Yan Shouyi, wielding his Zanpakuto, plunged into the darkness, disabling one of his attackers with a single strike!
Under normal circumstances, Yan Shouyi wouldn't have acted so decisively. But this time was different.
Guan Laosan had already killed Yi Hehuan and others, and the three crossbow bolts fired earlier were at treacherous angles, aimed at killing. If Yan Shouyi had held back, he would have been the one to suffer.
Seeing Yan Shouyi's swift action, Chang Shan had no reservations. Relying on his Buddhist golden body, he also charged into the crowd. Though he fought bare-handed, his fists and kicks were his weapons!
After a fierce exchange, in just a short moment, they had dealt with all ten attackers, leaving them incapacitated.
While these individuals possessed some skill, they were far inferior to Guan Laosan, and certainly no match for Yan Shouyi and Chang Shan.
Observing them lying unconscious, or groaning and screaming, Chang Shan felt a pang of sympathy.
He suddenly moved to block Yan Shouyi, saying, "Amitabha! A monk should be compassionate. Brother Yan, we... Ah!!"
Before he could finish speaking, one of the men Chang Shan had spared suddenly raised a crossbow and shot an arrow at Chang Shan's calf!
Caught off guard, Chang Shan’s calf was pierced by the arrow on the spot!
Seeing this, Yan Shouyi became even more enraged, kicking the attacker away until he was knocked unconscious!
"Chang Shan, are you alright?" Yan Shouyi quickly helped Chang Shan to a nearby spot to sit.
Chang Shan gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his bald head, a clear sign of intense pain.
He asked dazedly, "I saved his life, why did he still attack me?!"
Yan Shouyi sighed. Although Chang Shan's previous trip to Rongcheng had slightly altered his perception of the world, he still hadn't grasped its true nature.
This world wasn't simply black and white.
"Compassion only works for those who are equally compassionate," Yan Shouyi said simply, attempting to comfort him.
Chang Shan remained silent, clenching his jaw, but anger flared in his eyes.
Since childhood, his master had taught him that monks must be compassionate. Concepts like "lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha instantly," and "sweeping the floor, I fear to harm the lives of ants; cherishing the moth's fragile wings, I shield the lamp" were deeply ingrained in him. Yet, in this moment of true combat, he realized that while he refrained from taking his opponent's life, his opponents showed no mercy when trying to kill him!
Was he wrong?
Was his master wrong?
Or was this world wrong?
Chang Shan's years of dedicated Buddhist practice were suddenly shaken.
Seeing Chang Shan's state, Yan Shouyi suddenly understood why his Uncle Miaoji's temperament had changed so drastically after traveling with his father years ago.
The ancient temples in the mountains were, after all, places isolated from the world. How could the dangers of this world be understood merely through reading Buddhist scriptures?
Miaoji and Chang Shan had been taught their entire lives to be compassionate. But after descending the mountain, they discovered that everyone was consumed by greed, and human lives were considered less than dust in the eyes of some. When you showed compassion to others, they repaid you with cold indifference.
How could such a stark contrast not shock them?
Chang Shan's eyes were vacant, as if he had fallen into self-negation, his Buddhist heart, cultivated for years, wavering.
This was not a good omen. If Chang Shan's resolve faltered, his Buddhist heart could shatter, leading to the loss of his cultivation at best. At worst, if he went mad, the consequences would be dire!
"Chang Shan!" Yan Shouyi called out loudly, "Buddhism is not wrong, and compassion is not wrong. But we must have eyes that distinguish right from wrong. Not everyone is worthy of forgiveness!"
Startled by Yan Shouyi's shout, Chang Shan suddenly came to his senses. He looked up at Yan Shouyi and said slowly,
"Brother Yan... I understand... Don't worry about me, my Buddhist heart won't waver!"
Yan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Chang Shan's Buddhist heart was solid; his shout had brought him back.
Chang Shan said, panting, "You go deal with those guys first, don't let them escape!"
"Alright!"
Yan Shouyi set Chang Shan down and prepared to apprehend some of the attackers to question Zhang Shanli. Since Guan Laosan was unwilling to speak, these subordinates could serve as good interrogation subjects.
However, just as Yan Shouyi was about to approach them, the attackers who were still conscious suddenly produced several oil bottles and hurled them at themselves and their companions!
Flames instantly engulfed them. These madmen didn't even struggle; they simply perished, succumbing to the agony of burning flesh!
Yan Shouyi wanted to intervene, but the surrounding terrain was complex, and there was no time to employ formations. Moreover, these men might have other methods of suicide.
Therefore, he could only watch as they took their own lives.
"These guys are all suicide operatives," Yan Shouyi said, his face grim.
His expression was extremely displeased.
From their earlier engagement, Yan Shouyi could sense that these individuals were likely defected disciples from various sects.
These defectors were probably already marginalized figures in their respective sects. After joining the Xin Xuan Shan Sect, they had been brainwashed by someone and trained as suicide operatives!
If these people were committing evil for the sake of evil, Yan Shouyi would have killed them without hesitation.
But these individuals likely didn't even understand why they were doing evil; they were merely tools and cannon fodder for the "actor."
Hateful, yet pitiable.
Watching the flames gradually die down, Yan Shouyi sighed faintly, his understanding of the Xin Xuan Shan Sect's malevolence deepening.
It was a pity that none of them had survived.
Turning back, Chang Shan had already pulled the crossbow bolt from his calf himself.
"Chang Shan, can you manage?" Yan Shouyi asked with concern.
Chang Shan shook his head, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Fortunately, the crossbow bolt wasn't poisoned. I can handle this injury myself."
Chang Shan's physique was extraordinary. Even with such an injury, after the bleeding stopped, he could walk and move, which relieved Yan Shouyi.
"This place is not safe. We need to leave immediately!"
Yan Shouyi picked up the coffin-carrying pole, and he and Chang Shan quickly evacuated the area.
Not long after they left, the shadow that had previously appeared in the woodshed and spoken with Zhang Wuma slowly emerged.
The shadow saw the scene of carnage on the ground and cursed darkly, "Damn it!"
He had initially thought retrieving the coffin-carrying pole was a minor task and had dispatched these low-level operatives. However, after waiting for a long time without receiving any news, he discovered upon his arrival that all his men were dead, and the coffin-carrying pole was gone.
What was most infuriating was that he had arrived too late to even see his adversaries!
At this moment, a figure suddenly landed beside the shadow.
The figure's movements were strange and stiff, as if it were not alive. Red light glowed in its eyes. Upon closer inspection, one would realize that this was merely a puppet!
As the puppet's jaw opened and closed, a voice emanated:
"Heh heh, this has escalated things. The coffin-carrying pole carries Zhang Wuma's dao charm. Now that it's lost, Zhang Wuma's identity as a spy will be exposed soon, and our plan will be revealed."
The shadow cursed furiously, "What's it to you? I can handle it!"
"Oh? How do you plan to handle it? You don't even know who took the coffin-carrying pole," the puppet mocked.
The shadow sneered, pointed to his head, and said, "The difference between me and you is that I have a brain."
Saying this, the shadow scouted the surroundings and quickly found a broken crossbow bolt that Chang Shan had snapped.
He picked up the bolt, sniffed it, and said, "As expected of a monk; their blood carries the scent of incense!"
The puppet retorted, "Is your shadow puppet a bloodhound? Can you smell a person's sect just by the scent of their blood?"
The shadow cackled, his body slowly contorted downwards, and he dropped to all fours, transforming into the shape of a fierce dog!
The puppet exclaimed, "No need, no need."
The fierce dog opened its mouth and said, "Mind your own business! I'm going to Tianshi Manor right now to kill the person who messed with my plans!"
The puppet dared not joke anymore and earnestly warned, "The actor said we shouldn't alert the enemy."
"Don't alert the enemy?" the shadow scoffed, "You truly lack brains. Guan Laosan has already been captured, and that old fellow Zhang Yin hasn't reacted at all. It's likely the matter has already been exposed! I don't care what the actor's plan is, as long as my own plan isn't disrupted!"
With that, the shadow, following the scent, sped off towards Tianshi Manor...