"Amitabha, Your Highness, please show mercy." Kong Fan's voice came from behind again.

Ji Mohan turned around and looked at the white-browed old monk wiping his sweat with his sleeve. He frowned, his eyes sweeping over the kasaya on Kong Fan's body. Someone in his mind was calculating. He opened his thin lips slightly and asked, "Are you Zen Master Kong Fan?" Although it was a question, it was a statement of certainty.

"Your Highness has discerning eyes; this old monk is indeed Kong Fan." Kong Fan clasped his hands together and curtsied.

"Is this tree yours? Did you set up an array here?" Ji Mohan noticed the problem as soon as he glanced at it.

"This tree was planted by my senior brother. I only took care of it on his behalf. The formation was indeed set up by this humble monk. The back mountain is treacherous, and I did this to prevent accidents from happening to the pilgrims," ​​Kong Fan explained.

"Hmm, an assassin just entered here and disappeared. Besides you, who else knows about this formation?" Ji Mohan asked in a deep voice. If no one came to his aid, the assassin would have been trapped in the formation, but the assassin disappeared. It seems that there are spies from the Mongol Kingdom in this Huguo Temple.

"This formation...only this old monk and my senior brother know about it, but my senior brother is traveling around." Kong Fan's tone grew softer and softer. Oh no, it seems like I'm the spy here.

Ji Mohan's gaze grew increasingly dangerous, and his trusted confidants drew their swords, pointing them at Kong Fan.

"Your Highness, please don't worry. This old monk knows another person who also knows the formation. The humble monk who delivers meals to the back mountain every day also knows this formation." Kong Fan had almost thought of everyone he knew in his life before he remembered that there was another person who also knew the formation.

Kong Fan: I haven't even become the abbot yet, how could I be thrown into jail?

Abbot: Huh?

"Hmm, how do I get to the back mountain?" Ji Mohan asked coldly. He had never believed in any gods or Buddhas, let alone Zen masters. What he liked, he always fought for himself! Praying to gods and Buddhas? Ha, he might as well pray to himself!

"Your Highness, I have been waiting for you for a long time. Would you mind having a chat with me?" Kong Fan said kindly. Damn it, why do I have to meet this damn KPI every year? Why do I have to find this destined person every year?! Kong. Ancient working-class. Fan (ー_ー)!!

"I have no time for idle chatter. If Master Kongfan insists on reminiscing, then I believe that Master Kongfan is merely stalling for time for your accomplices." Ji Mohan waved his hand, signaling his men to seize Kongfan.

"Doesn't Your Highness want to hear about the Princess Consort?" Having no other choice, Kong Fan could only bring up Yan Wan.

Yan Wan: Huh? You old fool!

Kong Fan: I'm so sorry, young lady.

Upon hearing Yan Wan's name, Ji Mo Han was somewhat surprised. He waved his hand to dismiss his subordinates and walked over. "My queen? What does Zen Master Kong Fan have to say?" Ji Mo Han glared fiercely at Kong Fan, as if he would take action if he couldn't give a clear answer.

"Your Highness is naturally indifferent, but I never expected you to value the Princess so much. That's quite rare," Kong Fan said with satisfaction.

Ji Mohan impatiently lifted his leg and walked away. He didn't expect a monk to be so gossipy. He was too lazy to listen to him.

“Your Highness, life arises from causes and conditions cease when they end. Those who meet will inevitably part. Every encounter is a prayer. All phenomena are illusions.” Kong Fan’s voice came from behind.

Ji Mohan stopped in his tracks, raised an eyebrow with disdain, and said, "Whether I live or die, as long as I want it, I can break through illusions and firmly grasp what I want. This applies to people as well as other things. Gods and Buddhas never protect wicked people like me, and I don't need the protection of anything illusory."

But later, Ji Mo Han prayed to all the gods and Buddhas, just to find joy and peace for the one who would never return.

"Amitabha." Kong Fan sighed. Oh well, it's all fate.

Even though the gods and Buddhas do not protect him, there is one person who comes specifically to protect him!

"How do I get to the back mountain?" Ji Mohan asked, looking at the fork in the road.

“Your Highness may follow your heart, and whichever path you choose, it will all lead to the same destination,” Kong Fan said.

Without hesitation, Ji Mohan stepped onto the path that Yan Wan had walked. As soon as he stepped onto it, Ji Mohan felt relaxed all over, as if some kind of restriction had been lifted.

Seeing Ji Mohan's choice, Kong Fan sighed again. It seemed that he had broken free from the constraints of the original book and ushered in his redemption.

From now on, Ji Mohan will no longer be the Ji Mohan in the book who loves Jing Xi but cannot have her; he will only be Yan Wan's Ji Mohan.

——

"Have all our men arrived?" the masked man in black asked.

"Master, our men are in ambush. This time, we will make sure that King Han of Yin Kingdom never returns," another man in black said respectfully.

"Okay, they're here!" Two men in black jumped into the bushes and disappeared.

Hearing their conversation, Yan Wan silently hid in the dark cave. She had already made a foolproof plan. She had just woven a net with vines. If Ji Mohan fell in, she could simply tighten the net, pull him through the cave, and hide him there, rescuing him without anyone noticing. That way, Ji Mohan wouldn't have to fall into the icy pool and catch a cold, and she could complete her mission smoothly.

Yan Wan couldn't help but praise herself; she was truly too clever.

——

"Your Highness, there were clearly two people here just now, but they disappeared when we chased after them."

Ji Mohan's cold eyes swept across the surrounding woods, and he said in a cold voice, "Search."

Before he finished speaking, more than twenty men in black descended from the sky, brandishing their weapons. A melee ensued, and the two sides fought fiercely. The men in black were just as skilled as Ji Mohan's bodyguards, so it seemed that the other side had gone all out this time.

Ji Mohan mobilized his inner strength and engaged in a fierce battle with three or four men in black. More than ten men in black then appeared, and Ji Mohan's men struggled to keep up.

Seeing the unfavorable situation on his side, Ji Mohan realized that the other side wanted to eliminate him. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Ji Mohan's face. He hadn't been this excited in a long time.

"Send all your men to attack!" the man in black, hidden in the woods, said angrily. "What a waste, so many people and they still can't take him down."

"yes."

Immediately, more than twenty men in black emerged from the forest and joined the fray, turning the situation against Ji Mohan. He was surrounded by a dozen men in black, who were watching him intently.

Suddenly, someone made the first move, and more than a dozen men in black attacked Ji Mohan. Even though Ji Mohan was highly skilled, he was still slashed several times by the men in black. Ji Mohan's subordinates were also injured.

Ji Mohan said in a deep voice, "Xuan Yi, you all retreat. Leave this place to me."

Several guards were seriously injured, and staying would only be a waste of their lives. It would be better to send them back to find someone.

"Your Highness, no! Even if we die, we will protect you!" Xuan Yi and the other guards cried out in anguish.

"Xuan Yi, you dare to disobey my orders now? Don't make me repeat myself, get out," Ji Mohan said coldly.

"Where do you think you're going? You're all going to die here, and you won't escape." The black-clad figure who had been hidden in the woods emerged and said with a ferocious expression.

Xuan Yi and the others braced themselves, preparing to tear open an opening and secure a way out for the prince.

——

From the bushes nearby, Jing Xi and Jiang Bai watched the two groups of people arguing in front of them. Jing Xi said to Jiang Bai, "Go to the temple and find someone to help you. Today is the temple fair, and the Crown Prince must be at Huguo Temple. I'll go up and help you later. My life is in your hands, so you must hurry."

Jiang Bai grabbed Jing Xi's hand and said anxiously, "No, Jing Xi, you go find someone, I'll go help him."

"Where are you going? You can't even beat me. Going up there is just suicide. Go find someone." Jing Xi retorted.

"Jing Xi, no, I can't let you take such a risk." Jiang Bai disagreed with putting Jing Xi in such a dangerous situation.

"Although I don't know where Wan'er is now, I want to go and help my brother-in-law." Jing Xi squeezed Jiang Bai's hand back and said earnestly.

"Okay, Jingxi, you must protect yourself." After saying that, Jiang Bai quietly left to go back and get help.