Ascending, Do Not Disturb

Chapter 92: No Karma With The Buddha
Kong Hou wanted to say she was not. That way, she could sneak away after the matter was resolved. Yet the woman’s eyes were too bright, like a moth who saw the fire and was grabbing onto the last thread of hope. Kong Hou thought, if she shook her head, this would be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

She sighed and nodded. “I am.”

“It is Her Highness, it is Immortal Kong Hou. She came to save us!” Someone shouted inside the crowd. The shout was a spark igniting the firewood. The numb and dazed people started to wake up.

“Immortal came to save us?”

“We… we are saved?”

A large man shouted and cried as he rushed home to hug his children. After they waited and hoped for so long, Immortal Kong Hou finally heard their prayers and came from heaven to save them.

Looking at the people laughing and crying, Huan Zhong found the fiendish energy in the sky had faded slightly. While minute, he could clearly feel it with his cultivation.

These mortals were shrouded in the terror of death and hate. Why did they have suh power when they received a thread of hope? Mortals were so stubborn that they could live if they had hope?
The Withering of Ten Thousand Bones Formation used the anger and discontent of humans, with the mountains and rivers as the building blocks. A formation like this could not be destroyed. If it was ten years ago…

Huan Zhong looked down. In the past he had felt it did not matter if his spirit platform recovered. But Kong Hou had so many years in front of her—what about him?

“Huan Zhong.” Kong Hou grabbed his sleeve. “I will draw the small formation in the formation eye for you.”

“All right.” Facing Kong Hou who trusted him completely, Huan Zhong’s features immediately softened.

As a beginner who had just learned formations, Kong Hou’s talent was one of good memory. She had had this talent her entire life. She learned faster than other people, and she could recite half of the books the teacher taught after the first time.

She soon drew a simple formation on paper and gave it to Huan Zhong. “What is this?”

“Soul Storage Formation.” Huan Zhong’s expression grew ugly. These evil cultivators did not just want to use the hate of humans—they also gathered the souls and wanted to use the souls to make talismans?

Humans could only reincarnate if they had souls. If their souls were taken away and forged into evil weapons, they could never reincarnate.

Kong Hou had guessed the general intentions of these evil cultivators. She felt her chest become blocked and she spat out another mouthful of blood from her internal wounds.

Warm and comfortable spirit energy combed through the suffocating energy inside her chest. A warm hand was placed on her back like the strongest of supports.

“Wipe.” Huan Zhong handed a handkerchief to Kong Hou. Kong Hou took Huan Zhong’s handkerchief and wiped her mouth clean. She turned and saw the people were still standing in the distance and hadn’t left.

Kong Hou wiped her corners of her mouth. Huan Zhong sighed, took the handkerchief from her, and went to wipe her face. The moment the handkerchief reached Huan Zhong’s hand, it seemed to become wet and moisturizing. Huan Zhong’s movements were gentle. Kong Hou felt her face was both cool and itchy.

She averted her face, and Huan Zhong said with a smile, “Don’t move.”

“Oh.” Kong Hou puffed her cheeks and turned her face to Huan Zhong so he could wipe more easily.

From her obedient appearance. he could not see how she had dared to charge into the formation alone to bring Dragon Roar out and even used it. The lifebond sword of a sword cultivator belonged to that cultivator. Even the strongest sword was a kitchen knife in the hands of others. He had seen the shadow of the gold dragon in the formation—this meant that Kong Hou had been able to swing the sword, and also use its power. A sword with intelligence should not be able to permit such a thing.

“Lin Hu.” After cleaning Kong Hou’s face, Huan Zhong said. “Give me the Gold Buddha Leaf that Master Fatan gifted me.”

“Master, what do you intend?” Lin Hu was confused. Weren’t they going to defeat the formation—why were they starting to invite monks?

“For a peaceful crossover.” Huan Zhong looked up at the sky full of black energy and said expressionlessly, “The dead have discontent and anger. What if those are gone?”

“Master Fatan’s buddhist powers are boundless and can help souls cross over. But the cities affected by formations are not just in this area. I worry he cannot take care of them all,” Lin Hu said.

“You can invite more people.”

Lin Hu hesitated a moment. “All right.”

##

In the Quiet Peace Temple of Lingyou World.

While Quiet Peace Temple was one of the ten major sects of Lingyou World, Quiet Peace Temple rarely participated in the matters of Lingyou World. While these monks always said that there were angry guardians with the Buddha, Lingyou World’s cultivators in the last two centuries had never seen these monks hit others.

Quiet Peace Temple was quiet, just like its name—separated from the world, peaceful and unworried.

The cry of a crane spread across the sky. Some monks raised their heads in curiosity. Why had celestial cranes come to their place? Those that cultivated the way liked cranes. Buddhist cultivators like them did not think of cranes as sacred.

The celestial crane drew a curve through the sky and landed in the yard of the abbot.

Fatan, who had been meditating, heard the wingbeats of the celestial crane. He opened his eyes and a palm. A golden buddhist leaf landed in his hand. In the last five centuries, he had given away five gold buddha leaves. The other four had returned to him long ago.

He thought that this leaf would never be used, but in the end it still returned to him.

“All right.” He adjusted his monk robes, and picked up his beads and staff. He said to the disciple outside, “Have the Profound generation disciples come with me.”

“Yes.”

##

In the mortal world, the evil cultivator formation master hid in the darkness and saw the power of the Withering of Ten Thousand Bones had decreased slightly. He frowned and said, “What happened?”

“Sage, the emperor of the mortal world invited a cultivator.” The evil cultivator who had gone to find information said, “It should be that cultivator.”

“Cultivator?” The formation master was slightly puzzled. “Those orthodox cultivators care about the laws of the world; they will not easily interfere in mortal matters. Also, before I came, you said this world did not have any orthodox cultivators stationed here. But a cultivator managed to arrive so soon?”

“Supposedly, a princess of the previous dynasty in this world joined Splendid Cloud Sect. She most likely could not endure the people being in hardship and came privately from Lingyou World.” The evil cultivator had not expected a princess of the previous dynasty who cultivated to come back. He said in a small voice, “This princess only spent seven or so years in Lingyou World. Her cultivation is not high, and she is delusional to think she can defeat Sage’s formation.”

“She overestimates her capabilities.” The formation master smirked. “A little princess who knows nothing. Since she wants to meddle, she can die with these people and won’t be lonely in the future.”

“How many until a hundred thousand angry souls?”

“Two thousand.”

“Soon.” the formation master looked up in the sky with disdain. “I want to see what ugly state these proper-looking cultivators of famed sects will show in front of this talisman.”

##

The news that Princess Kong Hou came back from the heavens to rescue the people quickly spread to the nearby cities. People cried and hugged each other, murmuring they would be saved.

In their eyes, the divine were omnipotent.

Yet the immortal that they thought was omnipotent was sitting on the clouds with a disbelieving expression.

“So I had this dirty face when facing so many people?” Kong Hou held up a mirror and examined herself for a long time in it. Huan Zhong had helped clean her face, but thinking about how she had unconsciously embarrassed herself, she felt dispirited.

She did not want the mortal world a few centuries later to remember her as an “immortal” with red marks on her face.

“No matter. When the formation is defeated, you can dress beautifully and leave in front of them.” Huan Zhong laughed. Young girls were all vain. But even if Kong Hou was vain, she was adorable.

“It can only be so.” The formation was not yet defeated, but Kong Hou was already thinking what clothes to wear and what hairstyle to have when she left, so that centuries later when the people of the mortal world talked about her, they would praise her beauty.

Huan Zhong smiled and then looked to the west. He stood up from the clouds. “They are here.”

“Who is here?” Kong Hou stood up. She did not see anyone.

Soon, a line of bright clouds appeared in the western sky. Several monks with shaved heads appeared on lotus platforms. The leading monk had a benevolent face, wore a simple blue robe, but his staff flashed with light as though he would fight anyone who came.

“Zhong…”

“Master Fatan, I come with the orders of my master Huan Zhong. Thank you, Master, for making this journey.” Lin Hu flashed in front of Fatan with his palms put together. “Please.”

“Please.” Fatan smiled and walked across air in front of Huan Zhong. “Many years since I have seen Young Friend. Has Young Friend changed your mind?”

Kong Hou looked at the shiny heads of the monks and then with confusion at Huan Zhong. What change of mind?

“Thank you, Master, for your attention. This one feels Radiance Sect is very good.” Huan Zhong’s expression did not change.

“Pity, pity.” Fatan shook his head and sighed. “Young Friend has great intelligence and karma with the Buddha. Why do you have to be a fighting and killing sword cultivator?”

Kong Hou gaped. She had not expected this benevolent-looking monk would dare steal from Radiance Sect.

“My Buddha is benevolent. This young friend has a good appearance.” Fatan bowed to Kong Hou. Kong Hou hurriedly bowed back. “Master is too complimentary.”

“This poor monk does not say false things. I see Young Friend has clear features and a benevolent face. How about entering my buddhist sect and becoming a guanyin?” Fatan had not expected meeting another good candidate for Buddhist cultivation. “What does Young Friend think?”

Kong Hou: “…”

Were the buddhist cultivators of Lingyou World in such a difficult state? Why were they stealing from all other sects?

“Thank you, Master. But this junior has already joined Splendid Cloud Sect, and is not willing to betray the sect in this life. Please, Master, forgive me.”

She would not become a monk. Thinking of having to shave her head, she would never even consider this.

“Then this poor monk can only ask next time.” Fatan sat down and threw his staff into the air. All of the sky was illuminated.

The other disciples all sat down to protect him.

Kong Hou did not believe in the Buddha. But the moment Master Fatan started to chant, she felt the entire world calmed down. The sky so large, the ground so vast—what could she not give up?

She turned to look at Huan Zhong and immediately became clear-headed.

The Buddha said that behind all beauty was withered bones. She feared she could never see through it.

It could be seen she had no karma with the Buddha.

Translator Ramblings: Kong Hou has too much earthly lust to practice Buddhism.