Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 85: Water Floods the Buddha's Knees

Having dinner at the village chief's house, the three of them finally got to eat the cured pork and sausages they had been longing for.

Indeed, the flavor was irresistible, making one's appetite soar.

Hongxiu ate a whole bucket of rice by herself, leaving the villagers completely astonished.

After eating, Ren Shaoyang heated a basin of water with the Ding'an brand water heater, washed his face, and then went back to bed to meditate.

"came back?"

"Ok!"

Hongxiu strode in, swinging her arms, and plopped down on the edge of the bed, kicking her legs.

"I left some money for the elderly, enough for them to have a happy New Year."

Ren Shaoyang nodded and then asked, "Aren't they afraid of you?"

"How could you not be afraid?" Hongxiu asked sullenly. "The old man's fingers were trembling as he took the money."

Ren Shaoyang gently stroked her hair and said softly, "Don't be sad, that wasn't really you back then."

“No.” Hongxiu turned her head and said seriously, “It’s really me.”

Ren Shaoyang frowned: "What do you mean?"

Hongxiu lowered her head and said, "That was too dangerous just now. I was about to get angry on my own."

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "It's the fault of the martial arts world, not yours."

The Ding'an brand water heater had already boiled water and was handed to Hongxiu: "Little beggar, soak your feet!"

Hongxiu nodded, removed her shoes and socks, dipped her toes into the water, and breathed a satisfied sigh.

"Crippled man, Ding'an, if I become extremely fierce in the future, will you despise me?"

Ding An exclaimed "Ah!" and asked in a muffled voice, "As long as you don't mind me."

"Pfft!"
The little beggar laughed like a pig: "No, not at all."

She looked at Ren Shaoyang.

He smiled and said, "The reason you've become so fierce is because some cowards are trying to bully us."

The little beggar nodded repeatedly: "Yes!"

Ren Shaoyang raised an eyebrow, his sharp edge revealed: "To drive a cute little beggar mad is a grave sin. I'll stab him to death with my sword first!"

Ding An interjected, "I'll chop him up like a piglet!"

"Oh, I was just asking!" Hongxiu persisted, "Won't you guys find me unattractive?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "Even if the whole world despises you, I will never give up on you."

Ding An said, "Me too!"

Hongxiu beamed with joy, her feet kicking excitedly.

Ren Shaoyang continued, "The three of us are the main characters, no one can bully us."

Ding'an, the straight man, said: "Similarly, I also believe that no one has the right to bully others without reason!"

Ren Shaoyang looked at him with newfound respect: "You actually said that?"

Ding An chuckled: "I've remembered what Master Yan said."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "What if we bully bad guys?"

Ding'an retorted, "Are they even human?"

Hongxiu clapped her hands enthusiastically. Ren Shaoyang was stunned for a moment, then sincerely praised her:

"Ding'an, you're a fucking genius!"
-
A night of wind and rain.

The next morning, the wind and rain stopped, but the sun still didn't come out, and the sky remained leaden.

The air was much more humid, and the wind was cold, making the branches and leaves rustle, like the mournful cries of men and horses.

Early in the morning, the three packed their bags and prepared to leave.

As I went outside, I saw the old man from yesterday standing shakily in the cold wind, holding a sausage in his hands.

Seeing Hongxiu come out, he quickly went to greet her.

Ren Shaoyang and Ding An stopped in their tracks and saw the old man bow to Hongxiu.

"Girl, I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn't have treated you that way," Hongxiu smiled and stepped forward to help the old man up. "Grandpa, I've never blamed you!"

The old man stuffed the sausage from his hand into Hongxiu's hand: "Young lady, you saved my husband and me's lives. We have no way to repay you, so please accept this sausage."

Hongxiu's eyes lit up with delight, and she exclaimed, "Oh my, I love eating this! I was so disappointed that I didn't get to try Grandpa's sausages yesterday, but he brought them to me today. Thank you so much!"

"No need to thank us, no need to thank us, we're already grateful to you!" The old man finally smiled. "Next time you come here, I'll make you sausages again."

At this moment, Ren Shaoyang and Ding An had already boarded the donkey cart and called to the little beggar that it was time to set off.

As Hongxiu chased after the car, she turned back and smiled, "Then it's a deal! Grandpa, may you live to be a hundred!"

The old man waved repeatedly to the departing donkey cart, offering his heartfelt blessings: "May you all be happy, healthy, and joyful forever!"

The donkey cart traveled day and night for two days before entering Sichuan.

Although the weather was still gloomy and rainy, the temperature and humidity made the three of them feel more comfortable.

The three traversed two different martial arts worlds, mostly traveling and fighting in the north.

Even though we went to Jingzhou, a place in southern China, it was midsummer, and the climate there was hot and dry, like a furnace, far less pleasant than Sichuan.

Along the way, Ren Shaoyang told them stories about the Emei Sect of Mount Emei.

What is the bond between the founder of the sect, Lady Guo, and Master Zhang of Wudang?

What about the saying, "The supreme martial arts weapon, the Dragon-Slaying Saber, is unmatched without the Heaven-Reliant Sword"?

What about the Emei Sect Leader Zhou and the Mongolian princess vying for the same man?

At first, the little beggar and Ding'an listened to the story of Lady Guo with little interest and were drowsy.

But when the story got to the love triangle between Master Zhou and Leader Zhang, their eyes widened, they shouted and urged for more updates.

Ren Shaoyang, exasperated, bluntly stated that sensationalism and vulgarity are the primary driving forces of productivity. This is a matter of human nature and cultural attributes, and no one can solve it!

The three of them traveled through wind and rain until they reached a town where they stopped to rest. After making inquiries, they learned that they had arrived in Leshan County.

Upon hearing that it was Leshan, Ren Shaoyang's interest was piqued again. After breakfast, he immediately took the two of them to see the giant Buddha.

The weather was sunny for the first time in a long time, and the two of them just wanted to stroll around the town and eat their way through the town. They had little interest in the so-called Buddha statue.

After all, there are plenty of stone Buddhas in the northern frontier.

Ren Shaoyang insisted on this, smiling as he said that the Leshan Giant Buddha was incredibly tall.

Ding'an countered with a question: Can it be higher than a mountain?

Ren Shaoyang nodded, looking at Ding An with a complicated expression: "It's fine if others don't go, but you absolutely have to go!"

Ding An paused for a moment, then asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

Ren Shaoyang walked forward with his hands behind his back: "With your appearance, you might actually gain some enlightenment when you go to the Great Buddha!"

The two looked at each other in bewilderment, then followed him for about ten miles until they arrived at the foot of the Leshan Giant Buddha.

This is an incredible sight.

But all I could see were verdant mountains, clouds veiling the long river, and a long-awaited clear sky, a frighteningly blue.

The turbulent, green river water on the ground crashed against the Buddha's knees, splashing like pearls and jade.

"Holy crap!" *3
Σ(っ°Д°;)っ, Σ(っ°Д°;)っ, Σ(っ°Д°;)
The mountain is a Buddha, and the Buddha is a mountain.

The three of them looked up at each other and exclaimed in unison.

The towering Buddha statue, with its lowered eyes and brows, seemed to pity all living beings. Reflected in the rushing waters of the Minjiang River, it resembled a green snake whose back had been gently stroked by the Buddha's palm, suddenly becoming docile.

It was the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), and the sun was high in the east, shining on the back of the Buddha statue's head. The sunlight climbed up the Buddha's topknot, like a halo, making it extremely solemn.

Ding'an's eyes widened in shock: "My God, there really is a Buddha statue taller than a mountain!"

The little beggar nodded frantically: "I've never seen anything like it before, it's truly magnificent!"

Ren Shaoyang, looking at the river, was utterly bewildered: "Damn, the water's up to the Buddha's knees? Is the Fire Qilin about to emerge?"

Lost in thought, he looked around frantically, fearing that a creature with a different style might suddenly appear in this world of Gu Long's martial arts novels.

"Crippled man, what are you looking for?" Hongxiu asked. "Sister will help you look for it."

"Let me see if any fire qilin have appeared!"
-
P.S.: Keep pushing yourself to 12,000. You'll never know your potential if you don't push yourself.

Goodnight, muah!

(End of this chapter)