114: The Origin of the Fat Monk

The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed as if water could seep out.

Yang Chunlai hid in the shadows of the ruined temple, his eyes fixed intently on the towering figure of the Fat Monk not far away.

A nauseating stench of rot filled the surrounding air.

A group of Zombies was swaying and slowly closing in on the ruined temple.

Yang Chunlai had already sensed them and thought to himself: This is the perfect chance to see what kind of special skills this fellow has.

"Big Brother, the Zombies are back!" a group of lackeys cried out in panic.

The Fat Monk stood on the steps in front of the temple, his expression solemn, like a steady little mountain.

He took a long, deep breath and then slowly stepped toward the old, mottled bronze bell.

He reached out his thick hands and firmly grasped the bell striker; in an instant, the muscles on his arms bulged, as tense as a beast about to be unleashed.

Then, he suddenly exerted force, the strength of his entire body converging in his arms as the striker, carrying immense weight, slammed heavily against the bronze bell.

"Dong—"

With a loud boom, the resonant and far-reaching sound of the bell instantly exploded in the night sky.

However, the tolling of the bell carried an indescribable eeriness, with faint ripples of mysterious Spiritual Power flowing within it.

Yang Chunlai, with his keen perception, instantly caught this strange power.

His eyes widened, his gaze bright and sharp as he focused all his attention on everything before him.

Under the shroud of the bell's toll, the Zombies stopped in their tracks as if a freezing spell had been cast upon them.

They bared their teeth and brandished their claws, letting out bursts of hair-raising growls.

Yet they dared not take another step closer to the ruined temple, as if an invisible wall of bronze and iron stood before them.

Yang Chunlai's heart was filled with doubt and curiosity: just who was this Fat Monk?

How did he develop this special skill to drive away Zombies?

To uncover the truth, Yang Chunlai gritted his teeth and decided to risk getting a bit closer.

He crouched low, his footsteps light and slow like a stalking leopard, moving cautiously and trying not to make a sound as he quietly approached the Fat Monk.

As the distance closed, the Spiritual Power became increasingly dense and clear.

Yang Chunlai looked closely and noticed that every time the Fat Monk struck the bell, a faint, ethereal shimmer would ripple across his body.

That light resonated with the Spiritual Power, continuously flowing into the sound of the bell in thin strands.

It turned out the Fat Monk's secret technique lay in his ability to imbue the sound of the bell with his own Spiritual Power.

This unique ability made the tolling of the bell seem as if it were alive, possessing the miraculous power to drive away Zombies.

Yang Chunlai marveled inwardly; in all his past experiences, he had never seen such a profound and mysterious skill.

After observing for a long time, Yang Chunlai knew it was not wise to stay here any longer.

He understood that he didn't want to act rashly before fully understanding his enemy.

Thus, he turned around silently and vanished into the night like a ghost.

By now, a plan had formed in his mind: to thoroughly understand the Fat Monk, he first had to find out his background.

Yang Chunlai hurried along, and with a few teleports, he was home in less than a minute.

At this moment, Wang Ajiao was pacing anxiously back and forth in the courtyard like an ant on a hot griddle.

The moment she saw Yang Chunlai, her tense face instantly broke into a look of pleasant surprise and relief.

"Brother Chunlai, you're finally back! I was worried sick!"

Wang Ajiao rushed forward and grabbed Yang Chunlai's hand, her tone filled with concern and anxiety.

Yang Chunlai gently patted Wang Ajiao's hand and comforted her softly, "Ajiao, don't worry. See? I'm perfectly fine."

"I went to investigate that Fat Monk today and discovered some very strange things."

Then, Yang Chunlai told Wang Ajiao everything he had seen and heard in the ruined temple in great detail.

Wang Ajiao listened, dumbfounded, her face filled with astonishment.

"That Fat Monk actually has such impressive abilities? Just who is he?"

Wang Ajiao asked, her face full of confusion.

Yang Chunlai pondered for a moment and said slowly, "I'm also trying to figure that out."

"Ajiao, you've lived in this area for many years and are familiar with the people and events around here. Have you ever heard anything about him?"

He then described the Fat Monk's appearance.

Wang Ajiao's eyes lit up as if she had remembered something important.

"So it's him!"

"I remember now!"

"A few years ago, this Fat Monk came to my house to perform a ritual," Wang Ajiao said.

Hearing this, Yang Chunlai quickly followed up, "Tell me more, what exactly happened?"

Wang Ajiao said slowly, "Back then, my grandfather passed away. To deliver his soul from suffering, my father invited several monks to our home to perform rituals, and that Fat Monk was one of them."

"During the rituals, he worked extremely hard. Chanting scriptures, reciting incantations, and striking Magical Artifacts—he did every movement meticulously."

"Seeing this, my father even gave him some extra donation money."

"However, something happened later that made my father extremely repulsed by him."

Wang Ajiao paused, a look of disgust appearing on her face, and continued, "During the rituals, that Fat Monk happened to see me."

"From then on, he acted as if he'd lost his soul, his mind wandering. He stopped chanting properly and kept finding excuses to get close to me, his words full of flirtatious disrespect."

"When my father found out, he was furious and immediately ordered the servants to beat him out of the house with clubs."

"Since then, he has held a grudge against our family. I heard he even claimed my father was obstructing true love and breaking up a couple, and that he would find an opportunity for revenge—to snatch me away and kill my father to avenge the humiliation of that day."

After hearing this, Yang Chunlai had a sudden realization.

It turned out that while this Fat Monk seemed compassionate, his character was actually depraved.

His so-called cultivation was likely nothing more than a superficial act.

"Ajiao, we must not take this matter lightly."

"Since this Fat Monk has such powerful abilities and holds a grudge against the Wang Family, there's no telling when he might do something extremely dangerous."

Yang Chunlai said with a serious expression and a grave tone.

Wang Ajiao nodded heavily, her eyes full of worry. "Then what should we do? Should we quickly inform my father so he can prepare in advance?"

Yang Chunlai pondered for a moment and said, "Informing Steward Wang is a must, to have him strengthen security."

"But we can't just rely on him; we also need to find a way to counter this."

"The Fat Monk's skill of imbuing the bell's toll with Spiritual Power is too troublesome. I must find a way to suppress him as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, after Steward Wang heard about this, he dared not be the least bit negligent and immediately tightened the security of his household.

He arranged for servants to patrol day and night and set up multiple layers of defense around the manor.

A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire Wang Family Estate; everyone was like a taut string, waiting in trepidation for the coming storm.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and a deathly silence fell all around.

The Fat Monk led a group of ferocious underlings, approaching the Wang Family Estate with a menacing Aura...