Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 316 - 208: Being an Accomplice to a Tiger_2

Chapter 316: Chapter 208: Being an Accomplice to a Tiger_2

In such a noisy environment, everyone naturally ignored the old monk’s words. The suddenly crazed miner was pinned down by dozens of people and attacked by the crowd. In just a short moment, he was bleeding from his mouth and nose, crushed to death by the people.

"You should not lay hands on him, you...sigh!"

Seeing the miner had already breathed his last, the crowd came back to their senses, looking at each other. The old monk took a few steps forward, crouched down, and pretended to check the miner’s pulse, his face full of regret.

"Amitabha, the Buddha is merciful."

"Just now, this benefactor was only harming others because his mind was disturbed. It would have been enough to subdue him, but you should not have taken his life."

He shook his head, then immediately began to manipulate his prayer beads and chant sutras, causing those who had participated in the attack to panic; indeed, in that moment, they felt as if they were being controlled by something.

Out of control, they had acted without thinking, and when they came to, they realized the man was already dead in their hands, bodies uncontrollably trembling. It was then that the County Magistrate also heard the commotion inside and entered.

Someone shouted.

"Yes, yes, he led it!"

"Bullshit! Weren’t you the one who pounced on him first?"

"You too, and that person over there, I warn you, if you’ve killed someone, don’t drag me into it."

"Go to hell, you bunch of bastards..."

The scene erupted into chaos. Jin Shan, who had just been reciting scriptures, simply opened his cloudy eyes, his gaze neither sad nor joyous, devoid of any emotion, as if everything happening was within his expectations.

"How similar it is, how very similar."

"Master, you once taught me that to guard one’s heart and will is to attain the ultimate way, as if removing dirt from a mirror to keep it bright, to sever desires and ask for nothing, one will receive their fate."

"Didn’t you do just the same back then, as I do now? I have trodden through thirty-three cities, without exception, they are not worthy of the Buddha’s blessing. The world is full of such mediocrities; how can they ever escape the sea of suffering?"

Many thoughts flashed through his mind.

To this day, he still believes that the suffering of all beings is self-inflicted, but the disturbance soon attracted the County Magistrate who was waiting for the outcome. After briefly asking about the situation, he did not assign blame.

"Since this person attempted to threaten Master Jin Shan’s safety, his death can’t be blamed on you. If the Master had any mishap, from now on, I fear no one would be able to liberate evil ghosts."

"However, your actions have damaged your own spiritual virtue. Why not do this: those who took part, voluntarily offer more incense money as atonement for merit."

"Didn’t you hear what the Master said? Past life’s karma, repaid in this life. This person’s end must mean he didn’t accumulate much merit in his previous life."

"I will not quibble with everyone about today’s incident, but I hope everyone will behave from now on."

After Lord County Magistrate’s words, the crowd knelt and kowtowed in gratitude, then voluntarily threw their possessions into the Merit Box. Many nobles and officials who witnessed this scene also feared being haunted by evil spirits.

Likewise, they parted with a considerable amount of wealth. After all, from the moment Master Jin Shan’s Buddha Light shone upon them, they began to believe what he said. The countless miners he had cured sang his praises day and night.

Especially,

The families of those who suffered threw all their possessions into the Merit Box.

Master Jin Shan, who was chanting, raised his hands and softly said, "The Buddha is merciful," to cover up the uncontrollable curling of his lips. But he quickly regained control.

"An Yuan, An Jin, you two take this benefactor to the back mountain for a proper burial. Since he died within the temple, it is naturally our duty to chant day and night to liberate his lost soul. Go."

"Yes, Master."

Two young monks picked up the corpse and, somehow, they seemed to hasten their step, almost as if they were eager to leave. However, no one paid any attention to these two young disciples.

Another person was brought in, and the old monk dispelled the evil spirit within him in the same way as before, but this one was not as fortunate as the first. He didn’t even have time to be fully covered in gold powder before he went mad, bit his tongue, and bled to death.

Even Master Jin Shan could only close his eyes and sigh at this scene. Many monks gathered around, cleaning the blood from the man’s body and chanting sutras to liberate his soul.

It was reported that this miner came from afar to work here, had no family, and nowhere to be placed; therefore, Master Jin Shan had his body taken away to be settled in the back mountain of the Golden Light Longevity Monastery.

The actions of Master Jin Shan elicited shock and admiration from many people.

Six months ago, Master Jin Shan began aiding the people on this mountain to exorcize demons and dispel evil, exerting his utmost to save others. At first, there were doubts regarding these masters, suspicions that they may be toting prestigious titles without real skill or knowledge.

But after careful observation, it was discovered that not only did this master possess heaven-sent abilities, but he also had a compassionate heart. Whenever someone was possessed and needed his help to expel the demon, he would never refuse, though he could not guarantee that everyone could be saved.

In Master Jin Shan’s words, one reaps in this life what was sown in a previous life.

This mountain range was originally formed by an Earth Dragon, with the mined ores being Spirit ore. The deeper and more extensive the mining, the more seriously the Earth Dragon would be wounded, increasing the likelihood of it turning over.

The mountain ghosts and sprites swallowed by the Earth Dragon started causing trouble. Continuing to mine would only be bringing disaster upon oneself.

Hearing this, the crowd all shook their heads. In these remote areas, neither animal husbandry nor cultivation was well-developed; mining was practically the only source of livelihood, which wouldn’t change just because a few people died.

More than ten cities sat upon this mountain range, with hundreds of thousands of people relying on this vein of ore to survive. For the county magistrates and lords, it was just a matter of sending away twenty people each month, many of whom would return alive.

The losses were within acceptable limits.

For the miners, it was naturally even more impossible to give up easily. If they did not choose this path, how would they support their families? Moreover, only a few dozen out of thousands would meet with misfortune, a mere fraction. Everyone held onto the slim hope that the tragedy would not befall them.

Even if it did, with a high monk present, there was a fifty percent chance of being cured.

The master known as Jin Shan, with the heart of a Bodhisattva, asked for no payment. Even the gold powder he now used was provided by the generosity of the surrounding county magistrates and the populace.

Moreover, the master had never asked them for anything. He was always well received every time he went to the mountains, which undoubtedly cemented Master Jin Shan’s image in the hearts of the people.

After several hours passed, all the miners possessed by evil ghosts were finally delivered to peace. The crowd gradually dispersed, and the once empty Merit Box was now stuffed full with broken silver and copper coins.

Finally, only one person remained in the courtyard.

It was the County Magistrate of Shuipang County.

He approached a few steps with palpable care, his demeanor wholly different from the gentle and kind expression he wore before, and he offered Master Jin Shan a tentative smile before coming forward.

"Master Jin Shan, this month there were twenty-nine people, with only fourteen making it safely down the mountain... What do you think?"

His lips curved up ever so slightly.

The old monk looked just as amiable as ever, though there seemed to be a hint of a sinister undertone in his smile—a perhaps mistaken impression.

But he wasn’t particularly concerned about the proactive request. He reached into his sleeve and promptly pulled out a dark elixir, handing it over to the County Magistrate.

Upon receiving the item, the County Magistrate’s face flashed with an excitement he could hardly contain. Though he knew nothing of cultivation, this elixir was larger than any before, indicating that Master Jin Shan was very satisfied with his performance today.

Especially since he had recently taken the initiative to lead those pregnant women up the mountain, usually husband and wife together, surely a move that hit the mark.

Moreover, he played a part in today’s disturbance.

"Take it," said the old monk.

"Your child at home should have seen some improvement recently. With this pill, his ailment should be completely cured."

At these words, the County Magistrate’s face instantly revealed ecstatic joy, swiftly followed by a twinge of palpitations and hesitation.

Unmoved, the old monk merely chuckled.

"When you brought him last time, I saw that the boy possessed a mind of great wisdom and was born with good fortune. With proper guidance, it is likely he could accomplish a significant feat and achieve a path in cultivation."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the hesitation on the County Magistrate’s face evaporated, replaced by unwavering resolve, while Master Jin Shan simply joined his hands and murmured softly.

"Do it just like last time."

"If Lord County Magistrate hadn’t intentionally spoken about the matter to that Purple Cloud Palace Disciple, he likely wouldn’t have come out of curiosity to be a guest in our monastery."

"Today, four more have come from your Shuipang County."

"We rely greatly on you once again."