After Zhang Xiaofan had memorized Great Brahma Prajna, Puzhi took out a deep purple bead and gave it to him, telling him to find somewhere uninhabited and throw it away.
Unfortunately, Puzhi could never have imagined that the honest Zhang Xiaofan would keep the Bloodthirsty Pearl close to his body, just so he'd have something to remember him by. That led to all the trouble that came later.
After Zhang Xiaofan did as Puzhi asked and knelt down to kowtow three times, accepting as his master the monk who would shape the rest of his life, Hao Shuai knew the main event was about to begin.
After Zhang Xiaofan finished kowtowing, Puzhi gave a low chuckle. His laughter was filled with sorrow and grim resolve. Then, without Zhang Xiaofan noticing, he struck him with a palm and knocked him unconscious.
After placing Zhang Xiaofan alongside Hao Shuai and Lin Jingyu, the gravely injured Puzhi rose to his feet and staggered toward the outskirts of Grass Temple Village.
But after walking only a few steps, Puzhi suddenly stopped and turned around to look at the three of them. He murmured, "Although I taught Xiao Fan the true Dharma of the Buddhist sect, he might not be able to join Qingyun Sect. What should I do? How can I make Qingyun Sect accept Zhang Xiaofan?"
As Puzhi muttered to himself, Hao Shuai noticed his eyes gradually turning red, though Puzhi himself seemed completely unaware.
Hao Shuai knew that, over time, the evil power of the Bloodthirsty Pearl had seeped into the depths of Puzhi's soul. Normally, Puzhi had been protected by Buddhist Dharma and remained oblivious to it.
Now, as his life force was nearly spent, his Buddhist power had greatly diminished, leaving him vulnerable to the evil influence. The wicked and