The young monk entered the mountains. It was his first time doing so in over a decade.
Morning light fell on his face, then at his feet.
He felt light all over. Occasionally, a white cloud drifted past, giving him the urge to ride the wind away.
"Rustle, rustle~"
Passing through a thicket, the young monk dared not let his guard down, holding his blade in one hand and gripping its hilt with the other.
A bell Li Ping'an had given him hung at his waist.
Supposedly, the bell would not ring when the wind blew.
Only when it sensed demonic energy would it jingle.
Even by nightfall, the young monk had not found the supposed monster.
Night descended, and the sky grew overcast.
The temperature kept dropping. The entire mountain region lay deathly still, without a trace of life. It looked as though it would rain.
Fortunately, the young monk found a dilapidated, abandoned temple.
Inside the ruined temple stood a headless Bodhisattva enshrined for worship.
The young monk knelt and silently recited scripture.
"Amitabha."
Outside, bean-sized raindrops began pattering down.
Suddenly, a deafening crash exploded beside his ears, followed by a brilliant flash of white light that briefly illuminated heaven and earth.
"Clang, clang, clang!!"
The bell rang frantically.
The young monk pressed his palms together and bowed to the Bodhisattva. "Boundless Buddha, goodness, goodness!"
Then he gripped his long saber and stood, his gaze stern.
Bang!
The young monk tensed every muscle, bracing one slightly bent leg behind him while stepping his right leg forward into a bow stance.
His thumb pushed the blade free, and his right palm settled over the hilt.
"Bang!!"
The temple door was kicked open.
"White Horse Temple? Another disciple of White Horse Temple? What is your Dharma name?"
The voice alone