Killing Monks

"Monk, interesting."

Lu Chengming couldn't help but laugh when he heard Guangyuan say that.

How many mediocre people are there in the world of martial arts?

Interesting people are actually quite rare.

"Come over and have a drink!" he said.

A person like that deserves a drink.

Guangyuan did not refuse and went straight to the table, sitting down opposite Lu Ming.

The waiter added a set of bowls and chopsticks, and a pot of warmed wine, keeping his head down the whole time, not daring to look too closely.

Guangyuan's gaze lingered on Lu Ming for a moment.

The man appeared to be around forty years old, with a dignified face and an air of authority that suggested he had long held a high position. However, the fine lines around his eyes and the graying temples hinted that he was actually much older than that.

The waiters, the manager, and even the other customers in the tavern all unconsciously lowered their voices, and when their eyes occasionally swept over, they quickly looked away.

Clearly, they all recognized that these were members of the Lu family, and of high status.

A knife lay across the table.

The scabbard was made of simple, dark brown cowhide, and the handle was wrapped with polished black silk thread. The blade was thick and of moderate length, and even without being drawn, it exuded a menacing aura.

This is a knife that has killed countless people.

Seeing Guangyuan's gaze fall on the sword, Lu Ming casually patted the scabbard and chuckled, "Monk, you're interested in swords too?"

In his view, Guangyuan was skilled in martial arts.

That's normal. Without some skills, who would dare to travel alone in the world?

Guangyuan shook his head and said, "I don't know how to use a knife."

"Oh?" Lu Chengming raised an eyebrow and asked, "So what can you do?"

Guangyuan said, "Recite the scriptures."

"If it's a wedding celebration, what scriptures should be recited?"

"Don't chant scriptures when celebrating a happy occasion."

Why?

"Because monks have never held a wedding."

Lu Chengming laughed, tears streaming down his face. He pointed at Guangyuan with his finger and said, "You're honest, an honest monk."

"I'm not honest." Guangyuan poured himself a glass of wine. "Because dishonest people often make others think they are honest."

"A truly honest person..."

He paused, then looked up and stared directly at Lu Ming: "To outsiders, he probably looks like a fool."

Lu Ming smiled again.

He raised his hand to fill his own glass with wine, and then added some more to Guangyuan's glass, feeling that the meal had been worthwhile.

"Ten days from now, I'd like the monk to come to the Lu family." Lu Chengming paused. "At that time, please state my name: Lu Chengming."

"Guangyuan." Guangyuan also introduced himself. "What brings you to the Lu family?"

"That day will be a joyous occasion for the Lu family." He turned his gaze back, a fleeting, unfathomable emotion flashing in his eyes. "Monk, come and chant the sutras."

Guangyuan asked, "Then what sutra should we recite?"

"The Rebirth Mantra!" Lu Chengming said.

strangeness.

Why recite the Rebirth Mantra to help the souls of the deceased on such a joyous day?

Guangyuan looked up at Lu Ming, about to ask a question, but saw that the other party had already stood up.

Lu Ming grabbed the broadsword on the table, casually tied it back to his waist, and did so with swift and decisive movements.

He didn't look at Guangyuan again, but simply said:

"Ten days. The main gate of the Lu family residence."

He didn't seem worried about Guangyuan refusing, because in Luoqing County, no one dared to refuse the Lu family.

He turned and walked out of the tavern.

On the table, two wine glasses are placed opposite each other.

One was empty, and the other was still full.

Guangyuan glanced at the waiter and said, "Did that layman pay?"

The waiter nodded.

"Then please pack this up for me," Guangyuan said. "This is indeed a fine wine."

The waiter looked puzzled, but he did as instructed.

Because this monk had drunk wine with Master Lu.

Meanwhile, on a street corner at the other end of Luoqing County, Chu Kuangjun was being watched.

With a face like his, passersby couldn't help but take a second look.

Some whispered, some pointed, and some stared intently at his face.

He's used to it.

Usually, it was lecherous scoundrels or thugs who approached him. But this time, it was a woman who had her eye on him.

A very beautiful woman.

She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a light red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with gold trim, over which was a light apricot-colored gauze robe. Her hair was styled in a slanted bun, with a jade hairpin inserted in it.

With almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks, and lips naturally red, she was leaning against the door frame of a rouge shop on the street, blinking her big eyes and staring at Chu Kuangjun without any attempt to hide her gaze.

Chu Kuangjun felt uncomfortable under her gaze and wanted to walk around her, but the woman took a step forward and blocked his way.

"Excuse me... ma'am," Chu Kuangjun said helplessly, bowing slightly, "please make way."

"Big sister?" The woman raised an eyebrow, not only refusing to yield but also puffing out her chest, her eyes sparkling. "Am I that big?"

Chu Kuangjun's ears turned bright red.

In the years he had been traveling the world, he had encountered many feisty women, but this was the first time he had met one so straightforward and blatant.

He was actually harassed by a woman in the street!

At that moment, Master's words suddenly echoed in my mind:

"Junzi, with a face like yours, what you fear most in the underworld isn't men. Men, well, only a minority are interested in other men."

"Master, what should I be afraid of?"

"You should be afraid of women!"

"Women? Are women scary?"

"Young girls aren't scary; they're shy. What's scary are older, worldly women. They know their stuff better than thugs and are more direct than lecherous men. If you're not careful, you'll get eaten alive without even knowing how."

"Master, what should I do?"

"Use the 'Basic Eye Techniques' I taught you to glare at her!"

Chu Kuangjun composed himself, no longer avoiding the woman's gaze, and instead looked directly into her eyes.

When the woman saw him suddenly approach, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but then her smile deepened, and she looked back at him with brimming eyes, showing no fear whatsoever.

Eyes facing each other.

Chu Kuangjun's eyes were bright and clear, like two bottomless pools of water.

The woman initially seemed somewhat provocative, but as she looked at him, her gaze gradually became unfocused, and the street scenes and figures reflected in her pupils blurred into a hazy halo.

Chu Kuangjun's lips moved slightly, his voice extremely low, yet every word was clear:

"Turn around and leave now, hop like a frog, all the way out of the city gate... just pretend you've never seen me."

The woman's eyes were completely vacant.

She turned around blankly, then actually put her hands behind her head, squatted down, and started hopping and skipping forward.

"Hey! Is this woman crazy?"

"What are you doing!"

Pedestrians on the street were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

The woman, however, remained oblivious, continuing her frog hops earnestly, her bright red skirt leaving a comical trail on the ground as she hopped towards the city gate.

Chu Kuangjun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned around to disappear into a narrow alleyway.

"Master is right," he muttered with lingering fear, "older women... are indeed terrifying."

Boys, when you're out in the world, you must take good care of yourselves!