What Did You Say?

Watching the young girl brought down and mauled by the beast pack, Wei Yuan felt for the first time what it was like to be completely powerless. It was a momentary tearing, jagged wounds—perhaps blood was flowing, or perhaps there hadn't even been time for it to flow. The young boy was also thrown down and engulfed by the beasts. Wei Yuan had long since seen his face clearly—it was himself at eleven or twelve years old. It wasn't merely the same appearance; inside and out, in substance and essence, they were identical. Like a reflection in a mirror: in that mirrored world, he too was Wei Yuan, but the two of them had experienced different worlds and walked different paths. Wei Yuan felt nothing at all toward the boy's plight. Not for any other reason, but because Wei Yuan considered fighting to the death in such a situation his duty, and refusing to abandon a companion to flee was simply what ought to be done—especially when it was Ji Liuli. Thus Wei Yuan could not feel empathy for himself, nor did he think there was anything remarkable about heroically facing death. Suppressing the turmoil churning in his heart, Wei Yuan continued to focus on fighting the monsters. In terms of overall strength, the horde of monsters far surpassed Wei Yuan, but though they were numerous, only a few could crowd in around him at a time. And against Wei Yuan's consummate close-quarters combat skill, any monster that drew near was instantly seized; in the blink of an eye, the portion of its body stripped of vitality would exceed the critical threshold, killing it outright. Wei Yuan did not seek immediate kills. Instead, he was exceedingly patient, steadily inflicting incremental damage on monster after monster. Against unharmed beasts, he focused his strikes on their locomotive organs, first whittling down their mobility, then diminishing their senses, and only then seeking an opportunity for a fatal blow. No matter how enticing an opening was, Wei Yuan refused to trade injury for injury with his foes, preferring to abandon an opportunity rather than fail to evade first. In this manner, besieged by hundreds of monsters, Wei Yuan cut down dozens of them in the blink of an eye without suffering a scratch. By now, upon the distant mountain ridge, the pack of snow beasts had slowly dispersed, leaving only two pools of blood behind. Wei Yuan acted as if he had seen nothing, concentrating wholly on dealing with the swarm of monsters before him. The little monk strolled through the air, leisurely coming above to look down upon Wei Yuan, saying slowly, "Benefactor, only because of the evils of your past life do you reap today's fruit. Do you understand now? Persist no longer in your delusion; come with this humble monk, and there may still be a chance to cleanse your sins and regain the right fruition." Under normal circumstances, most defiant souls would sneer and demand: *What crime have I committed?* Even if Wei Yuan did not say those exact words, whatever he might say, the little monk had ready-made retorts waiting for him. Yet the little monk waited and waited, only for Wei Yuan not to utter a single word or spare him a single glance, utterly absorbed in slaughtering the monsters. At this rate, so long as Wei Yuan's stamina did not give out, it was genuinely possible he would slaughter every last one of these beasts. The little monk's expression remained benevolent, but a flicker of wrath flashed in his eyes. In an unhurried tone, he spoke again: "Benefactor has committed grievous sins, yet there was originally a sliver of hope for life. But if you persist in delusion, even this humble monk will be unable to save you." Wei Yuan continued to slay monsters with his head down, ignoring the little monk's words. The little monk's expression chilled, and a layer of golden Buddhist light faintly shimmered between his brows as he said slowly, "Since Benefactor is unwilling to listen to scripture, then this humble monk also knows a little martial arts..." Right at that moment, Wei Yuan suddenly looked up and asked, "What did you say just now?" The little monk froze for a second, then proclaimed, "Benefactor, in your past and present lives you have repeatedly committed evils, amassing heavy karmic retribution and grievous sins. Today, this humble monk has come specifically to subdue you, vile beast! If you can put down the butcher's blade and turn back to shore, there is still a slim chance of survival. If not, I shall take you back to serve as a mount for all eternity, never to attain release!" Having heard him out, Wei Yuan went right back to fighting silently. He fought a while longer, until the little monk's patience was wearing thin, before finally answering: "You say I have committed grievous sins, repeatedly done evil... May I ask, Great Master... what did I do in my past life... and what have I done in this life..." Wei Yuan panted heavily, striking several times before managing to ask a phrase, then striking several more times before getting out the next. The little monk gave a cold sneer and said, "In your past life, you were..." He had barely started speaking when his expression abruptly shifted—he realized the monsters were dropping from the sky one after another! In the blink of an eye, only a dozen or so remained in the air! Only then did the little monk realize that Wei Yuan had been doing everything possible just to stall for time so he could clear away the ambushing void monsters. These monsters were not infinite in number; seeing only a dozen or so left, there were no new ones to replenish their ranks. Discovering he had been duped, the little monk was thoroughly enraged. Chanting a soft Buddhist invocation, a layer of golden light suddenly gilded all the surviving monsters. Their entire forms transformed, growing taller, larger, and far more ferocious! Buddhist light could actually empower void monsters? Wei Yuan swiftly searched his mind, but found no corresponding knowledge in his limited store of Buddhist texts. In theory, Buddhist light was the bane of all evil, insidious venom, karmic debt, and resentful energy. It was also remarkably potent against threats from the extraterrestrial void, making it one of the most effective forces in the world. Yet in this little monk's hands, Buddhist light could actually be bestowed upon void monsters, drastically enhancing their bodily functions. Once blessed with Buddhist light, these void monsters even took on a faint air of sacred solemnity. Above Wei Yuan's head, the three-faced human bust faintly surfaced once more, and this time still only one eye opened. Immediately, Wei Yuan moved like lightning, slamming a fist into a void monster. The golden light on that beast was so dense it had almost solidified into armor. Yet when Wei Yuan's fist landed, a resounding clang rang out like the tolling of an ancient bell. The armor of golden light shattered with a boom—and not just one section, but entirely into powder, shredding the void monster all over until it was covered in lacerations, gasping its last! Wei Yuan unleashed several punches in rapid succession. The armor condensed from Buddhist light proved utterly brittle beneath his fists. Not only did it shatter upon impact, but it also shredded the very void monsters it clothed, mortally wounding them in an instant. In the blink of an eye, every surviving monster was slaughtered, without a single exception. The little monk finally lost his composure, never expecting that monsters empowered and bolstered by Buddhist light would turn out so fragile, their combat effectiveness actually far inferior to before. With no time to ponder why, and seeing Wei Yuan on the verge of breaking free, the little monk immediately stripped off his kasaya and cast it over Wei Yuan's head! As the kasaya descended overhead, Wei Yuan shrank smaller and smaller, seemingly about to turn into a bug and be drawn into the vestment. Yet Wei Yuan's body fluctuated between large and small. Clearly, the kasaya's power was insufficient to bind him, let alone compress him. The little monk found it even more inconceivable; what he had brought forth was a treasure before the Buddha, so how could it fail to suppress a sin-laden vile beast? When the kasaya settled, a large bulge rose in its center, writhing rapidly, while the dharmic power within the kasaya depleted at a speed far exceeding the little monk's expectations! His complexion finally changed. Just as he moved to recall the kasaya, he heard a sudden rip from the center as a tear opened. Two hands reached out from the slit, wrenching with great force to tear the entire kasaya in two. A supreme Buddhist treasure was destroyed just like that. Wei Yuan burst out from the kasaya and threw his whole body toward the little monk. Unhurried and unflustered, the little monk chanted an incantation, and a nine-ringed monk's staff appeared in his hand. He thrust the staff straight at Wei Yuan's chest! This monk's staff was also a Buddhist treasure, indestructible and all-piercing; even divine weapons and armor would be pierced through. He jabbed with the staff, already reaching Wei Yuan's chest! The little monk fully expected Wei Yuan to retreat, parry, or dodge, for the Buddhist treasure possessed tremendous power, and with Wei Yuan's current dharma body, he could not possibly withstand it. Yet what the little monk never imagined was that Wei Yuan did not dodge or parry at all. Instead, he accelerated, throwing his whole body against the staff! The staff pierced straight through Wei Yuan's body. The engraved patterns along its shaft scraped and tore at his flesh, ripping it away to leave a gaping wound. Yet Wei Yuan's body slid forward along the shaft. In an instant he was in front of the little monk. Reaching out with both hands, he seized the monk's head directly, burying both thumbs into the monk's eye sockets! Gravely wounded, blood spraying from the corners of his eyes, mouth, and nose, Wei Yuan looked savage and ferocious. Yet his eyes were unnaturally cold and calm, devoid of the slightest ripple, so indifferent he hardly seemed human as he stared at the little monk. A look of extreme panic and terror suddenly showed on the little monk's face, but before he could even utter a scream, Wei Yuan exerted force with all ten fingers! With a loud bang, the little monk's head shattered like a melon, juices splattering everywhere.