Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 189 Mercy
When Zhou You's grandfather was still alive, he gave him a piece of advice.

One coincidence may be a coincidence, two coincidences may be a coincidence, but three, four, or five coincidences definitely indicate human intervention.

Zhou You had a vague feeling that there was some unseen force manipulating everything outside of the Tantric sect.

But the question is, who is this person?
Zhou You went through everyone he had met since joining the scriptwriting team, but still couldn't come up with any possible answers.

But at that moment, a hesitant voice rang out.

"My lord. My lord"

Zhou You snapped out of his daze and realized that it was Ben Shan who was calling him.

As for the snake monk, he had already stopped introducing himself. Although he was being ignored, there was no sign of displeasure on his face.

Zhou You then smiled.

"I'm so sorry, I was thinking of a solution and didn't notice anything else—now that the specific situation is clear, what do you need me to do next?"

Upon seeing Zhou You apologize, the venomous monk coughed twice, patted powder onto his face again, and then spoke.

"It's simple. I've gathered all the remaining shady characters—these aren't the cannon fodder from before, they're all top-notch experts—they're currently waiting outside the city. You go and lead them to find a way to break through the barrier set up by Zhengde. I'll join you after I've prepared the materials, and then we'll work together to take down this guy."

Zhou You nodded in agreement, and the snake monk lowered his head and continued with his work. The conversation was basically over—but then he suddenly remembered something and brought it up as if by accident.

"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you. The temple recently hired an old musician; I wonder if you've seen him?"

The snake monk frowned, thought carefully for a while, and then spoke.

"It seems there is such a person, right? But during this period, in order to seal off Zhengde, I basically used up all the materials that were transported over on the spot. Why are you asking about this?"

"No, it's nothing," Zhou You shook his head. "It's getting late. Now that I know the situation, I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll head back now."

The snake monk made no polite gestures or attempts to persuade him to stay, but before Zhou You left, he suddenly called out to someone.

"Oh, right, there's something crucial I almost forgot to tell you. When the temple first arrested Zhengde, they issued a decree that no matter the cost, he must be captured alive."

The snake monk's voice was very calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Of course, this price includes our lives."

Zhou You didn't turn around, but simply raised his hand and waved in response.

—It was already late at night when I left the mansion.

But the lights outside were still on.

Many people knelt on the ground devoutly, praying to the unknown gods and Buddhas, praying for the disappearance of their illnesses or for the safety of their families.

But suddenly, an old man collapsed as if he had lost his strength.

The thin, withered body twitched for a moment, then quickly fell silent.

However, the surrounding people did not grieve for him at all; instead, they began chanting scriptures with peaceful and serene expressions.

It was still the same "Buddha's Discourse on the Observation of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Ascent to Tushita Heaven" that Zhou You had heard when he entered the city.

"This person will die twelve years from now and will surely be reborn in the Tusita Heaven. At that time, there will be five hundred trillion celestial beings in the Tusita Heaven."

The sound of Buddhist chanting filled the air, each note reaching my ears.

It was as if this person had already ascended to that blissful world.
-
Early the next morning. Inside an inn in Shuanghe City.

A sudden burst of noise startled Zhou You from his light sleep.

There seemed to be some shouting downstairs at the inn, but it appeared to be just one-sided scolding rather than an argument.

Zhou You wasn't interested in paying attention. He yawned, then picked up the handkerchief provided by the shopkeeper, casually wiped his face, and then looked at the bronze mirror by the bed.

A face appeared in the mirror.

He wasn't exactly handsome, but he wasn't ugly either. However, there was always a faint smile on his face, which made people feel that he was a bit frivolous.

Zhou You tried several times, but ultimately couldn't suppress the twitch of his lips. In the end, he had no choice but to give up, put on his coat, and head downstairs.

He had only taken a few steps down the stairs when he saw a bald head covered in thick, fleshy muscles.

That was Ben Shan's face.

Beside him stood an old man in his fifties—Zhou You recognized him as the innkeeper—who was hunched over, straining so hard it seemed he was about to break his back.

At this very moment, Ben Shan was arrogantly reprimanding the boss.

"You actually let a master of Tantric Buddhism stay in this shabby place—a second-class room??? Are you crazy or am I crazy? If he doesn't sleep well, can you take responsibility? At best, this is neglect; at worst, it's a sin of disrespecting the Buddha!"

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't know this gentleman was a master in the temple." The shopkeeper was apologizing repeatedly at first, but when he heard Ben Shan say the words "disrespectful to Buddha," his legs went weak and he knelt down, desperately kowtowing to the ground.

"Master Benshan, Uncle Benshan! I really didn't mean to disrespect Buddha! Please forgive me, my daughter is only eight years old, please don't drag my whole family to the temple to perform rituals!"

Zhou You looked at the scenery, frowned, and then spoke up.

"Ben Shan, what's going on?"

The moment he heard those words, Ben Shan's arrogant face immediately turned into a fawning one, like that of a eunuch.

"Master, you're awake? My master sent me to fetch you. The carriage is already waiting outside. Would you like to have some food first, or do you wish to come now?"

No one answered; they just glanced sideways at the boss.

Ben Shan immediately understood what it meant, and saw this person smile at Zhou You.

“Master, I’m just reprimanding this disrespectful Buddhist who has been disrespectful to you. If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll have someone send his whole family to you right now. Anyway, there’s a shortage of materials right now, not to mention that this little girl’s skin is perfect for making a kapala drum.”

Upon hearing this, the innkeeper trembled even more violently, but remained in a prostrate position, daring not to utter a single word.

Zhou You made no comment, only shook his head slightly—his current identity was still 'wandering monk' Song Yang, and he couldn't do anything—then sighed softly.

"Alright, important business is more important, let's go."

Upon hearing this, Benshan hurried over, but before leaving, he spat at the shop owner.

"Pah, Master, you're merciful. I'll spare you this time. Next time, teach me a lesson."

The boss's face was covered in phlegm, but he didn't even dare to wipe it off. Instead, he bowed repeatedly to Zhou You's retreating figure with endless gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you for your compassion, Master."

"Thank you, Master. Bodhi Temple, for your compassion!"

(End of this chapter)