CHAPTER 232: CHAPTER 206 BEING GOOD TO YOU (ADDED 3-IN-1)

Leaving the Ghost Path behind, the group of four arrived at the Human Path.

Within the Human Path, the journey was eerily empty, as though the Buddha towers and the miniature worlds intermingled. At times, the towers would suddenly appear, only to vanish shortly after.

Chen Yi thought the whole phenomenon resembled "model clipping."

The Buddha towers they passed became increasingly bare—murals were few, even the decorative patterns grew sparse, replaced by stretches of blankness.

This seemed to embody the principles of Buddhism: the higher one ascends in understanding, the fewer disturbances they have. The fewer disturbances, the fewer new troubles arise. With fewer new troubles, disturbances diminish, until finally, they cease entirely.

After shattering the deceptive hearts of demons, Chen Yi spent the journey quietly contemplating the Killing Sword.

He had never before grasped the essence of the Killing Sword. Yet now, as he followed its path, he realized it suited him far better than the Killing Blade.

The Killing Sword: in the Mahayana, it targets the heart; in the Hinayana, it ends lives.

And Chen Yi had always excelled at piercing the heart—be it breaking Zhou Yitang’s sword in his past life, shattering Yin Weiyin’s Path to Eternity, or tormenting Yin Tingxue, coercing her, bullying her, and scattering her proud blossoms in mere moments...

It was no wonder Zhou Yitang believed he was born for the Killing Sword.

And the sword strike that cut down the Buddha statue—this gave Chen Yi insight into a new Cultivation Technique.

Just as Min Ning had once attained Wind-Shattering Rain-Cutting, Chen Yi now comprehended this unique swordsmanship.

Using Zhou Yitang’s Yinzai Sword techniques as its foundation and the soul of the Killing Sword, a brand-new swordsmanship—one that was uniquely his—lingered in the palm of his hands.

Deliberating, Chen Yi decided to name it "Destruction Zen Sword."

To sever the heart, to destroy the heart—all of this led to extinguishing one’s inner Zen. Destroy the Zen, and one dismantles the Law itself, just like the renowned ranking of the Broken Swordsman: A single sword destroys all techniques.

Rain began to fall along the way.

The downpour grew heavier, the sky turning bleak. As they reached a rugged mountain pass, Chen Yi kept his breathing steady, his steps unwavering. Yin Tingxue, despite holding an oiled paper umbrella, couldn’t bear the pelting rain. Her embroidered shoes were soaked through, pooling water within—a miserable discomfort.

Tiredness compounded with the encroaching night, nearly swallowed by darkness. Chen Yi led the group to a mountain cave for a brief respite.

The female crown stored away the oiled umbrellas back into Square Land. Chen Yi, meanwhile, started a campfire. Dong Gong Ruoshu sat still at the cave’s edge, staring at the rain. Yin Tingxue asked her why she was watching, to which she replied, "I’m seeing if martial inspiration emerges. If watching rain gives me insights into a sword or blade, wouldn’t that be remarkable?"

The campfire flared up, its light illuminating the faces of the women. From outside, the heavy rain carried the earthy scent of stirred-up soil.

Yin Tingxue turned her back to Chen Yi, removing her shoes as water flowed audibly onto the ground. Her bare feet, white as snow, retained adorable folds on the soles. The tender skin of a maiden was strikingly delicate.

Shy, she curled up her legs, inching closer to the fire, which conveniently blocked Chen Yi’s line of sight to her feet.

"Hungry?" Chen Yi asked innocently, retrieving two steamed buns from his sleeve and handing them to Yin Tingxue.

Yin Tingxue held her legs with one arm while taking the buns with the other, cradling them in her arms.

Chen Yi sat beside her, closing his eyes to rest.

"Chen Yi... Why is it that when your sword falls, they all attain liberation?"

Yin Tingxue didn’t rush to eat; instead, she posed the question.

Chen Yi, hearing her, explained calmly:

"Destroying the heart’s attachment to shadows. Those ghostly beings knew the Buddhist Law long ago. They ought to have found liberation, yet they fixated on the statues before them, blinded by fallacy."

Yin Tingxue nodded in sudden realization.

Chen Yi opened his eyes to glance at her, then sneered lightly:

"Back then, were you thinking of chanting sutras?"

Yin Tingxue shivered, casting him a timid glance.

"Restraining you from chanting wasn’t to stop your enlightenment as Shakyamuni did. If you truly attained some Buddhist fruit, reached Nirvana—even if you stayed by my side—you’d still leave me, wouldn’t you? Unless you’re truly eager to leave me, to abandon Yintai Temple entirely?"

Chen Yi’s tone was unhurried, devoid of anger, as tranquil as the calm before a storm.

"That time at Yintai Temple, you cried—I heard it all. I will never leave you."

Yin Tingxue froze in place. So he shattered the Buddha statue so he wouldn’t lose her?

Chen Yi turned and asked her again: "Were you really thinking of chanting sutras back then?"

Afraid of lying, she admitted quietly, "Mmm... Almost did. Will you punish me?"

Her pitiful expression as she asked, "Will you punish me?" was heartbreakingly endearing.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then inquired: "Where’s that paper flower?"

Yin Tingxue didn’t know his intention. Her heart trembled nervously, uncertain of how Chen Yi might punish her. Yet regarding him, she had only one response—obedience.

Carefully, she pulled the paper flower from her chest.

"I’ve kept it with me," she said, holding the paper flower delicately.

The flower was intact, still blooming vividly.

"Then there’s no punishment for you."

Yin Tingxue looked at him with surprise.

Her husband, infamous for finding every excuse to put her through the wringer, wouldn’t let an opportunity for mischief pass untouched.

Chen Yi pinched her cheek lightly and said, "I don’t punish my girlfriend."

Yin Tingxue froze for a moment, then a pure joy spread across her face with a soft "Mhm."

Yes, she’d become his girlfriend. He cared more for her now and would even occasionally let her win.

Chen Yi gently lifted the small paper flower and carefully placed it in her hair.

Curious, Yin Tingxue touched the paper flower on her forehead, perplexed.

The flower perched delicately in her hair, rain booming outside the cave, while she touched it with an exquisitely enchanting demeanor.

She hesitated before confirming in a hushed tone, "You really won’t punish me?"

She feared Chen Yi’s sudden change of heart. She always feared it—sometimes feeling confident she grasped his thoughts, yet other times realizing she hadn’t understood him at all.