Witch Wind

Chapter 384 My Heart Turns to Buddha (Part 1)

The winged man fled, pursued by the demonic ape.

The winged man flew incredibly fast, but the demonic ape leaped even faster.

The winged people cried out and flapped their wings as they soared into the sky; the demonic ape laughed wildly, drew its bow, and arrows, streaking with light and spraying lightning, easily shot the winged people down from the sky like plucked old hens.

The winged army gradually dwindled, and the scattered corpses on the ground clearly outlined a bloodline that stretched from Sanhu County City to Liuhua Mountain, where the Liuguang Prince's Mansion was located, thousands of miles away.

As mentioned earlier, the winged people do not like to live in plains; they prefer to build their nests on towering cliffs or in ancient trees. Therefore, the Liuguang Royal Palace was built in a mountain range that stretches for more than seven thousand miles.

Sima Guang and the others stared in disbelief as the three giant ships were destroyed, and as the nine thousand winged cultivators were easily routed by the sixteen four-armed demonic apes as if they were chicks.

"This is..." Sima Guang's eyes flickered. He glanced at his many colleagues present with a deep look and said in a deep voice, "This matter is too big. The death of Princess Luo Qingqing has little to do with us... God help us!"

When the officials of Sanhu County first heard the winged guard leader's shout, they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Only after Sima Guang spoke did they believe that a princess from Liuguang Prince's Mansion had actually perished in Mogan Mountain.

They stared at Sima Guang in disbelief for a long while before letting out a heavy sigh of relief—thank goodness! In a stroke of luck, it was actually the innate spirit ape that suddenly appeared and killed that unfortunate princess.

In this way, the Sanhu County would not need to bear any responsibility.

Heh, didn't you see? Your elite army of nine thousand winged people was actually routed by sixteen four-armed demonic apes?

"Send a message to the higher-ups," Sima Guang said firmly. "Although the guards of the Prince's Palace have already sent the message back, they can do what they want, but we also have to fulfill our duty to protect the land and its people."

"By the way, send a reassuring notice to the people under your rule... These innate spirit apes, hmm, seem ferocious and tyrannical, but they seem to be..." Sima Guang pondered for a moment and slowly nodded; "They don't seem very interested in our flesh and blood? Just tell the kind people not to provoke them."

"Absolutely, absolutely! Lord Sima's words are absolutely right, truly prudent and appropriate." The officials looked at each other and praised him in unison.

Sima Guang, carrying Sima Huo, didn't fly; instead, he jumped off the roof and walked slowly down the street toward the prefectural governor's mansion. Sima Huo wanted to ask something several times, but seeing Sima Guang's thoughtful expression, she suddenly realized that she understood her seemingly shallow, slick, superficial, and vulgar father less and less.

What to say?

Sima Huo looked a little lost. With her hands behind her back, she imitated Sima Guang, lowering her head and looking at her toes as she slowly walked forward step by step.

Xing Tianli stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of a small alley ahead.

At the entrance of the alley stands a stone bridge about ten feet long, beneath which flows an open channel. A group of red koi carp gather under the bridge, leisurely kissing the floating duckweed on the water's surface.

There were no pedestrians on the street.

When the winged army arrived, all the people in the city hid in their own homes; only a fool would show his face at such a time.

Sima Guang was still seven or eight zhang away from Xing Tianli when he suddenly stopped and stared at him in horror—Sima Guang was certain that his immortal soul had covered half of the county, but he had not been able to find Xing Tianli.

He saw Xing Tianli with his naked eye.

However, within the range of his immortal soul power, the location where Xing Tianli was situated was completely empty, without a single ghost in sight.

Sima Guang stepped aside, blocking Sima Huo's path.

Sima Huo was more than half a head taller than his father. Compared to the round, chubby Sima Guang, who exuded an air of obesity and greasiness, Sima Huo was tall, agile, and radiated a spirit of vigor and ambition.

Sima Guang stood in front of his daughter like a groundhog, trying his best to protect a proud little peacock.

It's kind of funny, yet somehow... this scene is very harmonious and natural!

"Senior!" Sima Guang cautiously performed a grand ceremony for Xing Tianli, a ceremony popular in the three great dynasties and said to be personally drafted by the three emperors, where lower-class races pay homage to higher-class nobles.

Slightly bend your knees, lean forward slightly, cross your arms, and grasp one shoulder firmly with your other hand.

If a winged person performs this ritual, the wings on their backs will cross in front of their chest, tightly wrapping their arms inside, and the wings will also wrap their entire upper body, as if they were wrapped tightly like a shroud.

Because of the winged people's physical structure, if they make this gesture, it means complete submission, that they have completely handed over their lives to the noble person in front of them, and are at the noble person's mercy.

Once this action is performed, a winged person can neither run nor jump, and it would take a lot of time to spread their wings and flap them from behind to take off.

Sima Guang bowed to Xing Tianli, who gently shook his head, made a Ziwu Mudra with his hands, bowed slightly, and said with a smile, "May you have boundless blessings. I am Xing Tianli, and I pay my respects."

With a 'crack', Sima Guang suddenly raised his head. He raised his head too quickly and too forcefully, so much so that his neck made a very crisp sound of his joints snapping.

Sima Guang stared at Xing Tianli in horror. His once rosy lips had turned deathly pale, devoid of any color.

"Oh dear, Lord Sima, it seems you're overreacting to what I said?" Xing Tianli squinted and said softly, "But what's strange is that there's no record of those mere dozen or so words in the official publications of the three major imperial dynasties."

“May you be blessed with boundless happiness, this humble Taoist… these two words have elicited a rather excessive reaction from Lord Sima.” Xing Tianli smiled brightly: “However, that is not important. As a dignified prefect, it is only natural for him to have a few forbidden books at home… Of course, the prefect is qualified to know the origin of my Taoist name and self-address just now.”

With a sigh, Xing Tianli said leisurely, "What I don't understand is that, at first glance, Lord Sima's cultivation level seems to be only that of a Celestial Immortal? But why do I feel that Lord Sima is pretending to be weak while actually being strong?"

"Just now on Mount Mogan, the protective talisman on Miss Sima's body had a restriction and magical power fluctuation that were exactly the same as those of Lord Sima. Obviously, that talisman was made by Lord Sima himself."

"The difference between Lord Sima's cultivation level and the defensive power displayed by that talisman is quite significant."

Xing Tianli took two steps closer to Sima Guang with his hands behind his back and said softly, "Lord Sima, you've hidden it very well, too well. Even after examining you so closely, I couldn't find out what method you used to hide your cultivation so perfectly."

"May I ask, Lord Sima, what exactly are you hiding?"

Sima Guang's face was ashen, and he trembled as he stared at Xing Tianli. At Sima Huo's gasp, Sima Guang suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud. He hissed, "My lord, I have not concealed anything... That talisman was a treasure I obtained while secretly excavating a ruin..."

"I concealed the excavated materials because of my greed and corruption; it was all my fault... But I have been utterly loyal to the Imperial Dynasty, to the Emperor, and to the Holy Clan!"

Xing Tianli narrowed his eyes. "Heh, this Sima Guang is getting more and more interesting."

Before Xing Tianli could speak, Sima Guang ripped open his clothes with a 'rip', revealing his white, greasy chest with a tuft of hair the size of a fist covering his chest. He made a knife-like shape with his right hand and lightly sliced ​​it towards his heart, saying in a deep voice, "My lord, if you don't believe me, then cut open my chest and take a good look at my loyal and devoted heart!"

Xing Tianli frowned. This guy's acting is a bit over the top.

On second thought, could it be that the three great dynasties also had institutions similar to the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Eastern and Western Depots? Specifically used to monitor and guard against officials of Kyushu descent?
Uh, that's actually quite possible.

Xing Tianli said in a deep voice, "What do you take me for?" Sima Guang blinked his small eyes and asked cautiously, "Aren't you the superior of the Red Heart Division?"

'Chixin Si'?
Hey, so loyal and devoted! No wonder Sima Guang even went so far as to strip his clothes off on the spot.

Xing Tianli let out a soft breath and looked at the guy with amusement: "Well, fine, let's just say you dug that jade talisman out of some ruins... How do you explain that your magical aura is exactly the same as the aura of that jade talisman when it exploded?"

Sima Guang looked at Xing Tianli with a puzzled expression: "Shangguan Mingjian, that jade talisman needs to be refined with blood to be used. I refined it with my own life essence and blood, and also injected almost a hundred times the power of my entire body's magic power... In this way, this talisman can exert a powerful defensive force, and its aura is naturally exactly the same as mine."

Xing Tianli stared wide-eyed at Sima Guang.

Ha, this explanation is truly impeccable!
Exhaling softly, Xing Tianli gritted his teeth and said resentfully, "I think you're not telling the truth, Your Excellency. What if I told you that your wife, children, and elderly parents are all being watched by my men, and that you only need to give the order..."

Sima Guang shuddered, and the fat on his belly rippled. He gritted his teeth, tears welling in his eyes, and raised his head, saying to Xing Tianli with utmost seriousness, "In that case, I can only prove my innocence with my death... However, it does not matter if I die. In my Yanyun Dynasty, there are countless people with talents a hundred times greater than mine, like carp crossing a river."

"Alas, my Emperor has lost such a loyal and devoted minister as me!"

Xing Tianli felt a toothache from hearing this.

Damn it, there are countless people more talented than you, but none of them are as loyal as you, are they?
Shaking his head, Xing Tianli was too lazy to engage in banter with Sima Guang. He waved his hand behind him, and with a 'snap,' an invisible barrier created by an illusion shattered. Liu Jing and the other two women, along with Hei Lie and Zhong Nu, appeared out of thin air behind Xing Tianli.

Blackie bowed to Sima Guang with a simple and honest expression: "Brother, I think what you just said is quite useful. I will definitely learn more from you in the future."

Sima Guang's expression changed again.

Sima Huo exclaimed in shock, "Huh? A pig demon? And... a bell monster?"

Sima Huo was indeed a shrewd and clever little girl. She saw through the true nature of Hei Lie and Zhong Nu at a glance, hehe.

The woman with the clock face was expressionless—well, her head was an ancient clock, and she had no face either.

Black Mane was furious. The hairs on the back of his head suddenly stood up straight, like three-foot steel needles: "You little brat, you talk so rudely. I, Old Black, just look like a pig, but I have nothing to do with pigs... You can't talk nonsense about pig demons, cow demons, or horse demons."

He simply pulled out a piece of braised pig's ear and, to the astonishment of Sima Guang and Sima Huo, took a big bite: "Look, I, Lao Hei, enjoy all the good stuff on the pig. Do you think I, Lao Hei, am a pig demon?"

Sima Guang's previously fearful and trembling demeanor as a loyal minister gradually faded away.

He stared intently at Black Hyena and Bell Girl, pondered for a long while, and then glanced at the houses on both sides of the road.

Xing Tianli waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, this area of ​​ten zhang has been sealed off by me. Unless your cultivation level is several times higher than mine, it will be difficult to detect any movement here."

The Tongtian Yuling Banner slowly emerged from behind Xingtian Li. It mobilized a wisp of its essence and transformed it into the form of the 'Six Soul Banner'—a supreme innate treasure. Legend has it that in the last great battle of the primordial era, the Tongtian Saint used it to fight desperately against several other saints.

In theory, if this treasure is used at full power, it is a terrifying object that can severely injure even a saint, or even cause their death.

It is only theoretical because this treasure was never actually used even once before it was stolen by a traitor.

Currently, due to the inherent quality of the Tongtian Yuling Banner, the Six Soul Banner, which He extracted from its essence, is only a high-grade innate spiritual treasure and has not yet reached the level of a supreme treasure.

Even so, the chilling light emitted by the Six Soul Banner imprisoned the space within a ten-zhang radius, and its power to confuse the mind and invert the immortal soul was still extremely terrifying. Not to mention those with ten times the cultivation of Xing Tianli, even a proper Quasi-Saint or Half-Saint could not see through the anomaly in this ten-zhang void.

It is likely that only a true sage, by diligently searching the surrounding void, could discover that someone has imprisoned this ten-zhang void, causing people to instinctively ignore all the commotion that is happening here.

Sima Guang and his daughter Sima Huo suddenly stiffened, feeling a chill creeping up their bodies.

The Six Soul Banner stood silently before them, emitting wisps of black, chilling light that radiated into the void. Even their own thoughts seemed to freeze. They stared at the Six Soul Banner with awe and disbelief, feeling that if Xing Tianli were to gently wave this three-foot banner, the father and daughter… no, the entire Three Lakes County… no, the entire province… even the entire territory of the King of Liuguang would be reduced to an absolute death zone.

An absolute killing treasure.

It could even be a murderous treasure with an evil twist.

Sima Guang turned around sharply to look at his daughter, and muttered under his breath, "I've never heard of any supernatural means of changing one's physical body in the three great dynasties... Nor have I heard of any treasure in the three great dynasties that looks similar to this deadly thing in front of me... Heh, they might be able to conjure up such a pig-headed creature."

"After all, the story of 'Journey to the West' has also been passed down in this world."

"However, this woman with a head like a bell... I have never seen or heard of such a thing. With the brains of those hairy beasts, it would be difficult for them to imagine such a strange and bizarre race, let alone use such a strange method to test me."

Sima Guang said softly, "Moreover, why test me? Luo Qingqing's death was just an accident, caused by the innate spirit ape, and has nothing to do with me... Even if you wanted to test me, the people from the Red Heart Division wouldn't have arrived so quickly, absolutely not so quickly."

“Therefore!” Sima Guang clasped his hands together and solemnly bowed to Xing Tianli: “May I ask where your immortal home is, fellow Daoist? This humble monk is Sima Guang, and I pay my respects.”

Sima Huo was startled. She jumped back a step and hissed, "Father...you are...a demon?"

"Ah!" Sima Guang turned around, his round, fat, and greasy body appearing like a ghost in front of Sima Huo almost instantly. He slapped her across the face with a 'smack' and then returned to his original spot.

Only Xing Tianli saw every detail of Sima Guang's movements.

The others, including the three women of Liujing, the Black Lizard who specializes in body cultivation, and the Zhong woman whose senses are different from those of normal creatures and whose perception is extremely sharp and special, failed to see Sima Guang's movements clearly.

It was as if he hadn't moved at all.

Sima Huo's face had returned to normal, but one cheek was slightly flushed again—clearly, after all, she was his beloved daughter, and Sima Guang hadn't slapped her hard; it was just a token slap.

"Father!" Sima Huo was bewildered, terrified, and at a loss.

From a young age, she was taught that Buddhism was evil... She never dreamed that her own father, whom she had been with day and night since childhood, Sima Guang, who was corrupt, vulgar, greasy, incompetent, and who seemed to have done nothing but flatter his superiors and give them money, was actually a real evil.

"This humble monk is Sima Guang, my Dharma name is 'Bukong'." Sima Guang smiled at Xing Tianli: "May I ask, fellow Daoist, where do you come from, where are you going, and what brings you to the Holy Cloud Continent?"

Sima Guang's body trembled slightly, and a terrifying power surged within him.

Beneath his fair skin, a bluish-gold Buddhist light gradually swirled around him. His eyes were fixed on Xing Tianli, and a very powerful force had already locked onto Xing Tianli's figure.

Clearly, if Xing Tianli's answer is even slightly wrong, it will be a devastating, life-or-death blow!
This Sima Guang was already prepared to die.

Perhaps, judging from his expression and his awareness, he had already considered himself a dead man in his heart... He was preparing to die every moment.

(End of this chapter)