Chapter 387 Traitor
Chapter 387 Traitor ( words)
boom--
At this moment, the Taia Sword, surrounded by flames and falling almost like a meteorite to the mortal world, collided fiercely with the "Golden Bell" that covered the entire Shenlong Temple.
With Shenlong Temple as the center, a huge roar echoed in the ears of people in a large area of the city.
The golden bell flickered wildly, and in an instant, it seemed to be about to collapse several times, but every time it dimmed, it would brighten again.
Compared to the outside world where only the roar could be heard, there was a strong wind and the ground was shaking inside the Shenlong Temple.
The Buddhist bells in the temple shook and struck each other on their own without anyone pushing them, making a series of "ding" and "ding" sounds.
In the Buddhist temples, the candlesticks and incense burners on the altars were shaking and cracking, and the fruits on the fruit plates were rolling to the ground.
"what--"
The monks with lower cultivation levels covered their ears with their hands, and their faces turned red due to the turbulence of blood.
Bian Ji stood up with the help of the others, and looked up at the fight in the sky with a shaky mind.
A battle in the realm of heaven and man.
"Hmph!" Xu Zhenguan stood in the air and saw that his sword was blocked by Xuan Yin. He did not give up, but instead made a seal with his hands.
The red lips opened slightly: "Get up!"
The Taia sword, which had been exhausted and leaning against the illusory golden bell, was summoned and rose into the air again.
Xu Zhenguan drew a circle with his wrist.
The Taia Sword then surrounded the empress and drew a big circle in the air. As the sword swung, it left behind sword shadows. In the blink of an eye, dozens of sword shadows overlapped and merged into one.
"Go!" Xu Zhenguan drew his sword for the second time.
In the main hall, a short and skinny old monk stood on the glazed tiles, his brown robe dancing wildly in the wind. He clasped his hands together, and the sound of a wooden fish rang out in the hall beneath his feet.
This time, the huge image of "Buddha" suddenly opened its eyes, but still did not fight back. Instead, it calmly faced the angry sword and covered the entire temple with its huge body of the god.
"boom!!!"
This time, the Taia sword slashed fiercely at the rotating lotus crown on the head of the Buddha.
With a thunder-like sound, the Buddha's light around the entire Buddha's body suddenly dimmed, and Abbot Xuanyin's face turned pale.
This veteran strong man in the realm of heaven and man actually used his powerful Dharma body to forcibly block the sword.
Seeing this, Xu Zhenguan refused to give in. He raised his sword again, gathered all his strength and chopped down the third time.
This time, the lotus on top of the huge Buddha's head was forcibly cut off, and the Buddha's light dimmed and shrank, covering only the main hall.
After enduring three consecutive sword attacks from the abbot Xuanyin, even though he had profound cultivation, his aura had obviously weakened.
At this moment, the frail old monk, who seemed to be blown away by the wind, finally spoke slowly:
"Has your majesty calmed down?"
He obviously saw the empress's anger, but he did not fight back from beginning to end. Instead, he took the three swords of the Heavenly Realm at the cost of being injured.
Seeing the old bald donkey like this, the murderous aura between Xu Zhenguan's eyebrows also dissipated a little, and she sneered:
"Xuanyin, you finally came out."
Abbot Xuanyin sighed softly, and a look of compassion appeared on his ugly face:
"Your Majesty has come here in a rage today. Dare you ask me what wrong the Shenlong Temple has done?"
Xu Zhenguan sneered, "You don't know?"
Xuan Yin said calmly, "May Your Majesty make it clear."
"Okay," Xu Zhenguan stared at the old monk's expression and said coldly:
"The monk Dajing assassinated the official I sent to Huting, causing him to be seriously injured and on the verge of death. Is this reason enough?! The monk Longshu also appeared in Huting and was suspected of being involved in another assassination. Is this reason enough?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Shenlong Temple was in an uproar.
The monks, including Bian Ji, were horrified and seemed unaware of this matter.
Abbot Xuanyin, who was forced out of retreat, frowned on his dry face:
"Your Majesty, are you sure?"
Xu Zhenguan looked down at the old monk with an unfriendly look in his eyes, holding a long sword:
"What do you think?"
Abbot Xuanyin's face darkened. He took a deep breath and said seriously:
"I am not aware of this matter. Shenlong Temple has no intention of being an enemy of the imperial court. Your Majesty, please allow some time to find Dajing and Nagarjuna. If the two are really involved, I guarantee in my name as the abbot of Shenlong Temple that I will severely punish them and give Your Majesty an explanation."
Inside the temple, Bian Ji and others also spoke up and expressed the same attitude.
Xu Zhenguan slashed out with three swords. Facing a group of monks who did not fight back, his anger subsided a little, and he said coldly:
"I remember your words."
After saying this, her figure disappeared into the sky, and the rolling dark clouds gradually calmed down.
The terrifying and intimidating pressure dissipated, and the huge statue of "Buddha" was also put away. What was left in the Shenlong Temple was a mess, and many monks fell to the ground, distracted.
"Abbot!" Monk Bian Ji hurried forward and came to the side of the old abbot who had fallen from the palace, wanting to speak.
However, Xuan Yin raised his hand to stop him. The old monk's face was as gloomy as water. He said "Convene all the halls to discuss the matter" and turned around, returning to the main hall.
At this time, the pilgrims who had been accidentally confined in the temple and came to burn incense finally calmed down and fled out of the temple.
Not long after walking out, we saw the mighty and armed imperial guards marching down the street with murderous intent, surrounding the Shenlong Temple, which was once a popular place.
……
Inside the Jizhao Temple.
"Buddha, something bad has happened. Soldiers are coming from outside..."
A young nun ran in in fear and found Prajna Bodhisattva in Princess Yunyang's dazed gaze.
In winter, Prajna was still wearing only a thin monk's robe, revealing a large area of white flesh, and had an expressionless face.
After saying "Be patient", he disappeared in Jizhao Temple and headed towards the Shenlong Temple opposite.
"A bunch of lunatics."
……
Zhao family.
"Mom, it seems to be over." Zhao looked forward to the sky in the distance returning to its original state and said with some stuttering.
Eugene Hua also swallowed her saliva. She had never seen such a big scene.
If the battle between Buddhism and Taoism was eye-opening enough, then today's brief fight left a much greater impression on the people of the capital than the former.
"I don't know what happened." Zhao Pan said.
The sound of the Empress and Xuan Yin's conversation was confined to the vicinity of the temple and could not be heard in the distance.
Eugene Hua said anxiously, "Just don't let it have anything to do with your elder brother."
A prophecy.
……
Inside the Tianshi Mansion, in a small courtyard deep inside.
Although it is winter, the mysterious banyan tree is still lush and green.
Zhang Yan, tall with narrow features and wearing a black priest robe, stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
He looked at the empress who turned into a stream of light and appeared in the courtyard.
Xu Zhenguan got straight to the point and said, "Tianshi, there is one thing I don't understand."
The old Taoist priest was not surprised by the arrival of the empress, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, please speak."
Xu Zhenguan stared at the old Taoist priest with his beautiful eyes and said seriously:
"Zhao Duan said that your eldest disciple also appeared in the lake pavilion and was suspected to have intercepted Long Shu."
Zhang Yanyi nodded calmly: "I taught him to go."
"Why?" Xu Zhenguan did not hide his confusion.
Zhang Yanyi did not answer immediately, but asked:
"The one who was stabbed by Da Jing was Zhao Duan?"
Xu Zhenguan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then described the general situation.
Zhang Yan sighed and said:
"When he went south, I deduced the laws of nature and vaguely realized that this trip would be dangerous, but not fatal. So I ordered my eldest disciple to go..."
Even with Zhang Yanyi's level of Taoism, he could only vaguely sense something that had not happened, but was unable to know the details.
Therefore, after the young Taoist priest arrived at the lake pavilion and met Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, he naturally believed that the source of Zhao Duan's danger mentioned in the master's letter should be the battle in Yansuo Lake.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, he simply watched Nagarjuna leave together, believing that this would be enough to complete the old Taoist priest's task.
But I didn't expect it.
According to the signs from heaven, the "disaster" given was not in the Yansuo Lake, but in the assassination by the great master Zhao Duan encountered on his way back.
Fortunately, the overall result remained unchanged. Although Zhao Duan was injured, his life was not in danger.
Xu Zhenguan nodded after listening to this, and his doubts were resolved, but new doubts arose. He said quietly:
"The Heavenly Master seems to think highly of Zhao Qing." Zhang Yanyi felt a little embarrassed, but he looked calm on the surface.
"That young man helped Tian Yuan and Jin Jian a lot. As their master, I am just taking care of them."
"Is that so..." Xu Zhenguan was a little unconvinced.
But now is not the time to worry about the suspicion of "poaching", she asked again:
"Tianshi, why do you think Shenlong Temple did this?"
Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "When it comes to the World Honored One, I can't see clearly."
The empress was silent, then said goodbye and left.
The door to the courtyard was pushed open, and Jin Jian and Gongshu Tianyuan ran in. They happened to see the empress leaving and were slightly surprised:
"Your Majesty is here? Master, what just happened was..."
Zhang Yanyi looked calm and casually mentioned the assassination of Zhao Duan, which scared the two of them. They were relieved when they learned that it was not serious.
"Master, are those two monks from Shenlong Temple crazy?" The fat little Gongshu Tianyuan frowned.
Jin Jian nodded, looking puzzled: "That's right, Senior Brother."
Zhang Yan sighed, waved his hands, and said irritably:
"It has nothing to do with you. Stop worrying about others and think about breaking through as soon as possible. Then get out and go train. You're just making a fuss all day long."
The two boys with red dots were criticized and left feeling aggrieved.
Zhang Yanyi then sighed softly: "What a mess."
He was not without speculation, but the Tianshi Mansion's position of not getting involved in secular struggles remained consistent.
He could help Zhao Duan stop Long Shu, but he didn't want to be involved in deeper troubles.
……
……
royal palace.
After Zhao Duan watched the empress leave, he felt very anxious, but he could only lie down and rest.
After taking the medicine, although the injury did not improve immediately, the pain was relieved a lot.
In the end, I was able to sit up with difficulty and lean against the soft pillow while waiting.
My eyelids twitched as I heard the faint roar coming from outside.
"His Majesty."
Finally, the voice of the palace maid was heard outside the door, and then the door opened, and the empress in white clothes and with long black hair came back.
The Taia sword in her hand had returned to its place, and she went back and forth as easily as eating and drinking.
"His Majesty……"
Zhao Duan looked carefully and was relieved to see that Zhenbao had no injuries or signs of fighting. "I heard a roar outside..."
Xu Zhenguan closed the door, walked over to him, sat down on the round stool, said "Oh" calmly, and explained:
"I went to Shenlong Temple and had a fight with Xuanyin."
Then, the empress recounted her entire experience of going out in a light-hearted manner.
Zhao Duan was frightened when he heard this. He felt that it was too impulsive, but at the same time, he felt a warm current in his heart.
He jokingly said:
"Your Majesty, you have caused such a big commotion this time. I will really serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul until my death."
Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes and said, "So, Zhao Qing was unwilling to do so in the past?"
"...That's not what I meant!"
"hehe."
They just said this, what they were thinking in their hearts was another matter.
Zhao Duan looked at the empress who was so close to him. There were several braziers in the room, plus the floor heating in the palace, making the two people in the room feel a little hot.
"His Majesty……"
Zhao Duan swallowed his saliva and wanted to take the opportunity to say something dirty.
But Xu Zhenguan saw through it and took the initiative to break the slightly ambiguous atmosphere:
"What do you think about the Shenlong Temple?"
Isn’t it... Can’t you just chat about romance with the wounded? Why do you have to talk about serious matters at this time... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
But one also knows that the empress's character determines that the soft side of her heart is always hidden within her majestic and graceful body. It is not easy for her to reveal it occasionally. It is not as easy for her to break through that boundary as an ordinary woman who only has love in her mind.
Besides, his current physical condition really meant that he was powerless...
Then he collected his thoughts and said seriously:
"I think that Nagarjuna and Mahavairocana should be looked at separately. The two may not have made an appointment. Otherwise, if they appeared together in Yansuohu, or attacked together, wouldn't the chances of winning be greater?"
"Of course, the first thing to confirm is the attitude of Abbot Xuanyin. According to what you just said, Your Majesty, Xuanyin may not know about this matter, because it does not make sense logically.
If this assassination was led by Xuan Yin, it means that Shenlong Temple is ready to confront the imperial court, tear its face off, and stand on the side of the Eight Kings. However, Xuan Yin did not fight back, withstood three swords, and publicly expressed his cooperation with the investigation... This is really unnecessary. "
Xu Zhenguan nodded: "Go on."
Zhao Duan analyzed:
“As far as I know, there are four factions within the Shenlong Temple. The Xuanyin faction is the main one, while Prajna Bodhisattva leads a group of nuns who are unwilling to merge with the Buddhist sect and exist alone.
The remaining Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Mahavairocana Guru have been scheming to compete for the position of the next abbot. "
After a pause, he thought and said:
“So, I can understand Longshu’s actions. I even suspect that Longshu showed up at Yansuo Lake with no real intention of assassinating me. His purpose was just to show up so that he could claim to the outside world that he was causing trouble for me because of Tianhai the monk… so as not to go too far.
In the last battle between Buddhism and Taoism, Nagarjuna's plan that he had been planning for many years failed. Xuanyin has always maintained a good relationship with the imperial court. If Nagarjuna wants to defeat Xuanyin, he needs to find other helpers...
Therefore, Longshu's branch does have the motive to collude with the Eight Kings... Moreover, since he did this and was not in the capital, the court would certainly put pressure on Xuanyin, which would also be a blow to Xuanyin's power...killing two birds with one stone."
Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly: "What about the Dajing?"
Zhao Duan said helplessly:
“This is what I don’t quite understand. Da Jing’s assassination was too direct. There was no room for maneuver. He was obviously going to kill me… His behavior can no longer be explained by the Disgusting Mysterious Seal.
Because compared to asking Xuan Yin to hold him accountable, the consequences he faces are more serious...
It can almost be concluded that after Master Dajing killed me, it is impossible for him to return to Shenlong Temple, unless Xuanyin and several other forces would rather go to war with the court immediately to protect him... This is obviously unrealistic. "
Xu Zhenguan listened to his analysis quietly and said:
"So, in your opinion, Da Jin's move to kill you is almost like seeking his own death?"
"Yes," Zhao Duan nodded and said seriously:
"This is what confuses me. By doing this, he has voluntarily given up the opportunity to compete for the next abbot, and also given up the foundation he has worked hard to build over the years.
As long as Xuanyin doesn't die to protect him, he will end up in exile. This is why I think there is no reason for him to be in the same group with Nagarjuna Bodhisattva. It is too illogical...
Even if Da Jing completely surrendered to the Eight Kings, with his status and position, why would he do this? Where did he get the confidence to believe that the one among the Eight Kings he surrendered to would win? And could help him deal with Xuan Yin and others? "
Xu Zhenguan's expression was unusually calm:
"You are right. Da Jing's actions are indeed incomprehensible, but what if he has no intention of staying in Dayu?"
Zhao Duan was stunned. He stared at the empress's calm face. A possibility suddenly flashed through his mind and he said in a lost voice:
"Your Majesty, you mean... West..."
"Yes, the Western Region."
Xu Zhenguan sighed softly, as if he had a guess in his mind:
"You know, the title of 'Master' is a tradition in the ancestral temple of Buddhism in the Western Regions.
After the Shenlong Temple Buddhism entered the mainland of Dayu, few people called themselves masters anymore, and they changed to Bodhisattvas. Prajna and Nagarjuna were both Bodhisattvas... Only Dajing retained the title of master. "
"Of course, this is not a problem within Buddhism. Instead, it symbolizes his support for the integration of Eastern and Western Buddhism, replacing Western Buddhism, and inheriting the orthodox position of Buddhism. But now that I think about it, there may be another explanation, or not."
Zhao Duan was stunned when he heard this. His face changed and he said quickly:
"So, Your Majesty, are you saying that Master Dajing might have decided to seek refuge in the Western Regions? Return to the ancestral temple? He has no intention of continuing to seek promotion in the Shenlong Temple, so he has no more worries...
And if someone like him wants to return to the ancestral home in the Western Regions, he must show enough "letters of surrender" to show that he has severed ties with Dayu... So, assassinating me is a good option?
As long as he kills me, he will have no way back. The Buddhist sect in the Western Regions can safely accept him, and he can also use his identity to force the court to severely punish the Shenlong Temple and severely suppress and weaken the power of the Shenlong Temple..."
Xu Zhenguan nodded and continued:
"The Western Regions Ancestral Temple and Dayu Shenlong Temple have been fighting each other for a long time. Both want to merge and annex each other to obtain the complete inheritance of Buddhism. The weaker the Shenlong Temple is, the greater the chance of victory for the Western Regions Ancestral Temple."
Zhao Duan remained silent, his mind suddenly becoming clear.
If this is the explanation, then the behavior of this group of monks makes sense!
Many of the behaviors that he previously thought were logically contradictory and strange now have reasonable explanations.
And if their guess was true, then by now Master Dajing would have probably already embarked on the journey to the Western Regions.
Thanks to the book friends Shining Skull for their 1500 points, Xin Zhi Sadness for their 1504 points, and 4482... for their points of reward support!
(End of this chapter)