468: Chapter 468 Enemies meeting are filled with intense hatred

The backyard of the Chen Family Manor shrouded in darkness.

The originally noisy and boisterous Water and Land Dharma Assembly had now fallen into utter silence.

The monks' neat chanting and the crisp sound of bells and cymbals crashing stopped abruptly almost at the same time.

The whispering sounds of the Chen Family members also seemed to be stuck in their throats, disappearing completely in an instant.

On the wide open ground, only the raging flames in front of the altar danced wildly in the darkness.

The orange-red tongues of fire kept darting upward, almost licking the gloomy sky.

Everyone stopped moving, staring straight at the bonfire.

A terrifying thought simultaneously emerged in everyone's mind.

Was that sigh just now an illusion? Or was there really an evil spirit hiding inside the corpse?

Could it be... that even such a huge fire couldn't burn it to death?

The wind suddenly became fierce, blowing the soul-calling prayer flags around to flutter loudly.

The runes on the flags flickered in the firelight, as if awakening the souls sleeping in the darkness.

The gusty wind carried the smell of burnt wood and choking smoke straight into their noses, causing some people to cough uncontrollably.

However, the chill permeating the air was even more intense than the heat of the flames, pricking people's skin tight.

The entire manor seemed to be enveloped by a huge net, and a sense of suffocation rushed toward them.

Around them, there were only the howling wind, the crackling of firewood, and everyone's heavy breathing.

As well as the lingering sigh coming from the depths of the bonfire.

"Dong—"

It was unknown whose wooden fish dropped to the ground first.

Those monks widened their eyes, their faces pale, and their hands pressed together in a Buddhist salute trembled slightly.

Their spiritual perception was quite high, and they had already sensed that something was stirring within the bonfire burning the corpse.

Great Master Yuanjue in the center of the altar also abruptly paused the hand holding the Buddhist prayer beads, looking at the bonfire in astonishment.

His lips moved a few times, and he couldn't help whispering a Buddhist chant: "Amitabha..."

However, before this Buddhist chant had even finished, a few crisp cracking sounds of "kaka" came suddenly from the bonfire.

That was the sound of burning firewood and coffin fragments being pushed aside by a force.

Then, a charred figure, carrying wood ash and sparks, slowly stood up from the raging fire.

That was shockingly the corpse of Old Master Chen Hongye.

He, who should have been burned through, actually seemed to have come back to life in full view of the public.

The surface of his charred and wrinkled skin was now crawling with dark red incantations.

Those incantations slithered and wandered like living snakes, and with every movement, a red halo seeped out from the lines, forcing the surrounding flames to retreat step by step.

Although his body still bore the charred marks of burning, it stood straight, and his head was slightly raised.

When his hollow eye sockets turned toward the crowd, two points of scarlet light slowly lit up.

"Hu—"

He suddenly opened his mouth, exhaling a long puff of black smoke, and then took half a step forward.

The tongues of fire circled around his feet as if fearing something, and even the splashing sparks would instantly extinguish upon touching his skin.

This scene of a living corpse undergoing Rebirth shattered the last trace of luck remaining in everyone's hearts.

"Ah..."

A faint exclamation first sounded in the crowd.

Immediately afterwards, fear spread like a tidal wave.

The Chen Family members all froze in place, their faces filled with panic.

Some covered their mouths, their eyes wide round.

Some had trembling voices and couldn't help muttering:

"So... there really is an evil spirit possession? Is this... is this going to reveal its true form?"

Elder Chen Dehai leaned on his cane, his murky eyes staring at that figure, his lips trembling as he chanted:

"Hongye... is that you..."

His voice was very soft, as if in disbelief, and also as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

Second Young Master Chen Xuan in the front row of the crowd reacted differently from the others.

On his face, besides shock and fear, there was more hatred.

His hands were clenched into fists, staring fixedly at the figure in the fire, as if looking at an irreconcilable enemy.

On the other side, Fang Cheng and the others had similarly solemn expressions.

Lin Chuqiao's eyes flickered slightly, and she reached into her collar to take out the amulet, pinching her fingertips slightly and secretly preparing herself.

Bailing was so scared that she hid behind Fang Cheng, revealing only a pair of frightened eyes, secretly looking at the resurrected corpse.

"Holy crap, what kind of thing is this? It's even fiercer than a zombie, and it's not afraid of fire at all."

Pan Wendi's mouth was wide open, and his voice inevitably carried a tremor.

Fang Cheng's body still stood straight, his gaze piercing through the raging flames, gazing at the "monster" that stood up from the fire.

The monster in the fire ignored everyone's reactions.

It slowly raised a blackened hand, as if examining something.

Then, it lowered its head to look at its charcoal-like body, its dark red eye sockets flashing once, revealing obvious anger.

It seemed dissatisfied that its Physical Body had been burned into this ugly appearance.

Only a few seconds later, that anger quickly subsided, replaced by a trace of relief.

It slowly lowered its arm, as if confirming something, and then exhaled a foul breath carrying a scorched smell.

"Fortunately I came back early... without hurting the Foundation, these are just minor flesh wounds."

That aged and majestic voice sounded again, carrying a trace of relief from surviving a catastrophe.

Then, it cast its gaze back to the crowd on the open ground, its voice turning abruptly stern.

"You unfilial descendants! Just when this old man was at the juncture of Karma Perfection, why did you commit such a rebellious crime and dare to burn this old man's Physical Body?!"

This monster impressively claimed to be Old Master Chen Hongye, and its words were filled with the unquestionable Aura of a Family head.

Every single word beat against everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

All the Chen Family members, facing this sudden interrogation, were dumbfounded, and no one dared to speak and answer.

Monstrous waves were churning in their hearts.

Could the monster standing up from the fire before them really be the old Family head returning from the dead?

If this were the case, then their sin of burning the ancestors' corpse would truly be unforgivable.

The open ground was silent, with only the firewood still crackling and burning.

Everyone was shocked into speechlessness by its powerful Aura.

Old Master Chen Hongye's eyes became even redder, like two pools of blood burning.

His head was slightly tilted, and his scarlet gaze seemed capable of piercing through people's flesh, blood, and bones. Whomever it swept past couldn't help but shiver.

That posture was nothing like a resurrected corpse.

It was clearly a Vicious Beast that had been dormant for a long time, looking at the crowd with the eyes of a predator examining its prey.

A few Family members with poor psychological endurance were already shaking at the knees.

Those servants were even worse; scared weak at the knees, they collapsed directly onto the ground.

Suddenly, Old Master Chen Hongye raised his head and let out a long roar.

"Aow—"

This roar did not sound like a human voice, but rather like the shrieking of a malevolent ghost, carrying extremely strong penetrative power that directly slammed into everyone's eardrums.

The surrounding wind instantly became violent, whipping up the dead branches and fallen leaves on the ground, and lunging toward the crowd.

The firewood in the bonfire was also blown to crackle loudly, and the burning pieces of wood carrying sparks splattered out in all directions like rain.

"Quick, get out of the way!"

It was unknown who shouted, and the crowd instantly fell into chaos.

Whether it was the people of the Chen Family or the monks invited to perform the dharma ritual, they panicked and scattered to hide.

Someone raised a hand to block the sand and dust blurring their eyes, but the back of their hand was burned by the splashing firewood, making them gasp in pain.

Even more people panicked and lost their way, knocking over the offering table beside them. The incense candles and offerings on the table all crashed to the ground with a clatter.

Amidst the chaos, everyone could only think of staying far away from that terrifying figure.

When everyone finally steadied their footing and looked back up at the bonfire, their hearts sank heavily once more.

The figure standing in the fire had actually disappeared.

"Where is it?"

Someone asked tremblingly.

As soon as the words fell, a miserable scream came from behind.

The crowd turned back, only to see that Old Master Chen Hongye had jumped down from the bonfire at some point, grabbing a monk from Cuicheng Temple in his hand.

He was lowering his head, fiercely biting into the monk's white and plump neck.

Fresh blood gushed out continuously, splashing on his charred face and streaming down the wrinkles.

"Glug... glug..."

The clear swallowing sound echoed in the silent night, making people's scalp tingle.

As he drank greedily, the monk's body shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

And the charred skin on Old Master Chen Hongye's body actually began to peel off piece by piece, revealing new skin underneath.

That skin emitted a bizarre light red color, and aside from the entwined dark red incantations, the previous scorching marks were shockingly and gradually disappearing.

In just a few short seconds, the monk stopped moving, completely turning into a withered and thin corpse.

Old Master Chen Hongye released his hand, letting the corpse fall to the ground.

He raised his hand to touch his cheek, looked at the charred marks on his body that had not completely faded, shook his head in dissatisfaction, and his voice carried disgust:

"This monk looks fair and tender, but he is just an ordinary person after all. The quality of his blood is too poor."

"The blood and flesh of aristocratic Family children are much more nutritious; otherwise, I could become even younger and Yingjun..."

Saying this, he licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned his gaze to the rest of the crowd.

That gaze was as substantive as if it were real, sharp enough to scrape off a layer of skin and flesh.

The remaining Cuicheng Temple monks and Chen Family members were instantly frightened into retreating repeatedly, not even daring to breathe loudly.

"Speak."

Old Master Chen Hongye stood proudly and shouted in a deep voice:

"You unfilial descendants, whose idea was it to burn my Physical Body?"

His voice echoed in the night sky, humming and ringing as if containing some kind of power.

When the voice reached their ears, an inexplicable sense of guilt suddenly surged into everyone's heart.

The Chen Family members' faces turned even paler, and they trembled all over.

Someone couldn't help kneeling down, their voice carrying a crying tone:

"Family head, forgive us. We were foolish and shouldn't have listened to the scoundrel's words and had the idea to burn your Physical Body!"

"Old Master, we didn't mean it. Please, for the sake of our Bloodline kinship, spare us this once..."

More and more people knelt down along with them, their heads pressed against the ground, continuously kowtowing to confess their guilt.

Bang, bang, bang.

The dull impact sounds rose and fell on the open ground.

Everyone's foreheads quickly bruised red and seeped blood, yet they didn't even have the courage to make excuses.

This bizarre scene left the Cuicheng Temple monks terrified and dumbfounded.

It was as if the one who came here to guide the wandering souls and eliminate karmic sins was that monster calling itself Old Master Chen Hongye, and not them, the Buddhist disciples draped in cassocks.

Chen Dehai stood in place, looking at Old Master Chen Hongye in shock and suspicion, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

But that invisible pressure was simply too heavy; he lasted only a few seconds before his cane thumped against the ground with a muffled sound.

In the end, his legs bent, and he dropped to his knees.

In the crowd, Second Young Master Chen Xuan was still standing.

His face was twisted, and the veins on his forehead throbbed violently, clearly enduring immense pressure.

Yet the hatred in the depths of his eyes not only did not decrease, but burned more and more fiercely like a flame.

Inside his clenched fists, his fingernails almost sank into his palms, oozing blood.

Suddenly, he abruptly raised his head and let out an angry roar at Old Master Chen Hongye:

"Stop pretending! You are simply not my grandfather!"

This angry roar was like a clap of thunder, instantly shattering the bizarre atmosphere of the dharma assembly scene.

Everyone shuddered, and the people kneeling on the ground couldn't help raising their heads to look at Second Young Master Chen Xuan, their eyes filled with astonishment.

The gloomy wind was still blowing, and the fluttering sound of the soul-calling flags was exceptionally piercing.

The residual bonfire continued to burn, and the sparks flickered in the darkness, making the scene even more deadly silent.

The monks beside the altar, having seen their companion die a miserable death and already scared out of their wits, stiffened all over upon hearing this angry roar.

Great Master Yuanjue pressed his hands together, his lips reciting scriptures rapidly, but the hand holding the prayer beads trembled even more violently than before.

Old Master Chen Hongye's gaze slowly turned to Second Young Master Chen Xuan, a trace of surprise flashing in his scarlet eyes, which was immediately replaced by coldness.

He tilted his head slightly, as if appraising an interesting prey, and slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a bizarre arc.

"You are just a monster!"

Second Young Master Chen Xuan mustered all his courage, glaring angrily, his voice trembling, but every word was clear:

"My father, second grandfather, fourth uncle, and little brother... they were all killed by you!"

"All the disasters recently suffered by the Chen Family are also your doing!"

"Hehe..."

Old Master Chen Hongye let out a cold laugh, his voice filled with mockery:

"You are indeed a little thing who dares to speak the truth, but unfortunately, you are too stupid."

Saying this, he raised his hand, crooked his finger at Second Young Master Chen Xuan, his tone carrying an irresistible command:

"Come here, let grandfather properly 'pamper' you."

Second Young Master Chen Xuan was originally glaring at him, but the moment his gaze met those scarlet eyes, his whole body suddenly shuddered.

As if something had burrowed into his brain, his body began to move forward uncontrollably.

Clearly screaming "Don't go over" in his heart, his legs were like being pulled by strings, walking toward Old Master Chen Hongye step by step.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, sticking his clothes to his skin, cold and sticky.

He wanted to stop, wanted to turn around and run, but his body simply wouldn't listen to commands.

The other party's words were like commands carved into the Bloodline, making him almost unable to suppress even the thought of resisting.

"Don't go over!"

Just as Second Young Master Chen Xuan had taken a few steps out, a hand suddenly reached over, tightly grabbing his wrist.

The strength of that hand was immense, and the tactile sensation on the palm was like a red-hot branding iron, scalding him into a sharp shudder.

And it was precisely this sharp stimulus that instantly pulled him back from the out-of-control state.

Second Young Master Chen Xuan snapped to his senses abruptly, and looking back, it was actually Fang Cheng.

Seeing that the prey almost in hand suddenly encountered an unexpected change.

Old Master Chen Hongye's gaze instantly fell onto Fang Cheng, his scarlet eyes narrowing slightly.

He stared at Fang Cheng's hand gripping Second Young Master Chen Xuan, then raised his eyes to look at the red light also flickering in the depths of Fang Cheng's eyes, adding a few parts of vigilance to his deep voice:

"It turns out to be you..."