Chapter 387 Traitor (5,000 words)
boom--
At this moment, the Taia Sword, surrounded by flames, fell almost like a meteorite to the mortal world, and collided fiercely with the "Golden Bell" that enveloped the entire Shenlong Temple.
With Shenlong Temple as the center, a huge roar echoed in the ears of people in a large area of the city.
The golden bell flickered wildly, and in an instant, it seemed as if it was about to collapse several times, but every time it dimmed, it would brighten again.
Compared to the outside world where only the roar could be heard, there was a strong wind and the earth was shaking inside the Shenlong Temple.
The Buddhist bells in the temple shook and struck each other on their own without anyone pushing them, making a series of "dang" and "dang" sounds.
In the Buddhist temples, the candlesticks and incense burners on the altars were shaking and cracking, and the fruits on the fruit plates were rolling to the ground.
"ah--"
The monks with lower cultivation levels covered their ears with their hands, their faces flushed red due to the turbulence of blood.
Bian Ji stood up with the help of the others, and looked up at the fight in the sky with a swaying mind.
A battle in the realm of heaven and man.
"Hmph!" Xu Zhenguan stood in the air and saw that his sword was blocked by Xuan Yin. He did not give up, but instead made a gesture with his hands.
The red lips opened slightly: "Get up!"
The Taia Sword, which had been exhausted and leaning against the illusory golden bell, was summoned and rose into the air again.
Xu Zhenguan drew a circle with his wrist.
The Taia Sword then surrounded the empress and drew a large circle in the air. As the sword swung, it left behind sword shadows. In the blink of an eye, dozens of sword shadows overlapped and merged into one.
"Go!" Xu Zhenguan drew his sword for the second time.
In the main hall, a short and skinny old monk stood on the glazed tiles, his brown robe dancing wildly in the wind. He clasped his hands together, and the sound of a wooden fish rang out in the hall below his feet.
This time, the huge image of "Buddha" suddenly opened its eyes, but still did not fight back. Instead, it calmly faced the angry sword and covered the entire temple with its huge body of the god.
"boom!!!"
This time, the Taia sword fiercely slashed the rotating lotus crown on the head of the Buddha.
Amidst the thunder-like sound, the Buddha's light surrounding the entire Buddha's Dharma body suddenly dimmed, and Abbot Xuanyin's face turned pale.
This veteran strong man in the realm of heaven and man actually used his powerful Dharma body to forcibly block the sword.
Seeing this, Xu Zhenguan refused to give in. He raised his sword again, gathered all his strength and slashed down the third time.
This time, the lotus on top of the huge Buddha's head was forcibly cut off, and the Buddha's light dimmed and shrank, only covering the main hall.
After enduring three consecutive sword attacks from the abbot Xuanyin, even with his profound cultivation, his aura was noticeably weakened.
At this moment, the frail old monk, who seemed to be easily blown away by the wind, finally spoke slowly:
"Has your Majesty calmed down?"
He obviously saw the empress's anger, but he did not fight back from beginning to end. Instead, he took the three swords of the Heavenly Realm at the cost of being injured.
Seeing the old bald donkey like this, the murderous aura between Xu Zhenguan's brows also dissipated a little bit. She sneered:
"Xuan Yin, you finally came out."
Abbot Xuanyin sighed softly, a look of pity on his rather ugly face:
"Your Majesty has come here in a rage today. May I ask what wrong the Shenlong Temple has done?"
Xu Zhenguan sneered, "You don't know?"
Xuan Yin said calmly, "I hope Your Majesty will make it clear."
"Okay," Xu Zhenguan stared at the old monk's expression and said coldly:
"The monk Dajing assassinated an official I sent to Huting, leaving him severely injured and near death. Is this a sufficient excuse?! The monk Longshu also appeared at Huting, suspected of being involved in another assassination. Is this a sufficient excuse?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Shenlong Temple was in an uproar.
The monks, including Bian Ji, were horrified and seemed unaware of this matter.
Abbot Xuanyin, who was forced out of seclusion, frowned on his dry face.
"Your Majesty, are you sure?"
Xu Zhenguan looked down at the old monk with a bad look in his eyes, holding a long sword:
"What do you think?"
Abbot Xuanyin's expression darkened. He took a deep breath and said seriously:
"I am unaware of this matter. Shenlong Temple has absolutely no intention of becoming an enemy of the imperial court. Your Majesty, please allow me some time to find Dajing and Nagarjuna. If they are truly involved, I, as the abbot of Shenlong Temple, guarantee that they will be severely punished and give Your Majesty an explanation."
Inside the temple, Bian Ji and others also spoke up and expressed the same attitude.
Xu Zhenguan slashed out with three swords. Facing a group of monks who did not fight back, his anger subsided a little and he said indifferently:
"I remember your words."
After saying this, her figure disappeared into the sky, and the rolling dark clouds gradually calmed down.
The terrifying and intimidating pressure dissipated, and the huge statue of "Buddha" was also put away. All that was left in the Shenlong Temple was a mess, and many monks fell to the ground, distracted.
"Abbot!" Monk Bian Ji hurried forward and came to the side of the old abbot who fell from the hall, wanting to speak.
However, Xuan Yin raised his hand to stop him. The old monk's face was as gloomy as water. He said "Call all the halls to discuss the matter" and turned around, waving his sleeves and returning to the main hall.
At this time, the pilgrims who had been accidentally confined in the temple and came to burn incense finally calmed down and fled the temple.
Not long after walking out, we saw the mighty and armed imperial guards marching down the street with murderous intent, surrounding the Shenlong Temple, which was once a popular temple.
…
Inside Jizhao Nunnery.
"Buddha, something bad has happened. Soldiers are coming from outside..."
A young nun ran in in fear and found Prajna Bodhisattva in Princess Yunyang's dazed gaze.
In winter, Prajna was still wearing only a thin monk's robe, revealing a large area of white flesh, and had an expressionless face.
After saying "Be patient", he disappeared from Jizhao Temple and headed towards Shenlong Temple opposite.
"A bunch of lunatics."
…
Zhao family.
"Mom, it seems to be over." Zhao Pan looked at the sky in the distance returning to its original state and said with some stuttering.
Eugene Hua also swallowed her saliva. She had never seen such a grand scene.
If the battle between Buddhism and Taoism was eye-opening enough, then today's brief confrontation left a much greater impression on the people of the capital.
"I don't know what happened." Zhao Pan said.
The sound of the Empress and Xuan Yin talking was limited to the vicinity of the temple and could not be heard in the distance.
Eugene Hua said anxiously, "Just don't let it have anything to do with your eldest brother."
What he said came true.
…
Inside the Tianshi Mansion, in a small courtyard deep inside.
Although it is winter, the mysterious banyan tree is still lush and green.
Zhang Yan, tall with narrow eyes and brows, wearing a black priest robe, stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
He looked at the empress who turned into a stream of light and appeared in the courtyard.
Xu Zhenguan got straight to the point and said, "Tianshi, there is something I don't understand."
The old Taoist priest was not surprised by the Empress's arrival and said calmly, "Your Majesty, please speak."
Xu Zhenguan stared at the old Taoist priest with his beautiful eyes and said seriously:
"Zhao Duan said that your eldest disciple also appeared at the lake pavilion and was suspected of intercepting Long Shu."
Zhang Yanyi nodded calmly: "I taught him to go."
"Why?" Xu Zhenguan did not hide his confusion.
Zhang Yanyi did not answer immediately, but asked:
"Was it Zhao Duan who was stabbed by Dajing?"
Xu Zhenguan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then described the general situation.
Zhang Yan sighed and said:
"When he went south, I deduced the laws of nature and vaguely sensed that this journey would be dangerous, but not fatal. So I ordered my eldest disciple to go..."
Even with Zhang Yanyi's level of cultivation, he could only vaguely sense something that had not happened, but was unable to know the details.
Therefore, after the young Taoist priest arrived at the lake pavilion and met Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, he naturally believed that the source of Zhao Duan's danger mentioned in the master's letter should be the battle in Yansuo Lake.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, he simply watched Nagarjuna leave together, believing that this would be enough to complete the old master's task.
But I didn't expect it.
Among the signs from heaven, the "disaster" given was not in the smoke-locked lake, but in the assassination by the great master Zhao Duan encountered on his way back.
Fortunately, the overall result remained unchanged. Although Zhao Duan was injured, his life was not in danger.
Xu Zhenguan nodded after hearing this, and his doubts were resolved, but new doubts arose. He said quietly:
"The Heavenly Master seems to think highly of Zhao Qing."
Zhang Yanyi felt a little embarrassed, but he appeared calm on the surface.
"That young man has helped Tian Yuan and Jin Jian a lot. As their master, I am just looking after them."
"Is that so..." Xu Zhenguan was a little unconvinced.
But now is not the time to worry about the suspicion of "poaching", she asked again:
"Tianshi, why do you think Shenlong Temple did this?"
Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "When it comes to the Buddha, I can't see clearly."
The empress was silent, then said goodbye and left.
The courtyard door was pushed open, and Jin Jian and Gongshu Tianyuan ran in. They happened to see the empress leaving and were slightly surprised:
"Your Majesty is here? Master, what just happened was..."
Zhang Yanyi looked calm and casually mentioned that Zhao Duan had been assassinated, which scared the two of them. They were relieved when they learned that it was not serious.
"Master, are the two monks from Shenlong Temple crazy?" The fat little Gongshu Tianyuan frowned.
Jin Jian nodded, looking puzzled: "That's what you said, Senior Brother."
Zhang Yan sighed, waved his hands, and said irritably:
"It has nothing to do with you. Stop worrying about others and focus on breaking through as quickly as possible, then go out and gain experience. You're just making a fuss all day long."
The two boys with red dots were criticized and left feeling aggrieved.
Zhang Yanyi then sighed softly: "What a mess."
He was not without speculation, but the Tianshi Mansion's position of not getting involved in secular struggles remained consistent.
He could help Zhao Duan stop Long Shu, but he didn't want to get involved in deeper trouble.
…
…
Imperial Palace.
After watching the empress leave, Zhao Duan felt very anxious, but he could only lie down and rest.
After taking the medicine, although the injury did not improve immediately, the pain was relieved a lot.
In the end, I was finally able to sit up and lean against the soft pillow to wait.
My eyelids twitched as I heard the faint roar coming from outside.
"His Majesty."
Finally, the voice of the palace maid outside the door was heard, and then the door opened, and the empress in white clothes and with long black hair came back.
The Taia sword in her hand had returned to its place, and she went back and forth as easily as eating and drinking water.
"His Majesty……"
Zhao Duan looked closely and saw that Zhenbao had no injuries or signs of fighting. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I heard a roar outside..."
Xu Zhenguan closed the door, walked over to him, sat down on the round stool, said "Oh" calmly, and explained:
"I went to Shenlong Temple and had a fight with Xuanyin."
Then, the empress recounted her entire experience of going out in a light-hearted manner.
Zhao Duan was frightened when he heard this. He felt that it was too impulsive, but at the same time, he felt a warm current in his heart.
He jokingly said:
"Your Majesty, you have caused such a big stir for me this time. From now on, I will serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul, until my death."
Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes and said, "So, Zhao Qing was unwilling in the past?"
"...That's not what I meant!"
"hehe."
They just said this, but what they were thinking in their hearts was another matter.
Zhao Duan looked at the empress who was so close to him. There were several braziers in the room, and the floor heating in the palace made the two people in the room feel a little hot.
"His Majesty……"
Zhao Duan swallowed his saliva and wanted to take the opportunity to say something naughty.
But Xu Zhenguan saw through it and took the initiative to break the slightly ambiguous atmosphere:
"What do you think about the Shenlong Temple?"
Isn’t it... Can’t you just chat about some romance with the wounded? Why do you have to talk about serious matters at this time... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
But one also knows that the empress's character determines that the soft side of her heart is always hidden within her majestic and graceful body. It is not easy for her to show it occasionally. It is not as easy for an ordinary woman who only has love in her mind to break through that boundary.
Besides, his current physical condition really meant he was powerless...
Then he collected his thoughts and said seriously:
"I believe that Nagarjuna and Mahavairocana should be considered separately. They may not have made an agreement. Otherwise, if they appeared together in Yansuo Lake, or attacked together, wouldn't their chances of victory be greater?"
"Of course, the first thing to confirm is Abbot Xuanyin's attitude. According to what you just said, Your Majesty, Xuanyin may indeed be unaware of this matter, because it doesn't make sense logically.
If this assassination attempt was orchestrated by Xuan Yin, it would mean that Shenlong Temple was already prepared to confront the imperial court, break ranks, and side with the Eight Princes. However, Xuan Yin didn't fight back, withstood three sword strikes, and even publicly expressed his cooperation with the investigation... This is completely unnecessary."
Xu Zhenguan nodded: "Go on."
Zhao Duan analyzed:
"As far as I know, there are four factions within the Shenlong Temple. The Xuanyin lineage is the main one, while Prajna Bodhisattva leads a group of nuns who are unwilling to merge with the Buddhist sect and exist alone.
The remaining Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Mahavihara Guru have been vying for the position of the next abbot.
After a pause, he thought and said:
"So, I can understand Longshu's actions. I even suspect that Longshu showed up at Yansuo Lake with no real intention of assassinating me. His purpose was just to show up so that he could claim to be causing trouble for the young monk Tianhai... so as not to go too far.
In the last battle between Buddhism and Taoism, Nagarjuna's plan that had been planned for many years failed. Xuanyin has always maintained a good relationship with the imperial court. If Nagarjuna wants to defeat Xuanyin, he needs to find other help...
Therefore, Nagarjuna's faction does have a motive to collude with the Eight Princes... Moreover, since he is not in the capital, the court will inevitably put pressure on Xuanyin, which can be regarded as a blow to Xuanyin's power... killing two birds with one stone."
Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly: "What about the Dajing?"
Zhao Duan said helplessly:
"This is what I don't quite understand. Da Jing's assassination was too direct, leaving no room for maneuver. He was clearly going to kill me... His behavior can no longer be explained by the Disgusting Mysterious Seal.
Because compared to holding Xuan Yin accountable, the consequences he faces are even more serious...
It's almost certain that after Master Dajing killed me, he would never return to Shenlong Temple, unless Xuanyin and several other forces would rather immediately go to war with the imperial court to protect him... This is obviously unrealistic."
Xu Zhenguan listened to his analysis quietly and said:
"So, in your opinion, Da Jhu's move to kill you is practically a suicide?"
"Yes," Zhao Duan nodded and said seriously:
"This is what confuses me. By doing this, he's voluntarily giving up his chance to compete for the next abbot position, and also abandoning the foundation he's painstakingly built over many years.
As long as Xuanyin doesn't die to protect him, his only fate is exile. This is why I think it's unreasonable for him to be in cahoots with Nagarjuna Bodhisattva. It's too illogical...
Even if Da Jing completely surrendered to the Eight Kings, given his status and position, why would he do this? Where did he get the confidence to believe that the one of the Eight Kings he surrendered to would win? And help him deal with Xuan Yin and others?
Xu Zhenguan's expression was unusually calm:
"You're right. Dajing's actions are indeed difficult to understand, but what if he has no intention of staying in Dayu?"
Zhao Duan was stunned. He stared at the empress's calm face. A possibility suddenly flashed through his mind and he said in a lost voice:
"Your Majesty, you mean... West..."
"Yes, the Western Regions,"
Xu Zhenguan sighed softly, as if he had guessed something in his mind:
"You know, the title 'Master' is a tradition within the ancestral temple of Buddhism in the Western Regions.
After the Shenlong Temple lineage of Buddhism entered the mainland of Dayu, few people called themselves masters anymore, and instead called themselves bodhisattvas. Prajna and Nagarjuna were both bodhisattvas... Only Dajing retained the title of master.
"Of course, this isn't a problem within Buddhism. Instead, it symbolizes his support for the integration of Eastern and Western Buddhism, replacing Western Buddhism and inheriting the orthodox Buddhist position. But now that I think about it, there might be another explanation, or not."
Zhao Duan was stunned when he heard this. His expression changed and he said quickly:
"So, Your Majesty, are you saying that Master Da Jing might have decided to seek refuge in the Western Regions? Return to the ancestral temple? He simply has no intention of continuing to seek advancement within the Shenlong Temple, so he has no more concerns...
And if someone like him wants to return to his ancestral home in the Western Regions, he must show enough "letters of surrender" to show that he has severed ties with Dayu... So, assassinating me is a good option?
As long as he kills me, there will be no turning back for him. The Western Buddhist sect can safely accept him, and they can also use their status to force the court to severely punish the Shenlong Temple and severely suppress and weaken the Shenlong Temple's power..."
Xu Zhenguan nodded and continued:
"The Western Regions Ancestral Temple and Dayu Shenlong Temple have been fighting each other for a long time, each hoping to merge, annex the other, and obtain the complete Buddhist heritage. The weaker Shenlong Temple is, the greater the chances of victory for the Western Regions Ancestral Temple."
Zhao Duan remained silent, his mind suddenly becoming clear.
If this is the explanation, then the behavior of these monks makes sense!
Many of the behaviors that he had previously thought were logically contradictory and strange now had reasonable explanations.
And if their guess is true, then the Great Master would have already set out for the Western Regions.
Thanks to the book friends Shining Skull for the 2,000 points, Xin Zhi Sadness for the 1,500 points, and 1504...4482 for the 500 points of reward support!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
