Chapter 317 - 142: The Curtain Falls on the Second Life

He didn’t go looking for Bai Ling, nor did he seek out Zhao Xin and Zhou Ya.

Xu Lei hired a horse-drawn carriage and had the coachman take him to the Capital City.

He wanted to die near the Imperial Palace in the Capital City.

That way, he might be directly reincarnated into the Royal Family in his next life.

’That would be pretty good.’

As for why he didn’t go looking for Bai Ling and the others...

It was, of course, because Xu Lei didn’t want them to be tainted by his karmic ties.

He wanted to avoid having beings like Bodhisattva Guan Yun turn their attention to them.

If they suspected he had left the Dharma Gate to them, it would bring them danger, which would be disastrous.

Of course, as he sat in the carriage, Xu Lei could feel his body giving out at any moment.

He coughed constantly, spitting up blood.

However, after only a few hours of travel, while passing through a patch of woods, Bai Ling found him.

"Master!"

The carriage was stopped.

Before the coachman could even start cursing, Bai Ling’s tearful voice came from ahead.

She had commanded two Human Puppets to carry her on their backs to catch up and find Xu Lei.

Xu Lei guessed that she must have used the Creepy Spirits to learn his exact location.

They might have even told her about his severe injuries and near-death condition.

That’s why she had rushed over.

Xu Lei sighed and reached out to lift the carriage curtain.

He hadn’t wanted to have any more to do with Bai Ling.

But in the end, he couldn’t stop her.

After all, Xu Lei couldn’t see the Creepy Spirits at all, nor could he prevent them from spying on him.

He had already guessed that Bai Ling might find him.

That was why he had tried to stay inside the carriage for the past few hours—to hide from her.

Even though the Creepy Spirits were invisible and fast, they still had to search for him, just as one person would search for another.

So as long as he didn’t show his face often, he wouldn’t be easily discovered.

But, obviously, he had now been found.

At that moment, Xu Lei saw Bai Ling standing before the carriage, her eyes brimming with tears as she gazed at him.

"Master, you made it out of the Eastern Wilderness Marsh!"

Bai Ling rushed forward, crying as she hugged the pale-faced Xu Lei.

"Why didn’t you come find Ling’er?

Are you afraid of getting me in trouble?!

Ling’er isn’t afraid of anything!

You’re hurt!

Ling’er is here to take care of you and protect you!"

"Ling’er, the karmic trouble your master has gotten into this time is no small matter."

Xu Lei immediately grabbed Bai Ling’s thin, delicate shoulders. Coughing up blood, he said sternly, "Leave now! Leave immediately!

Don’t stay by my side!

Don’t come near me!

Your master is going to die!

I was already old!

If I die, I die. It doesn’t matter!

I’m already severely injured.

I just want to go back to the Capital City.

I just want to die there!

You don’t need to risk your life for a dead man walking like me.

This is truly something you can’t afford to get involved in.

Even I can’t afford to provoke them.

Even the Daoist Sect and the Buddha’s Head himself can’t afford to provoke them.

Because this involves Bodhisattva Guan Yun!

She might be watching me right now.

If she notices you, and if she truly has malicious intent...

...you could be destroyed.

Your entire life would be ruined!

It’s not certain she has malicious intent!

But we can’t take that gamble! We just can’t!

If my suspicions are correct, the karmic consequences are too terrifying to imagine.

Fortunately, our master-disciple relationship is still relatively secret.

Let’s just pretend this was a chance encounter.

Although some Cultivators in this world are extraordinarily powerful, even they can’t read minds.

If you leave right now, this very instant, there’s still a chance you won’t be entangled in this karma.

Leave quickly.

If you still recognize me as your master, then go, now!

And stop crying!

You don’t need to feel sad for me!

Your master has lived a full life.

You’re still young.

The life you have now wasn’t easy to come by.

From now on, you should live for yourself.

Cherish your life, cherish your future.

Go.

Forget me.

Act as if you never had a master like me.

Don’t you dare feel sad for me.

Don’t let anyone know you’re sad!

Just pretend that today, we were just strangers who met by chance!

Do you hear me?

Go!"

Tears streaming down her face, Bai Ling shook her head frantically.

"Hurry up and go."

Xu Lei slapped Bai Ling hard across her delicate face, leaving behind a red Palm Seal. He said again in a harsh voice, "If you recognize me as your master, then leave immediately.

Are you going to listen to me or not?

You? You want to protect your master? You can’t!"

Bai Ling just cried and shook her head, ignoring the pain on her face.

She still refused to leave.

Xu Lei had no choice but to snatch her Bell and activate the two Human Puppets.

He made the two Human Puppets forcibly carry away Bai Ling, whose Magical Power was not yet very strong.

"Master! Master!"

Bai Ling struggled on the Human Puppets’ shoulders, crying out, "Ling’er doesn’t want to go!

I want to die with you!

I want to protect you!"

But the two Human Puppets continued to carry Bai Ling farther and farther away.

"Master, there are Spirit Monsters coming to kill you! Be careful!"

Seeing that she was inevitably being taken away, Bai Ling suddenly shouted again, "Run! Get away!"

Hearing Bai Ling’s voice, Xu Lei’s expression changed.

He knew this information probably came from the Creepy Spirits.

’So there are Spirit Monsters coming to kill me?’

After a moment’s thought, Xu Lei patted the shoulder of the deaf-mute mortal coachman beside him.

Then he gave him the silver notes and gestured for him to leave.

The coachman was stunned, but Xu Lei insisted, so he obediently took the silver notes and left.

Leaving Xu Lei alone, coughing up blood, his face pale. He moved into the driver’s seat and took the reins himself.

He continued toward the Capital City.

But very soon, before Xu Lei could reach the Capital City, two figures appeared before him.

It was the two Enchantresses!