Chapter 351: Look, I Told You I’m Ming’s Mother, Right? (4000 Words)
Shixin had yet to utter a word when the dagger in the other party’s hand was already lunging towards her heart.
But for Shixin, who has maxed out on defense stats, this sneak attack wasn’t even worth mentioning.
Not to mention, Shixin had already anticipated the sudden assault from the opponent.
That dagger struck against Shixin’s protective golden light.
Shixin looked down briefly, then gazed at the woman before her.
This woman indeed bore some resemblance to Ming. If things went as expected, Ming and this woman were truly mother and son.
The reason Shixin believed this was because some cultivators weren’t actually possessing others’ bodies; they have their own physical forms.
However, to practice soul techniques, they consumed the divine souls of others, creating an illusion akin to possession.
Shixin raised her hand and slapped it towards Chen Suyan’s body.
Chen Suyan swiftly dodged.
Shixin’s palm strike shattered the wooden door into splinters.
“Goodness gracious, Master, you sure do hit hard! Could it be that you don’t fear killing me? My son will never forgive you!”
Chen Suyan smirked, twirling her dagger with quick, fluid motions.
“But miss, you’re quite beautiful. How about this? Why don’t you leave the monastery and become my son’s wife? What do you say?”
“Sir, please stop making such jokes. And you are not Lady Xu.”
Shixin shook her head and continued speaking.
“Furthermore, Master Xu gave me the instruction not to let Mrs. Chen face any mortal danger. Getting hurt is inevitable, but Master Xu won’t blame me.”
“My son… sigh…” Chen Suyan sighed, “Actually, I feel quite heartbroken. My precious child doesn’t recognize me anymore and instead wants to kill me. Can you imagine how painful that feels?”
Shixin had never met someone so shameless: “Please stop pretending to be Lady Xu. What you’re doing is nothing but insulting her. Even though I haven’t interacted with Lady Xu, I believe that a mother capable of raising someone as remarkable as Ming must be very exceptional.”
“Thank you for the compliment~ I also think my son is quite remarkable~”
In the next instant, Chen Suyan vanished into the darkness.
Shixin tilted her head just in time to dodge Chen Suyan’s attack.
Shixin chanted a spell, pointing her finger at Chen Suyan.
Golden light surged forth. Although Chen Suyan blocked Shixin’s attack with her dagger, the golden Buddhist light had already penetrated her entire body.
Chen Suyan was sent flying back, skidding more than ten meters across the courtyard before stopping. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
“The Buddhist technique of splitting souls.” Chen Suyan wiped the blood from her lips, admiringly looking at the female monk before her. “I didn’t expect someone so young to have grasped this. Not simple, not simple at all. The old monk Yuan Zhi must be very happy to have you as his disciple. There’s finally someone to carry on his legacy.”
Shixin clasped her hands together in prayer: “Do you know my master?”
“Ho ho ho ho…” Chen Suyan laughed, “Know him? Of course I know him. Your master would even call me sister when he sees me~”
Shixin shook her head, disbelieving the nonsense, because her master was originally an orphan with no older sister: “If you can leave Lady Chen’s body and come back with me to the Buddhist order, I will spare your life. We monks never lie.”
Chen Suyan shrugged: “Little monk, I’ve already said it, I am Chen Suyan, Chen Suyan is me, Ming is my son. How can I separate? If I leave, my son will lose his mother.”
“You still refuse to repent.”
Behind Shixin, Buddhist light radiated, revealing numerous golden Buddha hands.
At the same time, golden lotuses blossomed on the ground.
The entire courtyard seemed like a Pure Land of ultimate bliss, and Shixin resembled the sovereign of this world.
Actually, Ming had misunderstood Shixin.
Shixin isn’t only good at defensive spells.
On the contrary, Shixin knows all the spells of Lei Ming Temple.
She’s particularly adept at offensive spells.
Otherwise, how could the abbot of Lei Ming Temple allow such a pure disciple to wander through the complex human world?
But the reason Shixin didn’t use those offensive spells was first, she didn’t like them, and second, she couldn’t control the force well, fearing that she might accidentally “send” the opponent to the afterlife.
Now it’s different.
The person is someone who died long ago.
It’s merely occupying another’s body.
In Shixin’s view, death is death. Her Buddhist teachings can guide these ghosts to reincarnation.
Just the process might get a bit violent.
And all the spells Shixin uses target the soul.
Although there may be some impact on the physical body, it won’t cause fatal harm.
“Amitabha.”
Shixin clasped her hands together and pushed forward, causing a giant Buddha hand to descend upon Chen Suyan.
Chen Suyan frowned.
The other party’s spell was indeed troublesome.
Buddhist teachings naturally suppress beings like her. Moreover, her current cultivation level is extremely low, while the opponent’s level is significantly higher, making things even more difficult.
“Boom!”
Shixin’s golden Buddha palm struck the ground.
Though the momentum was fierce, neither grass nor trees on the ground were damaged.
But the more undamaged it remained, the more uneasy Chen Suyan felt.
Because the better one controls soul techniques, the more the attacks focus solely on the divine soul without harming anything else.
This female monk is indeed talented.
“Hmm?”
When Chen Suyan dodged the blow, she glanced down and realized she might have stepped on something ominous.
Sure enough, in the muddy courtyard floor, a seed began to sprout roots.
Golden vines emerged from the ground, spreading rapidly and binding Chen Suyan’s body.
Then, these golden lotus vines gradually disappeared.
“Amitabha, now you can’t escape.”
After her spell succeeded, Shixin finally exhaled.
Earlier, Shixin’s attack was merely to force the opponent onto the seed Ming had planted.
And the reason Shixin could predict the opponent would step on the seed was because the courtyard was filled with lotuses, whose Buddhist aura made the opponent hesitant to step on them. Shixin deliberately left some open spaces.
If the opponent hadn’t stepped on it this time, Shixin would continue to force her.
There would eventually come a time when the opponent steps on it.
As it turned out, the opponent’s luck wasn’t good, stepping on the buried fruit right away.
“That’s interesting.”
Chen Suyan nodded, looking at Shixin approvingly.
“If I’m not mistaken, that thing earlier was your sect’s Causal Vine?” “Precisely.” Shixin nodded.
The effect of the Causal Vine is to completely bind the opponent’s divine soul and physical body.
Although her soul techniques primarily target the soul with minimal harm to the physical body, if at a critical moment, she strikes and the opponent reveals Lady Chen’s divine soul, Lady Chen would also be affected.
Given Lady Chen’s ordinary divine soul strength, she might not endure it.
Now there’s no longer any worry.
“Alas,” Chen Suyan shook her head, “I’ve already told you, I am Chen Suyan, Chen Suyan is me, why don’t you believe me?”
Shixin sighed softly: “You still refuse to repent.”
With that, Shixin no longer wanted to waste words with the opponent.
A golden lotus appeared beneath Shixin.
Shixin sat cross-legged on the lotus, appearing as pure as a female Buddha.
The golden Buddhist light transformed into eighteen golden Arhats, surrounding Chen Suyan.
Chen Suyan moved gracefully and ghost-like, dodging the eighteen golden Arhats’ attacks repeatedly, destroying them with her black spiritual energy sword.
Shixin chanted a spell.
A magic array appeared beneath Chen Suyan’s feet.
Chen Suyan lifted her foot and stomped hard on the ground, shattering the array instantly.
“Amitabha.” Shixin recited a Buddhist chant.
Four golden dragons rushed toward Chen Suyan.
These four golden dragons grabbed Chen Suyan’s limbs tightly, pinning her to the ground.
Taking this opportunity, Shixin cast spell after spell.
The lotus flowers turned into petals that scattered, then condensed into chains, binding Chen Suyan’s hands and feet.
Now Chen Suyan was completely immobilized.
Shixin descended slowly from the air, walking to Chen Suyan’s front, raising her hand high.
Her monk robe slid past her arm, revealing her pale white arm glowing under the moonlight.
In Shixin’s hand, a golden longsword continuously formed.
Shixin looked at Chen Suyan calmly.
Even at this moment, Shixin still wanted to give Chen Suyan another chance: “If you repent, you can return with me to Lei Ming Temple, where we will surely perform proper rites for you. Otherwise, you will suffer greatly.”
Although both involve guiding, voluntary guidance by scriptures and forced guidance by Shixin are vastly different.
Not only will the latter be excruciatingly painful, akin to cutting flesh and digging out the heart, but there’s even a risk of divine soul fragmentation and inability to reincarnate.
“Hehehe, little girl, you’re really kind-hearted. The more you do this, the more I want you to be my daughter-in-law.”
As she spoke, Chen Suyan’s figure gradually dispersed.
Chen Suyan was clearly trapped earlier, but escaped in an instant.
Chen Suyan stood before Shixin.
Black qi around Chen Suyan kept condensing, giving off an ominous feeling that made Ming frown.
“Little girl, be careful now. Don’t blame me if you die.”
In an instant, behind Chen Suyan, a massive black dragon appeared.
Its crimson eyes opened wide.
Upon closer inspection by Shixin, the black dragon transformed into a black tiger, then into a nine-tailed fox, then into a black tortoise, and finally into Ming’s appearance.
“The path of truth is vast and varied. Look, what you see isn’t necessarily the essence.” Chen Suyan smiled cunningly, “This message is for you, little girl.”
As she finished speaking, Chen Suyan extended her hand, pointing toward Shixin, and a jet of black qi rushed toward Shixin, attempting to engulf her.
Meanwhile, dazzling light erupted around Shixin.
The Buddhist light clashed with the black qi, gold and black intertwining and colliding.
Outside the courtyard, Ming’s eyes were fixed on the courtyard.
Ming couldn’t see exactly what happened inside the courtyard, but judging from the clash of Buddhist light and black qi, Shixin was undoubtedly engaged in an intense battle with the opponent.
Ming wanted to help Shixin.
But Ming also knew that if he entered now, he’d only be a hindrance.
The commotion inside the courtyard was too great, even the barrier couldn’t completely isolate it. The entire Xu residence was shaking.
People from the Xu household and the security retainers hurried toward the Xiao Chun Courtyard.
“Son, what’s going on?”
The first person to arrive at the Xiao Chun Courtyard was none other than Ming’s adopted father—Zheng.
The second person to reach the courtyard was Lady Wang.
“It’s complicated to explain.” Ming shook his head, “Once this matter is over, I’ll explain everything to Father.”
After a brief explanation, Ming fell silent, staring at the gate of the Xiao Chun Courtyard.
Meanwhile, within the imperial palace, Emperor Wu in the bedchamber suddenly opened his eyes.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” Dié Fēi, lying beside the emperor, pulled the blanket to cover her chest as she sat up.
The emperor paid no attention to his beloved concubine, instead immediately putting on a robe and walking out.
Under the emperor’s intent, he floated slowly above the imperial palace, gazing at the direction of the Xu residence.
At this point, a courtyard in the Xu residence was already in ruins.
“How could it be like this?” The emperor furrowed his brows.
“Ten Masters!” The emperor called out.
“Your Majesty.” In the blink of an eye, the Ten Masters of the imperial palace arrived before the emperor.
“Go to the martial artists’ quarters. Follow all of Ming’s orders strictly, remember not to act on your own! But whatever happens, ensure Ming’s safety!”
The emperor instructed the Ten Masters of the imperial palace.
“At any cost! Ming must remain unharmed!”
In the Xiao Chun Courtyard, when the black qi and Buddhist light dissipated,
“You…” Shixin looked at Chen Suyan, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Chen Suyan held Shixin by the neck and lifted her high, smiling gently: “See? I told you I’m Ming’s mother, but you didn’t believe me.”
[Phew phew, almost didn’t finish. As the clock approached midnight, it was truly thrilling, like racing against time. Any slower, and the full attendance bonus would be gone.
I feel like I unleashed my full potential, managing to write 1500 words every half hour on average. I’m absolutely incredible!
But this kind of thing should be avoided—it’s not good for the heart; I’m feeling a bit worn out.]
