Seven was still chanting calmly even without a change on his face, as if he was beyond everything and feeling nothing. Or, his spirit had gone to somewhere else.

Like…

… into this painting.

Su Bai smiled. It could be said to be heartless to smile at this moment, but he knew Seven wouldn’t mind, neither would Gyatso or Fatty. They wouldn’t care about such things.

On one hand, it was kind of their unspoken rules that everyone should do whatever he could to get whatever he wanted, and no one should get mad about the consequences because it would be useless.

On the other hand, MT 2 was so difficult, it wouldn’t matter if Su Bai was helping or not.

Yes, they were over it. Because the further they went, the more helpless and hopeless they became.

In the hall, Gyatso fought with an armored genie by himself and finally managed to kill him, but couldn’t walk after that.

In the front yard of the thatch, Fatty seemed to have drawn another thunder and killed all the zombies in the way. But this time, the consequence was worse and he was stuck into the rocky wall.

In fact, they were just doing their best and leaving the rest to fate.

Gyatso’s legs were pierced together and his only arm was broken, Fatty had to remain alive by Tortoise Breath, and Seven was… like this.

The whole team was so close to be wiped out.

Su Bai might be capable of dealing with an enemy, but this time, he was facing a hopeless situation that he was still unaware of his enemy even till now. Then what was the point of what they had done before?

Su Bai had been feeling depressed ever since he started going up the mountain. It was beyond description, as if he was walking into a dangerous trap.

The old man in the painting was the one he had met, and the kid by his side was the one they were looking for, Su Bai was sure about that.

But they were in a painting. Su Bai couldn’t bring the painting to the demon nest, and the mission wouldn’t be fulfilled even if he did. It couldn’t be that simple, or Seven wouldn’t have to feed these eagles with his own meat.

Su Bai could see that Seven was still struggling.

He crouched down by the door, looked around and, at last, stared at Seven’s back.

Those eagles were getting slower and slower and even began to stagger.

To feed eagles with one’s own flesh was a classic Buddhist story showing great mercy, but in such great mercy, there was also great danger because the flesh carried one’s consequences[1] with it.

The eagles were eating human flesh as well as the person’s consequences.

Su Bai wasn’t thoroughly aware of Buddhism, but he did know one thing: Seven was the last person to sacrifice his own flesh only to make a show for no one but Su Bai.

Just as he had expected, soon, the painting started shaking and became even more vivid.

After a little while, the old man reached out his hand to Seven, showed his palm, turned it over and then back again.

Seven took a look, then closed his eyes again and shook his head.

Then the palm was retrieved into the painting. The old man was holding the kid with one hand and a walking stick in the other, and they were walking happily in the beautiful natural scenery.

Su Bai had considered this old man as a real Taoist master, but after all he had seen, he knew this old man was not as simple as he had thought.

Seven sighed and fell onto the ground.

Su Bai coughed and tapped Seven’s face.

“Hey, monk? Monk?”

Seven slightly opened his eyes. “It’s over. It’s all over.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic, everything is negotiable.”

Seven shook his head. Blood started running out from his eyes, ears, mouth and nose, and it was golden blood— Seven’s natal blood.

“What can we do next?” Su Bai asked.

“Nothing. He’s not a Taoist or Buddhist. He’s just a demon that has taken someone else’s place.” Seven said slowly, “And now he wants to steal the achievement.”

Demon?

Taken someone else’s place?

And this demon had offered him a Longevity Elixir?

Seven was alive, but he was breathing more air out than in and clearly was overdrawing his life.

Su Bai stood up and walked to the painting.

This painting was all they wanted.

Now seeing the painting, no one knew how to get that kid out to fulfill their task. They were only one step from success but it was such a long way to go.

The painting shook with a wave appearing on it. An old but fair hand reached out to Su Bai:

“Will you come into the painting with me?

“In this painting, your life will never end.”

The voice was hoary and old, but Su Bai was sure it was the old man he had met. But it was lower and colder than last time they talked on the fishing boat on the river. Not so gentle and friendly at all.

“No way.”

This was Su Bai’s answer. The painting gradually went back to normal.

Su Bai had to refuse because he couldn’t believe that the painting was even stronger than the Dreadful Radio. After 30 days, the task would fail and he would be killed; no one in the painting could stop that.

Just when Su Bai felt as if nothing had happened, he suddenly felt a severe pain in his chest, as if his heart was trying to get out of his body.

“Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!”

Su Bai kneeled in pain and cold sweat.

Seven watched him, just like he had watched when Seven fed the eagles.

And he even felt sorry for Su Bai. At least he was smart enough to try controlling the painting by Buddhist principles. He had failed, but he did the right thing. Su Bai was too reckless to turn it down so bluntly, no wonder he suffered so much.

Su Bai’s breath had become faster and faster. He was pressing on his chest with both hand, because his heart seemed to be actually getting out. He felt a strong pulling force and that was so painful!

Fatty stopped Tortoise Breath after Su Bai came, and he could feel what was going on in the thatch. His lips moved a little:

“This doesn’t make sense. There is no solution to MT 2. Dreadful Radio wants us all be killed or what?”

Gyatso was leaning against the wall, his lips were pale and his breath were weak. He was frowning because he couldn’t understand. It seemed that they were totally defenseless. After all the difficulties, they still ended up with a situation that had no possible solution. Did Dreadful Radio want all the audiences to die here?

That didn’t sound like Dreadful Radio Game… He would have left at least one or two person, or at least leave them a chance.

Seven silently said Amitabh to himself. Looking at Su Bai who was in severe pain, his mind was filled with doubts. A Group Mission to kill everyone?

No way.

Su Bai clenched his teeth trying to resist the pain. Suddenly he felt that it wouldn’t matter whether he had showed up sooner or later, or whether the others had taken care of the danger before he came. Because when they face such an overwhelmingly powerful painting, nothing could change anything.

However, just then, someone thundered from outside!

A man in Taoist gown walked by Gyatso. Another audience? Gyatso was wondering.

But the next moment, he saw Lam Chin-Ying.

It was him?

What was he doing here?

Lam Chin-Ying didn’t even look at Gyatso, just kept walking in.

Fatty watched Lam Chin-Ying approach step by step and cracked a smile. Damn it, I knew it couldn’t be a dead end, we still have him!

Lam Chin-Ying opened the door and entered the thatch. Seven’s breath suddenly became faster.

Him?

Su Bai was a little surprised. He stared at Lam Chin-Ying who was standing right in front of him.

“You took my temple, killed my teachers and brothers. Now I’m coming after you!

“I’ve was poisoned in the zombie cave a few days ago. Now the poison is moving towards my heart, and all my cultivation achievements will be gone soon. I’ve made up my mind, I can’t live like this, like a coward!

“I have to take revenge for my teachers and friends!

“I will use myself as a medium and concentrate the rightful energy of all the Taoists in Mt.Fulong over thousands of years! Let’s go to hell together, you monster!”

It reminded Su Bai of what he had seen in the Zombie King’s memory. Lam Chin-Ying was so heroic that with merely one strike, he could force the Zombie King to flee awkwardly. So Lam Chin-Ying had always had a backup plan.

Was he the key to this situation?

Gyatso forced his eyes open. Fatty slightly clutched his fists. Seven said “Amitabh” with his last strength. Su Bai pressed on his heart and stared at Lam Chin-Ying.

Lam Chin-Ying held up the peach wood sword. Instantly, lightning gathered up.

Just then, the old man stretched a hand out of the painting and pointed to Lam Chin-Ying.

Lam Chin-Ying suddenly shook. With a stream of blood running down from his mouth, he fell down dead.

Gyatso suddenly spit out blood.

Fatty’s jaw dropped.

Seven couldn’t continue his prayer.

And Su Bai almost fell down on his face.

He had appeared at such a crucial moment…

… in such a stylish way…

… and was immediately killed just now?

—————————————

FOOTNOTES:

[1] consequences: also “Karma”. According to Buddhist religions, all the good and bad things that a person has done in this life will affect his or her future. Such belief is called Karma, and here the author points out that a person’s flesh carries the consequences of all the things he or she has done, therefore Seven’s flesh was poisonous since he had done so many evil things.