Chapter 216: Hit This Poor Monk, You Fool!
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Yu Zhao disappeared suddenly, only to reappear even more unexpectedly. Everyone speculated about where she might have gone during her absence.
Master Qing Yan silently watched the water mirror, which displayed Yu Zhao diligently digging for bird nests. At first glance, his expression seemed calm, but a subtle ripple seemed to stir beneath his deep eyes.
…
“Little Junior Sister!”
“Second Senior Brother!”
Silence watched the emotional reunion between senior and junior, their teary-eyed reunion reminiscent of a tragic love story torn apart by fate. Nudging his companion Unworried with his elbow, he teased, “Senior Brother, don’t they look like star-crossed lovers from a storybook?”
Unworried glanced at him briefly but refrained from reprimanding his chatter.
Their journey had been exhausting for him. Between fending off surprise attacks from insect beasts and dealing with Ye Cong Xin’s inexplicable attempts to ingratiate herself, his body and mind were worn out. Fortunately, Silence had helped share the burden. Whenever Ye Cong Xin’s attentions grew overly persistent, Silence would step in to deter her, saving him much trouble.
Now that Ye Cong Xin had reunited with her senior brother, the ordeal seemed over, allowing some relief.
“Second Senior Brother, it’s thanks to Silence and Unworried that I’m safe and able to see you again.” Ye Cong Xin wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and guided Lan Zi Yu toward them.
Lan Zi Yu greeted the fellow sect members with polite composure. “Thank you, Masters, for looking after my junior sister. I am deeply grateful.”
Unworried downplayed the credit, attributing their meeting to fate. He intended to exchange a few polite words before parting ways with Lan Zi Yu and Ye Cong Xin. To his surprise, Lan Zi Yu proposed continuing their journey together, leaving Unworried hesitant.
Seeing this, Silence stepped forward immediately.
“Now that you two have reunited, it’s best if we part ways here,” he said firmly. There was no way he would allow his senior brother to miss out on more opportunities due to Ye Cong Xin’s presence.
Lan Zi Yu’s expression faltered at the blunt refusal. His lips pressed into a thin line, and a concealed haughtiness peeked through his facade.
“If Master Silence finds us beneath him, then let’s separate early,” Lan Zi Yu said coldly. “Junior Sister, we’re leaving.”
“Second Senior Brother, that’s not what Silence meant,” Ye Cong Xin interjected, biting her lip with a conflicted look, though inwardly, she felt triumphant.
Silence and Unworried, despite their benevolent appearances, were resolute at heart, indifferent to her fawning. If not for the constant danger and the lack of better options, she would have long abandoned their company. With Lan Zi Yu now taking charge, she could finally vent her frustration.
Silence instinctively reached into his sleeve and pulled out a wooden fish. With a light strike, it emitted a crisp sound.
“Dong—”
The sound dissipated his anger as he calmed himself, reciting scriptures in his mind.
“Junior Sister, not everyone is as kind as you. Some people may appear dignified on the surface but are filthy inside.”
Lan Zi Yu sneered. Ever since parting ways with Yu Zhao, he felt a fiery rage growing within him, his temper worsening day by day. Though he knew Silence’s words held no malice, he couldn’t resist twisting them to fuel his anger. Silence had merely been unlucky to provoke him at the wrong moment.
Unworried furrowed his brow, glancing worriedly at his junior. Lan Zi Yu’s sharp words might test the limits of his self-restraint.
“Second Senior Brother…” Ye Cong Xin looked at Lan Zi Yu in surprise, hesitant to speak further. She was well aware of his arrogance, usually hidden behind a facade. Yet his sudden loss of composure puzzled her. Why was he losing control?
“Dong!”
The wooden fish resounded again.
The expression on Silence’s face twisted momentarily but quickly returned to calm.
The brain is a wonderful thing.
He had one.
The other didn’t.
It wasn’t worth arguing with someone incomplete.
“Master Silence, why do you only knock on the wooden fish and remain silent? Do you also feel guilty before the Buddha?” Lan Zi Yu mocked.
Silence didn’t utter a word, leaving Lan Zi Yu performing a solo drama. This infuriated Lan Zi Yu even more, and his words grew nastier.
“Amitabha.” Unworried turned his head, unable to bear watching anymore.
For the third time, Silence’s wooden fish mallet fell. Then suddenly, as if a seal had been broken, his face twisted into fury. He rolled up his loose sleeves, pointed the mallet at Lan Zi Yu’s nose, and unleashed a barrage of insults.
“Guilty, guilty, guilty! Guilty, my foot! What I hold is not a wooden fish; you are the real wooden fish—a creature born to be knocked around! No wonder Yu Zhao’s life improved after leaving Lone Moon Peak. She was weighed down by fools like you! Like attracts like; with a brain like yours, you’re only fit to play with Ye Cong Xin!”
Because of their close proximity, Silence’s wooden fish mallet was nearly poking Lan Zi Yu in the face.
Stunned by Silence’s outburst, Lan Zi Yu froze in place before his face turned red with rage. His entire demeanor resembled an enraged lion.
“Damn bald donkey! I’ll kill you!” Lan Zi Yu roared.
“Come! Just try! This monk dares to send you off to the afterlife! It’ll rid the cultivation world of a scourge!” Silence barked back.
Despite his bold words, he quickly hid behind his senior brother, Unworried. In terms of power, he wasn’t yet Lan Zi Yu’s match. But he had a senior brother.
Lan Zi Yu didn’t.
By his calculation, he still won!
“Heh, come fight me, idiot!”
“Aaaaah!” Lan Zi Yu was on the verge of losing his mind. He pulled out his magical artifact, ready to settle things once and for all, but Ye Cong Xin held him back tightly.
“Second Senior Brother, no, don’t!” Ye Cong Xin pleaded.
She was angry too—Silence’s insults had included her. However, rationality told her she couldn’t let things escalate. If Lan Zi Yu and Silence fought, no matter who won or lost, she’d be implicated. Moreover, with the Insect King still looming, Lan Zi Yu’s injury would leave her unprotected.
This fight simply couldn’t happen.
Unworried didn’t want things to escalate either. He cast several Clear Heart Incantations on Lan Zi Yu, eventually calming him down.
“Silence, remember your words today. Once we leave, I’ll have our master seek justice with your temple’s abbot!” Lan Zi Yu snarled, dragging Ye Cong Xin away, but not before throwing one last threat.
Silence was completely unrepentant.
“Senior Brother, you’ll back me up, right? He insulted me first; I just responded appropriately!”
“I’m a monk, not a saint. Even saints don’t silently endure insults!”
Unworried nodded slightly. “I’ll explain everything to the abbot.”
“Second Senior Brother, slow down! You’re hurting me!” Ye Cong Xin finally protested, breaking free from Lan Zi Yu’s grip. Rubbing her reddened wrist, her eyes welled up, evoking pity.
“Junior Sister, I’m sorry.” Lan Zi Yu clenched his fists in frustration. He hadn’t meant to hurt her; he was simply too angry and lost control.
“I’m fine,” Ye Cong Xin said, forcing a strong front. “Second Senior Brother, did something happen…”
She tried probing gently about what had caused his emotional outburst, but the familiar buzzing sound interrupted her.
Her expression changed.
No!
The Insect King was back!