Urban Martial Saint

Fat Wang stood nearby, watching as Shijia and Ye Qing both recognized this red object, yet neither spoke its name, leaving him so anxious that his hair was almost falling out.

”What does it resemble, for heaven’s sake, just say something!” Fat Wang urged, ”Why do you two talk like a sheep taking a dump, squeezing out bit by bit? Can’t you just say everything that needs to be said at once?”

Shijia and Ye Qing exchanged glances, simultaneously took a deep breath, and said quietly, ”Could this thing be Heavenly Cluster Clouds?”

”Heavenly Cluster Clouds?” Fat Wang was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t heard this name before and didn’t know what it was. In fact, last time Ye Qing instructed them to spread rumors outside that Ye Qing had taken Heavenly Cluster Clouds out of the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master. But in reality, all they said was that Ye Qing took out a bone stick from the tomb, knowing nothing else, naturally unaware that the bone stick was indeed the Heavenly Cluster Clouds.

This red object was rod-shaped, about half a meter long. Although it was red on the surface, upon close inspection, one could find that the object seemed like a segment of bone, almost identical to the part of Heavenly Cluster Clouds Ye Qing had previously obtained from the Iga-ryu. Thus, Ye Qing and Shijia suspected this thing to be the Heavenly Cluster Clouds.

”Old bald donkey, don’t you recognize this thing either?” Ye Qing looked at Shijia in surprise, thinking that Shijia, being so knowledgeable, should be able to identify anything. However, why wasn’t he sure this was the Heavenly Cluster Clouds either?

”No need for nonsense, I am not a walking encyclopedia, must I know everything?” Shijia glared, carefully examining the red object, and said in a deep voice, ”But, this really might be Heavenly Cluster Clouds. Because, in legend, Yamata no Orochi’s eight heads each have different powers. Different powers mean different colors naturally. The one you acquired before was black, this one is red. Remove the color, and the two are exactly the same. So, this thing definitely is a Heavenly Cluster Clouds!”

Ye Qing stared at this Heavenly Cluster Clouds for a while, yet didn’t respond to Shijia’s words. If this thing really is Heavenly Cluster Clouds, then where did it come from?

There are eight Heavenly Cluster Clouds altogether, corresponding respectively to Yamata no Orochi’s eight heads. Of these Heavenly Cluster Clouds, six are unaccounted for, two are in the hands of those two ninja organizations in Japan, becoming their source of power. Among them, Koga-ryu’s Heavenly Cluster Clouds remains powerful, hence Koga-ryu’s strength is considerable. Whereas, Iga-ryu’s Heavenly Cluster Clouds has almost depleted its power, causing the Iga-ryu to gradually decline. In order to strengthen the Iga-ryu, its members have been trying every means to find a new Heavenly Cluster Clouds, which is why Iga-ryu desperately wanted to enter the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master. Because, according to legend, one Heavenly Cluster Clouds is in the tomb.

However, Ye Qing and his group did not find Heavenly Cluster Clouds in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master, no one knows where this Heavenly Cluster Clouds ultimately went. Indeed, the Iga-ryu’s Heavenly Cluster Clouds eventually fell into Ye Qing’s hands. But, due to its mysterious power, Ye Qing sealed this Heavenly Cluster Clouds away.

Now, if the one here at Xiliang Mountain is also Heavenly Cluster Clouds, then it raises a question. Where did this Heavenly Cluster Clouds come from? Most Heavenly Cluster Clouds are over in Japan, according to the legend, only one is on the Huaxia side. So, is this Heavenly Cluster Clouds the same as the one from the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master? If it is the same, then who took Heavenly Cluster Clouds from the tomb and brought it here to Xiliang Mountain?

Shijia didn’t think that much, still caressing the Heavenly Cluster Clouds, commenting, ”I never expected Heavenly Cluster Clouds to appear here. No wonder the Immovable Bodhisattva Seal sealed this place, this Heavenly Cluster Clouds’ power is indeed too wicked, it can turn people into skeletons, and can make skeletons move. Heavenly Cluster Clouds, truly not simple. It appears we can’t just use this Heavenly Cluster Clouds, we have to suppress it with the Immovable Bodhisattva Seal, otherwise, there will be trouble!”

As Shijia spoke, he suddenly stuffed the Heavenly Cluster Clouds into the Small Bone Pagoda. The Heavenly Cluster Clouds was relatively long, only a part of it went in. Nonetheless, once inside the Small Bone Pagoda, the red color on the Heavenly Cluster Clouds immediately receded, as if frightened by the Small Bone Pagoda, turning into a section of white bone.

Seeing this situation, everyone around was astonished. Even Big Beard and others, originally puzzled, suddenly opened their eyes wide. Needless to say, they had witnessed the red color receding from the bone firsthand.

At this moment, Fat Wang was irate, pointing at Shijia, he urged, ”Old bald donkey, what did you do? My ruby, how did it turn white?”

This guy was truly greedy enough that he hadn’t reflected even now, still thinking only of the ruby.

”Give it a rest, if this thing isn’t trapped by the Small Bone Pagoda, once its power awakens inside, it’ll turn you into a skeleton at once!” Shijia smirked, ”Ruby, heh, do you want to become a skeleton holding a ruby, or live healthily?”

Looking at Shijia’s expression, Fat Wang was suspicious and scratched his head, ”Old bald donkey, I’m not well-read, don’t try to fool me. How could this thing possibly turn people into skeletons? To become skeletons, it’s golden light, and this thing emits red light!”

”If you don’t trust my words, you can try it, you can remove it now!” Shijia directly handed the Heavenly Cluster Clouds to Fat Wang, but Fat Wang didn’t dare touch it, he was genuinely frightened by Shijia’s words.

”That’s enough, stop with the nonsense!” Ye Qing waved his hand, ”Now that the seal is broken, let’s leave, staying here isn’t right!”

”Yes, yes, yes, let’s get out, let’s get out first!” Shijia was the first to get energized, as he walked toward the exit, he said, ”Damn, being trapped here for days, Buddha Master’s stomach is about to cave in. Quickly, I want to eat some soy-braised pig’s trotters!”

Seeing Shijia in his kasaya, everyone was speechless. This guy, can he still be considered a monk?

Although the cave entrance was far from the ground, with Shijia around, getting out wasn’t difficult. Before, the entrance was sealed, and Shijia couldn’t get out either. Now that the seal was gone, Shijia climbed up the stone wall alongside the entrance with ease. This level of qinggong reminded Ye Qing of the time when The Immortal Lord faced Fu Qingping, walking up a ninety-degree cliff. It seems this kind of qinggong is something every beyond peerless master knows, not just The Immortal Lord.

However, Fat Wang and the other two were dumbfounded. Especially Fat Wang, who even went to the stone wall, lifted his foot to see if he could learn to climb like Shijia. After falling twice, he gave up, realizing this was simply beyond him.

After Shijia climbed up, he threw down a rope and pulled the others up. Finally, everyone escaped from the cave, with Shijia excitedly cheering.

Ye Qing also breathed a sigh of relief; this trip was worth it, having rescued Shijia. In retrospect, bringing Fat Wang was the luckiest. Without Fat Wang, they would have been in big trouble this time.

The group made their way out of the cave, but before they had walked far, they heard a rustling sound from deep within the cave.

Hearing this, Ye Qing and the others exchanged glances, and their expressions changed immediately. This sound, they had heard it a few days ago; it was the sound of long-toothed rats, the sound of a large group of long-toothed rats burrowing through the earth!

”Run!” Fat Wang was the first to shout, and without waiting for anyone to respond, he was the first to dash out.

Ye Qing, Big Beard, and the other man didn’t dare to dawdle, hurriedly following him out, leaving Shijia behind, still curious and asking, ”What’s going on? Why are we running?”

”Old bald donkey, why are you talking so much? If you don’t want to die, run!” Fat Wang shouted loudly, and as he spoke, the rustling sound from deep within the cave was getting closer.

Shijia waved his hand and said, ”Hey, what’s there to be afraid of? With Buddha Master here, there’s nothing to fear. Buddha Master wants to see what kind of formidable creature it is inside!”

Ye Qing and the others ignored him, quickening their pace to run out. Although Shijia’s skills were excellent, the number of long-toothed rats was something even a master couldn’t handle. There were simply too many long-toothed rats, and they were too dangerous. Shijia’s Vajra Indestructible Body might be fine here, but the others weren’t willing to take that risk. If Shijia couldn’t handle the rats, wouldn’t they be stuck too?

The cave was big, but fortunately, the long-toothed rats emerged from the end of the cave, coming from one side rather than surrounding them. Human speed was slightly faster than the long-toothed rats, so as long as they ran, they were fine.

Ye Qing and the others hadn’t run far before they heard Shijia let out a shriek of ”Shakyamuni’s mother” from behind, and soon after, Shijia caught up with them, rushing forward.

”Old bald donkey, what are you doing here?” Fat Wang taunted Shijia, ”Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of anything? Why are you running?”

”Amitabha, Buddha forbids taking life. I’m not afraid, but it doesn’t mean I can kill,” Shijia said with a self-righteous look, but soon changed his expression, cursing loudly, ”Damn, you guys should have told me there were so many rats, don’t you know Buddha Master finds them disgusting!”

Everyone was speechless, thinking to themselves, you actually find something disgusting too.

However, Shijia had also run out, so naturally, they didn’t slow down either, and continued sprinting out of the cave.

When they reached the entrance of the cave, the three people who had originally been guarding the entrance were nowhere to be seen, only the few backpacks they had left behind, nothing else was left.