Killing Monks

But the reality check came so quickly.

Even though Xu Jinying was full of confidence and believed that no one would dare to snatch food from Shuangying Fortress, there were always some people and forces in this world that he could not easily refuse and even had to be wary of.

"Big brother!"

There was a knock on the study door, and Xu Yinying's slightly hurried voice came through.

After receiving permission, Xu Yinying, who had returned from running errands, pushed open the door and entered, his face showing a hint of solemnity, holding a sealed letter with its sealing wax intact.

He looked a few years younger than Xu Jinying, with a similarly robust build and a resemblance in appearance, though he had several deep scars on his face and a perpetual air of gloom and vigilance between his brows.

"This is a handwritten letter from Kou Zhongping, just delivered by express horse from the prefectural capital."

Xu Yinying handed the letter to his elder brother and said, "The letter says... he is willing to offer ten boxes of fine jewels in exchange for the 'Mirror of Karma' that we have."

"Kou Zhongping..." Xu Jinying took the letter, quickly glanced at it, and his face immediately darkened. He tightened his grip on the letter slightly.

"Ten chests of jewels? He thinks he can exchange them for the Buddhist weapons? He's certainly got a good plan!"

Kou Zhongping was once a colleague of the brothers in the Northern Zhou army, and now holds an important official position in the prefecture.

He wielded real power, which was the biggest backer that allowed Twin Eagle Fortress to run rampant in the Three Leaf City area, with even the government having to give way to him.

Every year, Shuangyingbao had to offer Kou Zhongping countless amounts of gold, silver, treasures, beautiful women, and rare objects in exchange for official protection and tacit approval.

It can be said that without Kou Zhongping, Shuangyingbao would never have reached its current size and stability.

Therefore, when this "backer" asks for something, they have almost no room to refuse.

Moreover, the other party did not forcibly seize the items; in exchange, they offered "ten boxes of jewelry," which is considered quite "polite" and "face-saving" in officialdom.

Seeing his elder brother's displeasure, Xu Yinying quickly advised, "Brother, I know you're reluctant. But the news about the 'Mirror of Karma' is spreading like wildfire, and it's getting bigger and bigger."

"During my trip, I vaguely heard that even in the Southern Tang Buddhist Kingdom, many temples secretly sent people north, and their target is very likely here!"

"Lord Kou's letter at this time may well be because he has heard rumors and wants to get his hands on the goods first to avoid any unforeseen complications."

"Hmph! So what if those bald monks from Southern Tang come? Do you think I'm afraid of them?" Xu Jinying said arrogantly.

He wasn't afraid of the bald monks of the Southern Tang Dynasty; this was the Northern Zhou Dynasty!

"Of course I'm not afraid," Xu Yinying said earnestly, "but brother, our Twin Eagle Fortress's foundation is here; a tall tree catches the wind!"

"If this mirror attracts too many powerful enemies, we'll be caught off guard by both open and covert attacks, and it might even alert someone we can't afford to offend..."

"If we suffer heavy losses and ruin the foundation we've worked so hard to build, then this deal will be far too unprofitable!"

He was more composed and realistic than his brother.

Rumors spread like wildfire; who knows what kind of powerful figures might be drawn to them?

No matter how strong Twin Eagle Fortress is, it is still a local power, and what it fears most is being watched by multiple forces in the shadows.

Once you become the target of everyone's attacks, it's easy to dodge open attacks, but hard to guard against hidden arrows. One wrong move and you could face utter destruction.

Xu Jinying was still unwilling to give up. He turned to look at the hidden room in the study: "Second brother, do you know...?"

"There's a saying in the martial arts world that these eight Buddhist weapons conceal a tremendous secret, concerning the pinnacle of martial arts, and even... the fate of the world!"

"If one can understand this, perhaps..."

"Brother! You're being foolish!" Xu Yinying was so anxious he almost stamped his foot, his voice rising slightly. "Even if such a secret truly exists, it's a hot potato, a death sentence!"

"Who are we brothers? We're nothing but local tyrants who rule the mountains in this backwater!"

"Can we bear such a secret, such ambition?"

He grasped his brother's hand, stared intently into his brother's eyes, and said:

"Have you forgotten... General Luo from back then? How incredibly talented and ambitious he was, and in the end... what happened to him?!"

The moment the words "General Luo" were uttered, Xu Jinying shuddered violently, as if struck by an invisible bolt of lightning.

The resentment, greed, and ambition on his face froze instantly. His straight back seemed to hunch over, and he looked as if his energy had been suddenly drained away, making him appear much older.

After a long silence, Xu Jinying let out a long, weary sigh, his voice becoming hoarse: "Second brother... you're right."

"It was my fault for being blinded by greed."

"If even someone as powerful as General Luo is like this, then we... should just focus on protecting our own little piece of land."

"Peace and wealth... are better than anything else."

Seeing this, Xu Yinying breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "It's good that Big Brother has come to his senses."

"This mirror is a source of trouble. The sooner it's gone, the better. I'll personally go and secretly deliver it to the prefectural government to Lord Kou."

"By the way, I will also subtly spread the word that 'the mirror is no longer in the castle,' so that no one will still be so persistent as to keep thinking about it."

All they possess now is the legacy of Twin Eagle Fortress, and the power and wealth that the two brothers rely on for survival.

Anything that might jeopardize this fundamental principle must be decisively discarded.

"Okay... go and do it." Xu Jinying waved his hand, his tone bitter, but he no longer hesitated.

Outside of Twin Eagle Fortress, in the forests of Eagle Beak Mountain, there have been noticeably more furtive figures in recent days.

There were mountain folk pretending to be gathering herbs, and traveling merchants feigning to be lost.

Many swordsmen with sharp eyes lingered near the edge of the forest and road forks, their gazes involuntarily drifting toward the heavily guarded fortress on the mountainside.

If Shuangying Fort hadn't been strategically located on a hillside with excellent views and watchtowers and arrow towers on its walls that kept watch day and night, people would probably have already been tempted to sneak up and investigate.

Even so, there was a tense atmosphere in the air, as if a storm was brewing.

Lu Fei hid in the canopy of a large, leafy tree, peering through the gaps at the distant fortress gate and the scattered, suspicious figures below.

He lowered his voice and said to Guangyuan, who was also hidden among the branches and leaves beside him:

"Bald monk, it's been several days now, and more and more people are watching outside Twin Eagle Fortress, but there's not a sound from inside the fortress."

"Are you sure that 'Mirror of Mental Idiots'... is still inside this fortress?"

"Could it be that the Xu brothers have already secretly moved it, and we're still here waiting like fools?"

"Yes." Guangyuan's answer was brief and affirmative.

He closed his eyes, seemingly sensing something, and after a moment said:

"I can vaguely sense its location, though not precisely, but roughly... it's within this Twin Eagle Fortress."