Chapter 533 - 533: Legend of the Secret Realm

A little over ten minutes later, the massive Raccoon Power was completely butchered.

Its hide, flesh, and bones were perfectly separated and stored away in three Storage Rings. They planned to divide the spoils after leaving Putuo Mountain.

"All done. Phew, that nearly killed me."

Hao Li panted as he put his knife back into his Storage Ring Space. Perfectly butchering the Raccoon Power in such a short time was not only physically demanding but also mentally draining.

As he put away the knife, Hao Li also pulled a towel from his Storage Ring Space, about to wipe the Raccoon Power's blood from his hands. But before he could, the two Little Dang Kangs had already leaped into his arms and started licking the blood off his hands.

Hao Li froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You two little guys are foodies, huh! Heh, I like that. Just like me!"

Zhao Yuan couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter.

Hao Li was quite puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"

Zhao Yuan explained while still laughing, "What you just said could easily be misinterpreted. If anyone who didn't know better heard that, they'd think these two Dang Kangs were your offspring."

Hao Li's face darkened with frustration. "Damn it, I'm not that desperate!"

Ying Ji interrupted them. "Alright, alright, you two can stop joking around. Let's go. The Gu Insects I sent out to scout just sent word back—someone's heading this way."

Hearing this, Zhao Yuan and Hao Li both turned serious and said in unison, "Let's go!"

The four of them got their bearings and immediately headed southwest, with the Bone Woman and the White Cat following close behind. As for the two Little Dang Kangs, they received VIP treatment, cradled in Ying Ji's arms.

They moved at an incredible speed, weaving through the forest without being slowed in the slightest. Soon, they had vanished without a trace.

Twenty minutes later, a group of police officers arrived at the scene of the fierce battle.

It wasn't that they were slow; the path was simply difficult to traverse, and navigating in the mountain forest was a hassle.

Zhao Yuan and his group had cleaned the area, so there were no bodies or bloodstains left. However, the signs of battle remained. Seeing the uprooted trees, the craters left by explosions, and the numerous bullet marks scattered about, the police officers were stunned.

A young officer blurted out in shock, "My god, what happened here? Was there a war?"

An older officer's brow was tightly furrowed. After glancing around the area, he immediately said, "Quick, contact the station. Tell them to lock down the pier immediately and strictly screen everyone leaving. This is an extremely serious firearms case!"

Someone immediately took out their phone to call their colleagues at the station. The other officers began taking photos and collecting evidence at the scene. After a flurry of activity, the questions in their minds only grew.

'What kind of case is this? Judging from the bullet marks and explosion craters, the fight must have been intense, but why isn't there a single drop of blood? With a battle this fierce, it's impossible that no one was injured, right? And what on earth were these people fighting over in such a remote place?'

The police were completely baffled, and this case was destined to become an unsolvable mystery.

Meanwhile, at a pier on Putuo Mountain Island, a ship captain stood on the roof of his boat, looking through binoculars at the area where the gunshots and explosions had come from, his face a mask of astonishment.

He grumbled in annoyance, "Damn, these Military Ants not only brought guns, but they even brought explosives up the mountain. Making such a huge scene... the cleanup is going to be a real pain!"

Someone next to him said, "As long as they successfully hunt the Raccoon Power, it doesn't matter how hard the cleanup is. The real fear is that they make all this noise and let the Raccoon Power get away. That would be a total loss."

The captain said, "The Military Ants came fully prepared this time. No matter how powerful the Raccoon Power is, it's still just an animal. It won't escape. What I'm more curious about is how an Exotic Beast like the Raccoon Power, which hasn't been seen for over a hundred years, suddenly appeared. And on Putuo Mountain Island, of all places."

The other man said, "I heard this Raccoon Power seems to have escaped from some Secret Realm."

The captain's eyes lit up. "A new Secret Realm has been found? If there's still a Raccoon Power inside it, then it must not be depleted, right?"

The man shook his head. "I'm not clear on the details. I'm just a Worker Ant, same as you. How would I be qualified to access such secrets? But my guess is that this new Secret Realm hasn't actually been located yet. The Military Ants are hunting the Raccoon Power not just because an Exotic Beast is a treasure trove, but also probably to deduce some information from it."

The captain said with a look of anticipation, "It would be great if this new Secret Realm contained Secret Manuals or treasures left behind by an Ancient Immortal. We could get some of the benefits too."

A while later, he lowered the binoculars and said, "It's about time. The Military Ants should be back soon. Let's get ready to pick them up!" He then went to the cockpit and started the boat, heading toward the pre-arranged pickup point.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yuan and his group had left the secluded woods and come upon a mountain path paved with bluestone slabs.

Following the path downhill, it wasn't long before they saw a monastery.

Compared to the three famous Zen monasteries on Putuo Mountain—Puji, Fayu, and Huiji—this one was much smaller, about the size of a private residence. Being in a remote location, it didn't get many tourists, so its incense offerings weren't particularly bustling. But for that very reason, it felt quiet and secluded, blending perfectly with its natural surroundings. Seeing it from a distance instilled a sense of tranquility.

"Let's go in and offer some incense," Cheng Haoyu suggested. "After all, we've come to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's sacred ground, and we've killed people here. Even though we only took out thieves and villains, we've still offended Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. It's only right that we offer some incense and apologize."

"Makes sense," the others nodded in agreement.

They were all Cultivators and understood matters of Ghost Gods far better than ordinary people. They were also far more reluctant to offend them. If they angered one and were punished, they would be the only ones to suffer.

The four of them quickly walked into the monastery.

What Zhao Yuan hadn't expected was that the Bone Woman followed them in as well. He had been worried that, as a Demon, she wouldn't be able to enter a monastery and had planned to ask her to wait outside.

Noticing Zhao Yuan's confusion, the Bone Woman explained, "This is a monastery of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva is compassionate; in his eyes, all living beings are equal. Even though I am a Demon, as long as I have done no evil, I will not be punished."

Zhao Yuan thought about it and realized she was right. It was just like in *Journey to the West*, where a rat spirit listened to the Buddha's teachings. It showed that gods and Buddhas didn't just kill demons on sight; they treated them according to the specific circumstances.