The Unruly Immortals

Accompanied by the creaking noise, the huge figure in the cell walked out from the prison.

Li Huowang looked up at the monk in front of him, this expressionless, emaciated monk with an abnormally tall stature, standing there, actually as tall as Peng Longteng beside him, who was headless.

The monk's hands were bound by a wooden cangue, and his feet were shackled as well, but he didn't care at all. Bringing his hands together, he directly sat cross-legged on the ground, showing no intention of wanting to be freed from his restraints.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's discuss what this mission is all about." At these words, everyone present became serious, and the surrounding jailers left one after another down the ladders.

Record of Appearance cleared his throat and slowly said, "This time, ah, there's trouble at the Buddha Bone Temple. The message from there is that Oblivion Path has made a move, and heaven knows what those damn bastards are up to again."

Making a fortune! One of the three elements of Oblivion Path, Li Huowang suddenly clenched his fists, no wonder Record of Appearance, who was based in the Capital City, had come as well. This time, the matter was definitely out of the ordinary.

"Hang on, while doing this, can I try to get some information on Bei Feng from Making a Fortune?"

As Li Huowang was pondering the odds of this possibility, Record of Appearance's words continued.

"Since it's Making a Fortune from Oblivion Path, without telling you, you all know the importance of this mission, so that's why we requested the help of Xin Chi Monk."

The other three involuntarily turned their gazes towards the tall monk, who remained silent under their scrutiny.

"Xin Chi Monk practices the Sealed-Lips Zen, and Making a Fortune's cunning techniques cannot deceive him; therefore, once you're at the Buddha Bone Temple, you must remember one thing: whatever Xin Chi Monk says is absolutely true."

"Secondly, once you enter the temple, no one should lose sight of the others, even if it's just for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea; be wary of anyone who leaves, as they might have been tampered with by Oblivion Path."

"And thirdly, ah, I had dealings with Making a Fortune ten years ago, that woman is extremely troublesome. Do not take her words straightforwardly, nor inversely, but also you cannot afford to ignore them."

"Oh? Ignoring them won't do?" Tuoba Danqing cooperated very well, leaning back and opening his eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, sometimes, if you completely ignore her, you might still fall into her traps. The best way is to believe three parts of what this woman says, doubt three parts, and reserve three parts for yourself."

"My goodness, such a tough rebel to deal with; even Record of Appearance, ten years ago, could only force her back. We are far from being your match."

"Tough, right? Heh, so the best course is to kill her before she can open her mouth. Er Jiu, out of all of us, you're the most decisive when it comes to action, so when Xin Chi Monk gives you the signal, you must strike."

"As ordered, Record of Appearance, but since Xin Chi Monk practices Sealed-Lips Zen, how will he communicate with me?" Li Huowang had been wanting to ask; the monk obviously couldn't speak, even though he wouldn't be deceived by Making a Fortune, that was of no help.

No sooner had Li Huowang's words fallen, than a voice reverberating with "Amitabha" exploded in his mind. "This monk possesses telepathy, Lao Er, you need not worry."

This voice made Li Huowang recall the nuns from An Ci Nunnery; they also had such abilities. Guilty by association, Li Huowang's impression of the monk greatly improved.

"Alright, let's talk about some other trivial matters on the road."

Li Huowang stood up and followed the others out of the prison. They climbed into a four-horse carriage that had been prepared in advance.

No one present asked what this so-called Making a Fortune looked like. Since it was Oblivion Path, what she looked like depended entirely on what she wanted to look like.

The inns of Da Liang were clearly well-established. Following the display of Record of Appearance's insignia, they had coaches ready for transfer at every stop.

With such speed, even Li Huowang, who initially traveled by foot, couldn't compare. In just two short days and one night, they had already arrived within Langzhong City, where the Buddha Bone Temple was located.

Night had fallen. Just as Li Huowang drew back the carriage curtain and dismounted, before he could even relieve his numb limbs, he saw the conspicuous temple towering over the nearby buildings in the distance.

"Remember what I told you before, let's go," said Record of Appearance, starting to walk towards the distant temple.

As they drew closer to the temple, everyone's expression began to grow solemn. Unbeknownst to them, the abacus in Record of Appearance's hand had already started to click away.

It was late, yet the entire Buddha Bone Temple had not shut its doors. Devotees holding incense streamed in and out incessantly, indicating that this temple's popularity might rival that of Zhengde Temple from before.

The moment he stepped over the threshold, Li Huowang's heart hung in suspense. Despite the bustling crowd around him, Li Huowang knew that the place was tainted by the Oblivion Path. Aside from the three people beside him, anyone could become an enemy at any moment.

The others clearly understood this as well, as they each instinctively grasped their weapons. Record of Appearance kept the abacus clicking continuously, the crisp sound diminishing the surrounding noise.

Their peculiar attire clearly attracted whispers and gestures from everyone around, but they all acted as if they hadn't noticed.

"Come, follow me, let's enter the front hall first," Record of Appearance led the other three inside.

Instead of Bodhisattvas or Buddha statues, the hall's centerpiece, worshipped by the pilgrims, was a dark red mummy with contorted features.

"Is this the doing of the Oblivion Path? Making people worship a mummy as the Buddha?" asked Li Huowang, gripping the Purple Tassel Sword tightly.

"Not so, not so, this is none other than a Flesh Bodhisattva, originally enshrined by Buddha Bone Temple as the living Buddha," Xin Chi Monk reminded them timely.

Flesh Bodhisattva? Li Huowang scrutinized the frightening corpse before him and suddenly understood why this place was called Buddha Bone Temple.

Just then, Xin Chi's voice abruptly became stern, "Benefactor, act quickly! The worshipper kneeling three steps to the left! Kill!"

"Clang!" Li Huowang's right arm burst forth with force, surrounded by surging evil Qi as he rushed forward, sword raised, and slashed down heavily upon the man.

The blade, which could slice through iron as if it were mud, cut through the man's body as though it were mere paper.

Blood, gushing with innards, sprayed from the open wound, and the man, split in two, screamed in despair for a few moments before falling silent.

This gruesome scene immediately caused the surrounding devotees to scream and scatter in terror.

The shackled Xin Chi Monk walked over, knelt before the corpse, pressed his palms together, muttered a prayer, then picked up the severed head from the ground and examined it closely.

"Master, is this man Fa Cai? Or someone else from the Oblivion Path?" Li Huowang, also kneeling on one knee, closely inspected the fresh corpse, not believing Fa Cai would have been so easily slain by him.

"Amitabha, a grave mistake, a grave mistake, this poor monk has misidentified him. Benefactor Er Jiu, let us leave," Xin Chi Monk tossed aside the head he was holding and stood up to leave.