Chapter 36: Black Python

After the time of one incense stick……

The Bear sat on a lotus platform without a Bodhisattva upon it, its bear mouth chewing constantly, accompanied by the low humming unique to bears:

“Originally I wanted to see if intimidation could make the food taste better, but today these two children’s flavor is still not as sweet as the last pair.”

The Bear used its claw to pick its teeth, looking just like a Human, then lazily shifted into a more comfortable sitting position on the lotus platform, and said:

“The honored guest outside the temple, you have been watching this Buddha eat vegetarian food for quite a while now, why not come in and talk?”

After a moment of silence, Mo Lin came down from the temple wall.

When the Bear had been eating, it was already on the wall, though it had no reason to stop it.

After all, it too had eaten many Humans.

Though its means were not as roundabout as the Bear’s, in essence there was no difference.

Moreover, if speaking of kinship, the Bear, as a fellow Demonic Beast, was obviously closer to it than the children.

“Heh, I wondered what honored guest it was, turns out it’s just a long worm.”

Unfortunately, this distant relative of the bear clan was not exactly friendly towards it.

The Bear sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, pinched a hand gesture, and pretended to chant:

“Oi, long worm, since you’ve seen the Bodhisattva, why do you not bow?”

Mo Lin gave a cold laugh, likewise coiling its tail:

“No Bodhisattva have I seen, but a bear pretending to be Human begging for offerings I have seen clearly, plain as day.”

The Bear grew furious at these words:

“What begging! What begging! This is Buddha’s dining amusement. A roadside worm, what could you understand!”

Mo Lin, however, was neither anxious nor angry:

“I’ve heard of people watching others before they eat, but never that they must put on a show themselves before eating. Heh, today I really saw quite the performance.”

Mo Lin’s cold ridicule clearly made the Bear extremely angry.

It leapt down from the lotus platform, waving its huge bear paw straight at Mo Lin:

“Little worm, today I shall show you Buddha’s might. Buddha has not eaten snake meat in so long, this belly is craving.”

Mo Lin dodged aside from the paw, still sneering coldly:

“I’ve heard that in the Human world, bear paw is a great delicacy. It is a pity I have never had the chance to taste it, but it seems today I am fortunate indeed.”

The Bear roared angrily:

“Don’t imitate Buddha’s speech! Take my Tathagata Eight Trigrams Palm!”

Although Mo Lin’s body was enormous, it was nimble, slipping aside once again from the Bear’s lunge.

The bear paw struck a golden Bodhisattva statue within the temple, directly smashing the golden body to pieces, exposing the green stone within and the gold leaf wrapped outside.

Mo Lin was taken aback.

Such astonishing force.

Though this bear was slow in movement, its strength was truly terrifying.

Even Mo Lin two years later would still be inferior to this Bear in sheer power.

Seeing Mo Lin evade its attack, the Bear rushed again, chanting as it swung:

“Immovable King Palm!”

“Bodhisattva’s Lowered Gaze Palm!”

“My Buddha’s Mercy Palm!”

Hearing the endless martial names coming from its mouth, Mo Lin could only find it laughable while dodging.

The Bear’s palm technique indeed deserved to be called “peerlessly fierce.” Even Mo Lin did not dare take it head-on.

Yet despite shouting name after name, in truth all the techniques were the same routine.

Just like children in the countryside who knew no kung fu but still shouted grand names for their moves.

With only a little judgment, Mo Lin could see the direction of its attack and slip away.

At that moment, however, Mo Lin caught a glint of slyness in the eyes of the Bear, which it had almost labeled a stupid brute, and an ominous feeling instinctively rose within.

“Heeya, take my Buddha’s Wrath Vajra Palm!”

Another same old palm came striking.

Mo Lin had already seen through its direction and could easily evade, yet it felt there was something strange about this one.

Thus it dodged as before, but its lower body secretly gathered power.

Indeed, Mo Lin’s premonition was correct.

That paw, which had looked clumsy and set on one path, suddenly twisted at the last instant and swept for Mo Lin’s lower body.

This strike carried immense power and was hidden with great subtlety.

Had Mo Lin already fallen into the habitual mindset from their exchange, it might truly have been caught off guard.

But would a creature who could play shaman in the mountain temple to cheat food and offerings truly be a stupid brute?

Mo Lin had long since been quietly wary of its tricks.

Seeing the change, Mo Lin instantly powered its serpentine body, dodging the ambush.

“Boom!”

The bear paw slammed into the temple floor, shaking the hall, yet the ground was hardly damaged.

Mo Lin’s eyes narrowed:

“Striking through the mountain?”

Good grief, it had thought this Bear was just a sly trickster, but it actually knew such a technique.

With such skill, why pretend to be a shaman?

Even as its mind raced, Mo Lin’s body did not slow.

The Bear’s strike had lost initiative.

Mo Lin, already coiled with power, lashed its tail like a spear, stabbing for the Bear’s right shoulder.

This blow was aimed to disable an arm.

Yet to its shock, the tail tip, sharp enough to split stone, struck the Bear’s right shoulder and felt as though it had pierced cotton—there was no point of force at all.

Though Mo Lin felt stifled, as if stabbing nothing,

the Bear let out a strange cry, sharp eyes flashing with cunning light:

“Black Python?!”

Mo Lin had no idea what the so-called “Black Python” meant.

It only knew this fake shaman was not to be trifled with—cunning indeed.

It was about to strike again.

It refused to believe bear flesh could be so springy.

If stabbed enough, surely it would pierce through.

Yet the Bear suddenly leapt back onto its lotus platform, shouting loudly:

“No more, no more!”

Gone was the dazed, clumsy look, the quick temper.

“Damn it, miscalculated. To dodge Buddha’s strike and still land that blow on Buddha’s shoulder, you must at least be of top-grade Black level.”

“No more, no more.”

Even Mo Lin was somewhat confused by the Bear.

First it mocked, then attacked, then suddenly refused to fight.

How many tricks did this beast have?

“Are you truly a Bear, and not a Fox spirit?”

So it thought, and so it said.

The Bear, now comfortably reclining back upon the lotus platform, picking meat from its teeth with a claw, replied:

“Genuine, without a doubt. A true Bear who has achieved cultivation.”

Hadn’t it just claimed to be Buddha?

Mo Lin could not fathom what scheme was in its mind.

The Bear shifted into a half-lying Maitreya Buddha pose upon the platform, then smiled at Mo Lin before the golden statue:

“Those strikes just now were only to test if you had the qualification to speak with Buddha. You’re not angry, are you?”

Mo Lin gazed at the Bear chuckling foolishly, not a trace of killing intent upon its face.

If it had not seen with its own eyes how this brute disguised as a shaman tricked Humans into sacrificing their children,

If it had not just witnessed the fierce and peerless palm strikes of this brute,

It might truly have been fooled by that innocent expression.

Yet now, it merely narrowed its serpent eyes:

“Even if you wish to test me more, I do not mind.”

“After all, I truly have never tasted bear paw. I am very curious.”

But the Bear, who a moment ago flared at the slightest spark, only waved dismissively:

“Don’t try to provoke me. I’ve no interest in fighting with a top-grade Black Python.”

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