Chapter 27: Finishing Up

Chapter 27: Finishing Up

The spring rain patters, patters.

The remains of Da Wei Zunzhe were soon extinguished by the spring rain, turning into wet ashes.

"This old wolf must have been bewitched by someone."

Nie Yinian stepped forward and kicked the ashes, cursing, "He doesn't even have a relic, clearly a demon monk and not a venerable monk!"

"Nie Shi, the only place in the country with Buddhist teachings is Yunzhou. This Da Wei Zunzhe seems to have truly studied Buddhism, but why did he come here to propagate the Dharma?" Meng Yuan was genuinely curious.

"These bald donkeys and lepers are the most troublesome!" Nie Yinian crossed his arms, stroking his chin, and said, "Monks are similar to those sour scholars. They believe they should educate the ignorant and foolish, but they are actually high above; the bald donkeys want to save suffering beings, but they can't even save themselves."

As he spoke, Nie Yinian pointed at the pile of ashes and said, "These bald donkeys are all sick. They love to make grand vows for no reason. If they happen to catch a glimpse of you on the road, they'll say you have a karmic connection, and they're so clingy! There are too few venerable monks in this world, and too many of these bald donkeys!"

Meng Yuan asked again, "What is the Sudden Enlightenment School that Nie Shi mentioned earlier?"

"The Sudden Enlightenment School is not a specific sect but a school of thought, just like Confucianism and Taoism, which have various branches. Buddhism is divided into the Sudden Enlightenment and Gradual Cultivation Schools, which are internal factions due to differences in their beliefs." Nie Yinian explained.

"Then how did Nie Shi distinguish that Da Wei Zunzhe was from the Sudden Enlightenment School?" Meng Yuan was curious.

"I was just bluffing, didn't think too much about it." Nie Yinian smiled, "To be honest, I couldn't tell if he was from the Sudden Enlightenment or Gradual Cultivation School."

Meng Yuan smiled and said, "What should we do next? This is no longer within the scope of the royal guards."

"If it were just a few small demonic creatures causing trouble, we could let it go." Nie Yinian spoke with added seriousness, "But this old wolf is deeply involved, and there's also this so-called master behind him, which seems quite mysterious. You don't need to worry about it anymore; it's best to let the Demon Control Bureau handle it."

"Nie Shi, did you previously work for the Demon Control Bureau?" Da Wei Zunzhe had said that Nie Yinian was from the Demon Control Bureau, and Nie Yinian directly admitted it.

"Yes, I used to specialize in killing demons." Nie Yinian held his sword, and even he, who was usually not serious, showed a hint of sentimentality.

Seeing that Nie Yinian didn't want to say more, Meng Yuan didn't ask further, but he made up his mind. He would go to Intoxicating Moon Tower to chat with Nie Shi's beloved daughter when he returned.

"Nie Shi, when can I learn the Spring Thunder Burst?" Meng Yuan was ambitious and had long been envious of the skill that could summon the spring thunder phenomenon.

"You want to find a woman before you're weaned?" Nie Yinian chuckled, pointing at Meng Yuan, "You're fierce in action but not in heart! Not only did you let the yellow rat spirit go, but you also politely reminded it! Others look for fox spirits, but you found a yellow rat spirit. You're so impressive!"

Meng Yuan didn't argue about the matter of Xiang Ling, he just asked, "Nie Shi, can a demonic creature in human form have children with humans?"

"Yes!" Nie Yinian laughed, "Do you want me to arrange one for you?"

"I've arranged one, and it was quite satisfying!" Nie Yinian chuckled.

Both of them laughed.

After a while, the spring rain continued, and finally, Ren Debiao returned.

He was in tatters, with his arm bleeding, but he returned alone, without Wolf Two in sight.

"It ran away?" Nie Yinian frowned.

"I'm incompetent." Ren Debiao saw Wolf One's corpse and glanced at Meng Yuan, bowing his head in apology.

"You've been in the eighth rank for two years, and your acupoints are almost fully opened, yet you're not even as capable as a novice. Meng Bachelor killed a demon and even had time to sleep with the yellow rat spirit again! What about you?" Nie Yinian never minced his words.

What does this have to do with me? Why compare me to him? Meng Yuan was an honest man who didn't offend others. He politely replied, "I was also lucky. The ground was slippery, and Wolf One slipped and fell. I shot him with two arrows, and his guard sword was also not working in his favor, so I managed to kill him by chance. Even then, I almost didn't make it out alive."

Nie Yanian glared at Meng Yuan and then turned to Ren Debiao, saying, "Without a good background, if you want to make a name for yourself, you can only work hard, kid!"

"Yes," Ren Debiao clenched his fists and nodded in agreement.

Nie Yanian didn't say more and walked towards the green stone platform where Great Tail Venerable had been preaching. He lifted his chin towards Meng Yuan.

So I have to do all the dirty work? Meng Yuan obediently stepped forward, lifted the green stone, and revealed a secret tunnel.

The tunnel was only a little over ten feet deep, and one could see the end from the entrance.

Inside, there was nothing much, just two dead dogs, several bags of medicinal herbs, and an old, tattered bundle.

Nie Yanian took out the bundle, opened it, and inside was a few taels of broken silver and a worn-out red robe.

There was not a single word nor any mark.

"Without any written clues, it could very well be from the Zen Buddhism Sudden Enlightenment School," Nie Yanian muttered as he examined the red robe.

After searching the area once more and finding nothing, Nie Yanian ordered them to head down the mountain. "You killed Wolf One, so you carry it back yourself!"

Wolf One, weighing over two hundred catties, wasn't heavy, but Meng Yuan didn't utter a word. He lifted Wolf One onto his back.

Nie Yanian walked ahead, naturally not offering any help. Ren Debiao didn't lend a hand either, and his expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

Meng Yuan's strength hadn't fully recovered after the battle, and soon after they started walking, he felt tired. The spring rain hadn't stopped, and the mountain path was slippery, making it difficult to walk without stumbling and slipping occasionally.

Nie Yanian would stop and wait after walking for a while, even with a smile on his face, but Ren Debiao remained silent.

Meng Yuan didn't ask for their help. He gritted his teeth, mustered his determination, and struggled towards the foot of the mountain.

By the time it was past noon, the spring rain had stopped, and they finally exited the mountain. The estate manager had already arrived with a few estate residents and a donkey cart.

The residents were startled into speechless fear at the sight of the giant wolf's corpse.

"This..." The estate manager's face also turned grim as he stared at the wolf's body for a while before speaking, "Master Nie, we've prepared a meal, hot soup, and a hot bath. Let's have a warm meal first."

Nie Yanian nodded, pulled Ren Debiao aside, whispered a few words, and then Ren Debiao rode off on horseback towards Songhe City.

Meng Yuan was already exhausted and threw Wolf One's body onto the donkey cart. He lay down on the cart, using Wolf One's belly as a pillow.

"Are you tired already?" Nie Yanian walked over, sat on the donkey cart, and passed a water bag to Meng Yuan with a smile.

Meng Yuan didn't want to take it at first, but the wolf's fur on its belly was irritating his face, so he sat up, took the water bag, and drank for a long time without responding.

"You want to avoid offending people, but you have a harvest, and others don't. That's already considered offending them! Why else wouldn't they help you?" Nie Yanian mocked.

"Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. If he helps me, it's out of kindness, and if he doesn't, it's his right. I don't care what he thinks, nor do I expect him to help me. I still respect him. If he offends me, I'm not afraid to fight him again, just like I fought the Head Steward's son." Meng Yuan said.

"Hey! You've really learned something from your studies!" Nie Yanian sized up Meng Yuan and smiled but didn't say more.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end