Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 532 Price
Although he had been vaguely guessing it all along, Zhou You was still taken aback when someone actually admitted it.

"Abbot, what does this mean?"

The old monk Hongyi said.

"Young friend, you should know that this world is full of evil spirits, filth, demons, and monsters, right?"

"Know a thing or two."

The old monk Hongyi, with a look of compassion on his face, spoke slowly.

"We humans, although capable of cultivation and numerous enough, are still powerless against demons and monsters. Some have tried to unite in the past, but unfortunately, they ultimately failed. If things continue like this, cultivators may survive, but ordinary people will eventually be devoured."

"—So, a celestial being set his sights on the strange creature?"

The old monk Hongyi nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Although the ghosts are extremely powerful, they are not like demons. They are more like natural disasters, so their power can be used by us. As long as we find a way to subdue them or offer them as a sacrifice, not only our sect, but also the surrounding area of ​​hundreds or even thousands of miles can be protected from the invasion of enemies."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You suddenly remembered a name.

"What is the Gate of No Life?"

The old monk Hongyi explained.

"The concept of 'trickery' also varies in strength. Those of similar skill levels will not enter each other's territory. However, some renowned 'trickery' do not follow this rule. The Wusheng Sect offended an unimaginably powerful trickery and was subsequently wiped out."

Whether what he said was true or not was unknown, but Zhou You still nodded in agreement, and then suddenly asked a question.

"Abbot, what does this have to do with what we discussed before?"

however.

This time, the old monk once again avoided answering—or rather, he refrained from providing a direct explanation.

The man stroked the only Buddha statue in the hall; his eyes were cloudy and he could hardly see clearly, but he still sighed.

"Young friend, do you know what kind of strange object we are worshipping?"

"The Alms-Bearing Arhat?"

Unexpectedly, the old monk Hongyi shook his head and then said.

"No, that's just an appearance. His name is Nirvana, a venerable one who entered the path through 'eating,' abandoned his evil body, and attained enlightenment."

"Compared to other places, this Venerable One is so benevolent that he cannot be more benevolent. His great vow is not something like slaughter and extermination, but that all people in the world can become Buddhas. Unfortunately, because of this, his power is much weaker than that of others, and he is about to be unable to maintain it."

Zhou You looked at the Arhat statue and couldn't see what it had to do with compassion, but after hearing this explanation, he understood.

"So the abbot's intention is to protect the person you worship?"

“Nirpa Tarena”.

"Yes, the Dharmakaya of Nirvana?"

However, the old monk Hongyi denied it again.

"It's not just to save us, it's also to save you."

"What do you mean?"

The old monk Hongyi said with a profound meaning.

"Young friend, you should know that yourself, shouldn't you?"

Zhou You was about to say, "I know nothing!"—after all, since entering this scenario, all the NPCs he had encountered were riddles, and he was only able to determine what these guardian spirit beasts were today—when he suddenly frowned and looked at the other person.

The old monk Hongyi gave a respectful greeting and then continued speaking calmly.

"You've stayed here all night, so you should know that normally, except during offerings, the sect's strange creatures won't kill people randomly. But your Five Elements Temple..."

The old monk didn't finish his sentence, but Zhou You understood what he meant.

—Instant death traps are everywhere, and at night it's like a demonic realm. The job of patrolling at night even requires the lives of formal disciples to be paid.
Even if the frequency of these "chow-to-lucky" rituals increases, it's clear to everyone that this kind of drain on resources won't last.

The old monk Hongyi also understood from his expression, and then sighed.

"Although the one in your temple is notoriously difficult to serve, this is an out-of-control situation. This grand sacrificial ceremony is probably an attempt to save himself."

He raised his head and suddenly smiled.

Unlike his previous compassionate, humble, and friendly smiles, this one was very strange. It wasn't exactly bizarre, but it sent chills down one's spine.

"Our plan this time happens to contain a key material for your self-rescue. If we can get our hands on it, we can at least be 70% certain of winning the position of sect leader, if not 90% certain."

Zhou You remained silent.

At this point, the matter is quite clear.

Master Chongxu somehow learned that Hanshan Temple had what he needed, so he contacted them and they hit it off immediately. However, he was extremely cautious and was afraid of being in a trap, so he sent Zhou You to participate instead.

My 'master' is truly something else.
What a plan!

Zhou You pursed his lips, but for the sake of advancing the plot, he still accepted the path.

"May I ask, Abbot, what are your 'key materials' this time, and how can I, a humble servant, be of any help?"

Upon hearing this affirmative answer, the old monk Hongyi finally smiled happily again.

“Nirvana is a demonic being that has attained Buddhahood, so it naturally needs demonic nourishment. It just so happens that the great demon who destroyed the Wusheng Sect hasn’t left yet, so we can try to lure and capture it.”

Zhou You was stunned for a moment, then asked incredulously.

You mean the Great Ghost?

"Yes."

"Trapping?"

"Yes."

Zhou You stared at the old monk Hongyi for a while, as if he were a madman, then patted his behind and prepared to leave.

"Young friend, what's going on?"

Zhou You answered sincerely.

"Abbot, although I haven't fought this great demon myself, I know its power is comparable to that of gods and Buddhas. Your Hanshan Temple and the Wusheng Sect are about the same size, yet they were easily crushed. You are too..."

Out of politeness, Zhou You didn't say the words "overestimating his abilities".

However, his mission was indeed a failure, but it was easier to explain to Master Chongxu—the monks of Hanshan Temple are all a bunch of lunatics, you can't expect me to knowingly jump into a fire pit, can you?

If you insist on forcing us like this, then we can just part ways with Lin Yunshao and Aqua. Even without your Five Elements Temple, we can still complete the script.

Otherwise.

The old monk stopped him in his tracks with just one sentence.

"It's shameful to admit, but it was actually this humble monk who led the Great Demon there and then destroyed the Wusheng Sect."

Zhou You stopped moving, then turned his head and suddenly spoke.

"But I heard that the leader of the Wusheng Sect brought this upon himself."

The old monk Hongyi replied.

"That guy certainly brought this upon himself, but if we consider cause and effect, the real reason was that I, this humble monk, was involved."

His words were very calm, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Zhou You looked at the old monk Hongyi, seemingly trying to see something beneath that compassionate face—but in the end, he only said in a low voice.

"Let's continue."

The Venerable Master Hongyi clasped his hands together and said, "Although I have indeed wronged the members of the Wusheng Sect and the people within its reach, this is a sacrifice for the greater good. As long as this grand ambition can be fulfilled, the people of most of the state can enjoy lasting peace and will not have to suffer the calamity."

"Let's get down to business."

The words were quite impolite, but the old monk Hongyi seemed not to hear them and continued to speak gently.

"It's actually very simple. Our temple has spent over a hundred years, three generations, planning to lure this great monster. Now everything is ready, all we need is for 'Silence' to take the bait."

Upon hearing this familiar name, Zhou You suddenly frowned.

The old monk Hongyi noticed the movement almost instantly and then asked a question.

"Young friend, are you familiar with this great mystery?"

Zhou You shook his head and said slowly.

"I'm not entirely sure, maybe we just exchanged glances."

He briefly recounted everything that happened in the village when he first joined the scriptwriting team.

Who would have expected.

He hadn't listened at all, but once he did, the old monk Hongyi's smile became even more compassionate.

“Young friend, you are indeed a decisive voice with a connection to Buddhism. Transforming a person into grass is the method of ‘Silence’. However, it was probably just a fragment of its spirit that passed by at the time. In addition, there was a senior uncle in your team who was about to perish, so it did not linger. This is your good fortune.”

Zhou You ignored the other party's flattery and continued speaking.

"But I have personally witnessed this person's abilities. What means does the temple have to grasp this intangible and intangible thing?"

The old monk Hongyi did not hide anything, but told the whole story.

"It's not so much capturing him, just trapping him. That Silent One just destroyed the Wusheng Sect a few days ago. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he was quite exhausted and is now looking for food. My Hanshan Temple is famous for preserving essence and nourishing energy. With so many flesh-and-blood cultivators here, he will surely become his next target."

He paused, then continued.

"Once it arrives, I will unleash the last of Nirvana's power, and with the combined power of the incense and prayers accumulated over hundreds of years in the temple, I will force it to manifest itself here."

Zhou You waited for a long time, but the other party still didn't continue, so he couldn't help but speak up.

"What should we do next after it becomes visible?"

However, the old monk Hongyi just smiled when he looked at him.

After a while, Zhou You finally understood and pointed to himself in astonishment.

"You mean you want me to deal with this great monster all by myself?"

The old monk smiled and shook his head.

"How could that be? Your arrival is just a pleasant surprise. Before this, I had already gathered a group of skilled martial artists. All you need to do is enter with them and destroy the core of the Great Demon."

"May I ask, how many of these martial arts experts do you have, and who are they?"

"There were probably a dozen or so. Among them, the ones I remember most vividly are Mad Blade Bu Feng, Undying Slash Xu Er, Mad Monk Shi Liu, and Rotten Hand Dan Kui He Feilan."

They're all notorious scoundrels and scumbags.

However, upon hearing these familiar names, Zhou You fell into deep thought.

Although these guys are all from evil sects, their skills are quite good, and some of them can even rival me.

With so many skilled fighters on the field, perhaps they can really take down a great villain?
The old monk Hongyi did not disturb Zhou You. He simply sat quietly on the prayer mat, then held the prayer beads and began to chant Buddhist scriptures.

After a long while, Zhou You finally spoke.

"When do you plan to set up the ambush?"

The old monk immediately burst into laughter.

"Not long, exactly three days from now."

After Zhou You left, the hall fell silent again.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was pushed open again, and this time vegetarian food was served.

The person who delivered the food was also an acquaintance, the monk named Faxian.

Hongyi remained seated on the prayer mat, seemingly having not moved since his departure. Faxian first bowed, then took out the food and arranged it neatly in front of him.

for a long time.

The seemingly asleep old monk Hongyi raised his eyelids and suddenly spoke.

"Have the evening prayers at the temple finished?"

Faxian lowered his hands and said respectfully.

"Reporting to the Master, it's all done."

"How is your cultivation going?"

"Back to the host, he's still the same as always."

The old monk Hongyi had already picked up his chopsticks, but after hearing these words, he sighed again.

"This bottleneck remains unbroken. But first, reassure the monks that once an Arhat's body is sculpted into gold, whoever it is, can accumulate merit and attain enlightenment."

Faxian hung his hands at his sides and did not answer.

Meanwhile, the old monk Hongyi continued to ramble on and on.

"And what about the common people? What happened to them?"

Faxian answered softly.

"The people are doing well, and everyone is grateful to the temple for providing food and lodging. In the past few days, several people have even experienced a breakthrough in their spiritual development."

The old monk Hongyi finally showed a slight smile.

"Excellent, truly excellent! Everyone can gain merit and accumulate blessings. It seems we are not far from the great salvation the Arhat spoke of."

Overjoyed, he picked up his chopsticks again and prepared to eat.

However, at this moment, Faxian suddenly spoke again.

"Host, I have some news here, but I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"What news?"

"We still haven't found the guy who snuck in before."

The old monk Hongyi's expression suddenly darkened.

"Have you checked all those outsiders and the locals who came up the mountain?"

"Reporting to the Master, everyone has been thoroughly searched, and no abnormalities have been found."

"Well, let's be cautious before the ceremony. No matter how good he is at infiltration, he's still just one person. Even if we're well-prepared, he can't stop us."

"Disciples obey the laws and decrees."

Having finished speaking, the old monk Hongyi opened the lid in front of him.

Looking at the still-fresh food, a look of compassion suddenly appeared on his face.

"Those who become monks or practitioners must first accumulate merit and blessings, even to the point of having countless blessings."

"In this life, I will surely be liberated."

(End of this chapter)