Ch 115: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Since that day, perhaps because Xu Xuan was intentionally avoiding Bai Suzhen, the two did not encounter each other for a long time. Bai Suzhen felt a weight lifted from her heart, and she began to faintly understand what Jiang Lin wanted her and Biluo to experience by walking through the human world.

She said to Biluo, “I want to go back to Donghua Mountain.”

Biluo’s eyes lit up. “I want to go back too. Even though the human world is lively, I still like Donghua Mountain the best.”

After all, it was the place where she had spent so many years growing up.

They were planning to leave soon when an unexpected guest came to their door—a monk draped in a kasaya.

The monk glared at the two demons. “Why have you left your mountain to bring harm to the human world?”

Right from the start, he accused them with such a grave charge. Biluo, with her fiery temper, was not pleased. “Old monk, how can you speak so harshly? Who is harming the human world?”

The monk replied, “That doctor at Huichun Hall, Xu Xuan, has recently fallen ill. With one glance, I saw that his misfortune is linked to the karma between him and you, demons.”

His gaze was fixed on Bai Suzhen.

Bai Suzhen was taken aback and defended herself, “Monk, you see the karma between us and him, and you immediately conclude that I harmed him? Isn’t that too presumptuous?”

She explained, “The karma between us exists because we were close friends in a past life.”

The monk was momentarily stunned.

Biluo mocked him, “Old monk, your cultivation is lacking, yet you come here looking for trouble?”

“And besides, you keep calling us ‘demons.’ Aren’t monks supposed to avoid creating negative karma with their words?” Biluo spat at him. “What if I called you a bald donkey? Would you like that?”

The monk’s face flushed with anger. “You demon… how rude!”

Biluo retorted, “Isn’t it because you’re the bald donkey standing in front of us? We sisters speak according to the person we’re facing.”

Unable to win the argument, the monk prepared to strike.

Bai Suzhen and Biluo had never encountered such an unreasonable person before, especially not a monk.

With a flash of green light, a long sword appeared in Biluo’s hand. Just as she was about to engage, a hand suddenly reached out from the side to stop her.

The hand was pale as jade, with long, elegant fingers—a hand that belonged to someone accustomed to luxury and beauty.

Biluo was startled but then broke into a joyful smile. “Brother Jiang Lin! What are you doing here?”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “I’ve recently visited Jin Guang Temple and learned a few things.”

At that moment, the monk Fahai’s golden bowl artifact came crashing down. Jiang Lin merely flicked his sleeve, and a green light shot out from within, striking the golden bowl in midair.

In just an instant, Fahai realized that his connection to the golden bowl had been severed.

He looked at Jiang Lin in shock, unable to gauge his depth. His artifact, which was supposed to suppress demons, fell to the ground with a clear ring, its divine light gone, now resembling the most ordinary of objects.

“Who are you?” Fahai’s tone became a bit more respectful.

Jiang Lin chuckled. “You bully my two sisters, yet you don’t know who I am?”

Sisters?

Fahai was startled. Could these two snake demons actually have such a powerful ally?

Had he known this earlier, he would never have acted rashly.

But… something didn’t add up.

Fahai coldly replied, “These two demons have bewitched a mortal and disturbed the mind of Doctor Xu. They’ve committed a grave offense in the human world. Someone of your cultivation, surely you must know right from wrong.”

Jiang Lin responded calmly, “Don’t try to flatter me, it won’t work.”

“If I were as domineering as you claim, do you think you’d still have the chance to stand here and spout your nonsense?”

Seeing Fahai’s face suddenly change, Jiang Lin continued, his expression indifferent. “Fahai, are you truly upholding justice, or are you just ‘exorcising demons’ for your own selfish gains? Do you really think no one sees through you?”

He continued slowly, “You were originally a spiritual beast under the Buddha of the Western Paradise, but you were punished to reincarnate as a human because of your greed and indulgence.”

“You were born with a natural affinity for the Dharma and entered the monastic life at a young age. Your understanding of Buddhism was profound. At the age of ten, you regained some of your past life memories and became aware of parts of your destiny.”

“From then on, you became Master Fahai, the slayer of demons.”

Jiang Lin observed the shocked and wary expression on the old monk’s face, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “For all these years, you’ve killed and subdued countless demons and earned a lot of praise. But would you dare to swear before the Buddha that every one of those demons truly deserved to die? How many of them did you slay indiscriminately, just to quickly accumulate merit?”

At first, Fahai didn’t want to admit it, but Jiang Lin’s words were too detailed. He knew it was useless to deny it any further.

He snorted, trying to justify himself. “Humans and demons walk different paths. These demons, by coveting the human world, were doomed to die. I was merely protecting the people.”

Bai Suzhen and Biluo were both shocked by what Jiang Lin revealed.

They looked at Fahai, struggling to believe that such a wicked person could exist in the world.

To think someone would harm others’ lives for the sake of their own merit.

Biluo cursed bitterly, “You call yourself a high monk, but I think you’re more of a demon!”

“Well said,” Jiang Lin nodded approvingly.

He then addressed Fahai, “Fahai, you’ve been deceiving yourself for so long. Why not take a look back at yourself?”

He raised his hand, and a bright mirror appeared in front of Fahai.

“Open your eyes and look at your soul in the mirror.”

Fahai, almost involuntarily, looked into the mirror.

The old monk in the mirror wore a golden-red kasaya and held a Zen staff, his appearance supposed to be benevolent and righteous.

But the eyes of the monk in the mirror were blood-red, and his expression was filled with madness.

Fahai was stunned.

In his ears was Jiang Lin’s cold voice, revealing the truth that Fahai was unwilling to face: “All you think about day and night is how to slay more demons, accumulate more merit for yourself, and return to the Western Paradise as soon as possible. But Fahai, have you ever really looked at yourself?”

“You’ve fallen into madness.”

Fahai suddenly turned his head, his eyes blood-red, glaring at Jiang Lin. “No! You’re just trying to scare me!”

Jiang Lin simply gazed at him with an indifferent expression.

That look…

That look!

Fahai couldn’t help but recall that when he was still in the Great Western Paradise, the Buddhas and Arhats had looked at him with the same expression.

Although Jiang Lin’s expression was cold and the Arhats’ expressions were compassionate, their eyes were the same—looking down on him as if he were nothing more than a speck of dust.

“You’re just trying to intimidate me!” Fahai laughed maniacally, raising his Zen staff. “I will suppress you, along with these two snake demons! You monsters deserve to be suppressed and killed; only then will you stop spouting nonsense!”

“Stubborn fool!” Jiang Lin snorted coldly, just about to raise his hand.

However, someone else was faster.

From behind Fahai, someone suddenly appeared and threw a punch straight at the old monk’s face.

Fahai was sent flying by the punch, crashing into a wall, completely knocked out.

The world fell silent.

Jiang Lin: “…”

Zong Yu glanced over, noticing Jiang Lin’s expression, and quickly said, “I put a barrier on the wall beforehand! Look, nothing’s broken!”

Biluo popped out with a grin, “Brother Zong Yu’s here too? Wherever Brother Jiang Lin is, you’re sure to be there.”

Zong Yu pointed at the unconscious Fahai on the ground. “What do we do with this old monk?”

Jiang Lin replied, “Tie him up and throw him back to Jin Guang Temple. Tell them this monk has gone mad, and let them handle the rest.”

Biluo clapped her hands, “That’s a great idea!”

Bai Suzhen and Biluo took Fahai to Jin Guang Temple, informed them that Fahai had gone mad, and mentioned how he had crazily suppressed many innocent demons over the years.

As for how Jin Guang Temple would deal with him, they didn’t concern themselves with it.

Finally, Bai Suzhen went to visit Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan was both surprised and happy to see Bai Suzhen, with a hint of hopeful anticipation.

However, Bai Suzhen’s words doused his enthusiasm completely.

“I am not human, but a demon—a snake demon who has cultivated for a thousand years,” Bai Suzhen said. “And you, a thousand years ago, saved my life, and we became the closest of friends.”

Xu Xuan looked completely puzzled, “Miss Bai, please stop joking. Even if you’re going to reject me, at least come up with a better reason.”

Bai Suzhen shook her head. “It’s not a lie. You must have read Xu Xuan’s Travel Notes?”

Xu Xuan was stunned, surprised, “You don’t mean to say…”

Bai Suzhen nodded. “You are the reincarnation of Xu Xuan, and I am the white snake mentioned in his travel notes.”

She didn’t give Xu Xuan a chance to question her. Considering that he was still recovering, she didn’t transform into her original form. Instead, she raised one hand, and with a thought, a layer of fine white scales appeared on her smooth skin.

But even this was enough to terrify Xu Xuan.

He looked at Bai Suzhen with shock and fear, an expression that saddened her.

She retracted the scales and calmly said, “I came to say goodbye.”

Xu Xuan, avoiding her gaze, looked down.

His evasive stance made Bai Suzhen feel a bit hurt, but also relieved. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of clinging to you. Finding you was just a way to see how an old friend was doing. Seeing that you’re doing well now puts my heart at ease. I’ll leave here and return to the mountains to focus on my cultivation.”

After she finished speaking, she turned to leave.

As she reached the door, she heard a voice behind her say, “I’m sorry.”

“Goodbye, Miss Bai.”

Bai Suzhen smiled. “Goodbye.”

xxx

Bai Suzhen and Biluo returned to Donghua Mountain.

It was time for Jiang Lin to say goodbye to them too.

“Leaving?” Biluo asked, confused. “Is Brother Jiang Lin going on a trip?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “I’m going somewhere far away, a place I won’t return from.”

Biluo didn’t quite understand. “What kind of place is that, where you won’t be coming back?”

Jiang Lin smiled. “It’s a distance that spans between heaven and earth.”

Bai Suzhen and Biluo didn’t understand such a distance, but they grasped the meaning in Jiang Lin’s words.

Biluo said sadly, “Then we won’t be able to see you anymore?”

Jiang Lin said, “You two have already transformed into powerful beings, and you have each other for support. I have no worries.”

No worries, so he could leave without any ties.

Bai Suzhen simply asked, “Do you have to go?”

Jiang Lin nodded. “I have to go.”

“Then go,” Bai Suzhen said, holding back tears, smiling. “My benefactor once told me, ‘Do whatever you want, whenever you want.'”

“Then, Suzhen, Biluo, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”