Chapter 50 - Buddha
Li Huowang was wrapped in a blanket as he kept watch while hiding in the thick bushes. It was already late into the night, making it extremely cold without a campfire, despite it already being March.
However, he didn’t dare to light up a fire; it would reveal his location to the monks that were chasing him.
Under the weak moonlight, Li Huowang took out the bronze bell and inspected it. He had already eaten most of the pills that Dan Yangzi had given him, and so the bronze bell was the only other card he had.
But whenever he thought back to how easily the abbot had snatched the bronze bell from him, he felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction. The opponent could kill him in so many ways, but all he could do was to try and escape. This fact left a bitter taste in his mouth.
In this bizarre world, only strength reigns supreme. If I want to stay alive, I need to become strong! Even someone like Dan Yangzi could become so strong, so why can’t I? So what if everyone has some or the other bizarre method of cultivation? I too need to do it in order to survive. I want to protect myself and the others around me. If I can’t get it, then I will steal it. If I can’t steal it, then I will frame them!
Li Huowang’s expression slowly became more and more twisted.
He had just been thinking about all of these things when he shook himself out of it and touched the back of his neck, suddenly realizing something.
“Namo~He Luo Dan Na~ Duo Luo Ye Ye~” The sound of chanting broke the silence of the forest.
At the same time, Li Huowang stood up reflexively and scanned his surroundings. However, it was so dark that he couldn’t see anything. Even the simple traps that he had set up earlier were not triggered.
“Namo~ Ah Li Ye~ Po Lu Jie Di~ Yao Ti Luo Ye~” The chanting continued in the dark, this time being closer than before.
“Quick! Stand up! We need to run now! Ignore the donkey carts! Simpleton, do as I had told you to do earlier!” shouted Li Huowang.
Just as Bai Lingmiao was about to follow Li Huowang’s commands and stand up, Simpleton picked her up and started running away.
At the same time, Li Huowang walked out of the bush and back onto the road. He clenched his teeth and decided to face them; the monks’ target was him. Even if all of them couldn’t escape, there is no reason for every one of them to die.
Li Huowang kept running in the dark, but the sound of chanting became closer and closer. For some reason, Li Huowang could smell the smoke from the incense that he had lit up back at the Monastery.
Li Huowang suddenly stopped as he saw multiple red dots the size of flies wriggling around in the darkness on the road.
“Pu Tai Ye~ Pu Tai Ye~ Mi Di Li Ye~ Na Luo Jin Xi~” The sound of chanting was becoming closer and closer.
Soon Li Huowang could see the thing in the darkness; it was a Buddha with a large hat and tall body, but hilariously skinny legs. The belly of the Buddha was engorged as well. The red dots that Li Huowang had previously seen were incense sticks that were stuck on the body of the Buddha. They shivered and shook with every step that the giant Buddha took.
The giant Buddha was wrapped in the white incense smoke. It was probably supposed to look ethereal, but it just appeared downright horrific in the dark wilderness of this road.
At the same time, Li Huowang noticed that there was not one, but seven such Buddhas lined up and closing in on him.
They walked just like humans, but their expressions were neither smiling nor angry. Their bodies swayed left and right.
Under the moonlight, Li Huowang recognized the face of one of the Buddhas. It was none other than Jian Dun!
“Amitabha! Benefactor, your heart is not calm,” said the Buddha with Jian Dun’s face.
Li Huowang stared at the Buddhas that were at least 4m tall. “So you have finally revealed yourself! Is this your true form, you worshiping freaks?!”
“Benefactor, we have no idea why you are saying this. Please follow me back to the monastery. Dan Yangzi’s karma still lingers on you. If you leave with it, you will be in deep trouble; everyone else will suffer as well,” said Jian Dun.
Just as Jian Dun said this, he brought his palms together and started praying.
At that moment, Li Huowang heard the sound of flesh ripping as numerous skinless arms appeared from Jian Dun’s back and splayed open like a peacock’s tail. Soon, the seven Buddhas had all transformed into seven Thousand-armed Buddhas.
Ring!
Li Huowang immediately shook the bronze bell causing the surroundings to start shifting and twisting. Soon, the edges of everything around them congregated and turned into a Wandering God.
However, the ringing bell did not affect the seven Thousand-armed Buddhas; they were just like rocks in the water.
Li Huowang immediately scooped some dirt into his mouth and commanded the Wandering God to attack. Immediately, the latter launched itself toward the seven Buddhas.
Pak!
One of the Buddhas sent a hard slap toward the Wandering God, sending dust and rocks everywhere.
However, the Wandering God did not have a physical body and thus completely ignored the attack, phasing right through the palm and going straight toward the Buddha’s face.
The Wandering God then entered the brain of the Buddha, causing the latter to start flailing around and use its arm to try to swat the Wandering God off his head.
But it was no use.
Soon, the Buddha fell to the ground, its face melting off. Its body, which had not been affected by the bell earlier, also started to twist and turn, just like the surroundings.
Peng peng peng!
At that moment, the remaining six Buddhas formed a circle with their backs facing toward each other. They clapped their hands together and started chanting. “Ru Lai Ah Duo Luo~ San Mo~ San Pu Ti~”
The chanting had just started when Li Huowang realized that something was wrong with the Wandering God; the squiggly lines that made up its body started to move around uncontrollably. He soon saw that something was wrong and shook the bell even harder, shouting toward the Wandering God in an even louder voice.
Upon hearing that Li Huowang had agreed to sacrifice even more of his lifespan, the Wandering God held its body together and rushed toward another Buddha.
Once the second Buddha fell to the ground, the Wandering God had spent the last of its strength; it was approaching its limit.
Amidst the chanting sound all around them, the Wandering God soon fell to the ground.
Seeing that it was of no use, Li Huowang stopped ringing the bell. However, even as the surroundings returned to normal, the Wandering God did not disappear.
Soon, the squiggly lines that made up the Wandering God started to lose their color and turned into a fleshy pink color; the Wandering God that was supposed to be formless had been granted a physical body using the power of the sutras!
The physical body of the Wandering God looked like a clump of earthworms; it slowly wriggled around on the ground.
A palm with a swastika symbol then slapped the Wandering God and crushed it into a pile of mush.
The palm was then raised slowly, flesh and blood still clinging to it. Then, the Buddhas once again brought their hands together and approached Li Huowang slowly. “Amitabha! Benefactor, please follow us back.”
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