Chapter 76: The Intrigue of Black Wind Stronghold, The Appearance of the Two Serpents - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

Chapter 76: The Intrigue of Black Wind Stronghold, The Appearance of the Two Serpents Upon seeing the monk from yesterday, Su Mo was quite surprised. What on earth had happened for him to be so gravely injured? Why was he so severely wounded? Seeing Su Mo and Xu Miaoyin, the monk wore an expression of deep sorrow. "Black Wind Mountain harbors a bear demon!” “My eldest brother and third brother were both slain by that bear demon!" "A bear demon!" Xu Miaoyin’s face turned pale. "So it's true, there really are demons on Black Wind Mountain!" “We always thought it was just a rumor!” At that moment, the monk collapsed to the ground with a thud, the rainwater on the street mingling with his blood. Su Mo couldn’t bring himself to ignore it and let him die. Without hesitation, he dragged the monk's body into the tavern’s main hall. Perhaps because the blood had stopped flowing, the gaping wound on the monk’s head had ceased to bleed. Xu Miaoyin clicked her tongue in astonishment. “A few years back, I heard this monk practiced a technique called the 'Nine Lives Jade Cicada Method.' Even if seriously injured, he can stop the bleeding and heal.” “Boss Su, I think the monk is all right now.” “That demon surely wouldn’t risk entering the city, but this is beyond what martial artists like us can handle. We need a cultivator to deal with this.” “A cultivator, you say?” Su Mo had encountered cultivators before in his simulations, but his understanding of them was limited. To truly know, he would need to simulate the life of a cultivator. Right now, it was all just partial knowledge. “What’s the difference between cultivators and martial artists?” Hearing Su Mo’s question, Xu Miaoyin shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure myself. But I’ve heard myths that in ancient times there were many great cultivators with divine powers. They could move mountains and seas and change stars in the blink of an eye. These great cultivators eventually ascended to the heavens, but the legacies they left behind are hidden in places like the Three Mountains and Five Peaks or in overseas celestial islands. I don’t know the specifics.” “Occasionally, some cultivators still emerge to slay demons and put them in fear, preventing them from openly harming people.” Su Mo nodded after listening. Combining this with his experiences in the Great Shang, he suspected a large unknown territory lay between different kingdoms. This uncharted area likely housed those cultivators. Otherwise, where would all these cultivators go? But this was just speculation. Besides, the famous Golden Mountain Temple and the monk Fa Hai still resided in Hangzhou, holding a golden bowl gifted by Buddha, which implied the existence of a Western Pure Land. If there was a Western Pure Land, then the Heavenly Court must exist. During his simulation with Madam Huang, he had always suspected that a patrolling deity might have struck him down. While Su Mo was contemplating these matters, the injured monk regained consciousness, though his face was as pale as paper. The first thing he asked upon waking was, “Do you have anything to eat?” Seeing the monk awake, Su Mo was generous and brought over several large plates of mutton buns. Once the buns were placed before him, the monk devoured them ravenously, eating them one after another like a gust of wind. In less than a quarter of an hour, he consumed them all. After his meal, the monk clasped his hands together and softly chanted a Buddhist phrase. “Amitabha.” Xu Miaoyin and Su Mo sat beside the monk, curious about what the three heroes of Mount Hengshan had encountered, prompting Su Mo to ask. “Master, what exactly happened?” “Why did your sworn brothers die?” A shadow of sorrow passed through the monk’s eyes, clearly recalling an unexpected calamity. And so, the monk recounted the events in detail. “After tasting the excellent wine at your tavern yesterday, Su Boss, we three brothers felt elated and excited. Fearing other martial artists might come to claim the bounty, we rode overnight towards Black Wind Mountain.” “We thought the mountain bandits were just a bunch of small-time thugs and that we’d easily deal with them to earn the 1,500 taels.” “But after we defeated the bandits, a terrifying scene unfolded.” At this point, the monk's face turned grim, as if he hesitated to continue. “What happened next?” Su Mo and Xu Miaoyin, captivated by the monk's story, urged him to proceed. “Afterwards…” The monk seemed unwilling to recall the painful memory, but after a moment of hesitation, he continued. “A black bear appeared, and it could speak like a human. This bear was large, towering over three meters when standing upright.” “We’ve encountered demons before, but never something this fierce.” “Years ago, my master gifted me a relic capable of subduing demons, but it was useless against this one.” “Realizing we were in danger, we thought only of escape.” “But who would have thought, the bear demon had evolved to the point of siphoning a person’s essence from hundreds of meters away. My brothers’ life forces were drained dry.” “I was also bitten by the bear demon but managed to escape by feigning death!” At this moment, the monk looked at Xu Miaoyin. “Fortunate that Lady Xu abandoned the idea of going to Black Wind Stronghold.” “Otherwise, the consequences would’ve been disastrous.” Su Mo and Xu Miaoyin were dumbfounded at the monk's testimony. Draining someone’s essence from afar? Even across hundreds of meters, reducing two martial experts to shells. What kind of path must it have cultivated! The monk then took out a smooth, flawless white pearl. “This is the relic, effective against ordinary demons, but it’s nothing against a creature cultivated for hundreds of years.” With a sigh, the monk lamented. “If not for the relic, my brothers and I wouldn’t have been so confident, nor would we have met this fate.” The relic was as if carved from white jade—luminous, transparent, and smooth. As soon as it was revealed, Su Mo felt a certain righteous energy within his chest stir in response, causing his heart to pound. Radiance emitted from the relic, creating a subtle resonance between it and Su Mo. Noticing the change, the monk seemed surprised. “Unexpectedly, Boss Su, you have such a strong Buddhist affinity that it resonates with my relic.” Saying this, the monk placed the relic in front of Su Mo. “In that case, I’ll gift this relic to you.” “Consider it reimbursement for the meal of buns.” Faced with this sudden treasure, Su Mo instinctively wanted to refuse. “How much can those buns be worth?” “This relic is a treasure.” The monk gave a wry smile. “This relic is useless to me now. For demons it can defeat, I’ll manage even without it. For those it can’t, it’s ineffective anyway. I might as well leave it with someone with Buddhist affinity; perhaps I might need your help in the future.” Afterwards, the monk glanced at the heavy rain outside. “I can’t stay long; I must report this matter to Magistrate Wang Qinghe to prepare in advance. Also, I plan to invite Elder Fa Hai from Hangzhou’s Golden Mountain Temple to come and exorcise the demon. Elder Fa Hai is highly skilled, not a martial artist but very adept at handling demons. You can rest assured.” With these words, the monk took his leave from the tavern. Watching him depart, Su Mo found himself at a loss for words for a moment and then focused on the relic. Holding it up, he observed its radiant surface, emanating a peaceful aura. Why the monk would so readily offer this treasure was beyond Su Mo’s understanding. Xu Miaoyin felt genuinely happy for Su Mo. “Boss Su, you really have amazing luck.” “Hehe.” “Well, then, it shall be the treasured artifact of our Linjiang Spring,” Su Mo declared, placing the relic inside his clothing. Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt the righteous energy within him swell and strengthen with the relic’s presence… In the Clouds In the clouds, two ethereal beauties soared forward into the distance. Behind them, a gigantic golden bowl, shimmering with a divine glow, pursued relentlessly. The bowl was like a tracking device, refusing to let them escape. On closer inspection, the two women were none other than Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing. Bai Suzhen's delicate and ethereal face was tinged with anger. She couldn’t fathom why Fahai was so intent on chasing them. Could it be due to the golden body of an Arhat that Su Lang had shared with them in a past life, leading Fahai to mistakenly believe they had slain a reincarnated Arhat? After pondering, this seemed the only plausible explanation. Turning to Xiaoqing, Bai Suzhen suggested, “Xiaoqing, since Fahai refuses to let us go, we should head to the Yin-Yang Bazaar. It exists between the realms of the living and the dead, and Fahai won’t be able to act recklessly there.” “Alright!” Xiaoqing agreed. With determination, they flew swiftly towards Qinglin County, and upon realizing their destination, Fahai immediately understood their plan. If they truly reached the rift between the two realms, he’d have no justification to continue pursuing them, and the Arhat’s golden body they carried could attract other demons. Resolute, Fahai decided not to hold back. In an instant, the golden bowl erupted with a multitude of golden rays, spanning tens of thousands of meters, encasing Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing. The golden light immobilized them as if time had stopped, freezing them within the clouds. Triumphant, Fahai laughed heartily, believing he had finally caught the two serpents. However, in the next second, the golden body of an Arhat on Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing’s wrists emitted an even purer light. This light broke their paralysis, and the two transformed into wisps of smoke, vanishing without a trace. Fahai was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. Caught off guard, the two women had managed to escape! Quickly, Fahai recalled the golden bowl to try and deduce their destination, but the visions within it were obscure and indiscernible. The only clear image was that of a black bear demon surrounded by human bones, which caught Fahai's attention. In this era, do demons still believe that by consuming humans they can assume human form? Outrageous! For now, the green and white serpents could wait. Returning to Golden Mountain Temple, Fahai decided that, guided by the golden bowl, all he needed to do was stay put. Sooner or later, someone would come seeking his help to vanquish the bear demon! (Chapter End)