Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 51
>Chapter Title: Dialectic
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Chapter 51: Dialectic
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> Li Huowang looked up at the Buddha. Because it was backlit by the moon, he couldn't see the faces of these enormous Buddhas.
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> He could only see the palms wriggling like tentacles behind their backs, along with the massive dark heads. He could also smell the bizarre odor of blood and incense mixed together on their bodies.
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> Li Huowang took a few steps back. After looking around and confirming that he was truly alone here, he shook his head at the Buddha in front of him.
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> "No." The resolute Li Huowang reached back with his hand and gripped the sword hilt.
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> With a creaking sound, the enormous Buddha bent down, blocking the moonlight above Li Huowang's head. An immense pressure came bearing down.
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> Li Huowang could feel the lantern-sized eyes of the Buddha gazing at him from the darkness.
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> "Amitabha, Benefactor, you should still go. We're doing this for your own good." Unexpectedly, Jian Dun didn't attack directly but continued to persuade him calmly.
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> "If you were truly doing this for my own good, then how about letting me leave? Aren't monks supposed to be compassionate? What's wrong with letting me go?"
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> "Precisely because we monks are compassionate, we absolutely cannot let the Benefactor leave."
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> As he said this, a stone came flying over and struck the Buddha's head with a crisp clang.
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> Li Huowang and Jian Dun both turned to look in that direction, where they saw Bai Lingmiao and the others standing in the distance, holding up their luminous stones.
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> "Senior Brother Li! Run!!" More stones were thrown toward them, striking the Buddha's body before falling limply to the ground.
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> "Amitabha~ The sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore." Jian Dun's massive hands came together in a solemn clasp. His slender legs crouched slightly before kicking off powerfully.
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> With a "boom," Jian Dun's towering figure leaped into the air before crashing down like a boulder. Over a dozen trees snapped under him as his enormous form landed heavily behind Bai Lingmiao and the others.
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> Seeing the frail-bodied Bai Lingmiao standing beside that Buddha—her head not even reaching its belly—Li Huowang's expression twisted into one of savage hysteria as he shouted, "Stop!!"
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> "Boom!" As if sensing something in an instant, both the Buddha beside Li Huowang and the distant ones retreated a step in unison.
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> "Benefactor Xuanyang, we have no intention of doing anything. Please stay calm." There was now a hint of tension in Jian Dun's voice, as if he didn't want to provoke Li Huowang.
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> "Hm?" This turn of events surprised everyone. Li Huowang's single shout had actually made them comply.
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> "They're... nervous? What is there to be nervous about with an ordinary person like me?"
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> "Monks do not kill. This poor monk merely wishes to quiet them down." As Jian Dun spoke, he casually snapped off surrounding tree trunks with his giant hands and crossed them to form a crude wooden cage, trapping everyone inside.
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> After dealing with the interlopers, Jian Dun swayed back over and arrived before Li Huowang.
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> "Benefactor Xuanyang, since you refuse to return with me, how about debating with this poor monk instead?"
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> "Debating? You think you can talk me into going back?" Li Huowang stared at the palm larger than his own body, utterly baffled by what the other was up to.
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> "Indeed. Benefactor Xuanyang is a man of reason. This poor monk believes he can persuade you."
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> "Hm?" Recalling the events at Zhengde Temple, Li Huowang suddenly noticed something highly illogical.
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> Whether it was the abbot or Jian Dun before him—even though their strength far surpassed his own—they still refused to use force against him. Instead, they kept trying to trap him with deception and emotional manipulation.
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> "If they could easily resolve this with violence, why go to such lengths? Is there something special about me?" In astonishment, Li Huowang spread his arms and looked down at his utterly ordinary palms.
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> "Aside from being insane, what other trait of mine could possibly catch their interest?" Li Huowang pondered silently in his mind, completely ignoring Jian Dun's words.
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> He needed to figure out what they were afraid of. That might be his only chance to escape.
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> "Let's think backwards: if they threatened my life with force, what would happen?" Everything he'd experienced in this world flashed through Li Huowang's mind like lightning.
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> It finally stopped at the moment when the Joy God was dragged into the darkness. That had been his only true brush with death along the way, yet it had been resolved in an extremely bizarre manner.
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> Li Huowang's pupils shrank to pinpoints. "Danyangzi! They're afraid to use force against me because if I'm in mortal danger, Danyangzi—who's become something unknown—will appear! Danyangzi is actually protecting me!"
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> Realizing this, Li Huowang felt a sudden epiphany. He'd always assumed on instinct that Danyangzi sticking with him was harmful, but that clearly wasn't the case.
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> Though he'd killed him, from Danyangzi's perspective, his final disciple hadn't done anything against him—in fact, he'd even helped him "achieve the dao and become an immortal."
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> "The monks of Zhengde Temple clearly saw through this long ago, yet instead of telling me, they went to great lengths to deceive me, hoping to use the Great Universal Salvation Rite to eliminate Danyangzi once and for all."
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> "If they got rid of Danyangzi, we'd all truly be meat on the monks' chopping block." The thought of what the Zhengde Temple monks might do sent a chill down Li Huowang's spine.
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> Having pieced it together, Li Huowang looked up at Jian Dun again. This time, the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly. "You're afraid of Danyangzi? He's become a Buddha now—why would you monks still fear him?"
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> Jian Dun's expression stiffened. "Benefactor Xuanyang, this poor monk has no idea what you're talking about. Monks do not lie. I swear on the Buddha that the Great Universal Salvation Rite will eliminate Danyangzi without causing you any harm whatsoever."
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> These words only confirmed Li Huowang's suspicions further.
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> In this world, no good samaritan would ever spill the whole truth out of kindness. To learn anything valuable, he had to gather information himself and judge accordingly.
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> "I've suddenly realized that having Danyangzi around isn't so bad, after all. He is my master. It would feel wrong to just wipe him out like that." Now that he understood everything, Li Huowang felt no panic at all.
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> "Amitabha, that simply won't do. Danyangzi concerns not only you but all the common people under heaven."
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> Li Huowang looked up at Jian Dun, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "How about you say that to my master face-to-face?"
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> "What?"
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> With a "clang," Li Huowang gripped the hilt with one hand and yanked out the sword that could slice through iron like mud.
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> Seeing this, Jian Dun smiled kindly. "You think that thing can break this poor monk's Buddha body? Benefactor Xuanyang, you're truly attached to appearances."
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> "Didn't you hear what I just said? I said for you to discuss it face-to-face with Danyangzi."
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> No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Huowang pressed the longsword to his neck and slashed hard.
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> The skin parted effortlessly, and scalding blood sprayed out, instantly dyeing his Daoist robes red.
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> "Heh..." As his consciousness began to blur, Li Huowang clutched his neck and whispered softly, "Hear that? Sounds like... thunder."
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> (End of chapter)