I am the snake demon!

Chapter 98 The Siege of Longxiang Temple

Qiongri Mountain.

Lingshan, the premier Buddhist mountain in Wuwei.

On ordinary days, the temple is bustling with worshippers, a place where people gather to express their faith. This ancient temple, with its thousand-year history, exudes compassion and peace.

However, at this moment, they were completely surrounded by the Wuwei army.

Eight thousand elite troops, fully armed and ready, surrounded Longxiang Temple. The soldiers of Wuwei had murderous eyes, and a murderous aura flowed between them. The array patterns swirled, and a phantom of a white tiger divine beast, a thousand feet tall, condensed above Longxiang Temple. It was majestic and awe-inspiring, and the ever-burning Buddhist light in Longxiang Temple was suppressed, and no one dared to act rashly.

Any disturbance at Longxiang Temple would instantly reduce it to dust.

"Grand Commander, what are you doing?"

When the abbot of Longxiang Temple, Abbot Guangming, saw this scene, he turned pale with fright and hurriedly went to Huangfuju, the Grand Commander of Wuwei.

"What I do is none of your business to question me? Get out!"

However, when faced with the monk Guangming's confusion, Huangfu Ju, who was leading the army, merely glanced at him coldly and rebuked him mercilessly.

With a furious roar, like the howl of a tiger, a fierce and valiant aura swept over, directly impacting the soul of Monk Guangming.

The monk Guangming was startled, as if a huge boulder had struck his heart. His face turned pale, and he stood frozen in place, not daring to move.

Upon seeing this, Huangfu Ju's eyes flashed with disdain.

He was Huangfu Ju, son of Huangfu Xiongwen, and one of the Three Heroes of Liangzhou.

He once slew demons and barbarians, so how dare a mere monk question him?

"Governor, please calm down. Guangming was just curious."

Just then, a gentle voice rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, and it seemed to have a special magic that calmed everyone's hearts after hearing it.

Huangfu Ju looked over and saw an old monk wearing a kasaya slowly walking over. Although he was old and even his eyebrows were white, the old monk was unusually healthy, with a ruddy complexion, and his movements were no different from ordinary people.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Huangfu Ju's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Greetings, Master."

Master Kongsang was a highly accomplished monk with profound knowledge. He once sat down to discuss the Dao with his father, Huangfu Xiongwen, and they had a close relationship. His cultivation was also remarkable, having reached the Tongtian Realm. He was particularly skilled in defense and once fought a great battle with the old master of Cangjian Manor, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Seeing Huangfu Ju's rudeness towards him but his kindness towards Kongsang, Guangming, who was standing to the side, immediately felt a look of envy in his eyes after regaining his senses, but dared not show it again.

"You're too kind, Governor. I just don't know what crime I've committed that requires your personal intervention?" Monk Kongsang looked at Huangfu Ju with a puzzled expression.

He was genuinely puzzled; it was quite unusual to surround the entire temple in such a grand manner and prohibit entry or exit.

"I do not know the meaning of what is said above, but I hope that you will keep the monks in the temple in check. Otherwise, if there is any mistake, do not blame me for being ruthless," Huangfu Ju said calmly.

Although Master Kongsang was a highly accomplished monk, and he had to give him some face, that was all.

This was the first order personally issued by Bai Xuan, the Prince of Zhenbei.

He was determined to implement it strictly, without making the slightest mistake.

The saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court."

He was lucky; after the prince was replaced, his status not only did not decline, but actually rose slightly because he became fellow disciples with Bai Xuan.

But relationships are relationships, and strength is strength.

Connections are a place where you can demonstrate your abilities, not a place where you can live off connections and do nothing.

He was determined to handle this task thoroughly and without any problems.

Upon hearing Huangfu Ju's words, Master Kongsang's two white eyebrows immediately furrowed. What did the higher-ups mean?

The Duan family's influence in Wuwei was too great. Although the Prince of Zhenbei trusted the Duan family, he would never allow them to turn Wuwei into their fiefdom and a state within a state in the north. Therefore, one of the duties of the Grand Commander Huangfu Ju was to keep an eye on the Duan family in Wuwei for the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. In the entire Wuwei, no one had a higher official rank than him.

Above him?

Is that the Prince of Zhenbei who arrived yesterday?

But where has my Longxiang Temple offended this Prince of Zhenbei?

Master Kongsang was completely baffled. After years of practice, he had a vague feeling that a storm was brewing and Longxiang Temple was about to experience an unprecedented disaster.

Amidst the confusion, several powerful energies surged forth. Master Kongsang heard a cry that sounded like a horse but wasn't, and then saw a dark shadow rushing towards him from afar. It landed on the ground and revealed itself to be a strange beast that resembled neither a qilin nor a horse.

Above the strange beast, there was a man and a woman.

Master Kongsang did not recognize the man, but seeing his purple aura and his age, he already knew what was going on. As for the woman, he recognized her as Duan Baiyu, whom he had seen before.

"This old monk greets the Empress Dowager and Your Highness," Master Kongsang said, bowing.

"Greetings to the Dowager Consort, greetings to Your Highness!"

Huangfu Ju followed closely behind, glancing at Kong Sang with disdain, thinking to himself, "I haven't even said anything, why are you in such a hurry?"

At the same time, the nearby army saluted in unison, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Normally, Duan Baiyu would have chatted with Master Kongsang, but he had no such intention at the moment. Instead, he looked at Bai Xuan and asked, "An'er, where is he?"

"The back mountain."

Bai Xuan replied, then turned to Huangfu Ju and said, "Shi Yexing, the leader of the Liangzhou branch of the Blood Shadow Sect, is hiding in the Longxiang Temple. I trouble you, Senior Brother, to lead the army to capture him. Anyone in the Longxiang Temple who resists will be killed without mercy."

"Your humble servant obeys."

Huangfu Ju responded with a resounding "Yes, sir!" and at his command, his soldiers charged into Longxiang Temple like wolves and tigers.

"No, no, Abbot, this is an ancient temple with a history of thousands of years. How can we allow weapons to be used against it?"

Upon hearing Shi Yexing's name, the monk Guangming's expression changed drastically, revealing a look of horror. Only then did he understand why Huangfu Ju had led his army to surround Longxiang Temple. He hurriedly went to the side of the monk Kongsang, hoping to use Kongsang's prestige to hinder the army.

Only Kongsang can stop it.

After all, Master Kongsang had a very high reputation in Wuwei. Ordinary people regarded him as a living Buddha, and powerful families gave him face. Whether it was the head of the Duan family in Wuwei or the governor of Wuwei, they all had to give Master Kongsang some face.

However, faced with Guangming's urgent plea, Master Kongsang frowned, a glint of divine light flashing in his eyes, revealing a certain majesty, and looked directly at Guangming, saying, "Guangming, why are you so nervous?"

If he hadn't been harboring Shi Yexing in his temple, being searched wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing.

Although being searched is never good, if nothing is found, it means that the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion has misunderstood them. Since they have misunderstood, they will feel guilty, and they can also improve their relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion.

They're in such a hurry, unless Shi Yexing is actually in their temple!

"Abbot, they're going to search the temple!" Monk Guangming shouted.

We absolutely cannot let Shi Yexing be found, otherwise he will die.

Upon hearing this, Master Kongsang frowned even more deeply, his eyes flashing like lightning as he stared directly at Guangming, exuding an unapproachable aura of pressure. He said, "And then what? Although we are outsiders, we are still bound by the law. What can Your Highness do if you want to investigate? Why are you in such a hurry? Could it be that you are really hiding Shi Yexing?"

In the end, Master Kongsang's last word struck Guangming like a thunderbolt. Guangming was stunned, his face turned deathly pale, and he continued to explain.

But seeing his flustered appearance, Master Kongsang's heart sank, and he already knew what was going on.

This was indeed an unprecedented calamity since the establishment of Longxiang Temple.

Bai Xuan ignored them completely and instead comforted Duan Baiyu.

He knew that Duan Baiyu was in a hurry. After arriving at the foot of the mountain, she couldn't wait for the main group and wanted to go up the mountain first. If it weren't for Mo Lin carrying her, she probably would have used her lightness skill to fly up like Xue Jiao and the others.

But there's no need to rush, because Shi Yexing can't escape; those who are destined to die will die.

Hearing Bai Xuan's words of comfort, Duan Baiyu felt a little better. Meanwhile, Huangfu Ju's subordinates rushed into the temple like wolves and tigers, conducting a thorough search. Although they did not have Bai Xuan's abilities, their numbers made up for it. With their carpet search, the shady dealings in the back mountain were quickly discovered.

Seeing the women being found one by one, Kong Sang's expression changed drastically. He looked at Guangming in disbelief, never expecting that such a place was hidden in the back mountain of Longxiang Temple under his jurisdiction. His eyes widened, his years of quiet cultivation almost destroyed, and he glared at Guangming like an angry Vajra, saying, "You wretch, what's going on here?"

Guangming was horrified, his face turned deathly pale, and he knelt down with a thud, saying, "When I first saw the Joyful Zen, I was struck by its profound mystery. Over the years, I couldn't suppress my desire and, in a moment of carelessness, bought some maids to hide in the back mountain for cultivation. Please punish me, Abbot."

"You wicked child, where have all your Buddhist teachings gone? This is not joyful meditation, but a heretical path!"

Master Kongsang was both shocked and furious upon hearing this, and slapped Guangming hard across the face. He had felt something was wrong that day, so he sealed away the Joyful Zen. If it weren't for the fact that it was the brainchild of his predecessors, he would have burned it on fire. He never expected that Guangming would actually steal the knowledge and even secretly buy a maid.

Although it is not a serious crime, how can a person who has renounced worldly life do such a thing?

Seeing this, everyone looked on with disdain and contempt. Keeping prostitutes was not a big problem, but for a monk to do this in a Buddhist sanctuary, what kind of sanctuary could that be?

As for Guangming, he took a solid slap, but no one noticed. Then, when everyone was ignoring him, he suddenly sprang up, as fast as the wind, his five fingers like hooks, and attacked Bai Xuan.

These people were not bought by him, but were robbed and given to him by Shi Yexing.

These things can't be hidden. Even without Shi Yexing being arrested, as long as these girls expose him, he will have no way to hide it. So he took the initiative to admit his mistake, making everyone think that his mistake was not that big, and naturally let their guard down, giving him a chance to make a move!

Capture Bai Xuan alive!

Even if the Prince of Zhenbei is not yet twenty years old, how could his cultivation be higher than that of an eighth-rank Dongxuan?

He can descend the mountain as long as he captures Bai Xuan alive.

As for what happens next, we'll talk about that later. At least for now, I can survive.