A Lai noticed the hesitation in his opponent and decided to provoke him, "It seems you don't dare to take a hit from me, Lei Zhenzi. If you can't even handle one strike, how can you claim to protect the relic? You might as well take off that mask; you don't deserve to wear it."
"Alright then," said the Buddha, while secretly thinking, *With that frail body of yours, if my strike doesn't move you, I'll crush you with one hit and take you hostage. Then you'll have no choice but to hand over the relics.*
He stood firm, gathering his energy into his chest.
A Lai, unhurried, discreetly activated a switch inside his sleeve and slowly extended his palm toward the Buddha's chest. Stepping forward, he pressed his palm against the Buddha's chest, triggering the electric shock device hidden within. A sudden cry of pain erupted as the Buddha was jolted by the high-voltage current. His body lifted off the ground, flipping uncontrollably before crashing down, legs flailing in a struggle.
A Lai, facing the fallen Buddha, calmly pressed his hands together in a gesture of prayer and chanted, "The first strike seeks truth, the second strike holds no grievance, the third strike carries no regret. Amitabha, blessed are those who are virtuous. Who dares face my second strike?"
In an instant, the remaining opponents, who had surrounded A Lai, froze in fear, hesitant to advance.
A Lai, holding his "Golden Staff," spoke slowly, "Why don't you check on your 'Buddha' first? If anyone still wants to challenge me, I'll be waiting."
The group hurried over to the Buddha, only to find him foaming at the mouth. They lifted him, but he continued to thrash and fall back to the ground.
At that moment, A Lai activated another switch, causing the small bulbs hidden in the wings beneath his arms to emit a red glow, resembling the aura of a divine light.
Seeing the signal, Miyue and Mile quickly rushed forward, flanking A Lai on both sides. They grabbed hold of the pre-arranged rings, and the three of them swung across the gap, landing on a nearby hillside before swiftly disappearing into the night.
Suddenly, the leader of the group snapped out of his shock and began screaming frantically, "Quick... quick! Grab your weapons! Get the machetes!"
Moments later, agonized screams echoed through the valley.
"Ahhh! Oww! Aah…"
The cries grew more and more horrific, reverberating through the Thunder God's graveyard.
Miyue and Mile, bewildered, asked in unison, "A Lai, what just happened?"
A Lai chuckled, "It seems they fell into a trap. They brought it on themselves."
Miyue and Mile clasped their hands together in a prayer, "Amitabha, Master A Lai, you've caused death. Such a sin."
A Lai stopped and retorted, "Sin, my foot. I didn't dig that trap, and it's not deadly. I know what I'm doing."
The trap was actually one that the villagers had set up to catch wild animals and protect the graveyard. If A Lai hadn't warned Miyue and Mile beforehand, they might have fallen into it as well.
In the distance, a flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the courtyard and the entire village, followed by a deafening crash of thunder.
The three of them ran from the Thunder God's graveyard back to the courtyard.
A Lai, concerned, said, "Even if it rains knives tonight, I can't let you stay at my house. There's a tigress at home, and we must keep tonight's events a secret. Understand? Now, get back to the temple."
Miyue grumbled, "Forgot your friends for a girl."
Mile added with a grin, "Abandoned loyalty for love."
A Lai, putting on a serious face, said, "Do you two want to experience my 'Tianlai's Three Strikes'?"
The two made mocking faces at each other before quickly vanishing into the night.
A Lai quietly opened the back door and slipped into his room.
A flash of lightning lit up the room like daylight.
"Crack, crack... BOOM!"
The thunder was deafening.
Fangfang awoke with a start, jumped out of bed, and ran to A Lai's room, throwing her arms around him. "I'm scared! It's terrifying. Why is the thunder in the mountains so intense?"
Moments later, large raindrops began to pelt the windows with a loud "pitter-patter."
A Lai felt the warmth from Fangfang's body, as if they were becoming one, their heartbeats synchronizing and quickening together.
Fangfang held A Lai tightly and asked, "Do you have a lightning rod installed in your house?"
"Haha, no need for one. I'm a human lightning rod. I actually welcome the lightning—it recharges my body with new energy."
Fangfang released him and sighed, "A Lai, you're a dreamer."
A Lai replied seriously, "Science is built on dreams. There's nothing impossible, only things we haven't imagined yet."
"Oh my, now you're a philosopher," Fangfang said, as she nestled into A Lai's arms, sitting at the edge of his bed. They listened to the rain outside, but then Fangfang felt something hard under her. She lifted the bed sheet and, curious, unwrapped a bundle. "What's this?"
A Lai quickly reached out, embarrassed, "It's nothing." He tried to take it back.
Fangfang suddenly turned on the light.
A Lai exclaimed, "Don't turn on the light!"
But it was too late. Fangfang had already unwrapped the bundle, revealing a grotesque mask with a greenish face, vermilion hair, bulging eyes, and protruding teeth—both ugly and terrifying. She screamed in shock.
A Lai hurriedly explained, "Don't be scared. It's just a mask."
Fangfang, gathering her courage, took a closer look under the light and recognized it as Lei Zhenzi's mask from *Journey to the West*. She scolded him, "A Lai, how old are you? Why are you still playing with things like this? No wonder your grades are so bad—you're hopeless!"
"This... this… let me explain. I bought this a long time ago..." A Lai stammered.
Fangfang looked at him incredulously, "You didn't even take off your dirty, muddy pants before getting into bed? You're so sloppy."
A Lai's face turned red as he stuttered, "I didn't have time to change."
"Didn't have time? You couldn't spare a moment to take off your outer clothes before bed? I'm done with you," Fangfang said, dismissing his explanation as she returned to her room.
"Sigh." A Lai sighed. Just moments ago, everything had felt warm and cozy, but now it was like the weather in summer—clear skies one moment, followed by lightning, thunder, and a downpour the next.
The next morning.
After breakfast, Fangfang quickly washed the dishes and then came to A Lai's room. She saw him diligently studying his textbook, and her anger from the previous night melted away. "A Lai, you're filthy. Take off all your clothes, and I'll wash them for you."
A Lai nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, *The storm has passed.* Unable to hide his happiness, he handed her a pile of clothes.
As he watched Fangfang bustling about, washing and hanging the clothes in the courtyard, he quickly set aside his books to help. But Fangfang shooed him back to his studies.
A Lai then said, "My arm still feels uncomfortable. I think I should go to the hospital and have the metal plate removed."