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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Chen led a large group of nearly one hundred people through the special passage at Qingtian Pass and across Killing Green Mountain. After that, they hastened their pace, racing along the official road in the Western Seven States, with yellow sand swirling around them, day and night. Finally, after several days, they entered their target area.
The place where Lu Chen and the others found themselves was amidst a vast expanse of mountains. Lu Chen stood at the front as the group paused to rest. Everyone sat on the ground drinking water, while Lu Chen stood alone at the mountain peak, gazing around.
Ahead lay deeper into the mountains, and after walking several dozen miles from the official road, they would reach the legendary Eastern Shaolin Temple. Lu Chen remembered this path; he had walked it years ago when it was just barren yellow earth and high mountains.
Now, after more than ten or twenty years, everything had changed dramatically. Tall trees had grown everywhere, creating a lush landscape.
However, Lu Chen was not in the mood to admire the scenery because he had more important matters to attend to—namely, Eastern Shaolin.
After resting for a while, the large group set off again along the mountain road. After walking for some time, they began to see incense and prayer wheels on both sides of the official road. Without needing to guess, they knew they were approaching Eastern Shaolin.
Sure enough, not long after, they heard the sound of bells ringing from deep within the mountains, resonating like thunder and clearly audible from afar. Some novices appeared nearby, gathering firewood and trading goods with farmers from below.
Lu Chen and his group ignored these sights along the way and continued along the official road until they arrived at the entrance of Eastern Shaolin. Before them stood rows of Jialan, which were the monasteries where monks resided. The Eastern Shaolin Temple was well-regarded by the former Great Zhou Court and had many branch temples scattered about. The Jialan were particularly grand and magnificent, with fragrant smoke rising from within and wafting scents of incense filling the air. At the entrance hung a massive plaque inscribed with "Shaolin Temple" in bold characters.
These three characters were personally written by the founding emperor of the former Great Zhou Dynasty and held significant meaning. The then Abbot had someone copy them for display at the mountain gate, making them a treasured pride for all those associated with Eastern Shaolin.
Lu Chen and his group paid no mind to this and directly ascended the nine hundred ninety-nine steps. Under Lu Chen's leadership, they quickly made their way up. Naturally, they were stopped by the gatekeeping monks; two young monks immediately stepped forward to block their path.
"Please wait, this is sacred ground of the Buddhist Sect; we hope you will show restraint." The two young monks looked at Lu Chen and his followers. Without needing to scrutinize further, they could smell the blood on Lu Chen and his companions; their murderous aura was too heavy for entering such a sacred place.
Especially among these individuals was the Dragon Slayer Legion—sixty members armed with dual blades—whose killing intent was palpable.
Lu Chen glanced at the two young monks; he understood the rules of the Buddhist Sect well enough. However, his purpose for coming here was very special, so he was unwilling to concern himself with these Buddhist regulations. He had no choice but to bypass these rules if he wanted to achieve his goal.
"Please wait, benefactor. The Buddhist Sect forbids the use of metal utensils. We hope you will respect this and not make things difficult for my fellow disciples." The two young monks appeared to be new to the temple, yet their expressions and demeanor were extremely serious, strictly adhering to the rules and regulations, showing no signs of playfulness.
Lu Chen took a deep breath and said, "Brothers, we have come here to find Emperor Huangfu Zhen of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He should have fled here by now. Please go inside and inform him. I must see him today; otherwise, we will not leave easily. I hope you can accommodate us and allow us passage. If not, I won't hold back, understand?"
Upon hearing this, the two young monks exchanged glances, their faces showing signs of distress. They nodded in understanding, and one of them immediately ran inside to report, while the other stayed behind.
Seeing this, Lu Chen merely smiled; he did not stop the young monks from going in to report. Ideally, this matter should be resolved quickly and discreetly, catching them off guard without alarming the monks in the temple.
However, Lu Chen understood deeply that it would not be so simple. First of all, entering the Eastern Shaolin Temple unnoticed was impossible because it was a place where hidden dragons crouched and tigers lay in wait. Achieving such a feat was out of the question, and the consequences were unpredictable. Whether or not he could find Huangfu Zhen was uncertain as well. It depended on the attitude of the Eastern Shaolin Temple—if they insisted on protecting this emperor until the end, that was something Lu Chen was concerned about and perhaps even wary of.
Lu Chen knew that trying to enter Eastern Shaolin to take someone away was impossible; thus, he allowed one of the young monks to go in and report while he made his intentions clear. If they were willing to hand over Huangfu Zhen for their own safety, that would be ideal. But if they refused stubbornly, there would be nothing he could do; it was a situation that Lu Chen and his companions had to face.
Sure enough, after the young monk went inside, a group of monks immediately came out. Among them was one with a white beard and nine scars on his head—clearly an elder monk who held a position of authority.
There were not just one but several heads at Eastern Shaolin Temple; however, there was only one Abbot. The monk before Lu Chen was of a head monk's level and acted as a spokesperson. He was accompanied by several monks, most of whom appeared strong and powerful—clearly at the Monk level—having cultivated the Seventy-Two Unique Skills of Eastern Shaolin Temple. This indicated that they were already on guard; thus, caution was necessary. From the expressions of those two young monks and the presence of this head monk along with his followers, Lu Chen concluded that Huangfu Zhen must indeed be within Eastern Shaolin Temple; it seemed there was no mistake.
"Benefactor," said the head monk as he stepped forward and bowed to Lu Chen. This was a basic courtesy in Buddhism; they believed all beings are equal. Anyone who had not entered the Buddhist Sect was referred to as benefactor, while those within were addressed according to their seniority.
"Master Abbot," Lu Chen responded politely with a bow before continuing, "I have come here solely to find one person: Emperor Huangfu Zhen of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I kindly ask you to accommodate me by allowing him to return with me without making things difficult."
The head monk looked up at Lu Chen and then glanced at those behind him; it was clear what their intentions were. His brow furrowed as he displayed a troubled expression. A Buddhist cannot speak falsehoods; if Huangfu Zhen truly resided here, he could not act recklessly without violating Buddhist precepts. He could only speak truthfully, but if he did so, the consequences would be severe.
"Amitabha! Benefactor, please remain calm. Lay down your weapons and become a Buddha right here! Huangfu Shizhu has already taken refuge in our Buddha and become one with our sect; please let him go," said the head monk with some urgency in his tone. The current situation was very clear: any misstep could lead to bloodshed—not only affecting Huangfu Zhen but also putting Eastern Shaolin Temple at risk for disaster.
"Convert to the Buddhist Sect? Has Huangfu Zhen already become a monk? I don't believe it; how could it happen so quickly? Please hand him over to me, or I won't hold back." Lu Chen once again suppressed his patience and spoke to the abbot. If the abbot continued to refuse, Lu Chen would really take action.
"Amitabha, please put down your weapon. This is sacred ground of the Buddhist Sect, and killing is forbidden here. I hope you will show some restraint," the abbot replied calmly. He did not get angry at Lu Chen; he simply would not hand over Huangfu Zhen. His demeanor was one of indifference, as if nothing could affect him.
Lu Chen blinked and said, "Since you are so unyielding, then this Marquis will have to be impolite."
With that, a glint of determination flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. He noticed that the abbot continued reciting his scriptures, unmoved by the situation.
With a cold snort, Lu Chen waved his hand, and his Dragon Slayer Legion immediately surged forward, swiftly killing over a dozen monks on the spot, blood spilling everywhere. At that moment, a young monk couldn't hold back and rushed inside to report. Soon after, a large group of people rushed out from the Great Buddha Hall, filling the entire courtyard.
"Hand over Huangfu Zhen; otherwise, this Marquis will not hold back," Lu Chen shouted at the crowd. Sixty members of the Dragon Slayer Legion brandished their Moon King's Blades, still stained with the blood of several monks. They vowed not to leave without Huangfu Zhen.
"Amitabha, please show some restraint," just then, several figures dashed out from the temple. They weren't exactly running but moved with incredible speed, reaching outside in an instant and coming very close to Lu Chen and his men.
These four individuals exuded a powerful aura that made Lu Chen frown slightly. Without needing to guess, he knew they must be from Eastern Shaolin's Four Great Temple Guardians, known as the Four Heavenly Kings. Each one was at the pinnacle of Elysium of Longevity, close to being a War God.
This was undoubtedly a formidable force that Lu Chen had to take seriously; any misstep could lead to disastrous consequences for him.
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