The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 657 The End of the Line?

Red Sect guru?

Zhao Du'an was stunned for a moment, and the image of a thin and devout old monk appeared in his mind.

That was the leader of the Western Regions delegation that came to the capital. He had also secretly pledged allegiance to Zhao Du'an and firmly believed that he was the "World Honored One who walks among men" and the embodiment of "wisdom".

Several months ago, when Zhao Du'an went to Huting to exchange Xue Shence for Xiping Road, he gave Xue Shence a handwritten letter.

He was informed of the Red Sect Master's hidden weapon, and Xue Shence was told that he could use it as needed.

"Princess, there's no need to rush. Please tell me slowly." Zhao Du'an held his breath and listened attentively.

Princess Wenzhu nodded and explained sadly:

"In fact, I do not know the details of the cause and effect. Before the Western Regions countries rose up, I had just noticed the signs when the Buddhist ancestral court sent people to put me under house arrest and strip me of my power."

After that, I knew very little about the outside world. Until one day, a master of the Red Sect suddenly visited me, forcing me to write a letter urging the Yu Kingdom to surrender, which he intended to send to the capital, Zhenguan.

"I originally refused, how could I help the Western Regions Buddhist sect to invade my Yu Kingdom's territory?"

However, I later changed my mind and thought that I might be able to take this opportunity to communicate with Zhenguan.

He then feigned writing a letter urging surrender, but in reality, he secretly hid the real letter within it using special means…

Zhao Du'an suddenly realized: "It's that letter urging surrender..."

The Empress had told him about this, mentioning that Princess Wenzhu had warned him in a secret letter to be wary of Buddhism.

Princess Wenzhu said bitterly:
"At that time, I was also gambling, and I was worried that the Buddhist sect would find out about that letter. But it seems that I successfully deceived them."

But it wasn't until recently, when the Red Sect master secretly contacted me through his disciple Danche, that I learned the secret hidden in that letter hadn't escaped the Red Sect master's notice; he simply chose to ignore it.

"The Red Sect master produced a letter written in your own handwriting, saying that Xue Shence had secretly contacted him and provided Xue Shence with a lot of information."

The Red Sect master also said that his contact with Xue Shence had already given him away, and he feared he couldn't hide it for long. Therefore, he wanted to help me escape from the Western Regions at the last moment.

Princess Wenzhu recalled:
"At first, I didn't quite believe it and was still worried that it was a Buddhist conspiracy."

But thinking that it was just a matter of life and death, she decided to take the gamble. Afterwards, the Red Sect master used his power to successfully take the Empress and her close guards away from the Golden Tent and bring them to Xiping Road, where they were then sent to the front lines.

We intended to send it to Xue Shence's military camp, but unfortunately, our plan was exposed en route, and we were hunted down by Buddhist masters.

The Nyingma master escorted them all the way, and finally chose to bring his trusted followers to cover their retreat.

That's how I escaped capture.

"After that, the Western Regions army searched for us everywhere in Xiping. We dared not contact the imperial army, so we simply fled eastward."

We were overtaken several times along the way, and our guards died one by one. Now, only the Empress and the head guard remain.

When she got to the heartbreaking part, the princess, who had been married off to a foreign land for many years, burst into tears.

Zhao Du'an, unlike her, was not sentimental and quickly sorted out the logic:

Xue Shence did indeed use the Red Sect Master as a pawn, and risked having Wenzhu deliver a message before he was rendered useless.

If all of this is true, then the message that Wenzhu carries must be extraordinary.

Wenzhu choked up for a moment, then forced herself to continue:
"After entering the city, I knew it would be difficult to enter the palace, so I came to the Imperial Censorate to find you. I wanted to see Zhenguan, but I learned that she had gone on a western expedition a few days ago. Unfortunately, I did not run into her on the way, so I could only wait for you to come."

There are many roads leading to Xiping Road, so it's not surprising that they missed each other.

Zhao Du'an said in a deep voice:

"What secret does the Red Sect master want you to bring? Is it related to the Mysterious Seal?"

Wenzhu paused for a moment, then said in surprise:
"How do you know? He only wants me to deliver one message to you."

"What?"

"Xuan Yin and the Dharma King are the same person."

Zhao Du'an's pupils suddenly narrowed!
What does this mean? Are the monk Xuan Yin and the Western Region Dharma King the same person?!
How can it be?

But then again, why is it impossible?

He and Zhenbao had once wondered why Xuan Yin could join forces with the Dharma King, and the only plausible guess they could come up with was...

It was Xuan Yin, who had not yet entered the realm of celestial beings, who went west and, when he retrieved two boxes of scriptures from the main altar in the Western Regions, he sought refuge with the Dharma King.

However, this conjecture has a logical flaw, namely:

After becoming the abbot of Shenlong Temple, Xuan Yin was promoted to the Celestial Realm.

Having become a being stronger than the Dharma King, how could he still be manipulated?

Furthermore, considering that Xuan Yin once created an avatar of the "leader of the Dharma God Sect," who had also reached the cultivation level of a half-step Celestial Being.

So... is there a possibility that:
Xuan Yin, who went to the Western Regions back then, is long dead, and his physical body has been replaced by the Dharma King.

Going even deeper, is it possible that the Mysterious Seal was originally an "external incarnation" created by the Dharma King?
Growing up gradually within Shenlong Temple?
This perfectly explains why Xuan Yin was unharmed both times he entered the Western Regions, and is now even joining forces with the Dharma King.

Only then can we explain why Xuan Yin secretly instructed Master Dajing to assassinate Zhao Du'an and then fled to the Western Regions, creating the illusion of "defection".

Because although Buddhism appears to be "divided," its leader is actually the same person.

"My lord? My lord?" Princess Wenzhu called softly when she saw him lost in thought.

Zhao Du'an snapped out of his daze, snapped out of his chaotic state, took a deep breath, and asked with a serious look:
"What else did the Nyingma master say?"

Princess Wenzhu recalled for a moment and said:

"He also said that the war in Xiping Road is what the Dharma King, or rather Xuan Yin, wants to see. The purpose is not to seize territory, but the war itself, which may help the Dharma King and Xuan Yin become one."

This is so strange? Could it be some kind of promotion ceremony? Zhao Du'an felt breathless. He stood up and paced around the room.

I keep sorting out my thoughts.

Obviously, if this news is true, and combined with Zhang Yanyi's previous statement that he had a premonition that a "human immortal" would emerge in the West, then...

Therefore, the fusion of Xuan Yin and Fa Wang, catalyzed by this war, should be the truth behind the ascension to the Human Immortal realm.

"I understand." Zhao Du'an stopped and turned to look at the weak princess lying on the bed.

"You should rest in the yamen for now. I will report this matter to His Majesty."

After saying that, he left the exhausted Wenzhu and quickly walked out.

out the door.

Ma Yan, Haitang, and the others gathered around: "How was it?"

Zhao Du'an feigned composure:
“I understand the matter. It involves some military intelligence related to Xiping Road. I will report it to His Majesty. Princess Wenzhu will be kept at the yamen for now. I trouble the eunuch to protect her and prevent any unauthorized persons from contacting her.”

Ma Yan's thin face was solemn: "Alright. Go ahead without worry."

"No... what do you mean 'go with peace of mind'? Can't you speak properly?" Zhao Du'an thought to himself, trying to ease the heaviness in his heart.

After leaving the government office, he mounted a fast horse and quickly headed towards the palace.

This is a very important matter; there is no time to calm the Empress down.

But when he arrived at the palace, he couldn't find the Empress. When he chased her to the Martial Arts Hall, the Imperial Attendant Hai, who was in charge of the palace, pointed to the old building upon hearing his purpose:
"You're too late, His Majesty has already 'passed away'."

……

……

The Western Regions, the ancestral home of Buddhism.

Inside the majestic, gilded temple, in a grand hall painted in vibrant colors, Xuan Yin, dressed in a brown monk's robe and with a hunched back, knelt on the ground, chanting sutras with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, the temple doors swung open with a bang, and in the sunlight, Bianji, trailing his white monk's robes, walked in: "Abbot, the Nyingma master has been brought back. Shall we bring him in?"

"kindness."

Bianji turned around and waved to the outside.

A moment later, two muscular monks, one on each side, dragged an old man in a red robe in like a dead dog.

He threw the old man to the ground, then silently turned and left.

Xuan Yin opened his eyes, slowly stood up, then turned around, looking down at the old man slumped on the ground. The Red Sect master was covered in wounds, both legs were broken, and a huge, gold-painted wooden nail had pierced through the center of his dantian, making his injuries gruesome and terrifying.

However, the Red Sect master slowly, with his last bit of strength, sat up and met Xuan Yin's cold, almost inhuman eyes.

"You have betrayed the World Honored One," Xuan Yin said coldly, as if delivering a judgment.

The Nyingma master shook his head, weak but firm, and said:
“I have never betrayed you. It is you, it is you who have betrayed the true meaning of the Buddha and turned away from the path of Maya the Practitioner.”

He seemed to still be smiling, even though his face was covered in blood, a pious glow still shone on it as he murmured:

“Shenlong Temple inherited the legacy of Maya Xingzhe from a thousand years ago, but you have usurped it all. You are the one who betrayed the World Honored One.”

Xuan Yin coldly asked, "Tell me, what do you know?"

The Nyingma master smiled and, with trembling hands, carefully removed the blood-stained prayer beads from his neck. He then clasped his hands together, wrapped them around the beads, and closed his eyes.

He refused to answer.

Bianji, standing to the side, couldn't help but say:

“Abbot, let me take him to the punishment hall.”

“No need,” Xuan Yin shook his head.
"He won't tell. You can go out now and close the door."

Bianji was stunned for a moment, not understanding why. He wanted to ask, but before he could speak, Xuanyin forced him to back down with a look.

Bianji felt a sense of fear, and suddenly felt that the abbot in front of him was becoming more and more unfamiliar, and more and more...fearful!
When did it begin? It seems to have started from the moment we arrived at the main altar.

Bianji left and closed the palace gates.

As the sunlight faded, only candlelight remained burning inside the hall.

Xuan Yin walked step by step toward the Red Sect master who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, and said:
“Since you are so devout, I will send you to see the World-Honored One.”

He suddenly pounced on the Red Sect master, opened his mouth, and bit down hard on the master's neck, tearing off a piece of flesh. Blood gushed out, and Xuan Yin swallowed the flesh piece by piece, first the neck, then the shoulder, then the chest...

The Nyingma master died silently.

Deep within the dimly lit hall, a tall lotus platform had appeared out of nowhere.

On the lotus platform, a huge robe inlaid with hundreds of colorful and rare gemstones was laid out on the platform, and the robe was draped over the body of a solemn and dignified monk.

The monk wore a crown, held a staff in one hand and a prayer wheel in the other.

It was the Dharma King of the Western Regions.

But at this moment, a smile slowly appeared on the Dharma King's middle-aged face, and that face was becoming more and more like Xuan Yin's.

……

……

Outside the main gate of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"Brother Zhao? We were just talking about you, and here you are."

Gongshu Tianyuan laughed heartily and was the first to come out from inside the gate to greet them.

He was assigned to look after the house, and thus missed the trip to the southwest.

After the old Celestial Master and the others returned, Gongshu Tianyuan grabbed the other disciples and kept questioning them. After learning about the great things the group had done in the past four days, he couldn't help but feel envious, jealous, and resentful, only regretting that he couldn't participate.

"Ah, this must be Miss Tuoba?"

Gongshu Tianyuan then warmly extended his generous hand to the female priestess draped in a black cloak.

Tuoba Weizhi remained expressionless: "Hehe."

Gongshu Tianyuan: "..."

At this moment, Yu Xiu, Jin Jian, and Han Zhao also came out to greet them. The female Taoist nun raised her eyebrows:

"Why are you here again so soon? Did something happen?"

Zhao Du'an nodded: "I want to see the Celestial Master."

The group exchanged glances, all noticing the seriousness in his tone. They immediately perked up and led the master and servant toward Zhang Yanyi's courtyard.

But when the group pushed open the gate to the inner courtyard, they were all taken aback.

In the quiet courtyard, Zhang Yan stood with his hands behind his back under the banyan tree, looking up at the canopy with a solemn expression.

And the banyan tree, which should be lush and green in spring, still retains half of its lush and vigorous vitality in half of its canopy.

But the other half of the tree canopy is like late autumn, with leaves all golden yellow. When the spring breeze blows through the yard, the golden leaves fall softly and cover the ground.

A sense of desolation and bleakness pervades the air.

"This……"

Zhao Du'an was startled, a strong sense of unease rising within him for no apparent reason. He didn't know what this meant, but his intuition told him that the strange phenomenon before him was definitely not a good thing.

"Master, what's wrong with the banyan tree?!" Gongshu Tianyuan exclaimed, his eyes wide, acting as the mouthpiece.

Han Zhao, who was standing to the side, was completely different from his usual carefree self, and his expression was unusually solemn:
"The lineage of the Celestial Master's Mansion is losing its vitality."

Zhao Du'an looked at him: "What do you mean by that?"

The priest, whose main focus was on [Destiny], said in a deep voice:
"This banyan tree was planted by the first Celestial Master when the Celestial Master's Mansion was established. It is said that the first Celestial Master brought it back from the Mubei Forest. At that time, it was only a small sapling the thickness of a thumb. It took nearly a thousand years to grow to its current size. The roots of the banyan tree are already connected with the energy of the entire Celestial Master's Mansion."

The connection here is not about water and soil, but about destiny.

A thriving banyan tree signifies a prosperous future for the Celestial Master's Mansion, while a withered banyan tree foretells a precarious future for the mansion.

Six hundred years ago, during the Tian Shou's persecution of Buddhism, it withered away once.

"Is that so?" Zhao Du'an was taken aback and instinctively said:

"Was it because a large number of Celestial Master's Mansion officials went to Xiping Road to fight with the Buddhist sect, and some were killed or injured?"

Zhang Yanyi spoke at this moment:
"This is only one of the reasons. The battle situation in Xiping Road must be dangerous, but it would never cause the banyan tree to change so quickly. Therefore, there is only one truth."

He turned around and looked at Zhao Du'an:

"The ominous signs of the Heavenly Book are drawing ever closer to us. They may be more urgent than I previously anticipated."

Zhao Du'an's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned grim as he said:
"I have just learned some information about Xuan Yin and the Dharma King."

Then, without hiding anything, he revealed the information that the Red Sect guru had given him before his death.

Is the Mysterious Seal Dharma King really the same person?!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the officials, including Zhang Yanyi, changed drastically.

“So that’s how it is…” Zhang Yan murmured.

"It matches up, the signs match up."

He suddenly looked at Zhao Du'an and said in a deep voice:

"We don't have much time left, we must act quickly."

The banyan tree, half-withered and yellow, resembled a precarious progress bar, making everyone's heartstrings twitch.

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath and nodded:
“I understand, so I’m prepared to rest for only one day. Tomorrow we’ll open the second door and gather the keys as soon as possible. We can’t delay any longer.”

……

at the same time.

A storm is brewing on the sea off the coast of the Thousand Islands in the East China Sea.

Wu Xiankui wore hemp shoes, his long black and white hair was messy and draped over his shoulders. He walked on the waves, and a jujube-red mark between his eyebrows flickered.

Alone, he looked up at the raging hurricane and dark clouds on the sea, feeling the power of the "sea god".

Wu Xiankui coughed up blood, wiped it away with his hand, pursed his lips, and stepped into the storm.

(End of this chapter)