Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 148 Bad Fate
Upon hearing Dao Xuan Zhenren's words, Zhang Xiaofan's eyes dimmed, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

The word "Master" felt like an immense burden, weighing heavily on his heart.

Zhang Xiaofan's feelings for the monk Puzhi were incredibly complex; the ill-fated relationship between the two was like a tangled ball of yarn that could never be untangled.

If it weren't for the monk Puzhi, perhaps Zhang Xiaofan would have been accidentally strangled to death by Lin Jingyu in that thatched temple because of his stubbornness.

After that, all the causes and effects, the grudges and favors, became intertwined. It was hard to say whether it was right or wrong, but the two of them were, after all, master and disciple who had kowtowed and become master and disciple.

Before Zhang Xiaofan awakened his innate wisdom in his childhood, his greatest wish was simply to be an ordinary person. However, his life took a dramatic turn after meeting Zhang Xiaofan at the Grass Temple.

"Master..."

Zhang Xiaofan murmured something under his breath, then slowly closed his eyes, his expression a complex mix of pain and sorrow.

Dao Xuan Zhenren and Wan Jianyi stood aside, looking at Zhang Xiaofan with a complicated expression, but neither of them said a word, only their eyes flashed with a few doubts.

Judging from Zhang Xiaofan's expression, it seems that there are some secrets involved, secrets that Zhang Xiaofan clearly knows but is unwilling to reveal.

After a long while, Zhang Xiaofan slowly opened his eyes, bowed deeply to the ancestral tablet, and spoke softly.

"Zhang Xiaofan will always be a disciple of Qingyun Sect. If the Sect Leader or Senior Uncle punishes him, Zhang Xiaofan will have no complaints!"

Seeing this, Dao Xuan Zhenren's expression became complicated, and he sighed softly.

To be honest, although Dao Xuan Zhenren really hoped that Zhang Xiaofan would tell him the truth, he couldn't help but feel gratified to see Zhang Xiaofan's unwavering resolve.

Although this matter was very troublesome, it also showed that Zhang Xiaofan was indeed a person worthy of being entrusted with important responsibilities by the sect.

Tell me, is there anyone in the world more reliable than someone who, despite being questioned by everyone and interrogated by his teachers, still chooses to stay true to himself?
"That's it, that's all!"

After shaking his head, Dao Xuan Zhenren couldn't help but sigh softly. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Xiao Yicai's voice ring out from outside the Ancestral Hall.

"Master, Venerable Puhong of Tianyin Temple, along with many righteous fellow practitioners, have already arrived on the mountain and are currently in the Yuqing Hall. Uncle Cangsong, Uncle Tian, ​​the heads of the six lineages, and all the elders are accompanying them in the hall."

"Well, I see!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren responded softly, then turned to look at Wan Jianyi. Wan Jianyi nodded in response and then disappeared into the Ancestral Hall.

Looking down at Zhang Xiaofan, who was still kneeling upright on the prayer mat, Dao Xuan Zhenren spoke softly.

"Let's go."

As he spoke, Dao Xuan Zhenren reached out his hand to Zhang Xiaofan. After a moment of surprise, Zhang Xiaofan placed his hand on Dao Xuan Zhenren's somewhat withered hand and, with Dao Xuan Zhenren's help, managed to stand up with difficulty.

……

Inside the Yuqing Hall on Tongtian Peak.

Today, the Jade Purity Hall is undoubtedly the most bustling place in the history of the Qingyun Sect, perhaps even the most bustling place in its hundreds of years of history.

Countless righteous cultivators gathered there. This was because there were too many people, more than a thousand, and the Jade Purity Hall could not accommodate them all. So, most of the cultivators had to be kept outside the Jade Purity Hall.

Even so, there were still five or six hundred people in the Jade Purity Hall, making a noisy scene.

Among these hundreds of cultivators, the most eye-catching were the two elderly monks in robes standing right next to each other in the middle. These two were two of the four famous monks of Tianyin Temple: Abbot Puhong and Monk Pukong.

Below the two sat a middle-aged man, said to be an elder of the Incense Valley, Shangguan Ce.

Seated below Shangguan Ce were several highly respected righteous cultivators, including the Mighty Venerable of the Vajra Sect. On the other side of the three were Daoist Cangsong, Shang Zhengliang, and Zeng Shuchang, the heads of the six branches of the Qingyun Sect.

The people in the main hall did not have to wait long before Xiao Yicai walked in from the back and spoke to Master Puhong, who was chanting sutras with his eyes closed.

"Master, my teacher has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Puhong slowly opened his eyes, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. He turned his head and saw Dao Xuan Zhenren walking in from behind the Jade Purity Hall.

Just as Master Puhong was about to speak, he saw Zhang Xiaofan, dressed in plain clothes, walk in with firm steps behind Dao Xuan Zhenren.

"Amitabha!"

Master Puhong involuntarily uttered a Buddhist chant, his eyes slightly lowered, before bowing to Daoxuan Zhenren.

"Master, I apologize for disturbing you so much, and I hope you will forgive me!"

"It is my fault for being so impolite that the Venerable Master has come in person."

Dao Xuan Zhenren responded softly, and after taking his seat in the main position, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Zhang Xiaofan, and snorted coldly.

"Hmph, you rebellious disciple, why aren't you kneeling before the palace!"

Sitting next to Venerable Puhong, the tall and robust monk Pukong stared intently at Zhang Xiaofan with his tiger-like eyes, exuding a powerful aura, like an angry Vajra in Buddhism.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't say anything upon hearing this, but walked step by step to the front of the hall and knelt down.

Even while kneeling, Zhang Xiaofan's posture remained upright, and his face showed a calm expression. Upon seeing this, the monk Pukong was furious and shouted.

"That scoundrel! He stole the secret techniques of my Tianyin Temple and dares to be so arrogant!"

As he spoke, the monk Pukong couldn't help but slam his hand on the table. Tian Buyi, who was opposite him, also looked angry, but he managed to suppress it.

However, the next moment, Tian Buyi's expression froze, only to see that Master Puhong actually raised his hand to stop the monk Pukong, and chanted a Buddhist prayer.

"Amitabha, may the Buddha have mercy on me."

Upon hearing the sound, Zhang Xiaofan turned to look at Master Puhong, but said nothing. He simply knelt there quietly, his straight back like an unyielding divine sword.

This very demeanor alone was enough to impress many cultivators.

Dao Xuan Zhenren's eyes narrowed slightly, and then his face hardened as he shouted in a deep voice.

“Zhang Xiaofan, with all my righteous comrades here, and Master Puhong of Tianyin Temple in front of us, are you still unwilling to speak?”

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, this disciple accepts the punishment!"

Zhang Xiaofan's voice was extremely calm, like a still lake, and his eyes lowered as he spoke.

In that instant, Zhang Xiaofan couldn't help but recall that rainy night, the kind-faced old monk, the boy kneeling in the rain, that obscure and difficult-to-understand scripture, that kowtow, and that endless blood.

Perhaps this is an ill-fated relationship between master and disciple that should never have existed, and from today onwards, this ill-fated relationship should be understood.

In the past, the old monk fulfilled his obsession, and now, the young man has also fulfilled his obsession, letting go of the past.

(End of this chapter)