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

Chapter 267 Mutation
Ximen Yan was stunned for a moment, then stared intently at the young man in brown: "What did you say, Brother Xu? Widow Qin gave birth to a bunch of little monks?"

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly. There were several rules in Changchun Valley, namely, one could not mention monks, talk about monastic matters, or learn Buddhist martial arts.

Changchun Valley is part of the Kunlun lineage. Kunlun Mountain has a grudge against monks, especially those who promote the old ways. So it's normal that such things are prohibited here. But what's going on with a widow getting pregnant and giving birth to a bunch of baby monks?
The young man in brown twitched: "Brother Ximen, that's what everyone outside is saying. Many people have gone over there to watch, and Chunniang has gone too."

Ximen Yan frowned: "What kind of bizarre thing is this? It's not uncommon for monks to be born, but how could one possibly be born?"

Zhao Ti looked at Ximen Yan: "Brother Ximen, what is this...?"

Ximen Yan's face was grim: "Widow Qin's husband disappeared last year. He was presumed dead in the valley because he drank the water from the Everlasting Spring. Even if there was the slightest chance of him escaping the valley, he wouldn't have survived. But then Widow Qin became pregnant, and no one knows whose father it is. It's been a whole year since she gave birth, and she gave birth to some little monk?"

Zhao Ti pondered, "This seems a bit unbelievable..."

Ximen Yan shook his head: "It's impossible. Even if monkeys were born, they wouldn't produce a bunch of little monks. It's utterly absurd."

He stood up and said, "Brother Zhao, please forgive me for not being able to accompany you any longer. I must go and see what is really going on."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Since Brother Ximen isn't drinking anymore, how can the two of us continue? But I'm curious, so why don't we go with Brother Ximen to see what's going on?"

Ximen Yan nodded: "That's fine, Brother Zhao, come along too."

As he walked towards the door, there were still quite a few people on the bluestone road outside the tavern heading west of the town.

These people included both men and women, most of them were young-looking, with flowing clothes, exuding energy, and moving swiftly, clearly all of them possessing martial arts skills.

Some of them even seemed to have their feet not touching the ground, as if a gentle breeze had blown by, and their figures had already disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this, Ximen Yan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhao, how is your martial arts skill?"

Zhao Ti looked ashamed and said, "I might be considered to have some skills outside, but I'm not good enough for this valley."

Ximen Yan said, "Brother Zhao has only been practicing for a few years, while these are all old hands here. It's not fair to compare them."

Zhao Ti nodded, pondering to himself that there must be some elderly and frail people who came to Kunlun to live in seclusion in hopes of living a few more years, but there must also be those who were unwilling to prolong their lives here and preferred to be free outside rather than imprison themselves and wait for death.

Ximen Yan was afraid that the two of them would not be able to keep up, so he slowed down his pace. But the town was not big to begin with, and they arrived at the west side of the town in no time.

The widow Qin's residence was not far from Zhao Ti's courtyard. At this time, it was surrounded by layers of people. In addition to the noise of the crowd, there were also bursts of shrill screams coming from the house.

Ximen Yan inhaled and said, "That's Widow Qin's voice. Has she not finished giving birth after all this time? Could she have really given birth to a whole bunch?"

As he spoke, he led the way into the crowd, and people said one after another, "Brother Ximen is here, hurry up and go in to see if it is some rare disease so that we can treat it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti looked at the other person and was surprised to find that this person was skilled in traditional Chinese medicine and was a doctor.

Noticing Zhao Ti's gaze, Ximen Yan shook his head and said, "It's just some family medical skills, nothing particularly advanced. I can't do anything about childbirth, and if a demon or evil spirit attacks my body, I can't help it either."

Zhao Ti said, "Brother Ximen is too modest. It is not normal medical practice for evil spirits to enter the body."

A few moments later, they arrived at the door and saw many people standing inside, including Chunniang, all looking at the ground inside.

Ximen Yan called out, and Chunniang turned around with a solemn expression: "This is not ordinary production. Come and take a look."

The three men went forward and saw a woman lying on the ground, crying out in pain.

The woman was somewhat pretty, her clothes were disheveled, her belly was bulging, revealing a large expanse of skin, and right next to her, many bubbles floated, these bubbles were golden and shimmering, and in each one there seemed to be a small monk sitting cross-legged.

The bubbles continued to form, emerging from various acupoints on the woman's body. With each bubble, her belly would sag slightly, and dozens of bubbles already surrounded her.

"This, this..." Ximen Yan's eyes widened: "What is this thing?"

Chunniang said calmly, "I thought it was a pregnancy, but it turned out to be a strange Buddhist technique. This martial art is really bizarre. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it gave birth to a little monk. The bubbles were tangible and seemed to be formed from true qi, but I don't know why they were shaped like that."

“A strange Buddhist martial art?” Ximen Yan asked in surprise, “Chunniang, where would a Buddhist martial art come from in the valley? Besides, Widow Qin grew up in the valley, so it’s impossible for her to have brought martial arts from outside.”

Chunniang glanced at Zhao Ti: "I suspect that... heretical monks have entered the valley."

“Cult monks?” Ximen Yan was taken aback. “How could that be? Any outsider who enters the valley will be detected. Could it be…”

Chunniang shook her head: "It's not what you think. There's more to this than meets the eye, but a monk must have entered the valley."

Just then, the speed at which bubbles were forming on the woman's body suddenly increased, her stomach deflated rapidly, and the bubbles began to slowly spread outwards.

"Step back!" Chunniang said coldly.

As soon as she finished speaking, a bubble floated in front of a man watching, who involuntarily raised his hand and shoved it away.

The moment his palm strike touched the bubble, it burst with a "pop," revealing a small monk inside—a tangible and substantial condensation of true energy. This energy returned to its original state and, following the palm strike, swept over the man's entire arm, instantly turning it into a shimmering golden light.

Everyone was startled by what they saw. The man's expression changed drastically, but he was clearly skilled in internal energy. He exhaled and let out a loud shout, immediately forcing back the golden light on his arm. In the blink of an eye, only his fingertips remained shining with golden light.

Just when everyone thought everything was over, the woman on the ground suddenly let out a shrill scream and died. Her entire body turned into skin and bones, and all her blood, flesh, essence, and internal energy turned into bubbles that enveloped the little monk.

All the bubbles started moving at once, and in an instant they all rushed towards the man.

This change happened so fast that no one had time to react. The bubbles instantly enveloped the man, who let out a muffled gasp as if struggling to suffocate. He tried to break free by using his strength, but he shattered the bubbles one by one, and the gold inside immediately flowed out. Instantly, his whole body radiated boundless golden light.

"Grandpa Zhu!" Chunniang exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing.

Everyone paled and was about to step forward when they saw the man frantically waving his hands amidst the golden light, his voice hoarse: "Don't come closer, please don't come closer! This evil art has the power to redeem the wicked, to corrupt, to corrupt..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jin Guangzhong's expression gradually calmed down, transforming from pain and shock to a dignified and solemn one.

His lips curled up slightly, like a puppet, and he clasped his hands together in front of his chest, saying, "Namo Dipankara Buddha."

“Grandpa Zhu, you…” Chunniang’s gaze was cold as she stared intently at the man in the golden light.

The man looked at the crowd, his voice ethereal and strange: "When the Buddha arrives, all beings will take refuge in him, he will unleash great compassion and exert great power, the whole world will rejoice, and all people will enjoy ultimate bliss..."

"Grandpa Zhu, do you still recognize me?" Chunniang called out loudly.

“You are Chunniang, how could I not recognize you?” The man shook his head. “I have not forgotten any of you. I have already understood everything in my heart, I have seen through the mysteries of Changchun Valley, and I know how to leave without aging and dying, and how to live outside.”

Although his voice was calm, it was extremely persuasive, making people feel convinced involuntarily.

"You, you really know how to leave this valley?" a voice in the crowd asked in surprise.

"Don't listen to him, he's no longer Zhu Taiweng!" Chunniang shouted anxiously.

But someone still spoke up: "How could it not be? I don't believe that the bald thief's technique could be so powerful as to magically convert people." "That's right, Widow Qin is already dead after practicing this evil technique. Even if she's dead, how could the power she left behind still bewitch people?"

"Where in the world can you find such powerful martial arts? That would no longer be martial arts, but sorcery. If monks had such abilities, the whole world would worship Buddhism long ago, and there would be no need for Taoists."

“Chunniang, don’t forget, I came from outside. I’ve seen many monks from outside, and I’ve even seen Shaolin monks from the Central Plains. I’ve never seen such a skill before. Let him tell me how to get out of the valley.”

"You, you don't understand at all!" Chunniang said urgently, her voice becoming stern. "There are some things you don't know, so don't cause any more trouble."

At that moment, a long howl was heard from afar, getting closer and closer, and within a few breaths it reached the courtyard.

People outside exclaimed, "Vice Valley Master Zhang, it's Vice Valley Master Zhang!"

A figure flashed outside the door, and a man in black entered. The man was of medium age, with a short beard and sharp eyes. He spotted Zhu Taiweng at a glance.

At this moment, the golden light surrounding Zhu Taiweng was not as intense as before, as if it had been absorbed into his body. However, it was still somewhat golden, and his expression became increasingly compassionate and solemn.

Seeing this, the man in black didn't say anything, but stepped forward and threw a punch at the other man's chest.

His punches were extremely fierce, making popping sounds like popping beans, as if the air itself was being blasted apart.

Old Man Zhu remained motionless, a slight smile spreading across his lips: "Vice Valley Master Zhang, the Buddha is merciful, saving all sentient beings, his compassion is everywhere..."

The man in black's punch landed squarely on his chest, but it felt like hitting a wisp of silk, making no impact whatsoever. Meanwhile, the golden light emanating from Zhu Taiweng spread from his fist all the way up to his arm.

The man in black snorted coldly, and suddenly two different auras, one pure and one impure, appeared on his body, alternating with each other. The golden light that had already spread to his arm was immediately forced back.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Taiweng's originally compassionate face instantly turned ferocious, and his voice, no longer calm and gentle, turned into a furious outburst: "Vice Valley Master Zhang has fallen into the demonic path and doesn't even realize it?"

"The Buddha also has great anger, and he has both a compassionate demeanor with lowered eyes and an act of wrath to subdue demons."

"The Buddha's compassion is as firm as a rock, and his wisdom shines brightly, yet he appears with glaring eyes and bared fangs, simply because demons and obstacles run rampant in the world."

"The Buddha-nature is vast; with a mere gesture, it can obscure the brilliance of the sun and moon; with a breath, it can form clouds and mist, causing demons to tremble in fear and subduing all evil and impure things!"

Old Man Zhu continued to chatter on, and his golden light shone into the room once more, making him appear as if he were a golden statue.

The man in black's fist was stuck in his chest, unable to go in or out, as if it were glued to him.

The man in black had an expression that was half clear and half filthy, and suddenly it seemed to crack open, turning completely crimson.

He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed directly on Zhu Taiweng's golden body. Then he let out a roar like a lion, and popping sounds rang out all over his body.

His fist, which was trapped in the golden light, suddenly trembled, making a soft, crackling sound like a bird breaking out of its shell. But the force exploded in a visible way, shattering all the golden light. At that moment, Zhu Taiweng's body was also shaken to pieces, flying in all directions.

“Vice Valley Master Zhang…” Chunniang breathed a sigh of relief from behind.

"Don't come any closer." The man in black's face flashed with golden light, then he sat down on the ground and began to practice breathing exercises.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled and stood up: "What an evil Buddhist technique."

Chunniang asked, "Is Vice Valley Master Zhang alright?"

The man in black nodded: "It seems that monks have indeed infiltrated the valley."

Chunniang hesitated, "It seems unlikely that someone from outside could get in..."

The man in black said, "Where can you find such martial arts outside? But that place is guarded day and night, yet... nothing unusual has been found."

Chunniang pondered, "It couldn't have appeared out of thin air."

The man in black pondered for a moment and said, "That place is still the most suspicious. No, I have to go and wake up the Valley Master to discuss this matter."

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly walked out. After watching his figure disappear, Chunniang glanced around the room and said, "Someone, set up a fire outside and burn this house down."

Moments later, the courtyard was filled with firewood, and a huge fire was burning. The burning wood crackled and popped, illuminating half of the sky.

Chunniang stood before the firelight, looking at everyone: "A wicked monk has infiltrated the valley, corrupted Widow Qin, and made a wedding dress for Old Man Zhu. We don't know where he is hiding now, and it's very dangerous. Everyone, go home now and don't wander around outside. Changchun Hall will search the valley to find the evil monk."

The group looked at each other, speechless. They had never encountered anything like this before, and everyone's face was blank.

Then Chunniang continued, "After searching the valley, I will also visit each of your homes. This concerns the safety of Changchun Valley, so please forgive me."

The crowd murmured briefly upon hearing this, but then quieted down. Someone said, "That's to be expected. We all saw what happened just now; it was indeed bizarre."

Someone else said, "We were too naive before. Even Vice Valley Master Zhang was almost corrupted. It seems that this demonic monk's technique is indeed extraordinary."

Someone else said, "We were wrong just now, Chunniang, please don't take offense. We've never seen anything like this before."

Chunniang said solemnly, "It's alright. Such a thing has never happened in Changchun Valley before. It's not your fault. Please remember to be careful. If you find any trace of the demon monk, immediately send a signal to Changchun Hall. Please go back as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, everyone clasped their hands in greeting and then returned home.

Zhao Ti also bid farewell to Ximen Yan. Ximen Yan said, "Brother Zhao, you are new to the valley, so please be careful. After you go back, lock the doors and windows. Don't come out until Changchun Hall has finished its inspection."

Zhao Ti nodded, then led Zhong Ling toward his own courtyard. On the way, Zhong Ling whispered, "Your Highness, that was really scary. What kind of evil technique was that? It could even corrupt each other?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "You're not afraid of catching poisonous snakes normally, but you're afraid now?"

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, this is not the same. This kind of evil martial art is really too terrifying."

The two then entered the courtyard, and Zhao Ti said, "Since you're scared, why don't you close the door quickly?"

Zhong Ling hurriedly closed the courtyard gate and asked, "But can this wooden door and bolt stop the evil monk?"

Zhao Ti said, "It's impossible to stop them, but it can serve as a precaution. If there's any trouble, just shout loudly, and Changchun Hall should come to their aid."

Zhong Ling thought for a moment and said, "That's true, Your Highness. Then let's go back to the room quickly."

As they spoke, the two walked into the room. Zhong Ling then locked the door and gently patted her chest.

Zhao Ti looked at her and said, "Since there's nothing else to do, hurry up and practice the Longevity and Immortality Technique."

Zhong Ling nodded and began practicing her cultivation technique. Before she knew it, it was already evening.

(End of this chapter)