Chapter 246 — A Warm Morning

Puff, puff.

The fragrance of porridge filled the air. Lu Liangsheng ladled out two bowls of thin porridge and went over to hand them to Yan Chixia and Zuo Zhengyang, then returned and ladled another bowl, blew on it, sat down beside his master, and followed his gaze.

“What did Master think of?”

“Do you remember those spirit pills, wondrous medicines, cultivation methods, and scriptures that were taken away by the Fire Prayer Cult back then?”

Toad Daoist calmed his breath, his pale belly swelling up. He narrowed his toad eyes and stared at the several long tongues of the tree demon, which were flying and whirling wildly, then folded his frog webbed hands behind his back, his expression becoming solemn.

“This demon was sealed by the people of the Fire Prayer Cult. Even if its mind is unclear, it should still have some memories.”

The scholar holding the bowl, having blown away the heat, paused. Some unpleasant memories resurfaced in his mind. Back then, in the buildings and pavilions on Ying Stone Mountain in Huaiyi Prefecture, the scene of those women and children being sealed inside earthen jars once again occupied his thoughts.

If he had not been searching for his master’s stolen treasures back then, those children and women would probably have been used by the other side as human sacrifices.

The flames burned quietly, and the temple became silent. Zuo Zhengyang and Yan Chixia, who were eating over there, looked over, and even the four scholars sprawled on the ground ceased their groaning.

Lu Liangsheng placed the slightly cooled thin porridge in front of his master, then tossed a dry branch into the fire, sending a few sparks rising.

“What Master says is indeed feasible. The matter of the Fire Prayer Cult really should be brought to an end. If we let them continue, who knows how many people will be harmed.”

Leaning against the wall, the scholar lowered his eyelids, recalling that night in Tianzhi City three years ago. That Sacred Flame Exalted Venerable’s ability to fly through the air was probably still above his current Nascent Soul Realm.

As his thoughts turned, he took the cultivation manuals from the bookshelf and flipped through them by the flickering firelight, but found no effective method.

“That Sacred Flame Exalted Venerable’s cultivation is profound. With the cultivation I possess now, even if I find another stronghold of theirs, it would be difficult to shake them, and by then I would also be dragged into it.”

“Hmph.”

Toad Daoist sat on the ground. With a humph, his long tongue instinctively shot out and curled around a moth that had flown toward the firelight. He took a sip of thin porridge and licked his lips.

“Just a petty thief and sneak. If it weren’t for Master’s strength having greatly diminished, how could I let Liangsheng be troubled? You know how Master’s strength was back then. Think back, when several great sects surrounded Master on the mountaintop, the magical artifacts blocked out the sun, and there were people as far as the eye could see.”

The temple was quiet, and before long, the faint snoring of people could be heard.

Sitting on the ground, Toad Daoist waved his webbed hands.

“I forced my way out through a bloody path. If I hadn’t encountered an old monk—ah, right, it was that old bald donkey’s junior brother from last time. Fortunately, your master can fight.”

Turning his toad face to the side, he saw that the exhausted people around him had all fallen deeply asleep. Even his disciple over there was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, breathing softly.

“Can’t you let this old man say a few more words?”

Toad Daoist muttered, then quickly gulped down the already-cold thin porridge. He walked to the compartment in the bookshelf, slammed the small door shut with a bang, climbed into the bedding, and went to sleep.

The night was deep and quiet. In the swaying firelight, the five scholars mumbled in their dreams and ground their teeth, their arms and legs intertwined as they held onto one another. In the corner, Yan Chixia clutched his wine flask, occasionally waking with a start and glancing around. Seeing Granny Tree Demon sleeping soundly beside the donkey, he finally closed his eyes again at ease.

Beside him, Zuo Zhengyang sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep as he sorted through the insights he had gained during this period. Then, the fatigue accumulated over more than half a month finally surged over him, and with his head leaning against the wall, his mind became blank.

Early the next morning, sunlight shone through the patches of forest, birds hopped along the treetops and chirped merrily, and specks of dust danced in the light at the temple entrance. Lu Liangsheng woke early, started a fire to cook, and while he had some free time, walked around the walls surrounding Lanruo Temple, looking at the murals left behind from before.

The Buddha looked gloomy, and the goddess harbored resentment. They had been painted when he was in an extremely bad mood after receiving the tragic news of his master’s death that day. Looking at them again now, he could not help feeling that they were overly fierce.

Returning to the temple, he took ink, an inkstone, and a wolf-hair brush from the bookshelf. He began to grind the ink and, starting from the original foundation, added and removed details anew. He raised a stroke at the corner of the Buddha’s eye, turning its gloomy gaze into a hint of joy, while he erased several lines at the corners of the Nine Heavens Goddess’s mouth and added a curve, making her appear to be speaking with a smile.

Although spiritual power was infused into them, he did not dare dot their eyes. Who knew whether they might suddenly spring to life?

“Young Master Lu is in quite the elegant mood.”

Under the temple eaves behind him, Zuo Zhengyang hung his lone arm and leaned against the wall. A smile appeared on his face covered in stubble. Since losing his arm, the number of times he had smiled could be counted on one hand.

Lu Liangsheng shook the ink from the tip of his brush and put on its protective cover.

“When I came last time, I had not finished painting them. I took a look early this morning and could not resist adding a few more strokes. I have made a fool of myself before Qianwei.”

As he put it into his sleeve, Zuo Zhengyang also walked out from under the eaves and came over. The two of them slowly walked around the courtyard wall together, occasionally looking at the paintings of the Buddha and goddess on the wall.

“That toad demon from last night—”

“He is my master.” Lu Liangsheng did not conceal it and explained honestly, smiling. “If not for my master, I would probably still be a farmer in the village, concerned only with farming, marrying a wife, and having children.”

Beside him, Zuo Zhengyang followed with a smile.

“Zuo had no other intention, I was just asking casually.”

The scholar was tall and slender, with an elegant and refined bearing, while the latter was robust and imposing. Standing side by side, neither was inferior to the other. After walking past the deep well ahead, they were silent for a moment before Zuo Zhengyang spoke about what he had heard last night.

“Last night, I heard Young Master Lu and your master mention the Fire Prayer Cult. What is the matter with it?”

“An evil cult.” At the mention of this sect, Lu Liangsheng’s smile faded. He stopped walking and looked at the broken Earth Spirit stele at his feet, his voice cold and clear.

“Back then, when there was a great drought in Heliang Prefecture, Qianwei, as someone from Southern Chen as well, should know about it.”

Zuo Zhengyang nodded.

“I know. Later, in the capital, I also heard Mr. Shuhua and Minister Min speak in detail about the misery over there.”

At this point, he immediately understood. “Were these evil people responsible for those atrocities?”

“Not only that. They caused the great drought in order to take advantage of the chaos to plunder women and children, put them into earthen jars, and use them for human sacrifice.”

“That bunch of bastards deserve to die!”

Zuo Zhengyang let out a low roar. The leaves of his straw raincoat stood up with a rustle, and he gritted his teeth and punched the wall, sending fragments flying and leaving behind a fist mark.

After leaving the capital and embarking on cultivation, without the constraints of an official position, his temperament had changed from before.

“Young Master Lu, is the Sacred Flame Exalted Venerable you mentioned last night the person behind this cult?”

“It is him.”

Lu Liangsheng nodded. The two continued walking forward, turned around the corner of the eaves, and he continued, “He also came when it came to the matter of Pudu Cihang, taking away the soul of the great demon, but this person’s cultivation is too high, and I don’t have much chance of victory.”

After walking for a while, when they were nearing the temple entrance, Zuo Zhengyang, who had been walking beside him, suddenly stopped. When Lu Liangsheng turned back, he saw him standing with his fists clenched tightly at his sides, their gazes meeting.

He spoke:

“Slaying demons and exorcising evil, how is this cult any different from demons and evil spirits? Count me in!”

“What are the two of you talking about?”

Yan Chixia was standing on a nearby section of wall at some point, with a struggling wild rabbit in his hand. He jumped down and waved it at the two of them, with several medicinal herbs still visible in his pocket.

“The five scholars are too weak physically. Give them something to eat to replenish their bodies.”

As he spoke, Zuo Zhengyang pointed toward the bearded, burly man carrying the rabbit. “He can count as one more.”

“Count me in for what?”

Yan Chixia looked somewhat bewildered at the two people before him. He saw Lu Liangsheng nod with a smile, which made him even more flustered. He hurried after Zuo Zhengyang, who was leaving, asking what was going on.

In the sky, the morning sun cast a sheet of golden light, enveloping the mountain forest. Toad Daoist walked out of the temple gate and yawned, stretching comfortably together with the three grand-disciples who had come out with him. By the edge of the forest, the tree demon in a black dress led the old donkey around nearby, smiling sweetly at them and waving in greeting. Then, with a tug from the old donkey, she was dragged along the ground to somewhere else.

Chirp, chirp~~

Birds chirped, climbing onto the corners of the eaves to preen their feathers. Lu Liangsheng stood beneath the eaves, the warm golden light falling upon his face, his gaze looking into the distance.

“Why hasn’t Old Sun come yet?”