Chapter 655: Self-reliance

It was Shi Chan’s first time encountering a benefactor who requested protection; as a monk, compassion was his foundational creed, making such protection an absolute duty.

He consented, yet he remained utterly ignorant of what preparations to make or what perils to guard against.

Believing his two senior brothers had roamed the martial world for years, possessing far greater wisdom than a man who spent his life slaughtering pigs, he sought their counsel.

Lu Yang cast his gaze downward at the assassin.

Originally, he had intended to inquire across the way whether a maiden named Kong Que truly existed, lest the assassin be spinning falsehoods.

Now, no such inquiries were necessary.

Meng Jingzhou glanced at Lu Yang on his left, a man who had played the hero saving a damsel, and then at Shi Chan on his right, who was poised to protect a beauty.

How was it that in his own case, he had only encountered a highwayman?

What business did a highwayman have lurking in his room so properly? Go and rob someone; if you do not rob, how can it be my turn to save a damsel in distress?

It was not that the highwayman had mistaken the chamber; he merely assumed no new guests would arrive so deep into the night, choosing an empty room to hide in while waiting for Fu Ling to slumber, intending to steal that three-hundred-year-old Thunder-Tribulation Lingzhi.

Who could have foreseen that three individuals would seek lodging at so late an hour?

One could only say that, much like Meng Jingzhou, his luck was exceedingly foul.

Lu Yang pieced together the sequence of events that had just transpired, and once satisfied that he understood, he spoke to Shi Chan: "Go and summon Miss Kong Que, tell her the assassin has been apprehended."

The air suddenly grew still.

Shi Chan chanted a prayer to the Buddha: "Benefactor, there is no need for thanks; this is entirely the merit of my two senior brothers, for this poor monk contributed nothing to the endeavor."

Truly worthy of being called a master, to have captured the culprit so swiftly.

"Kong Que offers her deepest gratitude to the Master!"

The two maidens beheld one another, struck so speechless by astonishment that time seemed to freeze.

"No..." Fu Ling was about to deny it, when suddenly a faint, hazy memory surged into her mind, "Yes, I had a twin sister, but she was lost when I was very small."

Shi Chan gently shook his head: "A monk must hold compassion in his heart; saving lives is but this poor monk's duty, how could I accept coin?"

Kong Que was left utterly bewildered by Shi Chan’s words; the monk offered no further explanation, and following Lu Yang’s intent, led Miss Kong Que into Fu Ling’s chamber.

Shi Chan continued to decline: "This poor monk is the Buddha himself."

"Master, you have mistaken me for another; my name is Fu Ling."

"Ah?"

Shi Chan suddenly noticed Fu Ling, filled with profound perplexity: "Benefactor Kong Que, why are you here?"

Kong Que merely assumed he was being modest, and offered Shi Chan a storage ring: "These are a few spirit stones, pray accept them, Master."

"Benefactor Fu Ling and Benefactor Kong Que look exactly alike."

She had originally thought to simply share a room with Master Shi Chan for the night.

"This is not intended for the Master, but rather as incense money donated to the Buddha."

"Brother Shi Chan, what is the meaning of this?"

Shi Chan was astonished; could it be that the figure prone upon the floor was indeed the assassin?

Indeed, those black garments certainly did not belong to an honorable soul.

Miss Kong Que, hiding within Shi Chan’s chamber and clutching the Buddhist beads he had left behind, was overjoyed upon learning that the assassin had been captured.

Lu Yang was struck with immense surprise: "My lady, do you have a sister?"

It was Fu Ling who first broke the silence, her lips trembling, shivering as tears flowed unbidden down her cheeks: "Sister?"

"Are you... my sister?"

"Sister!"

"Sister!"

The two maidens embraced, weeping bitterly; separated at the tender age of two, to meet again after eighteen years was a scene of profound pathos.

"Sister, where did you go back then, and why are you called Kong Que now?"

Kong Que wiped her tears, sobbing softly: "After I was lost, I was found by my master. He took me all around the neighborhood but could find no trace of you, so he brought me back to the Daoist temple and raised me."

"I was so young then, I could not remember my own name, so Master bestowed upon me the name Kong Que."

Lu Yang thought to himself that he knew a professional assassin would not mistake his target without reason; it seemed there was a cause behind it all.

Fu Ling’s chamber was suddenly crowded to the brim: Lu Yang’s trio, Fu Ling, Kong Que, the assassin, and the highwayman whom Meng Jingzhou had dragged along.

Seven souls gathered in one place.

Lu Yang silently surveyed the company: sisters reunited, a blind assassin, a highwayman intent on theft; his original purpose, surely, had been merely to stay at an inn.

I simply walked into the wrong room, how did so many affairs unfold in the blink of an eye?

Now that the cause and effect of the matter were laid bare, Lu Yang felt too embarrassed to suggest that Fu Ling drag the assassin to the magistrate's office herself.

Two sisters just reunited, one dragging an assassin and the other a highwayman, walking and chatting merrily to report a crime at the yamen—the image was jarring no matter how one imagined it.

"Let us go, let us deliver them to the magistrate," Lu Yang sighed, resolving to see his good deed through to the end.

Moreover, he could not escape it; even if he did not go to the yamen, the constables would come looking for him to take his statement as a witness.

The seven of them walked downstairs into the inn with much bustle, leaving the proprietor utterly dumbfounded.

He had no recollection of so many souls residing upstairs.

Lu Yang explained the whole turn of events to the proprietor, causing cold sweat to pour down the man's spine in terror.

Fortunate it was that three young heroes were present, else a mortal tragedy would have stained his inn; he dared not think of the aftermath, for who would ever dare lodge in his establishment again?

The proprietor poured forth a thousand thanks, waiving all charges for food and lodging for Lu Yang’s trio, and promising they might stay as long as they pleased.

As the two sisters had nearly met with disaster within the inn, the proprietor, out of apology, also waived their fees and made the identical vow.

The five of them escorted the two culprits out the door, and before they had walked far, they encountered the constables patrolling the streets. Upon hearing the tale, the constables hastily escorted the seven back to the yamen to learn the details of the event.

The subsequent proceedings unfolded precisely as Lu Yang had anticipated; the assassin and the highwayman were delivered to the yamen's justice, while the three of them gave their statements as witnesses. Upon the conclusion, each was presented with a banner for righteous conduct and a reward of spirit stones.

This time, Shi Chan did not refuse.

By the time all these matters were concluded, the three were exhausted in body and mind, finally able to return to the inn to rest; only the two sisters, newly reunited, remained exceedingly spirited.

After a night had passed, Lu Yang stretched his limbs, feeling entirely comfortable and refreshed.

"Old Meng, rise and shine!"

Lu Yang considerately knocked upon the chamber door to rouse Meng Jingzhou.

Meng Jingzhou opened the door with a thoroughly displeased expression, staring gloomily at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang ignored Meng Jingzhou's gaze entirely.

Shi Chan stepped out from his room, radiant and glowing, utterly changed from his state upon returning the previous night, evidently well-rested: "Brother Lu Yang, a good morning to you."

"Where do we journey today? Are we to perform a religious service?"

"Indeed so."

Lu Yang teased: "I had thought you might take the spirit stones the yamen rewarded you with last night and head to the brothel to temper your spiritual state."

"You jest, Senior Brother. One should not accept rewards without merit. This poor monk did nothing yesterday; it was only by the grace of you two Senior Brothers that I earned a fine reputation for a righteous deed. The spirit stones bestowed by the imperial court could hardly be refused, so they should be regarded as a donation from the court to the sect. How could they possibly be spent on my humble self?"

"Do you want me to give you some spirit stones?" Meng Jingzhou asked with a smile.

Shi Chan shook his head in refusal. "If this poor monk uses the spirit stones given by Senior Brother Meng to visit the brothel, then it is not this poor monk visiting the brothel, but Senior Brother Meng visiting the brothel. It would completely fail to serve as a trial for tempering myself."

"Before his passing, Master always taught this poor monk to be self-reliant. The spirit stones for this poor monk to visit the brothel must be earned through my own abilities."