Severing ties with family to marry the young marshal, his whole family chases me to the crematorium.

Chapter 136 Life-saving grace

Without hesitation, she said, "Master, I will never forget your great kindness! If I have the opportunity in the future, I will repay you tenfold!"

Her words were full of genuine emotion, without the slightest hint of pretense.

At this moment, the monk's face appeared somewhat pale, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, clearly indicating that the fierce battle had exhausted a great deal of his physical strength and energy.

Hearing Ruan Hongshuang's words of thanks, he slowly turned his head and looked at Shen Qingyao and Ruan Hongshuang with his slightly tired eyes.

“Amitabha! These two benefactors risked their lives to eliminate evil spirits, and I deeply admire their courage and fearlessness. Now that I know about this, how can I sit idly by? Eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path is the bounden duty and proper responsibility of us monks!” the monk said with a compassionate expression.

Just as he finished speaking, a mouthful of bright red blood spurted out of his mouth like an arrow, leaving a shocking trail of blood in the air.

Both Shen Qingyao and Ruan Hongshuang were terrified by the sudden turn of events, their faces paling and their mouths agape in astonishment.

They never expected that this high monk, who had just vowed to fight the demons, would suffer such a severe injury in an instant.

However, the monk seemed completely unconcerned. His face remained calm as he slowly sat down cross-legged on the spot.

The hands that had been tightly gripping the prayer beads were now gently clasped together in front of the chest, and the familiar phrase "Amitabha" was uttered softly.

Then, as if in a meditative state, there was no further movement.

"Master... what's wrong with you?"

With tears welling in her beautiful eyes, Ruan Hongshuang asked in a trembling voice.

She stared in disbelief at the monk who remained sitting steadily cross-legged with his hands clasped together, her heart filled with grief and confusion.

Shen Qingyao, standing to the side, frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

She carefully extended her finger and gently touched the monk's nose to check if he was still breathing.

When Shen Qingyao felt a chill on her fingertips, her heart sank – the monk was already dead.

After careful observation, Shen Qingyao finally realized the truth: the reason why the monk suddenly vomited blood and died was because he used some kind of extremely powerful secret technique.

This secret technique, at the cost of burning one's own life force, unleashes a powerful force to fight against the evil giant zombie.

It was with this selfless determination and courage that the monk was able to deliver a heavy blow to the enemy, but at the cost of his life.

However, not long after, the exceptionally intelligent Shen Qingyao suddenly realized that if Ruan Hongshuang had been captured by that terrifying giant rice dumpling, the horrible monster would have stopped advancing and would no longer have stepped into her carefully arranged fire tongue formation.

If things were to develop in this way, then the fire tongue array she had painstakingly set up would be rendered useless and all her efforts would be in vain.

At that time, everyone present will likely be swallowed by the giant zongzi's gaping maw, and death will be just a matter of moments.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingyao couldn't help but feel respect for that monk who risked his life.

It was precisely because this eminent monk resolutely gave up his precious life and charged towards the giant rice dumpling with fearless courage that he won a faint glimmer of hope for survival for this group of people in dire straits.

"The master... has already passed away and gone to the West."

Shen Qingyao said softly, her voice carrying an undisguised sorrow and regret.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Hongshuang, who had been struggling to stand, was struck dumb as if by lightning. Her body swayed violently, and she almost fell to the ground.

Her eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, her eyes gradually welled up with tears that uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks.

At this moment, Ruan Hongshuang was filled with endless guilt and deep self-reproach.

She knew that the compassionate monk had paid such a heavy price, even sacrificing his own life, to save her from danger.

This debt of gratitude was far too heavy for Ruan Hongshuang, weighing her down so much that she could hardly breathe.

At that moment, the image of the monk bravely attacking the giant rice dumpling to save her kept flashing through Ruan Hongshuang's mind, and every detail pierced her heart like a knife.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was all her fault. If it weren't for saving her, the monk might not have encountered this calamity, and he wouldn't have lost his life.

This feeling of self-reproach lingered in her mind, causing her immense pain.

Shen Qingyao keenly sensed the self-blame and guilt surging deep within Ruan Hongshuang's heart. She looked at that pale and haggard face, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something to comfort her, but her mind was a jumbled mess, unable to find the right words.

"Senior Sister..."

Shen Qingyao finally managed to utter two words, her voice so soft as if she were afraid of disturbing the fragile woman before her.

However, the words that followed seemed stuck in his throat, and he couldn't express them smoothly no matter what he said.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and mustered her courage to continue:

"Senior Sister, please don't blame yourself too much! Master had the well-being of all people in his heart. He was willing to sacrifice his own life to eliminate that evil spirit. Such a righteous act is worthy of our utmost respect. He has always been one of the very few people in our hearts who are truly worthy of our admiration."

Despite Shen Qingyao's efforts to speak in a gentle yet firm tone, Ruan Hongshuang received no comfort whatsoever.

She kept her head down, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her once beautiful and charming eyes were now red and swollen from crying, and tears continued to slide down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Shen Qingyao felt heartbroken. She was about to try to say a few more comforting words when a warm and strong hand reached out and gently grasped her wrist.

Shen Qingyao turned her head and saw Si Jingnian looking at her with concern.

"A-Yao, let our senior sister have some peace and quiet. We should hurry up and find a way out," Si Jing said softly, his tone gentle and steady.

After listening, Shen Qingyao nodded thoughtfully, indicating her agreement with Si Jingnian's suggestion.

After all, they are currently in a dangerous situation, and if they do not find a way to leave soon, the consequences could be unpredictable.

So she temporarily put aside her worries about Ruan Hongshuang and turned her attention to finding a way out.

Just then, Si Jingnian's gaze suddenly swept towards the middle-aged man who had previously been relentlessly pursuing Shen Qingyao.

His eyes instantly turned deep and dark, like two bottomless pools of icy water, with a hint of chilling killing intent flashing through them.