Chapter 2609 - 2673: Master Kase
The Tahu Village was located at the foot of a tall mountain. The two could already see their destination ahead, but as the saying goes, "Looking at the mountain runs the horse to death." By the time they reached the village entrance, half a day had already passed. The little girl Nam appeared extremely excited. She let out a cheer and dashed inside. Li Yifei had learned on the way that her home was in the village, and the M-shaped house was hers.
Soon, Li Yifei saw the little girl pulling a woman out. Upon seeing Li Yifei, the woman fell to her knees with a thud, attempting to kowtow in gratitude. Li Yifei stepped aside, saying, "No need to thank me, it’s her fortune."
The girl’s father also rushed out, repeatedly expressing his gratitude. Nam’s parents only had this one child; the previous ones they had birthed did not survive, so they treasured their daughter greatly. Their daughter had been missing for more than ten days, and of course, they were anxious when they hadn’t received any news. Seeing their daughter return safely, both were overjoyed and extremely grateful to Li Yifei, their benefactor, bringing out their best food to entertain him.
Li Yifei enjoyed the hospitality peacefully, noting that the girl’s family seemed to be doing well. The entire village appeared somewhat prosperous. Li Yifei even saw a few motorcycles. Well, one could only say these conditions were relatively better compared to the villages seen along the way, but in reality, they were still quite underprivileged.
After dinner, Li Yifei intended to leave, but the girl’s family insisted on him staying. Their hospitality was hard to decline, and moreover, Li Yifei had run out of jerky. Proceeding further would lead him into forests, so he needed to stock up on food to prevent having to hunt, start a fire, and cook at every stop, which would be quite troublesome.
The night passed without words. Li Yifei slept soundly, and in the morning, he was lured out by the aroma of meat. Stepping out of the room, he saw Nam’s father grilling meat in the yard, where two additional individuals—an old and a young man—dressed in traditional monk attire were present. Upon Li Yifei’s emergence, the two monks also turned their attention towards him. Li Yifei’s eyes slightly narrowed, confirming that these two were indeed cultivators or witch doctors, and the elder’s skill was not low.
It was an old fox, indeed. Li Yifei approached quietly. Nam’s father enthusiastically greeted Li Yifei, "Sir, you’re awake. Let me introduce you: these are esteemed monks from the mountain. This is Master Kase, and this is his disciple, Di Rang."
Li Yifei placed his hands together in a gesture of respect. Master Kase smiled gently at Li Yifei and returned the gesture with a slight nod.
"Benefactor, are you from Huaxia?" After sitting down, Master Kase directly asked.
Li Yifei nodded gently, saying, "Master, you see well. I am a Huaxia person."
Master Kase immediately switched to speaking in Chinese, "I perceive that the benefactor’s eyes are sharp, and your temples are full yet reserved, indicating you are a master among cultivators."
"Indeed!" Li Yifei replied, "Master is extraordinary as well."
"In my youth, I once visited Huaxia, traveled for three years. What I observed was incredible, meeting many grandmasters and marveling at how Huaxia is truly a land of remarkable people," Master Kase said with a tone full of life’s experience.
Li Yifei observed that while Master Kase’s facial features showed signs of aging, he shouldn’t be very old, certainly not comparable to Elder Murong and others. His real age was probably seventy or eighty at most, so Li Yifei responded, "Master stayed in Huaxia for three years?"
"Traveled across the rivers and lakes, learning the Huaxia language during that time."
Li Yifei nodded while saying, "The Master is also a grandmaster."
"Haha, not quite. I have just embarked on this path and am focused on Buddhism. However, you have surprised me greatly," Master Kase continued. "I cannot discern your age, nor can I perceive your cultivation level. I see nothing of it. Therefore, I am very surprised. When I was traveling in Huaxia, I often had such feelings facing those cultivators, a sense of powerlessness. You give me the same feeling."
Li Yifei smiled and nodded, neither confirming nor denying, while Nam’s father sliced the cooked meat and served it, first to Master Kase, then to Li Yifei, who raised an eyebrow slightly, noting that this monk-styled Master Kase was a meat-eating monk.
"There is a good Buddhist saying in Huaxia: ’Meat and wine may pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart.’ I heard this while traveling and found it profoundly true, so I kept it in my heart. After returning, I no longer pursued ascetic practices. As long as Buddha is in the heart, Buddha is always present. This has, in turn, rapidly advanced my cultivation to its current state." Master Kase grabbed a piece of roasted meat, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few large bites and swallowed, then said, "So, benefactor, don’t be surprised!"
Li Yifei shook his head, saying, "Buddha in the heart is the true Buddha. A meat-eating monk is still a monk, and a murdering monk is also a monk. With Buddha in the heart, one is Buddha."
"Hahaha." Master Kase laughed heartily, after eating several more pieces of meat, said, "I heard about you saving Nam after I came down the mountain, and wondered what kind of person you were. Only to find you so interesting upon meeting you, this reminds me of a Huaxia master I encountered during my travels. At that time, he was already a top-notch master but was immensely witty, making conversations quite enjoyable. Despite my low cultivation, he didn’t look down on me. Unfortunately, to this day, I still don’t know who he was; otherwise, I would like to visit him."
Li Yifei then asked, "What characteristics did the elder you met back then have?"
"Characteristics... hard to say. He gave me a very mysterious feeling as if he knew everything and understood everything. In any case, it’s hard to describe. Haha, I admired him greatly," Master Kase said. "If you could help me find him, that would be wonderful."
"Every sip and bite are predestined by fate. If there’s a connection, we will meet again. Master, you’re too attached." Li Yifei certainly couldn’t casually agree to anything. If it was an old friend, fine, but what if it was a former enemy? This is not something to agree to lightly, Li Yifei thought, and his conversation naturally did not reveal much.
After finishing two portions of meat, Master Kase stood up, looked at Li Yifei, and said, "I haven’t seen an expert for quite a while, so my hands are itching for a challenge. Would the young friend do me the honor?"
If I don’t fight with you, will you keep pestering me? Li Yifei’s impression of Master Kase lowered somewhat, but since the other party had brought it up proactively, Li Yifei didn’t want to lose face either. He stood up and looked at the other person, saying, "I dare not challenge, but since Master is itching for a fight, I would accompany you."
"Haha, straightforward indeed, truly showcasing the excellence of Huaxia martial artists!" Master Kase laughed and tossed the Zen Stick in his hand to his apprentice, saying, "I’m better at punches and kicks, not sure what you like to use?"
"Also punches and kicks," replied Li Yifei.
Master Kase immediately said, "That’s perfect, we’ll directly spar with fists and feet."
Li Yifei nodded, and watched as Master Kase immediately assumed a starting posture, a unique energy forming around him. It wasn’t True Qi, but it seemed to function similarly. Li Yifei glanced around, also channeling his True Qi, infusing it into his arms, the faint outline of a thin white gas forming around his fist peaks. Nowadays, Li Yifei’s use of True Qi had reached a highly proficient level, able to transform it into True Qi Armor, True Qi Blade, gauntlets, and even a longsword.
The latter two were realized by Li Yifei himself, and the speed at which he grasped this was rather quick; almost overnight he figured out the method to transform gauntlets and a longsword.
However, Li Yifei still did not directly transform gauntlets. Despite Master Kase’s formidable cultivation, Li Yifei could only gauge the depth of it, but was uncertain if the other had special ways to conceal their abilities.
Given that the match involved punches and kicks, Li Yifei said, "Master, please!"
Master Kase took a deep breath, his form seemingly growing larger instantly. Li Yifei could feel the immense power hidden beneath the other’s body, so he too raised his guard. Watching as Master Kase began to step toward him with strange footwork, Li Yifei also made his move.
Nam’s father retreated far back, watching with Master Kase’s disciple. The former didn’t understand the Chinese language, so he asked worriedly, "What’s happening? Why are they fighting?"
"Master is sparring with the gentleman, no need to worry."
"Oh, oh, that’s alright!"
As they spoke, Li Yifei was already engaged in battle with Master Kase; in the blink of an eye, four or five direct hits were exchanged. When experts make moves, it becomes evident whether they are skilled or not; after those four or five punches, the two could gauge the other’s level.
Master Kase’s eyes showed peculiar colors, as he shook those aching fists and said, "Stronger than I imagined."
"Master is not weak either!" Li Yifei replied. His condition was much better; though he hadn’t used his full strength in those punches, Master Kase’s technique was strange. Those punches... had Li Yifei’s cultivation not been higher than the opponent’s, even by a fair margin, irrespective of speed or strength superiority, he might have suffered if taking those punches head-on.
Brute strength interwoven with supple force, constant hidden force, though it seemed like a punch, Li Yifei could sense that without a robust physique, taking it head-on would likely result in numerous internal injuries.
For a monk to possess such attack techniques, even a wine and meat monk, it was indeed peculiar. Thinking about this, Li Yifei grinned, forcefully stepped forward, and charged at the Zen monk, appearing as if he teleported, instantly arriving at the front of Master Kase.
The opponent was visibly startled, seemingly not expecting Li Yifei’s sudden burst of speed, but did not panic. He made a sweeping motion with his hands before his chest, and Li Yifei felt as though a cobra suddenly appeared there, its red eyes glaring at him. When Li Yifei threw a punch, the cobra made an attack too, its mouth wide open, ready to bite.
This was real. Li Yifei immediately made the judgment, sensing that if he forced his strike, he’d genuinely be sabotaged.
This move was indeed sinister, as Li Yifei dodged just in time, witnessing the smug smile on Master Kase’s face.