Guanyin Mountain

Chapter 49: Guanyin Mountain

--So that's where she was.

The darkness all around silently dispersed. With the evil spirit's avatar erased for the second time, the strange figures that had gathered nearby all faded away as well. The ominous night once again turned still. Dawn was still a long way off, but the enemy's assault had ended.

Si Ming turned his head, his gaze piercing the night sky. The secret in the distant distance came into view.

He knew where Li Ruonan was hiding now—and the Great Black Buddha Mother's true body was probably not far from that area, either.

I really want to fire a nuke over there right now.

No, it probably wouldn't be necessary. If the Reincarnators hadn't visited this world, or if they hadn't done anything at all over these three days, then the intercontinental ballistic missiles sent to that mountain range—or even this entire island—would probably have fallen like a sudden nighttime rainstorm.

In that case...

Si Ming turned his head slightly. As he checked the communications channel, his gaze passed over the Guanyin Temple behind him.

The ritual hall had already been bathed in holy white light, which was slowly spreading outward. It was hard to say how many times Jacob had recited the Lotus Sutra in there. Outside the hall, Yu Zhiwei sat on the steps, staring blankly while holding the staff whose purpose no one had figured out even now.

She looked quite relaxed, her feet dangling as she swung them lightly in a steady rhythm. Even when Si Ming looked over, she had the leisure to lift her face and stick out her tongue.

Her face really wasn't suited to making faces, and she was surely more badly hurt than she looked. But since she wasn't saying anything, he ought to give her a measure of privacy and respect.

So Si Ming gave her a slight nod and looked elsewhere—

Valentina's side had been handled very neatly. Crossfire and area bombardment, followed by her picking off high-risk targets, had left her defensive line the most intact and clean. She was now reloading beside the spider turret.

So it wasn't the infinite-ammo type. That was pretty economical, too. She probably had an upgrade plan for later, so he'd let her take her time reloading.

And then there was the last side—

Si Ming furrowed his brow slightly, then relaxed. He saw that the corpses of the evil spirit's parasitized hosts had piled up like a mountain in Song Tian's direction. Just now, that ten-odd-meter-high mound had toppled toward where Song Tian was.

"Need a hand?"

He asked over the communications channel. At the same time, the two Rock Colossi strode forward to dig out the shattered remains scattered everywhere.

The Five-Colored Blade Aura flared up. A snort came through the communications channel. Song Tian neither agreed nor objected, but the Colossi were already moving, tossing the mess into the huge trench. Someone then viciously doused it with a large amount of fire.

Someone had done it.

Who, he didn't know. Anyway, it had been someone using fiery blade energy.

Si Ming pressed his lips together slightly. It wasn't easy for him to bring this sort of thing up directly, either. It was Song Tian's choice not to use guns and explosives to deal with problems from a distance. In any case, he'd done his part. When it came to unimportant details, a teammate was there to cooperate and help clean up afterward—not to stand somewhere comfortable, pointing fingers and passing judgment.

Besides, the one who'd been buried under the mound of corpses, and ended up a mess despite winning, was Song Tian, not Si Ming. All he had to do was try his best to suppress the smile tugging at his lips if it happened again.

After all...

I'm not Yu Zhiwei, who keeps asking for trouble and bringing it on herself.

"Haha, haha! You even went and took a bath, huh, swordsman?"

By the time a hint of dawn showed in the sky, Si Ming walked into the temple and saw Yu Zhiwei doubled over with laughter and Song Tian looking as grim as water. The air churned with killing intent. Invisible blade energy and invisible mental power clashed back and forth, so he pretended he was temporarily deaf and blind.

"Want some?"

He could hear again because Valentina was holding out a packet of salt-roasted pistachios. He nodded and took it. They were a lot like sunflower seeds, really, except the shells were harder, the kernels bigger, and the price higher. They were an all-around premium upgrade.

They tasted pretty good.

And Si Ming had no intention of intervening.

There wasn't any real anger between the two of them. And also...

The time had come.

A pure white light suddenly poured out from the main hall. It swept rapidly past the people outside and spread outward, reaching toward a distant place beyond their field of vision.

A feeling of peace and serenity quietly filled them.

The surrounding temples, pillars, and moss-covered mural walls suddenly seemed solemn and dignified.

Song Tian's brow relaxed, and Yu Zhiwei unconsciously straightened up. Valentina swallowed a pistachio kernel she hadn't finished chewing. Si Ming looked toward the entrance to the main hall, too.

Light poured out from inside.

Light even gentler and purer than before.

Jacob led the way, while Ms. Chen knelt behind him, her face full of devotion. A clear glow already hovered behind the head of the little girl named Guan Shiyin.

She was no longer merely herself.

She was more than herself.

Though she was only half the height of the Reincarnators, her figure stood as tall and imposing as a mountain. Her tender eyes now brimmed with compassion. She held a Jade Purification Vase in one hand, with a few Willow Branches resting atop it.

Guanyin Mahasattva.

The Reincarnators all bowed slightly to show their respect.

"Honored benefactors." Her gentle gaze passed over everyone present. She took a drop of sweet dew from the Jade Purification Vase with a Willow Branch and sprinkled it over the Reincarnators. Wisps of black mist immediately seeped out of Si Ming and the others, and their weary bodies, worn out by a night of toil, quickly recovered. They felt refreshed from head to toe.

"This demonic calamity still requires your aid. Please take this body to the summit of Guanyin Mountain. That way, you will have a secure way back after your visit to the Chen Clan Ancestral Home."

The current side quest had not yet ended.

Another new side quest had already begun.

But in Si Ming's ears, a quiet whisper appeared.

[炼 souls with the living is a great taboo for cultivators. Even those possessed by evil spirits must not do so lightly.]

[Remember this. Remember.]

No one else heard those words, but Si Ming was certain that his gaze had met hers for a moment longer than the others'. The next instant, the clear glow behind the girl's head silently faded. She let out a soft cry and went limp. Yu Zhiwei, standing closest to her, caught her before she could fall.

The Reincarnators exchanged glances.

They hadn't known one another for long, but from their exchanged looks, Si Ming had already confirmed that he was the only one who had heard the extra words she had spoken.

Possessed by an evil spirit.

Must not be done lightly.

She had repeated "remember" twice.

As a hint, it had certainly been clear enough. After all, some things were not something a righteous deity whose divine calling was to "save the suffering and deliver the afflicted" could easily say aloud.

In that case...

"Looks like we have a new job." Si Ming glanced at Jacob, who nodded. He went into Guanyin Temple and spoke briefly with Ms. Chen, who was still bowing and kowtowing incessantly. In just a few minutes, the middle-aged woman—who had finally let go of all her wariness, come to trust the Reincarnators completely, and received Guanyin's blessing—told them everything they wanted to hear.

"My ancestors came from Chen Family Village... I know the place. There's something evil about it. When I saw the footage earlier, it seemed a little familiar. I never thought it really was the place my mother told me about..."

It wasn't surprising. Once the Reincarnators learned her surname was Chen, they had already made a rough guess.

She continued.

"When I was little, my mother told me never to go back to Chen Family Village. But if I ever had a reason I absolutely had to go, I should use my own blood to draw a special talisman and carry it with me. Until the blood on the talisman faded, the filthy things in Chen Family Village wouldn't be able to do anything to me..."

She reached out, about to draw a complicated talisman on the ground, then stopped. She lifted her hand and slapped herself hard on the head. A pleased smile shone in her eyes as she looked at the Reincarnators.

"Look at me, what a scatterbrain... When the Bodhisattva blessed me just now, I suddenly had a feeling. Before, even if I drew this kind of talisman, it would only work for me. But now, I think it should be able to help you experts a little."

Just as they'd thought.

This was the extra reward for advancing the spirit-summoning ritual. A hindrance of a guide, who could only lead the way and would probably have to be protected at the cost of everyone's attention, had become five talismans they could carry and use as needed. And on top of that, they had Guanyin Bodhisattva's endorsement.

"Sorry for the trouble." Si Ming nodded slightly to her.

The middle-aged woman immediately brightened up and repeatedly agreed. She trotted back into the main hall. Not long afterward, she came out holding five yellow talismans marked with blood. Her face was a little pale, but her eyes shone brightly.

"These are them. Just carry them with you, and they'll work."

The Reincarnators took the talismans. Their markings looked somewhat like the curse patterns of the Great Black Buddha Mother, but differed completely in crucial places. With just a few small alterations, talismans that had originally been filled with ominous, eerie energy had become majestic and dignified. It was clear at a glance that they were no ordinary objects.

Si Ming nodded to her, then flicked a pill into her mouth. It wasn't very useful to the Celestial Team at this stage, but it could greatly replenish an ordinary person's blood and energy. Her pale face immediately regained its color. Ms. Chen, who had probably meant to save the pill for two days later, pressed a hand to her chest in regret and bowed lightly to Si Ming.

"Did your mother ever tell you where this kind of talisman came from?"

"...I don't remember. Ah, I think my mother said she met a master passing through when she was little... I don't know anything else."

I see.

Si Ming nodded slightly. They had finished hearing and saying what needed to be said. So next...

"Are you experts leaving?"

"Yes."

"Then... will you come back?"

"Perhaps. If fate allows, perhaps we'll meet again."

Ms. Chen suddenly swallowed.

"Then Nannan..." She looked at little Shiyin, who was asleep in Yu Zhiwei's arms.

"She should be an orphan, and after this, she'll need a suitable home." Si Ming didn't have to think long about it. "Once everything is over, we'll see what she wants. Perhaps she'd like to come live with you here at Guanyin Temple."

Joy appeared in Ms. Chen's eyes.

And with that, the Reincarnators' conversation and stay came to an end.

The next moment, Si Ming slightly blocked Ms. Chen's view. He summoned a Byakhee, which could carry quite a few people even without dimensional teleportation. Dusk-colored Battle Qi spread around it, concealing the mythological creature's features and preventing a string of incidents on the way there.

Their next stop: Guanyin Mountain.