Ling Tian encountered a woman named Wang Xiuhua by the river in Hantan Village. She was a former villager.
Wang Xiuhua, with a seductive demeanor, invited Ling Tian to her home and to stay the night.
Ling Tian feigned hesitation for a moment before readily agreeing, curious to see what this woman had in mind.
They walked side by side towards a house near the river. As they walked, Wang Xiuhua leaned closer to Ling Tian, their distance shrinking.
Just then, a loud shout erupted from behind them.
"You fiend, daring to take a life in broad daylight! Stop right there!"
Immediately after, with a whoosh, an object flew towards Ling Tian. Ling Tian quickly used his Heavenly Eye to examine it, discovering it was an iron胆 (dan).
This iron胆 was about two sizes larger than the fitness balls elderly people often play with in their hands. However, unlike a fitness ball, its surface was gleaming with golden light.
In an instant, the iron胆 struck Wang Xiuhua directly in the back.
Wang Xiuhua let out a piercing scream. Following that, streams of golden light emanated from the iron胆, enveloping her body.
Where the golden light touched Wang Xiuhua's body, it began to twitch and melt violently, as if ice were being doused with boiling water.
Within seconds, the once stunningly beautiful and irresistible Wang Xiuhua transformed into a small, green-skinned monster about 1.2 meters tall, with a ferocious face.
The little monster writhed desperately on the ground before becoming immobile. Ling Tian's innate divine ability detected a faint energy emanating from the monster, which then merged with a golden light radiating from a monk. Finally, it disappeared into the monk.
In mere seconds, the monk strode forward, arriving before Ling Tian. Ling Tian could tell from his movement that the monk's Qinggong was formidable.
"Amitabha, donor, you must have been startled! Please forgive my abruptness. I was saving you. As you saw, this was no woman, but a demon..."
"Master, I know. It's a chāng shuǐ guǐ (water ghost)..."
Ling Tian's calm tone left the monk utterly bewildered. He couldn't understand why Ling Tian, having recognized the woman's identity, hadn't eliminated her directly.
Ling Tian observed the monk before him. The large monk stood around 1.9 meters tall, his wide monastic robe unable to conceal his powerful muscles.
The monk held a Zen staff in his left hand, reaching up to his eyebrows. Crafted from metal, it weighed several dozen pounds, yet in the monk's hand, it looked as light as a wooden stick.
In his right hand, which was as large as a bear's paw, the monk held two more golden iron胆.
"Master, what is your esteemed surname?"
"Amitabha, this humble monk comes from the Arhat Hall of Fumo Temple in Jinxi Province. My Dharma name is Cheng'e."
Ling Tian was surprised. He had indeed heard his masters mention Fumo Temple. The monks there were all martial monks. While their pure martial arts might not match Shaolin Temple's, Fumo Temple boasted not only first-class martial arts but also profound Buddhist teachings.
Furthermore, the monks of Fumo Temple were adept at subduing demons and monsters and were passionate about it!
"So you are Master Cheng'e. My apologies, but if I'm not mistaken, you are cultivating the Vajra Demon-Subduing Scripture, aren't you!"
"Amitabha, donor, how did you know?"
Master Cheng'e was astonished. The Vajra Demon-Subduing Scripture was a Buddhist scripture, but it differed greatly from other Buddhist teachings.
Cultivating the Vajra Demon-Subduing Scripture did not require constant meditation or deep piety. The essence of this scripture was to eliminate evil.
By continuously transcending malevolent spirits and wicked individuals burdened by negative karma, one could achieve progress in realm and cultivation.
Ling Tian had just witnessed the energy dispersed from the defeated monster, which he surmised was the effect of the Vajra Demon-Subduing Scripture.
"Master, one of my teachers is a Buddhist. He is a high-ranking monk from Shaolin, and he once introduced it to me. To see it firsthand today is truly a blessing."
"Who are you? And why didn't you kill this demon?"
"Master, this is a chāng shuǐ guǐ with a certain level of intelligence. I actually wanted to arrange things properly and extract the truth about Hantan from this creature... Unfortunately, you have transcended it..." Ling Tian said with a helpless expression.
"Uh... Amitabha, so this humble monk has done more harm than good. Goodness, goodness..."
"It's fine. Since there's no opportunity to get anything from this creature, we'll just head there directly tomorrow."
"Donor, it's not that I don't trust you, but I don't recommend you provoke the existence in Hantan. The waters here run deep, and the monsters within are incredibly powerful..." Master Cheng'e advised patiently.
"Master Cheng'e, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ling Tian. I am a disciple of Longpan Mountain, and I am also a member of the Daoist sect. While I cannot claim to handle all evil spirits with ease, I do possess some methods. Furthermore, I am a member of the Righteous Alliance, and I cannot stand idly by while events like this unfold."
"Amitabha, I see. It seems this humble monk has underestimated the heroes of the world. Donor Ling Tian, this humble monk has an impolite request: if you intend to clear out the evil spirits in Hantan, this humble monk wishes to accompany you! To help transcend those malevolent beings."
Ling Tian hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. He knew well that the monk before him possessed exceptional strength.
The Vajra Demon-Subduing Scripture was not something anyone could cultivate. To improve in this scripture, one had to constantly fight, much like battling monsters; only by defeating them could one gain experience. Those who could cultivate this scripture were invariably proficient in Buddhist teachings and skilled in combat.
Moreover, from the energy unleashed by the iron胆 that struck the water ghost, Ling Tian could sense the monk's profound Buddhist attainment. And then there was the heavy Zen staff he held, which served as both a weapon and a magical artifact.
Ling Tian was certain that this monk was someone who could make evil spirits tremble. Bringing him along would at least prevent him from being a hindrance.
"Master, it's getting late. Going to Hantan now would not be wise. I suggest we find a place to stay nearby and then go subdue demons and monsters tomorrow when the sun is high."
"Goodness, let's do as the donor suggests!"