Embers of Sword

Chapter 309 Public Outrage

"Mr. Yan, let's forget it." Qi Lie shook his head and politely declined the old national teacher's suggestion.

"That's fine."

Yan Xin smiled and said, "After all, this is Zhao Tongtian's own business... It's better to leave it to him as to how to make the final decision."

Whether it is Qi Lie, Yan Xin, or someone closer.

No one should make a choice for Zhao Tongtian.

"correct."

The old national teacher asked casually, "Xiao Qi... Beihai Mausoleum was destroyed, the luck was reversed, and the world was prosperous. What is the situation of Jinao Peak now?"

This question is very obscure.

However, Qi Lie had already guessed what the old national teacher wanted to ask.

"The mountain has been closed for ten years, and all worldly ties have been cut off. Dasui Sword Palace has been waiting for ten years."

Qi Lie said in a deep voice: "Master Chunyang said that the world will usher in a new era of prosperity, and Dasui Sword Palace will also usher in a new reincarnation. Now it seems that what the master said is right. Both Jin'ao Peak and Lianhua Peak have ushered in a turnaround. After the sword energy competition, the Sword Palace has gained many outstanding disciples. From decline to prosperity, it is now!"

"Originally I was worried that after Xie Xuanyi died, the lotus would wither and it would take a long time before it could bloom again."

The old state master smiled and asked, "Now it seems that I was worrying too much. In just ten years, the Sword Palace has waited for the next prosperous era... This is a good thing. Have you heard about the news that the Brahma Sound Temple delegation has crossed the sea to the west?"

Hearing his senior brother's name, Qi Lie's expression was a little complicated.

He quickly sat up straight, frowned and asked: "Mr. Yan, this westward crossing is very grand. I heard that the leader of the delegation is the eminent monk 'Miao Zhen' from the Fanyin Temple a hundred years ago."

"Yes."

Yan Xin smiled and said, "The 'Buddha's Son' of this life in the Fanyin Temple should not be underestimated. The elder of the precepts of the Fanyin Temple, 'Miao Zhen', who passed away voluntarily a hundred years ago, went through many twists and turns, and finally his reincarnated soul condensed into this child."

"I also heard that this reincarnated living Buddha was kept by the Fanyin Temple specifically for the purpose of welcoming this great age?"

Qi Lie raised his eyebrows.

The reason for asking this question is that among the three thousand-year-old sects, only the Dasui Sword Palace has never had a "reincarnated person".

The so-called destruction of Yuan Dynasty at Lotus Peak seems more like a vague rumor.

But in Taoism and Fanyin Temple, there are real reincarnations!
There is a rumor circulating among the holy places that the Dao Sect and the Fanyin Temple not only have the magical power of "reincarnation and rebirth", but can also vaguely control the direction of reincarnation through some kind of magic.

If this is true, it would be too scary!

"I don't know the methods of reincarnation and cultivation."

Yan Xin smiled and said, "But none of those reincarnated people are fools... They gave up the great Yang God Realm and sacrificed a huge amount of their Yang lifespan, just in exchange for an unclear chance to start over. What if they don't wait until the right time and don't end up in a good family, then wouldn't it be a waste of their lives?"

Qi Lie asked pointedly, "The Da Chu Imperial City has been quite lively these days. Miao Zhen has done a lot of spectacular things... Senior, are you just going to watch?"

"It's a fair fight between people of the same realm. I will admit defeat if I lose."

Yan Xin smiled and sighed meaningfully, "It's a pity that Wu Zong is no match for him. Looking around the Imperial City, it seems that no one can fight this reincarnated living Buddha."

"..."

Qi Lie knew what the old national teacher wanted to say.

But he didn't say.

Yan Xin clenched his fist and coughed, then took a step forward and asked, "Did you solve the other problem when you came to the Imperial City this time?"

"You mean Taishangzhai?"

Qi Lie sneered and said disdainfully: "Li Chen is silent, it seems he has given up."

"Good."

Yan Xin casually perfunctorily said, "No wonder that little fellow surnamed Xie goes to the teahouse to listen to music every day."

Go round and round.

Sure enough, we still got around to this topic.

Qi Lie said helplessly: "Senior, you have wanted to ask him for a long time, right?"

"Ha ha……"

Yan Xin grabbed another handful of bait and threw it into the carp pond, then said slowly, "Xie Zhen was able to kill Fang Hang in Dayue Secret Realm. He should be stronger than Wu Yue. Perhaps he can fight Miao Zhen for a few moves. I just don't know if Xie Zhen is ready to take action this time?"

"Mr. Yan, you should know him better than I do."

Qi Lie didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "After all, Xie Zhen had just joined the Sword Palace... Before that, he had always been a hidden man in the library."

"The library has long been handed over to Jingxuan."

Yan Xin suddenly asked, "Xiao Qi, what do you think of Xie Zhen?"

"Why do you ask that, sir?"

Qi Lie was stunned for a moment, and after thinking for a moment, he answered seriously: "Xie Zhen... looks a lot like Senior Brother."

"Oh?"

Yan Xin continued to throw bait into the carp pond.

The scales glowed, dazzling the eyes.

"Xie Zhen's swordsmanship, speech, and style of doing things are very similar to those of my senior brother."

Qi Lie sighed, "I studied his case files. Senior Brother disappeared in Beijun for a period of time. The past experiences mentioned in his case files match perfectly. I actually had that thought in my mind, but it's a pity that the time doesn't match. Ten years is too short... Even if Senior Brother comprehended the Destroying Yuan Chapter and successfully reincarnated in Beihai, he can't be like this now."

My senior brother died ten years ago.

Xie Zhen is now sixteen or seventeen years old.

Besides this, there is one more thing——

Qi Lie felt a different quality in Xie Zhen from that of his senior brother Xuanyi back then.

He didn't know how to describe it.

Perhaps when Senior Brother Xuanyi single-handedly supported the Dasui Sword Palace, he was still young.

Whenever I see my brother, it’s like looking at a mountain.

The mountains are high, but also cold.

The temperament emanating from Xie Zhen is like a thawing spring breeze.

At least it won’t “keep people away”.

It is more lively and warmer.

"Master and disciple...are always alike."

Yan Xin looked at Qi Lie, examined him carefully, and said, "In fact, you and Zhao Tongtian are very similar."

"Is it?"

Qi Lie subconsciously stood up straighter and said with a smile: "The disciples on Jin'ao Peak are actually all the same."

"It makes sense."

Yan Xin praised: "Zhao Tongtian is a man of integrity and honesty, like a sword. The disciples he teaches should also be like swords."

The old imperial teacher stood up, clapped his hands and dusted off his clothes.

He stopped feeding the carp into the pond and came to Qi Lie's side. He stretched out his hand and put his arm around the younger man's shoulder in a very intimate manner.

"Come."

Yan Xin brought Qi Lie to the top of the small pavilion.

The view here is excellent. Standing on the roof, you can see the entire picture of the Da Chu Imperial City with your eyes alone.

You can even see farther outside the city.

There is a tall tower in the distance, standing like a sword. It is dusk now, the sky and the earth are dark, but the top of the tower emits a faint golden light.

"Did you see it?" Yan Xin asked softly.

"This is... the Great Pudu Temple."

Qi Lie stared at the tall tower.

"Yes."

Yan Xin said slowly: "Three hundred years ago, the eminent monk Tanluan from Li State led a delegation to preach in the eastern suburbs of Dachu and eventually built this tower. Not long after the tower was built, Tanluan passed away. Before his death, Tanluan burned himself in the Dapudu Temple. Because of his great fortune during his lifetime, even though his body died, he still left behind a golden Buddha bone. For three hundred years, this 'living Buddha' has been enshrined in the Dapudu Temple as a witness to the peace of Chuli..." Qi Lie vaguely sensed something was wrong: "Is this the Buddha bone that Miaozhen wants to take back?"

"Yes."

Yan Xin put his hands behind his back and said, "You must have heard a lot of news on the streets recently. After the destruction of Beihai Mausoleum, the great fortune of the world has come. The westward journey of Fanyin Temple this time is obviously different from the past. Now everyone wants to know whether there is a deeper meaning for Liguo sending people to take back Tanluan's Buddha bones this time."

"In fact, Da Chu doesn't care about winning or losing the fight these days."

"When the great age comes, young people can't beat the reincarnated ones. What's the shame?"

Yan Xin smiled and said, "So far, the library is still just waiting and watching. If they really want to make trouble for the Fanyin Temple, they could have made them suffer that night at Tailing."

Qi Lie knew that on that night in Tailing, the Imperial City Division had already confronted the Fanyin Temple delegation.

If the library is willing to make an effort.

Then the preaching at the Great Pudu Temple will be postponed accordingly.

But the library did not do so.

To be precise...it was the old national teacher who did not do so.

This old man seemed to want to see the preaching at the Fanyin Temple, welcome the Buddha's bones, and climb to the top of the pagoda.

"Tomorrow is the last day of preaching at the Da Pu Du Temple."

Yan Xin said: "Most people are just watching the fun, but you are different from them. If you want to become the next Chief Lawyer, you must learn to see more and see things further."

"..."

Qi Lie seemed to be thinking about something.

He imitated the old state teacher's posture and tried hard to look further away.

The sky darkened and the sun set.

The tall tower of the Dapudu Temple stands straight like a sword, as if it is about to pierce the sky.

……

……

Dapudu Temple, in front of the tall pagoda.

The wind blew up the yellow sand and the clouds in the sky fell.

A young novice stood beside the tall monk, silently holding a huge box in his hands. The surface of the box was engraved with complex and obscure Sanskrit, which seemed to be some special pattern formation.

The Mingsha Staff was inserted into the ground, and all thirty-one mantras lit up.

The tremolo sounded like wind and thunder.

Behind the two men, monks from the Dapudu Temple and monks from the Fanyin Temple delegation all stood solemnly, keeping their distance. The tower was twenty feet in radius and was completely quiet, with only flying dust.

It is already the hour of Xu.

Everyone knows that this tranquility will not last long.

After tonight, Dapudu Temple will welcome countless "guests".

Tomorrow is the last day for the Fanyin Temple delegation to give sermons and the public competition. Miaozhen's "arrogant words" have already aroused public anger in the Dachu Imperial City.

"Uncle Master, this isn't a good idea, is it?"

The young monk raised his head and looked at the tower with clear eyes: "Monks do not tell lies. Although your golden body is powerful, there should still be young monks in the Great Chu Dynasty who can break the golden body in three moves."

"Nothing wrong."

The tall monk said calmly: "I don't care about winning or losing. Winning or losing is not important. What matters is that enough people are willing to come."

Speaking of which.

He looked at the Mingsha staff standing in front of him.

The light of the thirty-one mantras was much brighter than before.

Other dim mantras also emitted a faint glow.

The scepter is below and the tower is above.

Golden light ripples and Buddhist music lingers.

"Blame me."

The little monk frowned, "If this box can collect more wishes, Uncle would not have to act like this and be misunderstood by thousands of people. After this incident, I am afraid that many sects and families in Da Chu will think that the Fanyin Temple is just a name. It claims to be a quiet place, but it is robbing people by force..."

Halfway through.

The broad palm fell on the little monk's head.

"Tomorrow you will debate well. Just do what you are supposed to do and don't worry about anything else."

The tall monk said softly: "Master's reputation is not that important... Bringing the Buddha's bones back to Li Country is the most important thing. As for those rumors outside..."

He paused and smiled calmly.

The little monk lowered his head silently.

He knew what his uncle meant.

Those rumors outside are just rumors after all.

No need to pay attention to it, and no need to care about it.

……

……

Today is the last day of preaching at the Da Pu Du Temple.

The sun is shining and the wind is blowing.

Because of Miaozhen’s “crazy words” yesterday, countless people came to the Dapudu Temple.

The eastern suburbs of the imperial city were surrounded by enemies.

There are not only people who come to watch the fun.

There are also the royal family of Da Chu and several young masters from aristocratic families.

The Wuzong clan, which had a "friendly" competition with the Fanyin Temple a few days ago, sent out almost all its members this time. Wu Yue, the Wuzong clan's eldest brother who had been defeated on the first day, came to the Fanyin Temple with a group of his fellow disciples.

He had fought with Miaozhen once before.

He tried his best in that battle, but unfortunately he still lost. He lost convincingly and there was no need for a second competition.

But the Buddhist disciple Miaozhen announced yesterday that this is the last day and he will only defend and not attack, and will use his golden body to take on the challenge.

Three moves can break the golden body!
Even if he loses!
This sentence made all the young practitioners in the Great Chu Imperial City unable to sit still...

Even Senior Brother Wuzong, who had always been kind-hearted, could not tolerate such humiliation.

Today, Wu Yue wants to ask Miao Zhen about boxing again.

He wanted to see, as they were both in the cave heaven, could he break the perfect golden body of this reincarnated Buddha with three punches!

As expected, at dawn, the Dapudu Temple was surrounded by people.

but……

The vast majority of people were stopped outside the temple.

Even the royal family and nobles are no exception.

Today, in front of the gate of the Great Pudu Temple, there is a circular golden array pattern that looks like an inverted bowl. Between the lines of the array pattern are some difficult to understand Sanskrit words.

"Everyone, please forgive Master Buddha for not being able to meet you in person."

A figure slowly walked out from the golden array. It was an old monk with a kind and apologetic look. He was the current abbot of the Da Pudu Temple.

He bent down and bowed in all directions.

"Master Buddha, I am not trying to tease you, but today's competition... is a little special."

The old monk sighed softly when he saw the huge crowds of people surrounding the Great Pudu Temple.

He said sincerely: "Master Buddha has already set up his golden body early in the morning, waiting for the destined person to challenge. However, there are so many strong people in Da Chu, and time is limited, so we can't fight them one by one... So those who want to fight Master Buddha, please find a way to enter the temple by yourself. No matter what method it is, as long as you can break the formation and enter the temple, it is fine."

(End of this chapter)