The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 685 The Battle to Ascend to Heaven

The Western Regions, the ancestral home of Buddhism.

Sunlight filters through the clouds, illuminating the glazed tiles of the Jin Guang Temple, which sits atop the mountainside and reflects a golden glow.

The once magnificent temple, where bells rang incessantly, is now eerily quiet.

Driven by a decree from the Dharma King, monks from all over the Western Regions rushed to the battlefield, leaving this vast holy land of the Western Regions deserted with hardly any people in sight.

At this moment, on the central axis of Jin Guang Temple, which leads directly from the main entrance to the Mahavira Hall at the deepest part, a monk dressed in pure white robes is running hurriedly across the plaza paved with pure white jade.

With each hand, Bianji lifted the hem of his monk's robe, and with each leap on the stone slab, his monk's shoes covered a great distance.

Finally, he arrived at the deepest part of Jin Guang Temple, where the magnificent hall doors were closed beneath the huge five-sided glazed tile roof.

Bianji stopped in his tracks. He stood outside the door with some fear, took a deep breath, and shouted:
"Abbot!"

Inside the palace gates, there was a brief silence before Xuan Yin's aged voice rang out:

"I have said that I shall not be disturbed during my seclusion."

Bianji hurriedly defended himself:
“Something serious has happened! The Buddha amulet that Master Dajing placed in the temple was broken just now, and not even his soul was left behind. I’m afraid he encountered the Empress of Yu Kingdom and was killed by her.”

The hall fell silent again, with no response for a long time.

Bianji stood bowing outside the hall, fine beads of sweat seeping from his bald head.

He tentatively called out "Abbot" a few more times, but received no response.

An indescribable fear began to grow wildly in his heart.

The former "successor" of Shenlong Temple carefully raised his head and looked at the towering vermilion gate in front of him.

It's like an ant standing outside the South Gate of Heaven in folk legend, giving rise to an endless sense of insignificance and humility.

Bianji couldn't recall when he had started to feel such fear towards Xuanyin, whom he regarded as his mentor.

The once unfathomable teacher, who had never been stingy with his earnest teachings, gradually became a stranger after arriving in the Western Regions. The occasional glances he received sent chills down Bianji's spine.

"Abbot! Have you encountered some mishap in your cultivation? If you do not respond, this disciple has dared to enter!"

Bianji shouted loudly, but still received no response.

He took a deep breath, finally raised his hands, and pressed them hard against the towering palace gate, using his arms to exert force.

"Zha zha zha—"

He finally pushed open the heavy palace doors.

The eastern sunlight bypassed his thin body and poured into the dark hall.

At first, a bright line shone through the ground, gradually spreading out, and everything inside the hall was reflected in Bianji's eyes.

The Buddhist hall, which should have been solemn and dignified, was filled with an unsettling and ominous atmosphere.

The benevolent faces of the Buddha statues on both sides of the main hall also appeared ferocious as the light and shadow shifted.

In the center, at the deepest part, on the huge lotus throne where the Dharma King sat, the Western Region Dharma King, dressed in gorgeous colorful robes and wearing a crown inlaid with various gemstones, was embracing Xuan Yin, whose brown monk's robe was also open.

Their bodies, flesh and blood, were fused together, like deformed conjoined twins.

Most of Xuan Yin's body had merged into the Dharma King's chest and abdomen, as if it had been eaten!
Meanwhile, the head of the middle-aged Dharma King and the head of the old man Xuan Yin were tearing at each other's shoulders.

Amidst the thick stench of blood, the Dharma King and Xuan Yin simultaneously released each other, turning their heads together. Two heads, four eyes, stared intently at the intruding white-robed monk.

"what--"

Bianji cried out in alarm, an indescribable fear exploding in his heart, almost making his soul fly away!
He tried to run away, but was horrified to find that he could no longer move his body, as if he were frozen in place, and could only watch helplessly as the two people inside the hall embraced and devoured each other.

After an unknown amount of time, Xuan Yin's entire body merged into the Dharma King's body.

The Dharma King's blood-stained face twisted and changed, the features of the two people overlapped and intertwined, and finally, a brand new face was formed!

A vast radiance of Buddha light unfolded behind the Dharma King. He smiled and stood up, stepping down from the lotus platform, barefoot, before Bianji, and slowly said:

"Tathagata, Tathagata, today, as all Buddhas have returned, I grant you permission to enter the Sumeru Heaven."

Then, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who had returned to the human world, had his chest split open and his body swelled up. In Bianji's despairing gaze, he devoured him.

When only a blood-stained white monk's robe remained on the ground, Ksitigarbha staggered out of the main hall and looked towards the Jade Gate Pass in the east.

His face first radiated unparalleled joy, but then, unease gradually crept into his brow.

"This humble monk has already attained the realm of immortals; who in this world can rival me?"

……

……

Yumen Pass.

Empress Xu Zhenguan of the Great Yu Dynasty stood alone on the city wall, which was blackened and mottled by the flames of war.

In sight, the mountains and plains outside the city were filled with Western Region monks and soldiers from various countries, who surrounded the city but did not attack.

Her dragon robe remained spotless, the beaded curtain above her head, symbolizing the emperor, still shone brightly, and the Tai'a sword at her waist was sharp and gleaming.

Yet, on that stunningly beautiful face, her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, and her beautiful eyes revealed a sorrowful sadness at the shattered state of the nation.

The rising sun behind her illuminated the armor and swords of the remaining imperial guards within the ruined Yumen Pass, and then the tattered dragon flag fluttering in the wind atop the city wall.

In this long-fallen city, there was no life left except for them.

But the dragon flags on the city walls constantly proved that this place was still the territory of Dayu.

Like the last island in a vast ocean.

A figure in a bright red python robe stepped onto the cracked blue bricks and arrived at the city wall. The white-haired Hai Gongfeng gazed intently at the Empress's retreating figure, bowing deeply in a trembling voice:

"As Your Majesty commands, all the soldiers who died in battle within the city shall be buried on the spot and their bodies draped in dragon banners. Now, there are forty-eight remaining soldiers in the city, all of whom have been gathered here and are awaiting Your Majesty's command."

Amidst the smoke and fire of war, the Empress, still as dignified as a jade statue, finally came to her senses, turned around, and her gaze swept over the forty-seven people lined up below the city walls.

In silence.

Dressed in black armor and wielding a heavy halberd, Xue Shence strode forward, then suddenly knelt on one knee, speaking earnestly and loudly:
"Your Majesty! This battle has been lost. Your Majesty's body cannot be harmed. I humbly request that Your Majesty be escorted out of this city to reunite with the troops behind the lines and rebuild our lost territories!"

Tang Jinzhong, a court attendant, followed closely behind, also kneeling on one knee:
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you be escorted out of the city!"

Having already entered the realm of worldly affairs, Song Jinxi knelt on one knee, his voice like the mournful cry of a cuckoo:

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that you escort His Majesty out of the city!"

"We, your humble servants, request permission..."

"Your subject requests permission..."

One after another, seasoned warriors knelt on the ground, their emotions sincere and heartfelt.

However, Xu Zhenguan's eyes were filled with sorrow. She gently shook her head and said, "It's too late."

“Your Majesty…” Hai Gongfeng raised his head in astonishment, as if wanting to confirm his guess.

Xu Zhenguan's next words, however, struck them like a hammer blow:

"I was able to sense the changes in the heavenly secrets. Several days ago, I had a premonition that the Xuan Seal was about to break through, which is why I made a desperate attempt. Unfortunately, I have already reached the Jade Gate Pass, but it is too late."

At this moment, almost everyone felt the change in the atmosphere between heaven and earth, as if a furnace was rising from the west, more intense than the sun behind them.

Just as when a vast ocean is boiled, all life within it becomes aware of it.

Xu Zhenguan's voice drifted on the wind:
"Above the heavens and man, there is no one in the mortal realm who can rival us. If that is the case, even if we were to fight our way out again, where could we retreat to?"

She suddenly reached out her slender hand and grasped the flagpole beside her. The Empress held the dragon flag tightly in her hand and raised it high:
"It is often said that the emperor guards the nation's gate. I was appointed to the throne during a crisis and have been on the throne for several years, always in a state of fear and trepidation. Now that there is no way out, how can I hand over the territory of Yumen to others?"

The frail and elderly Grandpa Hai, his voice choked with sobs, stretched out his hands:

"Your Majesty, this old servant has guarded the Xu family's gate for over a hundred years. Today, I humbly request to carry the flag for Your Majesty."

Xu Zhenguan smiled nonchalantly, nodded slightly, and handed over the dragon flag. Gripping her sword hilt in her left hand, she gazed once more at the silent, surging enemy outside the city, like a vast ocean. The sword hummed softly, and she murmured:

"Then shall we, master and servant, charge into battle once more?"

Xue Shence and his soldiers were moved, a surge of sorrow and fervor welling up within them:

"We swear to follow you to the death!"

Xu Zhenguan smiled as the cold wind blew in from the pass, causing her yellow robe to flutter.

At this moment, she finally turned her head again with lingering affection, looking towards the direction of Mubei Forest, her red lips pressed tightly together, thinking:

Zhao Du'an, I must take my leave now.

It's a pity I can't wait for you to come back.

Just as she was about to draw her sword and head west, the Tai'a sword at her waist suddenly seemed to sense something and began to tremble wildly, excitedly, and joyfully!

Xu Zhenguan followed the sword intent in a daze and turned around. In her pupils, she saw a white rainbow that had arrived in an instant from thousands of miles away and stretched across the sky and earth.

A gentle breeze suddenly brushed my face.

A figure appeared silently beside her.

Zhao Du'an's warm, dry hand was placed on the Empress's cold, jade-like hand that was tightly gripping the sword hilt.

He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, where do you intend to go?"

The Empress stared blankly at the familiar face so close to her, the face that had haunted her dreams for countless nights over the past year.

Two lines of tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

Endless, complex, filled with longing, surprise, resentment, pity... countless emotions blended into an inseparable sentiment.

She could no longer maintain her imperial demeanor, and almost in a sorry state, she threw herself into his arms, weeping silently: "I... thought you... were dead."

Zhao Du'an smiled gently:

"Your Majesty, I have promised to meet you outside. How dare I disobey your decree?"

Beside him, Grandpa Hai, carrying the dragon flag, was so shocked that he was almost speechless, only trembling.

Beneath the city wall, generals Xue Shence, Tang Jinzhong, Song Jinxi, and others, along with their retainers, stared in utter shock at the figure on the city wall who was embracing the Empress—a figure known to everyone in the entire Yu Kingdom.

"grown ups……"

"Lord Zhao...is back..."

For no apparent reason, even in the face of dire straits, a vibrant and powerful life force rose from the hearts of the forty-eight people, like a wildfire that could never be extinguished.

It was as if everyone firmly believed that as long as this person appeared, all miracles would happen.

"I...I, the Emperor..."

Xu Zhenguan belatedly realized her lapse in composure and hurriedly broke free from him like a little woman, wiping away her tears. She tried to maintain her imperial demeanor but felt conflicted. Finally, she steeled herself and pretended that the surrounding officials were not there. She raised her head, opened her lips, and wanted to ask.

I want to ask about everything, everything from the past year, but I don't know how to begin.

Zhao Du'an smiled, then suddenly extended a finger and pressed it against her lips. Then, with the same finger, he gently touched the Empress's brow, and a faint light shone forth.

Images and information, like a torrent, poured into the Empress's consciousness from her fingertips.

Xu Zhenguan was stunned. After a moment, she learned everything that had happened in the Mubei Forest.

The memories she experienced in her puppet body, the memories that had already vanished into the world, are now being returned to her by Zhao Du'an.

The two memories merged naturally and perfectly. Xu Zhenguan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he understood everything.

She raised her hand and stroked Zhao Du'an's cheek, a smile appearing on her tear-streaked face:

"I knew you could do it."

Zhao Du'an smiled, then turned around, looked towards the direction beyond the pass, his gaze passing over the countless monks and soldiers, towards the distant mountain sky, and said loudly:
"Ksitigarbha, now that you have arrived, why not show yourself?"

His voice echoed across the vast land, like the roar of heaven and earth.

Countless people outside the city looked up in astonishment, and then everyone saw endless ripples spreading across the sky.

High in the sky, a blurry kingdom spread across the heavens.

Clad in colorful robes and adorned with a jeweled crown, the middle-aged Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, barefoot, stood atop the clouds, his majestic gaze sweeping down upon the men and women atop the city wall below. His voice, like a resounding bell, carried a mixture of shock and anger.
"Maya! How come you're not dead?!"

Zhao Du'an smiled, shook his head, and said:
"First, my name is not Maya, but Zhao Du'an. People in the capital of Yu Kingdom call me King Yan Zhao. You can call me that too."

"Secondly, since you, the traitor, are still alive, how could I bear to die?"

"Third, six hundred years ago, Old Xu cleaned you up once, but unfortunately it wasn't thorough. But this time, I'm personally cleaning up your house."

Ksitigarbha was extremely angry, but even he himself didn't realize that his voice contained a deep fear:
“Zhao Du’an! I remember now, I should have killed you long ago, killed you…”

Then the anger on his face disappeared, replaced by a dignified and solemn expression.
“Benefactor Zhao, this humble monk has already achieved great mastery of Buddhism. You are no match for me. How about we each take a step back and each take half of this world? A thousand years of cultivation is not easy. Why fight to the death for mortal ants?”

Zhao Du'an stood on the wall, thought seriously for a while, and then he smiled brightly:

"I also have a plan. You commit suicide here, and then I will completely annihilate your soul. Then I will spare your disciples and followers."

At this moment, on the plains outside the city, tens of thousands of Buddhist monks from the Western Regions stared at the sky in astonishment, deeply shocked by the conversation between the two sides.

They didn't understand why their Dharma King had changed his appearance, nor did they understand why the Dharma King called Zhao Du'an "Maya".

Maya Maya... Could he not be the holy master who founded the Buddhist sect a thousand years ago?

At that moment, as the faith of countless monks on earth wavered, the "Sumeru Buddha Kingdom" behind Ksitigarbha began to flicker. His face was extremely gloomy, and he cursed:
"waste."

Then it opened its huge mouth and with a single inhale, devoured countless monks outside the city, turning them into its own and merging them into one.

In a fit of rage, he gradually transformed into the golden sky, flying into the divine kingdom in the clouds. It was as if the Sumeru Buddhist Kingdom, with its countless magnificent palaces and the sounds of Buddhist chants and cicada songs, was a huge "scroll" that spread out, covering the sky and the sun.

"Zhao Du'an! If you're courting death, this humble monk will grant you a chance to pass on to the afterlife!"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva roared angrily, then his face turned compassionate and dignified:

"Benefactor Zhao, do you dare to ascend to the heavens and fight?"

“Zhao Qing…” The Empress’s heart tightened, and her jade hand instinctively reached out to grasp him, only to see Zhao Du’an gently shake his head at her:
"wait for me."

The Empress gritted her teeth and said, almost pleadingly:
"Wait, put on my dragon robe..."

She wanted to unbutton her robe in public, because the dragon robe was also a defensive robe, but Zhao Du'an stopped her.

Zhao Du'an looked up at the sky and softly chanted, his voice carrying an ancient charm:

"How can we say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you. The king is raising an army; let us prepare our spears and shields, and fight together against this common enemy."

He leaped into the air, surrounded by luminous feathers:
"How can it be said that we have no clothes? We will share the same garments with you. The king is raising an army; let us prepare our spears and halberds, and fight together with you."

Before everyone's eyes, he transformed into a white rainbow and soared into the sky:

"How can I say that I have no clothes? I share the same clothes with you. When the king raised an army, he repaired my armor and soldiers and went with me!"

High in the sky.

Zhao Du'an stretched out his entire body, and the blue clouds beneath his feet, the blue lotus between his brows, and the radiant glow surrounding him merged into one, enveloping his entire body. He transformed into a rainbow and ascended into the sky.

His handsome face shone with a beautiful and clear glow.

The supreme being of heaven and earth, only this perfect man.

Zhao Du'an did not turn around, not daring to look at the Empress, who was still gazing longingly at him from the city wall behind him. He feared that a moment of weakness would cause him to hesitate in battle because of the beauty.

Countless memories from the past thousand years flooded his mind, and he was absolutely certain that Maya's life a thousand years ago was truly bland and tasteless, while all the cherishing and reluctance were concentrated in the few short years of this life, spent with the beauty on the city wall day and night.

Gods? Those who have abandoned humanity?
Ordinary people? With thoughts and intentions?
Who is right and who is wrong...

A thousand years ago, before his death, he had already made his choice. In this life, this immortal born from the mundane world must fight for everything he cherishes.

Between heaven and earth, the Jade Gate Pass serves as the boundary, dividing heaven and earth into two parts, just like the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

Ksitigarbha is in the sky.

A celestial being has been reborn in the world.

At that moment, the entire continent saw the white rainbow shooting straight into the sky.

In the village, a barefoot, black-haired, porcelain-like woman, carrying a porcelain bottle, walked among the crowd treating the wounded. Suddenly, she raised her hand and looked towards the western sky, her serene face revealing a look of shock and enlightenment.

She clasped her hands together and bowed devoutly, saying, "Amitabha..."

In a forest, Lu Yan'er, the "Princess Consort of Jing," wearing a veil and a silver mask, was about to remove her mask to fight to the death with the enemy in front of her.

Suddenly, everyone stopped fighting and looked up into the distance. For no apparent reason, Lu Yan'er felt a stirring in her heart, and a name came to mind:
"Lord Zhao."

On the riverbank, Young Master Tang Ping, his red tassel already cut off, rode on horseback, loudly directing his soldiers to cross the river:
"Young Master Dong! You take the elderly, women, and children and go first. I'll cover the rear!"

Suddenly, Shi Meng, the commander of the Shenji Battalion, called out to him, "Look over there!"

The river is gurgling.

Tang Ping, Shi Meng, Chen Huoshen, and Dong Datong, the scholar who once abandoned his pen for the sword and had long since developed courage and banditry, looking up at the western sky in awe, completely different from the scholar he once was.

……

Yunfu Road.

A war is about to break out, and Zhao Shixiong's border army will once again fight a decisive battle against Song Zhi's Liao people.

Suddenly, both of them had a sudden inspiration and stopped fighting at the same time, turning their heads to look at the distant Jade Gate Pass.

The two, whose cultivation was comparable to that of a half-step Celestial Being, saw far more than others, and they were so shocked that they lost the ability to speak.

Zhao Shixiong suddenly burst into laughter: "Song Zhi, he's back! You're all finished!"

Song Zhi's face was ashen.

In the capital, Mo Chou led her officials and ministers to hear the bells of the Celestial Master's Mansion. The assembled officials walked out of the Golden Palace, stood in the square, and gazed westward into the distance.

……

The blue lotus leads the way, the rosy clouds protect us, and the blue clouds soar.

Zhao Du'an transformed into a white rainbow, defying the heavens.

Under the watchful eyes of countless familiar faces, he resolutely ascended into the sky, closed his eyes, and burned himself into a blazing white flame, silently reciting:
Wait until the beginning, clean up the old mountains and rivers, and face the sky.

His body gradually became transparent in the flames, like a true god, with only one last human thought lingering: that in the mortal world, there was a woman waiting for him alone.

The white rainbow had already reached the edge of Sumeru Heaven. Zhao Du'an suddenly opened his eyes and roared in a low voice:
"Ksitigarbha, come down and face your death!"

Seated in his divine kingdom, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva only perceived a vast human world where the thoughts of countless people flowed like trickles of water into a great river. The mortal beings he regarded as ants suddenly unleashed a power of thought strong enough to destroy the gods, causing the entire divine kingdom to tremble on the verge of collapse.

Only now did a genuine fear arise in his heart; two faces overlapped, uttering overlapping sounds:

"Zhao Du'an, you'll die a horrible death!"

Throughout the vast land of China, countless living beings witnessed a scene they would never forget in their lifetime:
The entire world's sky was engulfed by white fireworks, as if to burn away all filth, and the myriad rays of the rising sun were no longer dazzling.

A prairie fire spreads from the heavens.

-

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(End of this chapter)