Killing Monks

As soon as Guangyuan spoke, the forest fell into a deathly silence; even the crackling of the firewood seemed to freeze.

The burly men stared in disbelief, almost doubting that they had misheard.

The veins on the back of the burly man's hand, which was resting on the hilt of his knife, suddenly bulged and throbbed.

In the dead of night, in the middle of nowhere, where did this wild monk come from who immediately asked to "beg for two people to eat"?!

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

The burly leader stared intently at Guangyuan's excessively calm face in the firelight. The wanted poster he had glimpsed on the inn's wall during the day suddenly flashed back into his mind:

"He murdered his uncle, betrayed the temple and fled... stormed the county prison, brutally killed the prison guards... He despised Buddhism and trampled on the law of the land; he is truly a disgrace to Buddhism and a vicious villain in the world..."

Every word and phrase exudes an overwhelming sense of ferocity and lawlessness.

Combined with the monk's absurd and terrifying words at this moment...

A chill ran down the man's spine, and he shouted, his voice sharp but his heart weak:

"Monk! Are you deliberately looking for trouble? We, the Demon Gang, are conducting business here; we'll keep to ourselves! If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

"I'm just sincerely asking for alms, how is that causing trouble?" Guangyuan seemed not to hear his threat, and instead took another step forward, getting closer to the campfire.

He tilted his head slightly, his tone even carrying a hint of doubt: "Could it be that you, benefactor, are unwilling to form this virtuous bond?"

He paused, the doubt on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a chilling disappointment, and his voice deepened:

"Then... I'm going to get angry."

"Nonsense! You're asking for death!" The burly leader was completely enraged by his pretentious yet provocative attitude. He roared and could no longer hold back!

The steel sword at his waist was drawn with a clang, drawing a blindingly cold light in the firelight, and with a piercing sound as it cleaved through the air, it slashed down at Guangyuan like a mountain being split in two!

The force was so strong and heavy that it was clear the intention was to cut him in two!

The three realms of martial arts desire: Forging Mortals, Seeking Breath, and Hearing Sound.

This burly leader possessed the cultivation of the Seeking Breath Realm, his inner strength had already developed, and his sword strikes were fierce. He was capable of standing alone in the gang, chasing debts across thousands of miles.

This strike would be impossible for an ordinary martial artist to withstand.

Unfortunately, he was facing Guangyuan.

The blade was at his head, and a strong wind blew in his face, making Guangyuan's scalp feel cold.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply raised his right palm seemingly casually, and pushed it out flatly to meet the sharp blade light.

It is precisely the "flat palm to subdue demons" from the "Weituo Palm" manual.

The original intention of this move is to contain internal strength and suppress rather than kill with profound palm skills, emphasizing moderation and balance.

But Guangyuan's palm strike was dark and solid, striking first despite being delayed, so fast that it left only a fleeting afterimage!

Under the astonished gaze of the leading burly man, without even dodging the falling steel blade, his palm struck the man's chest acupoint with unparalleled precision at the last second!

"puff!"

A muffled thud, like a blow to leather.

The mighty Han's powerful slash came to an abrupt halt, frozen in mid-air.

His eyes suddenly bulged out as he felt a chilling, sharp, and eerie force, like an ice spike or poison thorn, penetrate his body, instantly tearing through his protective qi and reaching his bones and internal organs!

His meridians felt as if they were being pierced by countless red-hot needles, or as if they were suddenly bursting after being frozen. The intense pain and icy cold intertwined, making his internal organs seem to twist and convulse!

"Ugh—!" He groaned, a metallic taste in his throat, his internal energy dissipating.

Only then did he suddenly recall the few words on the wanted poster: "Skilled in palm techniques, with insidious internal energy."

Unfortunately, it's too late.

Guangyuan moved in like a ghost, and was already right in front of him.

Raise your hands, clasp them together in front of your chest, and bow slightly.

This is the opening stance of the "Weituo Palm" technique, "Worshiping Buddha at Ling Mountain." This stance appears to be wide open and respectfully bowing, but in reality, it is a harmonious blend of energy, combining offense and defense, and can transform stillness into movement at any time.

The burly man's consciousness was being eroded by the excruciating pain, and his vision was blurred. He could only see the other person "clasping their hands in prayer" in front of him.

The next instant, the clasped hands burst open like lotus blossoms, suddenly transforming into two sharp hand blades!

One from the left, one from the right, without any fancy moves, they pierced his vital organs in the chest and abdomen!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two soft sounds, like sharp blades piercing flesh, rang out almost simultaneously.

The burly man trembled violently, and the light in his eyes rapidly faded.

The steel knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang, and then his burly body collapsed like a mountain toppled, kicking up a cloud of dust and withered leaves.

Until his last breath, he still didn't understand why Guangyuan had come to cause them trouble, or why he had tried to kill him!

But that's just how the martial arts world is!

With the burly man dead, the rest of the group instantly panicked. Two of them howled and charged forward with their knives, while the other three turned and ran out of the woods.

Before the blade could fall, Guangyuan's palm strike arrived. Two muffled thuds followed, and the two men collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Before the fleeing men could take more than a few steps, Lu Fei's figure flashed and blocked their path. With the speed of a swallow, his fists and palms clashed, and the three men screamed and fell to the ground.

"What should we do?" Lu Fei asked, stepping on one of the men's backs as he turned around.

"Kill him." Guangyuan walked over, wiping his hands, his voice calm.

"Spare me! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support... and children to raise..." a man pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Guangyuan squatted down in front of him and sighed, "Then I'll let you leave more easily."

He raised his hand and slapped the man's forehead. The man shuddered, blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices, and then he stopped moving.

Following the same method, the remaining two also died silently.

Lu Fei's eyelids twitched as he watched: "No poison, no baldness; no baldness, no poison... Monk, you're being way too ruthless."

"When they're chasing after these debts for the temple, forcing people to sell their children, they don't necessarily hold back," Guangyuan said calmly, but he didn't say the last part, "I was once a debt collector myself."

He crouched down and rummaged through the corpses for a while, finding some loose gold and silver, tinder, medicine, and other common items used in traveling the world. He divided them into two parts and tossed one part to Lu Fei.

He turned and walked toward the tethered horse. The man on horseback had been awake the whole time, witnessing the carnage firsthand. He was already deathly pale, and when he was untied, his legs were so weak he could barely stand.

The little girl next to him was about six or seven years old and unconscious. Lu Fei reached out and channeled a gentle stream of true energy into her back.

Before long, the little girl's eyelashes fluttered, she slowly woke up, and opened her eyes wide in confusion.

The man knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling violently: "Thank you so much, Master, for saving my life... I... I will definitely set up a longevity tablet for you when I get back, and burn incense day and night..."

The little girl huddled in her father's arms, her small hands tightly clutching the hem of his tattered clothes. Her large, clear, dark eyes looked over timidly, completely unaware of what had just happened in the woods.

Guangyuan looked at them as if he were seeing Li Daniu and his daughter.

He must return to Jinjia Temple!

He said to the father and daughter before him, "There are horses here. Take two and let's go."

The man and his daughter rode their horses aimlessly toward the official road in the night.

They had no idea that they had been suddenly saved, nor did they know why Guangyuan had saved them.

But that's just how the martial arts world is.

When someone dies, someone else lives.