Infinite Professions

Chapter 399: Chapter 207: Painted Wall (Part 2)

Zhu Xiaolian felt a chill in his heart and unconsciously stopped speaking.

Fortunately, the man smiled, preventing any awkwardness, and greeted him: "What business do you have, Brother?"

"I am Zhu Xiaolian, a native of Jinyang Prefecture. Seeing your extraordinary demeanor, I wished to make your acquaintance!"

Zhu Xiaolian cupped his hands in salute: "May I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?"

The man smiled and also gave his name: "My surname is Li, given name Taiyi, from Huangshan."

"Li Taiyi?"

"From Huangshan?"

Zhu Xiaolian murmured to himself, searching his memory, but found no previous knowledge of him, so he cupped his hands and continued: "Ah, it turns out to be Brother Li, my apologies!"

"Ha."

The man smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and just shifted his gaze to look at an old monk on the platform.

The old monk sat high on the platform, still reciting and expounding, completely unaware of what was happening around him.

Seeing him like this, Zhu Xiaolian could only divert his attention and also listen to the monk’s teachings, but he still found it obscure and confusing, even more difficult than a sage’s writings, and an inexplicable desire to leave arose in his heart.

As this thought emerged, he no longer wanted to stay any longer. He immediately turned to the man, seeing him smiling gently, appearing quite interested in the scripture, and had no choice but to bid farewell: "Brother Li, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

The man turned and smiled lightly at him, but did not urge him to stay, instead bidding him farewell: "Take care, Brother Zhu."

"Please wait, Brother Li!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaolian’s desire to leave intensified, and he no longer spoke much, cupping his hands in farewell and heading out of the hall.

As he walked out of the hall, the sound of recitation faded, steadying his mind slightly.

Looking around, he wished to find his group of friends, but still saw no trace of them, so he had no choice but to head towards the monastery gates to find a guide.

After taking only a few steps, he found the path winding, quite different from his previous route.

Zhu Xiaolian wandered back and forth, eventually arriving at a garden.

Within the garden, flowers blossomed in a riot of color, and there were pavilions and terraces with gracefully elegant scenery.

"What place is this?"

"How can there be such a landscape within a monastery?"

Zhu Xiaolian felt puzzled and found it peculiar, but did not think much of it and sought a path to leave.

But as he turned his gaze, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a charming figure in a pavilion by the water.

It was a young girl with her hair in two buns, bearing a remarkable resemblance to someone he had seen in a painting.

Upon seeing the young girl, it seemed she noticed him too, immediately waving a bouquet of flowers at him.

Observing her graceful and captivating form, Zhu Xiaolian was instantly drawn to her, any thought of leaving vanished, and he no longer wondered why there were women in the monastery, directly walking up to the pavilion.

"Miss, I am Zhu Xiaolian, at your service!"

Upon reaching the pavilion, Zhu Xiaolian took a closer look and saw the young girl with bright eyes and white teeth, cute and lovable, indeed much like the Flower-Scattering Celestial Maiden from the painted wall. He immediately cupped his hands in salute, introducing himself.

"Greetings, young master!"

The young girl covered her smile, her eyes like flowing water, pitifully charming: "Young master is truly magnificent. Meeting you is a blessing from three lifetimes for Qing’Er!"

Her voice was gentle, with a hint of seduction, remarkably bold in this world.

Yet Zhu Xiaolian found nothing amiss, instead feeling overjoyed, with a sudden surge of emotion, impulsively embracing the young girl: "Meeting Qing’Er is also a blessing from three lifetimes for me."

With that said, he paid no attention to the broad daylight, leaning in to kiss the beauty in his arms.

The young girl saw this and did not resist, allowing him to continue.

Just as the two were lost in the moment...

"Li Yunqing?"

A voice intruded, startling the two as if struck by lightning, awakening them instantly.

Zhu Xiaolian turned to see a figure standing at the pavilion entrance, clad in azure robes, with the demeanor of a jade-like being; who else but Li Taiyi?

He stood holding a folding fan, lightly tapping his palm, unabashedly gazing at the two of them.

"Brother Li?"

Recognizing him, Zhu Xiaolian was taken aback, then snapped awake, hurriedly shielding the young girl behind him: "Brother Li, what brings you here?"

However, the man did not look at him, instead gazing at the girl behind him, and once again asked: "Li Yunqing?"

Hearing him call her name, the girl’s eyes showed surprise, she cautiously asked: "Who are you...?"

The man smiled and explained his purpose: "Your brother Li Mubai is an acquaintance of mine. He once asked me to find his younger sister, a Yin Soul. I searched throughout Jinyang Land to no avail, assuming she had long since dissipated, but unexpectedly found her here."

"Li Mubai?"

"Brother?"

"Yin Soul?"

Upon hearing this, the girl seemed struck by lightning, immediately leaving Brother Zhu aside. She walked up and asked the man, "Have you seen my brother?"

"If I hadn’t seen him, how would I know you?"

The man chuckled lightly, "Why are you here?"

After speaking, it seemed as though golden light flickered around him, forming a beam that shone into the girl’s eyes.

"Qing’Er pays respects to the Divine Monarch!"

The girl’s body trembled, her eyes filled with astonishment, and she quickly fell to her knees, "Qing’Er is detained here by the evil monk, serving others, and pleads for the Divine Monarch’s help in rescue."

"No rush, no rush."

The man smiled again, inquiring further, "Who is this evil monk, and how did he detain you?"

"That evil monk is the master of this Hell Map."

Li Yunqing tearfully confessed, "Years ago, I came with my mother to offer incense at the Red Lotus Temple, and unfortunately caught the monk’s eye. He used the Soul Hooking Technique to capture my soul, making me the Flower-Scattering Celestial Maiden of this Hell Map."

"Hell Map?"

The man’s gaze sharpened, "For what purpose?"

"To report to the Divine Monarch!"

Li Yunqing replied in a deep voice, "I don’t know its precise purpose, only that the evil monk often lures the souls of living men into the map, where women inside seduce them, but ultimately must harm them, releasing them afterward—this man included."

Having said this, she cast her gaze toward the bewildered Brother Zhu standing to the side.

The man glanced at Brother Zhu as well, tapping a folded fan in his hand, "I see!"

"I see?"

"What do you mean I see?"

Brother Zhu, hearing their words, was completely confused, his face full of bewilderment.

The man laughed and revealed, "He intends to initiate you!"

"Initiate me?"

"Into what sect?"

Brother Zhu, further mystified, repeated his questions, "Brother Li, what is happening here?"

The man did not answer but looked at Li Yunqing.

Li Yunqing also realized suddenly and hurriedly explained to him, "Yes, I have seen before that some men drawn into the Hell Map later become monks in the temple, even assigned to clean the Painted Wall."

"That’s right."

The man nodded, "This Red Lotus Temple uses this map to draw Confucian souls into the painting, then makes you exhaust their will, releasing them afterward to suffer unrequited love, finally enlightening them and initiating them into the Void Gate. This Red Lotus Temple is competing for people with the Confucian Sect, don’t you think?"

"Boom!"

As the words fell, a fierce wind arose, with dark clouds surging, sweeping away the pavilion’s rooftop.

"He is coming!"

Li Yunqing’s face turned pale, eyes filled with terror, while Brother Zhu remained at a loss.

Only the man remained unfazed, raising his eyes skyward, seeing the endless dark clouds with a figure standing upon them—a fearsome deity with a bald head marked by scars, pitch-black visage, holding a ball and mace.

He stood upon the clouds, looking coldly at the three in the pavilion, his voice thunderous, "Who are you to dare enter the Inferno Transformation?"

"Ha!"

Yet the man laughed, his folding fan extending, releasing brilliant golden light, his blue attire instantly disappearing, replaced by a dark-fibered red robe—a Divine Being!

"This..."

Brother Zhu’s expression shifted before he could speak, witnessing the red-robed deity sweep the fan, stirring wind around him, drawing him away, only to fall back, caught in a dizzying whirl.

"Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu?"

After what seemed an eternity, a voice was heard near his ear, awakening Brother Zhu to find himself standing in a hall before the mural, everything seeming like a dream.

"Brother Zhu, what happened to you?"

Several friends stood nearby, puzzled by his expression, questioning him.

"I..."

Brother Zhu was at a loss to respond, only gazing at the mural, his eyes wide with shock.

On that Painted Wall, it was as if an invisible brush portrayed a new scene, depicting a Divine Being and a fearsome deity facing each other. The Divine Being appeared middle-aged, with thick black sword-like eyebrows, and scrutinizing eyes, clad in dark-fibered red robe glowing with gold, holding an unfolded fan inscribed with the words "Peace Under Heaven."