"No need," said Mo Ye. He heard a commotion coming from the outside and went over to take a look from the window. The street was filled with people kneeling on the ground, and a golden Buddha's Halo could be seen glowing brightly in the sky.
"Master!"
The Shadow One briskly entered the room and said, "Master, I followed your orders to tail and protect the little monk, but I was thrown off track and lost him. I searched several streets to no avail."
Mo Ye briefly shifted his attention from the commotion on the streets and said, "That little monk is rather sharp-witted, I doubt there will be any trouble. Black Wind, go find out what's going on down there." Mo Ye pointed towards the mass of people kneeling on the streets in worship.
"Yes, Master." Black Wind jumped straight out of the window and went towards the worshippers.
"Master, what happened to your hand?" The Shadow One was slightly startled to see his Master's hand now covered with red spots.
"Nothing."
Mo Ye replied blandly, he casually glanced at his hand and moved his hand behind his back. He moved his line of sight back to the Buddha's Halo in the sky, staring at it intently. It was difficult to decipher what he was thinking at the moment.
Meanwhile, back in the alleyway, the middle-aged man was about to lay a fatal strike on Tang Ning, when he was pushed back with great force by the ray of light from the alms bowl. He flew into the air, got hit against the wall, and crashed onto the ground. His body spasmed for a brief moment before he died. His eyes remained wide open, as if in bewilderment over his death.
Tang Ning contemplated what she had just witnessed. The effect of the ray of light on the middle-aged man was powerful and deadly. Yet, she remained unscathed. Nevertheless, she soon brushed the thoughts away and struggled to get up on her feet.
The last strike she had endured from the middle-aged man appeared to have damaged her internal organs. She was still continuously spewing blood from her mouth. She struggled to stand up, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries and collapsed.
Unbeknown to her, something curious happened after she passed out. With a soft, swishing sound, the ray of light from the alms bowl penetrated her palm and disappeared into it, as if her hand was absorbing the light. When all the light had gone in, the alms bowl also vanished.
A figure strolled calmly into the alleyway and scanned the bloody scene before him. Sighing softly, he walked over to the little monk and spent a few moments looking at the little monk's pristine and beautiful face. Finally, he bent down, lifted the little monk's limp body, placed it over his shoulder, and walked away.
When the people from the noble families arrived at the alleyway, they were disappointed to see the Buddha's Halo had disappeared. All they could find were the three dead bodies and a bloody mess.
"Second brother!"
A man, who looked to be in his 40s, stared at one of the corpses in the alleyway. His eyes widened with shock, and he could barely contain his rage. "Who was it! Who killed him! Who!"
The spectators who had crowded around the scene looked at each other blankly, each one just as clueless as the next.
Two days later.
Tang Ning woke up from her deep slumber to the aroma of cooked meat. Although she was not fully conscious yet, her stomach instantly growled at the mouth-watering aroma.
"The meat… smells so good…"
Tang Ning could not help but mutter even in her drowsy state. She opened her eyes, with the thought of the delicious cooked meat still lingering in her mind. However, as her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings, what happened before she fell unconscious came as a flashback.
"You're awake? I, the monk, thought you might sleep for another three to five days!"
An aged but robust voice reached Tang Ning's ears. She attempted to sit up but found her entire body paralyzed with pain as if her bones had shattered.
"Don't get up! Your internal organs are damaged. If it wasn't for me, the monk, you would have already seen the King of Hell by now." An old monk dressed in gray clothing sat down at the bedside, eating the chicken leg in his hand.
Tang Ning looked at the old monk and queried, "You saved me?"
The old monk placed his one leg on the bed, took another bite of the chicken piece, and flashed a vulgar grin at Tang Ning. "That's right, I, the monk, saved your life. How would you like to repay me?"