Chapter 108 - 108 108 Perish Together

108: Chapter 108: Perish Together 108: Chapter 108: Perish Together Every day in the tavern, countless familiar or unrecognizable faces of strangers come to drink, but today, one of the strangers in the tavern made a deeply memorable impression. He looked very young, dressed in snow-white robes that seemed as clean as new snow under the morning sun. That was a tall and slender youth, and what’s more, this young man had rosy lips and pearly teeth that, if not for the pronounced Adam’s apple on his snow-white neck, would have easily led one to mistake him for a breathtaking beauty. But none of this was the point. The point was that the white robe on this youth was not ordinary attire but an extremely simple… Kasaya? It turned out to be an excessively beautiful monk. A monk could perhaps be forgiven for being handsome, but appearing in such a worldly tavern and having already consumed three pots of muddy wine in a short time? What kind of monk drinks alcohol. Some rough-and-tumble figures from the pugilist world, upon seeing this, immediately became interested, and laughed, “Who does this monk belong to, not diligently practicing Buddhist Law and eating vegetarian, but instead drinking alcohol and eating meat here?” The handsome monk merely smiled gently, his fingertips softly caressing the rim of his wine cup, and with a clear gaze landing on the food table, he said with a smile, “This humble monk has only drunk wine and not eaten meat.” Among the ruffians of the pugilist world, there were also armed beauties with knives, and one of them, with a bold and sparkling gaze, sized up the otherworldly handsome monk. She revealed a very spirited smile and teased, “Little monk, you’ve already broken your precepts by drinking wine, why not just take off your Kasaya and renounce the holy life here and now?” As soon as she spoke, the group of drinking companions beside the woman’s gaze became incredibly suggestive, and the sounds of hooting and hollering instantly erupted. The handsome monk was momentarily taken aback, his thin lips pursed for just a moment before he broke into a smile, saying, “The temple of renunciation is too far away, I’m too lazy to bother.” The woman’s eyes shone even brighter: “That’s true, with mountains high and waters long, the journey would be too remote, and with many dangers from bandits along the way. From which temple does Little Monk hail? Since I have nothing pressing lately, I might as well escort you a bit, no charge for the silver.” The local customs of Xihai City were generous and simple, and this woman, being a child of the pugilist world, was not concerned about the finer details. When someone caught her fancy, she did not ask about their background, repaid kindness and enmity alike, and when it came to love, she was all the more generous in offering her affections. Immediately someone in the crowd began to jeer and laugh, “Right, right, no silver needed, just take a freshly secularized young man!!!” Despite being teased like this, the young monk did not show any anger. Under the burning gaze of the woman, he tilted his head slightly to politely meet her gaze and said, “This humble monk is from Jiaruo Temple, which is truly very far, and it’s also quite cold, so there is no need for the lady to trouble herself.” How could the woman fail to hear the polite refusal in his words? She felt a twinge of regret on her face but didn’t insist further, simply raising a cup from the table in toast without saying more. But the men sharing her table seemed somewhat embarrassed. With a loud thud, they shocked the tableware into scattering in all directions. “Ingrate! For refusing a toast, you must drink a penalty! Did you think you could just casually refuse Sanniang’s kind intentions?” Compared to the spirited beauty, the brutish airs of these men were so thick it couldn’t be laid on thicker, utterly unreasonable. The noisy tavern suddenly became quiet. Most people watched the commotion with eager anticipation for the show. The young monk’s temperament was surprisingly good, showing no anger at all. With a smiling face, he said, “Wine is a fine thing, whether toasting or taking a penalty drink, this monk enjoys it.” The clear leader among the rough men smirked coolly, his hand resting on the broadsword lying on the table, and sneered, “Seeing you look so frail, I won’t bully you with brute force. Since you love wine so much, it’s simple! Outdrink me and today’s matter will be considered settled.” The woman, who was humorously referred to as Sanniang by the others, immediately piped up with enthusiasm, “And if you lose to my big brother, you’ll have to come with me.” The young monk, with a smile, was about to smooth his monk’s robe and speak… Just then, the wind and dust outside seemed to pick up a notch, lifting a corner of a garment embroidered with a delicate Red Lotus pattern. A soft woman’s voice drifted in, indefinably stirring like a gentle spring breeze. “I’ll join you for a drink.” The young monk’s face softened even more in the smile, and the lights of the tavern reflected against his flawless face, as if casting a warm glow upon it. The burly man looked up and was immediately stunned. Outside the premises, a light rain had started unbeknownst to him, amidst the wind and rain. A lithe figure in white stood, purged of the red dust of the world; she clearly possessed an exceptionally beautiful young face, yet in the eyes of the observers, one could see the passage of years and shadows in motion. The woman, with a sword hanging at her waist, dressed in light clothing with wide sleeves, exuded not a trace of the dusty air of the pugilist world. Even though she carried the ominous weapon of a blade, no one would associate her with the bandits that frequented the tavern. The burly man, full of tough air, became dumbfounded by the sight of the woman’s face for a moment and did not come back to his senses until Sanniang, looking displeased, prodded him forcefully in the belly with the hilt of her knife. Rubbing his head of stiff, short hair, he heh-heh laughed, “Sounds good, sounds good. Since the lady insists on defending this baldy, if you end up drunk and flat, I’ll be carrying you home, my dear.” Watching the crowd rubbing their hands together in lewd anticipation. The woman, much like the young monk in her gentle demeanor, smiled while pursing her lips. She did not display the shy reticence typical of young women, but instead entered the tavern confidently, taking a seat on the other side of the young monk. With a slight arch of her eyebrows, she glanced at the young monk and, seeing his amused look as if piqued by some interest, said, “Well then, if I win, there’s no harm in going back with you.” The burly man immediately rejoiced and banged the table, “Good! Today I’m in high spirits; I, Shi Guang, will cover the wine costs for both of you.” The woman did not hesitate: “So generous? Then I’d like to order the most expensive wine in this tavern.” The joy in the burly man could hardly be contained. Was it conceivable that this beauty was truly going to join his household today? What did he care about money when, like others of his daring ilk, his wallet seldom knew the want of gold or silver? A matter of mere wine money, he could certainly afford. As Shi Guang was about to speak, Sanniang on the side was not pleased and frowned, looking at the ethereal woman who almost seemed celestial: “What’s your relationship with him?” That ‘him,’ naturally, referred to the young monk. The woman propped her chin up to look at her and smiled, “My name is Ye Lian, his name is Jiachen; our relationship is… ‘returners’.” Returners, returning together, coming and going alike. Sanniang’s expression stalled, looking somewhat frustrated at the young monk, trying to gauge his reaction. The young monk, his eyes showing a trace of mirth, remained calm and composed, picking up the wine jug and an empty cup, and in a manner that was incredibly gentle, he poured a full cup of wine for the woman. Seeing this, Sanniang immediately deflated. However, Shi Guang, did not take the feeble young monk seriously at all and laughed loudly, “Lady, feel free to order any wine you like, you need not worry about the cost; I’ll take care of it!”