Chapter 334: Abacus

Chapter 334: The Abacus

Inside the Bone Temple, Li Huo Wang drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, striving to suppress the surging killing intent that welled up within him toward the maniacal monk. He had never loathed the existence of another person so thoroughly.

Following the monk’s instructions, he had taken the life of a member of the Forgetful Dao sect. Yet this very monk casually tossed him a remark—“I made a mistake?”

He knew well that the Heavenly Observing Bureau would not hesitate to sacrifice lives in order to fulfill their duties.

Yet he could never have imagined such a thing happening to himself. It was all because of him—he had personally slain an innocent man!

While Li Huo Wang struggled to control himself, the monk beside him was far more agitated. He wept and bounced about in distress.

“How could he do such a thing! What right does he have to be a monk?! That was a human life!”

The monk, furious, rushed forward and pummeled the man bound with wooden shackles, but his blows passed straight through the other's body.

“You have no right to shave your head! You do no good deeds, only evil—how can you be a monk?!”

Li Huo Wang stood up and moved closer to the others. His gaze upon the monk of delusion had transformed from a trace of kindness into a profound hatred.

Previously, there had been a flicker of doubt—how could someone who claimed to be a Buddhist monk be imprisoned in the Silver Ling Prison? Now, it seemed too lenient to lock him away.

Li Huo Wang understood that in the current situation, internal conflict was dangerous; otherwise, they might fall victim to the Hidden Dao sect’s trap. Compared to them, monks who disregarded human life could be set aside for now—but still, he couldn’t let go of his anger.

“What of Master Xinchi? Is that man from the Forgetful Dao?” asked Hong Da, the knife-dealer, first to speak.

“No, I misjudged,” came the voice of the monk in everyone’s minds.

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Danqing’s face showed disdain. “Master Xinchi, you who claim to possess the Six Supernatural Powers of Buddhism, how could you make such a mistake? Our Minister of Affairs is busy with countless matters—don’t waste his time.”

No matter what others said, the Minister of Affairs remained unusually silent. His features scrunched together as he surveyed the entire hall, his plump fingers tapping incessantly on the golden abacus in his hand.

Li Huo Wang sensed this anomaly at once and quickly calmed his emotions, focusing his eyes on the pale eunuch before him.

“The abacus in his hands—can it identify who among us is from the Forgetful Dao? Why go through all this trouble to find Master Xinchi?”

After a while, the Minister stopped tapping his abacus. “Let’s go. We’re leaving for the next hall.”

His words silenced the others, who quickly followed.

When they arrived at the next Buddha relic hall, the Minister continued tapping his abacus rapidly.

Not long after, he spoke again. “Let’s go. Not here either. On to the next!”

His words stirred everyone into motion, preparing to move on.

This time, the change of location was swift, making Li Huo Wang wonder if the Minister’s actions truly wouldn’t allow any members of the Forgetful Dao to escape.

But before they could exit the hall, a group of monks in robes approached under the guidance of an elder monk draped in a cassock, wielding staffs and eyeing them warily.

“Halt! Who are these thieves?! Daring to commit murder within our temple!”

The monk with a straight brow beside the elder monk was the first to shout.

With sword in hand, Li Huo Wang immediately demanded, “Who are you?”

“You blind fool! We are the monks of this temple!”

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to the tall figure of the monk of delusion. Only he could distinguish who among them was from the Forgetful Dao.

Seeing the monk nod, the others breathed a little easier.

Tuoba Danqing, smooth-tongued, stepped forward and pulled out his badge. “We are from the Heavenly Observing Bureau. Return to your rooms at once. No one is allowed to come out!”

The monks’ expressions darkened instantly. They all looked toward the elder monk in the cassock.

The elder raised his palms in prayer and said, “Buddha’s name be praised. Esteemed officers, may we ask—what brings you to our temple? Recently, the temple has been peaceful, with no unusual events.”

“You all think it’s peaceful, but beneath this calm, the whole temple has been riddled like dice. Return to your rooms. If you come out again, don’t blame us for being merciless!”

Under Tuoba Danqing’s stern threat, the monks scattered.

Just as the Minister prepared to continue toward the next hall, Li Huo Wang halted.

“Everyone, don’t you think something is off here? We’ve been in this Bone Temple for some time, yet everything seems too normal.”

“The Forgetful Dao are creatures who thrive on chaos. They’d even sacrifice their own lives just for fun. Wherever they’ve been, there should never be such tranquility.”

“Don’t speculate. The agents of the Heavenly Observing Bureau are smarter than you think. If they say there’s a trace of the Forgetful Dao here, then there must be.”

Hearing Hong Da’s words, Li Huo Wang shook his head. “No, I’m not saying there isn’t a trace of the Forgetful Dao. I’m saying their purpose here isn’t just to cause mischief—they’ve infiltrated for a reason.”

Li Huo Wang had expected the Minister to ponder this carefully, but instead, he frowned. “Just do your job.” With that, he turned and walked toward another hall.

“What’s going on?” Li Huo Wang was stunned by this reaction. It was as though the Minister already knew what the Forgetful Dao intended.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He quickly followed after the Minister. “This old eunuch must be hiding something from me in this mission.”

Even before the Forgetful Dao had shown a trace, Li Huo Wang felt something eerie about this task.

*Tap!* Li Huo Wang’s polished boots clicked on the clean marble floor. This time, he stopped staring at the visitors and monks around him and focused mostly on the Minister.

Carefully observing, Li Huo Wang indeed noticed something.

If the Minister’s goal was to confront the Forgetful Dao, then regardless, the eunuch should have focused on people.

Yet he kept staring at the four pillars and eight beams of the hall. His abacus never stopped, tapping away as if calculating something.

Could the Minister be searching for something? Without knowing his capabilities, it was hard to guess. Li Huo Wang’s mind swirled with thoughts.

“Ear, Devotee! Five steps, left hand, kill!”

A thunderous voice suddenly exploded in Li Huo Wang’s ears.

At that moment, “Clang!”—his purple-sword blade sprang out halfway.

But seeing the woman kneeling on the meditation cushion, praying earnestly, he sheathed the sword once more.

Sorry, too late.

(End of Chapter)