Chapter 36: Xuanji Temple
When Qin Sang had broken through to the second stage, the process had gone smoothly and effortlessly. He had been quite pleased with himself, even considering the possibility that he might be a natural genius in cultivation. But now, as he found himself stuck without any progress for so long, he couldn’t help but start doubting his abilities.
Even if he wasn’t a genius, he could accept being of average talent—but surely he wasn’t a fool, right?
He didn’t know if this kind of situation was normal, but with no progress over such a long time, his patience was gradually wearing thin, and he couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Without a master to guide him, Qin Sang had to figure things out on his own. The second stage had been so easy to break through, yet now he was stuck at a bottleneck. Is it just the art itself, or are there other factors involved?
Perhaps it is related to herbal baths.
After settling down in the Blood-Clad Tower, Qin Sang had taken the opportunity to return to the City of Three Witches, but he hadn’t found Daoist Jixin or Ming Yue. He heard that shortly after the fire at their temple, they had given it over to the disaster victims and sailed south, leaving the Great Sui Kingdom behind.
It was around the same time that the Dongyang King and Zhenshui King had raised their flags in rebellion.
Without Daoist Jixin, Qin Sang had to find another way. He managed to gather a few prescriptions for strengthening the body and nourishing vitality within the Blood-Clad Tower, but unfortunately, none of them were as effective as the herbal baths.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Outside, the Water Monkey spoke in a low voice, "Leader, General Zhou has arrived."
Qin Sang’s face lit up with joy. He hurriedly got up to straighten his clothes and called out loudly, "Quick, invite him in!"
Before long, the Water Monkey led a middle-aged man in armor through the door. The man walked up to Qin Sang and bowed deeply, "I, Zhou Mingguang, greets Mr. Qin!"
Officially, Qin Sang was an aide to the Dongyang Lady, with no formal rank. Thus, those outside the Blood-Clad Tower addressed him as Mr. Qin.
Qin Sang extended his hand to support Zhou Mingguang, looking him over with a smile. "General Zhou, we’ve known each other for a while now; there’s no need for such formalities. I’ve been deeply worried about troubling you to detour to Hunwu County, fearing it might interfere with the crucial military matters of the military commander."
Zhou Mingguang was a trusted aide of General Mu. Two months earlier, after Hening County had fallen, Qin Sang had met him once.
General Mu had captured Hening County without losing a single soldier, earning great merit. With the commandery lady's recommendation, he was promoted to the right military commander of the Brave Regiment. As a result, Zhou Mingguang also rose in rank, becoming a vanguard general[1] in command of the crossbow unit.
Qin Sang, in turn, was rightfully promoted to the leader of the Blood-Clad Tower, though the official documents had yet to arrive.
The only thing that displeased Qin Sang was that Wang Liu, who had delayed military orders, hadn’t been punished. Instead, he had gained a great advantage during the attack on Jiangzhou’s capital and was now appointed the right military commander of the Might Regiment.
"I wouldn’t dare!"
Zhou Mingguang, who had witnessed the hellish scene at Chu Dazhuang’s residence, treated Qin Sang with the utmost respect. "Mr. Qin, the military commander sends his regards. He had intended to visit you personally, but urgent military matters required him to lead his troops to Beipingzhou via the main road. However, he entrusted me with the crossbow unit under his command, bringing five hundred Divine Crossbows here, all at your disposal!"
"Excellent!"
Qin Sang clapped his hands in delight. He had shared the majority of the credit with General Mu and had stayed in Hunwu County for so long precisely for these crossbowmen.
His target was, of course, Xuanji Temple within Hunwu County!
Ever since learning from Saint Yuanjue that Xuanji Temple housed the remnants of an immortal cultivator’s legacy, Qin Sang had been plotting how to get his hands on it.
His qinggong couldn’t compare to the top martial artists in the world, so sneaking into Xuanji Temple undetected was impossible. Although Saint Yuanjue was dead, Xuanji Temple still had innate-stage masters and countless top-tier experts guarding it.
He could have used King Yan’s abilities to silently kill them, but Xuanji Temple was a sacred place known throughout the Great Sui Kingdom. If word got out that all the monks at Xuanji Temple had suddenly perished, it would cause an uproar across the kingdom.
And the Great Sui Kingdom had immortal masters watching over it.
After much deliberation, Qin Sang concluded that relying on secular forces was the most reliable method. Faced with five hundred Divine Crossbows, even the abbot of Xuanji Temple wouldn’t dare act recklessly unless he wanted the entire temple wiped out.
When Zhou Mingguang heard that Qin Sang’s target was Xuanji Temple, a troubled expression crossed his face. "Mr. Qin, I’ve heard that Xuanji Temple has an innate-stage master guarding it. I fear that a mere five hundred crossbowmen may not be enough…"
"General Zhou, there’s no need to worry!"
Qin Sang replied confidently, "If the innate-stage master dares to strike, I’ll handle it myself. The only concern is that the monks of Xuanji Temple may be stubbornly loyal to the fake emperor and refuse to submit to the rightful king. That’s why I need you to bring troops to intimidate them. If they’re sensible and admit their guilt, the king has no desire to completely annihilate them… I’ve already prepared food and wine. I’ll trouble you, General Zhou, to take it back and reward the soldiers. We’ll set off at dawn tomorrow to avoid delaying the march. Once the task is complete, you can expect a generous reward from me."
"Yes sir!"
…
At dawn the next day, Qin Sang led the Blood-Clad Tower's forces to rendezvous with Zhou Mingguang. After a quick meal, they set off on a forced march. By midday, they had stationed their troops before the gates of Xuanji Temple.
The ancient temple was hidden deep within the mountains.
As the mountain wind rustled through the dense forest, a soft, whistling sound echoed.
The path up the mountain was paved with slabs of azure stone, each about half a step wide, extending from the base of the mountain all the way to the temple gate, wide enough for five riders to walk abreast.
Xuanji Temple.
The bold and vigorous characters on the plaque emanated a profound and ancient aura.
In front of the mountain gate, two stone-carved lions glared fiercely at the approaching visitors.
The tall steps leading up to the temple were littered with fallen leaves, and not a single monk could be seen. The massive red doors, several zhang[2] high, were tightly shut, with no sound coming from within.
The autumn wind was bleak.
Before the temple gate lay a vast, flat area. Qin Sang, dressed in the armor of an ordinary soldier, looked up at this martial arts sanctuary, his gaze passing over the tall outer walls to glimpse the curved eaves and upturned corners within.
He could hear the nervous breathing coming from inside Xuanji Temple.
Leading the group, Zhou Mingguang waved his hand, and the sound of footsteps echoed as over a thousand soldiers spread out in formation. Five hundred Divine Crossbows were simultaneously drawn, arrows aimed at the red doors.
Zhou Mingguang glanced at Qin Sang, who gave a slight nod.
"Switch to fire arrows!"
Zhou Mingguang shouted the command. The moment his words fell, a deep, resonant Buddhist chant suddenly echoed from within Xuanji Temple.
"Wait!"
Following the chant, a series of hurried footsteps sounded from inside. The red doors creaked open, and an elderly monk with a rosy complexion and white brows and beard stepped out first.
Behind him, a group of monks filed out in succession, their faces filled with indignation, brandishing staffs and pointing them at the soldiers.
Seeing the monk’s kasaya, Qin Sang thought to himself that this must be Abbot Yuanzhen of Xuanji Temple, the junior brother of Saint Yuanjue, and one of the most revered figures in the martial world of the Great Sui.
"Amitabha."
Abbot Yuanzhen’s gaze was sorrowful as he scanned the scene. Fixing his eyes on Zhou Mingguang, he asked in a solemn voice, "I am Yuanzhen. May I ask the general’s name?"
Zhou Mingguang replied in a deep voice, "I am Zhou Mingguang, a humble general under the command of the king."
Abbot Yuanzhen nodded slightly, then his expression darkened as he questioned, "General Zhou, Xuanji Temple is a place of monks, devoted to compassion, accompanying the ancient lamps and Buddhas, untouched by worldly affairs. What crime could we have committed to warrant such a military confrontation and the presence of your troops?"
"Ancient lamps and Buddhas?"
Zhou Mingguang sneered and laughed heartily. "The monk soldiers from Duling County who helped the fake emperor defend the city, slaughtering countless sons of Dongyang Commandery—were they not disciples of Xuanji Temple?"
Abbot Yuanzhen’s expression remained unchanged as he argued, "General Zhou, you must understand, those monk soldiers merely learned their skills at Xuanji Temple. Once they left, they had no further connection with us. I have already explained this to the eldest prince in person. If you inquire, you will know the truth."
1. This is a military rank in ancient China. ☜
2. An ancient Chinese unit of length, about 3.33 meters. ☜
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