Chapter 286: Fahui

For the past five years, Li Xuanling had traveled throughout Xu Country. After the War of the Purple Mansions and Compassion, all major and minor powers in Xu Country were severely weakened and focused on recovery. In addition, the Xiuyue Sect intervened in Xu territory after the war, establishing rules and regulating rogue cultivators. As a result, the region became peaceful and calm, and the common people's lives were relatively good. Though not as prosperous as the lands governed by the Li family, it was still considered a decent way of life.

After establishing connections in Xu Country and completing his collection of various spiritual energy cultivation methods, Li Xuanling crossed into Zhao Country this year to assess its conditions. He found Shortchen Village looking withered and barren, and expected the common people to be full of complaints. To his surprise, however, the tenant farmers appeared ecstatic. Astonished, he looked down at them and softly inquired, "How do I get to Luoxia Mountain?"

Although the northern regions had largely become Buddhist territory, some Taoist traditions and immortal cultivators still existed there, living in seclusion in the mountains and no longer engaging with the secular world. Most of these hermits had significant backgrounds, so no one dared to disturb them. Luoxia Mountain was one such place, where many northern immortal cultivators were active. Li Xuanling planned to visit and observe how their practices differed from the Purple Mansion Golden Core path prevalent in the south.

"Luoxia Mountain?" The people below exchanged confused glances. Li Xuanling shook his head, about to fly off on the wind, when he suddenly looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Standing on the field path was a shirtless man. His body was lean, reddish, and powerfully muscled with clear definition. He held his hands together in a prayer gesture, his eyes fixed intently on Li Xuanling, and spoke in a deep voice: "May I ask which path fellow cultivator you are? Your face is quite unfamiliar. This humble monk, Fahui of Shortchen Temple, offers his greetings!"

"I've run into the real deal..." Li Xuanling felt an instant wave of awkwardness. He wanted to speak but feared revealing his origins, so he simply nodded and was about to fly away on the wind. Unexpectedly, the monk roared, "Hmph! I knew there was something wrong with you, evil cultist!"

Monk Fahui took a great stride, leaping into the air from the field path like a soaring eagle. He raised his fist and struck at Li Xuanling. Li Xuanling quickly conjured the wind, his heart pounding in fear. He thought to himself, "Is this man mad? Why is he suddenly going crazy for no reason?"

At that moment, he couldn't care less about right or wrong or cause and effect. He quickly formed hand seals to conjure a magic shield, while one hand reached for the magic sword at his waist. His true essence flowed like water as he shouted, "We have no grievance, monk! What's wrong with you?"

The monk's eyes bulged in anger, his fists like iron, pounding against the magic shield with loud thuds. Li Xuanling drew his magic sword, poised to strike. Fahui kicked the magic shield, using the force to leap into the air, dodging Li Xuanling's sword, then descended upon him like a hawk.

Li Xuanling felt his face sting from the abrasive wind. He raised his magic sword to block, and the sword radiated a hazy gray spiritual light. To his surprise, Monk Fahui, with his body of steel and iron, actually grabbed the sword with his bare hands. He forcibly restrained the magic sword and tried to grasp Li Xuanling's wrist.

"Hmph!" Seeing Fahui's immense physical strength, Li Xuanling dared not let him get a grip, nor did he want to abandon his magic sword and lose his primary weapon. He channeled a spell, aiming it at the monk's grasping hand, while simultaneously activating his magic sword with full power, unleashing waves of gray-black sword light to force him back.

Fahui was momentarily hindered by the spell. He crushed it with one palm, but his other hand was already in considerable pain, the golden light on it showing faint cracks. Fahui thought to himself, "For some reason, as soon as I saw this person, I found him hateful and felt an uncontrollable rage. However, this magic sword is quite sharp; if I hold it any longer, it might damage my Dharma body. I can't keep holding it like this!" So he powerfully punched Li Xuanling's protective shield again, producing a loud boom, then released the magic sword and, using the impact, leaped into the air once more.

Li Xuanling had spent the past five years traveling Xu Country, engaging in many battles, killing both demons and people, and thus accumulating rich experience. However, this was his first encounter with a Buddhist cultivator, and he had been caught off guard by the barrage of attacks. Given a moment to breathe, he immediately realized, "This person probably can't fly on the wind; he's merely using my force to stay airborne. I don't need to get entangled in a fight with him!" So he didn't pursue, immediately putting distance between them. Fahui roared in anger, struggling to launch himself and reaching out, but ultimately, with no leverage in the air, he fell back to the ground like a clumsy bear, landing with a loud thud.

"Hmph! Heretics who mislead people can all be killed!" Fahui was merely a monk, unable even to fly on the wind. Li Xuanling increased his altitude, leaving Fahui to glare at him from the ground. Li Xuanling, having been inexplicably beaten, was both surprised and enraged. He cursed, "I was just asking for directions! How is that misleading people?"

Before achieving the rank of Dharma Master, Buddhist cultivators are mortals in physical bodies, yet Fahui possessed profound cultivation; his two fists had broken Li Xuanling's magic shield. From his elevated position, Li Xuanling could have controlled his magic sword to attack, but considering Shortchen Temple was a local power, he didn't dare to act. The monk below continued to curse and yell, "You use illusions, isn't that misleading people? Your crooked path, has it ever guided anyone to the Pure Land? You only seek..."

While Fahui was still shouting, Li Xuanling ignored him. He saw figures descending from the distant mountain temple and knew he couldn't waste any more time. He merely sneered, "Nonsense! What Pure Land? It's just sugar-coating cannibalism, self-deception!" Fahui's eyes bulged, but Li Xuanling was already drifting away on the wind. The monk, however, remained rooted to the spot, roaring like thunder until a group of monks arrived by his side, at which point he slowly quieted down, his eyes still glaring in the direction Li Xuanling had departed.

The surrounding monks gently advised and consoled him for a long time. Then, an old monk stepped forward, dressed in gray robes, holding a string of crystal-clear beads, and said with a smile, "Fahui, your destined opportunity has arrived!"

"Abbot." Fahui responded, a look of surprise on his face, asking, "What do you mean by that?"

The old monk nodded, looking overjoyed, and eagerly said, "You've been clever since childhood and your cultivation has progressed remarkably fast. You possess the deepest wisdom roots in our temple, just a step away from becoming a Dharma Master. I inquired about your fortune at the Grand Temple long ago, and now it seems your opportunity has truly arrived!"

"How so?" As it concerned his path of cultivation, Fahui, upon hearing this news, immediately shifted his attention, overjoyed, and asked in a low voice.

The old monk stroked his grizzled beard and replied, "I crossed three mountains to seek wisdom. I explained the situation in detail to Compassion, who sat in the senior position. He replied: 'This person's previous life was that of a fisherman who enjoyed snake soup. Every year he fished, until he met a storm and was swallowed by a great whale.'"

"In this life, he was fortunate enough to be reborn as a human. A Taoist, who rides on the wind with spiritual power as vast as rivers, is in fact a serpent-dragon incarnate. If you can convert this person and eliminate a harm to the people, you can cultivate a Pure Land within your abdomen and achieve the rank of Dharma Master.'"

Fahui clapped his hands repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with divine light, and chuckled, "It should be so! It should be so! No wonder I felt such uncontrollable rage upon seeing this person; it was all due to destiny and karmic connections."

The old monk laughed heartily and continued, "Then I asked: 'Is there an opportunity to achieve the rank of Compassion?'"

Fahui's eyes immediately widened. He licked his lips, staring intently at the abbot, and eagerly asked, "How did the venerable one reply?"

The old monk deliberately held back the answer. Fahui, already short-tempered, had eyes turning red as he exclaimed, "Abbot! Stop teasing me and tell me quickly!"

"Hahahaha." The old monk let out a long laugh and said, "Compassion calculated with his fingers, appearing to listen for a long time, then finally replied: 'You should still seek it from that great whale. If you do not overcome this tribulation, you will still be buried in the belly of the whale-dragon.'"

Everyone exchanged glances, deep in thought, and began to discuss amongst themselves. Fahui paused, then took the magic artifact handed to him by a fellow disciple beside him, and said fiercely, "No matter what the tribulation, I will go convert this evil cultist and achieve the rank of Dharma Master!"

After speaking, Fahui bowed deeply to the old monk, then cupped his hands to his fellow disciples, and declared loudly, "Fortunately, that person mentioned he was going to Luoxia Mountain, so I won't lose his trail. Fahui departs!"

With legs moving like flying, he sped away, leaving a trail of dust. The remaining disciples gathered around the abbot, and one of them spoke, "Senior Brother Fahui practices the Wrathful Gaze technique, and he's on the verge of a breakthrough. If he can catch that person by surprise, he can still kill him."

"Indeed!" Everyone discussed eagerly. Only the old monk, having dropped his smile, tremblingly turned back and murmured, "Opportunity is also tribulation... there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Fahui of Shortchen Temple had already set his sights on Li Xuanling. Meanwhile, Li Xuanling continued flying on the wind, soaring over countless fields below. He was secretly alarmed, thinking to himself, "Zhao Country is filled with Buddhist cultivators, and if they're all this crazy, then this place is far too dangerous. I don't even know where Luoxia Mountain is, and it's not essential that I go there. I've been out for several months now, so perhaps I should just conclude my journey here and return."

So he changed direction and flew south. It was already late. Li Xuanling looked down at the stretches of gray-yellow land beneath him in the night. Tenant farmers sat around bonfires, listening to monks tell stories of suffering in this life and becoming a Mahā-figure in the next. Li Xuanling silently concealed his presence, listening to the mortal monks speak at length with faces full of yearning.

Although these tenant farmers were skeletal, covered in scars and dust, their eyes shone brightly with hope and yearning. Li Xuanling stood silently in the night for a while, listening to these people cheer, leap for joy, and prostrate themselves in devotion, his heart filled with an ineffable mix of emotions.

"Is the Pure Land of Desires and the theory of reincarnation true or false? Who is right and who is wrong among immortals, demons, and Buddhists? This world is insidious and corrupt, truly ineffable."

Time on the lake was always as calm as water. The deep-blue lake water rippled, and a chill gradually set in. Xiao Xian once again arrived at Lijing Town with a few servants from his clan, sitting beneath the grand hall with a look of apprehension.

"Brother Xiao!" Li Yuanping, his face pale, smiled as he sat at the head of the hall, looking down at Xiao Xian and chuckled, "It's been months since we last met, and your cultivation has grown even further!"

Xiao Xian's talent was mediocre; he had only just broken through to the third stage of Fetal Breathing. Li Yuanping's words were naturally flattery, and Xiao Xian simply smiled in response. He sat at the lower end for a while, unsure how to begin, when Li Yuanping proactively spoke, "May I ask why Brother Xiao Xian has come this time?"

Xiao Xian nodded slightly, organizing his thoughts, and said respectfully, "Xiao Xian is eighteen this year, and my family is preparing to choose a wife for me."

Xiao Xian had only said these two sentences when Li Yuanping immediately understood. He stroked his chin, thinking to himself, "Qingxiao is already thirteen or fourteen. The Yushan lineage probably wants to settle this matter first, fearing complications later."

Xiao Xian paused, his expression sincere, and continued, "Perhaps you already know, Young Master, that I have admired Miss Qingxiao for a long time, and I genuinely wish to marry her. I wonder if you could convey a message for me, to ascertain the intentions of the clan elders and the young lady herself... If this matter is feasible, I will then have my family elders formally propose the engagement."

Li Yuanping caressed the jade cup in his hand. Marriages between noble families were naturally not proposed rashly. Most would first ask someone to inquire and confirm acceptance before formally proposing with a wild goose. Xiao Xian was formally initiating this process. After all, for noble families, an open and formal refusal would be a blatant humiliation. Giving advance notice prevents both parties from awkwardness and distress, ensuring that a failed marriage alliance doesn't turn into enmity.

Li Yuanping simply nodded, put down his teacup, and said solemnly, "Brother Xiao Xian has helped me greatly. I will certainly not stand idly by in this matter. I will inquire thoroughly for you and speak many good words. Brother, just await my good news."

Xiao Xian's efforts were all for this very promise. Seeing Li Yuanping agree without making any demands, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his face showing gratitude, and replied, "Thank you, Young Master!"

Li Yuanping smiled, and the two chatted casually for a while. Li Yuanping suddenly remembered something and asked, "Before the new year, a demonic cultivator named Murong Xia passed through my territory. He was quite tyrannical. I wonder how he is now?"

"Murong Xia?" Xiao Xian thought for a moment and replied, "Is it the Joyful Demon who cultivates human heads in his belly? I've heard quite a bit about him as well."

"Precisely." Seeing Li Yuanping confirm, Xiao Xian became more animated and replied, "This person passed through your territory and headed straight south. He also devoured hundreds of people in my territory, seemingly distributing his 'favors' evenly, eating as he went. He claims they all went to enjoy themselves in his belly."

Li Yuanping fell silent, his heart stirring slightly as he inquired, "My brother mentioned this person. From your perspective, is this 'Pure Land of Desires' real or fake?"

Xiao Xian merely sneered and replied, "I don't know if it's real or fake, but I'd rather die than enter it. Even if it were real, entering it would only mean being controlled by someone else, so what good would enjoyment be then?"

He paused, then gave a sarcastic smile and replied, "As for Murong Xia, rumor has it that he will achieve Mahā status after devouring exactly 16,756 people. He must have quite an extraordinary background, I suppose. He's followed by a host of Dharma Masters and Compassions, and my family had to respectfully see him off."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "I thought he was some great Dharma Manifestation figure, but he deliberately bypassed the Xiuyue Sect's territory. I reckon he was afraid, wasn't he?"

Li Yuanping realized, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Is it the Sword Immortal, Master Shangyuan? He's both a Sword Immortal and at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm. Murong Xia probably wouldn't dare to provoke him."

Xiao Xian nodded and replied, "Precisely. As long as a Golden Core cultivator doesn't appear, Master Shangyuan is the strongest in this region. The fact that the vast land of Xu Country is under the Xiuyue Sect's control proves it. And Master Shangyuan cares for the common people and noble families. If Murong Xia dared to show off his methods there and angered him, a few Compassions wouldn't be enough to protect him."

The two chatted in detail for a while, and Xiao Xian grew restless. Seeing this, Li Yuanping chuckled and said softly, "Please wait a moment, brother. I'll go up the mountain and ask for you."