Chapter 95: The Feast of the Body (2 / 2)

Master Yicheng slowly stood up, his gaze steady and resolute as he looked toward the sky. His voice was cold as he spoke, "With impure senses, how can one become a Buddha? Without achieving Bodhi, how can one become a Buddha?" Then he glanced at Jiang Shiyu, his eyes soft like warm jade, as though speaking directly to her: "Attached to the mortal world, how can one seek Buddhahood?"

The moment these words left his lips, Jiang Shiyu felt a sudden jolt, as if a cold shock ran through her. The golden light was so bright that she could barely open her eyes. When the light faded and she could see again, she realized with a start that what had just happened was all a dream!

Gasping for air, she saw Master Yicheng smiling at her. "You're awake. Let's continue our journey," he said calmly.

Jiang Shiyu hesitated, still shaken. "Master Yicheng, was what I saw in my dream real?"

Master Yicheng smiled but remained silent. He pointed toward the south. "Hurry, we must go. Nothing is wrong anymore."

However, as he finished speaking, his feet wavered, and he almost stumbled. Jiang Shiyu quickly reached out to steady him, but as soon as her hand touched his body, Master Yicheng grimaced in pain.

"Master Yicheng, what's wrong?" Jiang Shiyu asked in concern.

"It's nothing, thank you for your concern," Master Yicheng quickly deflected, trying to avoid her gaze. But Jiang Shiyu felt a sticky substance on her hand, and to her shock, it was blood! She remembered what she had seen in her dream, and she couldn't tell whether it was real or not. Panicking, she asked Master Yicheng what had happened, but the monk merely shook his head and assured her he was fine, offering no further explanation about the dream or its reality.

Although Jiang Shiyu was deeply worried about my safety, she also couldn't ignore the fact that Master Yicheng seemed injured, and she was torn between the two. Master Yicheng told her that if they could find a quiet place to rest for a while, he would be fine.

As the sky began to drizzle, it seemed like the rain would continue for a while, and it didn't look like it would clear up soon. With no other options, Jiang Shiyu decided to find a place to shelter from the rain and let Master Yicheng rest. When she attempted to help him, Master Yicheng stopped her, saying, "Men and women should not touch each other," and reminded her that as a monk, he couldn't be too close to a woman. So, Jiang Shiyu followed behind as Master Yicheng walked unsteadily, clenching his teeth in pain.

Earlier, I had told the story of how I once saved Zhao Na, when my soul left my body. At that time, the Mugu Gui was a vengeful spirit. It came to harm me, and I had no power to resist. I could only flee, because a soul, once injured, is almost impossible to heal. To recover, one would need powerful spiritual herbs like thousand-year-old Ganoderma, He Shou Wu, or Ginseng, but human activities have destroyed so many natural resources that even the younger versions of these plants are quickly harvested.

But I digress. Back to Master Yicheng—he was eaten by the hundred ghosts, and they devoured his soul, damaging his three souls and seven spirits. However, meditation in Buddhism is meant to nourish the soul, which is why Master Yicheng's soul was so powerful. Even I, if I were in his position, would have perished instantly. Master Yicheng, however, was sacrificing so much for Jiang Shiyu.

After walking for a while, they came across a grain storage warehouse. The harvest season was busy, and the warehouse doors were left open. Since this was an outlying area, it wasn't easy to find people nearby. Seeing the open door, Jiang Shiyu suggested they take a rest inside. Master Yicheng agreed, saying he would be fine in half an hour.

There were no guards at the warehouse, so the two of them entered. They walked around and found that only the grain storage door was open, and the light was on inside a room that seemed to be an office. Jiang Shiyu went to greet the room, but found it empty. The two of them continued into the warehouse.

They found a quiet corner, where Master Yicheng told Jiang Shiyu he needed to rest. He sat down cross-legged, holding the Buddha beads she had been wearing, and began to chant quietly. After more than half an hour, he stood up, looking much better. He bowed and said, "We can continue now. It's time to move."

Jiang Shiyu, seeing that they were near a populated area, suggested they try to hire a cart to speed up their journey.

Just as they were about to leave the warehouse, they heard the sounds of horses neighing outside. The sound of hooves was chaotic, as if thousands of horses were charging through. But this wasn't the olden days—how could there be so many horses?

Jiang Shiyu was about to look outside, but Master Yicheng quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a corner of the warehouse. He gestured for silence. "Don't make a sound. These are the little demons transporting supplies for the Yin soldiers."