SOL Chapter 8

Someone hesitated and asked, “Is he really a Buddha?”

Someone quickly interrupted him, as if to convince the other person, and also as if to convince himself: “Buddhas manifest and transform according to different beings. Naturally, they can appear in any form. Before, in Lingjiu Village, the Buddha could be a village woman, and now in our Fengze Village, he can naturally be a young man.”

His words seemed to open up the minds of everyone, and no one hesitated anymore. There was no time to look ahead and behind. Everyone surged towards the lotus platform, and their movements changed from the initial cautiousness to pushing and shoving.

On the incense table in front of the lotus platform, there was no incense burner offered, but rather their usual knives and farm tools were displayed very considerately. This kind of implication was too straightforward, as if mocking their hesitant hypocrisy.

The first person trembled as he took out a rusty sickle from it. The sickle had long been worn out, and the blade pierced Li Shan’s arm, making a grinding sound of flesh rubbing against flesh that made people’s teeth ache. The man held the sickle, watching the blood seep out of the wound and drip onto the ground. He only hesitated for a moment before bringing his mouth closer and catching the gurgling blood flowing from the wound.

From beginning to end, the young man on the lotus platform did not struggle or resist in the slightest, and didn’t even utter a cry of pain. Everyone was even more convinced that he was really volunteering to sacrifice himself to save people and deliver all living beings!

With the first person taking the lead, the rest became logical. The villagers had long lost their reason and humanity, leaving only the desire to live. Living is dying, and dying is living. When the sharp weapon was handed into their hands, they even felt a sense of excitement and reassurance.

They were like a group of hungry vultures, stretching out their arms, trying to bite and tear, tearing off Li Shan’s clothes, and biting off Li Shan’s flesh. A young man gritted his teeth, cut a piece of meat from Li Shan’s leg, stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it hard. An old man with a serious illness trembled and stabbed the blade into Li Shan’s waist and abdomen, gouged out a piece of bloody flesh, closed his eyes, and swallowed it down.

A woman holding a child used a dull, rusty knife to make a cut in Li Shan’s chest, but she didn’t move herself. Instead, she held up the dying infant in her arms and placed it in Li Shan’s arms, allowing the infant to suck the blood flowing from the wound as if it were breastfeeding.

But tacitly, no one took off the veil covering Li Shan’s face, because they didn’t dare to look at the young man’s face, to look at his eyes.

The girl who came with her mother stood outside the crowd, almost forgetting to cry because of the scene in front of her. A gust of wind blew through the hall, gently lifting a corner of the veil. The girl stared blankly at Li Shan’s eyes under the veil, her face full of fear and horror, and then cried out: “It’s Daoist Li! He is Daoist Li who saved Fengze Village!”

The villagers’ almost excited movements suddenly froze, and everyone stiffly turned their heads and looked at the girl on the edge of the crowd. The haggard woman stepped forward, covered the girl’s mouth, and said in a sharp tone: “Shut up! Shut up!”

The girl broke free from her mother’s restraint and continued to shout: “That monk is a liar, he wants to trick you into killing Daoist Li! Daoist Li is not a Buddha, Daoist Li will die, will die!”

The woman’s face instantly turned gloomy, and she suddenly grabbed the girl’s shoulder and pushed her to the ground. The girl looked at her mother in horror, unable to understand why her usually gentle mother would suddenly become so angry.

She looked to the other villagers in the temple for help, but saw them all looking at her with the same sinister and terrifying eyes, as if asking—why did you say it?

Why did you say it?

The woman seemed to realize that her actions were inappropriate, and devoutly raised the bloody piece of meat in her hand and stuffed it towards the girl’s mouth. She said in a gentle voice: “Eat Buddha Meat, ascend to the Immortal Platform early, ascend to the Immortal Platform early…”

The girl was terrified, dodged the blood and flesh handed by her mother, and stumbled out of the dilapidated temple.

A villager opened his mouth with difficulty: “That’s right, that’s right, Immortal Master Li saved the lives of our entire town from the hands of the demons, how could we forget. This just shows that he has a connection with Fengze Village. He saved us three years ago, and now he is here to save us too!”

“Yes, I already feel much better. As the master said, Buddha Meat is real, and Immortal Master Li is this fleshly Buddha.”

It was not just a psychological effect. The seriously ill people really felt a strong force erupting from their bodies, supporting their withered and decaying bodies to reinvigorate. This was undoubtedly a miracle.

“In ancient times, the Buddha cut off his flesh to feed the eagle. Immortal Master Li is imitating this act!”

Everyone made up their minds, and their voices became excited again, and they re-surrounded Li Shan.

“Hoping you ascend to the Immortal Platform early, I will seek you out later. Hoping you ascend to the Immortal Platform early, I will seek you out later. Hoping you ascend to the Immortal Platform early, I will seek you out later.”

…

Shi En sat cross-legged on the incense table, propping his arms and observing Li Shan’s miserable state.

The snow-white monastic robe was torn and messy, and the layered and complicated fabric was stained with blood. The legs had been cut to reveal the gruesome white bones, and the severed end of the right arm was very rough, looking like it had been hacked off with a wood-chopping knife.

The lotus platform was covered with sticky, half-dried bloodstains, looking like a execution platform.

Perhaps the villagers’ original intention was just to survive, but when their spirits were excited to the extreme and they fell into some kind of religious fanaticism, the things people could do were often no longer constrained by reason and morality, especially when the sufferer in front of them would not resist in any way, allowing them to do as they pleased.

Shi En reached out and tore off the veil covering Li Shan’s face, revealing a pale face. Li Shan opened his eyes, and the excessive blood loss made his reaction a little slow. His light-colored pupils slowly turned to Shi En and met his gaze.

Shi En smiled and said, “You lost. The people you saved in the past are just pretending not to recognize you in order to save their own lives. Even if their thoughts are exposed, they can continue to drink the blood of their savior and eat the flesh of their savior.”

Li Shan regained his voice, but he couldn’t gather any strength, and his voice was very light, but you can’t hear any complaints: “It is human nature to be greedy for life, moreover they are deceived by you, which makes them do such a thing, if I am to hate, I should hate you.”

Shi En slightly raised his eyebrows: “Your Dao Heart is really firm enough, Li Huai Su is really not as good as you – but, this little monk did not lie, your flesh and blood can indeed save this epidemic.”

Li Shan frowned and looked at him. Shi En saw that he seemed puzzled, and smiled slightly: “Don’t you know? Li Huai Su fed you his blood earlier to save you from death. Your meridians are broken, I’m afraid his blood has already melted into your limbs and bones, and merged with your flesh and blood. The blood of the demons is domineering, and the plagues and diseases of the human world are vulnerable to the blood of the demons.”

Li Shan’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Shi En wrapped Li Shan in his monk’s robe, and could feel Li Shan trembling slightly where their bodies touched.

He smiled and said, “Mortals who drink this demonic blood can indeed be ‘cured’, but afterwards, the mortal body probably can’t stand this demonic blood. At best, their skin will fall off and their bodies will fester, dying cleanly. At worst, they will be assimilated by the demonic blood and grow bones, which are the lowest-level demons often seen in the No Ferry Sea, those breathing, rotten pieces of meat.”

“Oh, this little monk forgot, you should know these things, after all, you were once the top disciple of the Cui Wei Sword Pavilion.”

Li Shan was so angry that he immediately vomited a mouthful of blood: “You…”

Shi En was afraid that he couldn’t catch his breath, so he kindly continued his words: “A demon? But this little monk is a demon, hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to seek skin from a tiger? You actually dare to negotiate terms and make bets with this little monk, you are really naive and cute. Moreover, did this little monk force the people of Fengze Village to do these things? They chose it themselves, this is their karma.”

*

In the center of the No Ferry Sea, there was a Buddha statue as big as a mountain, most of it hidden in the clouds, only the black glazed Buddha eyes shining with a strange light, as if staring coldly at all living beings.

Li Huai Su came uninvited, as if entering an uninhabited place, and entered the main altar of Shi En’s Pure World Lotus Sect.

The sandalwood incense in the room was mixed with the smell of soot, too strong and intrusive, making Li Huai Su couldn’t help but frown slightly. The prayer flags moved automatically without wind, and faint chanting sounds came from the original place, what a solemn and solemn place.

Li Huai Su lifted the layers of prayer flags, followed the guidance of his bloodline, and soon found Li Shan.

After not seeing him for a while, Li Huai Su almost couldn’t recognize him.

Whether he was in the Hedong Li Family, or followed him to the Cui Wei Sword Pavilion, Li Su didn’t care much about his appearance, and always gathered his hair casually. No one had ever taught Li Shan how to comb his hair, and he didn’t think it was an important matter. If Li Huai Su didn’t help him, his hair would always be a little messy, making him look very unkempt.

But he was born with a good skin, even if he was so mischievous, he was still beautiful even with a simple hairpin.

But Li Su was dressed very delicately today, his hair was smoothly combed, braided into a braid hanging on one shoulder, green jade and red agate were braided into his hair together, decorated very beautifully.

Li Shan’s arms were tied with red silk, kneeling and hanging in the center of the Buddhist hall. As if he had no consciousness, his head drooped weakly to one side. He was wearing a thin plain dress loosely, because of the movement of his hands being hung, the fabric slid down, revealing his snow-white shoulders and most of his chest.

A golden chest chain inlaid with various gems, wrapped around Li Shan’s neck twice, entangled his thin chest intricately and heavily, and two strings of emerald jade temptingly hung on his chest, swaying gently with the rhythm of his breathing. Such complicated decorations made him look less like a living person, and more like a sacrificial offering in the Buddhist hall.

The blue and purple marks crisscrossed on the fair skin of his neck and chest, and Li Huai Su didn’t need to guess to know that there would be more under his clothes.

Li Huai Su stood still for a few seconds, watching the scene in front of him, then slowly stepped forward, reaching out to touch Li Shan’s cheek.

Li Shan’s eyes were also wrapped with several circles of red silk, so he couldn’t see anything.

Li Huai Su originally thought he was unconscious, but as soon as his fingertip touched Li Shan’s cheek, Li Shan seemed to be aware of something, moved slightly, and then raised his head, very obediently put his face on Li Huai Su’s palm, like a tamed little animal.

Li Huai Su felt the warm temperature coming from his palm, but only felt his stomach churning, wanting to vomit.

“I don’t know that Benefactor Li has graced us with his presence, I have failed to greet you from afar.”

When Li Huai Su heard the sound, he immediately retracted his hand as if he had been burned by hot charcoal.

Shi En was disheveled and barefoot, loosely wearing a monk’s robe. When he walked in, he could still smell the alcohol on his body, such a romantic and unrestrained style. He lazily saw Li Huai Su’s actions just now, his attitude was quite easygoing: “This little monk fed him some raw copper flower, he is very obedient now, would you like to join?”

When Li Huai Su heard this, he immediately looked at him with slightly displeased eyes.

When Shi En saw this, he waved his hands repeatedly, apologizing and begging for mercy: “This little monk is just joking, why should Benefactor Li take it seriously.”

Li Huai Su restrained his expression, as if he had returned to the aloof Li Huai Su of the past. He said in an unhappy tone: “Don’t make such boring jokes.”

Shi En pretended to respond twice, and then said: “But what is Benefactor Li here for, could it be that you have changed your mind? It’s only been a few days, and you have come to my No Ferry Sea.”

Li Huai Su glanced at Li Shan, and said indifferently: “The Demonic Lord wants to see him.”