The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 255 Severe Punishment
Zhao Ti snorted, then tightened his grip slightly, lifting her up onto her tiptoes: "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Azi immediately cried out, "Your Majesty, no, Father, Father, please spare me!"

"Who's your father?" Zhao Ti frowned. "You're spouting nonsense again. If you keep talking nonsense, I won't be polite."

"You, you know my birth year golden lock, you know the words tattooed on my shoulder, and you sent me to the Duan family in Dali. You know my background. Who else could it be but my father?"

Zhao Ti's face darkened: "Would your father be that young?"

“That’s not necessarily true. Old Master Xingxiu… Old Monster once said that there is a martial art in the world called the Eternal Youth and Longevity Skill. If you practice it, you will stay young forever. Maybe Father, you practiced this skill. Or maybe you didn’t have time to take care of me because you were practicing this skill, and you had no choice but to abandon me when I was young.” As Azi spoke, she turned her head to look at Zhao Ti.

At this moment, the setting sun shone in, making A Zi's face look innocent and adorable, her cheeks as red as apples. However, Zhao Ti saw a fleeting glint of cleverness and cunning in her eyes.

"Your father's surname is Duan, but mine isn't!" Zhao Ti said calmly. "If you keep spouting nonsense, believe me, I'll slap you to death."

"I...I believe you..." Azi said hastily, then stammered almost inaudibly, "My surname is Duan, so I'm a member of the Duan family of Dali. But why would the Duan family abandon me? I guess I'm just some wild child who can't be seen in the light of day..."

She spoke pitifully, but Zhao Ti saw a resentful glint in her eyes, like a cunning little fox harboring ulterior motives. He couldn't help but snort coldly and said, "Take her away to Duan Zhengchun and let him worry about her."

Since the Duan family of Dali reveres Buddhism and believes in cause and effect, that good deeds bring good results and evil deeds bring evil results, then Duan Zhengchun's actions back then will naturally bring about his own consequences. The retribution follows the way of Heaven, which is reasonable and justified. As for Ruan Xingzhu, it is the same. Duan Zhengchun will go to her to discuss this matter.

Carrying Azi into the ruined hall, they found it dilapidated and covered in dust, with no sign of the old monk.

Just as Zhao Ti was about to speak, A Zi whispered, "Your Majesty, Master is resting in the back hall. He was tired from debating the scriptures today and is meditating and resting."

Seeing that she sold the old monk so quickly, Zhao Ti found it in line with her personality and said in a deep voice, "Why did you run away from Xingzhou and even recognize a master?"

Azi looked at him cautiously: "At that time, the Song army attacked the city. I don't know how long it lasted. I was afraid that the cold poison would flare up and I would die. So after the city fell, I quickly fled and wanted to go to Dali... On the way, I met the people of Xingxiu Sea, so I gathered them together and became their senior sister. Then we came here."

"Hmm?" Zhao Ti frowned.

Azi hurriedly added, "I came here to rest, but I saw the monks of Resa Temple debating the Dharma and even having a martial arts contest in front of the temple. The old monk was very skilled in martial arts, so I became his disciple."

As Zhao Ti carried her to the back, he said, "So he accepted you?"

Azi said, "Originally, they wouldn't accept it, but later, for some reason, they said I had innate wisdom, but I hadn't awakened my true self, so they accepted it and even cured the cold poison in my body."

Zhao Ti sneered. When he grabbed A Zi just now, he found that the wisp of illusory Yin energy he left behind had disappeared. It turned out that the old monk had dispelled it.

Although the amount of illusory Yin energy left behind was not much, it was not something an ordinary person could dispel. At least Li Qiushui couldn't dispel it, so it seems the old monk's martial arts skills were quite good.

"He didn't say where he came from?"

Azi hesitated and said, "I, I didn't ask. What does it matter where it came from? I just wanted protection. I was afraid he would be unhappy if I asked, thinking I was being too inquisitive."

After exiting the back door of this hall, there was another hall in front of him. Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and stopped, hearing voices coming from inside that hall.

A few breaths later, the temple doors opened, and the old monk slowly stepped outside.

Zhao Ti sized up the old monk. Although he was old, he had the appearance of a highly virtuous monk. He was of medium build, with a yellow face and no beard.

"Namo Dipankara Buddha." The old monk chanted the Buddha's name, then looked at Zhao Ti: "Benefactor, you have been wreaking havoc ahead and captured my disciple. What is the reason for this?"

Ah Zi quickly said, "Master, this is my father. He's here to take me back..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Ti pressed two acupoints, tossed them to Tong Guan and Zhu Chu for their care, and then said indifferently, "The old monk's name is Wensheng?"

The old monk said calmly, "My Dharma name is Wen Sheng."

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes: "I have heard that the sixth Arhat is called the Venerable One Who Attains Fruition Upon Hearing the Sound. He is a direct disciple of the Buddha. He attains sainthood upon hearing the sound of the Dharma. He has extremely keen innate qualities and a very high level of understanding of the Dharma, hence this title."

The old monk shook his head: "You are mistaken, benefactor. This is merely my Dharma name, and I have nothing to do with the legendary Venerable One."

Zhao Ti asked, "Where did the old monk come from?"

The old monk put his palms together and said, "I come from where I came from."

Zhao Ti slowly said, "Didn't it come from some ancient past?"

Upon hearing this, the old monk's eyes gleamed, and after a moment he said, "Does the benefactor know about the past?"

Zhao Ti's heart stirred, and he nodded, saying, "Of course I know some of that."

"Then what do you know, benefactor?" A strange look flashed across the old monk's face.

Zhao Ti seemed to be deep in thought. He knew nothing about the past, except that these monks who were preaching the old Buddhist teachings had appeared out of nowhere. However, he was thinking that these monks must have a grudge against Kunlun Mountain. Whether it was inside the icy cave or the white-robed swordsman's pursuit, they seemed to have a great enmity with both and were not on the same side.

He said, "In the Kunlun Mountains, there are ancient palaces..."

The old monk's expression changed slightly: "It seems that you do indeed know something, but I wonder..."

Seeing this, Zhao Ti seized the opportunity and said, "I also have a grudge against Kunlun and wish I could get rid of them as soon as possible."

The old monk frowned in surprise: "Could it be... that you have reached such a level of martial arts that you are being hunted down by the people of Kunlun?"

A thought flashed through Zhao Ti's mind, and he said, "That's right. I am irreconcilably opposed to Kunlun."

The old monk remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Knowing too much is of no benefit to you, benefactor. These matters are originally unrelated to the mundane world, but... you have already reached that level, and at this moment you cannot detach yourself from them."

Zhao Ti sighed softly, "That's why I've been traveling around looking for other ways to break this. If we can eliminate the Kunlun people in one fell swoop, no matter how difficult the obstacles may be, we will not give up."

The old monk stared at Zhao Ti for a long time, then his voice suddenly became somewhat mysterious: "Actually, it's not entirely hopeless. When the seven luminaries appear in the same palace, the world will change, and chaos and darkness will rise in the world. At that time, Kunlun will be plunged into endless strife and will eventually be destroyed and cease to exist."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows. He had heard the words about the great changes in the world when the seven luminaries were in the same palace more than once, but he could not understand their meaning. Now, he not only heard it again from the old monk, but also heard that the chaos of darkness was about to rise. He wondered what it meant.
Kunlun is just an ancient martial arts sect that barely survives in the vast mountains. They don't usually get involved in worldly affairs, so why are they caught up in endless attacks?
The old monk said, "You still know too little, but it doesn't matter. Since you have a feud with Kunlun, you are destined to be with our Buddhist sect. Our Buddhist sect can help you out."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti adopted an attentive expression: "How can Buddhism assist me?"

The old monk said, "When the chaos of darkness arises, Buddha will descend to the mortal world and destroy all those demon kings, demon sons, and demon grandsons who are disguised as Buddhist disciples. Buddha will wage war against Kunlun, destroy Kunlun, and create a carefree pure land and a world of ultimate bliss."

The more Zhao Ti listened, the more eerie it seemed, and he couldn't help but ask, "The Buddha will descend? I wonder which Buddha will descend?"

The old monk said, "Naturally, it is my past Buddha, who led a thousand Buddhas from the past glorious kalpa to descend, eliminate demons, uphold the Dharma, guide heretics, and save this world."

Dipankara Buddha, one of the thousand Buddhas who appeared in the past glorious kalpa, is called Dipankara Buddha because everything around him was as bright as a lamp when he was born. He is also known as Dipankara Buddha or Dipankara Tathagata.

Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed: "I wonder where we'll go to seek refuge when the true Buddha descends?"

The old monk proclaimed: "When the world undergoes a great change, the Buddha of Infinite Light of the West will project his Pure Land of Shambhala from afar into this world. At that time, the Shambhala Buddha Kingdom will open, radiating boundless precious light in the snowy mountains, opening a convenient door for all beings in the world. Those who believe in my Buddha and those who have a karmic connection with me can all go there to seek refuge."

Zhao Ti took a breath and said, "Can't we seek refuge now?"

The old monk slowly shook his head: "We, the true disciples of the Buddha, are gradually awakening and searching for the location of Shambhala. Shambhala is hidden in the immeasurable snow mountains. It will not appear in the world until the day of the great upheaval. We are still searching now, hoping to find it in advance to enter the pilgrimage, but we have no news... But it is estimated that it will not be long before it appears before the world after the great upheaval."

Zhao Ti asked, "I wonder if there are any private connections you can use to help me if I'm going to seek refuge with you?"

The old monk was speechless upon hearing this, then revealed a knowing smile: "Does the benefactor wish to take a shortcut?"

Zhao Ti also laughed and said, "To meet a master is a matter of fate. Although the Buddhist kingdom has opened the door to convenience, it is naturally different from the door of personal relationships. If that day ever comes, I would like to take a shortcut and convert to Buddhism."

The old monk nodded and glanced at Azi over there: "It's not impossible. Since you have a connection with me, I can introduce you to my Buddhist sect. Although my disciple is only a registered disciple, I see that she has innate wisdom, but she hasn't awakened yet. Since you want to take her away, it will also leave a karmic connection with me. She can look for me in the future."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "If that day comes, how will I find the master?"

The old monk took out an object from his person, a sutra tablet about three inches in size: "When the time comes, you can take this to Shambhala to find me. I suppose I will already be in the Shambhala Buddhist Kingdom by then."

He said that he used his internal energy to lift the sandalwood tablet forward at a moderate speed, which showed that he had mastered the control over his internal energy.

Zhao Ti easily caught the sutra tablet, glanced at the inscription, and saw that it was a Buddhist scripture he had never heard of before. He smiled and said, "That's wonderful. I will come to bother you when the day comes. I hope you won't forget, Master." The old monk said, "How could I forget? Since you are the father of my disciple, you might as well take her with you in the future. She is my disciple now, but I will accept her as my true disciple later."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Does the master really believe what she says and think I'm her father?"

The old monk also laughed and said, "What does it matter whether it is true or not? Since she calls you 'benefactor' in this way, then I will take it that way. Whether it is true or false is not important."

Zhao Ti turned to look at A Zi. A Zi's big eyes were full of flattery, and her expression was as innocent and pure as a delicate porcelain doll.

He remained expressionless, turned around and said, "In that case, I will not disturb Master's cultivation any longer. I will take her away. There will be plenty of time in the future, and I look forward to the day when I meet Master again."

The old monk put his palms together and said, "Namo Dingguang Buddha, this old monk will not see you off any further."

Zhao Ti nodded, walked over, grabbed A Zi by the back of her collar, and led Tong Guan and the other two outside.

The old monk slowly chanted from behind: "The past is eternal and unchanging, the river of time cannot erase it, the original mind is pure and undefiled, how can the illusions of karma obscure it..."

Zhao Ti left the abandoned palace, put A Zi down, and released her pressure points. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Come back to Luosuo City with me for a while, and then I will take you to Dali."

Azi asked in surprise, "My cold poison has been cured, why do you still want to go to Dali?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her: "The mountains and rivers over there are beautiful, and the scenery is delightful. It's a good season to go and have a visit."

Ah Zi's eyes darted around, and she muttered, "If I really came from the Duan family over there, wouldn't they just send me back to be disciplined? What a lie they told me about traveling and having fun..."

Zhao Ti sneered: "Are you going or not?"

Azi immediately showed a flattering expression: "Of course I'll go, and see who gave me life, why they gave me life but didn't raise me, and abandoned me. Abandoning me is one thing, but to tattoo my name on a plaque and tell me to find them myself when I grow up? What a foolish idea."

Zhao Ti ignored her and the group walked towards Luosuo City. Before long, they arrived at the city gate. At this time, the sun had not yet completely set, and the city gate was not closed.

After entering the city, we first found a restaurant to eat something, and then went into an inn.

This inn offers several types of rooms, including shared rooms and single rooms, as well as a quiet, private courtyard, but the prices are quite expensive.

Tong Guan selected a courtyard, and the group went over. They found it very tidy, with three main rooms and a row of side rooms.

Zhao Ti walked into the main room, glanced at A Zi, and pointed: "You'll sleep here tonight."

Azi widened her eyes and said, "I, I'll sleep in the outer room. The King can stay here."

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes: "Trying to escape under the cover of night?"

Azi hurriedly shook her head: "How dare I run away? Even if I run away, I can't escape the king's grasp. I still want to go to Dali to see the scenery."

Zhao Ti said, "It's good that you know. I don't want to leave you with your pressure points sealed overnight. Just behave yourself. If I'm not happy, I'll just kill you. You won't need to go to Dali anymore."

Azi said, "I know, I know, I'll go make a pot of tea for Your Majesty."

Zhao Ti said in a flat tone, "I am immune to all poisons."

Azi paused slightly, then flattered, "Your Majesty's martial arts are unparalleled, you are immune to all poisons, invincible, and unbeatable. You will surely unify the martial world and dominate the martial arts realm."

Zhao Ti waved his hand: "Go quickly and come back quickly."

Azi ran away, and Zhu Chuyi said, "Your Highness, this..."

Zhao Ti said, "She's perceptive; she wouldn't dare run away now."

Zhu Chuyi sighed, "Miss Zhu's younger sister is really not an easy person to deal with."

Tong Guan said, "That's right, they're very cunning."

Zhao Ti said, "Don't reveal A'Zhu's matter to her."

The two men's lips twitched, and they nodded in agreement.

A moment later, Azi brought over a wooden tray, which she had obviously borrowed from in front of the inn. Inside the tray were a teapot and several small teacups.

She placed the wooden tray on the table, arranged everything, and began to pour water into the teacups, saying as she poured, "There's not much good tea in this place, so please make do with this, Your Majesty. I've heard that the tea in Dali is fragrant, and we'll have some good tea there in a few days."

Zhao Ti glanced at the tea in his cup, a pale brown color, and said, "Do you think I can drink this?"

Azi was stunned and said, "Why, why can't we drink it? Although this tea isn't the best, it's still a rare Central Plains tea here."

Zhu Chuyi chimed in, “Miss Azi, you probably don’t know, but our leader always drinks Da Xiao Long Tuan, Mingqian Longjing, and freshly picked Biluochun. He would never drink this kind of tea.”

Azi glanced at the tea: "I think it's fine. I went to a lot of trouble to brew it."

Zhao Ti said, "Have a drink and see."

Azi blinked and said, "I... didn't put anything in. The King is immune to all poisons, so it would be useless for me to put anything in."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Let's have a drink now, what are we waiting for?"

Azi's face was a little pale. She reached for a teacup, slowly picked it up, and said, "I'll drink it."

She took a small sip from the bowl and was about to put it down when Zhao Ti said, "Drink it all!"

Azi bit her lip, tilted her head back and poured all the tea into her mouth. After a few breaths, she started to sway and finally collapsed to the ground with a "plop".

Tong Guan exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, this..."

Zhao Ti said, "When she heard me say that I was immune to all poisons and that it was difficult to poison her, she used a sleeping potion or similar drug. She didn't know that even if one is truly immune to all poisons, these drugs are difficult to apply. It was pure wishful thinking, and she brought it upon herself!"

Zhu Chuyi asked, "Your Highness, should we save her?"

Zhao Ti said, "Wake them up with cold water, then you can go back and rest. You don't need to worry about this place."

The two agreed, then went outside to fetch water. A moment later, they brought it back and splashed it on her head. Ah Zi slowly woke up. The two looked at her, then opened the door and left.

Azi, however, was in a panic. She sat up to calm herself and then shouted, "It's terrible! This is a shady inn! They've put sleeping pills in the tea! Your Majesty, kill them all quickly, then grab the money and leave the city..."

Zhao Ti sneered, "Do you think you can pull off such childish tricks in front of me?"

Upon hearing this, Azi knelt down with a "plop": "Your Majesty, it was my fault. I just went out and I don't know what I was obsessed with. I was possessed by a demon and that's why I did such a wrong thing. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. This is not what I wanted to do. It was the demon that possessed me who did it."

Seeing that she was still unrepentant and only making excuses, Zhao Ti couldn't help but say, "That demon must still be possessing you, right?"

Azi was taken aback upon hearing this, and then her expression changed when she saw Zhao Ti raise his finger.

Zhao Ti struck her with a finger strike, and she immediately shivered, then let out a soft groan. But after only a dozen breaths, she hugged her arms and cried out that she was cold. Then, with a pained expression, she stood up and tried to run to the bed in the inner room.

Zhao Ti struck her pressure points in mid-air, and she immediately stopped moving. Her small face was filled with pain. At this moment, she not only felt cold and chilled, but also felt as if countless insects were crawling and biting inside her body.

Zhao Ti said, "In front of me, no tricks or schemes are useful. I don't even need to slap you; I can crush you to death with just one finger."

Although Azi couldn't move, she could still speak and begged for mercy, "Great King, have mercy! I'll never dare to do it again! I promise to be loyal to you, and I won't have any other thoughts. I swear it, uh-huh..."

She pleaded for mercy in distress, swearing oaths for a long time, but Zhao Ti remained unmoved. Finally, he stood up and sealed her speech acupoints, saying indifferently, "I'll teach you a lesson by punishing you for one night. You'll have to reflect on your actions here."

After saying that, he went straight inside and went to bed to rest.

(End of this chapter)