When Xin Hexue arrived at the lakeside, thunder was booming and silver lightning was flashing.
The spring scenery in the garden had fallen into Avici Hell, and daylight was as dark as endless night.
On the long streets and gardens beyond Qujiang, people were scattering and fleeing in panic.
Xin Hexue strode quickly along the eastern long street, searching through the fog-covered center of the lake for the trail of the jinshi’s painted boat.
There was a faint flicker of firelight in the gray fog.
Found it!
Xin Hexue narrowed his eyes slightly, and saw the silhouette of the painted boat amidst the firelight clearly.
He helped up a fallen child and delivered him into the arms of the parents who came searching for him.
Without responding to their thanks, Xin Hexue moved upstream against the tide of panicked people and reached the stone steps along the river.
Just as he was about to return to his original form and swim toward the lake’s center, a man’s hand locked firmly onto his arm through his narrow sleeve.
He turned back in surprise. Hen Zhen’s eyes were red and filled with gloom, and his voice was as cold as frost. “Did you think I’d let you fool me once, then again, and still allow a third time?!”
……
Linshui Hall was close to the lakeshore of Qujiang Lake. Facing south, it gave a full view of the murky center of the lake.
Imperial curtains hung high within the hall to block the spring breeze, and bead curtains with green jade decorated every corner, dazzling to the eye.
There were screens of cloud dragons playing in water, and red lacquered chairs with golden inlays.
The young emperor of the mortal realm had already been drained by beauty, wine and food, and was lying weakly on the reclining chair, his face showing signs of depletion.
He asked, “National Monk, will what you said succeed?”
Liao Yi’s brows were white, no longer as youthful as in the tales sung of him among the people. The wrinkles on his face were like the roots of an ancient tree, densely covering his features.
The golden incense scars on his scalp gleamed faintly as the highly respected monk placed his palms together in a formal gesture.
“Amitabha.”
“Your Majesty worries for the nation and the people, rising early and retiring late, diligent in governance. This is the great fortune of our Dacheng Dynasty. You should enjoy a long life, to continue our dynasty for thousands of generations.”
Liao Yi lowered his eyes, devoid of mercy, but still put on a show. “The flesh and souls of these dozens of jinshi…being used to ease Your Majesty’s burdens is their blessed fate.”
The young emperor laughed heartily and clapped his hands. “Someone! Reward him.”
……
Xin Hexue said coldly, “Let go.”
Hen Zhen: “No.”
Hen Zhen’s large hand clamped tightly onto Xin Hexue’s arm. The two stood at the wind-swept lakeside, staring each other down.
The strands of hair at Xin Hexue’s ears were blown into the air by the howling lake wind, whipping through the empty space.
He repeated with a tone that brooked no refusal, “Hen Zhen, let go.”
Hen Zhen stared at him with gloomy eyes. The lakeside was too noisy, forcing him to raise his voice, “You want me to let go? To watch you go save those poor scholars? Then get hurt in the karmic fire, maybe even die?”
Xin Hexue stood in the wind, looking at him expressionlessly.
Hen Zhen’s chest heaved unevenly, and he gritted his teeth, “Xin Hexue! How can you be so cruel?!”
Xin Hexue tilted his head slightly. “You’re here. I won’t die.”
“But can’t you help me?”
Hen Zhen sneered, “Let them die. What does it have to do with me?”
He was the blood koi feared throughout the capital, whose deeds could stop children from crying at night. He devoured people and demons alike and carried sins on his back, how could he have reason to save anyone?
“It has a lot to do with me, Hen Zhen.” Xin Hexue sighed.
If Zhou Shanheng died outside his destined path, Xin Hexue would face the first major crisis of his big-world career.
At this moment, Hen Zhen and Xin Hexue silently confronted each other.
What the young man said was extremely cruel, but his tone was calm and unhurried, and each word was like a small knife cutting the heart.
“If you don’t want me to die, then come save them with me.”
Hen Zhen’s voice grew heavier, nearly weeping with blood in every word as he warned, “Do you think this is just a normal case of karmic demons and ghosts? Behind this is Liao Yi, and even other monks from Taichu Temple.”
Hen Zhen tore away the veil from the truth.
“That old undead Liao Yi…after all these years of killing demons, does he think everything he slew was evil? The mortals and demons who died by his hand are countless. The karmic burden he carries is so heavy, he can no longer ascend to become a Buddha.”
“That’s why he stirred the earth dragon at the start of the year, shaking rivers and mountains, triggering last year’s widespread ghostly chaos. All of those demons and ghosts were because of the earth dragon, which were injected and scattered with his karma.”
“They’ve already become his ghost servants.”
“They all gathered here. These scholars are the final bait, and the center of the lake is the eye of the formation.”
“The towering sins will be offset by the purest blood and flesh of the scholars, buried deep in Avici Hell, and vanish without a trace.”
Hen Zhen concluded, “For Liao Yi to plan this so thoroughly, do you think this formation is something you and I can disrupt at will?”
“For the sake of unrelated people…” Hen Zhen’s thin lips opened and closed, finally gripping the young man’s forearm tightly. “Xin Hexue, aren’t you afraid I’ll die?”
Xin Hexue quietly looked at Hen Zhen.
Compared to truly dying, what the other party seemed to care about more was that Xin Hexue hadn’t shown any emotion…no worry or heartache for him.
Xin Hexue realized that in Hen Zhen’s eyes, how grave the situation was or how slim the chances of winning were didn’t matter. He could die for him, but he could not bear it if he pleaded for Zhou Shanheng, if it was for Zhou Shanheng’s life.
Xin Hexue couldn’t lie to Hen Zhen anymore.
But the situation also couldn’t be left unchecked.
Xin Hexue gently raised his hand and touched Hen Zhen’s face.
Then softly slid it down, soothingly brushing past the man’s jaw and shoulder. As Hen Zhen was guided to lower his head, Xin Hexue slowly lifted his eyes.
Their lips met, and then their foreheads pressed together.
Their reflections on the lake surface blurred.
Xin Hexue: “You won’t die, Hen Zhen.”
He curled his fingers, pried open Hen Zhen’s clenched fist, and gently interlocked their fingers, as if entwining all the affection in the world.
The two exchanged a kiss.
A slightly rough sensation scraped Hen Zhen’s palm.
A golden scale was embedded there, with his name engraved on it.
Hen Zhen’s whole body stiffened. He didn’t even dare to imagine what damage Xin Hexue’s body had suffered to give this.
He wanted to pull away from Xin Hexue’s hand.
But Hen Zhen was surprised to find that the seemingly fragile young man was unexpectedly strong.
Their fingers tightened. As they pressed together, the golden scale dissolved into water and melted into the lines and veins of Hen Zhen’s palm.
It would fulfill its final purpose. The heart-protecting scale would block one fatal injury for Hen Zhen. For Xin Hexue, it was the first and only time he protected Hen Zhen’s life.
“You!”
Hen Zhen stared at Xin Hexue, his eyes burning uncomfortably.
……
A huge monster burst out of the lake.
As tall as a five-story tower, its emergence made the heavens and earth rumble.
The sky darkened to yellow and black.
Its snake tail lashed the water, stirring up monstrous waves, and the winds and waves soaked the fire burning on the painted boat.
The painted boat rocked, like a lone leaf on the lake.
Lake water poured wildly through the cabin windows.
People were constantly being thrown off.
A fish with snow-white scales swam through the dim skylight.
As the karmic fire tangled with the giant snake, Xin Hexue dared not look up. He was afraid he would faint from fright mid-battle.
It was purely instinct, even if he knew it was Hen Zhen, he couldn’t help it.
He kept his head down amid the growing storm, not glancing at the sky once, channeling the spiritual power in his meridians to push the unconscious jinshi toward the shore.
……
After respectfully seeing the emperor off outside the hall, an obscure emotion flashed in Liao Yi’s eyes.
Immortality was just an excuse.
Of course he could always come up with another lie to placate the monarch.
Since he was the one who had helped this emperor ascend to the throne, he understood his personality all too well.
He turned back to look at the storm over the lake, then his expression changed drastically.
He hurried to the side hall and unlocked the Sanskrit restraints on a monk.
“Du Zhi.”
Liao Yi pointed toward the lake beyond the hall.
Du Zhi opened his eyes. His pupils were blank and devoid of emotion, like a puppet frame.
He said obediently, “Yes.”
……
The lake water churned into towering waves. As the great demon and karmic fire battled, small clusters of flame fell and were extinguished in the water.
Water lifted by the storm eventually mixed with the snake’s blood, forming a torrential rain of blood.
Several scales had fallen off from the snake’s body during the fierce fight.
The taste of blood welled up in Hen Zhen’s throat.
This wasn’t his original body after all, so there were limits to what he could do.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a young monk in golden-red kasaya.
He had been heading for him, but was intercepted midway by Xin Hexue.
Hen Zhen watched helplessly as Du Zhi and Xin Hexue were swallowed by a wall of water, and his eyes became bloodshot. The karmic fire seized the chance to land a heavy blow on Hen Zhen.
He had no choice but to return his focus to the battle with the karmic fire.
What’s more…
Hen Zhen’s snake body dodged aside. A beam of Buddhist light struck down from behind him, landing exactly where he had just been in the center of the lake!
The painted boat collapsed completely with a thunderous crash and shattered to pieces. Water flooded in fiercely, and it sank under the pressure.
Hen Zhen gritted his teeth. “That old bald donkey!”
The lake surface was ablaze with flames, which were growing fiercer with the wind.
The scorching heat even caused the lake water to emit vertical streams of white vapor.
The giant snake opened its bloody mouth, two sharp fangs glinting with a cold light. When it bit through the heart of fire at the center of the karmic residue, it seemed as if it could pierce the darkness, tear apart the gloomy clouds, and reveal the sky behind them.
A silver bolt of lightning split through the high heavens.
With a loud “swoosh”, something broke through the water.
The dripping wet Du Zhi caught sight of a snow-colored fishtail in the gray blur of his vision.
He dove back into the water.
His movements were as swift as a nimble dragon.
With a twist of his hand, he caught the koi demon.
Du Zhi’s gaze remained calm, dark as if soaked in a deep pond. Rationality and past experience told him that such a weak demon should be killed immediately. But under the control of instinct, he only tightened his grip on Xin Hexue’s wrist.
He didn’t say a word.
Xin Hexue had no time to waste with him. He had rescued many unconscious jinshi sinking underwater, but luck refused to favor him now. Not only did he not find Zhou Shanheng, he didn’t even find Bu Jincheng.
He told Du Zhi, “Let go.”
Du Zhi was silent for a moment, then asked calmly, “Have I seen you somewhere before?”
Xin Hexue yanked his kasaya, and their lips crashed into each other.
Rain fell heavily from the sky, soaking Xin Hexue’s eyelashes until they clumped together in wet tufts.
Du Zhi tasted a faint trace of blood in his mouth.
Love and desire surged like rain, so sudden and urgent, making Du Zhi’s will tremble.
But Xin Hexue pushed him away. Du Zhi pressed the small wound on the tip of his tongue against the upper palate of his mouth, and a faint prickling pain spread. The taste of koi demon blood lingered in his mouth, sobering his spirit and clearing his mind.
Xin Hexue lifted his eyelids and looked at Du Zhi, asking calmly, “Do you remember now?”
The monk’s expression was unclear…was it pain or something else?
Du Zhi’s memory was still a mess, and the past felt as if it was covered in a fine web with dust settling in the gaps.
Every time a vague scene flashed by, the restriction on his soul would cause a sharp pain in his forehead.
But he caught a particularly clear image from all those glimpses.
Red wedding drapes, paper windows with the words of blessings.
Du Zhi: “…Sister-in-law?”
Xin Hexue: “…”
It looks like he remembered, though not completely.
…………
The fireheart within the black smoke of karmic residual plummeted straight into the center of the lake.
The giant snake was exhausted, with wounds all over its body, dragging a body so battered it could almost be discarded.
Caught off guard, golden Sanskrit characters wove into a net of heaven and earth, enclosing the snake in an instant and rapidly tightening.
The Buddhist light from the Sanskrit was scorching, and for a demon, it was no different from the torture of peeling skin in the Eighteenth Layer of Hell.
