QT- I’m Almost Died
Chapter 241. Sculpture Of The Holy Maiden Of Zezhou
Ma You was quickly put on a public trial. Survivors came forward one by one to accuse him of his crimes, and there were bloody objects such as fingernails and teeth left by the victims as evidence. The judge sentenced him to death in court, and the sentence was carried out immediately.
As he was being led to the execution ground, Fan Jialuo blocked his path, leaned in and asked, “Do you still think that you can become a ghost after death? Believe it or not, I will obliterate your very soul?”
The once arrogant and domineering Ma You could only be described as a lump of mud. Especially when facing Fan Jialuo, he would shed tears and snot from fear, his body trembling as if it would fall apart at any moment.
“I believe you, I believe you, please spare me, let me die a quick death, waa waa waa……”
The empathy that Fan Jialuo had given him continued to work, his body could no longer feel the pain of the dead, but his soul was trapped in one confined space after another, enduring death again and again. He was trapped in despair, able only to helplessly cry out for help and hopelessly struggle and climb, just like every victim before him.
He gradually realized that the only way to find liberation was through death. As for whether he would become a vengeful ghost after death, or whether he could take revenge on society, his soul was already extremely weak, so how could he dare to even dream of such things? As long as people like Fan Jialuo still existed in this world, he would never return.
Fan Jialuo looked deeply into his tear-filled eyes, seeing through his cowardice and incompetence, before stepping back two steps to clear the way to the execution ground.
Ma You was being led away by two soldiers. Just as he was about to step out of the courtroom, he suddenly turned back and asked, “What exactly are you?”
This question had clearly troubled him for a long time, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so preoccupied with it on his deathbed. He absolutely refused to believe that Fan Jialuo was human, how could a human go five or six days without food or water? How could a human deprive him of his power and use it for his own purposes? How could a human bring hell to the mortal realm?
His mind raced, and without waiting for the man’s response, he felt as if he had found the answer. He shuddered and then staggered away.
Fan Jialuo watched his retreating figure silently, his expression as indifferent as ever.
Song Rui walked over from behind and gently patted his shoulder, “Can we go home now?”
“There’s one more place I’d like to visit.” Fan Jialuo whispered, shaking his head.
“Let’s go then.” Song Rui didn’t ask any more questions, and simply took out his car keys.
More than an hour later, the two arrived at the top of the highest mountain in Beijing and stood in front of a magnificent building. A black plaque hung above the door, on which two large word were written in gold lacquer——Tianshui Temple.
This was the secular stronghold of the sect that once nurtured Fan Jialuo, and also the most prosperous Taoist temple in the capital. Normally, the temple gates would be wide open, welcoming throngs of believers and receiving offerings amidst swirling incense smoke. Many important figures would also quietly come and donate substantial sums of money for incense.
But today, the bronze gate was tightly closed, and a circle had been painted in vermilion on the towering courtyard wall, with a large “Demolish” word written inside. Noisy sounds keep coming from inside the courtyard, as if they are arguing about something, or as if they are praying for something.
“It seems Chief Yan is preparing to take action against Tianshui Temple.” Song Rui stood in the center of the gate, admiring the magnificent Taoist temple with great interest.
No wonder it’s called Tianshui Temple, three massive building complexes are arranged in a triangular pattern, connected by three huge gardens, occupying most of the mountain’s area. Even so, the Tianshui Sect wasn’t satisfied and submitted another application, intending to buy the entire mountain.
Song Rui stared at the plaque hanging above his head for a while, then shook his head and said, “Everyone calls the Tianshui Sect a great reclusive power of the metaphysical world. But having seen their stronghold, I find the term ‘reclusive’ to be nothing more than a joke.”
“They call themselves cultivators, looking down on ordinary people while simultaneously trying to manipulate them. Their so-called seclusion is just talk.” Fan Jialuo pushed open the side door and stepped inside.
Song Rui immediately followed up, chuckling, “Their mentality can be summed up in five words——the arrogance of the strong.”
“Indeed. The moment they gain power, they believe they have detached themselves from the common masses and evolved into a higher order of being. But in fact, every form of life in the universe is the same. Birth, aging, sickness and death are a process that they must go through, and no one can escape it.”
“You can.” Song Rui gave Fan Jialuo a deep look, quite certain of his guess.
“I can’t either.” Fan Jialuo avoided his gaze.
“Your form of existence is unlike any of ours, you can do it.” Song Rui insisted on his judgment.
Fan Jialuo strode forward and said firmly, “One day, I too will face the judgment of fate, and at that time, I will not be able to avoid death.”
“That works out perfectly. I am ready to face judgment at any time. I will go with you.”
Having pressed him to this extent, Song Rui stopped the conversation.
Fan Jialuo turned to look at him, and finally smiled gently, “Alright, let’s do it together.” He stood there waiting for Dr. Song to approach, and said in a calm tone, “Every day we live, we are actually facing death. Perhaps you go to sleep tonight, and tomorrow morning you will never open your eyes again, perhaps you are smiling now, and the next second you will suddenly die. Such situations are not exceptions, but commonplace. The greatest challenge in life is not to search for the meaning of survival, but how to calmly face death. Those eminent monks extinguish all lamps every night before going to sleep, place their empty water glasses upside down by their bedsides, and make sure to finish all their daily tasks, never leaving any trouble for tomorrow. They do this every day without fail. Do you know why?”
After thinking for a moment, Song Rui slowly said, “Because they prepare for their own death every day. They are not sure if they will wake up tomorrow after they fall asleep today, so they will live each day to the fullest and leave no regrets.”
“Yes.” Fan Jialuo said, looking at the magnificent temple ahead, “So death is inevitable, and we must all be prepared.”
Song Rui nodded without saying a word, then grasped Fan Jialuo’s cold hand.
“What are you doing?” Fan Jialuo’s ears turned slightly red.
“Finish today’s work today, and don’t leave regrets for tomorrow. You just taught me that.” Song Rui chuckled in a low, husky voice.
Fan Jialuo withdrew his hand, took a few quick steps, and then, for some reason, suddenly turned back and waved, saying, “Hurry up and follow me.”
Song Rui immediately followed and took the man’s hand again, but the other person couldn’t pull away this time. They seemed to have reached a consensus——to do what they felt in their hearts and leave no regrets.
The two walked hand in hand to the noisiest palace, only to find a group of Taoist priests arguing with a group of people in uniforms, while some workers were smashing the building to pieces with hammers.
“You can’t do this! This land was bought by our Tianshui Temple, it’s private property!”
“All the land belongs to the state. Where is this private land? You say you bought the land, but where is the paperwork? Where are the procedures? Where are the licenses? Produce any one of them, and we’re leaving immediately!”
“The paperwork…it’s still being processed, it’ll be ready soon.” The Taoist priest, who had been so confident just moments before, was now stammering and unable to speak clearly. The Tianshui Sect had quite a few connections with higher-ups, and over the years they had been protected by important figures, to the point that they had long forgotten that this mountain did not belong to them.
“You really think the higher-ups will approve your application? What wishful thinking! Let me tell you, given what your Tianshui Sect has done, the fact that the higher-ups haven’t classified you as a cult and banned you is already a huge favor! You’ve killed so many people just to protect a damn formation, and you still have the nerve to cultivate Taoism? Demolish it, demolish it, keep demolishing it!”
The leader waved his hand, and the workers swung their hammers even more vigorously.
Seeing the two groups inevitably grappling with each other, Fan Jialuo gently tugged at Dr. Song’s arm, “Let’s change direction.”
Song Rui intertwined his fingers with his and whispered with a soft laugh, “Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”
Fan Jialuo glanced at him, didn’t respond, but couldn’t help but smile.
Tianshui Temple covers a vast area, with pavilions and towers built according to the mountain’s contours, arranged in a staggered and seemingly disordered manner, creating a very complex landscape. Walking along this straight path often leads to even more interconnected, spiderweb-like paths, those who haven’t lived here for a long time are sure to lose their way.
But Fan Jialuo did not pause at all, following his heart, and walked unimpeded to a temple with a very unique design.
Song Rui looked up and saw three large golden characters on the plaque hanging on the beam——The Holy Maiden Hall
“What kind of deity is this?” Song Rui asked in confusion, “I only know that Taoist temples usually enshrine the Three Pure Ones, the Supreme Primordial Goddess, the Jade Emperor, and the Queen Mother of the West. Further back, there are also the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess, the Five Directions Goddesses, the Five Directions Spiritual Children, and the Turtle and Snake Generals. But I have never heard of enshrining any holy maiden.”
Fan Jialuo pointed to the sculptures inside the hall and shook his head, saying, “This is not a deity, but my ShiJie, Song Enci.”
Song Rui suddenly realized, and his tone turned several degrees colder, “It seems that your Shifu really liked your ShiJie. Even though she is dead, he still wants to make a golden statue for her so that she can enjoy the incense offerings of the mortal world.”
“As long as it benefits ShiJie, he wouldn’t even mind trading his own life away.” Fan Jialuo walked into the main hall and looked up at the sculpture draped in red silk.
Its features are delicate and lively, its eyelids are slightly closed, its smile is gentle, and it holds a weeping willow in its hand, gently swaying it downwards. Its wide sleeves and flowing skirt seem to be fluttering in the wind. In the blink of an eye, it can transform into a living being and gracefully and lightly walk down from the altar.
It was so lifelike that it inexplicably instilled fear in people.
Song Rui carefully examined the sculpture and pondered, “Don’t you think it’s different from other sculptures? It seems to have a sense of life and appears particularly vivid.”
Fan Jialuo remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the hall. He released Dr. Song’s hand, walked to the offering table, picked up the bronze candlestick with a burnt-out candle, and smashed it against the base of the sculpture. With a muffled thud, the terracotta figure cracked open and toppled over.
Song Rui dodged the sculpture that crashed to the ground, bent down and stared carefully at its delicate face, and said slowly, “I don’t know if I’m seeing things, but I always feel that once this crack appeared, its face didn’t seem as lifelike as before.”
Fan Jialuo remained silent, raised the candlestick high, and smashed the gentle, beautiful face in a few blows.
Song Rui stopped questioning, picked up another candlestick, and silently began smashing the sculpture. He was even more ruthless than Fan Jialuo, quickly breaking the sculpture’s neck and dislocating its limbs. If this person had truly killed Fan Jialuo, he could have torn her to pieces even if he were facing the real thing.
After finishing their work, the two dusted themselves off, went to the outdoor ornamental pool to wash their hands, and then leisurely looked at the messy Holy Maiden Hall.
“She is not worthy to enjoy the pleasures of the mortal world as a deity.” Only then did Fan Jialuo speak calmly.
“Wait a moment, I’m going to make a phone call.” Song Rui took out his phone.
Fan Jialuo nodded, his eyes fixed on the mangled, shattered sculpture. His aversion to the divine was ingrained, anyone associated with the word “God” would become his target.
A few minutes later, Song Rui returned and said casually, “I just sent someone to check. There is a Holy Maiden Hall in Tianshui Temple all over the country, and the statues enshrined in the halls are all your ShiJie. Your Shifu even specially recruited a group of believers for her so that she can enjoy the incense offerings of the world for a long time.”
Fan Jialuo’s already dark eyes darkened even further.
Song Rui rubbed his head and chuckled, “Tianshui Temples all over the country are already being demolished. Chief Yan seems determined to teach the Tianshui Sect a lesson. I’ve already sent people to smash those sculptures, making sure not a single one is left.”
Fan Jialuo paused for a moment, then laughed lightly. Dr. Song was always like this, always able to see into his heart first and then take all the trouble for him.
“I haven’t even had a chance to deal with the Tianshui Sect yet, and they’ve already driven themselves into a corner. Is this fate?” He looked up at the sky, sighed, and finally waved his hand, saying, “Let’s go, let’s go to Longyin Temple.”
“What are we going over there for?” Song Rui asked, taking his hand.
Fan Jialuo touched the back of his hand with his slender fingertips and said frankly, “Go visit Lin Nianci.”
Song Rui raised their clasped hands and said in a gentle voice, “I love it when you tap the back of my hand or somewhere else with your fingertips. That slightly itchy feeling is like tapping on my heart.”
Fan Jialuo cast a sidelong glance at Dr. Song, the corners of his eyes flushed crimson, but did not respond. Instead, his slender fingertips gently touched the back of his hand.
Song Rui couldn’t hold back any longer. He chuckled softly as he gripped the man’s hand tightly and walked forward step by step.
Two hours later, they arrived at Longyin Temple. Guided by a young novice monk, they entered the main courtyard and immediately saw Lin Nianci lying prostrate on the altar. She was vomiting blood, her hands clutching her chest as if in excruciating pain, her body was convulsing uncontrollably, as if she were suffering from hysteria, her already aged face was visibly withering away, revealing deep wrinkles, her bright eyes were filled with turbid tears, and her last remaining energy was continuously draining away.
If it weren’t for Abbot Changjing chanting sutras and blessing her every day during this period, which restored some of her youth, she might have aged and died long ago.
Chang Sheng, Chang Zhen, and Lin Nian’en were kneeling beside her, shouting loudly, while a group of senior monks were chanting scriptures rapidly around the altar.
With the protection of the power of collective prayers, Lin Nianci’s injuries were somewhat alleviated, but her aged face and severely damaged internal organs were difficult to recover. Strands of her white hair began to fall out, and the once gentle and beautiful woman now resembled a decaying corpse.
Upon seeing her appearance, Song Rui felt as if he were seeing another Su Fengxi, and subconsciously frowned.
Fan Jialuo used his magnetic field to push away everyone who blocked his way, and walked step by step to Lin Nianci’s side. He looked down at her and smiled faintly, “Do you know why you suddenly suffered such a severe backlash?”
Lin Nianci was so weak that she couldn’t even open her mouth, she could only stare at him with wide eyes, unwilling to give up.
Chang Sheng suddenly looked up and asked urgently, “Why? Do you know the reason?” Having experienced so much, he dared not take any of Fan Jialuo’s words lightly.
“Because your channels for collecting faith have been cut off.” Fan Jialuo leaned down and said, word by word, “You will never become a god in this lifetime, Song Enci.”
Upon hearing his strange address, Chang Sheng, Chang Zhen, and Lin Nian’en immediately showed expressions of astonishment.
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