Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 188 The Wine and Meat Bodhisattva

The reconstruction of Qingfeng City began on the second day.

The guards of the Demon Suppression Division cleared the ruins and rebuilt the collapsed houses.

The people also spontaneously organized themselves; some carried stones, some mixed mud to build walls, and some cooked.

Children chased and played among the ruins, their laughter clear and melodious, as if the fierce battle had never happened.

Although a faint stench of decay still lingered in the air, it had been replaced by the fresh scent of soil and grass.

Zhou Ning was not idle.

He used his Dao-aligned power to help cleanse the remaining demonic energy and purify the polluted soil.

The Heavenly Fox Sword was stuck beside him, its blade shimmering with a faint blue light. The Heavenly Fox spirit within the sword seemed to rejoice in this victory.

Whenever he walks across a polluted piece of land, a purple-gold light will surge from his palm, dispelling the black mist and restoring the land to its former glory.

When the people saw him, they all bowed and paid their respects, some even kneeling and kowtowing.

"Young Master Zhou, you are our great benefactor!"

"Young Master Zhou, have you eaten yet? I made some stewed chicken at home, would you like to try it?"

"Young Master Zhou, do you take on apprentices? My son wants to learn your skills!"

Zhou Ning quickly waved his hand.

"Fellow villagers, there's no need to be so polite. Exorcising demons is simply our duty. I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept the food; please keep it for yourselves."

The people refused to comply and insisted on stuffing the items into his hands.

Zhou Ning couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it and eventually distributed it to the orphans and widows in the city.

A little girl ran over, stuffed a wildflower into his hand, and said timidly, "Young Master Zhou, thank you for protecting us."

Zhou Ning squatted down and gently patted her head.

"You're welcome. It's what I should do."

Han Wei walked out of the ruins, holding a fragment of a stone tablet in his hand.

He handed the fragments to Zhou Ning, saying, "Young Master Zhou, this is a monument that the people spontaneously erected for you and Immortal Yan. Although it was destroyed by the Heavenly Demon, everyone says that a larger one should be erected in its place."

Zhou Ning took the fragment, which was engraved with a dozen or so characters: "Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil, Immortal Yan; Protector of the Nation, True Man Zhou, Sword Immortal." Although the handwriting was rough, every stroke was full of the people's respect.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he returned the fragments to Han Wei.

"Lord Han, there's no need to erect a monument. I can't accept it."

Han Wei shook his head: "You deserve it. Without you, Qingfeng City would have been gone long ago."

He paused, then took out a secret letter from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Ning.

"This was sent by the imperial court yesterday. Strange things have happened in the Western Regions. A Buddha statue in a temple shed blood tears, and the monks went mad overnight. It's very bizarre. The imperial court hopes you can go and take a look."

Zhou Ning took the secret letter, unfolded it, and read it.

The contents of the letter were consistent with what Han Wei had said, and it was stamped with the bright red seal of the Demon Suppression Bureau at the end.

"The Western Regions?" Zhou Ning frowned.

Yan Chixia walked over, glanced at the secret letter, and his expression became serious.

"The Buddha statue of blood and tears... I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before."

He pondered for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed.

"Could it be... a wine-and-meat bodhisattva?"

Zhou Ning asked, "The 'Wine and Meat Bodhisattva'? Who is that?"

Yan Chixia said, "A Buddhist bodhisattva from a thousand years ago, whose Dharma name was Jingchen."

"Having witnessed all the evil in the world, her mind changed drastically, and she fell into the demonic path, calling herself the 'Bodhisattva of Wine and Flesh'."

"She was once sealed away by a combined force of experts from the Three Realms, and the sealing location was in the Western Regions. If the seal weakens..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Zhou Ning gripped the Heavenly Fox Sword tightly and said, "Master, this disciple will go to the Western Regions to take a look."

Yan Chixia nodded: "Be careful. The strength of the Wine and Meat Bodhisattva is no less than that of the Heavenly Demon."

"Moreover, her methods are even more insidious; she excels at bewitching people. Although your resolve is firm, you cannot be careless."

After thinking for a moment, he took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning: "This is a 'Heart-Cleansing Talisman,' I hope it can help you resist her bewitching influence."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade talisman and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

He bid farewell to Yan Chixia and Han Wei, and carrying the Heavenly Fox Sword and the Green Edge Sword, he embarked on his journey to the Western Regions alone.

Zhou Ning had traveled the route through the Western Regions once.

Last time, it was to seal the Demon Cave, and I fought alongside Tuoba Lie.

That time, he witnessed the vastness and desolation of the Western Regions.

Amidst swirling yellow sand and blazing sun, the poplar forest stands stubbornly tall in the wind and sand.

This time, his destination was a temple deep in the Western Regions.

Dabei Temple.

From Qingfeng City to the Western Regions, it is nearly ten thousand miles away.

Zhou Ning knew that while the Central Plains were temporarily safe, the situation in the Western Regions was equally serious.

We must get to the Western Regions as soon as possible and find out the truth.

Two hours later, he finally reached the edge of the Western Regions.

The scenery of the Western Regions is completely different from that of the Central Plains.

There are no green mountains and clear waters here, only an endless desert.

Yellow sand filled the sky, the sun blazed overhead, and waves of heat rolled in.

Occasionally, a few poplar trees stand alone on the sand dunes, their branches and leaves withered and yellow, as if they might fall at any moment.

The air was dry, and even a single breath made my throat feel parched.

But this time, there was also a faint stench in the air, different from the aura of the Heavenly Demon, more eerie, and with an indescribable allure.

Zhou Ning circulated the power of Dao Integration throughout his body, forming a layer of blue-gold protective aura that shielded him from the external heat and sandstorms.

He extended his divine sense, covering an area of ​​millions of feet in radius, carefully searching for any trace of the Great Compassion Temple.

After walking for about an hour, an oasis appeared ahead.

The oasis is small, only a few dozen acres, but it is lush with vegetation and abundant with aquatic plants.

In the center of the oasis stands a temple, its roof covered with golden glazed tiles that gleam in the sunlight.

At the entrance of the temple stands a stone tablet with the three characters "Dabei Temple" engraved on it, the characters simple and vigorous.

"This is it." Zhou Ning quickened his pace and walked towards the temple.

As he got closer, he realized that something was off about the atmosphere in the temple.

The temple gates were open, but it was quiet inside; there was no sound of chanting or bells.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of meat and alcohol, which clashed with the solemnity of the temple.

Wine jars and bones were scattered on the ground, flies buzzed around, and it was a complete mess.

Zhou Ning frowned and walked into the temple.

Inside the main hall, a huge Buddha statue is enshrined.

The Buddha statue has a compassionate face, but its eyes are filled with dark red liquid that has dried, leaving behind shocking tear streaks.

Those were tears of blood.

The Buddha statue's lips seemed to be slightly upturned, carrying a sinister smile that sent chills down one's spine.

In front of the Buddha statue, more than a dozen monks lay sprawled out.

Some of them were clutching wine jars, some were holding meat bones, and some were disheveled, muttering nonsense.

Their eyes were unfocused, and they had silly smiles on their lips, as if they were immersed in some kind of illusion.

"Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart..." a monk murmured, turned over, and continued to sleep.

Zhou Ning crouched down to check a monk's pulse.

The pulse is weak, but there is still hope.

Within their bodies, a faint demonic energy circulated, different from the aura of the Heavenly Demons, more gentle and more concealed, like a slow-acting poison.

"Who did this?" Zhou Ning stood up and looked around.