Descending the Mountain (Part 2)

The gift that Ben Zhen had bestowed upon him was by no means a light one—to put it dramatically, this small golden box carried within it the most important and precious foundation and heritage of the foremost martial holy land of Great Yan: Treasure Pearl Temple.

Among its contents, the three Great Return Pills alone were already of staggering value, truly rare treasures of the world.

In the outside world, these pills were even hailed as divine pills or sacred pills, reputed not only to revive the dead and restore flesh to bone, but also to strengthen a martial artist's blood and qi vitality and the quality of their internal qi, helping them break through to higher martial realms.

For martial artists who constantly drifted through the jianghu, living from day to day with no guarantee of tomorrow, these two effects were the ultimate treasures they dreamed of.

Thus, whenever a Great Return Pill appeared in the jianghu, it would inevitably stir up a storm of blood and slaughter, drawing countless martial artists from the Muscle Tendon Strengthening, Blood Tempering, and even Internal Qi Realms into a fierce struggle. And now, in this box, there were three whole pills.

Feeling the heavy weight, Gu Han could imagine that if word ever got out that he possessed three Great Return Pills, countless people in the jianghu would stop at nothing, using every means to hunt him down, just for a sliver of hope to seize the pills.

Such was the preciousness of the Great Return Pill, the pinnacle of alchemical achievement in this world, from Treasure Pearl Temple.

But compared to the Great Return Pills, what was truly precious to Gu Han was the gold-leaf parchment inscribed with Treasure Pearl Temple's unique alchemical methods and the martial technique created by Patriarch Bodhidharma.

The former was the crystallized effort of countless master alchemists from the temple's Medicine Master Institute, gathered over a thousand years through endless experiments.

The latter was a martial technique created by the Number One Martial Artist of All Time in this world, from ancient times to the present—a being known as the Patriarch of Chan Buddhism and the Patriarch of Martial Arts, who had broken through the Great Accomplishment of Internal Qi on his own and stepped into another legendary realm.

Compared to the Great Return Pills, these two things were perhaps Gu Han's most important gains in this world—the foundation for him to stride across many worlds, something he could use in the next life, and even the life after that.

"Amitabha! The Abbot's kindness is overwhelming. Jingming is deeply grateful. Please rest assured, Abbot—as long as Jingming does not die today, I will do my utmost to safely escort the junior brothers and disciples down the mountain, preserving the last spark of Treasure Pearl Temple."

Thinking this, Gu Han took a deep breath, then carefully put away the golden box and the Purple Gold Secret Key, hiding them close to his body, before reciting a Buddhist chant and making a solemn promise.

Though he had some selfish motives, he was ultimately not a ruthless or ungrateful person. His earlier hesitation had only been out of fear that if he fell in this life, he might never recover in the next.

But now, with the highest wisdom of this world's foremost martial holy land, Great Yan's Treasure Pearl Temple, in his hands, Gu Han believed that no matter how unfavorable his start in the next life, he would surely rise swiftly and climb to the peak.

"Good! Jingming, this old monk was not wrong about you. With your words, I am at ease. The hour is already late—take your junior brothers and disciples and go. I, along with the other senior brothers and Junior Disciple Yuanyin and the others, will do our utmost to buy you time."

Seeing Gu Han agree, Abbot Ben Zhen radiated joy from the depths of his heart, smiling at Gu Han.

"Mm! Abbot, take care. I hope we may meet again. Jingyuan, let's go!"

Gu Han nodded lightly at this, said no more, and immediately urged Jingyuan to leave with him.

He was not one to dawdle, knowing full well that the situation was critical—the longer they delayed, the greater the danger—so he was eager to depart.

"Senior Brother, good—let's go now!"

Jingyuan nodded obediently at this, then touched his own neck, his expression shifting to one of urgency:

"No good! Senior Brother, I left something very important in the meditation room. You go ahead—I'll grab it and catch up."

"What could be more important than your life? Forget it, come with me!"

Frowning at Jingyuan's anxious face, Gu Han scolded him.

"No, no way. That thing is really important—I have to get it!"

Hearing Gu Han's words, Jingyuan, usually docile and obedient, surprisingly contradicted him, staring at him with firm eyes.

"Then... fine! Go quickly and come back fast. I'll settle the disciples at the foot of the mountain and then come to meet you."

Looking at Jingyuan's resolute gaze, Gu Han pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

Everyone in this world had things they clung to and cherished—things that might be worthless to others but more precious than life to themselves. Gu Han was not Jingyuan; he had no right or standing to make that decision for him.

"Whew..."

"Thank you for understanding, Senior Brother. I'll be quick—I won't hold you back."

Seeing Gu Han agree, Jingyuan smiled and spoke.

"Mm, then we'll split up. You go get your thing, and I'll lead the retreating disciples. We'll meet up later!"

Looking at Jingyuan's smiling face, Gu Han nodded, then led the reluctant, even tearful disciples swiftly away from this place of trouble.

"Alas! Amitabha. May the Buddha protect them. I hope Jingming and the others make it safely."

Watching the disciples follow Gu Han's departing figure, Treasure Pearl Temple's former abbot, Ben Zhen, sighed, recited a Buddhist chant, then closed his eyes to rest, waiting quietly with the other monks for the great battle to come.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Kill! Capture that brat Zhu Hong alive and rule the fertile Central Plains!"

"Roar roar roar! I'll slaughter every man in the Central Plains! I'll seize the Central Plains' land! I'll take the Central Plains' women!"

Just about three quarters of an hour after Gu Han left the Great Hero Hall.

Outside Treasure Pearl Temple's gates, the sounds of charging and killing rose up. Countless barbarian soldiers, led by the Barbarian King A Yanda, moved even faster than estimated, swarming toward the temple like a horde of mad ants.

Along the way, they killed everyone they saw and burned everything they found, quickly reaching the outside of the Great Hero Hall.

"Haha! Ben Zhen, I didn't expect you old monk to still be alive. Long time no see—how have you been?"

"Boom!"

A thunderous crash rang out as the doors of the Great Hero Hall, which had stood for over a hundred years, were kicked open by Wang Zhongyi, his hair half-white and clad in silver armor. He strode in with a loud laugh.

"Wang Zhongyi, you traitor to your country, a man who forgets his ancestors! For years you've slaughtered countless innocents, deserving of death and the eighteen levels of hell. Today you dare to lead barbarians to wreak havoc on our Treasure Pearl Temple! I, Yuanyin, will now act in Heaven's stead and rid the world of this villain!"

Seeing Wang Zhongyi's arrogant demeanor, before Ben Zhen could say a word, the current abbot, Yuanyin, could no longer hold back. His fully cultivated internal qi erupted violently. He stomped his foot, shattering countless marble slabs, then stepped forward, his body shooting out like an arrow.

Midair, he flipped his palm, vast as a winnowing fan, as if seizing the entire heavens and earth in that instant, darkening the surrounding area for dozens of feet before pressing down overwhelmingly toward Wang Zhongyi.

One of Patriarch Bodhidharma's three supreme martial techniques—the Heaven-Overturning Palm!

"No! Great King, save me!"

Watching Yuanyin's terrifying strike, Wang Zhongyi felt his temples throb violently. His face twisted as he screamed frantically, all trace of his earlier arrogance gone.

Nearly fifty years old, he was still at the realm of Great Accomplishment of Internal Qi, but in truth his actual strength was barely stronger than an ordinary Minor Accomplishment of Internal Qi. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been shot and gravely wounded by Xu Yuan, a general under King Ming Zhu Hong, with a single arrow that day.

Now, facing the Abbot of Treasure Pearl Temple, Yuanyin—who had cultivated Bodhidharma's martial arts and was even stronger than Xu Yuan—how could he possibly be a match?

He couldn't even block a single move!

"How dare you!"

Just as Wang Zhongyi was about to die at Yuanyin's hands, a furious voice rang out from outside. In the next instant, everyone saw a flash before their eyes, and the Abbot Yuanyin flew back even faster than he had charged in, smashing through several pillars before finally crashing heavily into the golden Buddha statue over ten feet tall in the main hall, where he came to a stop.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed from Yuanyin's lips. He lifted his head and stared in disbelief at the man beside Wang Zhongyi—a beast-like figure holding a halberd, covered in thick body hair, with hair and beard bristling. A name surfaced in his mind.

The ruler of the Great Barbarian Kingdom—A Yanda!

"Hurry, all of you, just a little more. If we can hold out another quarter-hour, we'll reach the foot of the mountain. Then you'll be safe."

Below the waist of Treasure Pearl Mountain, Gu Han looked at the half-grown young monks who had followed him in a frantic run for over an hour, seemingly on the verge of collapse, and urged them on repeatedly.

But just then, a mocking voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh, safe? Ridiculous. With this general here, you pack of stray dogs actually think you can escape alive? What a delusion! Fine, since you're tired, I'll be merciful today and send you all to hell for a good rest!"

As the words fell, the group saw a man in black armor, his long hair loose and wild, a long blade in hand, his eyes filled with bloodlust, leading over a dozen barbarian soldiers as they pushed aside the withered grass and appeared before them. Every face was twisted with mockery.

"Ha! I thought it was someone important. So it's just you, Wang Lang—a defeated opponent. Over a decade ago, you dared to act recklessly in front of me and nearly got yourself beaten to death with one punch. And now, seeing me again, you still have the nerve to act arrogant? Truly... you don't know when to die!"

Gu Han looked at the long-haired man, searched his memory briefly, and recalled who he was.

Though the man before him had matured greatly compared to the feral, barely articulate youth of over a decade ago—who had been more beast than human—and now looked far more human...

That pair of eyes remained unchanged. One look, and they left an indelible impression, hard to forget. These were eyes of slaughter, eyes that truly saw human life as nothing but weeds.

No matter how much such a person changed, Gu Han recognized him at a glance.

"Defeated opponent? Beat me to death? Jingming, you bastard!"

Hearing Gu Han's words, Wang Lang stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly recalled everything he had experienced over a decade ago. Killing intent surged in his eyes. Then, as if remembering something, he let out a vicious laugh.

"Hahaha! Jingming, don't try to bluff me. Do you think I don't know about your situation? Ever since you broke through to Great Accomplishment of Muscle Tendon Strengthening over a decade ago, your martial arts cultivation has stagnated. No matter how many resources Treasure Pearl Temple gave you, you've never been able to break into Blood Tempering.

Even now, I'll bet you're still just a minor Blood Tempering martial artist, aren't you? Hah! Heaven is helping me, letting me, Wang Lang, avenge the blood-deep grudge of over a decade! Jingming, die!"

The moment Wang Lang finished speaking, his killing intent could no longer be contained. In the next instant, he spun his long blade and executed a splitting strike aimed straight at Gu Han.

Its momentum and power seemed ready to cleave Gu Han in two.

"Sigh. Truly, there is a road to heaven, but you refuse to walk it; the gates of hell are closed, yet you come knocking on your own. Wang Lang, over a decade ago, I showed mercy and held back because of Wang Zhongyi's threat, so I didn't kill you.

I never expected that in all these years, not only did you fail to cherish that chance and do good deeds to accumulate virtue, but instead you threw in your lot with barbarians, committed countless evils, and harmed the common people.

Today, I have left the monastic life. It should not be too late to act on heaven's behalf and crush you with one punch."

Watching Wang Lang's charging figure, Gu Han lowered his eyes, let out a soft sigh, and spoke calmly. Then...

He threw a punch.