The reverence and humility in the words made it clear how highly Chenghong was regarded among the Buddhist cultivators.
Chenghong nodded, unfazed by the honor. A corner of his robe lifted, the river breeze and water, adorned with verdant hues, like an immaculate reflection on a brazier. His transcendent, detached demeanor captivated the surrounding nuns and prospective nuns, who praised him like idols. Then, they watched as he naturally gravitated towards Hua Mi.
Huh?
They blinked in bewilderment.
Was this positioning unintentional? Or intentional?
Those who were perceptive, and those who were not, couldn't help but harbor peculiar speculations upon seeing the Buddha Child stand in such an unusual manner.
With so many available spots, even a monk and a nun would be more suitable companions than a young woman, or rather, a married woman, from Hua City.
By this point, Hua Mi's side was already crowded. She held a child by each hand, white-clothed and black-cloaked. A half-step behind Lebao stood Li Sheng, clad in green with a jade-tree embroidered shirt. Following them were Kaishan Gui, with his high cap, Jidu Mo, radiating cold malevolence, and Cangyu Yao, a creature of demonic charm.
Now, with the addition of Master Chenghong... She was flanked by the three senior nuns, her front, back, left, and right effectively occupied.
He did not take further steps to join the three nuns, but instead positioned himself to the left of Gu Sizhen. As the child was only half the height of an adult, he didn't block much. A simple turn of the head would reveal the other’s proximity.
Thus, Hua Mi found herself holding children by each hand, with an adult standing beside each child.
Previously, the quartet could be mistaken for a family of four. Now, with five people walking side-by-side, even if one person was slightly out of place, the atmosphere felt undeniably odd.
Cangyu Yao and Jidu Mo exchanged glances, their expressions instantly darkening.
Did this monk, with his profound cultivation, see through their wicked ways? Was he trying to monitor them, or perhaps find an opportunity to provoke them?
Opposites do not ally. Their sovereign must have attracted this monk's attention due to his unrestrained, evil aura!
Kaishan Gui’s thoughts were less complicated than the other two demons. His rough, stern face bore a serious expression, but inwardly, he grumbled and complained.
What was this monk's deal? With so many places to stand nearby, why did he insist on standing next to their sovereign? Were they that familiar?
Impossible. Their sovereign, with a Buddha's face and a snake's heart, even if he could converse and drink with a demon king, would never associate with a monk who preached righteousness and chanted Amitabha.
He would bet his own past miserable experiences that this was an undeniable truth!
“Buddha Child, this…”
When Master Huiming saw the Buddha Child join their line and sensed the awkward atmosphere spreading, she began to speak, but was interrupted by another voice.
“May I also accompany you?”
The voice belonged to no visible person, yet merely hearing it conjured images of a white lotus in a secluded, serene pond, its cool, clear radiance captivating all, drawing them into a fragrant, ethereal painting.
Those who had just been impressed by Master Chenghong looked closer and saw a man, whose beauty of both visage and bone structure made heaven and earth pale, emerge from the crowd.
There was a contradictory aura about this man, like a solitary green stalk drawing life, two shadows sharing a single red bloom. He seemed to exist between a worldly youth and a serene, moonlit boy. As he walked, he stirred a gentle breeze, as if causing subtle ripples.
Ah, it was their hearts, which should have long ago recited scriptures until they were as cold as pink skeletons.
The allure of male beauty was something they hadn't understood before. Now they knew; their previous tranquility stemmed from a lack of sufficient allure.
Masters Huiming, Xianzhi, and Jingxu, having cultivated for a century or two longer than the other nuns present, felt a pang of admiration for the young man’s extraordinary presence after seeing him clearly. However, after a brief moment of stunned silence, they regained their composure and said seriously, “Esteemed patron, the location of the Demon-Slaying Arrow is not a place for casual approach. Furthermore, it would be best for extraneous individuals to wait here…”
“Master, I am not an extraneous individual…” He stopped, his two attendants following silently behind him, as quiet as the air.
“Who might you be?” Master Huiming asked, puzzled.
He lifted his long, delicate eyelashes, appearing like a demon who had cultivated for a millennium. Every frown and smile held a seductive, demonic charm, yet he possessed an innocent, untainted countenance. His eyes were as clear and bright as polished ink. Even the old nun, seasoned by the mortal world, felt a blush and a quickening of her heart from his presence.
His alluring gaze was fixed on Gu Sizhen, but he spoke to one of the children: “Lebao, do you truly not want your father anymore?”
Lebao’s small body pressed closer to Gu Sizhen’s leg, his clasped hands tightening. He seemed nervous and conflicted.
Speaking of Lebao, Lu Ziyin, Fu Wanyan, and others present knew him. After learning that the man in the white cloak might be Liu Jiang Fusheng, they had wondered who his child Lebao was with.
Seven years ago, his wife Gu Yi had been pregnant, but Master Chenghong had said that the child was incompatible with its mother; only one could survive.
If this child was born to Gu Yi, wouldn't that prove Gu Yi was dead?!
However, considering Liu Jiang Fusheng's feelings for Gu Yi, it was unlikely he would have chosen the child over Gu Yi…
They were truly confused by Liu Jiang Fusheng and this child.
Finally, Lebao mustered the courage to look at Liu Jiang Fusheng. His father’s gaze was calm as he looked at him. Lebao felt both guilty and a little timid. Unlike Gu Sizhen, Gu Sizhen had been a wild child since childhood, daring to reprimand Liu Jiang Fusheng directly, even to rebel when he felt injustice, even daring to run away from home.
But Lebao couldn't do what Gu Sizhen could. His father had always been stricter with him than with Gu Sizhen, and he had never dared to disobey him since childhood.
He hesitantly called out, “Dad…”
But he did not release Gu Sizhen's hand. Despite his fear, his longing and desire for his mother prompted the six-year-old child to bravely defy his father’s authority for the first time.
This “Dad” was earth-shattering.
After all, it had only recently been implicitly assumed that the two children belonged to Li Sheng. Now, this stunning youth appeared from nowhere and dropped such a bombshell.
“Dad?” Master Huiming was also stunned. Then, she looked at Li Sheng with a look of disbelief, unsure how to ask, “Young Hero Li, this, this child…”
If this child wasn't Li Sheng's, then, then perhaps this wife wasn't his either?
Everyone else was also dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.
Just moments ago, they had been a happy family of four. Now, a Buddha Child with a unique aura had joined them, and now another man claimed to be the child’s father. It was as if the harmonious family portrait they had just seen had been abruptly torn apart.
Although Gu Sizhen had initially accepted the label of “wife,” it was merely to go along with the situation and avoid trouble. However, she never shied away from trouble.
Since Liu Jiang Fusheng insisted on stirring up trouble, she would deal with it as it came.
Seeing Li Sheng speechless, almost opening his mouth but unable to explain, he looked towards Gu Sizhen. Gu Sizhen, not disappointing him, answered Master Huiming’s question: “The child is his, but I am not his wife.”
Master Huiming’s lips twitched.
What did this mean?
In any case—the situation before them seemed even more complicated.
If they weren't deaf just now, both children called her mother.
So her identity as a mother was confirmed.
A father, a mother, but this man and woman were not husband and wife. What a massive amount of information in this ethical drama!
They still lacked life experience and couldn’t imagine what kind of family could lead to such a chaotic situation.
“I’m not his child either,” Little Sizhen said quickly after Gu Sizhen denied her relationship with Liu Jiang Fusheng. “I’m just my mother’s child.”
Hiss—
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
The situation before was already unimaginable, but there was even more chaos to come. What did these words represent?
The two children might have the same mother, but they definitely had two fathers. Moreover, the father and mother before them were not married. So, who was cheating on whom, and what role did Li Sheng play in all of this? Was he with “Hua Mi” later… or had they been together from the start—
If they had been together from the start, did this child have any connection to him?
While everyone was piecing together clues from snippets of dialogue to uncover the truth, Liu Jiang Fusheng couldn’t suppress his cold gaze towards Gu Sizhen.
He dared not look at Gu Sizhen, for he feared that meeting her eyes would reveal the wounded, fragile soul hidden beneath his seemingly impenetrable facade.
She had, as he said before… severed ties with him. She could even announce to everyone in public that she had nothing more to do with him.
But he didn't offer any defense. Instead, he walked over more naturally than Chenghong had, and coincidentally pushed Chenghong aside, taking Lebao’s other hand.
Chenghong: “……”
Could this action possibly be unrelated to “coincidence”?
At this moment, Liu Jiang Fusheng shamelessly turned back to apologize to Chenghong, whom he had just pushed aside: “My apologies, Master Chenghong. I wish to walk with my son. You don’t mind, do you?”
Chenghong dared say he had never seen such a male version of a “white lotus” in his life. What could he say?
Mind? He had no standing.
Don’t mind?
A monk does not lie.
He met Liu Jiang Fusheng’s gaze for a moment. The “white lotus” opposite him maintained a smile as if nothing had happened. Then, he broke the deadlock, let out a sigh, and stepped aside.
Gu Sizhen glanced sideways: “What are you doing?”
“White lotus,” upon meeting her gaze, could no longer maintain his false smile. His expression turned cold, like a high mountain flower by a cliff. He said faintly, “Let’s put our matters aside for now. You refuse to return the child to me, and I cannot leave the child. Naturally, we must walk together.”
He had observed clearly from the side. Her objective, as expected, was the “Demon-Slaying Arrow.” Therefore, she would not do anything out of line before obtaining the “Demon-Slaying Arrow.”
Having been her husband for so long, he understood her to some extent, both openly and subtly. A person whose life was largely dominated by prioritizing profit, or ambition, could both pretend and endure.
He was certain that at this moment, she could face anyone, even an enemy, with an unchanging expression, let alone him. Thus, he could take this opportunity to approach her without reservation.
“Is that so?”
Gu Sizhen’s gaze darkened as she looked at him. She turned her head to look at Gu Sizhen on the other side. Little Sizhen was uncomfortable due to Liu Jiang Fusheng’s approach. She said, “Child, isn’t there still a hand free?”
Gu Sizhen looked up blankly, indicating he didn't understand.
What about the free hand?
He wasn't like Lebao, who liked being held by his father.
Gu Sizhen had initially glanced at Chenghong, who was half a step behind, and was about to speak when Li Sheng suddenly called out nervously, “Hua Mi…”
She paused, then her gaze involuntarily shifted to Li Sheng. He was looking at her expectantly, and the words she was about to say stopped.
Seeing Gu Sizhen’s eyes fixed on Li Sheng, Little Sizhen suddenly had an idea. He took Li Sheng’s hand.
“Mom!”
He raised his head and smiled at Gu Sizhen as if seeking praise.
Should I anger Dad? I’ll help you!
Li Sheng, being used as a supporting character to anger the protagonist in a script, understood the current situation. But he was willing.
He was even willing to be a substitute for that man.
This scene was truly eye-opening for everyone present.
They had seen it all.
“Hua… A Mi.” He called out shyly, perfectly presenting his value as a tool to her.
Gu Sizhen was reflecting. What had she done to make him misunderstand?
“Let’s go too.”
Master Huiming could no longer contain her impatience. “Why do you need to go?”
“Since we’re coming together, we should naturally act together. Master, please don’t be a stranger.”
At this moment, Lu Ziyin, leading Yan Tianjiao and Fu Wanyan, also walked forward.
“Let’s go.”
She quickened her pace, fearing she might be stopped again.
She couldn't manage these young people’s affairs and couldn't intervene too much. The priority now was to leave the Blood Gourd.
They arrived before a stone-patterned monument gate. Its bamboo-like sections stretched eastward, and a clean, eaved roof faced west. The monument gate, several meters high, had no path.
They stopped before it.
Masters Huiming, Xianzhi, and Jingxu each stood at a position and took out a string of tourmaline beads, a greedy earth wood fish, and a sheet of fish skin paper, respectively.
These three items were completely unrelated. Now that they were produced by the three nuns, they must be the key to retrieving the Demon-Slaying Arrow.
Gu Sizhen had always known that the Demon-Slaying Arrow was in Mercy City. However, no matter how many spies she dispatched to infiltrate Mercy City to search, they found nothing. Firstly, very few people within Mercy City knew of this matter, and secondly, the three nuns were extremely cautious and had never revealed the slightest trace of the Demon-Slaying Arrow in front of others.
Her methods were never crude or simple. If all villains were like Shuofang Ghost King, it would be natural for them to be exploited.