Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 44: A Chaotic Era Suddenly Descends, Beacon Fires Rise in All Directions
Xu Lei was a bit surprised. "So, you’ve come to find me. What is it you wish for me to do?"
A little over an hour later.
Xu Lei arrived at the Wei Mansion.
Of course, he didn’t arrive at night.
He came during the day.
’After all, it’s not like I’m here to take the groom’s place.’
Xu Lei figured there was no need to be sneaky.
It was perfectly normal for a monk like him to visit a mansion to ask for alms, perform a ritual, or offer a blessing.
After entering the Wei Mansion,
he hadn’t yet seen Wei Qingning or Zhang Xiaomai.
Instead, he saw a young woman in a simple dress with delicate features, brewing medicinal herbs.
Her hair fell to her waist.
A simple cloth sash was wrapped around her waist, accentuating its slenderness.
She seemed rather slender, yet the curves of her chest were captivating.
The heat from the stove she was near had caused a light sheen of sweat to form on her fair brow, the beads glistening like tiny stars.
It also brought a rosy flush to her cheeks, making her look tender, alluring, and utterly lovely.
"Divine Monk."
Aunt Hu said from the side, "This is Miss Xiaorou, the fiancée."
Wei Qingning had not yet taken a primary wife.
He had originally planned to just marry Zhang Xiaomai and be done with it.
Of course, at the time, Wei Qingning’s discussions with Xu Lei hadn’t gone very deep.
Combined with the issue of Zhang Xiaomai’s low birth, she could only have been taken as a Concubine Ping.
But now, with Miss Xiaorou arriving with a marriage contract in hand, things had become a bit troublesome.
"Divine Monk Wu Tan!"
But before Xu Lei could say anything,
the young Miss Xiaorou looked up at Xu Lei and her eyes widened in surprise. She grew visibly excited and asked in a delicate voice, "Are you Divine Monk Wu Tan?"
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Young lady, you know me?"
"Ten years ago, I accompanied my father to Longyuan Temple to worship."
Miss Xiaorou stepped forward respectfully, pressing her palms together. "The Divine Monk even held me back then!
I’ve kept the Protective Life Talisman you gave me with me all these years.
It’s just that I was only a little girl back then.
The Divine Monk probably doesn’t remember."
Xu Lei was surprised. ’I can’t believe this Miss Xiaorou is one of the little girls I held all those years ago.’ ƒгeewebnovёl.com
’And she’s been carrying one of my fake Talismans—the ones I use to sell hope and peace of mind—for ten years.’
As Xu Lei looked at Miss Xiaorou’s face, fragments of memory began to surface.
Back then, she had only been a five-year-old girl.
Innocent and carefree.
Naive and adorable.
Her eyes were wide and round.
She looked at everything with curiosity.
Now, she had blossomed into a graceful young woman.
’The saying that a girl changes so much as she grows is really true.’
Of course, though he was surprised internally, Xu Lei remained calm on the surface.
After all, he’d been playing the part of a Divine Monk for many years.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Young lady, you have an affinity with the Buddha."
"What ’Divine Monk’!?"
Just then, a burly, scar-faced young man carrying a sheathed longsword appeared in the doorway to the inner courtyard. "He’s nothing but a charlatan, seeking fame and deceiving the ignorant masses!" he declared.
"Hey, Monk, don’t get any ideas about my sister!
Otherwise, my blade has no eyes!"
Naturally, Xu Lei merely regarded him with a calm expression.
As a Divine Monk, he wouldn’t get angry so easily.
"Young Master Shang, you must not be rude to the Divine Monk!"
Aunt Hu interjected, "Divine Monk Wu Tan is an honored guest of the Wei Mansion!
Besides, the Divine Monk is not some charlatan seeking fame!
A while back, a Spirit Monster was tearing out hearts and causing chaos in the Prefecture City!
It was the Divine Monk who vanquished the monster, restoring peace to the city!
Many people saw this with their own eyes!
You must not disrespect the Divine Monk!"
"I’ve heard about that incident,"
...but the sword-wielding Young Master Shang sneered and shook his head. "But I still don’t believe in all this talk of ghosts and gods!
And I certainly don’t believe in any Spirit Monsters!
The story may have been blown up into something fantastical,
...and many people swear up and down that they saw it with their own eyes or experienced it firsthand!
But who actually saw him vanquish this so-called demon?
Who actually saw what this demon looked like?"
Aunt Hu and Shang Rou were both taken aback.
"It was all just a show put on by the Buddhist Sect!"
The Young Master Shang continued, "The world may be foolish enough to be deceived, but I, Shang Yin, am not!"
"Brother!"
Miss Xiaorou quickly trotted over. "You mustn’t be disrespectful to the Divine Monk!
Even Father held Divine Monk Wu Tan in the highest regard!
Besides, your wounds haven’t healed. What are you doing out here?
Why aren’t you inside resting properly?"
"Father revered the Buddha, worshipped the Buddha, and prayed to the Buddha, but what was the result? What kind of end did he meet?"
Shang Yin retorted, "If the Buddha were truly real, why would he let a devout believer meet such a tragic end?
That’s why all these ’Divine Monks’ are just liars!
Sister, don’t believe him!"
Miss Xiaorou was speechless.
"As for me, my injuries are nothing serious. Besides, I have to go!"
Shang Yin continued, "I’ve killed so many people. A lot of them are looking for me!
I can rest easy now that I’ve brought you here.
Wei Qingning may be a pretty boy!
He looks too weak to even truss a chicken!
He’s soft-spoken!
Like a girl!
But I can tell!
He’s kind-hearted!
And he’s a man of his word!
With you staying with the Wei Family, I’ll have fulfilled our father’s dying wish.
That will put my mind at ease.
Aunt Hu, this letter is for Wei Qingning!
Give it to him personally!
Tell him to take good care of my sister!
I know the Wei Family values its promises and will likely honor the arrangement.
But there are some things I still have to say.
If I’m not dead, and I come back one day to hear my sister has been wronged in any way, I’ll definitely come for Wei Qingning’s life!"
"Brother!"
Miss Xiaorou burst into tears. "Your wounds haven’t healed! Where are you going?!"
"Don’t worry, sister. Your brother won’t die that easily!"
Shang Yin added, "If I stay here, I’ll only end up implicating you and the Wei Family.
As for me? Where will I go?
Probably head into the mountains and try to survive."
