As the day approached for the Stupa tower’s opening, more and more people from the jianghu flocked to Jinguang Mountain, attempting to break into Sanhua Temple.
There had been quite a few clashes between the two sides, but overall, they had restrained themselves. The jianghu folk had not forced their way in, instead hurling abuse from outside the temple.
The warrior monks of Sanhua Temple stood guard outside, confronting the growing number of jianghu folk.
Inside the great hall where the Buddha was worshipped, Master Panlong, the abbot, sat on a meditation cushion, discussing countermeasures with the head monk and several elders.
“That Holy Maiden of Heaven Sect, Li Miaozhen, has come to stir up trouble as well. Truly infuriating.”
The Head Monk, the successor to the place of Abbott, said in a dark voice.
“More and more jianghu folk are gathering now, and we can’t drive them away. What should we do?” an elder frowned.
This was a situation they had not foreseen. In the Buddhist Sect’s original plans, Sun Xuanji from the Sitianjian might have deployed troops to suppress them and compete for Dragon Qi.
If that was the case, then Vajra Du’nan would have reason to take action, and even if he “slayed demons” by annihilating the army here, the Buddhists would be justified.
With this, the Buddhist holy mountain of Ananda could even use it as an excuse to tear up the alliance and attack the Great Feng.
Of course, that would mean a full breakdown in relations, and the Buddhists’s relationship with the Great Feng had not deteriorated that far yet. Still, they could certainly censure the Great Feng, demand apologies, reparations, and so on.
But, to everyone’s surprise, the Great Feng’s troops had not arrived. Instead, a swarm of jianghu riffraff had shown up.
Things done by these people would certainly not be covered by the Great Feng court.
“Can’t drive them away? Amitabha. Then let’s slay demons,” another elder said grimly.
Upon hearing this, the head monk nodded slowly.
“Indeed. This is a place of Buddhist purity; how can we allow the Great Feng’s brutes to run riot here? Master, why don’t we set up a demon-subduing formation outside the temple, and let that mob try to break in? First, it will intimidate the rabble. Second, we can lay down rules and keep them in check.
“Although Vajra Du’nan has said nothing, he must be deeply dissatisfied. Master, we must handle this matter with care.”
Everyone looked at the abbot.
The abbot pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Very well!”
…
On a mountain path, Xu Qi’an mingled in the ranks of the Leizhou Merchants’ Association, which was being led by Wenren Qianrou, slowly making their way toward the archway at the foot of Jinguang Mountain.
The archway, built at the mountain’s base, was thirty feet high. The plaque read: Sanhua Temple!
“Oh, there are quite a lot of people here,” Li Lingsu said with a grin from horseback.
He was no longer pretending to be Li Miaozhen. The current siege-like situation at Sanhua Temple was all thanks to Lady Flying Swallow, Li Miaozhen. For him to still be in disguise as her now would be no different to courting death.
Besides, there was the risk of his identity being exposed.
Xu Qi’an grunted in response. Looking around, he saw horses after horses tied up below the archway, with even more tethered in the woods on either side of the mountain path.
Everywhere he looked, there were jianghu folk holding all sorts of weapons. Some gathered in groups chatting idly, some leaned against tree trunks with weapons in their arms, eyes closed resting, while others sat at the roadside gnawing on roast chicken.
The scene was as lively as a marketplace.
A great many people had come, and many masters as well… Xu Qi’an nodded with satisfaction. This showed that his “publicity” had worked.
Martial folk got their way with violence. These chaotic, neutral jianghu folk were indeed the best cannon fodder and vanguard. Anyone could take advantage of them and make them serve as pawns.
Among all the systems, Confucians and arcanists were the least numerous, while martial artists were by far the most plentiful.
Martial Artists in Jiuzhou outnumbered all the other great systems put together, multiple times over.
But, based on what I saw in the underground palace murals and the information provided by the ancient corpse, for a long time after the fall of the gods and demons, Jiuzhou had only three cultivation systems:
First, martial artists; second, Daoists; third, the Yao race.
Of these, martial artists and Yao followed different paths to the same destination, both tempering their bodies and using strength to prove the Dao. The Yao had Yao Cores and innate supernatural powers, while martial artists possessed “intent” and could achieve Hedao.
As for Daoists, they could not yet be called a “Daoist Sect” in those days, because the ancient corpse had no knowledge of the Daoist Venerable. From this alone, it could be deduced that the Daoist Venerable was not the founder of “Dao.”
However, these three systems evolved very differently over time. Martial arts and the Yao race flourished, but the Daoist system dwindled to only three sects, Heaven, Earth, and Man. All other branches either vanished or declined into obscurity.
This makes little sense. Although the three sects have their own side effects, the other branches could hardly have suffered similarly.
Yet, those three problematic sects survived, while the others withered away…
At that moment, shouts interrupted Xu Qi’an’s train of thought. Someone cried out in delight:
“The Leizhou Merchants’ Association people are here! Ha, finally someone is taking the lead.”
The speaker was a young man in martial garb, holding an old army-issue spear, likely bought from the black market.
Selling off obsolete weapons was a common profiteering practice among the army’s upper ranks.
Wenren Qianrou turned and murmured a few words to a guard beside her. The guard spurred his horse over to the young man, exchanged a few words, then returned.
“My lady, the monks of Sanhua Temple are extremely overbearing. They have already injured many people and are not letting anyone enter the temple,” the guard reported softly.
Wenren Qianrou nodded, glanced at Li Lingsu and Xu Qi’an, and said gently,
“Leizhou is close to the western regions, its back to the sect. Even the authorities generally don’t want to provoke them.”
Xu Qi’an looked towards Jinguang Mountain. “Explain.”
“A few years ago, there was a drought near Sanhua Temple, and the people had not a grain to eat. The monks in the temple took no part in production and couldn’t survive. Abbot Hengyin, the head monk, went down the mountain to beg for alms and secured several thousand pounds of grain and hundreds of wealthy donors willing to part with their fortune,” Wenren Qianrou explained, a mocking smile curling her lips.
“So Sanhua Temple survived the drought, but who knows how many people starved to death because of it. the Buddhists always speaks of saving oneself first, saving others second.”
Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes. “That both violated the Great Feng’s law and broke the agreement the Buddhists once made with the Great Feng.”
Wenren Qianrou nodded. “But the Leizhou Governor only went up to the temple and gave a symbolic rebuke. Firstly, they can’t afford to offend the Buddhist Sect. Secondly, in a border province, such matters must be handled with care. Endure when possible.
“If things blew up, the court would not necessarily want to fall out with the Buddhists, and at that point, the governor would be the first scapegoat. I’m sure you’re well aware of how powerful the Buddhists are.”
Xu Qi’an said nothing more.
“The Buddhist sect is the most hypocritical. Five hundred years ago, they went to war for the Southern Marches’ Hundred Thousand Mountains, all under the banner of ‘for the human race’,” piped up the little white fox, chattering away.
She was curled up warmly in Mu Nanzhi’s arms, holding a sticky, sweet cake in both paws.
Mu Nanzhi had tamed her so easily, with just a single piece of cake.
After finishing the cake, the little white fox pressed her soft paws against Mu Nanzhi’s chest, giving it a squeeze, and said in a tender voice,
“Auntie, your chest is even bigger than Sister Yeji’s.”
…Xu Qi’an swallowed hard.
They tied up their horses and climbed the stairs up the mountain.
As they neared Sanhua Temple, they heard cheers, shouts of anger, and the sharp clashing of weapons.
Clang! Clang!
At the end of the stone steps at Sanhua Temple, on the open ground, a broad man wielding a spiked club was struck at several key points by a group of warrior monks with staffs, causing his body to freeze.
The leading middle-aged monk seized the moment, infusing his staff with qi, spinning and twirling it several times, and brought it crashing down onto the spiked club man’s head.
Crack!
The man’s protective radiance shattered, and bright red blood trickled down his face.
The middle-aged warrior monk’s eyes flashed when he saw Wenren Qianrou leading the Leizhou Merchants’ Association towards them. He immediately extended his staff and gently hooked up the corpse of the man with the spiked club.
He tossed it in front of Xu Qi’an and the others.
The surrounding jianghu folk of the jianghu changed expression, causing quite a commotion.
After the standoff had lasted for so long, finally, the first life had been claimed. It was clear that Sanhua Temple had run out of patience and intended to shed blood.
“You damned monk, how dare you kill someone?”
A man shouted.
He was questioning the monks of Sanhua Temple, asking whether they really meant to fight to the bitter end.
“Hmph!”
The middle-aged monk planted his staff on the ground, swept the crowd with his gaze, and unleashed the Buddhist Lion’s Roar:
“You forced your way into our temple, with the intention of laying your hands on the Buddhist treasure. Such sin is deserving of death. Nonetheless, the abbot is merciful and does not wish to commit slaughter recklessly. If you wish to enter the temple, you must first pass the Demon Subduing Array, and only one is allowed to attempt the challenge.”
“Bastard!”
The jianghu folk of the jianghu began to curse and swear. “Nine of you against one, absolutely shameless!”
The middle-aged monk said coldly, “You may also retreat.”
His posture was full of “this is Buddhist ground, and the Buddhist Sect makes the rules.”
Behind him, the other warrior monks shouted in unison.
Clang!
The surrounding jianghu folk of the jianghu drew their sabres, facing off with the monks of Sanhua Temple.
This is the true face of warrior monks, fierce and domineering. In comparison, Master Hengyuan clearly went astray. Why are my friends all so different from the norm… Xu Qi’an stepped forward and asked:
“May I ask, Master, what treasure has appeared in Sanhua Temple?”
The middle-aged monk replied, “The Stupa tower has completed its meritorious work, that is all.”
“I have never heard that a magical treasure can cultivate. Besides, if the tower’s merit is complete, why does Sanhua Temple not allow us to enter? Do you think we could snatch the tower?” Xu Qi’an asked again.
The monk replied, “What does that have to do with you? An ordinary person, how could you possibly understand the marvels of Buddhist treasures?”
Shameless, this is clearly the dragon qi of the Great Feng, how has it become the treasure of the Buddhist Sect?
Xu Qi’an said nothing more, instead gazing into the distance, deep into the temple, at the tall tower with white walls and black tiles.
In his eyes, that tower appeared quite different, entirely golden, with a golden dragon shadow winding up its sides, coiling round and round.
That dragon shadow was enormous, wrapping tightly around the towering structure; it was the same scale as the dragon spirit that Emperor Zhende once rode. However, the golden light was not solid enough, far less substantial than the dragon spirit of the dragon ley.
“If you are unwilling, Master, then let me say it for you. According to Lady Flying Swallow, the tower imprisons master experts of the Yao, Barbarians, and Warlocks who were captured at the Battle of Shanhai Pass. Twenty years have passed; those supreme experts have become blood pills and soul pills. This is an opportunity to transcend mortality, a stepping stone to the third rank.”
“Nonsense!”
The middle-aged monk was furious, pointing his staff at Xu Qi’an. “Stop bewitching the public with nonsense. If you are a real man, then come at this poor monk!”
“Lost your temper? Among those suppressed within the Stupa tower, the Great Feng contributed as well. The Buddhist Sect trying to claim all the spoils for themselves is too much. Do you think that now the Martial God is dead, there’s no one left in the Great Feng to put you in your place?”
Xu Qi’an raised his arm and cried out, “Everyone, Duke Wei died in battle at Mount Jing City. Now the Buddhist Sect bullies him for not being among the living, seeking to seize all the spoils from the Great Feng’s battle of twenty years ago.”
“That’s right! The blood and soul pills ought to belong partly to our Great Feng as well. Why should the Buddhist Sect keep it all to themselves? Do they think the Great Feng has no one left?”
“Hand over the blood pills, or we’ll burn Sanhua Temple to the ground!”
The martial artists of the jianghu echoed his call, shouting in unison.
Many looked at Xu Qi’an, nodding repeatedly, what this man said made sense.
They weren’t stealing the Buddhist Sect’s treasures, it was the Buddhist Sect that was unjust; they were simply reclaiming what rightfully belonged to the Great Feng.
Their spines straightened instantly.
The middle-aged monk was furious, glaring venomously at Xu Qi’an.
“Nonsense! Sanhua Temple has neither blood pills nor soul pills, someone is deliberately sowing discord!”
Xu Qi’an retorted, “Should we believe you, or Lady Flying Swallow? We’ll decide for ourselves!”
The jianghu folk responded again:
“Bald donkey, have you no shame!”
“Monks claim not to lie, yet you lie through your teeth!”
When it came to trading insults, even ten monks of Sanhua Temple could not match the coarse tongues of the jianghu rabble.
Vulgar comments and foul abuse filled the air, insults to family, left and right.
Warrior monks weren’t Zen masters, they lacked such composure. The nine staff-wielding monks bulged with veins in anger.
“Pah, shameless!”
The little white fox hated the Buddhist Sect the most, and seeing everyone cursing at the monks, she joined in, wriggling with excitement in Mu Nanzhi’s arms.
“A Yao fox?”
The middle-aged monk wished to club Xu Qi’an to death. Seizing the opportunity, he bellowed:
“Consorting with the Yao clan, death!”
His staff arced as he charged and brought it down towards Mu Nanzhi.
Mu Nanzhi screamed and stumbled back in terror.
Xu Qi’an flashed in front of her like a ghost, raising an arm to block the vicious staff. There was a snap, and the staff, brimming with abundant power, broke with a crack.
Although the Demon Sealing Nails had sealed his qi and strength, his skin, flesh, muscles and bones were genuinely third rank, his toughness remained.
The monk’s pupils shrank and, by a martial artist’s instincts, he sensed danger and tried to retreat and regroup with his fellows to form the Demon Subduing Array. Suddenly, a powerful impulse flashed through his mind:
“Fuck him!”
The thought vanished in an instant, but it had cost him the initiative. Xu Qi’an blew softly, a green mist enveloping the monk’s face.
“Huh… huh…”
The monk struggled to breathe, his lungs burning, and his gasping sounded like a bellows.
Despairing, he stared at Xu Qi’an, staggered, and fell.
The spirit effect of the Desire Gu, combined with the Poison Gu, works well. Yes, with the current power of the Sevenfold Gu, below fourth rank, I have almost no rivals. When I left the capital, my strength was barely a weak fifth rank…
Xu Qi’an was quite satisfied with his progress in nurturing the Sevenfold Gu.
Just now, it was the Desire Gu that influenced the monk, making him choose wrongly.
When the surrounding jianghu folk, they were shocked and delighted. Earlier, this monk had slain a sixth rank Bronze Skin and Iron Bones martial artist with an array, he was formidable and feared.
But this man in azure just dropped him in a single exchange?
“He used poison…”
Someone in the crowd said.
“That much is obvious, but that monk was at least Refining Spirit rank. Ordinary sneak attacks don’t work on such people.”
Others immediately objected.
The crowd murmured, glancing repeatedly at Xu Qi’an. They had realised he was truly an expert.
But…
“He seems to have poisoned a warrior monk. Killing monks at Sanhua Temple means certain revenge.”
“The abbot of Sanhua Temple is a fourth rank Dhyanacarya. Not someone to provoke.”
“What’s there to fear? He seems to be from the Leizhou Merchants’ Association, and there are fourth ranks in the association as well.”
As they spoke, a young monk with deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge stepped out from the temple.
“Brother Jingxin.”
The eight staff-wielding monks were thrilled, pointing at Xu Qi’an. “This man is the ringleader. He used underhanded means to ambush Brother Yinshun.”
“Put down your butcher’s blade, turn back and see the shore.”
In the gentle voice, full of compassion, was a power that soothed and cleansed the heart, leaving each person with no malice, their hearts softened towards kindness.
At the clatter of falling weapons, everyone dropped their arms to the ground.
A few moments later, the martial types managed to shrug off the Buddhist effect, looking around in alarm.
“A Silacarya? No, possibly a Sadhu.”
“Most likely a Sadhu, even normal Silacaryas don’t have such powerful discipline magic…”
The jianghu of Leizhou were extremely knowledgeable about the Buddhist Sect, far more so than those from other provinces.
“Amitabha, we meet again, my benefactor.”
Monk Jingxin pressed his palms together, ignored the crowd, and looked coldly at Xu Qi’an:
“Benefactor, you have repeatedly come to this temple to provoke and cause trouble. You must know that while the Buddhist sect is merciful at heart, there is also the wrath of a Vajra.”
The surrounding warrior monks and Jianghu folk all looked at Xu Qi’an, curious to see how he would respond.
Xu Qi’an flicked the toe of his foot, just as the middle-aged warrior monk had kicked the corpse of the sixth rank warrior earlier, sending it flying to Jingxin’s feet.
Monk Jingxin reached out and caught the body, using the middle-aged monk’s help. He examined it carefully and then frowned deeply.
“The poison in him can only be cured by me. Let us enter the temple, or he dies.”
Xu Qi’an maintained his lofty persona and spoke in a calm tone.
Every trade has its skillset: the Buddhist sect was not adept at detoxification; toxicology was the province of the shaman clans and arcanists, while the Daoist sects had only a rough grasp of it.
The Leizhou Jianghu folk, who had expected Xu Qi’an to back down and were disappointed, perked up at his words.
No wonder he returned the man so easily, he truly had nothing to fear.
Monk Jingxin looked deeply at Xu Qi’an, stepped aside, and gestured with a “please” motion, saying:
“Benefactor, you may enter the temple. This humble monk gives you permission.”
All the eyes turned to Xu Qi’an.
So, you want to close the door and beat the dog… Xu Qi’an understood their intention.
Seeing his hesitation, monk Jingxin asked, “What, benefactor, are you afraid?”
If I were ten years younger, I’d have lost my head to hot blood and already rushed in… Xu Qi’an stood with his hands behind his back and called out loudly: “Gentlemen, if you do not step out now, when will you?”
As his voice fell, hearty laughter echoed from below the stone steps: “This Tang is willing to accompany you into the temple, brother.”
The crowd turned to look, and saw a man, eight feet tall, dressed in sturdy attire with twin sabres on his back, climbing the steps, followed by a group of disciples all likewise bearing twin sabres.
“The Shuangdao Sect has arrived!”
Someone cried out in delight.
Xu Qi’an’s gaze automatically skipped over the Shuangdao Sect leader and settled on a spirited woman following behind: tall and shapely, with full lips, bright eyes, and a charming yet valiant face, a striking beauty.
She’s uh, what’s she called… Liu Yun, yes, I saw her in the capital.
Xu Qi’an belatedly recalled her name, then glanced at the Holy Son of Heaven Sect, and saw the scoundrel smiling appreciatively at Liu Yun.
At this moment, there was a rustling in the dense forest, accompanied by the clanking of armour. A young general with dark skin and bright eyes stepped out of the bushes.
He carried a long spear on his back, a regulation sabre at his waist, and his expression was wild and fierce, radiating a soldier’s killing intent, a blade of grass between his teeth.
“Fangzhou Disciplinary Officer, Li Shaoyun!”
He leaned on his spear, glancing sideways at everyone as he announced himself.
“I heard Sanhua Temple has revealed a treasure that can help a fourth rank step into the immortal domain, so I came to have a look. Bald donkeys, if you dare block me, I’ll run you through with my spear.”
Leizhou’s soldiers were wild, and a fourth rank general even wilder.
So arrogant… The Jianghu folk all turned to look; this man was unmistakably military, his tone brazen, making no effort to conceal his presence.
That was not all. Soon after, the clear cry of an eagle sounded in the sky.
A dozen or so Scarlet-tailed flame eagles with wingspans of thirty feet and seven inches flew in from the distance, circling high over Jinguang Mountain before slowly descending.
Their wings whipped up strong winds, swirling dust and fallen leaves.
The crowd below parted, clearing a space for the Scarlet-tailed flame eagles to land.
Leading the group was a knight in armour, with the hallmark dark skin of Leizhou natives, tall and powerfully built, with rough stubble on his face.
Every eagle behind him carried an armoured soldier.
Yuan Yi!
Leizhou’s Commander Yuan Yi.
Most of the Jianghu wanderers had never had the chance to meet this eminent figure, so they did not recognise him at first. It was not until someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise:
“Commander Yuan Yi?”
A shocked clamour erupted immediately.
Only days ago, there had been rumours that Leizhou’s Commander Yuan Yi had visited Lady Flying Swallow to enquire about Sanhua Temple’s unusual treasure.
So it was no lie after all.
Yuan Yi had really come.
Now things were getting lively. For everyone, this was fortuitous.
The more experts there were, the more chaotic the situation would become, and all the more fish could be caught in troubled waters.
Yuan Yi scanned the crowd, automatically ignoring the Jianghu folk, first nodding to Wenren Qianrou, then glancing at the armoured youth. He paused, frowned and said:
“Li Shaoyun, what are you doing here? As Disciplinary Officer, leaving your barracks without orders is a grave offence.”
Leaning on his spear, the young man grinned:
“Commander, spare me the official titles. I’m here to snatch the Blood Pill, if I can reach third rank, your seat will be mine.”
“If I don’t manage it, a beating with army sticks or dismissal will do. No big deal.”
As a fourth rank martial artist, his cultivation was his greatest asset; as long as he did not commit a great crime, some recklessness would be tolerated by the court and officials.
He truly had nothing to fear.
“I think you’re asking for a beating.”
Yuan Yi glared at him and barked, “Get over here.”
Li Shaoyun laughed and jogged over at once.
“Leizhou Commander Yuan Yi, Shuangdao Sect Master Tang Yuanwu, Fangzhou Disciplinary Officer Li Shaoyun, that mysterious master in azure, and the Leizhou Merchants’ Association’s fourth rank guest elder…”
“There are already five fourth ranks present, and fifth ranks are too many to count. Now let’s see how arrogant these monks of Sanhua Temple can be!”
“Don’t get careless. The abbot and head monk of Sanhua Temple are both sadhu, and this Jingxin monk, wherever he’s from, isn’t weak either. Besides, there are plenty of experts in Sanhua Temple.”
“Don’t forget we’re here too. No matter how many experts they have, can they outnumber us? There’s still a bunch of rabble at the foot of the mountain. When the Stupa tower opens, we call out and everyone will come.”
As they talked, they saw an old monk with white brows and beard leading a group of monks over.
“Amitabha, Commander Yuan, it has been many years.”
Abbot Panlong pressed his palms together in greeting.
“Master Panlong.”
Yuan Yi cupped his fists in return.
“Commander, are you here on behalf of the Leizhou authorities, or the Great Feng?” Panlong rebuked, “The Great Feng and the Buddhist sect are allies. Whatever the Jianghu folk do has nothing to do with the court, but you are different. Leave at once.”
Yuan Yi shook his head. “This official has been stuck at fourth rank for years without a breakthrough. Having heard of the Blood Pill’s emergence at Sanhua Temple, I’ve come to plead for it. Back at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, our Great Feng did much for the cause, there’s no reason why the Buddhist sect should monopolise the Blood Pill.”
“Besides, I come in a personal capacity, bringing only close aides, no troops. It has nothing to do with the court.”
Abbot Panlong recited another Buddha’s name and said, “This old monk has tried sincerely to persuade you, but since you will not listen, so be it.”
He said no more.
But then everyone saw another group emerge from the temple, carrying a roofless sedan chair with lowered curtains. Seated on the soft couch inside were identical twin sisters.
One of the glamorous women chuckled:
“Abbot, why not let us sisters kill this Yuan Yi for you? That way, if the court seeks answers, it has nothing to do with you. If the Great Feng dares to question the Buddhist sect, that is.”
Yuan Yi narrowed his eyes.
Li Lingsu immediately lowered his head, hurriedly putting some distance between himself and Xu Qi’an.
This old fellow fights dirty. If he lands another kick now, he’ll be in trouble.
When the Dongfang sisters caught sight of that azure robe, they narrowed their eyes instinctively, and after a careful look, then turned their attention away.
Just the same azure robe, but not the one who captured Li Lang in Pingzhou.
“Bitch!”
Suddenly, Wenren Qianrou erupted in fury, stepped forward and pointed at the Dongfang sisters, shouting curses.
Dongfang Wanrong’s smile faded as she narrowed her eyes and sized her up, speaking slowly, “Young lady, do we know each other?”
Dongfang Wanqing examined her for a few seconds, then suddenly realised, and sneered,
“Oh, she’s that wretch our unfaithful man seduced when he ran off. Elder sister, you found her before when you were divining and tracking him down. If it hadn’t been for a few experts at her side back then, and for the fact you were in a hurry to chase that unfaithful man, she’d have been slaughtered long ago.”
As she spoke, the curtains suddenly parted, and Dongfang Wanqing shot out like a black shadow, attacking Wenren Qianrou.
Li Lingsu’s expression changed dramatically and he was about to rush forward to intervene, but the Wenren family’s fourth-rank guest expert reacted even faster, covering several steps in a flash and striking out with both palms.
Bang!
The burst of qi collided with a sound like thunder, sending up a cloud of dust, while the nearby trees bent as if pressed down by a fierce wind.
The heroes staggered backward, knocked askew.
The Wenren family’s fourth-rank guest expert’s face turned pale in an instant, then flushed red as he forcibly swallowed back the blood surging into his throat.
In contrast, Dongfang Wanqing landed lightly back in her palanquin, her expression unchanged.
There were differences in strength even among fourth-rank experts.
“Another- another fourth rank?”
“She looks even stronger than that fourth-rank guest expert from the Leizhou Merchants’ Association.”
“Hiss… who exactly are these two sisters?”
“They’re not martial experts from Leizhou.”
Noticing the strength of the Dongfang sisters, everyone’s hearts sank. Clearly, these sisters were experts from the Sanhua Temple faction.
With that, both sides now had an equal number of fourth-rank experts.
Yuan Yi, Li Shaoyun, and the Shuangdao Sect Head, three fourth-rank experts, all wore grave expressions.
“So the Sanhua Temple had allies all along. No wonder they are so arrogant and fearless.”
Commander Yuan Yi said calmly.
Monk Jingxin turned around, bowed with palms together towards the monastery and said,
“May Senior Du’nan drive away these idlers.”
Dongfang Wanrong smiled and said, “May Elder Irbu drive off the unwanted rabble.”
Their sudden words left the heroes of Leizhou at a loss, and at the same time, a sense of dread welled up inside.
At that moment, two terrifying auras shot skyward, one coming from deep inside Sanhua Temple, the other from the dense forest on the left.
The instant they felt those two auras, the same words sprang to everyone’s minds: Beyond mortal!
Auras that surpassed that of ordinary men.
Though most people there had never even encountered a third-rank in their lives, the pressure from a higher order of existence made them instinctively aware of the level of power on display.
Above the fourth rank was the extraordinary realm, utterly different from ordinary people.
“Leave the area within fifty li of Sanhua Temple.”
From inside the temple came a thunderous roar.
The sound battered the listeners, making their qi and blood churn and their vision blacken.
Buddhist lion’s roar, a Buddhist monk of the third rank unleashing the lion’s roar.
Even so, the monk was holding back. Had he gone all out, anyone below the sixth rank would have died on the spot, and anyone below the fourth rank would have had their mind thrown into chaos.
The other aura did not speak, but it was an equally oppressive force, pressing on everyone’s bodies and minds.
The heroes of Leizhou trembled in fear; even the fourth-rank experts like Yuan Yi fared no better, anyone of the fourth rank was practically a local warlord in any province.
But before a third-rank expert who had surpassed ordinary mortals, they were no different from middling cultivators.
Nothing but ants and mice to be crushed.
Seeing the jianghu folk of Leizhou all turning pale and alarmed, the monks of Sanhua Temple smiled calmly, pressing their hands together in serene composure.
“Th-this… two third ranks?”
“Sigh, looks like the treasure isn’t fated for us, forget it.”
“You can’t fight a third rank. It’s impossible.”
Given the scene, the fighting spirit of the assembled heroes was shaken.
Even a single third rank could sweep them all aside, let alone two.
If you saw hope of victory, you fought for the treasure, if there was no possibility at all, why bother? Better to save your life and enjoy a night at the brothel instead.
The Shuangdao Sect Head heaved a sigh.
Yuan Yi said quietly,
“Looks like the blood pills inside the tower are even more numerous and purer than we imagine. The one in the forest must be a Master of Wisdom of the Church of the Warlock God, that unique aura of a Warlock, I wouldn’t mistake it.
“The Church of the Warlock God and our Great Feng have just gone to war, and now the Buddhist Temple is already forming an alliance with them. Do they even see the Great Feng court in their eyes?”
Du’nan answered coldly, “The Great Feng court? A court without a single third-rank warrior is nothing, compared with twenty years ago, it’s far worse.”
This Protector Vajra replied with an icy tone, displaying utter disdain for the Great Feng.
Most Buddhist leaders looked down on the Great Feng, for it was infamous for deceit and treachery.
Six hundred years ago, the founding emperor of the Great Feng had once played the Church of the Warlock God for fools.
Three hundred years ago, the Confucianists and court colluded to destroy Buddhism in the Central Plains.
This Protector Vajra was a warrior monk, quick-tempered and direct, detesting what he disliked.
Yuan Yi’s face flushed with rage, but he dared not retort. With the present strength of the Great Feng, they didn’t dare offend the Buddhists at all, if the third-rank Vajra inside decided to smack him into mush, at worst the court would only issue a formal protest.
But to be so shamed by a third-rank Vajra, and have his chance at the treasure ruined, filled him with anger and helplessness.
Behind the Shuangdao Sect Head Tang Yuanwu, Liu Yun couldn’t help retorting, “Who says the Great Feng has no third rank? If our Silver Gong Xu were here, would you dare speak so rashly, senior?”
The Vajra deep in the temple didn’t reply, as if he disdained to answer.
From the forest came a cold laugh: “That Xu is already a cripple, what’s there to fear?”
Liu Yun’s face flushed scarlet and she stepped forward, raising her voice:
“Even if you are a Master of Wisdom of the Church of the Warlock God, I will not allow you to insult Silver Gong Xu.”
The spirit of the despondent Leizhou heroes briefly rekindled, and a chorus of protest rang out.
The Master of Wisdom in the forest sneered, “Do you dare draw your sabres?”
Liu Yun’s spirited brows snapped together: “Why not?”
She reached back with both hands, gripping her hilts, and was about to draw, but no matter how hard she tried, face flushed with effort, the twin sabres refused to come loose from their scabbards, as if rusted in place.
“Hmph!”
The Master of Wisdom snorted.
Liu Yun was struck as if by lightning, dropping to her knees and coughing up blood.
The Master of Wisdom in the forest said mildly, “Vajra Du’nan, if you’re unwilling to act out of consideration for your alliance, I’ll do it instead, clear these small fry out. They’ll make fine corpse soldiers to take back to Mount Jing City.”
Clamor, the crowd retreated again and again.
“Kill us all? What arrogance! A mere Master of Wisdom thinks himself a Warlock God?”
Amid the chaos, a voice suddenly laughed coldly.
Everyone turned, dumbstruck, to look at the azure-robed figure as though at a lunatic.
To use reverse psychology on a Master of Wisdom of the Church of the Warlock God, did he think his life was too long?
Did he really think the Master of Wisdom wouldn’t dare kill?
Right now, the Church of the Warlock God and the Great Feng were deadly enemies, killing came as easy as breathing for them.
If you want to die, don’t drag us with you.
Li Lingsu’s eyes shone. Here it comes, he thought, the old monster was about to explode.
Others might revere third ranks as demigods, but Li Lingsu knew that Xu Qian, this old monster, was an elusive expert who had once played Go with the Jianzheng himself.
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