After months of traveling, we finally left the Southern Border and entered Xiliang. Whether due to the Princess's three subordinates or the Empress sending only a small pursuit, the rest of our journey passed smoothly without further trouble.
However, after months of following, Her Highness the Princess could no longer endure it. One day, during a rain, she fell off her horse with a thud. With my permission, the kind-hearted Yun'er and Man'er helped the Princess into the carriage, undressed her, and wiped her down.
After months without bathing, even a heavenly beauty would smell, but surprisingly, Her Highness was not only clean, her skin also emitted a faint, exotic fragrance. Particularly between her plump, tender thighs.
"This princess… she's no ordinary mortal…" Yun'er dried the Princess's body, placed a wet cloth on her hot forehead, and covered her with blankets.
Though I'm lustful, I consider myself a man of principles. I'd never take advantage of someone in trouble. But… was that a Mark of Lust on her belly? I muttered to myself. She seemed so strange and fierce, yet beneath lay such a different nature. I wondered whose plaything she was.
Before nightfall, we barely reached the first city of Xiliang. The gates were crowded with refugees, their faces etched with hunger. Guards at the gate waved spears, driving back the desperate crowd.
"Go! Go to the master to receive your rice and blessings! Only those favored by the Buddha may enter! It's the Lord's decree! Anyone who dares breach the gates will be killed without mercy!"
The noisy crowd surged toward a nearby shelter, receiving rice cakes from monks in robes.
"Young Master, our journey so far has been calm, if not entirely smooth. How did so many refugees gather here?" Yun'er peered through the curtains and looked at the crowd along the road, their forms barely visible, her voice filled with sorrow.
Before I could speak, the Princess, her strength partially restored, answered for me. "Man-made calamity surpasses natural disaster."
Mo Qing's horse was a splendid blue-grey stallion, the carriage ornate. Even the most clueless city guards could tell I was no ordinary refugee. A young officer in black armor stopped me respectfully. Upon learning I was not from a local noble family but a descendant of a cultivator, his demeanor became less humble, yet he remained polite.
"Please forgive us, Immortal. Recently, a demonic plague has ravaged the region. The Lord has ordered that all entering the city must be bathed in Buddha's Light. Only those unaffected may enter."
Faced with his welcoming smile, I saw no reason to act arrogantly. I stepped down from the carriage, signaled the horse to follow at a slow pace, and turned to the young officer leading us toward the outer city gate.
"With so many disaster victims outside and you so tense, what demonic calamity has struck?"
The young officer nervously said "To be honest, immortal, we are unsure. But over the past month, countless people, men and women, mostly young and old, have died suddenly and without reason. Their deaths were horribly gruesome. After Master Fahua of Lingyin Temple investigated, he declared demons had escaped from hell to plague the mortal realm."
"The Lord summoned several Taoist masters stationed within the city to intervene. Yet, these masters vanished without a trace. The lord requested the Imperial Court for reinforcements from Dragon-Tiger Mountain, but the request sank without a trace, leaving us without news. Fortunately, the monks of Lingyin Temple possess great skill. They publicly performed exorcisms on several demons that had possessed mortals."
"Yet these demons are not low in numbers. Like insects, even if one is seen there still countless others lurk in the shadows.
The master informed us that these demons dwell within the living souls of humans, secretly draining their essence and vitality. Within mere days, they can reduce a strong individual to nothing but an empty shell!"
"Once they've drained their host completely, they roam in human form, their speech and actions identical to their victims. When they encounter a suitable target, they split into two entities, using physical contact to infect a new host."
At this point, the young officer couldn't help but shudder. "The Lord pleaded and begged, but even Master Fahua could not quickly trace the demons' origin. Fortunately, these demons fear Buddha's Light. The high monks of Lingyin Temple worked day and night to bless many Buddha statues, placing them at key checkpoints along the roads. While this cannot eradicate the demons entirely, it forces them to reveal their true forms when illuminated, stopping them from committing evil deeds at will…"
"We've arrived, Master. Please…" As he spoke, the young officer led me before a Buddha statue. Covered in golden robes with jade threads, it radiated majestic power. Seated upon a three-foot Lotus Pedestal, its hands formed the Great Dharma Seal, Its face looked kind but also serious and impressive.
I took incense from the young officer's hand. Yun'er helped the still-weak Princess down from the carriage, while Man'er followed obediently behind. Distributing the incense to the three women, we offered it together before the statue. I faintly sensed a subtle yet vast aura sweep over me, recognizing it as the Buddha's Light the young officer mentioned.
Seeing us unharmed, the young officer relaxed completely, his smile growing more sincere. "If the immortal have time, might you aid us through this calamity? I know this is sudden, but the Lord will surely…"
Mid-sentence, he froze, and I raised my eyebrows. The stone Buddha statue suddenly came to life. Its compassionate expression transformed into a radiant smile, and its hands, forming a ritual gesture, clasped together with a thunderous clap!
"Amitabha Buddha!" The stone statue spoke.