The Foolish Monk of the Temple of Fire

"Help me take back the One-Tailed Shukaku, and I'll write off the matter of you taking liberties with me!"

"What?"

Qian Yun nearly lost it. Realizing his voice was a little too loud, he quickly lowered it.

"You just said we were even! Besides, you were the one who went to the Land of Fire and slaughtered people!

We were at war. When I stepped in..."

"It's settled, then. I don't want to hear your nonsense!"

Pakura forcefully cut Qian Yun off and vanished from the restaurant in a Body Flicker.

"Fuck! That fucking idiot is such a pain in the ass. Next time, I'm definitely going to torment you again!"

Qian Yun was furious. Somehow, he had actually let that woman lead him around by the nose.

No, he had to be more forceful next time. Otherwise, how was he supposed to live like this in the future?

No, no, no. How had this somehow turned into living together?

She was at least four or five years older than him. Wouldn't they be laughed at if they got together?

Besides, one was a Hidden Sand ninja and the other a Konoha ninja. In this era, it was truly difficult for them to end up together.

How annoying!

With a dark expression, Qian Yun paid for the meal, then found a carriage shop and took an ox cart carrying goods to the Temple of Fire.

Based on Qian Yun's deduction, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist could not possibly have captured the One-Tailed Shukaku. The most likely one to have succeeded was Onoki.

Because the Third Raikage was a brainless musclehead.

And if Hidden Stone had succeeded, then to avoid being harassed by Hidden Cloud, they would definitely sneak back to the Land of Earth by land.

Qian Yun felt clever as hell.

Sitting on the ox cart, he chatted intermittently with the drivers.

Their conversations were mostly about Evil God Cult followers robbing people for money, or wandering ninjas doing the same.

Meanwhile, Qian Yun sensed his surroundings while silently collecting the attributes from the corpses inside his scroll.

Suddenly, the sound of fighting came from ahead.

The chakra fluctuations were faint, so Qian Yun had not noticed them earlier.

A monk was fighting an Evil God Cult follower, while a civilian corpse hung from a tree.

On the ground was a three-pointed star Death Controlling Possessed Blood pattern drawn in blood.

The drivers hid in terror, their faces turning pale.

Qian Yun blinked. That Evil God Cult follower was somewhat old, but the distinctive iron spike and Triple-Moon Scythe were unmistakable.

There was also the Evil God Necklace around his neck: an equilateral triangle inside a circle, the Evil God's signature three-pointed star.

"Zhongjue, you cannot defeat me!

And you have no way to dispel the power of the Evil God's curse. Why must you keep pestering me?"

The Evil God Cult follower laughed wildly. Monk Zhongjue was panting heavily and appeared to have been fighting for quite some time.

Qian Yun had not intended to interfere, but Monk Zhongjue suddenly turned to look at him.

"Young man from Konoha Village, please go to the Temple of Fire and report this. Tell them there are Evil God Cult followers causing trouble at Three Ox Mountain!"

Qian Yun was about to refuse when the elderly Evil God Cult follower grinned at him.

"Young man, I advise you not to do anything foolish, or disaster will surely befall you!

And while I'm at it, I'll be taking those goods. You'd better hide far away while you still can!"

Sigh!

Qian Yun sighed, then slid off the cart on his butt, twisting his waist and rolling his neck.

"Oh? Another one who isn't afraid of death. Then I'll send you both on your way!"

Tap, tap, tap...

The old man charged toward him, his Triple-Moon Scythe whistling through the air.

"Stop! Your opponent is this old monk!"

Monk Zhongjue shouted, but the old man ignored him completely. His smile looked utterly crazed.

Clang! Clang clang clang...

Qian Yun drew his blade and traded blows with the old man, neither able to gain the upper hand at first—though Qian Yun gradually began to press him back.

"Young man, run! His techniques are very strange!"

Slash!

The instant Monk Zhongjue shouted, Qian Yun's chest was cut by the Triple-Moon Scythe.

Hahahaha...

The old man laughed maniacally and licked the blood from the Triple-Moon Scythe.

Monk Zhongjue cried out in horror, "Stop! He's still just a child!"

But it was already too late. The old man leaped back onto the three-pointed-star altar drawn in blood and raised his hand, plunging the blade of the Triple-Moon Scythe into his own abdomen.

After stabbing himself, he looked at Qian Yun with a grin, waiting for him to let out a scream of agony.

Yet Qian Yun merely touched his chest. The blood and wound vanished at the same time.

"Hey, what kind of ninjutsu is this? Why are you fine?"

The old man shouted his question, but Qian Yun asked instead, "Don't you think your wound feels a little uncomfortable?"

"Idiot! Evil God Cult followers have the Evil God's protection. Even if our abdomens are sliced open, they'll heal quickly!

If I were you..."

As the old man spoke, his eyes suddenly widened, and he cried out in disbelief.

"What is this? Why is this happening?"

Many flesh tumors had grown from the old man's abdomen, packed tightly together like ripe grapes.

More and more tumors appeared, growing larger and larger. The Evil God Necklace was heating up, seeming to frantically pour out energy.

Squelch!

The old man pulled out the Triple-Moon Scythe, instantly tearing out a mass of flesh and blood.

To his horror, tumors were growing inside his abdomen as well, and his body was gradually losing sensation.

"Stop! Stop right now! Bastard, I told you to stop..."

[ Ding: Defeated Evil God Cult follower Pu. Obtained attribute: Mental Power! ]

The old man panicked, but Qian Yun suddenly turned into a puddle of water and appeared atop the ox cart.

It was as though he had never moved—or as though he had returned only after finishing the fight.

Unfathomable.

Monk Zhongjue suddenly came closer and said, "Amitabha! Lay down your butcher's blade and become a Buddha on the spot.

Since he already feels remorse, why not spare him this once?"

Qian Yun looked down at Monk Zhongjue and suddenly felt that this monk deserved to die.

The only purpose of such a sanctimonious do-gooder was to screw himself over or screw others over.

"Since you sympathize with him, why not share his pain?

Look, those tumors were formed from the resentment of countless victims. You only need to touch a little of it, and you'll feel similar pain!

The Buddha said, 'If I do not enter hell, who will?'

If you share his pain, he can suffer less torment!

Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.

If you want to save him, make your decision quickly.

Otherwise, if he dies, it will be the fault of Great Master Zhongjue!"

Zhongjue shook his head. "This matter has nothing to do with this old monk. It was clearly you, young man, who cast the backlash curse!"

Qian Yun grinned. "Is that so?

Why did I cast the backlash curse?

The moment you called out to me, I was already dragged into your karma.

Now karma has come full circle and returned to you. Are you denying the Buddhist doctrine of cause and effect?"

Uh...

Zhongjue had no answer. He suddenly felt very foolish.

As they spoke, the old Evil God Cult follower had already turned into a ball of flesh as large as an elephant, to the point that even his head could no longer be seen.

And it was not over yet. The tumors continued to grow at an astonishing speed.

Qian Yun got off the cart and quickly retreated behind a large tree in the distance. Monk Zhongjue followed him over as well.

With a grin, Qian Yun asked, "He can still be saved. As long as you go over and stab him once, he can regain his senses and break his contract with the Evil God!

That way, when he enters reincarnation, he will receive less punishment from the messengers of hell!

But you'll be the one in trouble!

You'll replace him and become a massive flesh tumor, and after death, you'll suffer the tortures of hell as well!

Because you obstructed those wronged souls from taking revenge!"

Monk Zhongjue sucked in a cold breath at his words, then stared at the huge flesh tumor, sweating profusely.

Buddhists believed in such things, but he was hesitating over whether to act.

Qian Yun continued persuading him, "The Buddha said, 'If I do not enter hell, who will?'

To save someone, if you cannot abandon yourself, how can you attain the realm of selflessness?"

Uh...

Monk Zhongjue lowered his head and sweated. He was still struggling internally.