[Slayed a Wen Xian Realm creature, gained fifteen years of Dao Cultivation.]
[Slayed a Wen Xian Realm creature, gained ten years of Dao Cultivation.]
Two cold notification sounds rang out consecutively in her mind.
Jiang Yuechu sheathed her blade and shook her head.
Human Race Martial Artists naturally cultivate much faster than Demons.
For the Human Race, perhaps this was a good thing.
But for her income, it was genuinely unfriendly.
Two Wen Xian Realms combined were worth less than a single Demon.
The courtyard was silent.
Only the two headless corpses were still gurgling blood outwards.
Chen Tong and the others were completely stunned.
No... they thought that at most, she would just intimidate the other party, teach them a lesson, subdue the prestige of Baosha Temple, and that would be the end of it.
But... but she actually killed them?!
How could she dare to do that!!!
They looked at Jiang Yuechu, wanting an explanation.
Jiang Yuechu showed no intention of explaining anything.
From the very beginning, there were only two choices regarding this matter.
Either accept the other party's benefits, leave, and turn a blind eye.
Or, directly slay the two men.
There was never a third option.
Was it possible that if she let these two go, they wouldn't resent her?
Would Baosha Temple not investigate this matter?
She would offend them either way.
Then she might as well just kill them.
Life is short. She would not bully others, but she would absolutely not allow others to bully her even slightly.
Since she possessed this strength and had the Golden Finger supporting her, she ought to live with that degree of arrogance!
It was like using a cheat in a game.
Either you cheat boldly.
Or you don't cheat at all.
Being timid, acting cautiously—what's the point of cheating then!
Without even glancing at the corpses on the ground, she walked straight up to County Magistrate Qian, who was slumped on the floor, frowned, and kicked his large, fat body lightly.
"Time to wake up."
County Magistrate Qian remained motionless, with even a thread of drool trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"..."
"This matter has nothing to do with you. If people from Precious Temple come asking, just tell them the truth."
Seeing that he couldn't keep pretending, County Magistrate Qian reluctantly woke up.
He got up slightly disheveled, straightened his robes, and secretly glanced at the two corpses again, his eyelids twitching wildly.
Jiang Yuechu frowned and asked calmly, "Where is that Black Bear now?"
"On... still on the mountain..."
"Still there?"
Since the people from Precious Temple were dead, County Magistrate Qian felt relieved of his burden and started cursing directly: "My Lady! You don't know the half of it! These bald donkeys arrived in Hechuan County yesterday. I thought the Black Bear would show some restraint, but what happened?"
"They went up the mountain, but they immediately came back down!"
"When I went to ask, what did they say? They claimed that the Bear Demon was originally a mountain-guarding Spirit Beast of their temple, and to take it back, they needed to set up an altar, perform rituals, fast, and bathe, telling me to wait!"
"I think they are just hoping that blind bear eats a few more people! It's as if they gain some immense advantage for every extra day it eats!"
"..."
Jiang Yuechu understood.
If she had accepted the money and left, this Black Bear would likely have remained here, "preaching the Dao" for them for quite some time.
"Which mountain?"
"North... North Mountain! It's about ten miles outside the north of the city! There was a temple on the mountain years ago, but it's long since dilapidated. That Blind Bear is currently occupying that temple as an Immortal Cave!"
Jiang Yuechu nodded and casually pointed at the two men closest to the corpses.
"You two, dispose of the bodies. The rest of you, follow me up the mountain."
Having spoken, she turned and left.
"Yes!"
The crowd dared not hesitate further, scrambling and crawling to follow her.
The monk No Abstinence bent down, picked up the wine gourd that had fallen to the ground, dusted it off, and muttered softly, "Amitabha, those who kill and burn gain gold belts, those who mend roads and bridges end up without corpses... Let's go, let's go, off to slay Demons and eliminate evil."
Soon, the courtyard, which had just been crowded with people, was left with only Liu Ke still standing in place.
A burning sense of shame made his face flush hot.
He prided himself on being from a reputable orthodox sect and harboring chivalrous righteousness.
But when facing a behemoth like Precious Temple, what did he do besides merely moving his lips?
"Why are you still standing here stunned?"
A clear, cold voice came from the courtyard entrance, tinged with lazy impatience.
Liu Ke trembled violently, as if waking from a great dream, and looked up.
At the courtyard entrance, the girl who had left and returned was leaning against the door frame, watching him leisurely.
"Still standing here acting as a door guardian?" She raised an eyebrow. "Your face keeps turning red and white. Are you planning to put on a show for me?"
"I..."
The girl impatiently clicked her tongue.
"Overly sensitive."
"Hurry up and follow."
Liu Ke took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling violently several times.
Finally, he slowly lowered his proud head.
"Yes."
...North Mountain, dilapidated temple.
In the open space in front of the temple, hundreds of people were kneeling in a dense crowd.
Above them, a massive Black Bear sat upright like a human, wearing a tattered Kasaya ripped off from who knows where, palms pressed together in a solemn, sacred posture.
"What is suffering?"
"Hunger in the belly is suffering! Lack of clothing is suffering! Seeking yet failing to obtain is suffering upon suffering!"
The Black Bear spoke human words, its voice booming like a bell, echoing through the mountains.
"But do you know where this suffering comes from?"
Everyone below the stage shook their heads blankly.
"Foolish children! Oh, foolish children!"
Great Master Black Bear shook his head with deep sorrow, "This suffering comes from your Greed, Anger, and Delusion! You covet the rice and meat of the Mortal World, you resent the wealth of others, and you are obsessed with the illusory pleasures of the secular world!"
"Let go! You must let go!"
"As long as you abandon external possessions, devote yourselves to me, and offer daily worship, This Seat... this poor monk will personally deliver you to rebirth in the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss, where you shall enjoy eternal peace!"
His speech was incoherent and utter nonsense.
Yet the foolish men and women below the stage listened raptly, kowtowing repeatedly like pounding garlic.
"The Great Master is right!"
"I understand! I understand!"
Seeing this scene below the stage, the Black Bear grew increasingly smug, pretended to speak a few more profound words, and then waved its paw.
"That is all for today. You may all disperse. Remember to come early tomorrow, lest you delay your cultivation."
The crowd thanked him profusely and dispersed, taking many reluctant backward glances.
Only when everyone had left did the Black Bear slowly stand up, rip off the cumbersome, tattered Kasaya, and swagger back into the temple's rear hall.
In the rear hall, a Meditation Room had been tidied spotlessly clean.
He plopped down onto the soft bed, letting out a long sigh of comfort.
"Damn it, Big Brother still has the smarts."
He grabbed a piece of meat from the table—it was impossible to tell what kind of creature it came from—stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled incoherently.
Thinking back, when he was a Demon in the mountains, life was miserable.
Not only did he have to fight other Demons for territory and Blood Food, but he also had to live in constant fear that the mad dogs of the Demon Suppression Division would show up on the mountain one day.
Unlike now.
Clad in a Kasaya, waving the banner of Baosha Temple, all he had to do was flap his gums and spout some nonsense here, and endless offerings would be delivered right to his door.
Even when he ate people, those bald donkeys from Baosha Temple would help him clean up the mess afterward.
Not even an Immortal would trade places with him on a day like this!
"Hmm... I'll stay for another seven or eight days, dry up all the resources around here, and then head back to Baosha Temple. I've eaten so much this time, it should be enough to digest for a while."
The Black Bear pondered while gnawing on the meat.
Just then.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was lightly knocked upon.
"Great Master."
"Come in."
A skinny old man pushed the door open and entered. He was the one who had kowtowed the loudest among the crowd earlier.
"Great Master, today's lesson..."
"Oh."
The Black Bear seemed to just remember and said casually, "Let the young bride who just married into Wang Mazi's family come."
The so-called lesson meant that he would personally enlighten the Human Race women, purify their mortal bodies, and then devour their flesh and blood.
"This..." The old man showed a hint of difficulty on his face. "Great Master, that woman from Wang Mazi's family... was already... consecrated by you yesterday..."
"Hmm?"
The Black Bear frowned.
The old man shivered in fright and quickly corrected himself: "However! However, Great Master, don't worry! That woman has a younger sister who is even more beautiful than her! This old servant will go fetch her and have her delivered to you immediately!"
"Go."
The Black Bear waved his hand impatiently.
The old man retreated, scrambling and crawling, as if granted a great pardon.
Inside the Meditation Room, only the Black Bear remained alone.
He stuck out his crimson tongue, licked the grease from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with lewdness.