My enemies became my companions

Chapter 712 Escaped Again? (Part 2)

The mountain was blocked by heavy snow.

Lu Ying stretched out her hand, and snowflakes that were pelting down from the eaves came flying at her. The needle-like snowflakes landed in her hand and did not melt for a long time.

Swords are forged here, and the swords themselves resemble snow.

The nights in Jianxiang are deep, and when it snows heavily, the sky is covered in darkness. Snowflakes sweep across the walls like flashing swords, creating a rare and austere scene.

Having been here for many days, this sword village has always been quiet. The so-called quietness is not that there is no sound at all, but that you can sometimes hear the rustling of leaves in the forest, the sharp cries of birds, and the faint chirping of insects. At this moment, he heard the sound of a small lamp burning. Lu Ying glanced at his shadow under the lamp.

Compared to Yin Tingxue's complicated journey of seeking her past life's path to forge a sword, Lu Ying's life these days has been much more monotonous. Just like those swordsmen who have gone through countless hardships to climb mountains and make pilgrimages, once they retrieve their swords from the Hidden Sword Pavilion, everything is over.

If it weren't for waiting for Yin Tingxue, Lu Ying would have already returned to Yin Jian Mountain. However, after cultivating in the sword village for many days, he did not come away empty-handed.

Lu Ying held his sword across his knees. Under the lamplight, the sword's edge shone as brightly as snow, and the hilt was shaped like auspicious clouds with a Tai Chi symbol in the center. As for the sword's name, Lu Ying didn't care or pay attention to it. Since that was the case, he decided not to name it.

Lu Ying looked up and gazed outside. Compared to the past, she had now truly inherited Zhou Yitang's mantle, and everything she saw and heard was completely different from before.

She was walking the path of her master, a path that only she could walk. Lu Ying had not understood this before, but now that he had reached this level, he also noticed the clues in Zhou Yitang's words. A great change was about to happen in the world. Even if one had extraordinary abilities, one would still die. The living sword of Yinjian Mountain needed someone to inherit it. Even if only a seed of swordsmanship was left behind, it would not be cut off.

She used to dislike practicing swordsmanship, but now she feels it's no big deal.

Lu Ying gently wiped the sword with two fingers, and the snowflakes slowly melted on the blade. For no reason, she recalled a naive old saying.

"Life is truly as lonely as snow..."

In the silence, she murmured this old saying to herself. Thinking of this, she smiled to herself and suddenly realized that she was still somewhat immature.

After the snow, the ancient mountain was buried, and the entire mountain seemed to be shrouded in a hazy, ethereal light. Clouds and mist swirled among them, not pure white, dreamlike and illusory. At this time, the sky was clear and the sound of blacksmithing and sword forging mingled among the mountain scenery.

Lu Ying slowly ascended the steps and saw the girl sitting in meditation in the pavilion again. Yin Tingxue's hands were in a mudra, her eyes were closed, and her brows furrowed from time to time, as if she was going through something.

She took two steps forward, about to approach further, when she suddenly heard a voice beside her ear.

"Lu Ying".

Lu Ying stopped in her tracks and turned around. The one-armed woman had appeared behind her at some point.

"Master."

Zhou Yitang said slowly, "There's no need to disturb your junior sister."

"Master, I just saw that Junior Sister seemed to be in a lot of pain."

"That's what she has to go through."

With just a slight extension of her finger, Lu Ying's figure was lifted up a few inches by a gentle breeze and took several steps back, standing a foot apart from Yin Tingxue.

"Yes."

Lu Ying nodded slightly, said no more, and slowly turned back.

Zhou Yitang glanced back at her disciple's retreating figure.

Of the four disciples, Yin Tingxue's cultivation period was short, Chen Yi had found a new path, Min Ning was unaware that he was Zhou Yitang, and only Lu Ying was most suitable for this path.

Now, Lu Ying's mindset is completely different from before, and he has inherited her mantle.

Just now…

As Zhou Yitang recalled, when Lu Ying slowly walked towards Yin Tingxue, there was a faint hint of jealousy in her eyes.

Is it a longing for the past, or...?

Thinking of someone, Zhou Yitang's eyes suddenly turned cold, a trace of indescribable emotion flashing across them.

Although there is no conclusive evidence and it is not advisable to confront them directly, it is still best to issue a warning in any case.

The one-armed woman glanced at Yin Tingxue again, and did some quick calculations. Now... Yin Tingxue has also reached a critical moment.

A sword needs to be forged and refined through countless hammer blows to remove the impurities and retain the essence, and the same principle applies to swords that have been passed down through generations.

If she didn't have the ability to hear, it would be fine; she could simply enter the Hidden Sword Pavilion to retrieve the sword like Lu Ying. However, since she does have the ability to hear, it's common for her to hear and dream of memories from her past life. Having lived two lives, if she doesn't dispel the ignorance of her past life and thus feel dissatisfied, the more she cultivates the sword path, the easier it will be for her to go astray.

Thinking of Yin Tingxue's past life, Zhou Yitang's eyes narrowed slightly.

To be honest, compared to Yin Tingxue, who now seems to possess divine powers with her gentle and subtle methods, she still prefers the prickly Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect.

The two are almost worlds apart in temperament. In the end, a girl like Yin Tingxue, once her hope is shattered, will go from one extreme to another.

For example, if Chen Yi were to die again, Yin Tingxue would once again become the ruthless Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. Similarly, once the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect truly renounces her ignorance...

Zhou Yitang frowned slightly, but after thinking for a moment, she shook her head, calming down those unimportant thoughts.

Tongxuan, this inner demon, is now stirring up more and more waves in her heart, even making her premonition dissatisfied with their overly intimate relationship.

Fortunately, it was just a fleeting moment.

Footsteps crunched heavily on the snow-covered stone steps.

Zhou Yitang did not turn around until the footsteps stopped about ten feet behind her, then she slowly turned around.

Li Kang gripped the hammer tightly, his face utterly exhausted, yet his eyes gleamed with intense excitement. He bowed his head slightly to show respect for the sword and armor.

Zhou Yitang's gaze lingered on her for a moment before passing over her and turning back to Yin Tingxue in the pavilion, whose brows were furrowed as if she were enduring invisible torment.

Her face showed no extra expression, and her one arm hung naturally at her side.
"It's time to start."

.....................

Everyone revealed their demonic nature.

Under the gaze of thousands of distorted eyes, intertwined with pain, madness, and supplication, amidst the deafening chanting and groans, Chen Yi, expressionless, stepped onto the golden altar, its ground covered with petals.

His tall and straight figure, his clothes fluttering in the mountain wind and the strong sandalwood incense, stood out from the solemn and radiant scene around him, like a drop of ink falling into a golden ocean.

The sandalwood incense was so strong that it almost materialized into a giant white python, coiling around the entire altar and penetrating everyone's mouth, nose, heart, and lungs.

The Medicine Buddha statue stands majestically, its radiant light as heavy as a mountain, carrying unparalleled compassion and awe, as if it truly intends to cleanse the world of all suffering.

Master Huiming stood beside the Buddha, and the unfathomable calm on his face finally shattered, replaced by an almost humble plea. He stared intently at Chen Yi, his chapped lips trembling slightly, as if he were shouting silently.

It was as if back then, he had gazed at Yin Tingxue in the same way, gazing at a seed of Buddha.

Chen Yi stood on the edge of the high platform, his eyes like cold lightning, slowly sweeping across the boundless sea of ​​suffering below, composed of countless twisted, howling, and writhing demonic figures.

Greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt; birth, old age, sickness, death, resentment, separation from loved ones, and unfulfilled desires; the five aggregates burning fiercely... the eight sufferings and three poisons of the human world are fully revealed at this moment.

He showed neither pity nor disgust, but rather examined this hellish tapestry of karmic retribution with an almost cold calm. Just then, a statue of the Bodhisattva of Sunlight standing to the left of the Medicine Buddha began to tremble violently without warning. First, there was a faint hum, followed by a noticeable shaking of the entire statue, as if something was about to burst out from within.

"Bodhisattva! The Bodhisattva has shown his power again!"

"It is the Bodhisattva of Sunlight! The Bodhisattva has felt our suffering!"

"The Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Bodhisattva Sunlight Mahasattva!"

A chorus of gasps, a mixture of pain and fervor, erupted from the audience as many grotesque believers struggled to bow before the trembling Bodhisattva statue.

Master Huiming was also drawn by this unusual commotion. He looked around anxiously and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where is that...where is that female benefactor who has the appearance of the Medicine Buddha?!"

He seemed to be anticipating some kind of shared experience between the two Buddhas, but all he could see was chaos and Chen Yi's back.

He shook his head dejectedly, muttering as if resigned to his fate: "So be it, so be it... One Buddha... one Buddha's appearance in the world is already an immeasurable merit... Benefactor Chen! Please... please save them! Save these sentient beings from the suffering of ignorance!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. His reply was unusually crisp, even carrying a hint of laziness:
"Good good."

Before the echo of the word "good" had faded, Chen Yi moved in the next instant.

He did not unleash any profound Buddhist teachings as everyone expected. Instead, his figure suddenly turned back like a ghost, and he drew his sword in an instant. A burst of extremely condensed cold light erupted and slashed at the Medicine Buddha, who radiated countless rays of Buddhist light, without any fancy moves.

Crack—Boom!

The crisp cracking sound and the dull bang rang out almost simultaneously!

The seemingly indestructible crystal Buddha body suddenly developed a hideous crack that spread down from between its eyebrows, and then the entire giant Buddha collapsed with a crash.

Countless shards of glass, mixed with golden sparks, scattered and flew everywhere.

The audience fell into a deathly silence, followed by screams and cries of even greater terror and despair than when the demonic manifestation had occurred.

Master Huiming's eyes were bloodshot as he pointed at Chen Yi, making a gurgling sound in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant.

However, everything happened too fast for anyone to stop.

Amidst the scattering fragments of the Buddha's body and the clamor of despair and horror, Chen Yi slowly emerged from the scene. He shook the sword in his hand, which was free of distractions, and then drew it. The sword itself had no luster, but it exuded a deathly stillness and killing intent that was even deeper than the surrounding demonic figures.

He held his sword horizontally before him, his gaze calmly sweeping over the "multitude of beings" below, crumbling as the Buddha statue shattered. His voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out all the noise.

"I'm sorry, old monk."

"I cannot manifest that so-called 'Happy Buddha' image that you mentioned."

The blade was raised, pointing downwards into the boundless sea of ​​suffering.

"But since you insist that I save people..."

"Then we'll have no choice but to... kill people."

........................

Her steps were unsteady, as if she were walking on cotton wool, or as if she were dragging invisible shackles.

His consciousness was hazy, as if he had just struggled out of a long and painful nightmare, but half of his soul was still left behind in front of the temple gate.

She was as thin as a withered leaf that might vanish at any moment. She didn't know how she got back; she just felt like a lost soul.

Memories are fragmented, thoughts are stagnant.

She didn't think about why she couldn't push open that door, didn't think about the vague guidance from the Venerable One, and didn't even think about Chen Yi, whom she had left alone in that strange Dharma assembly.

A profound weariness and emptiness seized her, leaving her to wander aimlessly, like a true lost soul adrift in an endless abyss of ignorance.

For some inexplicable reason, some light appeared ahead.

One point, two points, then a hazy halo, not the deathly dim light of the world of ignorance itself, but with a certain...warm texture.

The halo gradually expanded until it completely enveloped her.

Yin Tingxue subconsciously squinted. Having been in darkness for so long, the sudden light stung her eyes and even brought tears to her eyes.

The light was clear and gentle, yet contained an indescribable majesty, much like the Buddha's light in the Buddhist temple in my memory.

It was as if she had stepped from a pitch-black room into a palace illuminated by countless lights and candles.

However, her heart remained empty.

She felt no joy at seeing the light, no relief at escaping the darkness, and not even the proper reverence or rejection of this "Buddha's light." She simply stood there blankly, like a container emptied of its contents, not knowing where she came from, why she was there, or where she was going.

As her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, she suddenly saw clearly.
Where is there any solemn Buddhist land? Where is there any pure and tranquil place of practice?

As far as the eye could see, there were mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
The corpses of the believers who manifested various demonic forms piled up like mountains, and dark red blood pooled together, almost submerging her ankles. The air was filled with a heavy, nauseating stench of blood, which replaced the ethereal sandalwood incense.

A figure stood atop the sea of ​​blood, slowly sheathing his sword, with a ghost floating beside him.

The ground was covered in blood.
Despite the horrifying sight before them, and despite the chilling murderous aura emanating from that standing figure that was more terrifying than mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

She found herself involuntarily moving closer to him.

It was as if that was the only light in this land of despair, the only certainty in this ignorance.

It was him... who made his wishes come true...?

Seemingly sensing her approach, the figure in black robes slowly turned around.

His face, stained with a few drops of congealed blood, was expressionless. Only his eyes, which were looking at her, were as deep as an ancient well, yet at the bottom of that well, a complex glimmer of light burned.

"Little fox, you ran away again?"

His voice rang out, not loud, but clearly reaching her ears, carrying a familiar hint of mockery.

The words had barely left my ears.

For some reason, she instinctively shivered, but the next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

"Heh, I won't argue with you."

Clinging tightly to this embrace, a mixture of blood and warmth, and listening to the steady heartbeat beneath his chest, Yin Tingxue's stiff body gradually softened.

She closed her eyes and buried her face in his blood-stained clothes. Her heart, which had been empty, seemed to have finally found an anchor point where it could temporarily rest.

As for whether this anchor point leads to an abyss or the other shore, she no longer had the energy to think about it.

(End of this chapter)