Chapter 999: Blessed by the World-Honored One, Doing Good and Accumulating Virtue

When Meng Jingzhou listened to the duo introducing one another, their backgrounds grew increasingly astounding by the turn—one claimed to have reached the absolute zenith of physical cultivation, while the other boasted a mother who reigned as a Saintess of a Sacred Land.

Yet the moment blows were exchanged, it became glaringly evident that their prowess was utterly mediocre; to say nothing of anything else, Meng Jingzhou’s own physical refinement techniques back during his Golden Core stage far outstripped those of Fang Wudi.

In those days, his own physical training had been honed to such perfection that from the tips of his hair to the edge of his shadow, not a single flaw could be found.

In stark contrast, Fang Wudi’s physical cultivation technique was riddled with vulnerabilities and entirely devoid of novelty.

"What is it, do you harbor a desire to go up there and test your mettle against them?" Lu Yang shot a sidelong glance at Meng Jingzhou, who was visibly itching for action.

"That would never do." Meng Jingzhou dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand, adopting an air of aloof dignity. "By all accounts, I am considered a grand master of cultivation now, a veritable titan of the righteous path. Stepping onto the stage to brawl with juniors would beneath my standing."

"...And yet, those two seem to be a mere three years younger than you."

"That still makes them juniors. Consider how when our fellow grand masters flare with rage, they invariably bellow, 'How dare you, junior!' Never once has anyone shouted, 'How dare you, peer!' This proves that invoking the word 'junior' carries far greater momentum."

Lu Yang nodded in agreement; Old Meng did possess a valid point in this regard.

Linger here to watch the clashes of the Golden Core stage any longer held little allure, and so the two resolved that it would be soon enough to return once the monks of the Kaihuang Temple came to notify them of the finalized top eight contestants.

"Oh, look, it is Master Lu and Master Meng."

Hearing someone pierce through their disguises, Lu Yang traced the voice with his gaze and, precisely as anticipated, caught sight of Tang Qiaoqiao and Cuique'er.

Indeed, only the two of them had ever beheld the appearances they assumed under their illusions.

Tang Qiaoqiao and Cuique'er held their sugar paintings, loath to part with them; the spun sugar was fashioned with lifelike precision, bearing the distinct countenances of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

This was a craft the sugar painters had stayed up through the night practicing to cater to the current demand, and the fruits of their labor were remarkably effective.

"Grand Masters, was it not said that you were to take the stage as judges? Why are you still idling here?"

"The hour for our appearance has not yet struck, and judging by the look of things, it will not be our turn to show our faces for quite some time. What of you two? Why are you alone, and where is Chuanwu?"

"Brother mentioned that the medicinal herbs delivered to the apothecary yesterday harbored some discrepancies. He accompanied the proprietor to the neighboring Lotus City to procure fresh stock, and it remains uncertain whether he can return today." Tang Qiaoqiao sighed, having harbored hopes of celebrating the festival alongside her brother, an outcome that now seemed highly improbable.

"Is that so? Then off you go to enjoy yourselves, and remember to look to your safety," Lu Yang exhorted out of sheer habit.

Having undergone the baptism of a single drop of Lu Yang’s blood, the constitutions of Tang Qiaoqiao and Cuique'er were no longer what they once were; even the strength of ordinary martial artists could scarcely match their own.

"We cannot play much longer, for I must depart shortly to distribute congee," Cuique'er interjected.

Lu Yang recalled then that Old Man Cui, the resident philanthropist, was accustomed to distributing congee on the fifth, fifteenth, and twenty-fifth days of every month.

"Initially, I entreated my father to see if the distribution might be delayed by a day, but he insisted that today is the Bathing Buddha Festival, the very anniversary of the World-Honored One’s birth. The karmic merit amassed from deeds of benevolence today is tenfold that of ordinary days, making it all the more imperative to distribute congee."

"To think such a lore existed." Though Lu Yang possessed some passing familiarity with the Bathing Buddha Festival, he was ultimately less acquainted with the intricacies of local tradition than a native resident like Old Man Cui.

"Since that is the case, then Old Meng and I shall likewise depart to perform deeds of virtue and accumulate merit," Lu Yang said with a smile.

"Farewell, Masters, and may the World-Honored One watch over you." Cuique'er and Tang Qiaoqiao waved their hands in parting.

In his heart, Lu Yang thought that there was truly no necessity to tack on that final sentiment, for the World-Honored One was utterly incapable of bestowing any blessings upon him.

"Could it be that Little Yangzi is harboring wicked thoughts regarding this Immortal again?" The Immortal Immortal, guided by an inexplicable sixth sense arising from who knew where, abruptly interrogated.

"Not at all, not at all. Immortal, you are possessed of boundless mercy and have wrought endless goodness. Your humble servant is merely striving to learn from your example, to do good and amass merit. How could I ever speak ill of you?"

The Immortal Immortal let out a series of humphs. "I expect you would not dare to violate your conscience by slandering this Immortal!"

"Indeed, indeed."

As the two strolled leisurely along the roadside, they noted countless people clutching sugar paintings fashioned in their likeness, licking them to and fro, a sight that left the duo wearing rather peculiar expressions.

Suddenly, a man shrouded in a black cloak materialized before them, chuckling with a voice that sounded exceedingly eerie.

He whirled around, brandishing a pitch-black long needle in his hand, his eyes burning with fanatical fervor as he erupted into a maniacal laughter that left Lu Yang and his companion entirely bewildered.

"The upheaval of Kaihuang City shall commence with the two of you! If you must blame something, blame your own wretched fortune!"

With those words, the cloaked man raised the long needle and thrust it viciously toward Meng Jingzhou’s arm!

*Snap—*

The long needle struck Meng Jingzhou’s arm and snapped cleanly into two halves.

The scene fell into a dead silence.

The cloaked man stared at the severed needle, then shifted his gaze to Meng Jingzhou, before spinning on his heel to flee as fast as his legs could carry him.

With a swift chop of his palm, Meng Jingzhou sent the cloaked man’s body tilting violently, crashing heavily onto the earth.

"What manner of contraption is this?" Meng Jingzhou held the broken half of the long needle, still unable to make sense of the situation.

"Immortal, can you discern what this might be?"

"Let this Immortal have a look. Hmm, this long needle is dipped in venom, and its composition is rather intricate. It appears designed to plunge whoever is pricked into a state of cognitive delirium, causing them to lose all reason and bite anyone they see. Those bitten will subsequently manifest the exact same symptoms."

Lu Yang: "..."

Why did these symptoms sound so terribly familiar? Wait a moment, was this not precisely a zombie?

Having ascertained the purpose of the long needle, Lu Yang no longer stayed his hand. He dragged the cloaked man into a secluded alleyway and immediately subjected him to a soul-search to uncover the root of the matter.

As it turned out, the abbot of a rival monastery grew envious of Kaihuang City’s prosperity and sought to exploit this occasion to sow chaos. He had dispatched agents to randomly select a few unfortunate souls on the streets, prick them with the needles, and transform them into vectors for the outbreak.

Meng Jingzhou had happened to be the very first unfortunate soul.

"Well then, let us report this matter to Master Duanchen and leave him to handle it himself," Lu Yang remarked, stretching his limbs. Since it was an affair directed against Kaihuang City, it was only natural to apprise Master Duanchen, and any subsequent complications would no longer be their concern.

"It seems the heavens themselves are favoring us; today truly is an auspicious day for performing good deeds and amassing merit," Meng Jingzhou remarked with great relish, eliciting a nod of agreement from Lu Yang. Such an act was equivalent to preserving the lives of the entire city's populace, a deed of monumental merit.

Yet upon their return journey to Kaihuang Temple, the two chanced upon a debauched monk of the Joyous Buddha sect, violently abducting a maiden of good family to install her as his twenty-sixth concubine; they chanced upon a cultivator whose lifespan was drawing to its close, who, viewing existence as utterly hopeless, sought to self-detonate; they chanced upon a cultivator who had mastered the arts of hypnosis and intended to inaugurate a grand, unclad assembly; they chanced upon an insect-cultivator who had suffered a backlash from his insect king, nearly triggering a catastrophic plague of pests; they chanced upon an evil cultivator intent on unleashing a pestilence to ravage the mortal realm; they chanced upon a cultivator who had captured the offspring of a beast king, poised to incite a beast tide...

Before long, a length of hemp rope had materialized in Lu Yang’s grasp, behind which walked one cultivator after another, bound in a neat row, all trailing submissively in Lu Yang's wake.

Master Duanchen sat enthroned at the portal of the temple, gazing upon the ceaseless torrent of pilgrims. His face was wreathed in smiles and his heart was filled with boundless contentment; he felt increasingly vindicated in his prior judgment that inviting Lu Yang and his companion to Kaihuang City had been an supremely correct decision.

He harbored a firm conviction that once the Bathing Buddha Festival concluded, he would take a momentous stride toward the fulfillment of his grand vows.

"Honored patrons, for what reason have you returned?" Master Duanchen, upon learning of the duo's return, expressed a measure of astonishment and ventured forth to greet them.

It was then that he beheld Lu Yang and his companion leading a small multitude of individuals by a leash.

"These individuals are...?"

Lu Yang transferred the rope into Master Duanchen’s hands and spoke with a completely expressionless countenance: "The fruits of performing good deeds and amassing merit."

"Furthermore, the public security of your Kaihuang City is truly atrocious."