Chapter 42: The Faceless Corpse, Xiao He's True Form!

  My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the stone monument in front of me.

  This monument is too tall and grand, looking up, I only see the top of the monument towering into the clouds, although it's only ten meters high, but at this moment, it gives me a sense of majesty and solemnity like a mountain.

  I couldn't help but swallow my saliva, and at this time, I heard Xia Yu Xin muttering to herself: "How did a stone monument end up here? Where did it come from? And who sealed it in this place?"

  No one answered her question, only the cold wind blowing endlessly.

  Xia Yu Xin and I stood silently in front of the stone tablet, our hearts filled with reverence.

  For some reason, standing in front of this stone monument, I only felt the fatigue on my body and the sourness in my heart, as if it had been swept away in an instant. Moreover, as I stared at the '卍' symbol on the monument for longer and longer, I felt that my spirit was being drawn into it.

  I even seemed to see a great Buddha in the midst of my reverie, standing tall and majestic before me. His eyes were cast downward, his countenance was solemn and dignified, and he gazed at me with kindness and compassion. As this great Buddha appeared, the sound of chanting scriptures also seemed to drift into my ears.

  "Be still, focus your mind, and calm your heart!" The sudden voice of Corpse Sister exploded in my brain, I was taken aback for a moment, then followed her words, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes to concentrate.

  When I opened my eyes again, the big Buddha was gone, only the tall stone monument still stood in front of me. Please Baidu Hei Jiji, thank you!

  I couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment, this stone monument is too strange. Just now I only took a glance at it, and my whole spirit was drawn in. If not for Eldest Sister calling me back, I'm afraid I would have been completely sucked in. Moreover, as my spirit was being drawn in, I even felt a desire to no longer escape, but instead sit here, accompanying the ancient Buddha.

  "You fool, you just fell into the illusion of emptiness, if I hadn't pulled you out in time, you would have been swallowed by that illusion! " Corpse sister coldly hummed: "What are you still dazing about? Hurry up and wake your little lover! Hmm..."

  The corpse sister suddenly let out a soft hum and said: "Can't you see that, this little lover of yours seems to have quite a bit of Buddha nature!"

  As I turned my head, I saw that Xia Yu Xin was actually sitting on the ground with her legs crossed. Her hands were clasped together and her lips moved from time to time, uttering indistinct sounds that floated out of her mouth.

  She seems to be reciting scriptures?

  I'm shocked, what the hell is going on? Has Xia Yu Xin become so deeply trapped in that illusion that she can't extricate herself and has even started to think of herself as a monk, reciting scriptures?

  "How can we wake her up?" I worried about Xia Yu Xin and couldn't help but ask anxiously, Si Jie heard this and smiled: "Wake her up? Do you know how many people dream of entering such a state but cannot? If it weren't for the fact that you are a Coffin Dao practitioner, conflicting with Buddhist nature, I'd be delighted if you fell deeper into that illusion! That illusion is what Buddha called the 'Four Greats Are Empty' realm. Once inside, the four elements are empty, no self, no thoughts, it's a profound and mysterious Buddhist state. Throughout history, many Buddhists have tried to enter this realm but failed. Who would have thought that you two could enter such a mystical state in this desolate mountain? If others knew, they'd be green with envy!" Si Jie chuckled and said: "However, this stone monument was created by an extraordinary person. The fact that someone like you, who lacks Buddhist nature and even contradicts it, can still enter the 'Four Greats Are Empty' realm, just goes to show how high that person's cultivation of the Heart Sutra must be!"

  "What's 'Du Xin Jing'?" I asked in confusion: "What is that thing?"

  "That's... never mind, you won't understand even if I tell you. Just wake up your little lover first, she's not pure in heart and soul. If she often falls into such a state, I'm afraid something will go wrong!"

  I nodded and followed the instructions of the corpse sister, walking to Xia Yu Xin's side and gently blowing into her ear.

  Xia Yu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze was hazy, staring at me for a while before she seemed to come back to herself. She let out a startled cry, suddenly sat up, patted her chest and said with lingering fear: "Yi Fan, I just...I think I saw a giant Buddha, that Buddha seems to be teaching me to recite scriptures!"

  Teach her to recite scriptures?

  How come I didn't see it before?

  Is it because Xia Yu Xin has Buddha-like qualities?

  Xia Yu Xin stood in front of the stone tablet with a bewildered expression, looking again and again, seemingly unable to understand what he had just seen. Seeing this, I said: "Don't look anymore, let's go!"

  She nodded and followed me forward, but all the way, Xia Yu Xin couldn't help but keep looking back at the stone monument with a look of wanting to say something but holding it in.

  One of my shoes was lost while I was dodging the corpse tide, and before that, I had been fleeing in a panic, so I didn't feel any discomfort. Now that the crisis is over and I've relaxed, I immediately felt a burning pain on my foot. When I looked down, I saw that my right foot was covered in blood, with wounds all over from being pierced by stones and branches. My sock was also sticky with a patch of blood.

  Xia Yu Xin saw the situation and exclaimed: "Yi Fan, your foot must be treated, otherwise it will get infected!"

  After finishing speaking, he pressed me down on the ground and grabbed my right foot, starting to help me take off my socks.

  I've grown up so big, but no girl has ever helped me take off my socks. At this time, Xia Yu Xin grabbed my foot and couldn't help but blush, but when I saw Xia Yu Xin's focused expression, I couldn't help but stare foolishly.

  It's unknown what the reason is, but at this moment, Xia Yu Xin's face doesn't have a tired look, instead it has recovered to its previous state, with an air of elegance, her short hair swaying gently in the breeze, looking very good.

  Just as I was absorbed in watching, Xia Yu Xin suddenly looked up at me and said: "I'm going to take it off!"

  I subconsciously went "uh-huh", but immediately felt something was off.

  Is she going to take it off?

  I was lost in thought when I suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from my foot, and I couldn't help but let out a muffled cry. When I looked down, I saw that my sock had stuck to the wound on my foot. Xia Yu Xin was ruthless, she had pulled my sock down halfway, and tears almost came out of my eyes from the pain.

  Xia Yu Xin saw me wincing in pain with my porcelain teeth and sneered, saying: "Will you still watch next time?"

  "I won't look, I won't look!" I hastily shook my head. Who would have thought that Xia Yu Xin suddenly widened her eyes and said "Huh?" Seeing this, I quickly nodded again and said: "I'll look, I'll look, next time I'll still look!"

  "Hiss..."

  Who would have thought that Xia Yu Xin, upon hearing this, suddenly pulled down all of her socks at once. Emma, it hurt so much I almost flew up.

  I took a deep breath, and at this moment, Xia Yu Xin took off her outer garment. With a 'ripping' sound, she actually tore off a piece of cloth from her white shirt and slowly wrapped it around my foot.

  "Alright!" Xia Yu Xin patted my foot and I looked down to see that she had wrapped a thick layer around my right foot. Walking on the ground didn't hurt anymore.

  "Let's go, He Ge is gone, we have to find her!" Xia Yu Xin patted his hands and immediately put on her coat, continuing to walk down the mountain, while I furrowed my brow.

  This Xiao He, previously I and Xia Yu Xin had worried about him three to five times, rescued him, but every time at the critical moment, he only cared about himself. Moreover, he was too strange, as if hiding some secret on his body. Xia Yu Xin wasn't a fool, she couldn't have not seen it, so why did she still go find him?

  Xia Yu Xin seemed to know what I was thinking and said: "He and I are colleagues after all, and we grew up in the same military compound, I couldn't abandon him!"

  I fell silent at his words and continued walking forward with Xia Yu Xin, my head bowed.

  The two of us walked all the way until deep in the night when we heard the gurgling sound of running water, my heart leapt with joy, knowing that we had already descended the mountain and arrived at a tributary of the Choked River.

  After walking for so long, both of us were very tired and thirsty. As soon as we heard the sound of water, we immediately ran forward.

  It was just when we ran to the creek and couldn't help but be stunned.

  The moon is very round tonight, although it's foggy, but we can still see the situation in the river.

  At this moment, we stood by the brook and saw a corpse lying in it.

  The corpse was covered in blood, and judging from its build, it seemed to be a male body. I couldn't help but swallow my saliva and turned to ask Xia Yuxin: "Do you want to go take a look?"

  Xia Yu Xin hesitated for a moment, but still nodded her head. Seeing this, I took the lead and walked forward, with Xia Yu Xin closely following behind me.

  This person has been dead for a long time and has been soaking in the water, with severe swelling on his body. As I got closer, I could smell a strong stench of rotting flesh.

  "Turn him over!" Xia Yu Xin pointed the gun at the corpse, I pinched my nose and slowly turned the body over.

  It wasn't until I saw the face of the corpse clearly that I couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise, and my butt landed in the small stream.

  This was actually a faceless corpse.

  His face seemed to have been peeled off, a bloody mess, his gums and white teeth exposed, because he had no eyelids, his eyes were wide open, looking especially terrifying!

  This scared me half to death, and even Xia Yu Xin was startled into a loud shriek, almost dropping the gun into the water. At this moment, my hand suddenly felt something in the creek water, I picked it up and took a look, it turned out to be an ID card.

  This work permit has a five-pointed star printed on it. I frowned and flipped it over, and was shocked at once!

  The moment I opened my work permit, Xiao Hei's one-inch photo was immediately revealed in front of me, and the holder clearly wrote: He Yifei

  In an instant, I felt my scalp explode.

  Xia Yu Xin snatched the work permit and after taking a look, she fell into the water with a thud. She muttered to herself: "How could He Ge's work permit be next to this corpse? Could it be that this corpse is He Ge?"

  Xia Yu Xin finished speaking and grabbed the corpse's hand, looking at its arm for a moment before freezing up entirely.

  I saw that the corpse's arm had a big tattoo, and when Xia Yu Xin saw this tattoo, tears immediately burst out, and she trembled all over, saying: "It really is He Ge, it really is He Ge!..."

  I was taken aback and my eyes widened in shock.

  If Xia Yu Xin didn't misidentify it, then this corpse is Xiao He's.

  Looking at He's degree of rigor mortis, he had obviously been dead for a long time. Then who was the person that had been with us all along?

  At this time, I suddenly heard a footstep sound coming from behind me. I quickly turned around and exclaimed: "Who?"

  "It's me!" A voice rang out, and then, Xiao He emerged from behind a tree, covering his wound, limping as he walked.