Chapter 113: The Eerie Mountain Village

“Luck is also a part of strength,” Dao Kong said earnestly.

“Yes, luck is indeed a part of strength,” Zhao Wushuang agreed wholeheartedly. Together, they followed Luffy down to the small mountain village.

The night was hazy, the moonlight like a delicate veil, and life felt like a fleeting dream.

As Luffy and the others entered the village, they found it engulfed in darkness. Clearly, the villagers had all gone to sleep.

Zhao Wushuang and Dao Kong walked beside Luffy, curious about him. They hadn’t expected this young man to be so powerful. If not for him, their situation might have been perilous. He had single-handedly repelled a three-star quasi-wolf king—truly impressive.

Luffy activated his Reincarnation Heavenly Eye and glanced to the side before entering a dilapidated house. No one was inside. “We’ll rest here tonight,” he said.

Inside, the room was tidied somewhat, indicating someone had slept here before, though not tonight.

“Aren’t we here to find the Relic? Why do you want to sleep right away?” Zhao Wushuang asked, somewhat exasperated.

“You two go ahead and search. I haven’t slept in two days. I need to catch up on some rest first,” Luffy replied seriously, then lay down on the bed. Having a proper bed was indeed quite comfortable.

“Damn, you’ve taken the bed. Where are we supposed to sleep?” Dao Kong complained, speechless.

“Sleep on the floor wherever you find comfortable,” Luffy said without paying them any mind. He turned around, pulling out several talisman cloths, placed them around himself, then closed his eyes to sleep.

“Is that really necessary? You don’t trust us? You’re even setting up a formation on your own bed to prevent us from ambushing you?” Dao Kong shook his head in disbelief at Luffy’s actions—clearly, he didn’t trust them.

“What are you shouting about? It’s just a talisman formation. I have to set it up; it would be bad if you suddenly turned beastly on me,” Zhao Wushuang chuckled, taking a cloth from his bag and spreading it nearby, preparing to sleep.

“Seriously? You two have places to sleep, and I’m supposed to sleep on a pile of grass?” Dao Kong muttered, unimpressed. The two just shot him a glance of impatience and went back to sleep.

“If you can’t sleep, you can investigate the village. I’ll spend at most an hour tomorrow searching for the Relic here, then we’ll leave,” Luffy said, eyes still closed, voice low and firm.

---

“Oh, that works. If I find anything, I’ll let you know. Might as well find a place to wash up, too,” Dao Kong said as he turned and stepped outside.

The moonlight hung like a veil, the night dim and quiet. Dao Kong, clad in his monk’s robe, looked around. The village was peaceful, with maybe a few dozen households. Occasionally, a dog barked.

He headed east, drawn by the sound of flowing water.

“Splash, splash...”

It was a stream, clear and cool, situated behind the village.

Dao Kong was about to wash when he noticed a beautiful silhouette in the water—a lotus emerging from the pond. Her skin was as white as snow, her delicate face framed by scattered, damp black hair.

She lifted her head, and her snowy figure shimmered faintly beneath the water’s surface.

“Amitabha... don’t look improperly... but wow, she’s truly beautiful,” Dao Kong’s eyes sparkled.

Suddenly, the beauty let out a sharp scream. Struggling violently, it seemed as if she was cramping or something was grabbing her foot.

Dao Kong was startled. He swiftly pulled out his Buddhist prayer beads and swung them, releasing a burst of golden light.

The woman stopped sinking. Dao Kong dived in and pulled her ashore. Seeing her full, alluring figure and flawless skin, he swallowed nervously. “Could it be that I’m about to leave the monastery?”

“Hmm? Why isn’t she waking up? Should I perform artificial respiration? That would break my vows, but saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. I must save her—and maybe give my first kiss to such a beautiful girl,” he thought, pursing his lips, taking a deep breath, and leaning toward her lips.

“Smack!”

She suddenly awoke and slapped him hard. “You pervert!” she screamed, then turned and ran.

Dao Kong was left utterly bewildered. “I only wanted to save you! How did I become a pervert? A monk doesn’t speak falsely.”

He stood up, solemnly staring at the stream. He had just seen a surge of black energy—he didn’t know what it was, but such evil in a sacred barrier was baffling. Frowning, he turned and hurried back.

Returning to the dilapidated house where Luffy and the others were, he said, “Damn, you won’t believe what just happened to me.”

“What?” Zhao Wushuang turned over, looking annoyed. “I was just about to sleep when you disturbed me.”

“I saw a beautiful woman bathing by the stream and wanted to join her,” Dao Kong said, shaking his head.

“But suddenly, a wave of evil energy pulled her foot under. Luckily, I acted in time and saved her, but she fainted again. I wanted to perform artificial respiration, but she woke up and slapped me,” he explained helplessly.

“That’s what you get. How can such a sacred place have evil energy?” Zhao Wushuang said skeptically. He suspected Dao Kong was fabricating the evil energy story just to justify the artificial respiration incident.

“It’s quite common for evil to appear in the most sacred places. Perhaps this evil energy is why the Relic appeared here,” Luffy suddenly interjected, causing them to look at him in surprise.

“Could there be something strange here?” Zhao Wushuang asked him.

“Ding-dong clang...” Suddenly, sounds of a funeral procession echoed outside—drums, gongs, trumpets, and weeping voices approached from afar. Someone was chanting an incomprehensible sutra.

“What the hell is going on?” Dao Kong was speechless. “Don’t funerals usually happen in the morning? Why at midnight? Are these people crazy?”

“Why not go out and see for yourself?” Zhao Wushuang rolled his eyes.

“All right, I’ll go check,” Dao Kong said energetically. Luffy didn’t even bother to use his Reincarnation Heavenly Eye this time; he was ready to sleep. But this village was definitely eerie.

Dao Kong stood and walked outside.

He saw a dozen or so people carrying a wooden bridge toward a nearby mountain.

Their faces were grim.

“Amitabha... why are these people carrying a bridge in the middle of the night? What’s the purpose?” Dao Kong asked, adopting the solemn demeanor of a high monk.

“Monk? Master?” An elderly white-haired man of about seventy paused at the sight of the robed figure, mouth opening and closing as if to speak but hesitating. “You’re just passing through, right? Nothing to worry about. We’re simply performing some rituals.”

“Why is there a girl sitting on the bridge with tear-streaked cheeks?” Dao Kong asked seriously, his brows furrowed.

(End of chapter)