Chapter 239: Subduing Demons

Chapter 239: Subduing Demons

In the pedestrian street, the seductive neon lights still flickered, quietly witnessing the heavy rain washing away the corpses scattered across the ground.

A pair of bright yellow monk's shoes arrived belatedly, slowly halting beside the naked corpse that had been cut down at the waist.

Jingwu lowered his brows and closed his eyes, clasping his hands together as he softly recited the scriptures to guide the departed souls.

"A Han Buddhist monk reciting scriptures to guide the soul of a Southern Barbarian—surely you don't fear that Longtu's spirit might be crushed by the Han Buddhist Buddha as some demonic entity from beyond the heavens?"

A mocking voice abruptly rang out, shattering the solemn and majestic scene.

Jingwu remained unmoved, only lifting his eyes to glance at a signboard to the side once he had finished reciting the scriptures.

Chen Qishen, wearing the commemorative shirt of "Ruo Tian Da Jiu," crouched there without regard for his appearance, a carved talisman hovering above his head to shield him from the rain.

"If Longtu's enlightenment had failed, and if the chess game had been slightly different, this scripture would have been mine to recite for the lay practitioner."

Jingwu's face still bore that expression of pity, his words tinged with faint regret.

In fact, long before Longtu was pulled into the Buddhist realm by Yuan Mingfei, he had already hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.

As long as Longtu's dual-life method succeeded, before the guardian deity, destined to be sacrificed, died, he would kill Yuan Mingfei first. The earthly Buddhist realm constructed by Yuan Mingfei would then collapse into a chaotic illusion, trapping Li Jun within it.

Even if Li Jun's spiritual will and physical resistance were strong enough, he could still break free from the chaos on his own.

But the time he was lost would be enough for Jingwu to kill him.

Even if Chen Qishen had also ambushed him, ready to support at any moment, he could never simultaneously block the combined assault of Longtu and Jingwu.

As long as Li Jun died, Chen Qishen would either choose to accompany him in death or flee Chongqing Prefecture with his tail between his legs.

In this calculated gamble, Longtu was the bait on the surface, appearing to enter the game with open acceptance, gambling with his own life. In reality, as long as the Buddhist realm's core remained intact, he would never face true mortal danger.

The worst outcome would be the death of both the guardian deity and his original body, but even in that case, Longtu could use the Buddhist realm's core to be reborn and rise again.

All his losses, Jingwu had promised to compensate in full.

In the eyes of the two Buddhist practitioners, this gamble had placed them in an unbeatable position from the start.

The only prerequisite was that Longtu could enlighten Zhou You, making him embrace the Buddhist path.

After all, when Longtu injected the "Huangliang Ghost" into Zhou Sheng's body, he had simultaneously implanted his own Buddhist realm core within it.

Chen Qishen and Li Jun only saw Longtu's obsession with enlightening Zhou You, but not Zhou You's obsession with saving his younger brother.

This seed of betrayal had been planted in Zhou You's heart during the first enlightenment, buried deep by Longtu.

Longtu was confident this "seed" would take root and sprout, which is why he had set his trap and willingly jumped into it.

Unfortunately, Longtu had overestimated his own enlightenment abilities—or perhaps underestimated Zhou You's hatred for the Buddhist sect.

The customized Huangliang Ghost ultimately failed to deceive Zhou You, who detonated his own heart, causing the Huangliang Ghost and Longtu's Buddhist realm core to perish together.

"Trying to stir up trouble, are we? Fine, Dao Ye will spare you this time, seeing how pitiful you are."

Chen Qishen lazily waved his hand, chuckling: "But I still advise you not to waste time here. Think about how to explain this to the higher-ups when you return."

"Those old Buddhist masters who painstakingly nailed their stakes into my Daoist base—now they're gone. Even if you're their own son, you'll have to be thrown into the Buddhist realm as a cause-and-effect laborer for a few hundred years, won't you?"

Jingwu's expression remained calm as he shook his head: "It was Longtu who lost. What does that have to do with me?"

"Quite stubborn, still refusing to admit defeat?"

Chen Qishen's tone turned grim, and a jet-black flying sword slowly materialized behind his head.

"Dao Ye has already given you face once. If you come again, you're being unreasonable. I advise you to leave immediately. If you think you still have the power to turn the tide, then go ahead and try."

A crimson jade talisman danced on his fingertip: "Don't think that just because Li Jun isn't here, I can't kill you. Dao Ye's main profession is seeking immortality, but his side job is shortening lives!"

The flying sword reversed its blade, its edge pointing directly at the monk.

But Jingwu's next words made the sword's tail flame sputter to a halt.

"Do you still have time to fight me here?"

Chen Qishen's face darkened abruptly: "Bald priest, what do you mean?"

"Everyone here comes from prominent backgrounds. If you dragons and tigers can receive news, so can Shaolin Temple. There's no need to hide it."

Jingwu spoke softly: "You're so eager to drive me away—is it because you want to rescue the one on Jinlou?"

Chen Qishen growled in anger: "Have you lost your mind? What does this have to do with Dao Ye me?!"

"Whether it has to do with us isn't something you or I can decide. If King Qin is killed by Honghu in Chongqing Prefecture, and you, the Tian Shi of Longhu Mountain, never showed your face from beginning to end..."

Jingwu sneered coldly: "What do you think? Will the New Donglin Party take this opportunity to question Longhu Mountain in the name of the court? Or will they send someone to investigate and take up residence in Chongqing Prefecture's yamen?"

The monk's words seemed to strike a nerve. Chen Qishen clenched his teeth: "You think you can wash your hands of this?"

"Can't wash them clean. So I'm willing to accept punishment. After all, Chongqing Prefecture has no more ties to us. Whether it stays with you or the Confucian sequence, what difference does it make?"

Jingwu clasped his hands together, his expression indifferent: "However, with the Confucian sequence's assimilating power, this lawless land of Chongqing Prefecture, where all manner of beings gather, will likely be absorbed by them soon. When that happens, the Daoist sequence in the southwest of the empire will have no good days ahead."

Chen Qishen's brows furrowed tightly, his voice grim: "It seems you're determined to drag Dao Ye down here?"

*Buzz.*

The flying sword trembled, its killing intent overflowing.

"Of course not."

Jingwu's tone shifted: "Honghu is a traitor. Whether publicly or privately, this little monk will not, and dares not, aid the wicked."

Chen Qishen retorted: "If you dare not, then why are you here talking nonsense to me?"

"This little monk merely wishes for the lay practitioner to deliver something to Li Jun."

Jingwu tossed an object toward him, which the Daoist caught reflexively.

Is this human skin?

The moment he touched it, Chen Qishen's brow shot up.

"Please ask the lay practitioner to tell Li Jun—if he wishes to avenge the owner of this human skin, come find me outside the city in the Nan Yu area."

Jingwu wore a gentle smile: "But only he alone may come."

Chen Qishen gripped the human skin, his expression inexplicably strange: "You want to face him alone in a duel?"

"To subdue demons."

Jingwu clasped his hands together, lowering his brows and eyes: "His sins can only be redeemed with his life."