Chapter 199: Even a Fool, After a Thousand Thoughts, May Have a Moment of Clarity
"Clap, clap, clap, clap..."
Suddenly, crisp applause sounded at the doorway.
Wang Shouzhi's entire body stiffened. He whipped his head around, his pupils contracting violently!
He did not know when—
Chen Chang'an was leaning against the doorframe, clapping his hands with a smile.
"You... how are you here?!" Wang Shouzhi's voice was almost distorted. The face in the mirror, not yet fully transformed, was neither male nor female, and it twisted with terror.
Chen Chang'an did not answer, but slowly straightened up, the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Let me tell you a story, one I heard in my past life, oh."
His voice was unusually light and cheerful, clearly in a very good mood.
"On New Year's Eve, someone slaughtered the entire family of his enemy."
Wang Shouzhi and the monk were stunned, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up.
"As he was about to leave, he discovered a child hidden under the table." Chen Chang'an slowly approached, his boots making soft "creaking" sounds on the wooden floor. "He squatted down and slowly said to the child—"
"'Back then, I hid much better than you. The next time we meet, I will kill you.'"
"After saying that, he turned and left directly."
"The child crawled out trembling from under the table. At that moment—he suddenly appeared before the child, and said with an evil smile: 'We meet again.'"
Wang Shouzhi's breathing grew rapid, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The monk, on the other hand, looked at the woman before him with a guarded expression.
Although the other party seemed relaxed, as if simply telling a story, his aura had already firmly locked down everything in the vicinity.
"After killing that child, he didn't go far before squatting down in a corner. He believed that at a time like this, the true protagonist would emerge, and then embrace the corpse and weep."
"And sure enough, someone really did come out. It was also a child."
"He saw the new child embrace the corpse and weep, and he quickly stood before the new child and raised his hand for a knife strike."
Chen Chang'an made a slashing motion, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "To avoid the child's heart being on the right side, he gave him a strike on both the left and right."
"And he also gave one to the buttocks." he added, "Because he once read a novel in which a protagonist had his heart on his butt."
The monk's face gradually changed. For a moment, he couldn't tell who between himself and the other was the evil monk.
Chen Chang'an continued: "After both children had fallen, he hid in a corner again to see if anyone else would come. As expected, another person arrived, and this one was also a child."
"This time, he placed a knife and a piece of candy before the child."
"If the child chose the knife without hesitation, it meant he had the intent to kill. This child could not be kept."
"If the child chose the candy without hesitation, it meant he was deeply scheming. This child could not be kept."
"If the child chose both, it meant he was naturally greedy. This child could not be kept."
"If the child chose neither, it meant he was naturally rebellious. This child could not be kept."
Wang Shouzhi and the monk stared dumbfounded as Chen Chang'an finished this story in one breath. The room was deathly silent.
"Do you know what this story tells us?" Chen Chang'an suddenly asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he continued on his own: "The wise may have a thousand thoughts, but they will still have one oversight. The fool may have a thousand thoughts, but they will still have one moment of insight."
"When I came here, I kept thinking that for a stupid person like me, who can't consider everything carefully anyway, I might as well just apply a formula."
Wang Shouzhi's face was ashen. He forced a bitter smile: "I have no grudge or enmity with you, miss. Why must you press me so hard?"
"No, no, no." Chen Chang'an wagged his finger. "I've figured it out."
"Rather than waiting for you to grow stronger until I can't handle you, it's better for me to put in a little more effort now and strangle you in the cradle."
His smile was brilliant, but his eyes were icy cold: "The so-called Way of the Turtle is not about always being on the defensive. Sometimes, taking the initiative is also a way of being a turtle."
Before the words had even faded, a sword light suddenly flared!
"Don't even think about continuing to turtle your way through life. Today, in this room, even if you're an earthworm, I'll chop you lengthwise before I'm done."
"Clang—!"
The monk suddenly summoned a string of Buddhist beads, forcefully blocking this sword, then shouted loudly: "Go!"
Before Wang Shouzhi could react, he was dragged out by a massive force!
The place where he had just been was swept by the sword light, scaring him so much his heart leaped.
The next moment, the monk's withered fingers swiftly formed a seal. A golden light flew from his sleeve, growing in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into an ancient bronze bell. The bell's body was carved with Sanskrit characters, and it hummed as it covered Wang Shouzhi.
"Clang—"
The sound of the bell rippled out. Wang Shouzhi's vision blurred, and he was already enclosed within the bell. Through the semi-transparent bell wall, he saw the monk bleeding from the corner of his mouth, yet still shouting at him: "I'll hold him off, find a chance to escape!"
"Want to leave? It's not that easy!"
The sword light was like lightning, tearing through the night.
Chen Chang'an's long sword trembled in his hand. The Nine Heavens Thunder Movement Sword Art suddenly erupted. Blinding lightning coiled around the sword's edge. Every strike was accompanied by deafening thunder!
The monk could only turn around, desperately blocking.
Wang Shouzhi saw an opportunity to escape, but suddenly felt a chill down his spine—Chen Chang'an was actually fighting the monk while simultaneously locking him down with his divine sense. The sword intent, like a bone-afflicting tumor, penetrated the golden bell to lock onto his soul.
He was horrified to find that for every inch he moved toward the outside of the bell, that sword intent became a shred more ferocious, like a venomous snake raising its head, just waiting for him to step outside the protective range to deliver a fatal blow.
Outside the bell, the monk suddenly grunted.
Through the gaps in the Sanskrit characters, Wang Shouzhi saw Chen Chang'an's sword tip lifting half a broken Buddhist bead. Lightning was spreading along the monk's kasaya.
He finally understood—this magic treasure that was temporarily protecting him had now become his prison.
"Boom!"
The monk's vajra was knocked back by a sword strike. He grunted, the green bricks under his feet shattering inch by inch, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"You're a bit stronger than those pieces of trash from before." Chen Chang'an chuckled, his sword pointing diagonally. "Unfortunately, still not enough."
The monk's expression was grave. The Buddhist beads in his hand spun rapidly, Sanskrit chants pouring from his mouth as a layer of golden light appeared around his body. However, Chen Chang'an's sword momentum was like a violent storm, with lightning crisscrossing. Every strike made the golden light shield tremble violently, cracks spreading across it!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sword light and Buddhist light collided, sparks flying everywhere. The monk was forced back step by step, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, his heart filled with horror—
This person's sword momentum was actually even more terrifying than what he had seen during the day!
Seeing that defeat was inevitable, a ruthless glint flashed in the monk's eyes. He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto the Buddhist beads!
"Buzz—"
The Buddhist beads instantly flared with a blood-red light, transforming into a blood-colored shackle that fiercely wrapped around Chen Chang'an!
Chen Chang'an frowned, his figure slightly faltering. He was actually briefly trapped by this blood lock for a single breath!
"Miaodao! Miaoyin! Why aren't you here to help me!" the monk shouted fiercely.
The void suddenly twisted, and two figures appeared out of thin air!
The monk on the left held a demon-subduing vajra, its tip glinting with a cold light, stabbing straight toward Chen Chang'an's back! The monk on the right clasped his palms together, a golden "swastika" seal condensing in his palms, and viciously slapped toward Chen Chang'an's crown!
With killing intent upon him, Chen Chang'an's lips only curled slightly.
"I've been expecting you."
With a flick of his wrist, his sword momentum abruptly changed—
"Heaven-Defying Single Sword!"
"Zheng—!"
The sword's cry was like a dragon's. A brilliant sword light shot into the sky, like a pillar of heaven collapsing, forcefully holding back the two fatal killing moves!
"Boom!"
The shockwave exploded. The entire courtyard collapsed in an instant, dust and smoke rushing into the sky!
The three monks' expressions changed drastically as they retreated in unison. In the dust and smoke, Chen Chang'an stood with his sword, his robes fluttering, the fighting intent in his eyes like fire.
"Now this is getting interesting."
...
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 14 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 3 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 42 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise