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墨書 Inktalez
Before long, my father brought over two bowls of steaming noodles, each topped with a couple of eggs. There was nothing else like it; my dad's cooking was truly exceptional, which had made me incredibly picky with my taste buds.
"Master, thank you for saving my son once again," my father said humbly.
I didn't quite like the way he slightly bent his back. With my mouth full of noodles, I mumbled indistinctly, "What’s there to thank him for? He’s just being merciful. Besides, I’m still his disciple. If I were to die, how would that old monk face the world?"
My Master’s eating habits were truly something to behold. He slurped the noodles loudly, as if he were a starving ghost come back to life. Just as the noodles were nearing the bottom of the bowl, he managed to squeeze out, "Right. I can't ruin the good image I've built over decades."
My father chuckled awkwardly and asked, "Ling Feng is already nine years old. Master, are you planning to…"
Hearing this made me anxious. I pushed my bowl aside and stiffened my neck, saying, "I’m not going anywhere! I’m not leaving…"
If I left, what would happen to my father? What about Er Gouzi and the others? I absolutely could not leave.
My Master looked at me curiously and asked, "Leave? Where would you go? Isn’t it nice here? The mountains are beautiful, the water is clear, and the people… are even better..."
The last part about the people felt forced.
A hint of joy appeared on my father's face, but it quickly faded into an expressionless mask as his eyes went blank.
Faintly, a song echoed in the distance...
Watching my father walk out as if he had lost his soul sent a chill down my spine.
My Master set down his clean bowl and frowned as he whispered, "Is there a demonic presence?"
In a moment of desperation, I grabbed my master's dirty robe and pleaded, "Master, please save my dad. There's a monster in Qingshan Lake..."
My master seemed quite pleased with my heartfelt call of "Master." He clasped his hands together and said, "Since the Poor Monk is here, how can these wild mountain monsters act so recklessly?"
With that, he lifted his leg and stepped outside. I glanced at the pitch-blackness beyond and quickly put on my shoes, grabbing a flashlight before following him out.
"Why did you come along?" my master suddenly stopped and asked.
All my nerves were on edge, and I bumped into him without realizing it. Rubbing my nose in dissatisfaction, I replied, "Couldn’t you have given me a heads-up before stopping? Besides, I saw that monster before you even arrived..."
I felt a bit smug about that.
My master nodded approvingly and patted my shoulder, saying, "Good, you have some courage..."
I was familiar with every corner of Daqingshan. Leading the way, I found a concealed spot for us to hide and waited for the monster to appear.
"Are you going to capture that monster later?" I asked directly, still getting used to calling him Master.
He thought for a moment and calmly replied, "It depends on my mood. Or perhaps on its appearance? Or maybe its gender?"
I was taken aback. Isn’t Wo Fo supposed to be compassionate and treat all beings equally? Why this apparent discrimination? Would the good-looking ones be let go? The females too?
Master, such grand and sacred words. Yet in reality, this disparity is too great. Without a robust physique or the handsome looks of Tang Seng, does he not even have proper values? What sins did I commit in my past life to end up with such a lewdly described master who lacks proper morals?
I tilted my head in annoyance and stopped talking.
The calm Qingshan Lake, though still, suddenly stirred up giant waves, which surged as if a sharp blade had sliced through, revealing the water plants and mud at the bottom of the lake.
On top of the waves stood a barefoot woman. She had scattered scales on her face, and her beauty was akin to that of a fairy; however, her eyes resembled those of a dead fish, devoid of any spirit.
My master glanced at her and said, "So it's a fully formed Carp Spirit?"
Curious, I asked, "How do you know it's a Carp Spirit?"
My master waved his hands in front of me and replied, "You don't even have this basic understanding? Take another look..."
I cautiously leaned forward to take a peek. To my surprise, what appeared to be a graceful woman on the waves was actually a massive red Big Carp. It looked to be about as tall as a floor, standing upright on the water's surface with its tail constantly swaying.
Those Fish-Headed Human-Legged Monsters skillfully approached the men, pulling down their Big Shorts to their thighs.
"Wow, is there really such a position? This is like a battle between humans and beasts," my master exclaimed with gleaming eyes as he watched the row of men and the Fish Monsters squatting in front of them.
"What are we waiting for? Shouldn't we act now?" I tugged at my master's sleeve.
Only then did he clear his throat, stand up straight, adjust his clothes, and put his hands together, saying, "Amitabha."
"Who goes there?" the Carp Spirit called out from atop the waves.
“Since you have not harmed anyone, I, the Poor Monk, will let you go this time. But remember, the cycle of reincarnation is real. Using this method of supplementing yang with yin may increase your power quickly, but it does not belong to you. Without a solid foundation, when the time comes for tribulation, it will be difficult for you…” The Master advised, holding his Obsidian Prayer Beads.
The Carp Spirit, however, was ungrateful and retorted, “Who is this wild monk? Just because you’ve chanted a few scriptures, you dare to point fingers at me?”
With that, he waved his hand, and several jets of water shot toward the Master like arrows.
The Master remained calm. He swung the Obsidian Prayer Beads in front of him, forming a circle. A faint yellow shield appeared before him.
When the water arrows reached the Master, they made several crisp sounds before turning into splashes as if it were drizzling rain.
“Amitabha…”
The Master chanted again. Each word resonated like the sound of morning bells and evening drums. Behind him, a faint image of a Buddha appeared.
The Fish-Headed Human-Legged Monsters trembled and collapsed to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.
The men in the village seemed to awaken from a deep slumber, their clarity restored. They looked at the monster before them and shouted as they scattered back toward the village.
The woman on the waves revealed a hint of fear in her eyes. A common saying goes: one can tell someone's strength by their first move. This monk was able to summon a Buddha's image; his power was indeed formidable.
Yet, being a spirit creature meant she could not simply let this go. With a single finger pointed, a stream of water transformed into a long whip that wrapped around my neck and slowly lifted me into the air.
“Master, save me… save me…” I kicked my legs desperately and shouted loudly.
The Master chuckled, "Truly, there are no enlightened beings here. If I were you, I would have run far away by now. How dare you come here to threaten me?"
The Carp Spirit increased its strength, "Aren't monks supposed to be compassionate? Are you really going to watch this child suffer because of you?"
I felt a tightness around my neck, making it hard to breathe, and my face turned crimson. I couldn't shout out loud, but in my heart, I cursed, that damned bald donkey, even now trying to act tough…
"What's your mother's surname? Didn't she ever tell you that when you encounter a handsome monk like me, you should turn around and run?" the Master said with a smile.
As he spoke, he formed a hand gesture. I felt a surge of heat in my chest, and then it shot out like a bullet towards the Carp Spirit.
"Ah…"
A piercing scream echoed across the sky above Qingshan Lake.
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