Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 167 Compassion (Part 4) (4000-word long chapter)
At this moment, besides Zheng Sandan, there are three other people under the Buddha.

One was Liao Chen, still kind-faced and smiling, just like when they first met.

One of them was a kneeling monk, his expression blank, his hands clasped together in a gesture of worship.

The last one was a person wearing a black cloak, whose appearance was obscured. He was currently bending over behind the monk, doing something unknown.

After a long while, Liao Chen slowly opened his mouth.

But it wasn't directed at Zheng Sandan, but at someone else.

"Hey Lao Gui, it seems we have some guests. Aren't you going to greet them?"

The cloaked man, still working, retorted sharply.

"Liao Chen, can't you see I'm busy? Besides, you're the one who seduced this guy, so you can handle it yourself. Why are you bothering me?"

So Liao Chen could only sigh softly, then looked up at Zheng Sandan.

“Never mind then, let me greet you—Benefactor Zheng, this trip has truly been arduous. I am deeply grateful for your great effort in personally bringing yourself to my door. I also hope that from this day forward, your spirit will ascend to the Western Paradise and accompany the Buddha, enjoying peace and tranquility.”

—What is he saying?
—What does he mean?
Why do these people appear in my dreams?
A jumble of thoughts flooded his mind, but he couldn't come up with any answers. Zheng Sandan could only stand there blankly, his face filled with fear and horror.

Seeing this, Liao Chen smiled and then turned to the cloaked man beside him.

"It seems our guest isn't quite used to this place yet—Old Ghost, why don't you lend him a hand? After all, if I remember correctly, your sect is extremely specialized in this area."

The cloaked man snorted coldly, ignoring Chen's sarcastic remarks, and focused his attention on the work at hand.

Then the cave fell silent, with only the black Buddha statue, its face contorted with madness and despair, looking down upon all living beings.

All three remained silent.

After a long while, the cloaked figure seemed to have completed a phase, grabbed the monk's body, and turned him around.

however.

The moment Zheng Sandan saw the back of the monk's head, his eyes widened in fury.

Without him.

Right before his eyes, in the back of the monk's head, were countless hollow needles stuck in it. Judging from the marks, the needles had probably pierced through the skull and reached the brain.

Zheng Sandan wanted to scream, but he couldn't make a sound. He could only stare at the horrifying scene, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Liao Chen stood next to the monk, his face showing no unusual expression, and instead he spoke cheerfully.

"No matter how many times I've watched it, your initiation method is incredibly complicated. I've seen other tantric practices where you can simply move your fingers and recite a few mantras to complete the process. Why does it take so much effort for you?"

Upon hearing this, the cloaked figure finally raised his head and glanced at Chen.

"They are them, and we are us. How can those crudely made things compare to us? You must know that this is a Dharma bestowed by the Bodhisattva himself. Theirs can only be described as brainwashing and corruption, which will dissipate on its own over time. But we are a complete transformation. The difference between the two is like heaven and earth!"

Seeing that the man in black was really annoyed, Chen could only shake his head and shut up.

However, the man in black didn't argue with him. Instead, he pressed the monk's head down in the opposite direction—

A viscous liquid flowed from the numerous hollow tubes—even without being told, Zheng Sandan knew what it was—at the same time, the monk's lifeless face finally showed pain. He gurgled and coughed, as if trying to say something, but as the liquid in his brain was drained, his last trace of life disappeared without a trace.

Finally, the monk became a still-warm corpse.

...But this is not the end.

The cloaked figure then lifted the corpse up again, took out several small bowls filled with a foul stench, dipped his finger into them and licked them, then nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he aimed the bowl at the hollow tube and poured the foul-smelling liquid inside into the monk's empty skull.

A few seconds later, an unbelievable scene suddenly unfolded—

Suddenly, the seemingly lifeless monk appeared to come alive. His body trembled violently, veins bulged on his face, and his mouth opened to its limit, as if he were about to struggle to his feet!

But just a few seconds later, the movement suddenly stopped.

Zheng Sandan watched helplessly as the monk began to melt from top to bottom, as if it were wax, and in the blink of an eye, red and white liquid flowed all over the ground.

Then, the fishy smell that had been lingering since entering the cave suddenly became much stronger.

...Now, Zheng Sandan finally knows where that flavor comes from.

But he could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.

The monk's body quickly turned to light, leaving only a deep red, constantly pulsating egg sheath.

A few minutes later, a hand suddenly burst out of the shell.

Next came the head, the body, and the legs. Soon after, a naked child emerged from it and bowed down to the cloaked figure.

"Newborn child, pay homage to the Guru."

The expression was so lifelike, just like that of a real person—if it weren't for the few insect-like limbs growing from his face.

The cloaked figure reached out and placed his hand on the child's head, chanting a prayer.

"When my Dharma perishes, it will be like an oil lamp, which shines even brighter as it is about to go out, and then it goes out. When my Dharma perishes, it will also be like a lamp going out. After that, it is too numerous to mention."

In the scripture, the last trace of the strangeness on the child gradually disappeared, and when you looked again, there was only a novice monk with a round face and red lips kneeling on the ground.

Then, the cloaked man spoke again.

“You have received our initiation, and your past life has nothing to do with you anymore. I now bestow upon you the Dharma name Benyuan. From now on, serve the Bodhisattva well.”

The novice monk bowed down devoutly.

"I sincerely wish to follow the teachings of my guru."

"Alright, no need to be polite. Go wash off this slime and bloodstains, find a monk's robe to wear, and then go find your fellow disciples. They will tell you what to do next."

After giving brief instructions, and watching the novice monk receive the order in the distance, the cloaked man finally turned his gaze to the 'guest' here.

Even though he still couldn't see his face clearly, Zheng Sandan still felt a chill run down his spine—it was a hard feeling to describe, and if he had to put it into words, there would only be one sentence.

To be watched by fear itself.

Ignoring Zheng Sandan's near-collapse expression, the cloaked figure turned to Chen and spoke.

"What are you planning to do with this guy? Your 'Dream Transformation' technique can only lure those with weak minds. Someone like him doesn't even qualify for the Initiation and Transformation. And we can't let him go back, so..."

"kill him?"

His words were very ordinary, as if he were asking what to eat for dinner.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Sandan's pants immediately became soaked.

Unexpectedly, Liao Chen shook his head and spoke to the cloaked man in his still kind and compassionate voice.

"Old Ghost, why are you being so kind at a time like this, allowing him to get away with it so cleanly and efficiently?"

The cloaked man merely glanced at Zheng Sandan before casually remarking.

"Then what do you suggest? This guy isn't a monk in the temple—after all, anyone who's managed to survive in your dilapidated temple this long is a poor but determined person—but this guy's only valuable asset is his flesh. How about we throw him to feed the insects, or rather, those novices?"

However, Liao Chen rejected his proposal again. "Old ghost, such a good person, are you really just going to waste him like this?"

After being repeatedly rebuffed, the cloaked figure grew somewhat annoyed.

"If this won't work and that won't work, then tell me what we should do?"

Liao Chen said calmly.

"Actually, it's very simple—if I remember correctly, you're still missing a few items for reshaping your Dharma body, right?"

The cloaked man paused for a moment, then glanced sideways at Zheng Sandan.

"Indeed, we're still missing a few parts: a liver, a lung, a section of intestine, and a gallbladder. You mean..."

Liao Chen suddenly burst into laughter.

"That's it. Why do you think I went to so much trouble to keep these people from the escort agency here? It's just that we don't have enough monks in the temple, and we're currently searching for Zhengde, so we can't arrest ordinary people. And these people just happened to walk right into our trap, didn't they?"

The cloaked man stared at Zheng Sandan, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

"That's true. Although his mind isn't up to par, his body is in good shape from years of escorting goods... But the problem is that this is too risky. I'll be much weaker when I have to replace my internal organs. I've already mentioned that Taoist priest..."

Liao Chen suddenly interrupted.

"Why worry? When the Bodhisattva descends to earth, even if he has great abilities, he can't turn the world upside down. Besides, according to the intelligence of my subordinates, this Taoist priest has only killed off a few waves of small fry before. He is not very strong. He just has a sword that can be filled with evil energy. Old ghost, you probably had a misconception because of this."

After thinking for a while, the cloaked man finally succumbed to the temptation of his impending Dharma Body and followed Liao Chen's advice.

He shook off the sticky slime and grease still clinging to his hands and walked step by step toward Zheng Sandan.

But just as he approached the trembling body, Liao Chen spoke again from afar.

"Don't kill him outright. Even if he can't be initiated, make him into a puppet first. I need him to infiltrate that escort agency later. After all, what you said makes sense; that Taoist priest was indeed an unexpected factor. Before the Bodhisattva descends, let's take some precautions."

The cloaked man did not answer; he simply observed Zheng Sandan carefully before raising his head.

In the firelight, his face was finally revealed.

Zheng Sandan's pleading expression froze instantly. He stared at that face, his eyes widening, and between the bloodshot veins, all that remained was utter terror.

The next moment, he began to struggle violently, so violently that even the invisible manipulation could not restrain him.

"No, please don't. I beg you, please don't—"

The cloaked man placed his withered, brittle hand on his head.

And so, all resistance ceased.

Facing Zheng Sandan's face, which was filled with extreme fear, the cloaked man whispered in his ear in a hoarse voice.

"Don't be afraid, please don't be afraid. This is just a blessing from the Bodhisattva. When you wake up again, the whole world will look at you differently. You will be truly enlightened and understand everything in this world."
-
Zhou You suddenly opened his eyes.

The next moment, he grabbed Duanxie and flipped himself up.

Ever since that Mang Village, he has never been without his sword, even when he sleeps.

After all, it takes time to take it out of the Diancang Ring. Although it's a short time, if someone from the Tantric sect launches a surprise attack, that short time is enough to be fatal.

Gripping the sword hilt tightly, Zhou You assumed a ready-to-draw stance and walked straight outside without even changing his coat.

However, as soon as the door opened, someone bumped into it.

--enemy?
Duan Xie carved a small section of it, revealing a chilling sharpness—

But immediately, Zhou You patted Duanxie, letting it re-sheath.

They are not enemies.

What appeared before me now was only a face that was already very familiar.

—Lu Xiuyuan.

At this moment, his usually smiling face was filled with panic. His eyes were darting around, and his hands were trembling. He was clearly at his wit's end.

Seeing that the man was about to fall backward, Zhou You grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Chief镖师 Lu, what happened? Have some enemies attacked?"

Lu Xiuyuan, who had been hit hard, raised his head in a daze and saw Zhou You's calm face.

He was stunned for a few moments, then grabbed Zhou You's clothes.

"Master, disaster has struck!"

—No, someone really attacked?
Zhou You first scanned the surroundings and, seeing no signs of fighting, gently patted Lu Xiuyuan's shoulder to comfort him.

"What trouble has happened? I'm telling you, don't panic. The more you panic, the more chaotic things will become. Take a deep breath and figure things out before you talk about it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyuan realized that something was wrong with him. He took a few breaths and then spoke.

"Master, you should remember Zheng Sandan, right? He's the one who's always slacking off in the group, and the one I told you wasn't doing so well lately."

Zhou You nodded, recalling the incredibly haggard face he had glimpsed yesterday.

"I know, what's wrong?"

Lu Xiuyuan slapped his thigh hard and said.

"—He's gone missing!"

This time, before Zhou You could ask again, he continued.

"Didn't he volunteer to be on the night shift yesterday? I thought he was being very sincere, so I softened and agreed. But when the shift supervisor arrived today, he suddenly found that the man was missing—the bench where he was on night watch was empty, not a soul in sight!"

Zhou You suddenly interrupted him.

"If the person is just gone, they might have just gone out for a while. Have you looked for them?"

"We searched, how could we not search!" Lu Xiuyuan said anxiously. "At first, I thought that made sense, so I didn't dare to disturb you. I just sent people to search the surrounding area, but we couldn't find a single person. Besides, I repeatedly warned everyone that there might be risks in this temple, and that everyone should try not to leave the courtyard, so where could he have gone?"

Seeing Lu Xiuyuan start to grab his hair, Zhou You suddenly said.

"Has this person exhibited any unusual behavior? For example, actions that are drastically different from their usual behavior?"

"Something's wrong?" Lu Xiuyuan was taken aback. "He did mention having nightmares these past few days, but he wouldn't say what they were about when asked. Everyone else in the escort agency thought he was just trying to slack off again. As for anything else..."

—A pair of bloodshot, inhuman eyes suddenly flashed into his mind.

After hesitating for a while, Lu Xiuyuan finally spoke.

"Master, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it felt like it happened yesterday."

However, before he could speak, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.

"Excuse me, are Chief Escort Lu and Taoist Master Zhou here? My master would like to invite them."

(End of this chapter)