Stranger Danger

“Naive? What do you mean?” Ye Qing asked while annoyance flashed in his eyes.

“A human heart is a complex thing.”

Joy Bodhisattva began her explanation, “First, how can you be sure that Xiong Kuohai did not have allies among the guests? What if one of them tells Xiong Kuohai about it?”

“Even if there isn’t one, their lives would no longer be in danger after they learned about the poison. Why would they help me kill Xiong Kuohai then? Don’t tell me it’s because they owe me their lives. In the jianghu, ingrates who bite the hand that feeds are the majority, not the minority.”

“In theory, it looks like we outnumber Xiong Kuohai many times to one. In reality, how many would lend me their full strength, if they ‘deign’ to help me at all? Moreover, you mentioned that Xiong Kuohai is aided by a mysterious Sakyamuni, so the variables are even harder to control.”

“If Xiong Kuohai manages to escape this place, then the consequences would be most severe. There is no room for error. Either we conduct our plan with absolute confidence that it will succeed, or we do not go through with it at all.”

Joy Bodhisattva’s voice was calm, but it was impossible to mistake the ruthlessness and indifference of her words. “What do you think, scion?”

Ye Qing’s mouth opened and closed for a moment before he admitted, “You are right, Bodhisattva. I didn’t really think it through properly.”

Joy Bodhisattva was right. Between repaying a favor and self-preservation, a jianghu warrior would almost always choose self-preservation.

“If life does not know death, why would life strive toward life? If they aren’t driven into a corner, why would they give us their all?”

Joy Bodhisattva walked to the door and gazed at the moon in the sky. “If we’re going to borrow their strength, then we must allow someone to hold a knife to their neck and push them into a dead end first.”

“Only when life meets death can life face death.”

……

“You have all traveled a long way to my Buddhist Hall of Joy to participate in my Trueman feast. I am most grateful.”

A new day arrived, and the second day of the Trueman feast began earnestly. Joy Bodhisattva rose from her seat and saluted her guests.

“You’re welcome, Bodhisattva!”

“It is our honor to be able to participate in your Trueman feast as well!”

The guests rose to their feet and returned the salute as well.

“Thank you,” Joy Bodhisattva gestured at the tables of food and wine and said, “I have prepared some food and wine for you all. I hope that you will enjoy it.”

“Thank you, Bodhisattva. May auspiciousness always be with you,” everyone replied in unison. Their combined voices were so loud that it resounded throughout the Blissful Peak.

“You’re welcome. Please, take your seats.”

After Joy Bodhisattva motioned for the guests to sit down, bamboo flutes began playing a melodious tune, and countless beautiful women wearing long sleeves and thin white dresses descended from above like celestials. They began dancing and entertaining the guests.

What was a feast if not delicious food, spicy wine, sweet music, beautiful dances, and good company? For a time, the sounds of joy and laughter filled the world.

When the feast neared its end, and even the flute music that seemed like it would never end slowed down a little, the sky was suddenly filled with golden light, and countless white lotuses descended from above.

The golden light formed a path, and the white lotuses the steps. Together, they formed a stairway of heaven. The guests were trying to figure out what they were plotting when a file of beautiful women, each one of them wearing a white robe and carrying a white jar in their hands, walked down the stairway barefooted like they were the Jiutian Xuannü[1] herself.

The guests couldn’t care less about the women, however. Their attention was fully drawn by the white jars they were holding.

It was because the white jar could very well contain the object of their desire—the true main course of this Trueman feast—the Blissful Spring.

The women placed the jars on the tables. They retreated only after every guest had received a jar of wine.

“My Buddha is joy, and he speaks of bliss after death.”

It was at this moment Joy Bodhisattva spoke up once more. “In order to thank you all for participating in my Trueman feast, I have prepared a jar of Blissful Spring for all of you. May your joy be dreamlike and blissful.”

“Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!”

“Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!”

“Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!”

Everyone was excited to say the least. If they were just congratulating Joy Bodhisattva out of politeness earlier, now they were truly grateful. Well, some of them at least. The rest were too excited to care about anything except the wine jar before them.

Although the Blissful Spring was useless for one’s cultivation, it was a priceless drink that was readily available only and only within the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Most of them had heard of its fame but never tasted it as a matter of course. But today, they were all given an entire jar of superior quality Blissful Spring. How could they not be excited by this?

Even the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, Ji Donglei, and the Vermillion Bird Envoy of the Earthfire Palace of Demons, Huo Ruyu, looked eager.

In fact, a good number of guests were participating in the Trueman feast for the Blissful Spring.

Let’s hope you can still laugh when this is all over.

At his table, Ye Qing looked away from the smiling, excited faces and shook his head.

Ignorance is bliss.

But ignorance… is also a tragedy.

Ye Qing could not help but look up to the sixth floor where Xiong Kuohai was at. The honest-looking sect leader was currently sitting primly and staring at the jar of Blissful Spring just as fervently as everyone else around him. It was almost as if he wasn’t the mastermind behind the tragedy that was about to happen very soon.

Would you look at that world class acting.

Ye Qing withdrew his gaze and sighed quietly.

The Blissful Spring was the Blissful Spring.

But once it entered the guests’ stomach, it would transform into the incarnation of carnage.

“A toast to all of you.”

Joy Bodhisattva raised her wine cup.

“You too, Bodhisattva!”

“You too, Bodhisattva!”

“You too, Bodhisattva!”

As soon as the formalities were over, everyone poured a cup of Blissful Spring for themselves, held the cup with both hands, and watched Joy Bodhisattva expectantly.

“Please, enjoy your drink,” Joy Bodhisattva declared before draining the contents of her cup in one gulp.

“You’re welcome.”

The rest of the guests drank their Blissful Spring as well.

Not long after the sweet liquid entered their mouths, blissful expressions began spreading across everyone’s faces. They looked like they might grow wings and fly on the spot.

“It is as if I have soared into the heavens for a moment. Wonderful! Most wonderful!”

A few breaths later, the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, Ji Donglei opened his eyes and sighed with appreciation.

The Vermillion Bird Envoy of the Earthfire Palace of Demons, Huo Ruyi also let out a giggle. “Haha… the Blissful Spring definitely deserves its fame.”

“It feels like a blissful dream I don’t want to wake up from for as long as possible. No wonder it is one of the Three Wonders.”

Xiong Kuohai exhaled with an intoxicated look on his face. “I dare not waste a single drop of this wonderful drink. Everyone, let us toast to the Bodhisattva once more, shall we? May your power be infinite, and your fortune everlasting, Trueman Bodhisattva!”

“May your power be infinite, and your fortune everlasting, Trueman Bodhisattva!”

“May your power be infinite, and your fortune everlasting, Trueman Bodhisattva!”

“May your power be infinite, and your fortune everlasting, Trueman Bodhisattva!”

Everyone echoed in agreement and poured yet another cup of Blissful Spring.

“Thank you, leader Xiong. Thank you, everyone.”

After Joy Bodhisattva drank her second cup of Blissful Spring, she said, “Please, enjoy yourselves.”

Once again, everyone raised their cups and gulped down its contents.

Once the ceremony was over, the music and dances began once more. Alas, the festive mood only lasted a dozen or so breaths before suddenly, someone on the third floor suddenly blanched and shouted, “I’m poisoned! It’s poisoned! The Blissful Spring is poisoned!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Cut the slander!”

“Yeah! This is the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Who would dare to do such a thing in this place? The Buddhist Hall of Joy themselves?”

Yep, the shills are starting.

Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow when he heard the commotion. He knew at first glance that these people were shills, and he was sure that this was just the beginning.

“Hmm… something’s not right… I think… I think the Blissful Spring really is poisoned!”

Another person spoke up, and everyone looked. He looked deathly pale, and they could clearly sense an anomalous energy growing inside his body. Although they weren’t the victims—yet—they could sense just how dark, evil, and strange the energy was. Goosebumps broke out of their skin before they knew it.

“I’m poisoned too!”

A fourth person blanched and screeched as the same type of energy bloomed inside their body.

“The Blissful Spring is poisoned!”

“I’m… I’m poisoned as well… help…”

More and more people were blanching and yelling by the second.

1. Jiutian Xuannü is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in Chinese mythology. ☜