The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

Chapter 130 The Shaolin Monks (Seventh Update by Bai Jun)

Shen An slowly turned around, the murderous aura on his face receding, and he returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

He looked at Di Xiu, who was standing there dumbfounded, and asked, "Senior Brother Di, what did he just say—what was it again?"

Thick blood plasma dripped down the blade of the greatsword, making soft, pattering sounds as it fell to the ground.

Di Xiu suddenly shuddered. He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to repeat the half-sentence he had just heard: "He—he just seemed to say that he is Zuo—"

"Um?"

How can you be so insensible?

Shen An's eyes narrowed slightly as she interrupted him, her tone carrying just the right amount of doubt: "I didn't hear you clearly. Did you hear me?"

Di Xiu's heart skipped a beat!

I didn't hear you clearly.

These three words are not a question, but a statement.

It's telling yourself that you probably didn't hear it clearly either.

You truly are worthy of being your master's disciple. I even thought you were some kind of good person!

Di Xiu suppressed his inner grumbling and said, "No—no! I didn't hear it clearly either! That villain was struggling in his death throes, his words were indistinct, who knows what he was barking like a dog!"

Shen An nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the two women who were huddled in the corner, trembling with fear, and asked gently, "And you two?"

The two women, aunt and niece, were so terrified by the bloody and brutal scene that they didn't even notice what the villain had just said: "I—I didn't hear you clearly."

Shen An sighed, lowered her head with a regretful expression, and spread her hands: "Then there's nothing I can do."

He pulled the greatsword from the ground, wiped it roughly on a relatively intact pillar next to him to remove the bloodstains, then wrapped it in a cloth again and carried it on his back.

Di Xiu looked at the deep red mark left on the pillar, and his eye twitched involuntarily.

Ruthless and decisive!

This is nothing like the rumored, simple-minded, and somewhat kind-hearted Junior Brother Shen. This is clearly someone who acts without any scruples...

A ruthless and merciless young killer!

Without the slightest hesitation or a single wasted word, he defeated a master swordsman within three moves, leaving him utterly helpless. In the end, he smashed him into a bloody pulp as easily as swatting a fly.

Even those ruthless senior brothers and uncles might not be able to do such a clean and efficient job!

Di Xiu inwardly groaned.

He had initially thought Shen An was a "simple" person who could be won over or even exploited, but today's events completely overturned his previous judgment.

This person should never be trifled with!

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the temple.

Immediately afterward, a tall monk wearing a gray robe rushed in, panting heavily.

"Amitabha! Your subordinates—"

The monk's words abruptly ceased the moment he saw the scene inside the temple.

His eyes widened as he looked at the mess on the ground, at the pool of bloody and mangled corpses, at Shen An and Di Xiu with their different expressions, and at the two terrified women. His anxious expression froze on his face, leaving him somewhat stunned and blank.

What... what's going on here?

The newcomer was none other than the monk who had just saved the two women, whose Buddhist name was Fangjue.

He never expected that he had only lured the clump of 'Unforgettable' away, circled around a little, and rushed back. In total, it probably took him less than a quarter of an hour.

How could he just be gone?

And looking at the scene, it's hardly a fight.

The Songshan disciple had not a single scratch on his body; it was clearly a one-sided massacre.

Although he had held back before, Cong Buqi's martial arts were not weak, and he knew he couldn't kill him in such a short time.

Fang Jue looked at Cong Buqi, who was cosplaying as Boyi Kao on the altar, and felt a wave of nausea wash over him.

He was, after all, a master from the Shaolin Arhat Hall who had seen his share of battles, but this kind of bloody and primitive way of killing still made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Ah—Amitabha Buddha—"

Fang Jue clasped his hands together, suppressing the shock and surging blood in his heart, and looked at Shen An.

Upon seeing their savior, the two women cried out, "Master! You—you're alright, that's wonderful!"

Seeing this, Shen An also clasped his hands in a salute to Fang Jue: "Master, just now I heard what these two female benefactors said. It was you who came to their rescue and lured away the villains, which allowed them to escape."

"I, Shen An, thank you on their behalf for your righteous act, Master."

"Amitabha Buddha, saving people is the duty of a monk, and you are also a saver, so there is no need to thank me." Fang Jue returned the bow.

Shen An shook his head: "It's different. Such a thing happened at the foot of the Songshan Sect, so it is the duty of us Songshan disciples. Master helped me, so I should thank you."

"I was just passing by and happened to stumble upon this place. To be honest, this thief was indeed audacious, daring to commit such a crime in your sect's territory. It is fitting that you, benefactor, personally killed him."

"He certainly deserved it." Shen An nodded, realizing something was amiss, and didn't want to delve any deeper into the matter.

Fang Jue chanted another Buddhist prayer, his face showing compassion. As he spoke, he subtly observed Shen An's reaction: "This thief's swordsmanship is exquisite and his moves are ruthless. He is no ordinary江湖草莽 (jianghu cao, a term referring to outlaws or scoundrels of the martial world). I just fought with him, and observing his sword style, it seems—it seems that he has quite a connection with one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects."

Is this monk straightforward, or is he doing it on purpose, subtly trying to steer the conversation toward Mount Song?

"This junior is not knowledgeable enough to recognize you." Shen An knew that his sect was indeed in the wrong, so he could only continue to play dumb and dodge the question. "However, no matter which member of the Five Mountains Alliance did this, they deserve to die. The important thing now is how to settle these two female benefactors in the future."

When Fang Jue saw that he wasn't taking the bait, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. He glanced at Di Xiu again, but Di Xiu ignored him.

Fang Jue didn't press further, so he simply followed Shen An's lead and said, "What you say is quite right, benefactor. This humble monk—this humble monk has come precisely for this matter."

Upon hearing this, the two women, aunt and sister-in-law, both raised their heads and looked at him expectantly.

The older woman asked anxiously, "Master, my husband... how is he?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Jue's expression of compassion deepened. He hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and said slowly, "Amitabha—this humble monk has come to rescue you at the request of your husband. He—he has entrusted me with all the remaining savings of his family, begging me to ensure your safety no matter what."

"Then—where are the others?"

Fang Jue closed his eyes and said with unbearable sorrow, "After I agreed to his request, I heard that he hanged himself after returning home."