Patrol Captain

"Is the information reliable?" Xiao Zhongtian closed the folded document, his eyes narrowing, a chilling glint in them.

"Your Highness, it should be correct. It was relayed by one of our palace spies. Although His Majesty issued a secret edict, the entourage sent to deliver it was quite large. I heard the Emperor's rewards were generous, all military equipment, so the escort was even larger. Word has leaked out, and these men are probably already on their way." Yan Sun tilted his head, speaking softly, then hesitated, "Your Highness, regarding this matter..."

Xiao Zhongtian took the lead, stepped aside, and gave a cold laugh.
"This really surprised me. I never expected that my elder brother, who looks down on everyone, would bow down to that Chen fellow. Helian Shan relinquished power, and the situation in Shu caused instability in the court. My elder brother killed officials in the palace for this matter. I was originally thinking of sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight, but I didn't expect him to suddenly become so magnanimous and willing to be granted a title and a prime ministership to reward the army that attacked Helian Shan."

"I wonder what they're up to!"

As he spoke, the Liang King's voice grew increasingly sinister, his hand clenching so tightly that the folded document in his palm instantly turned to dust.

"Does Your Highness mean there's something fishy about this?" Yan Sun's expression turned suspicious as he stepped forward, seemingly lost in thought.

"I know my elder brother too well. That Chen fellow is like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, unruly and disrespectful to the court. My elder brother is no benevolent ruler and will never let this go. Right now, intelligence from Shu indicates that the Mountain Expeditionary Army is recruiting soldiers on a large scale, claiming that they will send troops to attack the demon race, making a huge show of force."

"Who knows? I simply don't believe that this arrogant and indiscriminate killer would fight to the death against the demon race for the people of Shu. What a joke! In my opinion, he's nothing but a fraud, using this as an excuse to raise a private army for himself. He's like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, letting me fight the emperor while he reaps the benefits." When Xiao Zhongtian spoke of Chen Yuan, a few streaks of blood appeared in his slanted eyes, filled with anger and hatred.

In his eyes, Chen Yuan was nothing but a fraudster who had stolen fame and fortune, and his current large-scale recruitment of soldiers was simply a sign that he had finally revealed his true colors.

"May I ask what Your Highness intends to do?" Yan Sun thought the Prince of Liang's words made sense, so he frowned and asked.

Xiao Zhongtian turned to the side, his eyes flashing with a gloomy light, and he had a plan in mind.

"Chen Yuan is currently stationed in the Shu region, which is illegitimate and unjust. His privately amassing troops constitutes treason. My elder brother, the Emperor, is now so wary of him that he has to take the initiative to send someone to bestow a title and reward him in order to appease him. In this way, we can restrain Chen Yuan in a moral sense and prevent him from making any rash moves in the short term, thus appeasing him."

"My Northern Liang army has no way out now. Whether the court appeases Chen Yuan and focuses on dealing with us, or attacks my Northern Liang army from both inside and outside, is not what I want to see."

As Xiao Zhongtian spoke, his slanted eyes widened, and his pupils rolled menacingly, making Yan Sun feel uneasy.

"We cannot allow those who have been granted official titles by the court to enter Sichuan. I will gladly accept this batch of military equipment."

"You must pass through Longling to get to Sichuan. You should know what to do."

"Longling is a good place to bury people."

"Understood, Your Highness. I will go and make the arrangements immediately. However, I need a highly skilled person on my side to ensure everything goes smoothly."

"Granted. Go and invite Master Jiu to convey my intentions." Xiao Zhongtian pondered for a moment, then waved his hand.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave!" Yan Sun felt reassured upon hearing that the Prince had asked this mysterious Ninth Master for help. He bowed, took the handrail, and withdrew from the room.

After Yan Sun took his leave, the hall was empty. Xiao Zhongtian looked out into the hall with a serious expression and said:

"Guards, invite the holy monk here for a chat!"

Outside the door, armored soldiers quickly stood in front of the hall upon hearing the sound, clasping their hands in greeting, "Yes, sir."

As he spoke, he prepared to go and convey the king's order.

However, Xiao Zhongtian quickly changed his mind, "Never mind, the holy monk is a virtuous hermit, I will go and invite him myself."

"Prepare the sedan chair!" Soon, a proclamation rang out from outside the hall.

Not long after, Liang King Xiao Zhongtian rode down the mountain in a sedan chair and went straight to a temple east of Dasanguan Pass at the foot of the mountain.

This temple is called Dajue Temple. It is located in an unnamed hill within the pass. Because Buddhism is not flourishing in the pass and incense is not popular, this temple is unknown even within the Dasan Pass.

However, not long ago, a group of monks entered Dasanguan from Shu, helping those in distress along the way. They stayed at this temple, spreading Buddhism and providing assistance to people suffering from war. The leading monk had great wisdom, supernatural powers, and profound Buddhist knowledge. He led the monks to preach and expound the Dharma everywhere, causing many strange phenomena. In a short period of time, he attracted many believers and was revered as a "holy monk," which spread throughout Dasanguan.

Upon hearing of the holy monk's name and noting that he had entered the pass from the Shu region, Xiao Zhongtian sent someone to inquire about him and learned some details. He was intrigued to hear that the holy monk came from the Western Lands and sent someone to invite him, but was refused. This only fueled his interest, and he personally visited the thatched cottage three times to invite him. Finally, he was able to enter the Buddhist chamber and meet the monk. Upon learning that the monk was a golden Arhat, he treated him with even greater courtesy.

The Western Pure Land is a secluded paradise with terrifying power, and Xiao Zhongtian has a deeper purpose in mind.

Xiao Zhongtian entered the temple by sedan chair from the back mountain of Dajue Temple without making a fuss or disturbing anyone.

The abbot of the temple, along with several monks in gray robes, were notified and waited at the back gate in advance.

The sedan chair landed smoothly at the back door. Xiao Zhong alighted from it. The temple abbot, an unassuming old monk with a hint of ingratiation and shrewdness in his eyes, came forward, bowing slightly and pressing his palms together.
"Amitabha Buddha, our temple respectfully welcomes Your Highness. This humble monk pays his respects."

Xiao Zhongtian stood with his hands behind his back, his tiger-like eyes fierce, "I have come to find the Holy Monk and invite him to meet me."

The abbot hesitated for a moment before carefully replying, "Your Highness, the holy monk is currently giving an enlightenment talk to the lay Buddhists in the temple. It won't be over for a while. Please wait a moment, Your Highness."

As soon as these words came out,
“ceng”

The metallic scraping sound of swords being drawn immediately rang out.

Xiao Zhongtian's personal guards, their faces grim, drew their swords and began to angrily rebuke the old abbot.

"How dare you keep the prince waiting! Are you courting death? Go and disperse those people at the front gate. My prince wants to see the holy monk."

The old abbot and several young monks in the temple were startled, and the old abbot looked embarrassed.

At this moment, Xiao Zhongtian raised his hand.

"No rudeness!"

"I am not so domineering as to make things difficult for these suffering people."

"Perfect timing, let's go listen to the holy monk's sermon, but we must not disturb others."

Upon hearing this, the old abbot of the temple immediately relaxed, then uttered a Buddhist chant and subtly offered a compliment:

"Your Highness is truly a wise and virtuous ruler, willing to consider the well-being of the people!"

"Please!" (End of Chapter)