Chapter 300: Chapter 140.2: Holy Monk (1)

In the distant desert, completely unaware that his family members were bent on revenge, Lin Shiheng continued to walk forward without any sense of urgency.

Someone beside him asked, “Master, how long do we have to walk?"

“Until someone appears who needs this poor monk’s help,”

The man asked again, “But this is a desert, how can there be any people?”

The monk, dressed in a heavy and elaborate black monk’s robe, stopped and slightly lowered his eyes, “Why can’t there be people in the desert?”

“We’ve been walking for 3 hours, and it’s getting dark. So, there is no one here.”

“Be patient and calm, Benefactor.”

(TNote: Benefactor/shTzhu = term used by a monk to address a layperson)

“I’m carrying your staff and your qin, of course you can be patient and calm. What about me?!”

Lin Shiheng checked his body and looked at the person in front of him, who was carrying a large bag and was gritting their teeth while looking at him. His face was as white as jade, and he remained calm and indifferent.

“I am here to help you, Benefactor.”

“If you want to help me, why don’t you recite some sutras instead of making me carry your luggage?”

Despite carrying the bags, the person had a handsome appearance, with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry-like eyes. His nose was straight and his lips were thin, a classic handsome look.

He wasn’t a criminal or a bad person who was being forced to carry luggage, but rather the second young master of the Hu Clan, which was quite famous in the Jianghu.

This Young Master Hu was fond of standing up for justice and had a curious nature. When he heard that there was an eminent monk in the Jianghu who could help convert evildoers and answer the world’s mysteries, he eagerly came over.

He had a question and wanted the monk to help him answer it.

When he met Master Shiheng, the monk looked him up and down. Before he could say why he was here, he was instead asked to be Lin Shiheng’s attendant for a month.

He was the second young master of the Hu clan, and he had to be a follower?

The young master didn’t even think about it, he just said, “Okay, I will do it!”

Originally, he thought that by following Master Shiheng, he would witness how he punished evil and promoted good, and converted evildoers. But after following him for so long, they spent most of their days walking and carrying a heavy load. If they encountered any wild beasts along the way, the monk didn’t offer to help, but instead sat on the side and watched as Young Master Hu punched tigers and kicked wolves.

The first time Young Master Hu killed a tiger, he looked at Lin Shiheng, who was sitting quietly and meditating on the side, and asked, “Master, I just killed a living creature in front of you. Aren’t you angry?”

The monk recited a Buddhist chant, and in the sunshine, his saintly expression on his white, jade-like face almost overflowed.

“All things in the world have their own fate. If it’s their time to die, why should I interfere?”

It sounded reasonable.

Young Master Hu had never met any monks from the Shaolin Temple before, so he half-believed and half-doubted the answer he received.

However, he still believed in Master Shiheng’s abilities.

After all, he had converted one of the notorious “Five Evil Tigers” of the Jianghu to the path of righteousness.

These Five Evil Tigers, relying on their high martial arts skills, have done nothing but evil. It is not that no martial artists have ever tried to round them up, but unfortunately, they were too sneaky. When they saw someone with lower martial arts skills than themselves, they would attack them, and when they saw someone with higher martial arts skills than themselves, they would run away. Astonishingly, they remained arrogant for so many years.

Therefore, since Master Shiheng was able to make one of the Five Evil Tigers meekly confess to his crime, his martial arts skills were definitely not low.

Young Master Hu had been committed to making Master Shiheng fight, so that he could see for himself. Unfortunately, along the way, the monk kept his hands to himself and his mouth open, either meditating and chanting the Buddha’s chant, and had no intention to fight.

Young Master Hu also noticed that Master Shiheng didn’t seem to use martial arts, he walked and slept just like an ordinary person without martial arts skills, and he preferred to travel to difficult places.

Is he using me like a donkey?

Young Master Hu began to suspect that he had been deceived.

One day, Young Master Hu couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer and asked the monk walking ahead of him with a staff, “Master, I’ve been following you for so long. Can’t you reveal how you were able to convert one of the Five Evil Tigers?”

“This poor monk has explained it many times.”

Lin Shiheng replied calmly without stopping his stride, “I reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions.”

Reason with the Five Evil Tigers?

Who would believe that!

Young Master Hu was undeterred, he asked again, “Can you please explain in more detail how you reasoned with him?”

“I participated in the attempt to capture the Five Evil Tigers 3 years ago. From what I observed, they did not seem like reasonable people.”

“This poor monk asked him, can the benefactor abandon evil and do good? He agreed.”

“Amitabha.” The solemn-faced monk lowered his head slightly and said, “The Buddha has a compassionate heart. As long as one is sincere in seeking enlightenment, one can always be influenced.”

While carrying heavy luggage, the corner of Young Master Hu’s lips twitched.

He was now convinced.

Either this Master Shiheng was fooling him.

Or he was deceiving him.

Or maybe he should just drop his luggage and run away. This follower was really not reliable.

As he was about to act on his impulse, he saw the monk who was walking calmly and unhurriedly stop and look up thoughtfully.

“What’s wrong?”

Young Master Hu also looked up, then looked at the flag flying high in the distance. “The Fengsha Sect?”

(TNote: Fengsha Sect = Wind and Sand Sect.)

The monk remained calm, “Is it the Sand Bandits?”

“It’s more than that.”

Sand Bandits only steal things, but the Fengsha Sect kills people.

Young Master Hu quickly dropped his luggage, “Master, let’s run. We can’t beat them.”

The reason why the Fengsha Sect only roamed in the desert was that all its members were wanted criminals in the Jianghu.

Young Master Hu could handle petty thieves, but at this level, he could be beaten to death with just one encounter.

But the monk sat calmly in place.

“It’s too late.”

Young Master Hu’s pupils shrank. He then realized that they were surrounded by flags on all sides.

“We’re done for, Master."

He showed a smile uglier than crying, “I never thought that I would die with a monk like you.”

“Amitabha Buddha, life is death, and death is life. Why hold onto it, Benefactor?"

The monk, who was sitting cross-legged, took off the qin on his back and placed it on his knees.

“Is this the last song before death?”

Young Master Hu smiled bitterly, “If you have the time, why don’t you answer my question?”

“Who was responsible for the destruction of my Hu Yu Mountain Villa? Where did the over 300 people from my village go?”

“Amitabha.”

Lin Shiheng placed his hand on the qin and gave a faint smile, “This monk will inform the benefactor in a month.”

“We don’t even know if we can survive for a month...”

In what seemed like an instant, accompanied by the swirling yellow sand, the people of the Fengsha Sect appeared before them and surrounded them.

A person walked out as the leader and stared directly at Lin Shiheng, “You’re the monk who said he wants to convert all the evildoers in the world?”

“Amitabha.”

The sitting monk recited a Buddhist chant, and his eyes were as gentle as water.

He asked softly, “Benefactor, can you abandon evil and do good?”

“Hahaha, you’re killing me with laughter! Do you even know who I am and you’re asking me that way...”

Lin Shiheng’s hands fell on the qin.

The sound of the qin was like a sharp sword, suddenly shooting towards the group of laughing Fengsha Sect members. In just a second, the group of people who were just lively and jumping around screamed and fell down.

Silence ensued.

The Fengsha Sect members who were laughing and making a mess were in disbelief as they witnessed what happened.

For a moment, the desert was terrifyingly quiet.

The monk, however, didn’t even look at the group of people and instead looked up with compassion at the others.

“Benefactor, can you abandon evil and do good?”

Those people were still in shock, hesitating and retreating backwards.

The sound of the qin rang out once again, and that group of people all fell down together.

The surviving members of the Fengsha Sect were shocked as they looked at the sitting monk on the ground, who seemed like a demon, directing his gaze towards them.

He repeated the gentle phrase once again.

“Benefactor, can you abandon evil and do good?”

“Brothers, don’t be afraid, let’s attack together and kill!!!”

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, only two people were left standing.

They looked like small fry, their legs trembling with fear as they stared fixedly at the sitting monk on the ground.

Lin Shiheng stood up, and the wind blew his robes, adding a touch of mystery to him.

He walked towards the two small fry, who stepped back with each of his steps.

Finally, he stood in front of one of them.

“Benefactor, can you abandon evil and do good?”

The man noticed that the qin wasn’t brought over and his brain spun rapidly for a moment. His hands suddenly formed claws and he lunged at the monk in front of him.

“Die!!”

Lin Shiheng calmly looked at him and, when the claw was about to reach him, he extended his hand and met it with his own palm.

Under the horrified gaze of the last remaining small fry, his companion turned to ashes from his hand and drifted away with the wind.

Amidst the corpses on the ground, the monk in robes held a staff in one hand and placed the other on his chest, chanting a Buddhist chant.

“Amitabha.”

After saying so, he raised his head and looked at the last remaining small fry.

“Benefactor, can you abandon evil and do good?”

“I abandon, I abandon, I abandon!!! I give up! I give up!”

The small fry knelt down with a soft leg and pleaded, “Master, I will do good! Please don’t kill me, Master!”

Under the gaze of Young Master Hu who was staring at him in shock, Lin Shiheng smiled compassionately, turned around to look at the corpses on the ground, and shook his head helplessly.

“Although the benefactors have committed heinous sins, why must they commit suicide?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Young Master Hu, who was watching from the side: “.._”

So. the long-lost Five Evil Tigers were the unfortunate victims of suicide at the scene of their redemption?

But why was there no news of it in the Jianghu? He had only heard that Master Shiheng had profound Buddhist teachings, had a compassionate heart, and devoted himself to saving evil people. For this, he even gave up his identity as a young master and traveled as a wandering monk, which shows his firm determination.

If they would die if they weren't redeemed, why has no one ever mentioned it?

Young Master Hu was pondering with his stiff brain when he suddenly heard a voice full of compassion.

“Never mind, my Buddha is merciful. I will send you on your way."

As he spoke, he bowed his head slightly and skillfully recited the chant for rebirth.

As the chant for rebirth was recited, the bodies on the ground turned into ashes one by one. As the wind blew, they were covered by the yellow sand, leaving no trace.

Killing, destroying the body, and erasing all traces were all done in one go.