Chapter 173: More Afraid That No One Will Bury the Bodies

Chapter 173: More Afraid of Dying Unburied

When He Zangjia arrived at the depths of the temple following the straight corridor Li Jun had smashed through.

This 'Tiger Head' of the Civil Tiles saw only scattered limbs and shattered bodies strewn across the floor, and a majestic grand hall dismantled until barely its skeleton remained.

Hoo.

A cold wind whistled through the hall, stirring the gold-lacquered plaque hanging precariously before the entrance, inscribed with the four characters 'Mahavira Hall'.

*Creak.*

With a groan, the plaque crashed to the ground, shattering into four or five pieces.

*Gurgle, gurgle.*

A massive Buddha head rolled out from the dark, lightless interior of the grand hall.

At this moment, the entire Arhat Temple was deathly silent; even the warning red lights that had illuminated the half-sky had gone out at some unknown time.

The sound of the Buddha head rolling along was exceptionally clear in the quiet, finally coming to a halt right before He Zangjia's feet.

*Crackle.*

Sparks showered from the severed neck. By the sudden flare of firelight, He Zangjia clearly saw the precision mechanical structure hidden within, intricate enough to inspire awe.

"What a pity. That old bald donkey Huixin, though advanced in years, had nimble legs. I only had time to dismantle their Buddhist Kingdom mainframe."

Two bright points of light flared in the grand hall.

Li Jun's figure walked out from the shadows, his upper body bare, his torso crisscrossed with hideous, gaping wounds.

What shocked He Zangjia even more, however, was the Nuo mask covering Li Jun's face.

For some reason, it was now covered in cracks, as if it would shatter completely the very next second.

"Who is this?"

Li Jun looked at the two youths He Zangjia held by the collar, one in each hand.

One was naturally Zhou You. The other's face was indistinct; judging by the build, he looked to be only eleven or twelve years old.

"Zhou Sheng, Zhou You's younger brother. He charged into Arhat Temple with such a death wish today just to snatch this person back."

He Zangjia's face darkened. "But this kid was too young when he was put up as collateral. His three souls were long since ground away inside the Yellow Millet Buddhist Kingdom. Now, only this mindless husk remains."

"Can he be saved?"

"No."

"When Zhou You wakes up, how will he accept such a reality?"

"I don't know." He Zangjia shook his head. "But the chief culprit isn't dead yet. With hatred in his heart, this kid should be able to keep living on that breath of anger."

Li Jun sighed, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

In truth, Zhou You was already considered lucky. At least he had run into Li Jun and He Zangjia.

Countless more like him could only spend their lives under the shadow of the Buddhist sect's 'Incense Money', struggling day after day for 'Merit' and 'Karmic Reward'.

And in the end, they could only meet the tragic fate of offering their bodies to pay their debts.

Beneath the altar of the Mahavira Hall, the misery Li Jun witnessed was almost beyond description.

For Arhat Temple to nurture two Buddhist Seventh-Fruit positions with but a handful of believers, one could well imagine the source of their Buddhist Kingdom's computing power.

In that temple, which was practically a ghost domain, Li Jun and He Zangjia each carried a youth on their backs, walking side by side.

"By the way, how did you know Huinan would choose to stall me at all costs, refusing to give us a chance to escape?"

"One skilled in gambling naturally understands the human heart."

He Zangjia said blandly, "The greed on Huinan's face was thicker than those gamblers who stake their entire fortunes on a desperate throw. If he were willing to let us go, I wouldn't have to hang around the Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Association anymore."

"Besides, Huinan and the Abbot hiding behind him weren't truly of one mind. Infighting before the enemy—seeking their own deaths."

Li Jun raised an eyebrow, hearing He Zangjia continue, "That old bald donkey is truly insidious, but Huinan is a fool. He really thought a little boost of computing power let him trade fists head-on with you, Big Bro?"

"As I see it, Huinan's days in Arhat Temple weren't comfortable before. He finally got his hands on some Buddhist Kingdom authority and instantly lost all sense of proportion."

This flattery landed comfortably.

Li Jun chuckled softly. "You took such a huge risk entering the game today, betting your life. Was it just to flatter me?"

He Zangjia's stride stiffened. "Big Bro Jun, you figured it out?"

"My head isn't full of nothing but muscle."

"Big Bro Jun is indeed wise and martial, possessed of unparalleled wisdom. My little trick still couldn't fool you."

He Zangjia laughed dryly. "I, He Zangjia, am a gambler through and through. This world, to me, is just a gambling table. Every word and deed is nothing but a wager. It's just that this time, I didn't want to win profit. I wanted to win righteousness."

He Zangjia pursed his lips. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the unconscious youth on his back, his tone softening. "Besides, I quite like this kid, Zhou You."

Li Jun fell silent for a moment. He Zangjia's frankness left him strangely surprised, and the faint dissatisfaction at being manipulated vanished like smoke.

He was unwilling to befriend hypocrites, but willing to make friends with honest villains.

Li Jun asked with a smile: "That Abbot Huixin isn't dead. My identity is as good as exposed. There'll be no end of trouble from now on. Aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

Seeing the smile on Li Jun's lips, He Zangjia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"To say I'm not afraid would be a lie. But since it's a gamble, the best outcome is breaking even—fifty-fifty gain and loss. I can shoulder this much risk."

"Besides, this is Chongqing Prefecture. Would those Buddhist Lords and Daoist Lords really travel thousands of miles to kill me? And I'm a figurehead of the Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Association anyway; I still have the 'Eight Generals of the Thousand Gates' covering me."

Li Jun said in a deep voice: "It's really not worth it."

In his view, the risk He Zangjia took by associating with him far outweighed the gains.

All he could do for him, perhaps, was help him kill people.

But those people even dared move against Zhao Qingxia, who bore the Heaven's Will Society identity. Let alone a mere 'Tiger Head' Civil Tile of the Sichuan-Chongqing Gambling Association?

If his life was gone, what meaning was there in pursuing these external things?

"Once the bet is placed, the chips leave the hand. That's the rule of the casino. There's no worth or worthlessness."

He Zangjia hooked his hands behind his back upward, readjusting the youth who had been slipping.

"I bet Big Bro Jun thinks I befriended you so you'd help me kill people, right?"

Li Jun neither confirmed nor denied, merely saying blandly: "I have a bad temper. I've always helped kin, not principle."

"Wanting something in return isn't fake either."

He Zangjia spoke to himself: "The Agricultural Sequence believes in 'one inch of labor, one inch of harvest,' treading solid ground to slowly improve. But the ways of Chongqing Prefecture simply won't give you the chance to climb step by step."

"I think highly of Zhou You because the life he's lived, I've lived too. But the things I've endured, he might not be able to bear."

"To get this 'Tiger Head' tile, I've killed quite a few people, offended quite a few people. Befriending you, Big Bro Jun, might let me borrow your tiger's might, using the title of 'Martial Seventh, Lone Husband' to raise my own standing."

He Zangjia enunciated each word: "But what I fear more is that one day I'll die, and there will be no one to help me collect my corpse."