txolops Chapter 19: Are there really monsters?
Chapter 19: Are there really monsters?
Level 25!
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. These martial monks were almost at the pinnacle of mortals, having cultivated martial arts to the extreme and were revered as grandmasters!
Considering that they also possessed weapons blessed by the monks of Jinshan Temple, their combat strength was even more extraordinary.
Going a step further, one can attain enlightenment through martial arts.
Even just standing in front of them, Lin Xuan felt a sense of oppression.
These few martial monks were able to sweep through Hangzhou. No wonder the monks of Jinshan Temple, who usually act arrogantly, were so easily provoked by him.
But Lin Xuan remained completely calm.
If he were still alone with his snake, then these monks would indeed pose a great threat.
The only way to kill them is by using historical allusions, and even if you win, you'll suffer a huge loss.
But he is now married to Bai Suzhen.
If we really encounter danger, we can simply activate the "Thousand-Year White Snake's Attention" to summon Bai Suzhen.
These martial monks were nothing compared to Bai Suzhen, a thousand-year-old demon.
If you are confident, you won't panic.
Lin Xuan stood in front of everyone with a smile on his face, his hands behind his back, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever.
Lin Xuan was sizing up the martial monks, and the martial monks were also sizing up Lin Xuan.
When the monks saw Lin Xuan's expression, they felt a little uneasy.
"Where does this kid get his confidence from, not afraid of us at all?"
"Normally, if a few of us stand here, none of us can withstand it; we either back away or cower and bend over. Why isn't Lin Xuan afraid at all?"
The monks exchanged glances, each seeing the other's confusion.
Even the onlookers could tell something was wrong at this point.
"What's wrong with Lin Xuan? Could it be that he's been scared out of his wits by the martial monks of Jinshan Temple and can't move?"
"I don't think so. Lin Xuan seems to be in a good mood; he doesn't look like he's so scared that he can't move."
"Why think so much? In my opinion, Jinshan Temple is not so easy to bully. Lin Xuan is going to suffer a great loss today."
Those scoundrels perked up again and wanted to start another gambling game.
The old monk was very clever. The moment he saw those scoundrels, he had an idea in mind and gave the warrior monks a signal to go and arrest them.
Sure enough, before those scoundrels could say anything, two monks rushed over, knocked them to the ground, and dragged them aside.
After doing all this, the old monk nodded gently and finally looked directly at Lin Xuan.
"Young Master Lin, you had a conflict with the monks of this temple yesterday, and this old monk has come specifically to demand an explanation."
In the old monk's view, he had already lowered his stance considerably, not immediately resorting to threats of violence, but instead trying to reason with the people first.
It wasn't because he had a really good temper, but because he really smelled something sinister!
So Lin Xuan really does have a demon by his side? This is really going to cause a big problem!
With a hint of caution, the old monk pressed on:
"Once things are explained clearly, everything will be fine. Jinshan Temple is a prestigious and ancient temple; we would never wrong an innocent person!"
Lin Xuan looked down at the old monk and nodded inwardly. Jinshan Temple was indeed a place where hidden talents resided.
Leaving aside the few martial monks, even this seemingly useless old monk in front of us is at level 15.
He is at the same level as Lin Xuan now.
Furthermore, there is a line of text following his rank.
[Skill: Aura Observation (Beginner)]
[A simple way to check the auspicious feng shui of a place]
Lin Xuan knew that this Qi Observation Technique had a hidden function: it could detect demon players who were using illusions to disguise themselves as humans.
In the previous version of the game "Myth", many players learned this useless skill for its hidden effect.
But in the real world, this skill is not only not useless, but actually very useful.
Jinshan Temple's status as the largest temple in Hangzhou is likely closely related to this skill.
In the game, these are merely background settings, but in this world, they became the foundation for the growth and expansion of Jinshan Temple.
Lin Xuan didn't think much of it and said loudly, "You old bald monk, it's one thing if you say other things, but how dare you say that I attacked your people first?"
"I was peacefully entertaining guests at my own restaurant when your people from the temple stormed in, trying to seize my establishment. I was already being very polite by simply kicking them away!"
Lin Xuan spoke very sincerely, but no one believed him at all.
The onlookers couldn't help but chuckle, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, thinking to themselves that Lin Xuan was truly outrageous.
His restaurant was usually deserted, with almost no customers.
So when he says he's entertaining guests, that's complete nonsense.
The old monk was so angry he laughed.
"What a cunning Lin Xuan! He's blatantly lying!"
Before the old monk had finished speaking, the people around him all stared wide-eyed.
"Is this monk the abbot of Jinshan Temple? Even he says so, it seems Lin Xuan is going to suffer a great loss this time!"
"Suffer a huge loss? Ha! He's lucky he survived! You don't know, other people have messed with Jinshan Temple before, but nothing ever happened to them."
"Those who provoked Jinshan Temple disappeared within a few days; it's said they were killed!"
"Hiss! Jinshan Temple is a famous temple, would the monks do something like this?"
"What's so strange about that? Even Bodhisattvas have their tempers."
The people whispered among themselves, all of them pessimistic about Lin Xuan.
The old monk and the martial monks he brought pressed closer, surrounding Lin Xuan in the center.
But the old monk himself quietly stepped back a few steps and hid behind the warrior monk.
What he just said was a complete provocation.
For some reason, the old monk felt that something was wrong with Lin Xuan and suspected that he was the monster, so he asked him a question.
As the monks approached, a powerful pressure descended, causing Lin Xuan's breathing to become rapid and revealing a wary expression.
The monks were relieved to see this.
So you were just faking it all along? Never mind then.
Seeing this, the old monk gradually calmed down.
Judging from Lin Xuan's trouble-prone yet cowardly appearance, he shouldn't be a monster in disguise.
"If Lin Xuan isn't a demon, then who is? This demonic aura is too obvious; it's definitely not fake."
The old monk frowned and pondered for a long time, but in the end he couldn't reach a conclusion, so he said to Lin Xuan:
"Hey Lin, you came to Hangzhou and opened a restaurant that only sells meat dishes near my Jinshan Temple. Who instigated you behind this?"
"If you're willing to honestly confess, I'll spare you this time!"
Faced with the unknown monster, the old monk was very cautious, always feeling that the monster had come from Chongjinshan Temple.
He would rather let Lin Xuan go than not find out the details of the monster.
But how could Lin Xuan possibly tell the truth?
He kept shaking his head.
"Old monk, your words are quite strange. It was clearly my own idea to open this restaurant, so where did anyone else come from who encouraged me?"
As he spoke, Lin Xuan's voice trembled at just the right amount, yet it was also somewhat impassioned, a mixture of humility and arrogance.
This demeanor was very convincing, convincing the old monk that Lin Xuan truly knew nothing and had been manipulated!
That monster was probably hiding in the shadows and had never made contact with Lin Xuan.
But where did this monster come from that it dares to oppose our Jinshan Temple?
After countless thoughts flashed through the old monk's mind, he didn't dare to attack Lin Xuan again, but instead rushed back to the temple to report.
He glared at Lin Xuan and said in a deep voice, "Since you're unwilling to tell the truth, then so be it. Our Jinshan Temple will investigate and find out the truth ourselves."
After saying this, the old monk actually turned and left.
Even the monks were taken aback for a moment before they came to their senses and hurriedly followed.
After a while, the onlookers recovered from their confusion and scratched their heads.
"What happened today is really strange. Jinshan Temple has always been greedy, but today Lin Xuan offered himself up, and they just made some threats and left?"
"Something's not right, something's definitely not right!"
At that moment, a system notification appeared.
【Ding! 】
Your relationship with Jinshan Temple has deteriorated.
Your reputation with Jinshan Temple is negative. Please increase your reputation as soon as possible, otherwise there will be unpredictable consequences.
You are currently unable to enter Jinshan Temple to burn incense and offer prayers.
Lin Xuan was not surprised by this result at all.
When ordinary players enter the Jinshan Temple instance, they can first go to the temple to offer incense and exchange it for a blessing, which is a buff.
But for him, a player from the demon race, this was completely meaningless.
As for the decline in relations with Jinshan Temple...
This is exactly what Lin Xuan wanted!
The lower the relationship, the greater the probability that Fahai will come out of seclusion!
Lin Xuan paid no attention to the whispers and looked up at Jinshan Temple, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Hmph, I refuse to believe it! I've put on this act for so long, if your Jinshan Temple still tolerates it, then you're nothing but cowards!"
Everything that happened today was part of Lin Xuan's plan.
In the original Jinshan Temple instance, there were many ways to lure out Fahai in advance; there wasn't just one method.
One example is someone who deliberately came to the entrance of Jinshan Temple to cause trouble.
Once Fahai emerges from seclusion, his level will be fixed and will never increase again, making things much easier afterward.
The biggest boss in the dungeon has been nerfed, so what's there to worry about?
After returning to the temple, the old monk rushed to the abbot and said in a deep voice:
"Senior brother, there really is a monster beside Lin Xuan!"
"Don't you think we should let our nephew Fahai take action?"
The abbot pondered for a moment.
Fahai is the hope of their Jinshan Temple. His cultivation speed is extremely fast. Logically speaking, they shouldn't let him leave the mountain so easily, lest something unexpected happen.
However, the abbot was also well aware that their Buddhist path of cultivation was different from that of the Taoist school, which emphasized merit.
Only by vanquishing demons and monsters can one catch the eye of the sacred mountain.
In that case, the demonic aura emanating from Lin Xuan has become an excellent opportunity.
But for some reason, the abbot hesitated to nod.
Seeing this, the old monk said again:
"Senior brother, what are you still hesitating about?"
"I don't think Lin Xuan's demonic aura is very strong. It seems that the demon beside him is just a small demon that hasn't yet taken human form. Even those few martial monks are enough to suppress demons, let alone Fahai's nephew!"