The Umbrella Monk

It seemed, however, that Zhu Yuanzhang would not be able to enjoy this meal of vegetarian offerings at Imperial Awakening Temple.

He unlatched the door and pushed it open.

Standing in the shadows of the eaves, appearing from who knows where, was an old monk dressed in blue monastic robes, holding a black umbrella.

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could speak.

A flash of surprise crossed the Umbrella Monk's pitch-black eyes as he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"You actually succeeded in cultivating the Sutra of Subduing Demons with Fixed Light?"

"Do you wish to live, Minghe?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer.

Because he had suddenly discovered something truly terrifying.

"This Umbrella Monk has no shadow!"

The moonlight was bright, filling the courtyard with water-like radiance.

Under the illumination of the candlelight, the shadows of Zhu Yuanzhang, the water vat in the courtyard, and the hitching post for the lay Buddhists staying at the temple were all cast long upon the ground.

They formed a stark contrast with the brightness beneath the Umbrella Monk's feet.

At Mahavira Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang had observed that whether it was Yang Lianzhenjia, or the two monks Mingguang and Minghui.

No matter how shocking or bizarre their methods were.

They still followed some basic physical laws in reality.

Well... they didn't follow them all that strictly.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself, recalling the methods of Minghui and Mingguang.

They all had shadows!

But this was the first time he had ever seen a person without one.

Who was he? A subordinate of Minghui?

Someone who had come to challenge the temple just like Yang Lianzhenjia?

Or perhaps another high-ranking monk from within the temple.

His thoughts raced.

Zhu Yuanzhang took half a step back.

He merged himself completely into the candlelight behind him, feeding his own essence and energy to the true fire in his chest.

He asked in a deep voice.

"What is wrong with the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique?"

"Clever."

The monk's voice before him was neither high nor low; beneath the black umbrella, a glimmer of approval flashed in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Do you know how many flames the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique requires one to cultivate?"

"Three."

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and replied.

As the saying goes, a person has three flames, located on the forehead and the two shoulders, like a human-shaped candle.

Of these three flames, if one is extinguished, illness follows; if two are extinguished, one is in danger; and if all three are extinguished, one dies.

The Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique was meant to refine three true fires to replace the body's three flames, transforming the mortal into a Buddha, increasing wisdom and light, and granting all manner of inconceivable powers.

"No, it is four."

The old monk shook his head.

"The human-oil lamp in Mingguang's hand? Why?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, puzzled. He had witnessed the power of that oil lamp in Mingguang's hand the first time they met.

Therefore, it was not difficult to guess the truth.

"I think Minghui truly underestimated you."

Watching Zhu Yuanzhang, who had realized the truth and identified the fatal flaw in an instant, the old monk's gaze became profound: "What is it that the three flames burn?"

"The three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit."

"And after they are burned up?"

"The person dies and the light goes out!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said these words through gritted teeth.

Damn it—it's a good thing I wasn't too hasty and didn't use my physical body to refine this thing in the real world.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Yuanzhang let out a long sigh.

It was as if he were lamenting his own ill-fated life.

You say I spent my past life as a beast of burden to accumulate virtue? How did I end up in this hellhole again in my next life!

"Can I switch to cultivating other techniques?"

"Impossible. How could a candle extinguish itself before it has burned to the end?"

"What if I cripple my cultivation and start over?"

"Once the light goes out, without the True Fire to protect you, your soul will dissipate, and you will surely die."

The old monk shook his head.

Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought.

Because through inspecting the ball of True Fire in his chest, he discovered that what the old monk said seemed to be true.

Even now, he had only just succeeded in cultivating a strand of "True Fire" for less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

The speed at which the True Fire devoured his Three Treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—had already exceeded the rate at which his body could naturally regenerate them.

This meant that from this moment on, the True Fire was no longer burning Zhu Yuanzhang's own Three Treasures.

It was burning his lifespan!

Thinking of this, the expression on Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned exceptionally ugly.

Recalling his previous experiences of "restarting," he suddenly realized something else.

Actually, it wasn't that Minghui hadn't warned me about the problems with the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique.

After I entered the temple and forced Mingguang to retreat, Minghui had told me not to smell the scent of the Corpse Oil Lamp in Mingguang's hand.

That was his way of cryptically telling me the secret of the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique.

"What is so miraculous about the candlestick in Mingguang's hand?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked with sincere intent.

"The candlestick itself is a ritual implement refined from the blood of a hundred beasts; that is not the issue. What truly takes effect is the corpse oil refined within it through secret methods, known as the Corpse Incense Offering."

The monk before him wore a face devoid of sorrow or joy, like a corpse; even when he spoke, his lips and teeth barely parted: "And the Corpse Incense Offering can replace the human body's Three Treasures to be burned by the True Fire."

"If I don't practice the Corpse Incense Offering, how much longer do I have to live?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Corpse oil, Corpse Incense Offering—these sinister names made Zhu Yuanzhang feel an instinctive sense of alarm.

Even techniques with names as upright as the Great Wisdom Zen Technique, the Sutra of Maitreya's Descent, and the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique were all filled with deadly traps.

In this world, how reliable could something that was openly called a "Corpse Incense Offering" actually be?

Zhu Yuanzhang was highly skeptical.

"At most three months, and Minghe will die from the exhaustion of his oil and the drying of his lamp," the monk replied.

The wind blew through the Locust Wood Forest, making a rustling sound like countless ghosts whispering in the darkness.

At this moment, feeling the "True Fire" burning ever more fiercely within his body.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt a chill run through his entire being.

Damn it! This is such a trap!

What kind of hellish place is this?

Is there really not a single decent person in the entire Great Yuan?

He couldn't help but lament: "Is there no technique in this world that is completely free of side effects?"

"There is, Minghe, there is."

Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question, the expression of the Umbrella-Holding Monk turned somewhat peculiar: "Haven't you already learned it?"

"The Great Wisdom Zen Technique?"

"Precisely. The Great Wisdom Zen Technique can increase wisdom and open the mind; it is a top-tier technique for nourishing the body and cultivating life."

The Umbrella-Holding Monk shook his head as he said this.

"But it has no combat power; it's a top-tier technique for talent, not for survival," Zhu Yuanzhang remarked sarcastically.

But immediately after, thinking that the person before him was his only lifeline.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression suddenly turned gentle, his tone softened, and the look he gave the monk was as clear-eyed as a fresh college graduate.

"Then, Master, are you going to pass the Corpse Incense Offering to me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a friendly tone.

Although there was a high probability that the Corpse Incense Offering was problematic.

But it was Minghe who would bear the cost, so what did that have to do with me, Zhu Yuanzhang?

This rapid change of face left the Umbrella-Holding Monk stunned for a moment, but he still replied: "Not exactly. I have a technique that can increase blood and energy, temper the tendons and bones, and temporarily suppress the consumption of the True Fire."

"Oh? There is such a divine technique? I beg you, Master, to pass it to me! This disciple will do anything!"

Without waiting for the monk to refuse, Zhu Yuanzhang smoothly knelt on the ground and performed a master-disciple kowtow.

Then, he stretched out his hands above his head, waiting with an expectant look for the monk to pass on the technique.

Yet, it was unexpected.

"The technique is not with me, but in the Scripture Depository. Follow me."

The Umbrella Monk replied, then turned to walk out of the courtyard gate, signaling for Zhu Yuanzhang to follow.

Zhu Yuanzhang rose with an expressionless face, following this Shadowless Man along the mountain path toward the deeper reaches of the back mountain where the Scripture Depository stood.

What could this person possibly want from me?

As he walked, observing the ghostly footwork of the old monk who touched the ground only with his toes, Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.

From beginning to end, he had not heard a single sound from the old monk's footsteps.

Something was wrong.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes narrowed, and he secretly braced himself.

He did not believe for a second that the other party was truly kind-hearted enough to perform a good deed and save his life.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang had not been here long, he had already grasped the nature of this world.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch."

The fact that he was still alive, rather than being killed outright by Minghui after seeking refuge with Mingguang, proved one thing.

He still had a use!

But what exactly was that use?

Looking at the [Great Wisdom Zen Technique (Pseudo)] on his status panel, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the schemes of the monks at Imperial Awakening Temple remained as obscured as flowers viewed through a mist.

And the Umbrella Monk was clearly here for that very reason.