Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 377 Mingfo Temple Admits Defeat

Cao Shi's arrogant behavior immediately aroused the anger of the monks.

Those monks who usually had kind and gentle faces were now all glaring angrily, their staffs trembling with a buzzing sound.

Master Mingku, the head of the Vinaya Institute, slammed his iron staff into the ground, causing the bluestone floor to crack with spiderweb-like patterns.

"Amitabha!" Master Mingku's voice boomed like a bell, "Slaying this fiend will bring immeasurable merit!"

The formation of the eighteen bronze men took shape instantly, their bronze staffs creating a whistling sound as they swung.

Although they did not break the precept against killing due to the rules, the true meaning of subduing demons in their staff techniques had reached a state of perfection.

If a fight were to break out, a single blow could shatter a person's bones and muscles without killing them.

Outside the gate, a chilling atmosphere thickened like frost. Master Beifeng, sitting cross-legged in a pool of blood, slowly raised his withered hand.

His composed demeanor stood out remarkably from the tense postures of the surrounding monks.

Then, Master Beifeng lowered his eyes and looked at the Buddhist disciples who had died tragically. His eyes under his white eyebrows were as calm as a deep pool, and he could not see any sign of shock or anger.

"Wait a minute."

The aged voice, tinged with hoarseness, resonated like a great bell, causing the copper bell hanging on the mountain gate to sway gently.

Master Beifeng's withered fingers rubbed the prayer beads as he looked at the powerless and furious Cao Shi, a compassionate smile appearing on his lips.

"May Buddha have mercy, for all people live in a sea of ​​suffering."

“Every blade of grass and every tree has Buddha-nature; the moment anger arises, hell is born.” As soon as he finished speaking, a mountain wind suddenly rose, and the prayer flags on the eaves fluttered, carrying the unfinished words into the depths of the clouds.

Master Beifeng's words were like a morning bell and an evening drum, which calmed all the monks behind him.

As for Cao Shi's previous provocative words, they seemed to be completely repelled by an invisible barrier.

Master Beifeng slowly lifted his eyelids, which were etched with the deep lines of time, and his eyes, which had seen through the vicissitudes of life, seemed to see through all the illusions of the world.

His gaze passed over the layers of Eastern Depot agents, ignoring the gleaming embroidered spring knives, and went straight to the black official sedan chair with python patterns.

Through the gaps in the sedan curtains, one could vaguely see the surging black python patterns, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

Several days ago, undercurrents were already stirring in the streets of Beijing.

Although Master Beifeng lived in seclusion at Mingfo Temple, he had heard of the powerful eunuch, the head of the Eastern Depot.

They are using their henchmen to plunder precious medicinal materials such as thousand-year-old ginseng and ambergris from the South China Sea.

These treasures, some capable of prolonging life, others of healing wounds, are all priceless.

Recalling Cao Shi's sneaking into Mingfo Temple late at night a few days ago and his loitering near the temple's treasury under the cover of darkness, everything became clear.

The head of the Eastern Depot must have long coveted the thousand-year-old spiritual artifacts hidden in the temple, as well as the rare and highly nourishing medicinal herbs painstakingly collected by eminent monks throughout the ages.

"Click, click..."

The sound of Master Beifeng turning his century-old Bodhi prayer beads suddenly became more rapid.

The old monk's voice, neither hurried nor slow, resonated in everyone's heart like a grand bell:

"Lord Factory Master!"

His hoarse voice, carrying the heat of the day, exploded, startling the weary birds in the treetops: "My Ming Buddhist temple, with its morning bells and evening drums, is uninvolved in court intrigues and unconcerned with worldly grievances."

"Today you have led a large army to besiege the mountain gate, swords drawn, are you going to commit a heinous crime in this sacred Buddhist sanctuary?"

Before he finished speaking, Master Beifeng clasped his hands together, his cloudy gaze sweeping over the sun-reddened faces of the foreigners, finally settling on the unmoving sedan chair curtain.

"The sea of ​​suffering has no end, but when you turn back, you will reach the shore."

"I hope that the eunuch will lay down his butcher's knife, purify his mind, and become a Buddha on the spot."

Inside the hall, the monks responded in unison, chanting "Amitabha!" and "Well done, well done!" The chanting, carrying the summer heat, drifted over the mountain gate.

The intense reflections of the armor worn by the Eastern Depot agents and the Embroidered Uniform Guards under the blazing sun created an invisible, surging momentum in the steaming air.

Suddenly!

Suddenly, a chilling wind, as if solidified, burst forth from the sedan chair, abruptly cutting off the old monk's Buddhist chanting!

At the same time, the weapons of the Eastern Depot agents and the Embroidered Uniform Guards were drawn three inches from their sheaths, their cold light eclipsing the color of the maple leaves covering the mountain.

The sedan chair was filled with a misty, cold fog, imbued with the aura of millennia-old ice.

Lu Xuan leaned comfortably against the fluffy, snow-white mink fur cushion, his black brocade robe trailing down to the edge of the armrest.

His well-defined fingers tapped on the frosty jade armrest.

The specially designed carriage body effectively keeps out the scorching heat.

The swirling chill escaped through the gaps in the sedan curtains, condensing into tiny ice crystals and water stains on the scorching ground.

"You old bald monk, I have no time to listen to your chanting."

The moment he finished speaking, the group of monks opposite him glared at him angrily!

Lu Xuan didn't even bother to look up at Master Beifeng at the mountain gate.

Lu Xuan could sense the powerful aura emanating from Master Beifeng.

It is a deep pool that has been precipitated by the passage of time, concealing a power capable of overturning rivers and seas.

But so what?
If he wants to leave, no one in the world can stop him.

Moreover, Lu Xuan had made thorough preparations before coming here.

The Eastern Depot agents and Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounding them were the most elite forces in the entire Great Yu Kingdom.

The seven thousand agents of the Eastern Depot were all top-notch, and the three thousand Imperial Guards were at least centurions.

This cavalry force of ten thousand men is composed of experts who can fight against a hundred men at will.

Moreover, behind the array were three thousand specially made imperial weapons of mass destruction, armor-piercing crossbows!
These deadly weapons, secretly crafted by the Great Yu Kingdom with immense effort, have arrowheads made of black iron and propelled by deer sinews, capable of piercing even an inch-thick iron armor within a hundred paces.

During the Northern Frontier War, there was a horrifying incident in which ten martial arts masters were pinned to the city wall by a single volley of arrows.

Lu Xuan merely tapped the sedan window lightly with his fingertip, and the Twelve Bodyguards outside immediately understood.

Cao Er pointed his sword, and the Eastern Depot's formation parted to both sides like a tide, revealing the menacing crossbow array behind them.

The cold iron arrowheads gleamed blue in the sunlight, each one coated with a deadly poison that could kill instantly.

"Old monk,"

A cold voice came from inside the sedan chair, "Guess whether my arrow is faster, or whether you little bald monks die faster."

Before the mountain gate, Master Beifeng's deep red kasaya robe suddenly moved without wind, fluttering loudly.

This highly respected Buddhist master now displayed an unprecedented solemnity in his expression.

His deep gaze swept over the imposing array, his mind clear as a mirror.

The black sedan chair in front of us represents not only the formidable power of the Eastern Depot's supervisor, but also the majestic might of the entire Great Yu Kingdom!
If Mingfo Temple dares to resist today, it would be an open act of defiance against the imperial court.

At that time, it will not be just these 10,000 elite troops coming, but also 300,000 iron cavalry stationed outside the capital, cannons that can blast down city walls, and martial arts masters who have defected to the court.

"Amitabha.….."

Realizing the predicament of Mingfo Temple, Master Beifeng sighed deeply, and suddenly the prayer beads in his hand burst forth with dazzling golden light.

Master Beifeng had to admit that even with his unparalleled martial prowess, he could not bear the weight of the word "treason."

The serene Buddhist sanctuary could not ultimately withstand the iron cavalry of the empire.

At this moment, the sedan curtain moved slightly, and Lu Xuan's voice once again pierced the heavy air, carrying a hint of languid weariness, as if he were discussing today's tea and snacks. "That lotus flower..." Every word was like a death knell striking the hearts of the monks: "Hand it over, and I, the Grand Eunuch, will leave immediately."

His tone was casual, yet it caused three thousand armor-piercing crossbows to be cocked simultaneously, and seven thousand embroidered spring knives to be drawn half an inch from their sheaths.

Sunlight shone on the cold, hard weapons, making the entire mountain gate appear like an ice cave.

Under the scorching sun, Master Beifeng's snow-white eyebrows and beard trembled violently, and the shattered Buddhist beads in his hand scattered on the ground with a "clatter".

Even the white-bearded monks beside him gasped in shock.

The senior monk in charge of the treasure pavilion even staggered and supported the novice monk beside him, his withered fingers digging deeply into the other's shoulder.

That lotus flower

These four words struck like a heavy hammer, shattering the composure the old monks maintained.

“That lotus flower…” Master Beifeng murmured repeatedly, his cloudy eyes bloodshot, and the calm well he had cultivated for decades suddenly surged with turbulent waves.

His body trembled slightly beneath the robe, a stark contrast to his composure during the confrontation.

"My lord, these are just rumors circulating in the martial arts world. You wouldn't believe such absurd things, would you?"

His calloused hands trembled slightly under the scorching sun, as if he were trying to grasp at a sliver of hope.

"If Your Excellency truly needs it, this old monk can open the Buddhist gates and allow you to take all the treasures from the treasury."

"Millennial snow ginseng, palm-leaf scriptures from the Western Regions, and even the gilded Buddha relic enshrined in the temple..."

We only beg Your Excellency not to believe the rumors and to spare the hundreds of innocent monks of Mingfo Temple!

A sudden surge of cold air rushed through the sedan chair, quickly condensing into icicles along the edges of the curtains: "Hmm?"

The monosyllable, imbued with intense killing intent, exploded, sending chills down the spines of the Eastern Depot agents outside the sedan chair.

"This Grand Eunuch has little patience to waste with you bald monks."

Lu Xuan slowly lifted a corner of the sedan curtain and looked directly at Master Beifeng in the distance.

"I will give you three breaths to consider."

"Cao Er!"

Summoned by his adoptive father, Cao Er immediately understood. He raised his Embroidered Spring Blade high into the sky, the sunlight reflected off the blade so bright it was blinding.

As the cold light pierced the sky, the hundreds of Eastern Depot agents who had been lying in wait roared at the same time, and the hum of the fully drawn bowstrings made the ground tremble slightly.

The black-clad warriors and the flying fish robes intertwined to form a steel torrent, and a bloodthirsty glint flashed in everyone's eyes.

The rain of arrows was poised to be unleashed, as if a single command would transform the Buddhist temple into a slaughterhouse.

The air in front of the mountain gate suddenly distorted and trembled, and fine icy mist rose up under the blazing sun.

The moment Master Beifeng and Lu Xuan in the sedan chair locked eyes across the distance, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Two vast and unparalleled forces collided violently, and the resulting shockwaves caused the gold paint on the four characters "Mingfo Zen Temple" on the mountain gate plaque to peel off, startling countless birds in the forest.

"Grandmaster!!!"

Master Mingku, the head monk of the Sutra Repository, was the first to gasp in surprise.

He slammed his staff heavily into the ground to barely steady himself.

All that could be seen was the snow-white aura surrounding Lu Xuan, which transformed into a hundred-foot-tall phantom of wind and frost.

The gilded decorations on the sedan chair roof crumbled inch by inch in the cold air, and the flying gold dust even hung in the air and condensed into frost.

The Master of Sorrowful Wind sat cross-legged on the ground, his deep red robe fluttering in the wind.

The golden light emanating from the prayer beads in their palms clashed violently with the icy aura, forming a dazzling ball of light between the two.

The next moment, Master Beifeng's long, snow-white eyebrows moved without wind, and a hint of surprise flashed in his deep eyes.

In the instant his aura clashed with Lu Xuan's, he clearly sensed it.

This infamous head of the Eastern Depot has actually reached the level of a Grandmaster, comparable to himself!
This is also why Master Mingku lost his composure in public.

The infamous head of the Eastern Depot before him, though his aura still carried the rawness of someone who had recently broken through to the next level, possessed a hidden sharpness that made Master Beifeng's heart tremble.

As expected of the renowned eunuch, the "Extreme Cold Palm" he used was a legendary and evil secret technique that had been lost to the martial arts world for a long time.

The icy energy surging in his palm moved nimbly through the void, leaving spiderweb-like ice patterns on the bluestone ground wherever it passed, and even the air made a teeth-grinding freezing sound.

What's even more troublesome is that the icy aura can manipulate the temperature within a radius of ten feet at will.

Seeing this, Master Beifeng sighed inwardly.

If the opponent intends to retreat, even if I go all out with this strange and unpredictable cold skill, I may not be able to be completely confident of stopping them.

Under the blazing sun, Master Beifeng's figure, sitting cross-legged on the ground, seemed to solidify into a stone statue in the bright sunlight.

He slowly closed his eyes, his calloused fingers unable to loosen, and the century-old Bodhi prayer beads that had accompanied him for decades suddenly broke.

One hundred and eight warm beads rolled down like teardrops, jumping and spinning on the hot bluestone ground, making a soft and crisp "tap-tap" sound.

"Amitabha."

The Buddhist chant was squeezed out of Master Beifeng's throat, like a sigh coming from the depths of time.

The once straight spine suddenly bent, and the jagged bones beneath the robe seemed unable to withstand the invisible pressure.

He gazed at the scattered Buddhist prayer beads on the ground, each one imbued with the sandalwood fragrance accumulated over the years.

At this moment, however, it was like a broken cause and effect, rolling into the shadow of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's armor.

"Everything has a cause and effect. The fact that Lord Eunuch came here today must be due to the guidance of Buddha."

A gust of hot wind swept up a few grains of sand, blurring the clouded eyes of the Master of Sorrowful Wind.

Even if the monks of Mingfo Temple could use their flesh and blood to block the more than 10,000 elite troops in front of them.

But what happens next?
When the Mingfo Temple was branded as a traitor, the 300,000 iron cavalry stationed in the capital marched in.

This ancient temple, with a history of thousands of years, will be reduced to ashes in an instant.

Even more terrifying is when a monk's staff is stained with blood.

The Buddha's compassion became an illusion, and the Buddhist teachings passed down for thousands of years were destroyed in an instant.

Lu Xuan had already seen through all of Master Beifeng's concerns.

This is also why Lu Xuan wanted to temporarily retain his position as the head of the Eastern Depot.

Outside the palace, the head of the Eastern Depot was the supreme symbol of the emperor of the Great Yu Kingdom, and the will of all the people.

This old bald monk is quite adept at "eloquent speech," even his admission of weakness can be presented in such a grand and dignified manner.

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes—he had thought the old monk would fight to the death, but he hadn't expected him to be so insightful.

"Your Excellency, please follow me to the Treasure Pavilion. The Seven-Jeweled Glazed Lotus is enshrined there..."

Before Master Beifeng could finish speaking, Lu Xuan's cold voice interrupted him.

"No need, I will wait here."

Lu Xuan closed his eyes again. How could he not know what the old monk was thinking?
If he were to actually go to the temple with him, there's no guarantee that some kind of Buddhist trap awaits him.

"Don't try anything funny. If nothing is found within half an hour, I, the Grand Eunuch, will make this ancient temple vanish into nothingness."

"You know I don't like joking!"

(End of this chapter)