Peace Order

"Merciful and compassionate Buddha."

"Merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin who saves those in distress."

"Lord Heavenly Venerate, great grandfather Emperor, save us, save us!"

There was no response, only the furious attack remained, and the gradually fainting woman, blood flowing out, the man’s head buzzing, recalling his childhood when the family had some land, sitting on a small boat during temple fairs, pushing through the reed clusters to other villages.

Seeing the woman on the wooden bridge beside the opera stage, dressed in white cloth, black hair, shining eyes gazing at him, no stars in the sky, water dark, himself sitting on the boat, swaying in the waves, just like swaying inside the woman’s eyes.

His head was buzzing.

He saw the mallet soaked in blood.

Stretching out his palm, Steward Li ignored the man behind, only panting, looking at the motionless woman. He didn’t use Inner Strength, just venting with fists and feet.

For a Martial Artist of his realm, Inner Qi was still quite precious.

Needed to save it for escape.

He spat, saying: "Wretched, grass growing from the ground, cutting off sprout, grows another, yet dares to..."

Bzzz!!!!

Suddenly his ears rang, not real tinnitus.

But the mallet heavily striking his rear skull, blunt objects breaking armor, bones cracking, intense pain, massive blood loss causing body discomfort, Steward Li turned, seeing the man lifting the mallet forcefully, tears in his eyes.

Then slammed down hard!

"Wait, let’s talk properly, you’re going to defy...ah!!!"

Steward Li’s panicked voice was instantly interrupted by piercing screams, a Martial Artist not reaching Entering Realm, struck heavily on the back of the head with a mallet, intense pain rendering him unable to react.

The man with tear-streaked face swung the mallet round, then slammed it down hard, each strike exhausting his strength, weeping and shouting:

"Merciful and compassionate Buddha."

"Merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin who saves those in distress."

"Lord Heavenly Venerate, great grandfather Emperor!"

He prayed to the gods above, then with all his strength and final courage, he smashed Steward Li, this once lofty figure like a Heavenly God.

Smashed into a mess of flesh.

Exerting so much force even his wrist sprained, lastly seeing the noble lord turned into a pile of flesh and mud, wrist twitching, the mallet clang fell to the ground, panting heavily.

Turns out the world has no gods or Buddhas.

Turns out the worldly gods and Buddhas are less useful than this mallet.

He stared blankly, then staggered over, helping his woman up, her eyes opening, the man mixed with joy and sorrow, chokingly said: "You’re okay, good..."

The man who just killed someone curled up like a child in the woman’s arms, she reached out to pat his broad yet powerless back, lowered her voice gently, but the end tone lifted, saying:

"He’s too stupid."

"I’ve endured many beatings."

"Know how to let him beat satisfyingly without hurting ourselves."

The man raised his head, seeing the eyes he once looked into when young now with a cunning look, only faint glimmers left, he sat up, randomly wiping the tears off his face, saying: "What now?"

"Can’t escape."

"Let it be like this."

The man helped the woman up, still intending to run, run far away, leave here, flee to the desolate wilderness, with some land, a little food, gnaw on bark eat weeds, live on just fine.

But at this moment, he was bewildered, saw flames rising, these flames spreading everywhere, Jiangzhou City, the capital city of Chen Country, the grandest and most prosperous city in the Central Plains engulfed in flames.

Despair filled the man’s eyes.

He glanced at the mallet, seemingly relaxed, nothing seemed significant anymore, yet suddenly bowed his head, picked up the colorful cloth that Steward thought ruined and unfit for Prince Qin’s dignity, wrapping it around the woman.

"Such fine cloth."

The woman carefully rubbed her cheek against the colorful cloth.

The man looked at her, saying: "Really beautiful!"

The flames rose, only at this moment did they seem to shed those burdens, returning to those many years ago, those young people before the dim temple fair.

This fire is pretty good too.

The man thought, he held the woman tightly, planning to shield her from the fierce flames with his body, yet in this desperation and also relieved liberation, suddenly a roar came from the sky.

The roar was heavy, yet not terrifying, instead bringing calmness, they instinctively raised their heads, saw a mythical creature stepping through fire, arriving in the sky, then raising its head and roaring.

The flames that almost reached them suddenly froze, then flew into the sky, gathering into the Fire Qilin’s body, the man stunned.

Flames rose, as if carrying waves of intense wind flying together upwards, thus the embroidered scarlet cloth also rose into the air, surging open.