The pitch-black muzzle of the musket was aimed at him. The barrel was extended, the calibre large, and the man holding the musket wore a cold, unfeeling expression… All this made the young monk’s heart tighten with fear, sending shivers down his spine.
He could single-handedly repel several jianghu warriors and walked the path of a warrior monk, but he was still far from the Refining Spirit stage and had absolutely no way to dodge a bullet from a firearm.
The young monk’s eyes flickered. He quickly suppressed his anger, concealing his rebelliousness, and forced a broad smile onto his face.
“Please, benefactor, do not be impulsive. This is a place of Buddhism, where killing is forbidden. If you truly wish to enter the temple, this humble monk, this humble monk will go and report your visit at once.”
Li Lingsu said sarcastically, “Oh, we would never dare trouble this noble monk. We are but a bunch of ordinary folk.”
As he spoke, he released the safety on his firearm.
The young monk took a frightened step back and swallowed hard.
Li Lingsu said in surprise, “Oh? It seems even a venerable monk can fear a musket?”
The jianghu folk nearby burst out laughing, visibly prideful and relieved.
Central Plains folk were indeed better! When facing the arrogant monks of the Western Regions, they could quickly form a united front and would unhesitatingly stand up for one another, even though they were strangers.
A flash of hatred appeared in the young monk’s eyes. He shook his hands repeatedly. “It’s not that this humble monk wishes to obstruct you, only that the abbot has long instructed us that no outsiders are allowed to enter the temple. The Stupa tower has completed its merit, and the gates will not open this year.”
He paused, then said kindly, “If you truly must go in, I shall go and report on your behalf. Please wait a moment.”
As he spoke, he tentatively took a step back. Seeing that the man with the musket showed no drastic reaction, he immediately turned and fled back into the temple.
“Senior, shall we continue testing them?”
Li Lingsu looked at Xu Qian. “That little monk is narrow-minded; he’s clearly going to call for reinforcements. If we’ve tested enough, let’s just leave.”
Xu Qi’an shook his head. “Not enough.”
So far, the only information gathered was that the Sanhua Temple had closed its doors and was refusing visitors, not allowing outsiders in.
But Xu Qi’an was still unclear how many experts were hiding in the temple and what their combat capabilities were.
My cultivation is sealed, and you don’t look much better off, you can’t even beat a peak fourth rank… Li Lingsu grimaced.
Then he saw Xu Qian hand him an embroidered pouch.
“Take this, and go hide somewhere open.” Xu Qi’an said.
“…Very well.”
Taking the pouch, Li Lingsu quietly slipped into the shrubbery outside the steps.
Then, Xu Qi’an turned to the martial artists. “You lot, move back a bit.”
He knew that spectating was the favourite pastime of martial artists, and forcibly driving them off wouldn’t work as intended.
“Brother, be careful,” warned the man who had been humiliated earlier. “The Great Feng wants to get rid of Buddhism, and the local Leizhou authorities and folk do not look kindly on the Buddhist sect. So the monks of Sanhua Temple are very close-knit. In any given situation, they’ll always side with their own.”
Why didn’t the monks of Qinglong Temple in the capital support each other… Ah, in the capital, even unity is useless… Xu Qi’an nodded. “Thank you.”
The martial artists quickly withdrew but stopped not far away.
Soon, urgent footsteps approached, the young monk who had swept the yard returned, leading a group of monks. Some wore simple robes, others wore kasaya. Some fiddled with prayer beads, while others gripped staves.
Pointing at Xu Qi’an, the young monk shouted, “Senior Uncle Hui’an, it was the companion of this man who just pointed a musket at your disciple!”
Looking around hatefully, he added, “That man must have escaped.”
A middle-aged monk, his robe a mix of yellow and red, stepped forward and pressed his palms together. “This poor monk is Hui’an, the temple’s guestmaster. Benefactor, why have you raised violence in our Buddhist temple?”
Xu Qi’an pressed his palms together and returned a salute. “We only wished to pay our respects to Buddha and burn incense in the temple, yet your gatekeeping young monk not only spoke rudely and insulted us, but even struck and injured my companion.”
He gestured to the martial artists in the distance and continued, “With no other choice, I threatened him with a musket to make him stop.”
“Nonsense!” the young monk retorted angrily. “The two of them were meddlesome, and just now threatened to kill me. Senior Uncle, had I not acted with patience, I would surely have died beneath their musket fire.”
Monk Hui’an nodded slowly and looked at Xu Qi’an, explaining, “The abbot has decreed that our temple shall receive no more worshippers; Kongfan is merely following orders. What is wrong with that?”
Xu Qi’an said, “Oh? So resorting to violence and insults is also excusable?”
Monk Hui’an acted as if he hadn’t heard and continued, “You threatened a disciple with a firearm. As guestmaster, I cannot stand by and do nothing. Kongjian, go and return a punch to this benefactor for our disciple.”
At no point did he ask for Xu Qi’an’s opinion, nor did he address him, simply going through the motions as he saw fit.
A burly monk, his azure robe taut over his muscles, stepped forward.
He stood on the steps, looking down at Xu Qi’an, pressed his palms together, and said, “Amitabha.”
In the very next instant, he stomped and shattered the stone step, leaping high into the air like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
A warrior monk!
Suddenly, the monk named Kongjian shuddered, sensing overwhelming danger from every direction.
There were no visible enemies, no ambushes, yet danger pressed in from all sides.
His feet forced him into a rough landing, then he tried to use his energy to dispel the unseen threats.
Whoosh… His Qi exploded in a gust, kicking up fallen leaves and dust on the stone stairs.
Everything went black for Kongjian. His legs buckled, his body felt weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, trembling as he lifted a hand to point at Xu Qi’an:
“You, you…”
Xu Qi’an ignored him and glanced at Monk Hui’an. “Well?”
The martial artists in the distance were dumbfounded. They hadn’t seen how Xu Qi’an had attacked at all.
Monk Hui’an stepped forward, expression grave, and pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. Out of compassion, we must not resort to violence.”
There was Buddhist precept power behind these words, which washed away Xu Qi’an’s ferocity and softened his thoughts, making it hard to grow angry.
Seeing this, Monk Hui’an pressed on, reciting a sutra. His chanting went from vague to clear, from clear to thunderous, echoing in Xu Qi’an’s ears and heart.
Unnoticed, Xu Qi’an began to feel a desire to renounce the secular world and become a monk, a sense that Buddhism was the source of all mysteries, and the Buddhist sect the ultimate destination for all life.
He had encountered this feeling before, during the contest against the Buddhists, a forced brainwashing.
Xu Qi’an resisted internally, but outwardly pretended to be greatly influenced, as though wholeheartedly converting to Buddhism. He then walked slowly up the steps, looking gently upon the assembled monks.
“Heh!” the young monk grinned triumphantly.
Anyone who listened to the entire scripture would be converted, crying and begging to become a monk. But the Buddhist sect would not accept such people immediately; sincerity was judged by actions: kneeling outside for three days and nights, or donating all possessions to Sanhua Temple, there was no fixed rule, only sincerity was demanded.
And such sincere feelings were hard to resist.
The young monk eagerly awaited the scene where Xu Qi’an knelt outside, weeping and begging Sanhua Temple to perform rites for him.
As he pondered, he suddenly felt his lower abdomen heat up, and a swelling ache surged through his lower half. He looked down, and his face turned pale, his crotch was pitched high like a tent.
Th-this…
The young monk was filled with horror.
All the other monks burst into chaos as well, for they felt the exact same, faces burning, mouths parched, brains fevered, with their own tents pitched high below.
My Senior brothers’ buttocks look so tempting…
Women, I want women…
Unbearable, so unbearably swollen…
The monks looked at one another, a strange atmosphere fermenting among them.
When they saw that everyone’s gaze was fixed on each other’s buttocks, they recoiled in terror, their eyes full of wariness and distrust.
Everyone coveted the bums of their fellow disciples, but none of them wanted their own to be coveted.
Monk Hui’an’s face turned red and his mouth went dry. Seeing the monks around him sink into chaos, he immediately pressed his palms together, trying to help his fellow disciples dispel distracting thoughts with Buddhist precepts.
But just at that moment, a figure slipped from the shadow behind him, striking Hui’an unconscious with a chop of the hand.
At the same time, he activated the Desire Gu, releasing even more aphrodisiac gas.
The monks’ eyes became ever hotter and more frenzied, and some even began eyeing Xu Qi’an’s buttocks.
… Xu Qi’an used shadow-jumping to slip away from the crowd.
The monks, consumed by lust, instantly turned their attention to Hui’an, who was the only unconscious person present.
Choosing a target that could not resist, in order to carry out the most primitive act of gene transmission, was the instinct of all living beings.
!Danger! Hui’an !Danger!
“Beauty is but bones; colour is but emptiness.”
All of a sudden, a low voice reciting scripture came from behind Xu Qi’an. Everyone who heard it immediately gained the realisation that “women will only affect my sabre-drawing speed,” achieving sudden enlightenment.
The monks, who had been caught in their lust and could not extricate themselves, all awoke with a start and threw off the influence of their hormones.
Ashamed, they pressed their palms together in remorse, repenting for their wrongdoing.
Xu Qi’an turned quickly. Ten feet behind him stood a young monk with deep-set western region features.
His gaze was penetrating, his nose high and straight, and he was handsome in appearance.
Xu Qi’an’s heart suddenly sank, secretly controlling the colourless, odourless poison and aphrodisiac.
The young monk pressed his palms together, lowered his eyes and smiled, “Benefactor, all worldly things are empty to those who have renounced.”
At least fourth rank… Xu Qi’an made the assessment.
The young monk continued, “But, the Protector Vajra cuts down all those who oppose the Buddha. Benefactor, since you brandished force in the Buddhist sacred ground, you must come with me to see the Protector Vajra.”
Once there, I’ll either be ‘purged as evil’ or brainwashed by them… Xu Qi’an did not resist as the monk reached out his hand, but instead smiled,
“Master, what is your Dharma name?”
“The humble monk is Jingxin.”
A peer of Jingsi and Jingchen… Xu Qi’an glanced at the hand on his shoulder, asking, “What if I’m unwilling to go see the Protector Vajra with you?”
Monk Jingxin shook his head, “That’s no longer up to you, Benefactor.”
How tyrannical!
Xu Qi’an maintained his smile and looked at a spot in the distance. “I think, it’s not up to you, either, Master.”
Jingxin followed his gaze, and his face immediately became grave.
In the distance, atop a hill, twelve cannons were lined up in a row, aimed at Sanhua Temple on the mountain.
A young man, plainly dressed and with an ordinary face, held a torch and grinned at Jingxin.
“Tsk tsk…”
Xu Qi’an said with a smile, “I wonder if Buddhism, like Confucianism, holds the belief of ‘better die like broken jade then remain intact like clay tile’?”
Jingxin answered slowly, “Is the Benefactor of the Imperial Court?”
“If you say so.” Xu Qi’an’s lips curled.
Jingxin withdrew his hand from Xu Qi’an’s shoulder, saying no more, and silently walked past him.
Xu Qi’an, meanwhile, waved at Li Lingsu in the distance and descended the steps, while the latter opened the pouch again and gathered up all the cannons.
“What just happened?”
“I don’t understand a thing…”
“Is that man from the Court?”
“He must be, or where would he get twelve cannons?”
The jianghu folk in the distance gaped. Other than understanding the threat from the cannons, the rest was a complete mystery to them.
On the other side, Xu Qi’an and Li Lingsu met at the archway at the foot of the mountain.
“Are you from the Court?” Li Lingsu handed the brocade pouch back to Xu Qi’an.
Xu Qi’an accepted it and tucked it into his robe, countering with a question, “Because of those magical weapons?”
Li Lingsu nodded.
Apart from the cannons, the pouch contained ballistae, cart crossbows, fire lances and military crossbows, all heavy-duty lethal tools.
Only the elite troops of the Great Feng could possibly be equipped with such gear.
Under Li Lingsu’s burning stare, Xu Qi’an looked into the distance, appearing nonchalant, “A little stake I won in a Go game against the Jianzheng back in the day. Just trinkets. If you like them, they’re yours.”
A go game with the Jianzheng… Li Lingsu’s pupils widened in disbelief.
“N-no need!”
He waved his hands, re-evaluating Xu Qian’s identity and cultivation. Someone who had lived for centuries, with third rank as his baseline. And to play Go with the Jianzheng, and even win such magical weapons from him?
This… this isn’t something a third rank could do right…
When we return to the sect, I must consult the Heavenly Venerable. There aren’t many peak characters in the Nine Provinces. Even if they’re not close, they’re aware of each other’s existence.
The Holy Son thought secretly.
Whew! Sensible lad. If you shamelessly accepted, I’d be embarrassed to take them back! Xu Qi’an resolved to be more cautious when constructing a persona in the future.
“Senior, that monk’s cultivation was quite high just now. I didn’t even see how he appeared behind you. Do you know what happened?” Li Lingsu asked.
I didn’t see at all… Xu Qi’an replied lightly, “Just a petty trick.”
But inwardly, he thought, if third ranks couldn’t enter the Stupa tower, then the Buddhist sect would most likely send this Jingxin in.
He just didn’t know if there were any others at fourth rank apart from Jingxin.
Jingxin was a Dhyanacarya, a Zen Master, not a warrior monk. That was bad news. If it was a warrior monk, Xu Qi’an had many ways to deal with them, but Dhyanacarya could suppress Desire Gu, Poison Gu, and Heart Gu.
Moreover, the Sanhua Temple had closed its gates and was guarded by a third rank Vajra, so forcing entry was almost impossible. How could they get in?
Ah, the Church of the Warlock God also wanted to enter the Stupa tower. There’d surely be a conflict between them, could that be exploited?
While he was pondering, Li Lingsu suddenly cursed in a dialect Xu Qi’an didn’t recognise, and the Holy Son’s expression dramatically changed.
Ahead, a group of people was approaching slowly. Nine burly men carried a huge palanquin without a roof, with curtains hanging down. Inside were two beautiful women, their temperaments distinct but their looks identical.
The two Palace Lords of the East Sea Dragon Palace.
Dongfang Wanrong, Dongfang Wanqing.
Pain named “kidney-deficiency” flickered in Li Lingsu’s eyes, his mouth twitched, and he lowered his head, leading his horse and whispering, “Senior, let’s go.”
Xu Qi’an gave a quiet “Mm.”
The two of them, leading their horses, walked along the roadside, heads down.
Keep a low profile, keep a low profile. I’m just a regular person right now. With the pride those two sisters carried, they wouldn’t take notice of an ordinary passerby… Li Lingsu tried hard to steady his heartbeat and breathing, pretending to be just a random face in the crowd.
Being overly anxious and having a wild heartbeat could be noticed by an expert like Qingjie, who was a fourth rank peak.
The two sides were about to pass each other when Li Lingsu suddenly saw Xu Qian lift his foot, and kick him violently outwards.
“!!!”
Li Lingsu staggered forward and crashed into the East Sea Dragon Palace’s entourage.
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