Chapter 281: Karma Settled
Chapter 281: Karma Settled
"Didn't you say you were going to wipe them all out?"
Jiang Lidust raised an eyebrow when he saw Li Hao holding back, looking somewhat surprised and a bit disappointed.
Li Hao shook his head slightly. Apart from those with extremely high cultivation who might act on behalf of the Buddhist Master, killing the ordinary disciples with low cultivation was meaningless.
The Buddhist Sect had stood for two thousand years, and it couldn't be completely eradicated. After all, beyond the Wuliang Mountain region, there were countless Buddhist Sect disciples scattered across the Nineteen Provinces.
How could it be completely wiped out?
If he remembered correctly, the old lady from the Divine General Manor was also a devout Buddhist.
Li Hao came to slay the physical manifestation of the Buddha, the one who had fallen into demonic ways, not the Buddha in people's hearts.
After all, for many suffering people, finding "the Buddha" as a source of faith and solace brought them peace and tranquility. How could he wipe them all out?
"You're still too soft-hearted."
Jiang Lidust saw the kindness in Li Hao's heart and shook his head. "But massacring these pig-like commoners is also meaningless. The weak don't deserve to die by the sword."
Li Hao glanced at him. The Prince always said shocking things, no wonder he was imprisoned.
"If you spoke less, maybe your life would be smoother", Li Hao said.
"Some people talk less but do more. I'm just speaking the truth. The ignorant commoners are merely the foundation for the powerful. Whether they live or die makes no difference", Jiang Lidust said.
Li Hao shook his head slightly, not wanting to argue, and instead looked at a certain spot. His figure flickered, and he instantly disappeared.
Outside the mountain peaks, a crowd surged.
Many disciples, having shed their monk robes, swarmed like ants along the mountain paths, fleeing beyond the Vast Heaven Pure Land.
Some who had cultivated to the Fifteen Li Realm flew directly, fleeing at full speed.
Li Qianfeng, dressed in rough outer clothing, ran with the crowd, smearing mud on his face to look like he had rolled down from a rock, appearing dirty and disheveled.
He had abandoned the Divine General Manor's guards, leaving only an old monk by his side. The two of them were unremarkable among the crowd.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a figure appeared as if by teleportation, intercepting the fleeing crowd.
The overwhelming presence sent the fleeing people tumbling. They all looked at the young man, their faces filled with fear.
Some hurriedly knelt and begged for mercy.
As the crowd knelt, Li Qianfeng's face changed, looking rather displeased, but he obediently followed the crowd and knelt down.
Thinking about himself, the Young Master of the Divine General Manor, the personal disciple of the Buddhist Master, and the future True Dragon of the Divine General Manor, enduring such humiliation, he felt a wave of anger. However, he dared not show it, only recalling the words of many elders in his family: a true man can bend and stretch...
Enduring temporary humiliation is nothing.
An ancestor once endured humiliation at the hands of enemies, gathering intelligence for the army. How much more so this simple act of kneeling.
Li Hao's gaze, sharp as a sword, fell on the young man in the crowd. The young man's aura was concealed and very subtle, but Li Hao, now at the Great Peace Dao Realm, could easily see through such concealment.
"Li Qianfeng, aren't you the personal disciple of the Buddhist Master? Don't you plan to avenge your master?"
Li Hao said coldly.
Upon hearing Li Hao's words, Li Qianfeng's heart leaped, and his face changed in fear as he looked at the young man.
Clearly, his disguise had been exposed.
"Young Master, run!"
The old monk reacted quickly, shouting and stepping in front of Li Qianfeng.
He had once been a general under Li Qianfeng's father, having long entrusted his life to the orphaned mother and son, vowing to defend them to the death.
Bang!
Before he could unleash Grandmaster Power, his body exploded.
Blood splattered, drenching Li Qianfeng, who had just started to get up, turning his clothes red.
The scalding hot blood made Li Qianfeng freeze.
The knee he had just lifted slowly sank back down.
"Spare my life..."
Li Qianfeng hurriedly bowed his head, kneeling on the ground.
When the others heard Li Qianfeng's name, they quickly crawled away, not daring to get close to him.
Buddhist Master's Personal Disciple?
So, this is the esteemed Personal Disciple, hiding among us. Does he want to kill us all? Many people cursed inwardly, damning Li Qianfeng's ancestors for generations. They hadn't benefited much from him in normal times, and now he was even dragging them down as they tried to escape. How could this not be a betrayal?
“The rest of you, scram!”
Li Hao heard their pitiful pleas for mercy and frowned, speaking with a stern voice.
Upon hearing Li Hao’s words, the crowd felt as if they had heard the voice of a god, tears streaming down their faces in gratitude as they hurriedly kowtowed and fled.
In the blink of an eye, only Li Qianfeng remained.
“Spare my life. Although I am a disciple of the Buddhist Master, I am still a member of the Divine General Manor’s Li Family. Our alliance with Wuliang Mountain is merely a matter of mutual benefit, not genuine loyalty…”
Li Qianfeng’s face was pale, realizing that he was in grave danger. At this moment, his only hope was to invoke the name of the Divine General Manor, hoping it would intimidate Li Hao.
“Don’t recognize me, do you?” Li Hao said indifferently.
Li Qianfeng was taken aback and looked up at Li Hao. Only then did he realize that Li Hao’s appearance was somewhat familiar, yet strangely different.
So young… Li Qianfeng’s pupils suddenly constricted, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Li Hao. “Y-You, you, it’s you?!”
“Seems like you remember now.”
Li Hao nodded, then raised his hand. A wave of Power pressed down, gripping Li Qianfeng’s body and crushing his bones.
At twenty years old, Li Qianfeng was still in the Tianren Realm, far from achieving the Three Immortalities. Any injury to his Physical Body could only be treated with Divine Pills.
The intense pain could not hide the shock in Li Qianfeng’s heart. His eyes were wide open, disbelief evident in his voice.
“It’s you? How is that possible? You killed my master?!”
Whether from fear or pain, he let out a hoarse roar.
The person he had longed to eliminate, the one his master had repeatedly reassured him would eventually be caught, had actually killed his master?!
He knew Li Hao was strong, having gained a formidable reputation in Liangzhou. He could be treated as a Fourth Establishment Realm powerhouse.
But the higher the Realm, the slower the Cultivation. How could Li Hao have killed his revered master in such a short time?
This was a Buddhist Master, a figure so revered that he could be compared to the Li Family’s Ancestor. How could such a person die at the hands of Li Hao?!
“It’s impossible, absolutely impossible!!”
Li Qianfeng roared, blood tears streaming from his eyes, a mix of ruptured internal organs, pain, and madness.
His pride as a prodigy was shattered in that moment.
Coughing up blood and fragments of organs, Li Qianfeng felt a deep sense of despair, as if he had been abandoned by Heaven. If he was a prodigy, what could this young man be? A monster?!
“My master couldn’t have lost. He was the second strongest in the world, invincible except to that True Person…”
Li Qianfeng gritted his teeth, his words bordering on madness.
Li Hao didn’t bother with further words. He crushed Li Qianfeng’s limbs and sealed him away in the Heavenly Earth Space.
The young man who had practiced swordsmanship with a determined gaze in the courtyard at the age of five, who had become a renowned prodigy, now met such a tragic end. Perhaps it was the moment that the noblewoman forced him to take the Toxic Pill that their fates diverged.
Now, with the other incapacitated, Li Hao had also left the Divine General Manor.
All the causes and effects began with a single Elixir and ended with an Elixir.
Li Hao turned and returned to the side of the Candlelight Deity. After consuming the Elixir, Old Feng’s body was healed, though his Soul Deficiency remained.
“Then, let’s return…”
Li Hao said softly.
Looking at the devastated Spiritual Mountain, the signs of destruction from the intense battle were everywhere. Wuliang Mountain was essentially ruined.
Without a Buddhist Master, even if millions of Buddhists gathered in the future, it would be difficult for them to regain their former glory.
As Li Hao prepared to leave, a figure suddenly rushed toward Wuliang Mountain from the outside.
Soon, the figure dashed straight to Li Hao.
"Li Hao!"
The arriving figure was none other than Li Muxiu. He had rushed from the Li Family at full speed, only to find himself outside the Vairocana Pure Land, where he saw the scattered and fleeing figures, instantly realizing the situation inside.
Li Hao recognized the voice immediately and knew it was his Second Uncle.
"Where's the Buddhist Master? What about Old Wind..."
Li Muxiu scanned the area and, upon seeing the Spiritual Mountain split in two, his pupils dilated in shock.
He had abandoned his identity and rushed here not only to try and rescue Feng Boping but also because he anticipated that Li Hao would come to save him once the news spread.
While he knew Li Hao was strong, he also knew that the Buddhist Master was unfathomably powerful. Moreover, Li Hao's current glory and high rank were hard-earned, and he didn't want to see Li Hao's reputation suffer damage.
If he could rescue Old Feng with his Half-Step Invincible Dao Realm, everything would be resolved. At the very least, he could fulfill the promise he had made to Feng Boping:
If we cannot share in prosperity, then we will share in death!
"The Buddhist Master is dead."
Li Hao looked at Li Muxiu, who had put on a mask and whose aura was completely different, and immediately understood his intentions. He felt a pang of sadness.
"Dead?"
Li Muxiu was stunned and turned to look at Feng Boping, who appeared dazed and strange. He quickly asked, "What's wrong with Old Wind?"
"Soul Deficiency", Li Hao said softly.
Li Muxiu froze, hurriedly checking Feng Boping's body and confirming that Li Hao was right.
His face turned grim, and he clenched his fists.
Li Hao understood his distress and said gently, "I will find and restore Old Feng's missing soul, Second Uncle. This place is not suitable for you to be in, so you should return quickly."
Li Muxiu looked at Li Hao, feeling a deep sense of sorrow. "My child, this shouldn't be your burden. It should have been me who came here."
He felt a mix of pain and defeat. When his Elder Brother had fallen in Dragon City, he hadn't been able to reach him in time, and now, he had failed again.
Despite his seemingly carefree life, he felt that he had failed in many ways.
"Old Feng was found by the Buddhist Sect because of me. It's only right that I come."
Li Hao tried to comfort him with a few words.
Li Muxiu's mood slightly improved, and he immediately asked Li Hao for the details of what had happened. Li Hao gave him a brief account.
After listening, Li Muxiu's expression became complicated. "My child, the Buddhist Master has countless followers across the Noble Families and officials. Your actions today... I fear..."
"It's fine", Li Hao smiled.
Li Muxiu saw the calm expression on Li Hao's face and felt even more heartache. He said, "Why don't you return to the Divine General Manor? With its thousand years of glory and your own strength, it can protect you..."
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "If the emperor decides to strip me of my titles, it's no big deal. I'll just return to my previous life, still enjoying good food and playing chess. It won't affect me much."
"But..."
Li Hao smiled and bid farewell to Master Zi, then sat on the back of the Candlelight Deity and set off to return.
This trip had been both a victory and a defeat. At the very least, it had fulfilled the Buddhist Master's wishes.
The news of what happened here would likely reach the Imperial Capital and the emperor's ears soon. Whether the old man understood or not, it would undoubtedly cause him trouble...
Li Hao sighed, feeling that he had created more problems for him.
As Li Hao left, Jiang Lidust also followed, but before he went, he glanced at Li Muxiu and laughed lightly.
"It seems your Li Family's courage is growing, both in the young and the old. Ha ha..."
Li Muxiu had long recognized the mad Ninth Prince and had heard of his many exploits. He didn't pay much attention to such a deranged person.
Watching the young man's departing back, his eyes filled with sorrow, and there was a question he didn't ask.
Would there ever be a chance again for the three of them to gather and walk together?
Time was merciless, always moving forward, never pausing or reversing for anyone...
(End of Chapter)
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