Gradually, the huge temple emptied out until only two groups remained. Aside from the two monks sitting in the center, burning their own flesh and debating the Buddha's teachings, there were only the host and the monks of Zhuangyan Temple, the priest with his twenty-eight nuns, and Jing Shu's team.
First came the smell of burning incense mixed with seared meat. Then it turned into the thick, choking stench of charred flesh. Blood that had boiled dry clotted and blackened, and both monks displayed terrifying willpower.
Master Yuan Tong was heavier, so his body burned with more crackling fat, popping and hissing. Maybe because of that, his flames spread faster than the monk on Jing Shu's side.
In the dim light, others might not see clearly, but Jing Shu could. The man's entire arm was already pitch black, looking like it'd crumble into ash with just one touch of wind.
Sometimes she wondered what meaning there was in what they were doing. They had enough power to seize the cauldron by force. Why would he risk his life like this? Maybe this was his faith. Maybe he wanted to atone for the mistake he made years ago. Or maybe he simply needed to win back the cauldron he'd lost, fair and square. If he couldn't, perhaps he'd entrusted the task to his teammates.
Xiao Dou, acting like the protective mother she was, finally behaved for once. She clung tightly to Jing Shu's leg and didn't move an inch. Jing Shu couldn't help thinking back to when that chicken had first arrived, stirring up chaos in the coop and crowing like a tyrant. Back then, Xiao Dou was so damn full of herself.
The host holding the brush looked oddly out of place. It was more like he was basting a roast pig, carefully brushing on oil wherever the fire hadn't burned evenly. His lips moved nonstop, chanting scriptures no one understood.
The flames eventually reached their shoulders. More than two hours had passed. After so long in torment, both men were dehydrated and no longer speaking, just chanting under their breath as if that could ease the pain.
The fire spread in sheets now. Though it had only reached their shoulders, the heat had already invaded their chest and lungs. Master Yuan Tong's breathing grew ragged, and Jie Lu's consciousness began to fade.
The atmosphere turned tense. Victory or defeat was close. Somewhere in the darkness came the metallic sound of bullets being loaded. Even the little novice holding the cauldron began to tremble.
Jing Shu widened her eyes. The monks were barely human anymore, their flesh scorched and blackened. The surviving one clenched his teeth, sweat dripping in thick beads. Some were from heat, some from pain. No one knew how much mental strength it took to sit unmoving like that.
Finally, the fire spread completely from shoulder to chest, and their upper bodies burst into full flames. The burning area had multiplied several times over. Yuan Tong's fire was the fiercest, flames leaping several feet high. He was soon engulfed entirely, his breathing quick and shallow, face flushed bright red.
"Ugh…" He only managed a muffled groan before his body toppled over from the cross-legged position, lifeless.
The host sighed softly, shaking his head in pity. "Alas." Then he gestured for the monks to acknowledge the final victor.
Tank immediately splashed a full barrel of water over the surviving monk, extinguishing the fire in a violent hiss. Then he wrapped the monk's burned body in a heat-resistant coat. The winner, barely conscious enough to know he'd won, finally collapsed into unconsciousness.
The host and the remaining monks surrounded Master Yuan Tong's charred remains, sitting cross-legged and chanting. The host struck the wooden fish rhythmically, each deep thud echoing in Jing Shu's ears. The chorus of voices carried a strange resonance that somehow calmed even the most restless hearts.
Jing Shu laid out her handmade medicine pills and spread them across the monk's upper body, which was barely recognizable. Don't be fooled—it was only his arms that were completely gone, but his internal organs must've suffered from the extreme heat too. The heart and lungs, so close to the burn area, wouldn't be intact either.
"This kind of injury… surviving will be tough," she said, shaking her head. Even with her Spirit Spring, if his organs were dead, there was no saving him.
There were many kinds of miserable deaths, but living like this might be worse. Both arms were completely necrotic now. The question was whether they should amputate up to the shoulders, but without surgical tools or facilities, that decision would have to wait.
Many burn victims couldn't be saved. Some lingered for a day or two before their bodies gave out completely. Once the body's functions failed, there was no bringing them back.
The worst part of being burned wasn't the fire itself but the aftermath—the destroyed cells and the agony that came with recovery. Ordinary people with severe burns not only developed massive blisters but also suffered from constant, searing pain that never truly stopped. Statistically, burn injuries caused the longest and most unbearable pain of all trauma types.
Even unconscious, the monk's body still twitched from the pain. Jing Shu dripped a single drop of Spirit Spring into his mouth. His reaction was violent, like he was rejecting it, but there was no other way. All she could do was change his medicine every three hours and hope for a miracle.
Once victory was decided, the atmosphere shifted.
The little novice holding the cauldron hid in a corner, trembling. The older monks continued chanting for the dead. Yang Yang didn't interrupt. The priest and the nuns sat motionless, waiting until Yuan Tong's body turned completely to ash. Only then did Yang Yang step forward with a grin.
"So, can we take the cauldron now? Hmm?"
Red dots from sniper scopes appeared one by one in the darkness, but soon came screams. Jing Shu and the others immediately went on alert. Ling Ling raised her gun and fired at one of the shadows. The red dot disappeared.
The host let out a long sigh. "You may take it, but that man won't let you leave so easily."
"That's not your concern," Yang Yang replied calmly.
The little novice stepped forward, hands trembling as he presented the tray. Yang Yang carefully wrapped the cauldron in cloth and said, "Then we'll take our leave." Without another word, he led the group out.
The priest and the nuns stayed behind, seemingly still having their own matters to deal with.
Once outside the temple, Tank, still carrying the monk, asked, "Aren't you worried it's a fake?"
"It's not. This cauldron was once used by the First Emperor himself. The minerals it's made from can't be faked. Besides, those monks wouldn't stoop that low." Still, Yang Yang double-checked the cauldron, only relaxing once he was sure. Then he tucked it into his arms and quickly gave orders.
"Xiao Hei, stay and take care of Monk. The rest of us need to act fast before that man reacts. We'll steal the formula and disappear. Ling Ling, you'll snipe from outside the manor. Tank, you protect her. Snake Spirit, you and Monkey clear the outer perimeter. Mirror, Hao Yunlai, you're with me. Zhen Nantian, your injuries still—"