Free Web NovelChapter 88: Chapter 76: Disciples Leave in Succession, Hui Ming’s Bitter Sorrow
"Yes, Junior Brother Zhi Tan... I really didn’t expect this."
The eldest, Zhi Jian, now added, "Master was heartbroken, but he understood that sending him down the mountain was what was best for him.
Uncle-Master Hui Chi, I won’t dally. It’s time for my Cultivation, so I’ll take my leave."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Zhi Jian is diligent."
"Hui Chi!"
At this moment, the other young Monk beside them said, "I’m going to cultivate too.
Zhi Tan disappointed Master.
I won’t!
I’ll be even more diligent!
You should work hard on your Cultivation, too.
And it’s like I always say: your Cultivation is weaker than mine. Don’t expect me to call you ’Uncle-Master’ in private."
In response, Xu Lei just smiled faintly and said nothing.
Hui Ming’s two remaining disciples had rather different personalities. Zhi Jian was comparatively more mature and gentle.
Zhi Neng, on the other hand, was more childish and competitive, and his emotional intelligence wasn’t very high.
But Xu Lei, naturally, didn’t bother himself with such things.
The results of the previous Cultivation test...
Aside from Zhi Tan...
Xu Lei’s were actually the worst!
Although Xu Lei had the help of the Spirit Gathering Array left by Robert Keating for the past three years, his sensitivity to Spiritual Qi was still inferior to Zhi Tan, Zhi Neng, and Zhi Jian.
In comparison, while his talent wasn’t trash-tier, it wasn’t particularly good either.
Furthermore, he consumed a portion of his cultivation gains every day to maintain the Evil-Subduing Bracelet.
This caused Xu Lei’s Cultivation to be comparatively slow.
But Xu Lei wasn’t in a hurry. He had so many lives, after all, and could even inherit the Cultivation of his past selves.
’Don’t be fooled by the fact that Zhi Neng, Zhi Jian, and the others have higher talent than me.’
’They might not necessarily be able to attain eternal life!’
Though Xu Lei’s Cultivation was slower than theirs, he was destined to achieve it!
Now, after three years of Cultivation, Xu Lei’s Magical Power had recovered from its previous state of frantic depletion.
And under Introspection, the Dao Seed in his body, along with its attached Magical Power, had grown to about the size of a thumb.
Though it wasn’t as developed as Zhi Neng’s or Zhi Jian’s, it had already surpassed his own from the past.
Three years ago, it was only the size of a peanut.
Xu Lei was very satisfied and relieved just to be able to surpass his former self.
As long as he was constantly improving, with lifetimes upon lifetimes at his disposal, he would one day reach the other shore.
As for Qi Yang?
That guy was still periodically activating the strange Black Seal to sense Xu Lei’s location.
This forced Xu Lei to constantly supply Magical Power to the Evil-Subduing Bracelet.
But even though Xu Lei had obtained a Dharma Gate from Hui Ming, his own Cultivation was still insufficient, so he couldn’t use it to counter-sense Qi Yang.
Xu Lei had also considered simply dropping the suppression and luring Qi Yang to Tianming Temple.
’But if Qi Yang knew I was at Tianming Temple, he would definitely come, but he probably wouldn’t just charge in and start killing.’ Doing so would only end up exposing his location.
Xu Lei had also thought about going to a dangerous place, then dropping the suppression to lure Qi Yang there.
But his own Magical Power wasn’t very high at the moment. Going to a place like that? There would be no absolute guarantee of his own safety.
Naturally, he could only give up on that idea for the time being.
’Ask Hui Ming for help against Qi Yang? But Cultivators in this Dharma-Ending Age of Cultivation aren’t particularly fond of fighting and killing.’
For a fight with no benefit, what face would Xu Lei have to ask such a thing of Hui Ming?
Besides, Hui Ming might not even be able to defeat Qi Yang.
Unless more experts from the Buddhist Sect stepped in.
But Xu Lei didn’t have the face to ask these great figures to act on his behalf.
In any case, that was the situation for now.
Xu Lei could only wait for his Cultivation to improve further.
Fortunately, Xu Lei still had over nine thousand lives, so he felt no sense of urgency or panic at all.
「In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.」
On this day, Hui Ming was still in secluded Cultivation.
Xu Lei had just finished his own Cultivation.
He walked out and stretched lazily.
He happened to run into Zhi Jian, who had also just finished cultivating.
The two exchanged a smile.
They were just about to discuss their Cultivation with each other.
After all, although Xu Lei held the title of Uncle-Master, he was actually younger than Zhi Jian.
Zhi Jian was more mature than his peers.
And Xu Lei was mentally precocious.
As a result, there was no generation gap between them at all.
Unexpectedly, at that very moment, a figure with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth appeared at the entrance to the inner courtyard.
It was Zhi Neng!
Zhi Jian was shocked, frozen on the spot.
"Zhi Neng, what happened?"
Xu Lei rushed over to help him up. "How did you end up like this?"
"Uncle-Master Hui Chi, my... my path of the Dao... it’s ruined! It’s severed!"
Zhi Neng sobbed, "Even my Dao Seed... it’s been destroyed. Senior Brother Zhi Jian, I’ve fallen too! I’ve failed Master! I’ve failed him!"
Xu Lei and Zhi Jian helped Zhi Neng inside.
They laid him on a bed.
"Senior Brother Zhi Jian, don’t waste your Magical Power healing my injuries."
Seeing Zhi Jian extend a hand, about to channel his Magical Power, Zhi Neng quickly said, "I’m not worthy! Besides, my injuries... they aren’t fatal!
I’ve just lost all my Magical Power, and my Dao Seed has been annihilated!"
"Is this because of your family?"
Xu Lei asked after a moment of thought, "The family members who came to the temple to ask for your help a while ago?"
"Did you go down the mountain to help your family?"
Zhi Jian’s expression also changed. "Master has always taught us earnestly that once we leave home to become monks, we must not be attached to the mortal world!
And we certainly must not interfere in worldly affairs!
Otherwise, we risk getting entangled in karma, and with one misstep, our Dao path could be ruined, or we could even perish completely!"
"I didn’t expect it either."
Zhi Neng gave a bitter smile. "When my family came for help, I originally thought helping them would only waste a tiny, tiny bit of Magical Power!
With my talent, I thought I could just be a bit more diligent and earn that little bit of Magical Power back!
Master would never find out!
At most, he’d say I’d been slacking a little for a month or two!
But I never expected that behind the incident I interfered with, there was another Cultivator... from the Daoist Sect..."
"Who was it?"
Zhi Jian said, "Which Daoist from which Daoist Temple injured you so badly?"
"Who injured me... Senior Brother, you don’t need to know."
But Zhi Neng said, "Because I was helping my family, and he was helping his.
I lost all my Magical Power, and my Dao Seed shattered.
He didn’t fare much better.
His Dao Seed wasn’t destroyed, but his potential was greatly diminished.
Attaining the Dao is probably impossible for him now.
The only reason I’m telling you all this is to warn you: karma is truly unpredictable!
What Master said—to not get involved in the mortal world, to not be stained by karma—it’s true."
"Why did you even tell your family which temple you were at?"
Hearing this, Zhi Jian could only sigh. "Junior Brother Zhi Neng, you were foolish!
Both Uncle-Master Hui Chi and I never speak a word of it!
We only say we have become monks!
That way, even if our families back in the mortal world wanted to ask for help, they wouldn’t be able to find us!"
"That’s right."
Xu Lei nodded. "Only by doing so can one calm the heart. Otherwise, if your family came begging for help, it would indeed be difficult to stand by and do nothing."
Although Xu Lei felt a little guilty about severing ties with his family, his decision had been absolute.
He had already left his family a lot of money, enough for them to live well.
’If they still couldn’t live well after that, then that was their own fortune and fate.’
「Another ten days passed in a flash.」
Having lost all his Magical Power, Zhi Neng shouldered his belongings and descended the mountain to return to secular life.
Hui Ming was deeply saddened.
He came to see Zhi Neng off, but only showed him his back.
"Master, this disciple has wronged you! I have failed to live up to your nurturing and expectations!"
Zhi Neng also wept bitterly, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing with loud THUDS. "This disciple is even worse than Zhi Tan! He could at least let you reclaim his Dao Seed, but I can’t even do that for you!"
Hui Ming finally turned around.
"Take these fifty taels in silver notes."
He said, "Your Magical Power is gone!
Now that you’ve returned to secular life, I fear you’ll have no way to make a living for a while.
Use this silver well, and live a good life!"
Zhi Neng cried even more sorrowfully.
But in the end, he could only descend the mountain.
"Senior Brother Zhi Jian, now you’re Master’s only disciple left!"
Before leaving, these were Zhi Neng’s words: "You are the one with the most hope of attaining the Dao. Carry my share with you and keep going! Don’t let Master down!"
"Rest assured, Junior Brother!"
Zhi Jian also nodded seriously. "My heart’s desire to seek eternal life will never waver!"
As for Xu Lei? Zhi Neng opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
"Uncle-Master Hui Chi!"
In the end, he said, "I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you."
"As a son, it’s natural to have filial piety in your heart."
Xu Lei patted his shoulder and said, "There’s no fool to see here. It’s just that such feelings aren’t suitable for Cultivators like us. Go down the mountain and live a good life."
Zhi Neng nodded.
Back in the inner courtyard, Hui Ming said with great emotion, "Now, I only have you left as a disciple! Zhi Jian, I hope your Dao heart is truly firm, and that you’ll make me proud!
Otherwise, your Uncle-Master Hui Chi, the sole disciple of my Master Wu Tan, continues to steadily seek eternal life.
While my three disciples fall one by one... that would be truly embarrassing.
Although back then, when Master Wu Tan was alive, I was inferior to him in every aspect except for Magical Power.
But I really don’t want... after so many years have passed, now that we no longer see each other...
...to still be inferior to Master Wu Tan when it comes to disciples!"
"Yes, Master."
Zhi Jian also said, "I will definitely not fail you!"
「In the blink of an eye, another dozen or so days passed.」
Hui Ming led Xu Lei and Zhi Jian down the mountain and into the world.
He had heard that a Spirit Monster seemed to have appeared in the county town next to Tianming Temple.
So he wanted to check on the situation.
After arriving at their destination, Hui Ming split up from Xu Lei and Zhi Jian.
The three of them went in two separate directions, both groups walking through the bustling market.
Weaving through the prosperous mortal city, they hoped to get lucky and sense the Spirit Monster’s trail.
Xu Lei and Zhi Jian each held a small, earth-yellow compass.
This item was called a Demon-Recognizing Compass. If it sensed Demonic Qi, its needle would point toward the source.
"Over there!"
Suddenly, Xu Lei’s expression changed when he saw the needle on the compass in his hand twitch.
At the same time, the needle in Zhi Jian’s hand naturally moved as well.
The two of them immediately headed in the direction the needle was pointing.
This didn’t mean they would attack as soon as they found the Spirit Monster. They were just going to check the situation first. If they found it, they would wait for Hui Ming to arrive before making a move.
The two periodically glanced at their compasses as they hurried through the bustling, crowded streets.
They brushed past countless pedestrians.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
Just then, from their front left, a pretty young girl came running through the crowd, pushing aside the young and old pedestrians blocking her way as she ran.
Behind her, a few burly men who looked like family retainers were in hot pursuit.
Suddenly, Xu Lei nearly collided with the girl!
But with a twist of his body, Xu Lei dodged.
BAM. The girl, however, crashed into the truly unprepared Zhi Jian.
The girl almost fell.
Zhi Jian barely kept his footing.
Seeing this, he quickly reached out to steady her.
Xu Lei paid them no mind at all, his eyes still fixed on the compass needle as he continued running forward.
