Chapter 346: Chapter 346: I’m Not Needed
The member from Wudang Sect, Zhang Jian, said ingratiatingly:
"Sister Lan Xin, Brother Yang here is not from our Martial Arts Circle, and doesn’t understand our rules, please don’t mind,"
Then he turned his head towards Yang Xiao and said:
"Brother Yang, since you are not from our Martial Arts Circle, naturally you wouldn’t know our customs. We address each other as brothers and sisters here, but we call outsiders ’Mister’ or ’Miss’."
Yang Xiao smiled and said:
"Alright, Misses from Shenming Mountain Sect, I, Yang Xiao, understand now."
Lan Xin nodded slightly, and took several of her sisters to the Genetic Store to evaluate items, exchange for Crystal Coins and Genetic Potions.
Yang Xiao couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward; he hadn’t expected this so-called Martial Arts Circle to be somewhat xenophobic!
Monk Ben Yin burst out laughing, patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder, and said:
"Benefactor Yang, you’ll get used to it slowly."
"Hehe, no worries, Master Ben Yin, should I chop down a tree and we have barbecue tonight?"
"Great! I like that, let’s go."
Upon hearing the mention of barbecue, Monk Ben Yin and his comrades were all smiles.
Yang Xiao pulled out his Longsword and chopped the branches off a ten-meter tall tree, then cut the trunk into ten pieces, and split the thick trunk into four parts.
He arranged some branches and trunks together, took out a lighter he carried, and lit a bonfire, which blazed up a short while later.
Yang Xiao pulled a ten-meter-long cheetah out of his Space Ring, and Monk Ben Yin and six others took up the task themselves, chopping off the cheetah’s four big legs and placing them over the fire to roast.
Yang Xiao threw a big chunk of meat to the Flame Horse, cut a large piece of meat for himself as well, placed it on the fire to roast, and glanced at the six monks, thinking, aren’t these monks supposed to be non-violent? Did they taste meat and find it so delicious that they couldn’t give it up anymore?
He thought, now it’s the end days, temples have collapsed, beliefs are swept away, who cares about killing and eating meat anymore.
Monk Ben Yin looked at Yang Xiao and said indifferently:
"Do you find it strange that we monks eat meat?"
Yang Xiao smiled, "Who dares to question the masters?"
"Hehe, if we all starve to death, what beliefs can we talk about, let alone salvation? Survival is the foundation of faith. Only by surviving can we better spread the merciful faith of Buddha. Otherwise, all is empty talk. The Jigong Monk said it well, ’meat and wine pass through the intestines, Buddha sits in the heart’, and we are exactly like that now."
Yang Xiao nodded, showing his agreement.
Master Ben Guo then said:
"Benefactor Yang, do you know, at the start of the end days, we killed many Mutant Monsters to save people, killing is also to save lives!"
After saying this, Ben Guo took a piece of half-cooked meat, tore a big bite with his mouth.
Yang Xiao could only say, "I’ve learned!"
He took out a bottle of salt and a bottle of chili pepper he carried, sprinkled some on his own barbecue, and offered them to Master Ben Hai.
"I have salt and chili pepper here."
Monk Ben Yin immediately took the salt and pepper, and joyfully said:
"This stuff is great, we’ve been out of salt for a month."
"Ah? Why?"
"We ran out of it long ago."
"Ah, then tomorrow I’ll make a trip back to Nanmu City, and bring back several packs of salt for you."
"That’s very kind of you."
"Wow, this smells so good!"
Zhang Hai came over.
Master Ben Yin immediately shouted:
"Come join us for the barbecue, we just killed a cheetah today."
"Sure, then I won’t be polite."
"Why be polite, just call your several brothers over too."
Actually, Zhang Hai and others had already smelled the fragrance earlier, but felt embarrassed to come over by themselves since everyone usually ate their own things, rarely gathering together to mooch off someone else’s barbecue.
Today just happened to be when Yang Xiao cut down a tree, built a big bonfire, setting up this barbecue situation.
Zhang Jian from Wudang Sect then shouted towards the girls from Shenming Mountain Sect:
"Several junior sisters, come over and have some barbecue."
Lan Xin said indifferently:
"No need, we’ve brought our own dry food."
Zhang Jian had always wanted to please the beauties from Shenming Mountain Sect, but never succeeded.
"It’s okay, we have a big fire and plenty of meat, let’s enjoy together."
Actually, these female disciples of Shenming Mountain Sect did want to join, but still felt that men and women should remain separate, and didn’t want to mingle in a crowd of men.
"Thank you for your kindness, but no need."
Lan Xin coldly spoke, a true iceberg beauty.
Zhang Jian could only return dejectedly, and when he got back to the bonfire, he was ridiculed by some junior brothers.
About a dozen people surrounded the bonfire having barbecue, chatting and eating, which was lively.
The sky gradually darkened.
Zhang Hai suddenly said:
"Hey, why hasn’t Junior Sister Zhi Ruo from Emei Sect come back today?"
Upon his reminder, everyone else also voiced their realization and looked up at the sky.
The sun was about to set, and in another hour, it would be the time for Sand Demons to appear.
Monk Ben Yin took a bite of meat and said:
"Junior Sister Zhi Ruo and the others should be fine, there’s still an hour, they should be able to make it back."
"There is only one Genetic Store in the depths of the desert, and I heard that Sister Zhi Ruo and others went to Desert Canyon today; that place is a bit remote."
"The Qinggong of Emei Sect is still top-notch, no worries, they should arrive quickly."
Yang Xiao could see that normally, only disciples from a few martial arts sects like Shaolin, Wudang, Shenming Mountain, Emei, etc., used to frequent this place, and everyone was quite familiar with each other.
Half an hour passed, and the disciples of Emei Sect had not returned, which began to unsettle everyone.
Zhou Hai stood up and walked out into the desert beyond the orange glow, looking anxious.
Yang Xiao could see that Monk Ben Yin and others had lost interest in the barbecue and were starting to worry.
Zhou Jian ran to Lan Xin and the others from the Shenming Mountain Sect, and asked:
"Junior sisters, do you know where the Emei Sect’s sisters went today? They didn’t return to Emei Sect, did they?"
"I met Sister Zhi Ruo in the desert at noon, she said they were going to the Desert Valley. I advised her that the place was a bit far, and inconvenient to return from, but she said it was fine."
"But now they haven’t returned, I hope nothing has happened."
"Jinx."
A junior sister from Shenming Mountain Sect said, but everyone’s expression visibly became more anxious.
Just then, screams and sounds of a fight came from a distance.
Everyone was startled, and they all stood up, running out beyond the orange glow.
However, it was already late, and there were only about ten minutes left before the Sand Demons would appear, so nobody dared to go too far from the orange glow, only watching nearby.
Moments later, several figures appeared in the distance.
But what surprised everyone even more was that there seemed to be hundreds of black dots in the sky.
"What’s going on?"
"It’s Junior Sister Zhi Ruo from Emei Sect."
"Nonsense, I know it’s Sister Zhi Ruo, I’m asking, what are those things in the sky? They seem to be attacking her."
Monk Ben Hai hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand, leading several junior brothers to rush out. Zhang Sea also led the people from Wudang Sect, and Lan Xin led those from Shenming Mountain Sect.
Yang Xiao hesitated, then mounted the Flame Horse, staying within the orange glow.
Thinking,
"I probably won’t make much of a difference."
(There are 2 more updates tonight, it’s really cold, dear readers don’t forget to put on your thermal underwear! Thanks to the book friend Perfect Disciple Like for the reward of 100 Qidian Coins, thank you for your support!)