Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 122 People Who Care About the Murals

There are many Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries in the capital, many of which are famous and some of them are truly capable. Whether it is for daily worship or exorcising evil spirits and warding off disasters, outsiders can easily find several recommended places to visit with just a little inquiry.

Among these, there are naturally some that are not well-known in the city, or even inconspicuous and unnoticed. There is a remote and inconspicuous little temple with very few monks and few people visiting it. The only thing that can be said about the temple is the exquisite murals in the main hall.

"Brother Zhu, calm down!"

On the path leading to the temple, two scholars were arguing, one pulling the other, trying to stop his friend from going to the temple.

"It's just a mural, why are you so fixated on it?"

Meng Longtan couldn't understand why his friend was so stubborn and wouldn't listen to any advice.

"How could it just be a painting!"

Zhu Xiaolian, who was being pulled, suddenly swung his arm away, breaking free from his friend's grasp and causing the other person to stumble.

"You clearly saw it yourself, her hairstyle changed, and you believed everything I said before, didn't you?"

Back then, Meng Longtan and Zhu Xiaolian stayed at the temple together. At that time, there was only one old monk in the temple. He took them to see the murals in the main hall. In the murals, there was a fairy maiden who was scattering flowers and smiling. At that time, the girl had her hair tied up in the style of an unmarried woman.

That evening, Zhu Xiaolian unexpectedly entered the painting and had a romantic encounter with the girl in the painting. At that time, they were discovered by the girl's companions. The girl was teased and had her hair styled into a woman's bun. Her companions covered for the two of them, deceiving the golden-armored warriors who came to investigate.

When he came out of the mural again, he saw that the girl's hairstyle had changed from a drooping bun to a spiral bun, proving that what Zhu Xiaolian experienced was not a dream.

"But that old monk said it was all just an illusion..."

"That's definitely not an illusion!"

Before Meng Longtan could finish speaking, he was interrupted by his friend, who then turned and walked forward without looking back, with an air of unwavering determination.

Indeed, he was looking for Zhu Xiaolian in the temple, but after searching for a long time, he still couldn't find him. Finally, he went to find the old monk, who led him to the mural and called him back from inside the mural.

Aside from what Zhu Xiaolian experienced in the murals himself, he witnessed the rest firsthand, including the changes in the hairstyle of the girl holding a flower in the murals.

He also remembered that when asked why this had happened, the old monk only said that it was an illusion caused by the changes in people's hearts. After that, the two left the temple and moved elsewhere.

Meng Longtan had almost forgotten about it, but in the last few days Zhu Xiaolian has been running to the temple again as if he were possessed, saying that he wants to find the girl in the mural again and that he wants to marry her.

Whether that girl was a demon or a ghost was still unclear, and it was even uncertain whether she truly existed. How could he possibly marry her? Meng Longtan suspected that this guy was bewitched by something, so he went up to ask him for clarification.

The question turned out to be even more shocking. Zhu Xiaolian had dreamt of the girl, in which he saw her crying in the Heavenly Palace. Her affair with the mortal had been exposed, and she would soon be captured and punished by the heavenly soldiers.

Because of this dream, Zhu Xiaolian couldn't sit still. Back then, to avoid the golden-armored heavenly soldiers on patrol, he had to hide under his bed, and with the help of many young girls and companions outside, he managed to escape. At that time, Zhu Xiaolian had some psychological trauma regarding the heavenly soldiers in the murals.

Now that he has left the temple, he thought that this matter was really just an illusion caused by the mind, just as the old monk said. But if it was really an illusion, why could he still dream of her after leaving? He was no longer in the temple and could no longer see the murals, so why could he still hear her crying?

Therefore, Zhu Xiaolian decided to return to the temple. If the girl was really going to be punished, he would rather go back into the murals, bring her out, and formally marry her.

Hearing that he wanted to go back to find that strange mural because of a dream, and even marry the flower-scattering goddess in the mural, Meng Longtan felt it was absurd.

His friend is extremely talented. He has already become a scholar at a young age and has a bright future ahead of him. With such potential, why should he worry about not finding a good wife? Why should he keep thinking about a person in a mural?

"Now that the temple is inhabited by the Yan family, are you out of your mind?"

"That's precisely why we should go!"

Normally, Zhu Xiaolian wouldn't have bothered to go to the temple again, and Meng Longtan wouldn't have asked him about it. But this was the worst time. A few days ago, the Yan family, for some unknown reason, led a group to worship at this inconspicuous little temple in the capital, and even blocked the road and the gate, forbidding others from going there.

No one paid any attention to this small temple at first, but the Yan family, a powerful family in the capital, suddenly came to the door and seemed to want to take it over. This was very unusual. Because of this, the people around began to wonder what was in the temple. Could it be that there was gold hidden inside?

But no matter how curious they were, it was useless. The Yan family had blocked the road to the temple. This was a powerful family that could control everything in the capital. Going to provoke them was no different from courting death.

Then, at this critical juncture, Zhu Xiaolian wanted to go find the girl in the mural, and Meng Longtan couldn't stop him no matter what. Wasn't this courting death?

"Even if you're in a hurry, at least wait until things calm down!"

Meng Longtan caught up with the person in front of him, speaking while panting heavily. Today was the first time he realized that his friend was so strong and fast.

"The Yan family has surrounded the temple so tightly that it's impossible for you to pass by. Brother Zhu, what's the difference between going there now and hitting a brick wall?"

"If we wait any longer, it will be too late. The heavenly soldiers won't wait to arrest people. Besides, the fact that the Yan family has arrived at this time confirms that there is something unusual about the temple!"

And the most unusual thing in the temple was the murals they had seen before.

"And the things the Yan family did before, they would never have done such a thing if it wasn't related to supernatural forces."

Even earlier, trouble suddenly broke out in the Yan family. A sword immortal descended upon the world, appearing in the sky above the capital. The first place he appeared was the Yan family's residence. Soon after, the Yan family's women were exposed for secretly abducting scholars to be their male concubines, and for colluding with evil spirits. These things kept the Yan family in peace for quite some time.

Now they're suddenly targeting a temple that's not even famous in the capital. It just doesn't make sense. Add to that their past experiences and Zhu Xiaolian's dream, and it's hard not to make connections.

Even if there really is a connection...

Meng Longtan took a deep breath, rushed to Zhu Xiaolian, grabbed his shoulder, and faced him.

“Brother Zhu, you are just a scholar, not an immortal. Even if the Yan family really wants the murals, what can you do there? We are just ordinary scholars. My family is in Jiangxi, so I'm not afraid of being implicated if I offend someone. What will you do?”

Meng Longtan was from Jiangxi. Apart from himself, who lived in the capital to study, all his family members were thousands of miles away. If he offended someone, only he would suffer. But Zhu Xiaolian was different. His hometown was close to the capital. If the Yan family wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as turning their hand.

Are those who pass the imperial examinations impressive? Of course they are. There are so many scholars in the world, but very few pass. Some people study their whole lives and die as old students. Ordinary people who can become xiucai are already a cut above others, let alone someone like Zhu Xiaolian who passed the imperial examinations at a young age and has a bright future ahead of him.

However, facing the powerful and influential people in the capital, a mere Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) could not cause any significant trouble. If Zhu Xiaolian offended the Yan family for a girl whose existence was uncertain, they could easily strip him of his Juren status with just a little manipulation, or even just a single word, leaving him with no place to bury his body.

"The Yan family has only recently encountered some minor troubles; they're not in decline. They can easily handle us."

"Of course I understand these things."

Zhu Xiaolian understood his friend's earnest advice, but as long as he understood, the sound of the girl crying still seemed to echo in his ears. He couldn't let go of the experience in the mural, and even more so, he couldn't let go of the girl in the mural who was smiling while holding a flower.

“But Brother Meng, even if I have to hit a brick wall, I hope it’s a wall with those paintings on it.”

After saying that, Zhu Xiaolian pulled the hand off his shoulder and continued walking forward. The two had been pulling each other for so long and had walked quite a distance. The outline of the temple could already be seen ahead.

He chose to take the side path because the main road would be guarded by Yan family servants. The side path was quiet and secluded, but also more difficult to walk. This is why the two of them were able to manage to go back and forth even after struggling for a long time.

This method of travel was more physically demanding, but with his superior physical strength, Zhu Xiaolian once again broke free from his friends' obstruction, his eyes fixed only on the outline of the temple ahead.

"It's crazy."

Meng Longtan wanted to chase, but due to the difference in physical strength, he could only keep chasing behind his opponent this time.

"We should at least find a Taoist priest to interpret this dream..."

He had been fine for so long, but recently he suddenly had a dream about the girl in the painting, and that she was about to die. Aside from the possibility that she was really going to die, Zhu Xiaolian's current anxious and flustered state is simply like he's possessed.

I've heard of scholars falling ill with lovesickness, losing their appetite and becoming bedridden, but I've never heard of anyone falling ill with lovesickness and banging their head against a wall.

"Even if I can't stop you... you still can't get in if the Yan family blocks the door!"

Meng Longtan was exhausted. He put his hands on his knees and gasped for breath. Like many remote temples, this one was built against the mountain. The two of them were walking uphill, on a more difficult path. He simply couldn't keep up.

"I climbed over the wall from the back."

Meng Longtan almost laughed in anger when he heard his friend's voice from ahead. "You're a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, yet you climb over a temple wall for a girl in a painting. How come I never knew this guy was so physically strong? A scholar who sits at his desk all day reading can run, jump, and even climb over walls on a hillside."

"Okay, go ahead."

He decided not to chase after them anymore. He found a random rock by the roadside, sat down, and shouted his last words of advice ahead.

"If the Yan family finds out, remember to come back when they throw you out!"

The Yan family is so domineering that Zhu Xiaolian will definitely not be allowed into the temple. On the bright side, seeing him walking past in a madman, they might not pursue Zhu Xiaolian's disruptive behavior and just throw him out.

Soon, Zhu Xiaolian returned, so quickly that Meng Longtan wondered if he had suddenly changed his mind, since he hadn't even had a chance to rest before Zhu Xiaolian came back.

Zhu Xiaolian didn't return on his own; he stumbled back, followed by a ferocious-looking giant wielding a spiked club. The giant's pace was somewhat slow, but thanks to his long legs, catching up with Zhu Xiaolian didn't take much effort.

He didn't encounter any members of the Yan family, but just as he was about to see the temple gate, he bumped into this huge monster, which was far more frightening than the servants of the Yan family.

With its enormous body and demonic face, if it weren't for the fact that the other party wasn't wearing golden armor and had a different aura from the figures in the murals, Zhu Xiaolian would almost have thought that the other party was a heavenly soldier who came out of the murals to hunt him down.

Faced with this monster, Zhu Xiaolian's heroic spirit of rescuing the damsel in distress vanished. He immediately turned around and ran back. Fortunately, the way back was downhill; otherwise, given his exhaustion, running past the giant would have been a pipe dream.

"Where have you been?!"

Upon seeing the giant behind Zhu Xiaolian, Meng Longtan stopped resting and jumped up, running back the way he came. In just a short while, how did the other party manage to bring back a monster?

"I really don't know!"

Faced with his friend's questioning, Zhu Xiaolian felt wronged. This time, he really didn't know anything. He was about to reach the temple when this terrifying monster suddenly appeared out of nowhere and kept chasing him.

No matter how fast they could run, the two were still just scholars who read books and wrote essays in their daily lives. The six arts of the gentleman, which were strictly required in the past, had not become more widespread because of the increase in the number of scholars. On the contrary, most scholars nowadays were very weak. For someone like Zhu Xiaolian and Meng Longtan to be able to keep running after struggling on the hillside path for so long was already considered to have very good physical strength.

Even so, they couldn't outrun the giant behind them. The giant's body looked clumsy, but it seemed tireless when it ran, and they couldn't shake it off no matter what they did.

Now that the two can no longer run, it's time for the giant to make his move.

"Lower your head."

Just as the ferocious giant raised his spiked club, a voice suddenly entered their ears. The voice was calm and reassuring. Although they didn't know who it was, in order to survive, the two did as they were told, crouching down with their heads in their hands and closing their eyes as well.

In the last instant before they closed their eyes, the two seemed to see a white light. They covered their heads and closed their eyes for a long time, but the spiked club that they had imagined striking them never landed on them. The surroundings were also unusually quiet, since the giant was supposed to roar.

Unable to wait for a result, the two tentatively opened their eyes. Everything around them was intact, their friend was not missing any limbs, and they themselves did not feel any pain.

"!"

Looking up again, they found that the giant was still in the position of holding the spiked club, but his body had been cut in half at the waist and was now disintegrating little by little. There was no flesh or blood in the broken wound, just emptiness.

"This giant looks like the work of the White Lotus Sect."

Jian Feidao descended from mid-air and walked to the two scholars. He had just asked for directions to the temple and murals and was heading this way when he saw two scholars below being chased to their deaths by giants.

Previously, the identity of the person who damaged the mural was only suspected, but now that we see this familiar Yaksha giant, it can be confirmed that the damage was caused by the White Lotus Sect.

I never imagined that after causing such a scene in Beijing, someone would still dare to tamper with things here in Beijing.

Are you two alright?

"...Sword Immortal?"