The Silent Master’s body was tense as he said, “If you don’t stop cornering us, then I will really have to use force.”
He wouldn’t have used force if he was the only one beaten. After all, he was a monk and monks cannot hurt other people. But Ye Mu was standing behind him right now. Since Ye Mu can’t use her strength right now, she will be powerless in front of their attackers if he didn’t protect her.
Ye Mu tugged at the Silent Master’s sleeve and said, “Brother, you must protect me.”
The Silent Master nodded his head solemnly and looked at the two approaching thugs seriously. “Don’t come any closer!”
The two thugs looked at each other with a smile, thinking that the pretty boy really liked to play the hero. Then, in the next second, the thugs made their move!
As a result, only a blood-curdling scream could be heard. Zhou Xu glanced over, fearing that they would hurt the person he liked. But what he saw, surprised him greatly because the person who fell on the ground was one of his thugs!
“How did this happen?”
Amitabha. The Silent Master asked for forgiveness for his sin. He didn’t intend on hurting anyone, instead, he merely did it in self-defense. He hoped that the Buddha would not blame him for his actions.
Ye Mu secretly laughed, “I would’ve never guessed that you’re this skilled.”
The Silent Master did not reply. He started practicing Buddhism when he was young. Although he only practiced the gentlest of all martial arts, his martial arts skill was not lacking at all.
He felt that this situation was quite strange. No one had ever picked a fight with him in the past when he descended the mountain alone. Most people did was point at him and gossip behind his back. He didn’t know what was going on today. Was it because he wasn’t wearing his Kasaya and had a cloth covering his head?
“What are you two doing? Zhou Xu stood up in anger and scolded his thugs, “You can’t even catch a pretty boy! Do you think I feed you guys for nothing?”
The shopkeeper and the waiter had long run away. Only the two of them remained on the second floor of the restaurant, so Zhou Xu was not afraid that other people would see his ruthless side. He rolled up his sleeves and walked forward. He looked at the Silent Master with a dangerous gaze.
“I would’ve never imagined that you’re a martial arts practitioner too. Unfortunately for you, you will meet your match today!”
The way he stared at the Silent Master made his scalp feel numb. “Why are you bothering us? What is your purpose?!”
“Huh? I state my intentions clearly earlier, but it seems like you’re the stupid type.” He took a dangerous step forward and said, “I want you to submit to me in bed. Now that I put it so bluntly, do you understand?”
It took a while for the Silent Master to fully process what he had just heard. When he finally understood the meaning of what Zhou Xu had said, the Silent Master’s cheeks flushed red instantly and his eyes became mesmerizingly innocent. He clenched his hands into fists.
“You are shameless!”
“You call this shameless? There are even more shameless things in this world!”
Zhou Xu waved his hand, and the three of them rushed toward the Silent Master together. The Silent Master had nowhere to retreat to, so he could only close his eyes and fight back!
The two men underestimated the Silent Master before, so they were easily knocked down by him. Now that they were using their full force, they were still not the Silent Master’s opponent.
Zhou Xu originally believed that the Silent Master will be someone he can easily deal with; he didn’t expect him to be a practitioner too. Nonetheless, Zhou Xu was confident in his own martial arts skills. When he saw the helpless and embarrassed expression on the Silent Master’s face earlier, Zhou Xu steeled his heart and decided that he will take the Silent Master back no matter the cost!
Needless to say, all three of them were forced back by the Silent Master. The Silent Master showed them mercy by not harming them too severely.
Zhou Xu realized that they were no match for him, so he glanced at his man and gave them a secret signal. The two men shot forward to attack the Silent Master again. The Silent Master became a little impatient and started to use more force this time. But just when he knocked a person down, Zhou Xu shouted for him to stop.
“Stop! Look at who I have in my hand!”
The Silent Master looked over to him and saw that Zhou Xu had kidnapped Ye Mu with a knife!
“You!” The Silent Master stepped forward a few steps and said, “Let her go!”
Zhou Xu touched the spot that he was previously hurt before and sneered, “Let her go? I will tame the two of you today no matter the cost! Hold him!”
The two thugs that were knocked down to the ground by the Silent Master. They stumbled around as they got up; the expression on their face was dark as they rushed towards the Silent Master to hold him in place.
Ye Mu had enough, she was no longer in the mood to watch the show. She said, “Who told you to be so merciful towards them? Now, he will kidnap you to warm his beds!”
The expression on the Silent Master’s face was unsightly because Ye Mu was held as a hostage by their opponents. He cannot resist because he feared that they would hurt Ye Mu, so he allowed the two thugs to tie him up.
What am I going to do with you? Ye Mu sighed and shook her head. Then, she threw Zhou Xu over her shoulder and onto the ground.
The Silent Master was stunned by the sudden movement, but nevertheless, he ran over to help her. However, he didn’t expect to say the following words.
“Don’t take another step towards us! If you take another step forward, I will kill him!”
She wasn’t lying. The dagger that Zhou Xu was pointing at her before was now in her hands. Now, she was the one pointing the dagger at Zhou Xu. Ye Mu’s grip on the dagger was very stable; it turned out that she was also a martial arts practitioner!
The two thugs immediately halted their steps under Ye Mu’s threats. If something really happened to Zhou Xu, then they’re done for!
The Silent Master quickly ran over to Ye Mu. The two sides were now at a deadlock. He asked Ye Mu hurriedly, “Mu’er, what should we do now?”
Please forgive the young and innocent monk because he had never encountered a situation like this before.
Ye Mu rolled her eyes and said, “I will teach you what you should do if you meet someone like him in the future. This is how you should teach them a lesson!”
With that said, Ye Mu raised one of her feet and kicked fiercely at Zhou Xu’s private area! Zhou Xu let out a blood-curdling screech from the pain. He originally wanted to taunt her because he thought that she wouldn’t dare to hurt him once she knew of his identity. But after he was kicked in his private area, his face immediately paled! He held his lower body and screamed. He never expected that he would be kicked in that area one day!
The Silent Master was also stunned by her sudden action, “H-how can you do that to him?”
“Do what?” Ye Mu raised an eyebrow and said, “Are you saying that I can’t kick him even though he tried to kidnap us because he wants to bed us together?”
“Even so, you shouldn’t have kicked him there,” the Silent Master tried to reason with her. He was blushing hard from embarrassment.
“Why can’t I kick him there?” Ye Mu stared at the two thugs who were frozen in front of her. They didn’t dare to move because Zhou Xu was being held hostage by Ye Mu. Ye Mu smiled sweetly at them and said, “Have you ever heard of this?”
“Heard of what?”
“That you should hit someone in their sore spots if you wish to hurt them?”
With that said, she kicked Zhou Xu’s private area again! By now, Zhou Xu was in excruciating pain. He was about to faint! Whenever he planned to do something, the young girl would point her dagger closer to her neck. He couldn’t detect an ounce of internal energy from her, but she was still exceptionally agile. He had picked the wrong targets this time!
When the thugs saw that the situation was about to turn for the worst, one of them hurriedly left the restaurant to report the situation to the Zhou Family. The other thug remained in the restaurant, he stuttered, “Y-you should stop! Do you know who our young master is? He is one of the young masters from the Zhou Family. The Zhou Family is one of the three great families. They are powerful and influential, so aren’t you afraid of offending the Zhou Family?!”
Zhou Xu nodded his head quickly at what the thug had said. He was currently lying on the ground and he couldn’t get up because he was in extreme pain. This was the first time he was in such a difficult situation ever since he was born.
He stared fiercely at Ye Mu, clenched his teeth, and said, “Let me go now! Otherwise, I will kill everyone related to you!” This was the only way he could receive revenge for the humiliation he received today!
The Silent Master’s face turned unsightly. He didn’t expect to have encountered a villain from a powerful and influential family as soon as they came out. He was pondering over what they should do when he heard Ye Mu chucked at his words.
“You want to kill everyone related to me? I’m so scared! I only kicked you twice, but you want to kill everyone related to me. What will you do if I kick you a few more times?”
With that, she kicked him again in the private area fiercely. Zhou Xu tried to hide from her, but there was nowhere to hide. He let out another blood-curdling screech.
“If you have the courage, then I dare you to stay. I’m going to kill you both!”
One of Zhou Xu’s thugs had left to call for reinforcement, so help must be arriving soon. The Silent Master tugged on Ye Mu’s sleeve and said, “Let’s leave, don’t cause such a big scene!”
Ye Mu’s kicks were quite powerful, and she had kicked him in his most vulnerable part of his body. Zhou Xu was usually arrogant, willful, and strong, but now, he was curled up on the ground from pain. This was enough to satisfy the need for revenge.
Ye Mu nodded in agreement, “The reinforcements must be arriving soon. If you want me to leave, then I want you to kick a few times too.”
“You! How dare you!” The thug’s legs had gone completely soft from fear. Did they even know the power and influence the Zhou Family had? How could they act so arrogantly?!
The Silent Master rejected her proposal, “No, I don’t hurt people.”
Ye Mu was not in a hurry, “After you kick him three times, we will immediately leave. If you don’t kick him, then I will just sit here and refuse to leave. Either way, I’m not in a hurry.”
“You bastards! Are you not afraid of death?” The thug was scared witless. If Zhou Xu was kicked until he became infertile, then the Zhou Family will definitely end his life! He gritted his teeth and once again rushed towards them, “Let go of my young master!”
His martial arts were nothing compared to Ye Mu’s martial arts. With a ‘crack’ sound, Ye Mu managed to cripple his arm and kick him onto the ground. Zhou Xu wanted to get up and run when he saw that Ye Mu was occupied with one of his thugs, but after Ye Mu dealt with the thug, she turned around and kicked Zhou Xu down to the floor again. She looked at the Silent Master and gestured with her finger for the Silent Master to come over.
“Kick him! After you kick him three times, then we can leave!”
The Silent Master repeatedly shook his head. How could he intentionally do something like this? Absolute not!
Ye Mu continued coercing him, “You have to hurry up and kick him. If the Zhou Family discovers our identity, then we’ll be in big trouble.”
The Silent Master realized that he cannot let others know that he had descended the mountain to drink wine and eat meat! What he did was a disgrace to Buddha, and no one can discover his secret!
“He also wanted you to serve him in bed. What do you think the Buddha will think of you if you don’t punish someone like him?”
Ye Mu’s words and actions continued to coerce the Silent Master to kick Zhou Xu. The Silent Master’s face flushed scarlet red at her words as he refused, “I can’t! I can’t do that!”
That area was especially fragile. If he kicked him until he was infertile, then it will be a great sin!
Ye Mu stopped on Zhou Xu’s back and ruthlessly said, “If you don’t want to kick him, then I will kick him. But I have to warn you that I won’t be holding my strength back when I kick him!”
Even if she didn’t use her inner force, no one here was her opponent here based on the skill she had just displayed. If she really kicked him three more times, then this person might really end up infertile for life!
With such thoughts in mind, the Silent Master asked quietly, “Can I kick him someplace else?”
Ye Mu cheerfully said, “Yes. It’s up to you where you want to kick him, but if you don’t put any force behind your kicks, then it won’t count!”
The Silent Master could hear the commotion from the street below. It was apparent that the reinforcements had arrived, yet Ye Mu remained calm and collected as she sat there. He knew that if he didn’t kick Zhou Xu, then she would refuse to leave.
He could only grit his teeth and kick Zhou Xu’s stomach. The soft sensation of Zhou Xu’s stomach when he kicked him felt quite strange.
Zhou Xu also heard the commotion and immediately shouted to alert them of his location.
“They’re trying to kill me! Come and save my life!”
When the Silent Master saw how Zhou Xu was still trying to cause them trouble, he kicked him again in anger, “Stop shouting!”
This time, he had put some strength in his kick. Zhou Xu let out a small grunt before he fell silent.
The Silent Master was amused by this and proceeded to kick Zhou Xu two more times. You want me to serve you in bed? Did Buddha agree to this?
His gaze turned slightly cruel. This was the first time he was acting so mercilessly!
Seeing that he was slowly becoming addicted to kicking the man on the floor, Ye Mu stifled back her laughter and grabbed his hand.
“Let’s leave! They’re coming!”
The Silent Master was somewhat unwilling to leave now. He was having a nice meal until he met him. As a result, he didn’t eat much today.
He kicked him with some force once again before he grabbed Ye Mu and flew directly out of the window. The reinforcements arrived on the second floor of the restaurant the moment they left. They were too late; Ye Mu and the Silent Master had already escaped, only two wounded men were left behind.
The two of them jumped out of the second floor of the restaurant. Even though it was quite a distance from the ground, it was effortless for the Silent Master.
At this time, Zhou Xu crawled up the window sill and shouted, “Hurry up and catch them! They tried assassinating a court official. Don’t let them get away with it!”
When the Silent Master heard their shouting and the sound of footsteps rushing towards them, he dragged Ye Mu along as they fled. Both of them ran very quickly, and only after running past one street, they managed to get rid of the people chasing after them. The two of them stopped at the end of another street as they gasped for breath. Suddenly, Ye Mu stomach began to growl. The Silent Master looked at the girl who had coerced him to do bad deeds in surprise. Ye Mu’s face was flushed red from running and her head was lowered as she gasped for breath. He couldn’t help but laugh at their situation.
The Silent Master appeared very alluring when he laughed, so the people passing by couldn’t help but look back at him. He was embarrassed when he noticed that other people were staring at him. He looked at Ye Mu and the two smiled at each other when their eyes met. They decided to look for another place to eat.
The two of them had street food such as sugar-coated hawthorn fruit and pastries. They strolled around the busiest street in the capital. In the evening, they went to a temple fair together. The temple fair was bustling with people today, so it was very lively.
After playing for a whole day, the Silent Master realized that he had never been as satisfied as he was today. At this time, he and Ye Mu stood in front of a row of lanterns. As long as they guessed the riddle on the lantern, they could have the lantern for free. The Silent Master stared at the lanterns intensely and refused to leave until he guessed one correctly.
Besides Ye Mu and the Silent Master, there were many men and women gathered here. The men racked their brains to solve the riddles on the lanterns, just so they can make their lover smile.
The most beautiful lantern was made from colored glass and had a white bottom. It looked simple yet elegant. Many people wanted the lantern, but none of them were able to correctly solve the riddle.
The riddle that was written on the lantern:
A pair of mandarin ducks played in the water while the butterflies longed for flowers.
The monarch had many wives, but who will manage to end up as his one true love?
The red bean roots yearned to grow, but in its previous life, it was planted in a concubine’s heart.
They will wait for the day they will finally meet, so they can enjoy spring, summer, autumn, and winter together.
T/N: It rhymes in Chinese and sounds much more romantic in Chinese. I loosely translated it, so it’s not 100% accurate.
It was a complicated and long riddle. The riddle seemed more like a love poem than a riddle. Many people failed to guess the correct answer to the riddle, so they could only move on and guess the riddles on the other lanterns. After all, there were many other lanterns here. Although some of the lanterns were ugly, the riddles on them were simple and easy to answer.
But the Silent Master refused to leave the beautiful lantern without guessing the right answer! He stood there meditating and pondering.
Ye Mu couldn’t help but tugged on his sleeve and said, “Give up. It would be strange for a monk to correctly guess the answer to a love riddle.”
Everyone was either discussing the riddles or bustling around, so no one heard Ye Mu’s words. They only took notice of the Silent Master’s appearance and decided to stand in front of the beautiful lantern along with him. As more time passed, more people crowded around due to the Silent Master’s beautiful appearance. Ye Mu barely had any place to stand as she was pushed around by the crowd.
The Silent Master was sullen, “Why have I never heard of these riddles before?”
He had solved many riddles in the past, but he had never heard of a riddle like this one.”
What did ‘seeing one’s true love in the reflection of the water, but not being able to express your feelings’ mean?
What did ‘it’s difficult to stay together until the dawn of time, but there was no time for them to express all their love for each other’ mean?