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The master of ceremonies claimed he dared not lie or make decisions on his own. If Lu Chen and the others wanted to verify whether Huangfu Zhen had truly become a monk, they would first need to obtain Huangfu Zhen's consent; otherwise, the Eastern Shaolin Temple might not agree.
At this point, there had been a slight turn of events, as the key factor in deciding the matter had shifted to Huangfu Zhen. Consequently, Lu Chen and the others had temporarily abandoned their thoughts of bloodshed at Eastern Shaolin Temple.
At this moment, Chu Yuzhu stood dazed nearby, unsure of what was happening. To meet Huangfu Zhen, they actually needed to seek his personal consent—wasn't that a bit excessive? As someone who was forward-thinking, Chu Yuzhu found these complicated understandings hard to grasp.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, since the master of ceremonies has said so, I have no objections. Please help us notify them that we must see Huangfu Zhen today; otherwise, I believe the consequences are clear to you."
Lu Chen's words carried an implicit threat directed at both the master of ceremonies and Huangfu Zhen. If either side concealed any facts, the only outcome would be a bloodbath at Shaolin Temple. Regardless of how one of the Nine Great Bodhisattvas viewed this or feared for Shaolin Temple's fate, Huangfu Zhen would certainly not be willing; he was in a precarious position.
Huangfu Zhen was no longer the emperor of the previous dynasty; he was merely a fugitive being hunted down. He had no room for choice in this matter. If he remained stubborn, he would only drag the Eastern Shaolin Temple into trouble—a truth he should understand.
The master of ceremonies, upon hearing this, performed a Buddhist gesture towards Lu Chen and said, "Please wait a moment; I will send someone to notify them right away."
He then turned to a novice beside him and spoke a few words. The novice nodded in response and quickly ran off.
At that moment, many people had gathered at the entrance of Eastern Shaolin Temple, including key figures such as Master Zuyin and several experts close to the Void Immortal level, along with the Nine Great Bodhisattvas, Four Great Kings, and numerous monks from Eastern Shaolin Temple.
In addition to the personnel from Eastern Shaolin Temple itself, there were also Lu Chen and his companions who had rushed over from the Daiwa Dynasty. Although they might have a slight disadvantage in terms of strength, Lu Chen appeared unafraid, standing still with a smile on his face.
On the other side was the largest group led by Chu Yuzhu. Their strength was formidable; they commanded thousands and were undoubtedly the most powerful force present. This superiority stemmed from their numerical advantage; at that moment, Korea's army was seemingly unmatched. Chu Yuzhu was quite proud and dismissive of others, indicating that her elder sister's temperament remained unchanged. Lu Chen could only smile wryly at this.
Meanwhile, inside one of the quiet guest rooms at Eastern Shaolin Temple—designated for visiting monks—Huangfu Zhen resided there. He had already shaved his head and donned monk robes, appearing devout.
Despite the chaos outside and people causing trouble at the door, Huangfu Zhen did not wish to concern himself with it. He simply wanted to stay quietly at Eastern Shaolin Temple as a monk and recite his scriptures. In this brief period, he felt as though he had gained profound insights.
Just then, a novice knocked on the door. Upon Huangfu Zhen's indication, he entered and said, "Huangfu Shizhu, there are people outside who want to see you. They won't leave easily if they can't meet you; the situation is somewhat urgent. I hope you will consider this carefully."
"I know who wants to see me and what they intend to do," Huangfu Zhen replied. "However, I do not wish to meet them right now. If it can be avoided, please help me decline their visit. I am now part of the Buddhist Sect and am no longer the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Huangfu Zhen remained calm, his eyes always slightly closed. He did not even open his eyes, his pale skin and devout expression evident as he knelt on the Meditation Cushion, facing away from the entrance. He not only kept his eyes shut but also did not turn his head even once, appearing extremely indifferent.
“Huangfu Shizhu, these people are aggressive, and even Wang Shizu has been injured by them. Abbot and Nine Great Bodhisattvas have also arrived; the situation is quite urgent. Huangfu Shizhu, please reconsider,” said the Novice, who was responsible for conveying the Master’s message, urging Huangfu Zhen to think it over.
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Zhen trembled slightly and slowly turned around, opening his eyes. His gaze was filled with helplessness. Although he had indeed become a monk, those outside would not necessarily accept this fact, as they would never believe it.
“Alright, I will go out to meet them. However, I have one request: do not let them approach me closely. Please convey this to the Master,” Huangfu Zhen said with great reluctance. He understood that those outside would not leave easily without seeing him, so in the end, he compromised but made one condition.
Huangfu Zhen’s request was to avoid close contact with those outside. In his heart, he believed he had already become part of the Buddhist Sect and should not be tainted by the aura of worldly people. He was now focused on seeking enlightenment and wished to remain immersed in the Sutra, sleeping without waking.
His current thought was to remain submerged in the Sutra, sleeping endlessly without any complaints.
“Very well, Huangfu Shizhu, please follow me. I will report to the Master immediately; he will certainly fulfill your request,” replied the Novice. He then led Huangfu Zhen out of the room, and they walked past several pagodas of Jialan, heading towards the main entrance.
Before long, at the entrance of the Eastern Shaolin Temple, someone brought over a screen and positioned it five hundred steps away from Lu Chen and the others.
Both Lu Chen and Chu Yuzhu were taken aback, unsure of what the Eastern Shaolin Temple was planning. As they looked on in confusion, the screen was slowly lifted by the transmitting Novice, revealing Huangfu Zhen’s back. He sat on the ground with a slightly bent back, his head completely bald, quietly reciting scriptures with a look of deep devotion.
When seen by Lu Chen and others, there was no change in Huangfu Zhen’s expression; he remained calm to an unusual degree.
At this moment, everyone fell silent because this was indeed Huangfu Zhen himself, without any deception involved. The reason for his refusal to step forward likely had its own rationale. As for what that reason was, it could only be known by Huangfu Zhen himself; yet he remained hidden while still holding power.
Seeing this scene left Lu Chen and others at a loss for words. They had confirmed that they were looking at Huangfu Zhen, who had truly become a monk. Once an emperor of a generation, he possessed remarkable abilities—neither foolish nor incompetent—he was a good emperor who simply encountered an era where the Supreme Emperor faced unfortunate circumstances.
“A once-great emperor has ended up like this; I suppose it is time for things to come to a close,” murmured Lu Chen. He had already verified Huangfu Zhen’s identity without error; he was indeed the former emperor of the previous dynasty.
He had truly renounced everything worldly to embrace monastic life.
From this moment on, Huangfu Zhen will no longer have any descendants, and the branch of the Xiongnu will end with him. Without heirs, he will no longer be able to stir up trouble. The Great Zhou Dynasty has now completely perished, becoming a part of history.
At this moment, everyone couldn't help but sigh. Huangfu Zhen's situation in this era is indeed tragic, but what can be done? The times are like this, and his fate has already been determined. Such a sorrowful ending is truly regrettable.
Since Huangfu Zhen has already renounced the world, it is meaningless to question his thoughts or why he made such a decision. Even if Lu Chen were to kill him at this moment, it would serve no purpose and would only be an act of senseless slaughter.
Over there, Chu Yuzhu was even more surprised. From the expressions of those around her, she had already understood the truth: the person before them was indeed Huangfu Zhen himself. In that case, their pursuit from Korea would be futile.
Because Huangfu Zhen's current state and his intentions clearly indicated that he had let go of everything and entered a monastic life.
At this time, for Korea to continue to cling to him and try to use Huangfu Zhen for their own purposes seemed increasingly unlikely. They did not want to kill Huangfu Zhen; rather, they wanted to "protect" him. However, it was already too late for anything now.
"Let's go." Chu Yuzhu did not hesitate and called out sharply. Immediately, the troops from Korea began to withdraw. The sound of hooves thundered as clouds of dust swirled and vanished with the wind. The iron-blooded army of Korea quickly disappeared along the mountain paths.
Seeing that Korea had retreated, Lu Chen and the others found it pointless to remain any longer. Lu Chen issued orders to collect the bodies of the fallen soldiers from the Dragon Slayer Legion and began their own withdrawal from the Eastern Shaolin Temple.
As for everything related to the Great Zhou Dynasty, it has now come to a complete end. After a long journey, Lu Chen and the others returned to Daiwa Dynasty's Baiyang City. By this time, the celebration banquet for the fall of the Great Zhou Dynasty had long since passed; it was just that Lu Chen and his group had missed it. However, there was no regret about that.
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