilized. Tears welled up in his eyes. Plon!
Each tear drop fell to the ground, echoing the bleeding of his heart.
That night, the temple caught fire.
The next day, true to their expectations, Wang Yuanwai came to the temple, seeking revenge. However, all he found were the charred remains of the temple and the unrecognizable bodies. He had no choice but to leave.
Li Yushan watched it all from a distance, his body covered in mud, his face and body marked with several gruesome scars.
Although the fire had been extinguished, all the monks in the temple had perished. No one bothered to rebuild the temple; even the image of the Wuliang Buddha had collapsed and lay forgotten.
Li Yushan turned away and headed towards the valley that Red Girl had loved so dearly.
In the lush green valley, a new tombstone appeared, with the words Red Girl clumsily engraved on it.
That night, Li Yushan killed two wicked monks, revealing Red Girls body from the monastery where she had been imprisoned for her entire life.
Sitting in front of the grave, the young Daoist priest had a distant look in his eyes, staring at the gloomy sky. His tears had long dried up, and he was lost in thoughts about the future.
Splash!
The spring rain poured down as if weeping for Li Yushan.
He harbored deep hatred in his heart.
He hated his past indecisiveness, which led to Red Girls tragedy.
If only he had stepped out that door and stopped Red Girl from leaving, how wonderful would that have been!
They could have lived together happily. He had thought about it, but in that crucial moment, he stood at the threshold, utterly unable to take that step.
Now, inside and outside the door were two different worlds!
The raindrops struck his face, but Li Yushan remained unmoved.
The rain washed away the mud and cleansed the bloodstains from his body, but it couldnt wash away the scars in his heart.
When he left the valley and returned to the Daoist temple, he suddenly remembered: his master was a god!
In his eyes, deities were all-powerful, capable of miracles like bringing the dead back to life.
With this thought, he rushed into his room, found the letter left by his master, along with a jade pendant.
He held the jade pendant with both hands and presented it before the Heavenly Lord, kowtowing three times.
After the ceremony, he read the words written in the letter.
Fulfill your worldly desires, carry the jade pendant, and head east. We will meet again!
At that moment, Li Yushan regained his confidence. He carefully wore the jade pendant around his neck. As the pendant hung over his chest, the letter turned to dust and disappeared from his hands. A flood of information rushed into his mind.
A brand new world unfolded before him.
He packed his belongings and sat quietly at Red Girls grave for an hour. When he left, he revealed a smile and said, 1 wont keep you waiting for too long.
Having said that, he decisively departed, leaving the Valley of Rebirth, stepping onto his own path.
Sadly, he never fulfilled his promise in his lifetime. He made her wait for too long, so long that the world collapsed and the universe transformed.
Following his masters instructions, he headed east, cultivating his Qi along the way. He became a cultivator, an Immortal being.
He didnt know how many years had passed as he traveled east, but he never forgot the way back.
Finally, when he was ascending to Immortality, his master appeared.
Elder San Shou, once a Grand Yan Immortal in the heavenly realms, whose deeds were still known in the mortal world.
He welcomed Li Yushan, now a Yan Immortal, into the heavenly realms. He became his masters direct disciple and the first disciple of the Heavenly Star Palace.
A hundred years later, Li Yushan mastered the Heavenly Dao, bestowed with the title Tianji..