Do you personally believe?
Thunder booms.
Torrents of rain pour down below.
The entire Xiao Yun (Lit: Small Cloud) temple seemingly hid from the rain, appearing indistinct and fuzzy amidst the downpour.
Inside the Hall of Great Strength.
Rays of light faintly dim.
An enormous Buddha statue sits, compassionately overlooking, perhaps pitying everything below.
Candles line the vicinity all around, their flames swaying gently.
In the halls, a novice Buddhist monk beats his Mu Yu (TL: Ancient wooden percussion instrument)
Deep, dark rumbles emit from the Mu Yu, containing hints of the true meaning of the laws of the world, much like the roaring wind, flooding rain, and crashing thunder. Whether the sound of the Mu Yu, or the sound of the elements, they both engulf everything beneath them.
A youth with a delicate and pretty face kneels on a prayer mat, wearing a white robe with embroidered details.
Yet, on closer inspection, his eyes were an all encompassing jet black.
His lips were also purple, nearly black.
His entire body deeply emanated death qi.
He is the Qing He county Li family's young master.
Li Wu You. (Lit: Without worry, anxiety, sorrow, grief)
For many years, his body has suffered Septicemia. (TL Note: Poisoned blood due to pathogen)
He had sought countless famous doctors, yet still, no cure was found.
His life was near its end.
Li Wu You's left hand was placed over his heart, while his right hand held Buddhist prayer beads.
His mouth was struggling to move, wordlessly mouthing Buddhist scripture.
He was slowly rotating the beads across his palm and over the back of his hand, one bead at a time with his thumb.
His face was abnormally calm.
It was as if on one hand, his incurable sickly body was still there, but on the other, it was like it had not yet manifested.
"A Mi Tuo Fo" (TL: Name of the western Buddha of paradise, commonly said as a prayer for health, to be saved, for good luck, etc).
Outside the main hall, an elder monk wearing a gold robe entered, slightly hunched over, his face covered in wrinkles.
Despite being seriously old, he was clearly a person of outstanding moral character and virtue.
This was Xiao Yun temple's Fang Zhang.
Yun Zhi Fang Zhang. (TL: Yun Zhi, Lit: Cloud Wisdom)
Li Wu You was Xiao Yun temple's most pious pilgrim.
The Hall of Great Strength, the Buddha's golden body, even the entire rear mountain's passage and side areas were all renovated and maintained by Li Wu You.
Despite his condition, he does not dare to not forge ahead.
After a little bit, Li Wu You finished chanting his sutras.
He stood up.
Yun Zhi Fang Zhang clapped his hands together in prayer as his hands walked along the path.
"The rain is still pouring, the mountain road will be hard to cross. Mr. Li, despite his sick body, still goes to pray to Buddha. Pious and default folks tend to be the ones with the greatest emotional depth." (TL Note: the way he calls Li Wu You distinctly suggests he is not a formally recognized inner monk of the temple, yet fully recognizes the depth of his contributions to the temple. This feels impossible to translate.)
"Buddha will definitely bless and protect Mr. Li, a long life of 100 years."
He knew about Li Wu You's issue.
After so many years of finding doctors and asking for medicine, seeking God and worshiping Buddha, if nothing else, it's clear he desires an extended life.
So, Yun Zhi Fang Zhang knew what he had to say.
He had always let Li Wu You deposit donations, and Li Wu You had always thanked Yun Zhi Fang Zhang for his words.
However, Today's Li Wu You heard his words, but his face still remained tranquil and peaceful.
He had completely lost his former habits.
Pausing, Li Wu You's voice hoarsely emitted.
"Master Yun Zhi, Li has an issue, may I please ask you to dispel my doubts?"
"Mr Li, please ask. This humble monk shares all his knowledge without limit."
Yun Zhi's face was sincere.
Li Wu You turned his body, lifted his head, and looked directly at the venerable, golden, glistening Buddha.
After becoming silent, he suddenly laughed. He asked:
"Master has repeatedly, on many occasions said: Buddha can bless and Protect Mr. Li, extending his life to 100 years. Do you really believe this?"
Yun Zhi's face became rigid.
"Ah… Mi Tuo Fo!"
This question was piercing, and intense.
But he was still Fang Zhang after all, it could not be said his methods were merely ordinary. He quickly replied with a tranquil and calm explanation.
"If Mr. Li is pious enough, Buddha will definitely hear his heart's needs."
"Master Yun Zhi, you replied to a different question."
Li Wu You narrowed his eyes. Although his face was still peaceful, his body was thoroughly emitting a sharp, cold aura."
"The question I asked wasn't 'Can or can't Buddha hear me,' it was, 'Master, do you actually believe that?'"
"Mr. Li…"
Due to the faintly white, oppressive aura in front of him, Yun Zhi could not help but retreat two steps.
He was speechless.
"Master Yun zhi, You also don't believe, right?"
Li Wu You raised the corner's of his mouth.
The innate taunting and ridicule of his smile could be clearly seen.
Yun Zhi did not know why the gentle and refined Li Wu You had suddenly become like this.
But he did not want to wrong this pilgrim who had been so helpful to the temple.
After taking several deep breaths, he willed his terrified heart to calm down, and then clasped his hands in prayer and said deeply:
"This humble monk believes."
"Buddha aligned with heaven, overlooks all living beings, desiring all living beings are..."
"Ah!"
His words suddenly stopped!
Because, Li Wu You had taken out a dagger and directly inserted it into his heart.
Fresh blood spurted out.
Red dyed his formerly golden robe as well as the prayer mat and Li Wu You's body.
"You…"
Yun Zhi Fang Zhang had never thought that Li Wu You would suddenly murder him, his eyes opened wide, his face quickly making a horrified expression.
"Master Yun Zhi, wait for Buddha for a couple years. You just need to be pious enough."
Li Wu You gently patted Yun Zhi's shoulder and let out a laugh:
"Let me see how Buddha will bless you and extend your life to 100 years!"
Without any more to say, Li Wu You extracted the dagger.
Yun Zhi staggered and fell forward with a sound, kneeling before the enormous Buddha statue.
Fresh blood was rapidly spewing everywhere.
It was like a crimson flower had just bloomed.
"Ah…"
The small, novice monk discovered the horrific scene, and shrieked, and dropped the Mu Yu.
He was frightened and shocked, as he ran away from the Hall of Great Strength.
Xiu!
The dagger from Li Wu You's hand flew out, accurately penetrating through the back of the novice monk.
Crimson blossomed.
He fell down through the entrance onto the stairs.
Blood dripped off of the decorative clay tiles decorating the temple, merging with the falling rain, washing it all away.
"Li Wu You! Have you gone mad! Are you Crazy?!"
Yun Zhi had yet to stop breathing. He covered his heart, and his voice was terrified.
"I just wanted to see if Buddha really can protect Master. Furthermore, you have been a disciple of Xiao Yun temple for over 100 years!
Li Wu You walked over to the novice monk and pulled on the handle of the dagger that was still in his body.
And then, simply walked out, through the torrential curtain of rain.
...
BOOM!
9th Heaven, Blue Dome of Heaven.
Lighting like a silver snake wreaked havoc.
The entire Xiao Yun temple was shaking.
Two monks had apparently heard the cries for help in the Hall of Great Strength.
They came over curiously.
They had just begun to salute and greet Li Wu You and were suddenly wrangled by their necks.
They had terrified expressions as they fell in the mud.
Blood and water mixed in the rainy puddles.
They grasped their neck in panic, their bodies violently twitching, their eyes in despair, yet their mind confused.
What had just happened??
"No… Li Wu You…"
Master Yun Zhi could do nothing but watch the massacre that took place in the pouring rain.
His face full of despair and terror only became more intense. He struggled with his heavy body, and turned to the Buddha statue, attempting to grasp its leg, seemingly begging for some kind of help.
"Buddha, searching for, seeking you, please, save those three…"
"Buddha-Ah…"
The golden Buddha statue remained aloof and unconcerned.
"Ah…"
Yun Zhi was disparate and heart broken. He opened his mouth to scream, yet only blood came out.
And then, he died.
The Buddha statue remained with two bloody hand prints grasping its foot.
...
About six hours later, Li Wu You's silhouette once again returned to the Hall of Great Strength, his clothes soaked.
He tightly grasped his body.
A concentrated red flowed out from his robe.
Every step he took left a bloody footprint.
He stepped over Yun Zhi's corpse and went directly under the enormous Buddha Statue.
He watched the statue, standing there for a moment, and then, with his white complection spit out a mouthful of blood.
Body suffering from incurable illness; forcefully advance, by means of the self.
Ever since, his body was left to be as it was, without opportunity to heal. Time had passed rapidly.
His hair gradually became grizzled.
His skin had wrinkled.
But in his eyes, he did not have any hint of terror, in fact there was an intimate, cold, and deranged quality to them.
"You continuously protect and bless your followers without end!"
"Even more so, what about me?"
"I sought you, prayed to you, and for what?"
Li Wu You's voice was awe inspiring.
His expression was like a demon's.
Bong!!!
His dagger shot out ferociously, sawing away at the giant statue's base.
Saw dust swirled in the air.
Creak… crunch…
The statue creaked and swayed, and then, slowly went crooked before toppling down, directly smashing Yun Zhi's corpse like a giant rolling pin, crushing his body into meat paste.
Blood splattered in the air.
The statue's intricate detailing all shattered into countless splinters.
The hall was a complete mess.
The Buddha statue's head rolled all the way to the entrance.
Within its eyes, was that a tear? Or just the droplets of rain flowing down.
They gradually flowed downward.
Shortly after, Xiao Yun temple was ablaze in flames.
Within the inexhaustible and endless flames, Li Wu You went down the mountain, coldly laughing.
"Since the beginning, God's and Buddha's have been useless, therefore, I will personally go, facing heaven, demanding reparation!"