Stranger Danger

Chapter 277: The Graveyard of Demons

A laughter broke out from the ray of golden light. “Amitabha, there is no need to press me like this, Benefactor Hong!”

A boorish voice replied, “I don’t think so. You’re a bald donkey, so what could the Dragon Holds Stone possibly do for you? None of your martial arts have anything to do with a true dragon, and you have no need to study the essence of a true dragon! Just give it to me already!”

“Amitabha! I got the Dragon Holds Stone via my own power! Why should I give it to you?” The golden light—or rather, the monk riding the golden light argued, “Plus, who said that the Maitreya Sect doesn’t have martial arts relating to a true dragon? Our ‘Mahayana Twelve Wyverns Sutra’ is exactly that, and it requires studying the essence of a true dragon to attain true mastery. So please give up your obsession, benefactor!”

“Your ‘Mahayana Twelve Wyverns Sutra’ is literal garbage. You’re not missing anything even if you do not achieve mastery in it. Rather than wasting the Dragon Holds Stone on such garbage, you should give it to me!”

“I’m the one who decides whether or not it’s a waste, and the fact that this treasure is in my hands proves that I am destined for it, not you. Just give it up, benefactor!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. If I managed to take it from you, that means that I’m the one who’s truly destined for it, don’t you agree?”

The golden dragon roared and took a swipe at the golden light.

“Amitabha! Things that you take by force are resentment, not destiny!”

The monk lifted his hand lightly like he was picking up a flower. He gave the incoming claw a gentle tap, and the entire dragon shattered into pieces.

A boorish-looking man with thick eyebrows and large eyes emerged from the shattered dragon. He thrust both of his hands forward and shattered the golden light surrounding the monk in return, exposing him for all to see.

The monk had a big head and fat ears. He was wearing a red monk’s robe with the front parts loosely draped over his round belly. He also wore a wide smile on his face.

Surprisingly, the monk wasn’t alone. A young, graceful-looking monk was sitting in a meditative position next to him.

“Fine, fine, I yield. You may observe this Dragon Holds Stone three times,” The older monk finally conceded with an exasperated shake of his head.

“Haha! You should have just said so from the beginning, Laughing Buddha[1]!” The boorish-looking man laughed. “My time is precious, man! Don’t waste it!”

“You’re just as shameless as ever, Hong Jianglong.” Laughing Buddha shook his head again.

“Says the bald donkey with the fattest face of us all! Have some shame, you!” Hong Jianglong retorted.

Laughing Buddha’s grin widened as he rubbed his tummy. “I might change my mind if you keep attacking me, benefactor!”

“Nooo, I was wrong! Please don’t change your mind, Venerable Bhante!” Hong Jianglong instantly pulled a one-eighty.

“Haha! Anyway, we’re finally at the Graveyard of Demons, so let’s cut the childish act already, hmm? You don’t want our senior and juniors to think less of us, do you?”

The monk and his plus one disappeared and reappeared on the mountain peak, and Hong Jianglong was right behind them.

“Senior.”

“Senior.”

Both Laughing Buddha and Hong Jianglong saluted the Lu You as soon as they landed on the mountain peak.

The Lu You nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything.

“Wait, what? Someone actually reached this place before us?” It was at this moment Hong Jianglong found Ye Qing and examined him curiously. “Wow, you’re young and just a late-stage Astral Refiner. How are you not dead, boy?”

Ye Qing grimaced. You couldn’t ask that in a more polite fashion?

He didn’t hesitate to salute the two men, however. “My name is Ye Shi. Pleased to meet you both, seniors.”

Unless he was gravely mistaken, these two men were at least as strong as Song Xilai, if not stronger. He wasn’t going to offend someone like that.

“Ye Shi (Honest)? You couldn’t have come up with a less dishonest name, boy!” Hong Jianglong joked.

“Haha, please don’t make fun of me, senior,” replied Ye Qing with a stiff laugh. For some reason, he felt like Hong Jianglong had seen through him completely.

“Hey kid, I think he noticed me,” the Fog Demon spoke inside Ye Qing’s head.

Ye Qing hadn’t withdrawn the Fog Demon. Right now, it was swimming around him like a layer of mist. Barring a warrior with an exceptionally powerful spirit, it was basically impossible to detect the Stranger. However, Hong Jianglong had noticed its existence at first glance.

“Have more confidence and take out ‘I think’ from your sentence,” Ye Qing replied expressionlessly.

Thankfully, Hong Jianglong paid him no heed after that. Instead, he waved his sleeves and produced three men and women out of nowhere.

“Lord Hong, is this... the fabled Graveyard of Demons?”

“That’s correct.” Hong Jianglong nodded before launching into an explanation, “As you might have inferred, the Graveyard of Demons is where all followers of the Dark Ways are buried.”

“According to the legend, when Rahu, the Progenitor Demon finally met his end, his eyes transformed into the sun and moon, his blood transformed into rivers, his muscles and bones transformed into hills and mountains, his hair transformed into plants, and his essence transformed into this floating, upside-down mountain. That is why this mountain is also known as the Rahu Mountain or the Mountain of Demons. To a follower of the Dark Ways, this mountain is known as the Holy Mountain.”

“Lord Hong, we already know about this,” a young man voiced his puzzlement.

“I know that you already know about this. I just want to repeat the legend. Is that a crime?”

Hong Jianglong rolled his eyes at the youngster before continuing, “Anyway, the followers of the Dark Ways believe that their souls would go to Rahu if they bury themselves in the Mountain of Demons, and they all view it as an unparalleled honor. But of course, only those who are truly strong are qualified to bury their bones here. Over time, this place was known as the Graveyard of Demons.”

“Do you know why I’ve brought you here?” Hong Jianglong asked after finishing his explanation.

“Yes chief!” The group of five responded affirmatively.

“Good. I am now going to repeat myself.”

The group of five: “...”

“The reason I brought you here is because everyone buried here is a champion of some sort, and most of them engraved their martial intent to their gravestones while creating their graves. These are greatly beneficial to your cultivation as a matter of course.”

“There were even people who left behind entire inheritances because they were unwilling to let their legacy end with them. If you manage to obtain them, then your future will be brighter than ever before.”

The five warriors’ eyes lit up. This was the main reason they had entered the Demon’s Tomb. It was to enter the Graveyard of Demons and obtain a suitable inheritance. The martial intent was nice, but it was a low priority at best.

I see! Ye Qing thought in realization. If he wasn’t tempted before—which he was—now he was sorely tempted to enter the place.

He wouldn’t have been moved if the treasures inside the graveyard were just natural resources or the sort. With the Annon Sutra, there was probably no natural resource he couldn’t get so long as he was strong enough to survive the journey. But a martial inheritance? That was a temptation he found difficult to resist. And to be fair, what kind of warrior wouldn’t be interested in a martial inheritance?

If he could obtain a martial inheritance, then he would reach the heavens in a single bound. At the very least, he wouldn’t need to worry about finding good martial arts for a long time to come.

“I don’t remember you being a long-winded man, Benefactor Hong.” Laughing Buddha shot Hong Jianglong a strange look before urging, “If your hopefuls aren’t going to go first, then mine will. You don’t want to keep senior waiting, do you?”

“Haha! Sorry, I sometimes forget myself when I roleplay a teacher. Do as you please,” said Hong Jianglong with a guffaw. “Watch the test carefully, kids. I know you’re qualified, but you don’t want to screw up because you were arrogant, do you?”

“Yes chief.”

Meanwhile, the young monk Laughing Buddha brought had walked up to the Lu You and gave him a solemn bow.

Hong Jianglong walked over to Laughing Buddha and joked, “Is your Holy Son a mute or something, Laughing Buddha? Why isn’t he speaking at all?”

To his surprise, the monk said, “That’s because he’s cultivating the Vow of Silence I taught him.”

“The Vow of Silence? That is one of the hardest ultimate arts your Maitreya Sect possesses, isn\'t it? Those who cultivate it must not say a single word for ten years, or you would have to start all over again. It is said to be the art that only a person of great willpower and courage could cultivate. Is your Holy Son stupid or retarded?”

Hong Jianglong jeered before asking, “How long has he been practicing the Vow of Silence?”

Laughing Buddha didn’t get angry despite Hong Jianglong’s provocation. He simply said, “Amitabha, I’m not telling you!”

Hong Jianglong: “...” When did you become so naughty, monk?

While the duo were conversing, the Luo You had already raised his Soul Mirror and fired a beam of light at the young monk. The Holy Son of Maitreya didn’t attempt to dodge out of the way, however. In fact, it was like he couldn’t see the beam of light at all. A moment before the bright, translucent light would hit him, he whispered, “Disperse all evils.”

As soon as he said this, a strange energy rippled out like an edict of heaven. The beam of light grew weaker and weaker under its effects until it was completely gone.

“Amitabha...”

The Holy Son of Maitreya chanted before walking back to Laughing Buddha.

That’s insane! Ye Qing’s pupil contracted in disbelief. The young monk was only a Spirit Purifier, but he felt stronger than the unfortunate bastard who was annihilated by the Lu You earlier.

“He... he... he already completed the Vow of Silence?!”

Hong Jianglong stared at the Holy Son of Maitreya in disbelief before looking back at Laughing Buddha. “Tell me I’m dreaming, bald donkey. This can’t be true, is it?”

Laughing Buddha ignored the rude nickname and replied amiably, “You’re not that old that your eyes and ears would deceive you. Yes, our Holy Son has completed the Vow of Silence.”

“Born with a Buddhist’s heart, our Holy Son is a devotee of great willpower and courage. He had begun practicing the Vow of Silence since twelve, and today is the day his ten-year silence comes to an end.”

A long time later, Hong Jianglong finally voiced his wholehearted admiration. “Incredible. Truly incredible! A Buddhist’s heart, great willpower and courage. If the practitioner is lacking in any one of these qualities, then they would not succeed. But all who succeeded could verbally command power and repel all opposition. What were the heavens thinking? What did your sect do to deserve a genius?”

Laughing Buddha glanced at a stern-faced young man with cloth wrapped around his hand and carrying a long saber behind his back. “You speak as if your Pacification Bureau doesn’t have its own fair share of geniuses. That young man over there is the famous “Tyrant Blade” Luo Zhan, am I right? To have attained such power and skill at his age, he has a bright future ahead of him.”

Luo Zhan nodded in acknowledgement, but that was all. He remained unmoved despite the praise.

Hong Jianglong smiled. “He’s just okay. Speaking of which, you may take your turn now, Luo Zhan.”

“Yes chief,” Luo Zhan responded before walking toward the Lu You. When he walked past the young monk though, he shot him a taunting look.

1. Just a moniker. Unless expressly stated, don’t treat them like the real thing, just like how ‘Demon of Unliving’ isn’t actually a demon... though I myself was rather unsure until later. >_> ?