Chapter 19: Chapter 19

After several days of hard travel, Zhao Jiu and Liu Rouwei finally spotted the outlines of houses at dusk.

Judging by its size, Zhao Jiu guessed that it was probably a small village and breathed a sigh of relief. In weather like this, an ordinary person forced to sleep outdoors and endure an entire night of wind and snow could genuinely freeze to death.

They hurriedly spurred their horses forward and found the ruined temple. It was hardly comfortable, but at least it offered shelter from the wind.

“Strange. This place is not far from Huai’an County, and nearly ten years have passed since the Yanyun Rebellion. Why is there not a single person here?” Zhao Jiu murmured as he started a fire.

Wrapped in her padded robe, Liu Rouwei was far less surprised. She merely raised her eyes and said calmly, “When the Yanyun Rebellion was suppressed, the flames of war spread as far as Shu. Both the rebels and the government troops conscripted people everywhere, leaving nine out of every ten homes empty. As for the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who remained, how could they possibly have survived…?”

Zhao Jiu fell into thought but said nothing. He merely sat quietly beside the fire.

More than seventy li away, four galloping horses tore through the falling snow.

The rider in front pulled on his reins, and the other three horses slowed behind him.

All four men wore monks’ robes and carried Ring Sabers on their backs. They were the Buddha-Serving Vajra Guardians of Lantuo Temple.

The monk leading them was Mingyuan. The three behind him were Mingguang, Mingzhi, and Mingde.

Mingyuan raised his head and determined their direction before saying solemnly, “Huai’an County is less than one hundred and fifty li away. Even traveling day and night, it will take us no more than another day.”

“Second Senior Brother, we may be able to endure it, but the horses cannot,” Mingde replied.

Mingguang and Mingzhi remained silent.

Although Mingde was the youngest among them and had cultivated for the shortest time, he was attentive and resourceful.

Mingyuan considered his words for a moment and agreed.

“There is an abandoned village ahead. We will rest the horses there and resume our journey at first light.”

The others were puzzled. The abandoned village was still more than seventy li away. By the time they arrived, how much time would the horses have to rest?

“Senior Brother, why must we reach Huai’an County with such urgency?” one of them asked in confusion.

“Junior Brothers, our departure from the temple was not commanded by the Bodhisattva. It was an order personally issued by Abbot Baoshu. We cannot afford any delay.”

The other three were astonished.

How could a matter as trivial as stopping a single person have alarmed Zen Master Baoshu?

Zen Master Baoshu had not appeared publicly for more than twenty years. He had devoted himself entirely to cultivating his spirit and comprehending the Dao. Ordinarily, all affairs of the temple, great or small, were handled by Zen Master Baoyun.

Yet now, Zen Master Baoshu had personally intervened over such a minor matter?

Mingyuan understood their confusion and explained, “It concerns the Buddhist Heir.”

The three immediately understood.

The abbot had always attached exceptional importance to that martial uncle whose understanding of Buddhism was so profound. No wonder he had personally issued the order.

The four monks exchanged tacit glances but said nothing more. They merely urged their horses onward.

Inside the ruined temple, Zhao Jiu suddenly froze beside the fire.

Within the range of his perception, he sensed four horses approaching from the distance, though he could detect nothing else.

“I knew things would not remain this peaceful,” Zhao Jiu thought.

He shook his head, cast the thought aside, and calmly continued warming himself.

More than an hour later, four horses stopped outside the ruined temple.

Mingyuan had originally intended to find an abandoned temple or some similar place to rest. However, he had spotted a firelight here from afar, and he happened to have forgotten his Fire Striker. He therefore had no choice but to come and ask for a flame.

The four monks dismounted and entered the ruined temple.

Inside, they saw only a man and a woman.

The man sat beside the fire, calmly warming himself as though he had not noticed the four monks entering. The woman was wrapped in a padded robe, dozing against the wall.

“Amitabha.”

Mingyuan recited the Buddhist invocation. When Zhao Jiu raised his head, he continued, “Benefactor, we left the temple in such haste that we forgot to bring a Fire Striker. Might we trouble you for a flame?”

Zhao Jiu said nothing and merely nodded.

Mingyuan thanked him, used a piece of wood to carry the flame away, and sat down to start another fire.

Neither side spoke much.

Only the crackling of burning wood, the howling wind and snow outside, and the sounds of chewing remained.

Neither group could determine the other’s background, so the atmosphere remained peaceful for the moment.

“Benefactor, where have you come from, and where are you headed?” Mingyuan asked with a kindly smile, looking every bit like an accomplished monk.

Zhao Jiu chuckled but did not answer. He merely extended his hands toward the fire.

Seeing this, Mingde hurriedly spoke.

“Benefactor, my senior brother did not mean to interrogate you. This humble monk apologizes on his behalf. The four of us are monks from Lantuo Temple. Two villains stole scriptures from our temple, and my senior brothers and I were ordered by the abbot to pursue them. May I ask whether you have encountered them?”

“Oh? Something like that happened?” Zhao Jiu asked. “Have you seen the thieves’ faces?”

“Naturally, we have not seen their true appearances. However, according to our martial uncle, they are a man and a woman. Have you encountered such a pair?”

Mingde rose and bowed.

Zhao Jiu’s expression darkened until it was as black as the bottom of a cooking pot.

Was the monk not clearly describing him and Liu Rouwei?

A man and a woman traveling ahead of them—everything matched!

Zhao Jiu immediately stood. His gloomy gaze swept across the four monks as he shouted sternly, “Are you deliberately trying to provoke me, Master?”

Mingde frowned.

This man was far too overbearing. No matter how he looked at him, he did not resemble the bodyguard described in the temple’s instructions.

After exchanging glances with his three senior brothers, Mingde said, “You have misunderstood, Benefactor. This humble monk was merely anxious and accidentally offended you. Please forgive me. Would you allow us to examine your Household Registration documents?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiu understood everything.

They had come for Liu Rouwei.

A man and a woman had supposedly visited a temple, ignored the incense money, and stolen scriptures instead?

Did they truly take him for an idiot?

“You bald donkeys are really pushing your luck! Should I wake my maidservant and have her strip naked so you can inspect her as well? You are monks, yet your six senses remain impure!”

Zhao Jiu roared and attacked before the four monks could react.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Four Throwing Knives flew toward the four monks.

Their expressions changed drastically.

This man was outrageously domineering. He attacked the moment he became displeased, showing no concern whatsoever for their background!

They drew their Ring Sabers and knocked aside the Throwing Knives.

“Benefactor, do not bring destruction upon yourself!” Mingguang shouted angrily. “The four of us are Buddha-Serving Vajra Guardians of Lantuo Temple!”

“And Vajra Guardians are still ruled by impure desires?”

Zhao Jiu showed them no courtesy.

Now that they had already exchanged blows, why would he care about their background?

Besides, as long as none of them survived, who would know who had killed them?

With that thought, Zhao Jiu circulated his True Qi.

The overwhelming momentum of heaven and earth instantly enveloped the four monks. Their Internal Qi suddenly stagnated, as though a mountain had descended upon their heads.

Their faces filled with shock.

How old was the man before them? Yet he was already a Third Rank expert!

No wonder he cared nothing for Lantuo Temple. He might well be a disciple of another great faction.

The four monks were only at the Fourth Rank. Although they came from Lantuo Temple, they had almost no power to resist a Third Rank expert.

Their Internal Qi could not circulate smoothly, and their bodies were restrained from every direction.

The four exchanged glances. Realizing that the man before them was not someone they could afford to provoke, they desperately circulated their cultivation methods, hoping to fight their way toward a slim chance of survival.

Zhao Jiu had no intention of allowing that.

Using Chasing the Stars and Pursuing the Moon, he instantly appeared before Mingde.

He knocked aside Mingde’s descending Ring Saber, curled his right hand into a claw, and seized the monk by the throat.

CRACK!

Zhao Jiu crushed Mingde’s neck.

“Junior Brother!”

Mingyuan shouted. He twisted his Ring Saber and slashed toward Zhao Jiu while turning his head to cry, “Mingguang, Mingzhi—run!”

Before his words had even faded, Zhao Jiu caught the descending Ring Saber in his bare hand.

He then struck Mingyuan’s chest with his palm.

Mingyuan was immediately sent flying backward and crashed into Mingzhi.

Mingzhi had not yet managed to flee when Mingyuan struck him, interrupting his movement. The moment Mingzhi recovered, a hand had already pressed down upon his head.

Who else could it be but Zhao Jiu?

Zhao Jiu released his True Qi externally and drove it into Mingzhi’s skull.

From the outside, Mingzhi’s head appeared completely intact. Inside, however, his brain had already been churned into pulp.

When a Third Rank expert killed a Fourth Rank martial artist, he did not even need a weapon.

True Qi combined with the overwhelming momentum of heaven and earth was not something a Fourth Rank martial artist’s fragile body could withstand.

Mingguang no longer cared about his fallen senior and junior brothers. His only thought was to escape back to Lantuo Temple and report what had happened.

Once the masters of the temple acted, they would surely avenge his fellow disciples.

Before he could run far, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

WHOOSH!

A Throwing Knife tore toward him.

Mingguang had only just thought of blocking when the blade buried itself squarely in the back of his skull.

His eyes widened. He exhaled one final turbid breath, collapsed to the ground, and died.

Zhao Jiu grabbed his corpse with one hand and tossed it back into the ruined temple.

He extinguished the fires.

Liu Rouwei had awakened before the fighting even began. When she saw Zhao Jiu return, she pulled her padded robe more tightly around herself and asked calmly, “Are we leaving?”

“Now!”

Two horses galloped into the darkness, sweeping snow into the air behind them…

At daybreak, the Red-Robed Eunuch arrived, walking across the snow.

When he saw the four horses, he frowned and approached them step by step.

A dense stench of blood reached him.

The Red-Robed Eunuch hurried into the ruined temple. When he saw the four monks lying dead on the ground, he lowered his eyes and shook his head.

He then turned around, circulated his True Qi, and flew onward.