Chapter Sixteen: Punishment!

After leaving the meditation chamber, Li Zhao returned to the main hall, mingling with the crowd until he quickly spotted Li Chong and Li Fei. Both wore gloomy expressions—their once plump, pig-like faces now stretched into donkey-like elongation. The reason was simple: both brothers had drawn the worst possible fortune sticks.

One stick read:
“News from the heavens is hard to fathom, do not force your heart to desire too much.
If you grind a stone to make a mirror, you waste your efforts in vain.”

The other stick read:
“To rescue fire with fuel only spreads the flames, burning even three thousand will not suffice.
If you seek glory and entrance, better tidy your futile heart.”

The old monk interpreting the fortunes advised Li Chong and Li Fei that their luck was poor lately; it would be best to behave honestly and avoid any overreaching desires, lest their schemes not only fail but bring harm upon themselves.

With such ominous fortunes, it was no wonder the brothers felt dispirited.

“Brothers, you’ve waited a long time.”

“Yu Lang, where did you disappear to? You took so long.”

“I went to have my fortune interpreted. The old monk insisted I had a karmic connection with Buddhism and wanted me to join the monastery as a novice. Naturally, I refused and slipped away with an excuse.”

“Haha, being a little monk would be amusing.”

Earlier, Li Chong and Li Fei had worried that Li Zhao might sneak off, which would ruin the careful plan they’d laid. Now that he had returned, the brothers breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances, and decided to carry on with their scheme to teach Li Zhao a harsh lesson.

As for the monk’s warning, it was already forgotten. As the saying goes, even spirits fear the wicked; if your heart is ruthless and your hand is venomous, even ghosts and gods must retreat!

“Yu Lang, we’ve drawn our fortune sticks. Next, shall we go behind the monastery to see the famous Mist of the Thatched Hall?”

“Alright!”

The rear courtyard of the Thatched Hall Monastery was filled with woods, and within lay an ancient well, from which white mist often rose, swirling through the air like dragons. This spectacle, known as the “Mist of the Thatched Hall,” was famed as one of the Eight Sights of Guanzhong, alongside the Immortal’s Palm at Mount Hua, the Evening Glow of Mount Li, the Wind and Snow at Ba River Willows, Drinking by the Flow of Qujiang, the Morning Bell at the Wild Goose Tower, the Ancient Crossing at Xianyang, and the Accumulated Snow on Mount Taibai.

Now, the two fat brothers invited Li Zhao to the rear courtyard. Was it truly to admire the mist, or was there another motive? The latter seemed far more likely.

“Ow, my stomach hurts badly. Yu Lang, you go ahead to the woods. I’ll find you after I relieve myself.”

“Ow, I drank too much tea before leaving. I need to go as well.”

“No problem, brothers, go ahead!”

As expected, halfway there, the two fat brothers slipped away under the guise of answering nature’s call, exchanging a secret gesture as they departed.

Li Zhao saw all this clearly, but kept a calm facade as he continued toward the rear courtyard, inwardly heightening his vigilance and closely observing the tourists around him. Soon, he noticed he was being followed.

Three burly, fierce-looking men approached him, clearly up to no good.

At this point, Li Zhao understood. The fat brothers’ plan was to lure him to the monastery under the pretext of praying, then trick him into the secluded woods, where their hired thugs would beat him severely.

Afterward, the brothers could claim they weren’t present and shirk all responsibility—a cruel and cunning plot.

Now, how should he respond? For safety’s sake, it was best to find somewhere to hide.

Li Zhao quickened his pace, soon reaching the woods. He found a leafy tree and deftly climbed up, concealing himself. Shortly thereafter, the three thugs entered the woods.

“Hey, where did that brat go? Don’t let him escape—didn’t we promise the two young masters Li to cripple one hand and one leg of his today?”

“Relax, a cooked duck can’t fly. He must be nearby. Once we break his limbs, we’ll go to the west courtyard to collect our thirty taels reward from the Li brothers. Tonight, how about we celebrate at Manchun Courtyard in the south of the city?”

“Ha, good idea! Let’s have some fun tonight!”

Li Zhao listened from his perch, frowning at the brothers’ ruthlessness. If they were determined to cripple him, he’d show no mercy in return.

But the immediate concern was how to deal with the three ruffians. With his current abilities, a frontal confrontation would be risky; outnumbered, he’d likely suffer.

A sneak attack might resolve matters, but this was a sacred Buddhist site—killing seemed inappropriate. Out of respect for Master Benkong, he hesitated.

Unable to kill, unable to fight, unable to flee—was he to hide in the tree all day?

As the saying goes: “The mountain seems impassable, yet a willow-shaded village appears beyond.”

From his vantage, Li Zhao noticed a few low, earthen huts on the east side of the woods, with people coming and going—they were men’s restrooms. On the west side, there was a women’s restroom, likewise for guests.

A hundred paces from the ladies’ restroom stood a dozen servants in blue, and several maids clustered around a richly dressed young lady, hurrying into the restroom. Clearly, she was the daughter of a wealthy family.

A wealthy family’s daughter... a dozen servants... three ruffians... Li Zhao’s eyes gleamed—he had found a perfect solution: borrow another’s blade.

He slid down from the tree, tidied his clothes, wandered around the woods, intentionally exposing himself, then swiftly headed west.

“Look, it’s him!”

“After him! Find a chance to cripple him, then collect our reward from the Li brothers.”

The three ruffians spotted Li Zhao and gave chase, only to lose him again after circling the woods. Suddenly, they found themselves near a low hut.

Though illiterate, they knew it was the women’s restroom—grown men shouldn’t linger nearby, lest they cause misunderstandings. As they prepared to leave, a sharp voice rang out: “Help! Three ruffians are peeping at the ladies’ restroom... swoosh... ah!”

A small stone flew into the restroom, eliciting shrill screams. The maids and the young lady rushed out, flustered and embarrassed, right into the path of the three ruffians.

“Scoundrels, how shameless! Peeping outside the ladies’ restroom... sob!”

“It wasn’t us, we weren’t peeping!”

“Help!”

The ruffians wanted to explain, but such things are hard to clarify. If they weren’t peeping, why were three grown men idling outside the ladies’ restroom?

Moreover, they recognized the richly dressed lady as the daughter of a prominent family in Wu County—a family with power, far beyond their reach.

Unable to explain, and unable to confront her, escape was their only option.

Unfortunately, it was too late!

Hearing the screams, the blue-clad servants rushed over and cornered the three ruffians. What followed was simple—a beating.

According to the laws of the Great Tang: in cases of molesting women, breaking into homes at night, or servants abusing their masters, one need not report to the authorities; beating them to death is permissible.

Thus, the servants showed no mercy, raining blows and kicks on the ruffians for a meal’s time, only stopping once they were barely alive, then dragging them away.

Clearly, their ordeal was not over; even if they survived, they’d lose a few layers of skin.

“Pah! Serves them right—evil begets evil!”

Once the crowd dispersed, Li Zhao emerged from the woods and headed toward the west courtyard of the Thatched Hall Monastery, where a lush bamboo grove stood. From the ruffians’ earlier conversation, he knew Li Chong and Li Fei were hiding there, awaiting good news.

Li Zhao was not one to forget kindness nor forgive enmity; he would not let the masterminds off so easily. Today, he would repay them with interest.

...

“Brother, it’s been more than half an hour. Why haven’t we heard anything? Could there have been an accident?”

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“Don’t worry. Three burly men dealing with a weak youth—it’s a piece of cake.”

“True enough. Once his arms and legs are broken, he’ll never walk again. He’ll crawl like a tortoise on the ground—just thinking about it makes me happy... ha ha!”

Deep in the bamboo grove, a pavilion stood where Li Chong and Li Fei sat side by side on the wooden railing, discussing how to humiliate the crippled Li Zhao in the future, laughing gleefully.

But as they laughed, sudden pain struck the backs of their heads, their vision went black, and both collapsed unconscious onto the ground.

Li Zhao jumped out from behind, holding two hefty bricks, faint traces of blood marking their surfaces—he hadn’t held back!

After knocking them out, how should he deal with them?

To kill them and dispose of the bodies... weighing the pros and cons, Li Zhao shook his head. It wasn’t lack of ruthlessness, but caution.

Firstly, this was a Buddhist sanctuary—not a place for slaughter.

Secondly, many had seen him arrive with the brothers to pray; if they died, he’d be implicated.

His earlier actions, hoping for a protective talisman, had ironically become the brothers’ safeguard—how vexing.

Still, though he couldn’t kill them, he could cripple them, teaching them a lesson in retribution... he chuckled.

With that, he dragged the two fat brothers deep into the bamboo grove, and with brutal force, dislocated every joint in their bodies.

The brothers became limp as mud; even if they awoke, they couldn’t utter a sound or move a finger.

Moreover, such severe injuries, even if their joints were reset later, would leave lasting disabilities—a lifetime of suffering.

“One year to become an immortal, one thought to turn to a demon; a leaf is the Buddha, a heart is the Way; countless tribulations cannot change oneself, countless practices lost in the River of Forgetfulness; three lifetimes sow karma, three lifetimes to become Buddha...”

Finished, Li Zhao hummed a tune, unhurried as he left the Thatched Hall Monastery and walked back to Qianlong Hill... only to meet Aunt Qing and White Bun midway, both faces tense with worry.

“Yu Lang, we heard Li Chong and Li Fei took you away. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. We went to pray together. They were having fun and didn’t want to leave, so I came back alone.”

“Good, as long as you’re safe. Don’t wander off again; there are many bad people outside.”

“I understand, Aunt Qing.”

Aunt Qing and White Bun had heard from villagers that Li Zhao had been taken out by the two fat brothers, and anxiously chased after him.

Now, seeing Li Zhao return unscathed, Aunt Qing finally relaxed, taking his hand and earnestly admonishing him about the dangers and wickedness in the world.

Sadly, the kind-hearted woman did not realize that, though there were many bad people outside, the worst of them stood right before her—a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The three of them returned to the small ancestral hall together, enjoying a fine lunch.

...

As for Li Chong and Li Fei, they didn’t return home until deep into the night—carried back, not walking.

The carriage boy had waited outside the monastery gate all day. As sunset approached and the brothers hadn’t appeared, he searched the Thatched Hall Monastery, but after a thorough look, found no trace. He sought help from the monks.

The monks, kind-hearted, immediately organized a search inside and outside the monastery for the missing guests.

Only after exhausting effort did they finally find the brothers in the bamboo grove, having repeatedly fainted from pain, limp as mud. They were then sent home.

Seeing the brothers in such dire shape, the Li family’s servants were shocked. Some were dispatched to inform Li De and the Zheng couple, others to summon the best physicians. The household erupted into chaos—cries, shouts, chickens and dogs in disarray.