Chapter 1 The Feeling of Death

Zhou Ze remembered clearly what death felt like, as he had been pushed into a crematorium furnace to enjoy the treatment of incineration.

And beforehand, the staff at the crematorium had used steel hooks to puncture his stomach to prevent his body from swelling and exploding during cremation.

That feeling was very similar to the one he was experiencing now, having his chest pierced.

Pain?

Of course, there was pain.

But when the pain became too intense, you felt numb instead, like having surgery in a hospital with a spinal anesthesia, separated by a curtain blocking your view, you could only feel something rummaging around on your belly.

Zhou Ze still wanted to resist, but his body was now in a deathly spasm, and even his eyelids became extremely heavy.

No matter how unwilling, no matter how much he resisted,

His eyelids,

Still closed.

…………

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw dim lights all around. In front of him was a long marble table, its patterns chaotic yet giving off a sense of refinement.

Looking down, Zhou Ze found himself sitting in a chair, a grand master's chair, leaning back with a white bib around his neck, more like a protector to prevent soup stains from dirtying his clothes while eating.

His two hands were holding a silver knife and fork respectively.

In front of him was a white plate with a piece of roast meat on it, emitting heat, garnished with lemon and cauliflower.

"Sir, I used a torch to sear the cauliflower, giving it a barbecue flavor. I hope you like it."

The old man's voice came from across the table. He was dressed in the same way, cutting a steak and chewing it.

"What does this mean?"

Zhou Ze didn't rush to eat and asked directly.

Wasn't he supposed to be killed?

"There was a slight accident." The old man picked up a drink next to him and took a small sip.

"Swish!"

The old man pressed a hand on the table and pushed a card toward Zhou Ze.

"The identity card is damaged to this extent, which I didn't expect." The old man said, continuing to cut a piece of meat and savor it.

"So?"

"So, I'm sorry, you can't die." The old man said with a smile, "Sir, you're really lucky."

"You're not going to kill me?"

"No, sir. Because the identity card left by the master cannot withstand another round of recognition and refreshing. Otherwise, it will shatter directly and lose all its function."

The old man shook his head, raised his glass, and greeted Zhou Ze.

"So, congratulations, sir. It seems I was wrong. Today is indeed your lucky day."

Zhou Ze picked up the glass, looking at the clear red wine inside, but didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he asked:

"Is there any strange poison in this wine?"

"You're joking, sir."

Joking?

Earlier you said I was your new master,

And then?

You pierced my chest with your bare hand!

Who's joking?

"Sir, please try my cooking. When the old master was here, I was responsible for managing his daily meals. Although so many years have passed, I don't think my skills have deteriorated too much."

"Is there any poison in the meat?" Zhou Ze asked with a smile.

"Sir, you're overthinking it. For me, killing you or torturing you doesn't require such trouble."

You make a good point, I can't refute it.

Zhou Ze cut a piece of meat with the knife, put it in his mouth with the fork, and instinctively wanted to vomit, but was surprised to find that the meat melted in his mouth and tasted excellent.

Most importantly, he didn't feel nauseous at all.

"Is it good?" The old man asked.

"It's acceptable." Zhou Ze replied.

"If you like it, eat more. As a chef, it's a very happy thing when the dishes I make are liked and eaten a lot."

The old man ate half a plate of meat, put down the knife and fork, and took out a hot towel to wipe his hands.

Zhou Ze ate a few more pieces of meat and then asked:

"What happens next?"

"Sir, you're joking again." The old man smiled kindly again. "After the meal, you can leave. I won't restrict your freedom."

"That's it?" Zhou Ze found it a bit absurd.

"Yes, it's over." The old man affirmed.

"But I remember you said that that Lord Fǔjūn wanted a bad person, right?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Just because the identity card is damaged, I get an exception?"

Really, just because of good luck?

"No, Lord Fǔjūn's will does not allow for the slightest discount."

"I don't understand."

"The answer is in your heart." The old man reminded.

"I hate chatting like those monks who are fond of riddles." Zhou Ze said.

The old man reached out and patted his chest. "Sir, on this point, I feel the same way."

Zhou Ze's face suddenly darkened, as if he had thought of something. He immediately looked down, lifted the bib around his neck, and revealed his left chest.

It was empty.

"I applied the best ointment to the wound for you. It will recover soon without leaving any scars. I also helped you treat the wounds on other parts of your body.

You don't need to thank me, and you don't need to be polite."

I thank you, my ass!

"Where's my heart? Where's my heart!" Zhou Ze asked.

The old man pointed to the plate in front of Zhou Ze, and said kindly:

"You said it tasted good."

"Clatter!"

Zhou Ze slammed the knife and fork on the table.

The old man picked up a cup of tea, gargled, spit it out, and then slowly stood up.

"Without a heart, there are not too many worries, and you can live more comfortably.

A good person, without a conscience, can't be too good. Isn't that right?"

Zhou Ze grabbed the tablecloth tightly with both hands, looked up at the old man,

"You better kill me now."

The old man smiled slightly, "So, sir, are you going to say it again: Mo qi shao nian qiong (Don't bully a young man for being poor)?"

Then, the old man gently patted his chest, gasped, and pretended:

"It's really terrifying."

"............" Zhou Ze.

"Sir, you have no chance to take revenge on me. My lifespan has also come to an end. After you leave this room, I will also dissipate."

"Will you go to hell?"

"Hell has no place for me." The old man replied, "It's the final end."

Then, the old man pointed to the plate in front of Zhou Ze again,

"Sir, need a doggy bag?"

Zhou Ze stood up, feeling empty in his chest. The large hole in the wound was even more shocking, but he didn't die. To be precise, Xu Le's body did not die, and there was not even a slight feeling of pain.

Will the wound heal soon?

Picking up the card on the table, Zhou Ze walked towards the door, but stopped halfway and asked:

"I'm curious, who exactly is that Lord Fǔjūn?"

"Since Lord Fǔjūn was deceived by that Bodhisattva who ran to hell, he has been unwilling to mention his name again."

Not getting an answer, Zhou Ze was unwilling to stay here any longer. Pushing open the door in front of him, he walked out. When he looked back, he found that the door he had just come out of was gone.

Behind him was a desolate cemetery.

…………

In the room, the old man quietly cleaned up the tableware and tidied up the room again.

Then, he spread out his hand and patted the table.

"Come out."

A small golden monkey emerged from somewhere and jumped onto the table, scratching its ears and cheeks at the old man, very cute.

However, the golden monkey's body was a bit illusory, obviously not a real existence.

"Although, grievances have their source and debts have their debtor, but what you did this time was too much. Even if the final result falls on that baby, it shouldn't be the target of your revenge.

Everyone is pursuing cause and effect, and following cause and effect. If they all act accordingly, why would you, little beast, pursue any great path?

Eating, drinking, and living, aging, getting sick, and dying, isn't that the most compliant with cause and effect?"

The golden monkey shook its head and nodded again.

"Don't blame me for detaining the soul attached to that baby. Your one hundred and eighty years of merit will be used as compensation for that child. Even if he is disabled, he will be able to go smoothly in the future, and even become a normal person after surgery.

Don't feel like you're at a loss. Let's end this matter here. Later, I will give you a new body, and you can leave on your own. Whether you re-cultivate or just play in the mountains and forests, don't do what you did today again.

People who cultivate the Dao still have five diseases and three deficiencies, let alone you, a small beast. Just treat it as a tribulation on your path of cultivation."

After saying that,

The old man pushed open the door to the inner room.

There was no other furniture in this small room, only a Chinese ink painting hanging on the wall.

In the painting,

There was a towering mountain,

Gathering the beauty of nature, dividing the day and night!

There was a man wearing a purple crown and a yellow robe, standing on the top of the mountain.

The painting had yellowed,

The person in the painting had also passed away,

Only the towering mountain in the painting still stood there, overlooking all the mountains.

"Lord Fǔjūn, I have completed the task you ordered."

The old man knelt down in front of the painting.

The scene of farewell in the past reappeared in his mind:

…………

"You old fool, die later, hold on a little longer, and help this seat keep an eye on who this identity card will end up in. If it's a good person, kill him for me and replace him with someone else!

This seat believed in those monks' evil, believing in their nonsense about not becoming a Buddha until hell is empty, and lost all my life's reputation!

The person holding this seat's identity card must never be a good person again, otherwise this seat will not rest in peace!"

"Master, what is a good person, and what is a bad person?

Good people may do bad things, and bad people may do good things.

The distinction between good and bad, this old servant is stupid, and is afraid of ruining Lord Fǔjūn's instructions."

"Damn it, there aren't so many twists and turns and miscellaneous remarks. If you don't think he's a bad person, just kill him."

"Yes, this old servant will respectfully follow the decree."

…………

"He's a good person?"

In the inner room, the old man kneeling there slowly raised his head and looked at the painting, muttering:

"He is indeed a 'good' person,

But in my eyes,

He is a 'bad' person."

As the old man spoke, his face began to darken, and yellow hair began to grow on his face and hands.

His face began to distort, turning into a monkey face with a thunderous mouth!

This was an old ape!

Born in the wilderness of Mount Tai, his ambition in this life was to carry that Mount Tai,

The ancients called it: Moving Mountain Ape!

"My disciple and grandson cultivated for one hundred and eighty years, enjoyed helping others, and worked hard in cultivation, and suffered such a great disaster and such humiliation!

He relied on his standing on the human position, regardless of everything, and directly went up to kill it!

Why!

Why!

Just because he is a human, was he a human before he was born!

So, all aliens, as long as they threaten humans, regardless of right or wrong, regardless of good or bad,

Should be killed? Should die?"

The old man sat down cross-legged,

And finally muttered:

"He stands on the human position, he is a good person.

This old servant stands on the position of the monkey clan, he is a bad person.

Heh,

In the end,

It actually prevented him from dying.

Lord Fǔjūn,

Is this what you mean?

Lord Fǔjūn,

This old servant has come to follow you. For so many years, without this old servant serving you and cooking, you must not be used to it?"

The old man lost his vitality,

The ape's body just sat there,

The golden monkey in the state of soul at this time ran out, first knelt down and kowtowed to the old man's remains, and then drilled into the old man's skin.

After a while,

From under the old man's clothes,

A small monkey with a small body about the size of a palm crawled out,

"Chirp, chirp, chirp............"

The little monkey cried out a few times in a row, and then ran out.