NHWSG chapter 95

On the roadside snack stall one hundred meters outside the Self-Transcendence Temple, two young women were sitting.

One of them was older, looking to be around twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing a casual thin jacket with the character “Li” embroidered on the collar.

The other was much younger, probably around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a rare green dress. At first glance, they looked like sisters.

“Don’t eat anymore.” The young woman looked at the girl opposite her and sighed after a while, saying, “You’ve already eaten three plates of peach pastries in such a short time, and the owner is stealing glances at you.”

“But this peach pastry is so delicious!” The girl said, holding the half plate in front of her like a treasure, extending her arm to protect it, and whispered, “Last time, you ate up all the five-spice melon seeds I bought. Now that I’ve found something you don’t like, can’t I take advantage of it?”

The older woman shook her head helplessly, sighed, and casually placed the white jade token she had been playing with on the table — the front of the jade token faced up, square and simple in style, with a crooked symbol drawn in the center, its purpose unknown.

Ajing stuffed another piece of peach pastry into her mouth, her cheeks bulging like a little hamster. She blinked and leaned forward to look at the opposite snack stall, whispering, “Master, that little fox cub is still there.”

“I know.” Bai Li said indifferently, “Sheng Zhao and Zhang Jian are both in the temple. Where else can he go?”

“Those two are soon going to become a pair of gourd babies hanging on a vine. “Ajing sneered, “Who knows that Yingzhu is so stubborn? I told him earlier that he could ask me for help, but he refused. When he’s caught later, he’ll have to rely on me to sneak that little fox cub in.”

“You…” Bai Li grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the plate, and casually said, “Can’t you learn from me and stay calm?”

Ajing: “…”

Your method of “staying calm,” that’s really not something ordinary people can learn.

Bai Li ate two melon seeds, then seemed to realize something, turned her head to look towards the Self-Transcendence Temple.

Ajing had been observing her expression all along. Seeing this, she quickly pushed the plate of peach pastries aside and leaned closer to Bai Li, asking, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Bai Li said.

She brushed off the crumbs from her hands, then casually reached out and, to everyone’s surprise, plucked an extremely fine water-colored thread from the air. The thread extended from her fingertips, seemingly endless, with no visible end.

Unlike Xing Yingzhu and the others who couldn’t display their abilities in front of ordinary people, the Seventh Princess performed this trick without any hesitation. Fortunately, this thread was so thin and inconspicuous that if it weren’t, she would probably be trending on the local hot search in ten minutes, with the topic #StreetPerformer#.

The thread shook in her hand for a moment, and Bai Li raised her eyebrows in surprise, exclaiming, “Yingzhu is quite fast.”

Ajing: “…”

Otherwise, who would think of turning the Forbidden Sea Abyss into a holiday destination!

But this thought only flashed through Ajing’s mind for a moment, and she didn’t dare say it out loud.

However, Ajing, who usually accompanied Bai Li, had developed a lively temperament from her, and couldn’t sit still after half a minute of silence. She twisted her body, pretending to cough lightly.

Bai Li glanced at her, smiled faintly, and said nothing.

“…Oh dear. “Ajing whispered, “Master, you tricked Yingzhu, that’s fine, but why trick Zhang Jian too? He’s your precious little darling.”

Bai Li didn’t answer for a moment. She casually ate two more melon seeds before smiling and asking, “Do you think I lack morals?”

Ajing: “…”

This question was really hard to respond to. Ajing thought, no matter how I search my conscience, I can’t find the words “not lacking” anywhere.

So Ajing nodded slowly.

“I also think I’m quite immoral, but there’s no other way.” Bai Li said confidently, “Xing Yingzhu is currently the biggest figure among the humans and demons. If nothing unexpected happens, all these lingering issues in the human realm will be left to him to handle. Zhang Jian has accumulated enough merits over the years, and in the future, he’ll probably reside in Mount Longhu for every lifetime, fighting demons and upholding justice. If I don’t take this opportunity to train them, how can they shoulder the responsibility in the future?”

“…But shouldn’t these be your responsibilities? You’re in charge of the mountains and seas of the world, responsible for the balance of the nine realms,” Ajing retorted. “Ah Xi constantly pesters you to return to your duties, hoping you’ll do something productive. But instead, you just wash your hands of it and start grooming junior managers.”

“You said it’s the nine realms,” Bai Li waved her hand casually, saying, “With such a large territory on Earth, what’s wrong with me finding junior managers to share the burden?”

Ajing remained silent for more than a minute, then bluntly pierced through the other’s lofty pretenses.

“You just want to slack off and retire, don’t you,” she said.

“A dead Daoist is not a poor Daoist—” Bai Li retorted confidently, “What’s wrong with me wanting to retire? Is there anyone in this world who doesn’t want to retire?”

Ajing: “…”

It seemed like there was really no arguing with her.

“Then why didn’t you just trick Yingzhu and Zhang Jian? Sheng Zhao is just an ordinary person,” Ajing put her hands on her hips and asked, “Why trick him too?”

Bai Li blinked, then after a moment, she revealed a profound and mysterious smile.

“Little girl, you guess,” she said.

………………

Unaware of this conversation, Sheng Zhao was leaning against the door, facing the “monk” whose legs were cramping like those of a Buddha statue.

——As soon as he entered, the door behind him mysteriously closed on its own. Sheng Zhao wanted to run away, but he was afraid of alarming the person in front of him. Caught in a dilemma, he ended up just standing there.

The room was unusually dim, with only a ray of sunlight seeping in through the window crack, casting dust onto his feet.

The man sitting cross-legged on the earthen bed seemed to be startled by the sound, slowly opened his eyes, and looked at Sheng Zhao.

Sheng Zhao swallowed hard, his face even more miserable than if he were crying.

He realized that Zhang Jian must not have seen this monk before. Otherwise, even if he had to lie through his teeth, he couldn’t have said there was “not a hint of demonic aura” in this temple—this man looked demonic enough!

He didn’t seem particularly threatening when he was meditating just now, but now that he had opened his eyes, he revealed a pair of gray eyes. Sheng Zhao stared at him, and it took him a long time to see a faint outline of pupils.

The monk had handsome features, with a smile on his lips and a hint of redness at the corners of his eyes. At first glance, he seemed demonic and sinister, not at all like a monk.

Not to praise his own boss, but even when Xing Yingzhu wasn’t doing anything productive, he still seemed more like a normal person compared to this guy.

“Benefactor,” the monk raised his hand, gesturing towards a wooden stool in front of the earthen bed, and said softly, “Since you’ve come in, it’s fate. Please, take a seat.”

Honestly speaking, the monk’s voice was very pleasant, like pearls falling on a jade plate, neither fast nor slow. If you didn’t look at his face, he did indeed give off a bit of the vibe of a high monk.

…But Sheng Zhao was prejudiced from the start and always felt that the other party wasn’t a good person. He couldn’t let go of his guard.

He shuffled forward reluctantly, taking two steps closer, and as he sat on the wooden stool, he subconsciously touched the pendant hanging around his neck.

Feeling the pendant against his hand, he felt a little relieved.

But what followed was a greater doubt—In front of Xing Yingzhu’s pendant, it was difficult for demons to hide their traces. With Sheng Zhao’s current vision and perception, he could almost identify them with certainty. And ghosts feared the lightning-struck jujube wood, and without his permission, they couldn’t get within three meters of him. But in front of this monk, who remained indifferent under these two powerful Buffs, as if he didn’t care at all.

Could it really be a living person? Sheng Zhao thought in shock, Can a living person be so… so…

He pondered in his mind for a long time, unable to come up with a fitting adjective. Instead, the monk smiled faintly at him, then lowered his eyes slightly and chanted a Buddhist mantra.

“Benefactor,” the monk raised his head and said softly, “You may ask me three questions. As long as I know, I will surely answer.”

“I…” Sheng Zhao always felt that the other party was like a demon plotting something, as if he would fall into a trap as soon as he opened his mouth to ask something.

European dark magic stories were all written like this, Sheng Zhao thought righteously: Demons came to make deals with humans, and once the deal was done, they used hidden clauses to take lives. It was not new anymore.

“I don’t have anything to ask,” Sheng Zhao laughed dryly and said, “I’m just here for tourism, just happened to—”

“Oh? Is that so.”

The monk looked at Sheng Zhao, his eyes seemingly without focus, just staring blankly in his direction.

“Benefactor, you came here not to ask me questions, but to inquire about your friend, didn’t you?” the monk said slowly.

Sheng Zhao’s heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily stood up and took two steps back, almost knocking over the stool.

“This question will count as one,” the monk said calmly. “I will answer it later. You can think about your remaining two questions now.”

“I…” Sheng Zhao gritted his teeth, his mind wavering. On one hand, he didn’t dare to act rashly under the unknown circumstances, but on the other hand, he was genuinely worried about Zhang Jian’s safety. He was momentarily stuck, unsure which path to choose.

But the advice Xing Yingzhu had given him in the past few months was somewhat useful after all. He gritted his teeth and decided not to take the bait.

“I don’t have anything to ask,” Sheng Zhao said coldly.

“Oh, it seems the benefactor still can’t see into his own heart.” the monk clasped his hands together, chanted another Buddhist mantra, and then said, “In that case, why don’t we choose the most concerning matter in your heart to clear your doubts.”

Sheng Zhao was about to refuse, but the monk continued on his own.

“Why don’t you ask me what the ancient demon you face day and night really sees you as?” the monk suggested.