Facing this group of fierce gang members, Shino's expression did not change at all.
He pressed his palms together, unhurriedly performed a standard Buddhist salute, and slowly uttered the Buddha's name: "Amitabha."
His voice was steady, carrying a sense of otherworldly calm that seemed completely out of place in this tense atmosphere.
"This Poor Monk, Shino, is passing through this place. Seeing that you are burdened by karma, I have come specifically to seek alms."
Shino's tone was peaceful, as if he were truly a wandering monk begging for a meal from the faithful.
His Dharma Eye was open. The black aura swirling around these people was so thick it had almost solidified. It was the color of sin, the proof of slaughter.
For these people, Shino had not a shred of pity, only cold killing intent.
The gang of punks was stunned at first, then burst into uproarious laughter, as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Seeking alms? Hahahaha!"
"Is this monk's brain broken?"
"Who does he think he is? A living Buddha descended to earth?"
Mockery, insults, and foul language surged toward Shino like a tide, as if to drown him completely.
The President of the Inukai Group, that burly bald man, laughed so hard he doubled over, tears nearly spilling from his eyes.
He pointed at Shino and shouted arrogantly, "Hey, you smelly monk, you're seeking alms from me? I think you're tired of living!"
With that, he grabbed a baseball bat from beside him and swung it hard at Shino's head without holding back. It whistled through the air. If an ordinary person were struck by this blow, they would be seriously injured, if not killed.
Facing this sudden attack, Shino's gaze remained calm, without the slightest ripple.
His body tilted slightly, dodging the heavy blow like a phantom. The baseball bat swept past his monk's robe with a gust of wind, striking nothing but empty air.
The moment he dodged the attack, Shino took the opportunity to untie his monk's robe and toss it high into the air.
Then he took a deep breath, his chest swelling high like a powder keg about to explode.
He began to chant the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra:
"Om Mani Padme Hum..."
Each syllable exploded in the air like a clap of thunder, making people's eardrums buzz.
As the mantra echoed, Shino's body began to undergo an astonishing transformation.
His originally somewhat thin muscles expanded rapidly, as if inflated, with knotted muscle lines like cast steel, filled with explosive power.
His skin glowed with a faint golden light, as if plated with gold leaf, appearing solemn and holy, inviolable.
Buddhist Dharma empowerment, Vajra Indestructibility!
"Get him! Kill him for me!" President Inukai, seeing his strike miss, flew into a rage and waved his baseball bat, commanding his subordinates at the top of his lungs.
More than twenty gang punks brandished their clubs, steel pipes, and daggers, surging toward Shino like a tide.
Facing the swarming attacks, Shino's eyes narrowed like a wrathful vajra, erupting with an astonishing aura.
He slammed his foot onto the ground, which instantly cracked, debris flying everywhere. His body shot into the crowd like an arrow released from a bow.
Bang!
Shino's punch struck a punk's chest. The man was hit as if by a high-speed truck. His sternum instantly collapsed, he spat blood, and flew backward, slamming heavily onto the ground. After a few twitches, he went still.
Crack!
Another punk swung a steel pipe at Shino's head. Without even looking back, Shino reached out and grabbed the pipe like an iron pincer, then yanked it away.
The steel pipe was instantly twisted into a pretzel shape. Shino followed up with a kick to the punk's abdomen. The man screamed, doubling over like a cooked shrimp, and fell to the ground, wailing in pain.
Shino was like a tiger among sheep, charging and striking at will within the crowd, his fists and feet like the wind, unstoppable.
Screams, the sound of breaking bones, and the clash of weapons intertwined into a symphony of death at the abandoned construction site.
Those gang punks were like paper in front of Shino, unable to withstand a single blow. One by one, they were beaten until their bones were broken and their flesh torn, falling to the ground and wailing in agony. The scene was too gruesome to behold.
In just a few moments, the ground was covered with wailing gang members. Blood stained the earth, and a heavy metallic scent filled the air.
Of the originally aggressive group of more than twenty, only a few remained barely standing. They trembled all over, their faces pale and their eyes filled with terror, their previous arrogance completely gone.
Shino walked step by step toward President Inukai. Each step felt as though it were treading on Inukai's heart, creating a suffocating pressure.
The baseball bat in Inukai's hand had long since fallen to the ground. His body trembled violently, and his facial features twisted together in fear.
"De... Demon... You're a demon..."
Inukai's voice trembled, his teeth chattering. His earlier arrogance had vanished, replaced by endless fear.
His legs gave way, and he could no longer support himself, collapsing onto his knees with a heavy thud. His obese body looked like a deflated ball.
"Spare me... Master, spare me... It was my mistake not to recognize your greatness... I beg you to spare my dog life..."
Inukai was a mess of tears and snot, pleading pitifully. Where was the prestige of a gang President now?
Shino walked up to Inukai and looked down at him, his gaze indifferent, without a shred of pity.
"Benefactor, can you now offer alms to This Poor Monk?"
Just when Inukai thought he was dead, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and a flash of madness appeared in his eyes.
He abruptly pulled a black handgun from his coat, aimed it at Shino's chest, and roared with a distorted expression, "Die, you smelly monk!"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Sparks flew, and a bullet shot forward, heading straight for Shino's heart.
A frenzied smile appeared on Inukai's face, as if he could already see Shino's heart pierced and his body collapsing lifelessly.
However, the next moment, his smile froze. The expression on his face solidified as if struck by ice.
The bullet hit Shino's chest, but it was like striking an indestructible block of steel. It made a dull thud, then fell powerlessly to the ground with a crisp metallic clink.
On Shino's monk's robe, there was only a faint white mark. Not even his skin was grazed, let alone injured.
"This... This is impossible..."
Inukai's eyes widened, filled with unbelievable horror, as if he had witnessed the most inconceivable thing in the world.
Blocking a bullet with his bare body. Was he even human?
Shino slowly raised his hand and grabbed Inukai by the neck, lifting him up like a little chicken.
Inukai's obese body felt as light as a feather in Shino's grasp, completely powerless to resist.
A feeling of suffocation surged like a tide. Inukai's face turned bright red as he struggled desperately, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, completely futile.
Just as Inukai was about to suffocate to death, he suddenly seemed to grasp a final lifeline and pulled something else from his coat.
It was a palm-sized Demon Statue, pitch black and grotesquely shaped, emitting a nauseating aura of evil.
"This is the protective talisman Lady Reika bestowed upon me! Lord Demon will protect me!"
Inukai screamed at the top of his lungs, as if praying to a deity.
With a trembling hand, he sliced open his palm, letting blood drip onto the demon statue.
Something eerie happened.
The demon statue seemed to come alive, beginning to vibrate violently. Black mist diffused from the statue, condensing into a blurry humanoid figure in the air.
The figure became clearer and clearer, eventually transforming into a hideous little demon with bat wings, sharp fangs, and a ferocious face.
The little demon emitted a piercing shriek, its blood-red eyes filled with a craving for slaughter.
Seeing the little demon appear, a frantic smile returned to Inukai's face, as if he had grasped a life-saving straw.
"Hahahaha! Lord Demon! Kill this stinking monk! Kill him!"
Inukai clamored arrogantly, as if he could already see Shino being torn to pieces by the demon.
...
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