Chapter 46: Worth It!

East Temple Street, the back hall of the paper offering shop.

Before the Three Pure Ones’ altar, the old Daoist held incense and bowed.

In the corner, the medicinal fragrance of the Iron Temple’s unique bone-setting and muscle-regenerating decoction wafted through the air.

Zhang Yian stood to the side on crutches, looking at his Junior Martial Uncle’s back, hesitating to speak.

This morning, before dawn, his companion had sent a message:

The Earl is dead; wait for the opportunity to go out to sea.

Just eight short words, yet they left Zhang Yian incredibly excited.

If it hadn’t been for that Earl’s instructions before, William wouldn’t have secretly obstructed them, causing several comrades to be lost during their retreat from Flower City and leaving them trapped here.

Now that The Earl was dead, it was truly wonderful news.

More importantly… going out to sea!

As long as they left this place, there was still hope!

At this thought, Zhang Yian no longer hesitated.

But before Zhang Yian could speak, the old Daoist asked.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“Huh?”

“What’s with the ‘huh’? You look so foolish; you’d help count the money after someone sold you.”

The old Daoist turned around and gave Zhang Yian a heavy smack on the head.

“Hiss!

It hurts, it hurts!”

Zhang Yian cried out in pain repeatedly.

“Good that it hurts; pain is the only way you’ll learn your lesson.”

The old Daoist grew even more irritable.

But in the next moment, the old Daoist’s expression turned serious.

“Must you go?”

“I must!”

Zhang Yian nodded.

“Is there no room for compromise?”

The old Daoist’s tone was stern.

“None!”

Zhang Yian nodded decisively.

“Without you, would there be no one else?”

The old Daoist emphasized.

“There are!

There definitely are!

But I want to be the first to stand up. I want to… stand!

And I want to help more people stand up too!”

Zhang Yian said, forcing himself to stand straight even while leaning on his crutches.

This made the old Daoist even more angry.

“Stop trying to be a hero!

Your legs are already like this; if you get injured again, you’ll be truly crippled!

And besides, what can you even do if you go?”

The old Daoist paced in circles, fuming with rage.

“I can wave the flag and shout.

I can also take a bullet for everyone.

I can even pick up explosives and charge at the enemy.”

“Is it worth it?”

“It’s worth it!

Because Shenzhou is worth it!”

Zhang Yian’s answer was firm and resolute.

The old Daoist’s eyes, however, turned red.

He couldn’t bear it!

This was the only child of his late Senior Brother and the heir to the Iron Temple.

If he was gone…

His Senior Brother’s lineage would be gone.

The Iron Temple’s Legacy would be broken.

As someone who had been expelled from the sect, he had no right to take on disciples.

But looking at Zhang Yian’s expression, the old Daoist knew his nephew had made up his mind.

“immeasurable blessings and longevity!”

The old Daoist bowed and offered incense to the Three Pure Ones’ altar once more.

Then, he walked into his bedroom.

When he came out, he not only had two pistols with him but also an iron sword strapped to his back.

“I’ll go with you,”

the old Daoist said.

“Junior Martial Uncle…”

“If I don’t go with you, you probably won’t even make it out of my door.”

The old Daoist interrupted Zhang Yian and walked straight toward the front hall of the paper offering shop.

A large, fat monk draped in a red kasaya had appeared there at some point.

The kasaya was bright red with gold-threaded edges.

Various gemstones were embedded in it.

As The Monk stood there, he was covered in jewels.

Especially with his smiling face, he looked like a Maitreya Buddha.

But those who knew this fat monk were well aware that he was not only greedy and lecherous but also ruthless, frequently engaging in banditry.

Once he set his sights on someone, their family was doomed.

He was none other than ‘The Monk’, one of the Thirteen Protectors.

Seeing the old Daoist come out, The Monk pressed his palms together.

“Amitabha.”

“Did you hear everything?”

the old Daoist asked.

“I heard clearly.”

The Monk nodded with a smile, his triple chin wobbling and almost touching his chest.

“Then why are you still blocking the way?”

The old Daoist narrowed his eyes.

“It’s not that this poor monk wishes to block you, but imperial orders are hard to disobey—”

“The True Dragon Son of Heaven still reigns!

The Dragon Qi still exists!”

The Monk said, pressing his palms together again.

“True Dragon Son of Heaven?

Dragon Qi?

A man eats countless others, swallowing them skin and bone, and when horns start growing on his head, he has the audacity to claim he’s an Incarnation of a Dragon.

As soon as he opens his mouth, the stench of blood and filth from devouring his own kind hits you.

And then, he calls it Dragon Qi.

What a load of bullshit!”

The old Daoist pointed at The Monk and cursed.

The Monk’s face turned cold.

“Li Changhai, this poor monk came here to bring you into the Imperial Household Guard.”

“Not only are you ungrateful, but you are also insolent.”

“Truly stubborn and deluded!

It seems this poor monk must employ demon-subduing methods!”

The Monk shook his head and sighed, putting on an air of compassion.

“You stick a feather duster on your head, wrap yourself in a dog-skin blanket, and before you’ve even eaten your dog food, you can’t help but start barking. Fuck your mother!”

The old Daoist cursed loudly, then pulled out his gun and fired.

Bang! Bang!

Clang! Clang!

The gunshots rang out repeatedly, but they had no effect.

Two young monks, wearing their robes slanted to expose one shoulder, lunged from behind the fat monk.

The iron shields in their hands immediately blocked the fat monk.

The moment the bullets hit the shields, the muscles on the young monks’ exposed arms bulged like tree roots, and they were forced back two steps.

However, the bullets were blocked.

Furthermore, two more monks carrying shields and firearms rushed out from behind the fat monk.

Without hesitation, the old Daoist grabbed Zhang Yian and leaped out through the window.

As the window shattered, wind and rain poured in.

The paper money inside the shop suddenly flew into the air.

The paper money danced.

Streaks of yellow and white.

“Use your own paper money for yourself.”

“Li Changhai, you could say you’ve reached your karmic end.”

After muttering to himself, the fat monk unhurriedly spoke to his four disciples.

“Go!

Don’t let them escape!”

Despite his words, The Monk continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

The four young monks looked at each other, not understanding what their Master was up to, but they didn’t dare ask and could only follow behind.

It was only now that the four young monks noticed something was wrong.

But the old Daoist had noticed it long before he chose to crash through the window.

Or rather, it was precisely because he noticed something was wrong that he chose to do so.

The old Daoist’s feet tapped across the rooftops. He fished out two Medicinal Pills from his robes, swallowed one himself, and stuffed the other into Zhang Yian’s mouth.

“Junior Martial Uncle?”

Even with his slow reaction, Zhang Yian realized something was wrong.

He recognized that Medicinal Pill.

It was for neutralizing poison.

Furthermore, his entire body was starting to feel weak.

“It’s nothing,”

the old Daoist comforted Zhang Yian, but his pace quickened.

However, something else was even faster.

It wasn’t a person.

It was… bees!

A swarm of cultivated poisonous bees!

The overwhelming swarm of poisonous bees pressed down like a dark cloud!

However, a path had been left in the middle!

A path leading toward the vicinity of the North-Gazing Tower!

Suddenly, the old Daoist’s face turned grim.

That bald donkey wants to ‘present a gift’!

He’s driving the two of us toward the person he’s about to pledge loyalty to, then he’ll capture us to show off his worth!

“May that old bald donkey die a miserable death!”

The old Daoist cursed but dove into the only path of survival.

This path was bound to be full of dangers, but if he actually dove into the swarm, he would surely die without a proper burial.

The old Daoist sprinted ahead as the swarm closed in behind him.

From time to time, dozens of poisonous bees would charge at them.

The old Daoist flicked his sleeves, swatting them repeatedly.

The poisonous bees died in droves.

But there were just too many of them.

Unexpectedly, the old Daoist was stung.

After being stung several times, he began to falter, especially since the bee venom seemed to trigger the unknown toxin from before.

Finally, as the old Daoist carried Zhang Yian over a courtyard wall, his legs gave out, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Thud! Thud!

Following the two thuds, the swarm arrived immediately after.

In the next moment—

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Amidst the scalp-numbing noise, the swarm dove downward!