Chapter 147 — The Alliance
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 8
Master Pucheng sighed, a look of distress crossing his face as well. "Those monsters were indeed as the legends say—their forms mutated from several kinds of fierce beasts of the southern borderlands, and their nature cruel and murderous. Not a single soul in the whole village was left alive. Encountering such fiends, even at the cost of breaking the precept against killing and harming our cultivation, we had to rid the people of this evil, so we descended and destroyed them."
Daoist Master Daoyan raised a single palm. "Master acted on behalf of Heaven. What you did was merit, not the sin of killing. You need not grieve over it."
Pucheng sighed and nodded. Beside him, Yun Yifeng frowned, concerned with another matter. "Abbot, there is something else I would ask."
Venerable Pucheng said, "Pray speak, Valley Master Yun."
Yun Yifeng said, "We had not heard before that these fiends had already reached that far. Now that you have encountered them, Master, the beast-demons must soon reach the vicinity of Canglan Mountain. I wonder—along the way, apart from that village, did you find any other beast-demons?"
Venerable Pucheng shook his head. "That we did not. Apart from that village, we saw none elsewhere. Likely a small group of fiends ran ahead quickly and happened to cross our path."
Daoist Master Daoyan sighed. "Then it served them right. A pity we could not save those villagers." At this, all the monks pressed their palms together and softly chanted the Buddha's name.
Yun Yifeng nodded slightly. "Master, then judging from the encounter between those beast-demons you saw and the eminent monks of the Brahma Sound Temple, how would you rate their fighting strength?"
Venerable Pucheng pondered briefly. "Most of these fiends are ordinary monsters—merely possessed of great strength, sharp claws, and savage ferocity. If one were truly to compare, the ordinary cultivation of we who walk the Way would be enough to overcome them."
Yun Yifeng nodded. "It seems most of these monsters are ordinary beast-demons that have strayed from the main horde." He paused, then turned to Li Xun behind him. "Xun'er, tell Master Pucheng what we have learned these past days."
Li Xun answered and stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Venerable Pucheng. Pucheng smiled. "Nephew Li, no need for such courtesy. Please speak."
Li Xun nodded. "Reporting to you, Master: over these past days we have sent fellow cultivators in many directions to investigate the south, and have found that this great calamity of the beast-demons is so devastating chiefly for three reasons. First, the ordinary beast-demons mostly appear to be mutated from fierce beasts. Though we do not know what manner of mutation it is, these monsters have indeed grown fiercer and more cruel than the beasts they once were, and ordinary people cannot possibly resist them. Second, the number of beast-demons and alien breeds that have come out of the south is beyond counting. Our disciples have many times seen countless beast-demons swarming through the sky—no fewer than ten thousand at least. Under such circumstances, no matter how high one's cultivation, I fear it would be of no avail. Third, among these ordinary beast-demons there appear to be special beasts of unknown number, utterly different from the common monsters, whose demonic arts are strong—stronger, indeed, than many who cultivate the Way. And to this day no one has seen the legendary 'Beast Sovereign,' so we do not know what manner of being he is. But seeing that he can command these countless monsters, I fear he is an extremely troublesome figure!"
Venerable Pucheng's white brows drew tightly together, and the monks of the Brahma Sound Temple behind him exchanged glances. This great calamity of the beast-demons was clearly worse than anything seen before, and from Li Xun's expression as he spoke and the grave faces of the Canglan and Fenxia figures, it was plain that all present were heavy at heart.