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

Chapter 270 Deterrence, Origin

Red lights were flashing outside, and many lanterns and torches had already arrived in front of the courtyard gate.

Then, with a "whoosh," the courtyard gate was pushed open, and someone called out, "Are the two new residents inside?"

Zhao Ti glanced at the severed limbs on the ground, his face expressionless, and said nothing.

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, isn't it difficult to explain?"

Zhao Ti shook his head. If it were a demonic monk, it goes without saying that he would be attacked to the death. But killing two demonic monks, in particular, would also raise suspicion and make the matter difficult to resolve.

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, when the demonic monk came to harm people, we retaliated and killed him. Would anyone in the valley still suspect anything?"

Zhao Ti said, "If someone else had killed him, it would be easier to explain, but it's not so easy for us to explain ourselves."

If it were an old resident of the valley who had lived there for many years who secretly killed the demonic monk, Changchun Hall would have a simple way to identify him, given their knowledge of his origins and techniques. However, since the two of them had no witnesses, the explanation was somewhat unclear.

The person who could kill the demonic monk must have been highly skilled in martial arts. However, whether he entered the valley at this moment, possessed profound martial arts skills, or was trying to silence him, all of these are questionable.

The timing of their entry into the valley was too sensitive, and given their high level of martial arts skills, it was bound to arouse suspicion from Changchun Hall.

“Your Highness, this is not fair. The evil monk comes to kill people. If we don’t fight back, we will be harmed by him. If we fight back and kill him, we will be suspected. Is there any other way…” Zhong Ling whispered.

Zhao Ti sighed, "Where in this world is there absolute fairness, and where is there so much fairness to speak of?"

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, what should we do? What if the people in the valley suspect something..."

Before she could finish speaking, there was a noise coming from the doorway: "Is no one inside?"

The two remained silent as the door creaked open, revealing a group of figures.

Zhao Ti looked around and saw that there were about seven or eight people in the group, all carrying lanterns. The leader was not the familiar short-bearded man, but an old man with curly beard whom he had never seen before.

The old man's gaze swept across the hall, then landed on the monk's corpse in the moon-white robe. His expression changed drastically, and those behind him were also filled with shock.

"How did this evil monk die?" he demanded sharply.

Zhao Ti glanced at the monk's corpse. The young monk had initially gone into the inner room, but after Zhao Ti intervened, he slipped out and died in the hall.

The old man with the curly beard lingered on Zhao Ti, his expression grim: "Who killed this evil monk?"

Zhao Ti said calmly, "I killed him."

"You killed him?" The old man with the curly beard looked at him with eyes like knives, full of suspicion and disbelief.

“That’s right. He came in intending to commit violence, but I took care of him.” Zhao Ti nodded.

"We chased this evil monk for a long time, and saw him fleeing in this direction, vaguely falling into your courtyard. In such a short time, you killed him?" The old man's expression flickered.

"He's just a mere demonic monk." Zhao Ti put his hands behind his back. "What's there to be so surprised about? He doesn't have any extraordinary skills. You could have killed him in a few moves and you would have arrived by now."

"A mere demonic monk? He has no extraordinary abilities?" The old man with the curly beard took a deep breath: "We surrounded and chased him for a long time, and fought him several times, but we still couldn't kill him. You killed him in just a few moves?"

Zhao Ti smiled slightly: "That's true. Perhaps the evil monk was careless or exhausted."

"How could the demonic monk be careless? Do you think I wouldn't know that you've been tracking me for so long without being exhausted?" The old man with the curly beard said warily, "I know you two are newcomers to the valley, so why have you never reported your martial arts prowess to Changchun Hall?"

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Changchun Hall did not inquire about it."

The old man with the curly beard had a sharp look in his eyes: "You say you easily killed the demonic monk, but do you have any witnesses to that?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "He attacked as soon as he entered the door. How could anyone have seen it? If he wanted to commit violence, I would have just killed him. Did you expect me to wait to be hurt by him?"

The old man with the curly beard snorted: "Why did this evil monk come here specifically to seek refuge here? You are a newcomer to the valley, did you know each other before?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti chuckled and said, "How would I know this monk? He must have his reasons for coming here."

"What's the reason?" The old man with the curly beard asked warily, and the people behind him also became alert.

“He’s here to find another evil monk,” Zhao Ti said casually.

"Another demonic monk?" The old man with the curly beard was taken aback. "You have another demonic monk here? Where is he?"

Zhao Ti pointed into the house: "I killed him too, but his body was shattered and he only had one arm left."

"What? They killed them too?" The old man with the curly beard was about to walk into the inner room to check, but seeing that Zhao Ti was not far from the door, he stopped and said to the person behind him, "Take a look from the outside window."

The person behind him immediately ran to the window, returned a moment later, and whispered, "Elder, judging from the remains and tattered clothes, it seems to be the demon monk who was found impersonating Ximen Yan and ran away earlier."

"The wicked monk who escaped by impersonating Ximen Yan?" The old man with the curly beard raised his eyebrows. "Why did he come here?"

Zhao Ti sighed: "How would I know why he came here? He probably thinks we two aren't too suspicious, and since his identity has been exposed, he wants to impersonate us again."

"How did you discover he was a demonic monk and then kill him?" The old man with the curly beard took another deep breath.

"I saw his face fall off and he suddenly attacked, so I killed him directly..." Zhao Ti said, taking a step forward.

Upon seeing this, the old man with the curly beard immediately changed his expression and hurriedly took a step back.

"I can't just sit by and watch these two commit violence without fighting back, can I?" Zhao Ti took another step forward.

The old man with the curly beard turned pale and took another step back. The people behind him all looked terrified and went outside.

“If I don’t fight back, I’ll be harmed by the evil monk; if I fight back, I’ll be suspected by the people in the valley. Sir, please teach me what to do if I encounter this situation?” Zhao Ti took his third step forward.

"Ah..." The old man with the curly beard hurriedly stepped back, but cried out, forgetting that there was a threshold behind him. He tripped and stumbled, and his face immediately turned purple. He said, "This matter cannot be blamed on the valley."

Seeing that they had all left the house, Zhao Ti stopped and said, "How can we not blame them?"

The old man with the curly beard winked at someone behind him, and immediately a man ran quickly out of the courtyard. Then he said, "Since you are new here, it was that wicked monk impersonating Ximen Yan who led you to Chunniang's place, and then Ximen Yan took you to Changchun Hall to register..."

"So what?" Zhao Ti said.

"This man died here tonight, and there were other wicked monks present as well. There are no witnesses. This matter..."

"Given his actions, it's not hard to guess why he led the way for us earlier, is it?" Zhao Ti said calmly.

The old man with the curly beard forced a stiff smile: "It is possible that he has been planning this all along, but the two of you should go to Changchun Hall and explain the matter in detail so that the hall can make a judgment."

"Shall we go to Changchun Hall to discuss it?" Zhao Ti laughed. "We've already discussed it, so what more is there to say?"

The old man with the curly beard said, "This... naturally I need to tell the Valley Master in detail about your origins, why you were able to kill the demon monk so easily, and the specific process of killing the demon monk."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "What if I don't go?"

Upon hearing this, the old man with the curly beard's expression changed drastically: "If you two are not suspected, why don't you dare to go?"

Zhao Ti sneered: "I'm afraid that once we go to Changchun Hall, the people there won't call us out again."

The old man with the curly beard twitched his face: "How could that be? If you two really had no connection with the evil monk and were highly skilled in martial arts, you should be the elite of my Changchun Valley. Why wouldn't we ask you to leave?"

Zhao Ti said, "Don't you believe I'm very skilled in martial arts?"

The old man with the curly beard chuckled and said, "How could I not believe that he could kill two demonic monks? But I don't know how he did it. Was it a direct attack, or... a sneak attack?"

Zhao Ti said expressionlessly, "We still need to ambush those two? You mean I knew those two demonic monks and ambushed them while discussing matters?"

The old man with the curly beard had a glint in his eyes. He did have this idea in mind, but even so, being able to kill two demon monks was enough to show how high his martial arts were. After all, the demon monks' techniques were strange and unpredictable, and they often did not die completely, and they still had backup plans.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Ti snorted coldly. Zhong Ling whispered, "Just as you thought, young master, they don't believe us and are even going to take you and me to Changchun Hall..."

Zhao Ti nodded and said, "Let's go."

The old man outside the door exclaimed in surprise, "Where are you two going?"

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Of course I'm just going out for a stroll, not getting involved in the troubles between you and those wicked monks in this valley."

Upon hearing this, the old man hurriedly said, "Please don't leave, you two." Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and said, "You dare to stop me?"

The old man gritted his teeth and said, "The Valley Master and Vice Valley Master will arrive in a moment. You two should not leave yet."

Zhao Ti sneered: "It seems you're just like that demonic monk, looking for death?"

The old man said with a grim expression, "Sir, even if I believe that you two have nothing to do with the demonic monks, it's no use. Two demonic monks have died here, and the Valley Master must take a look before making a decision."

Zhao Ti said, "Are you courting death?"

The old man's face turned ashen: "If you insist on leaving, we will have no choice but to stop you."

Zhao Ti sneered, "Ling'er, let's go." He then walked straight out, with Zhong Ling following behind.

As he walked, he said, "Looks like we'll be going to have some killing tonight."

They had already reached the door, and the people outside all looked on warily. The old man with the curly beard glanced at everyone and suddenly shouted, "Stop them! They cannot leave before the Valley Master arrives!"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their hearts filled with apprehension. They all knew the extent of the demonic monk's abilities; the fact that he could kill two people without sustaining any injuries clearly indicated that his martial arts were unfathomable. However, they had no choice but to intervene at this moment.

Everyone in Changchun Valley knows martial arts. Changchun Hall is the department that maintains order in the valley. It is full of experts. When these people act together, the momentum is huge. The wind howls in the courtyard, and the objects on the ground on both sides are overturned by the scattered energy.

Zhao Ti shouted "Get out of the way!" and unleashed the eleventh level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, striking out with a palm.

The thunder rumbled incessantly, interspersed with the roars of dragons and elephants. The powerful force of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Palm surged forward, creating a passage through the billowing dust. Those who tried to block it all coughed up blood and flew backward to either side.

The old man with the curly beard had eyes that were about to burst with rage. Even though he knew he was no match for Zhao Ti, he still drew a narrow knife and, taking advantage of the moment when Zhao Ti's palm strike was about to end, flashed his blade and slashed from the side.

His strike was incredibly fast and the angle was tricky. It had been polished for countless years, and it was perfectly round and flawless.

However, it was completely ineffective. With such overwhelming power, no matter how ingenious the moves were, they were of little use. The more ingenious they were, the more flashy and ineffective they became. This is why truly profound martial arts techniques are not bound by any particular moves.

Truly profound martial arts, whether it be palm techniques, fist techniques, or swordsmanship, are all about winning without using any moves. Every move is constantly changing. Although the old man's slash seemed flawless, it was actually his biggest weakness because it was a fixed and unchanging move.

Zhao Ti didn't even glance at him. He unleashed his Frost Palm, instantly chilling the air by three degrees. The aura visibly turned into a white blur, causing the old man to freeze. His sword intent was blocked, and the move was broken.

But the icy palm force did not stop, and swept over directly. He roared and slashed out with his sword again, but this time it was not aimed at Zhao Ti, but at the icy palm wind. Then he punched forward, but felt that the opponent's internal force was like the Yangtze River, which was impossible to resist. He was so shocked that his face turned pale and his soul almost left his body. He hurriedly dodged backward.

But it was too late. The white palm force was even faster than his body. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of him. He threw several more punches, but he couldn't defend against them at all. He was hit by the palm force in an instant. He screamed and stumbled backward, but after a few steps, he suddenly stopped. A layer of white frost was visible on his body, and then ice froze. He was frozen in the ice.

Zhao Ti didn't even glance at these people. He took Zhong Ling's hand and walked out of the courtyard. At this moment, the sounds of fighting came from many places in the town again. It was unknown where another demonic monk had appeared.

Zhong Ling asked, "Your Highness, where are we going?"

Zhao Ti said, "Let's check the surrounding area to see if there's any trace of Wanqing before we proceed."

Zhong Ling nodded, and Zhao Ti, pulling her along, vanished into the night like a wisp of smoke...

Before they knew it, it was already late at night. The town was far from quiet. Firelight flickered everywhere, and several places were engulfed in flames. The chaos seemed to be escalating.

Zhao Ti and Zhong Ling were hiding in a large tree behind the town, gazing at the cave below the cliff. Zhao Ti said, "This is the only part we haven't looked at yet. If Chunniang and the others are lying, then Wanqing must be inside. Otherwise, Wanqing didn't enter Changchun Valley. It's very likely that she crossed the mountain and went to the other side..."

Zhong Ling whispered, "Your Highness, it seems that these caves are all guarded."

Zhao Ti nodded: "It's alright, we can just force our way in. If we find nothing, we'll find a way to leave and let Changchun Valley and those monks continue their life-or-death struggle."

Zhong Ling asked, "Does Your Highness have a way to leave this valley?"

Zhao Ti glanced at the towering mountain wall and said, "There should be an exit passage inside the cave ahead. Even if there isn't, we can still get out, but it will take some effort."

Zhong Ling said, "It's all my fault for dragging Your Highness down. Otherwise, Your Highness would be able to come and go freely without having to be so hesitant."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "It's not that bad yet. Let's go and check it out now. It won't be easy to enter after dawn. Ling'er, wait here."

With that, he leaped down from the tree and sped toward the cave ahead.

These caves were not side by side, but were spaced apart, some close and some far. He used his lightness skill to the extreme, and when he arrived at a cave entrance, he didn't wait for the guards to react before striking their pressure points and entering the cave directly.

But after searching through several caves, they found nothing. Apart from the guards outside, there was no one inside, and nothing unusual. Judging from the furnishings, it seemed to be a place for secluded cultivation.

They arrived at a very large cave entrance, guarded by about ten people. Zhao Ti observed for a moment, then stepped forward quickly in the shadows of the night, subduing the people with almost no effort or much noise, and then walked into the cave.

The cave was sometimes bright and sometimes dark, filled with jagged rocks and strangely shaped bells, with water droplets dripping from them, making a "plop" sound, as if it were an ancient and mysterious world.

He frowned and walked deeper into the cave, where he found himself in complete darkness with only occasional glimmers of light, and the wind howling like ghosts and wolves, creating a terrifying and eerie atmosphere.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a mountain cave that resembled a grand hall. The place was brightly lit and spacious. In the center was a simple stone platform about half a person's height, on which two people sat cross-legged.

The two men were completely unfamiliar to Zhao Ti; he had never seen them in the valley. His gaze swept over the stone platform, which looked quite old, and the two men on it seemed to be guarding something.

He was hidden in the shadows when he heard one of them sigh, "I wonder when the people from Kunlun will arrive. There were reports outside that there is great chaos in the town. I am worried that the evil monk has not yet been quelled and something else will happen at the entrance to the abyss."

Another person said, "They should be here soon. After all, there are Kunlun comrades stationed on the opposite snowy mountain. If they don't come tonight, they will definitely arrive during the day tomorrow."

The person who spoke earlier said, "I hope it's as soon as possible. For some reason, I'm feeling increasingly uneasy. I just vaguely heard some movement coming from the abyss. Could it be that something inside is about to come out and cooperate with the demon monk outside?"

The other person laughed and said, "You're being too nervous. I didn't hear a sound. Do you think this endless abyss is some kind of safe place that you can climb out of so easily?"

The person who spoke earlier said, "Isn't that so? I only know that those demonic monks come to the world through the abyss, but I really don't know what the situation is inside."

Another person said, "You're younger, so it's normal that you haven't heard about what the abyss is like. Let me tell you, this endless abyss isn't something you can just climb up on a whim. Before the current Valley Master came, I followed the old Valley Master, and he said that hundreds of years ago, Kunlun sent people down to explore it. It was extremely dangerous, beyond imagination."

The person who spoke earlier exclaimed in surprise, "How dangerous could it be? You can't even imagine?"

Another person said, "According to the old valley master, there are three evil things that are everywhere in the abyss: earth fire, earth water, and earth wind. The fire can burn in one place or roll and leap around like lightning. Once you touch it, you will be burned to ashes. The water is the same. There are small rivers and lakes, and it can also suddenly fall from above like rain. If you get wet, it will directly corrode your clothes and body, and there is no cure. Although the wind is not as powerful as the other two, if you are blown by it, your bones will be weak and your muscles will be soft. Once the fire and water come, it will be difficult to avoid them."

People exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really that terrifying?"

Another person said, "This is just the external stuff. The old valley master said that the terrain of the abyss is also extremely dangerous, and it is difficult to walk. Especially the section of this passage leading to the bottom of the abyss, although it is not vertical and smooth and difficult to climb, the stone edges are like knives and the rock blades are like swords, so it is not easy to come up."

The person who spoke earlier said, "I see. That puts my mind at ease. Those evil monks would have a hard time getting here, and even if they did, only a few would come. There's no need to worry too much."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti looked puzzled from the shadows. The two of them were guarding the entrance to some endless abyss. The demonic monk in the valley had actually climbed up from here. Moreover, the abyss was more dangerous than imagined and its strangeness was beyond comprehension.

Another person then said, "Although we shouldn't be overly worried, we still can't let our guard down. After all, the evil monk is causing trouble outside. Who knows if he made a pact with the Abyss back then, and if people from the Abyss will come to cooperate?"

The man pondered, "That makes sense. It would be reasonable if there was an agreement. However, the place below is so dangerous that whether we can get through is another matter. But since the environment at the bottom of the abyss is so harsh, how have those demonic monks managed to survive?"

The other person shook his head and said, "I don't know either. Kunlun should know the details. The old valley master once said that the demon monk did not live down there, but seemed to come from a distant place. As for the specifics, I don't know."

The man nodded: "If they came from afar, that makes sense. But how can they survive in such a dangerous place? I wonder where they came from and why they are in the abyss."

Just as the other person was about to speak, they heard a slight noise coming from below the platform.

Although the noise was not loud, it was heard very clearly because the cave was quiet. Zhao Ti squinted in the shadows, and he was certain that the sound was coming from the octagonal well.

At that moment, one person on the stage suddenly jumped up and lay down on the octagonal well cover, which was ten feet wide, pressing his ear against the cover to listen. Another person also stood up, his expression full of horror.

Zhao Ti stroked his chin. The two men's words were strange and bizarre, but the so-called underground abyss was indeed making noise. Could it be that a demonic monk was about to come out from below?
The person lying on the lid muttered, "There's a sound inside, there really is a sound inside, this is bad, quickly call everyone outside to come in and guard, and then notify the Valley Master."

Another person said, "I'll call them in now." As he spoke, he took out a wooden bird from his pocket, twisted it a few times, and then the wooden bird gently lifted its body and flew out of the cave.

But after a while no one came in from outside. The person lying down said anxiously, "Is there something wrong with the Ink Bird? We should go and check it out quickly. I can faintly hear the sound below, and it seems to be getting closer. It looks like it's coming up."

The other person's expression changed: "I'll go out and call for help. Be careful."

The person on the cover said, "This octagonal black iron cover is extremely heavy and cannot be easily opened. I will suppress it for a short time, so there shouldn't be any problem. You should go quickly." As he spoke, he sat cross-legged on the cover.

The other person nodded, jumped off the stone platform, passed by Zhao Ti not far away, and headed outwards, completely unaware of Zhao Ti's presence.

Just a few breaths after he left, there was another slight noise coming from under the lid. The sound was still not loud, but it sounded much closer than the first one.

Sweat immediately beaded on the forehead of the person covering the lid. He hurriedly channeled his inner energy, a flash of dark light crossing his face, and pressed his hands firmly against the lid...

(End of this chapter)