Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1010 Inviting Bai Lian Again
Without the slightest hesitation, he willingly took on the task of guiding the guest monk without complaint.

In his private words to other monks, he said, "Every word and action of Zen Master Fahai contains great wisdom and great compassion. If I cannot understand it at the moment, it must be because my wisdom and blessings are insufficient, and it is definitely not the Zen Master's problem."

Therefore, when this chief minister arrived before the disheveled and still angry Prince Liang, his expression remained calm, his hand held upright in front of his chest, and his tone neither humble nor arrogant, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Amitabha. Your Highness, Zen Master Fahai is already waiting in the meditation room. Please allow this humble monk to accompany you there..."

The young prince of Liang is arrogant and proud, and now he is only thinking about settling scores with Xu Xuan. How could he understand anything about "great wisdom"?

He immediately snorted coldly, rudely pushed aside the head monk, and strode towards the main hall where he believed Xu Xuan should be.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
"Huh? What's that in the sky?!"

Someone exclaimed.

At the same time, the surrounding temperature suddenly rose, and a scorching wave of heat rushed towards them, causing everyone to look up.

Suddenly, a bright, terrifyingly hot fireball appeared out of nowhere in the azure sky!

Like a meteor, trailing an invisible tail of flame, it plummeted straight down!

Prince Liang looked up at the calamity that was hurtling towards him from the sky, and he was completely dumbfounded.

Several absurd thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant:

"This...you Linji Temple are plotting a rebellion?! In broad daylight, you dare to use such evil magic to assassinate this young master?!"

Then he thought, "Why didn't you ambush my father when you rebelled? Why did you come to ambush me, the crown prince? Are you picking on the weak?!"

Finally, all thoughts converged on one point, and he gritted his teeth to confirm: "It must have been that despicable Xu Xuan who instigated this! No one else could it be!"

In reality, this was not a rebellion at Linji Temple at all, but rather a "fire calendar" conspiracy secretly carried out by the King of Liang, which attracted the lock of the residual divine punishment will of Shang Ancestor Ebo. This punitive power has been hanging over the royal palace and Linji Temple.

However, Prince Liang arrived with the fortune of the royal family, but he himself did not have the status of a prince who "governed the people on behalf of the emperor" to counteract and resist it.

This was like throwing a spark into a dry pile of firewood, instantly triggering the accumulated power of divine punishment!

So if this divine fire of punishment doesn't fall on his head, whose head can it fall on?
Just as the blazing fireball was about to strike the Crown Prince, at the critical moment!
The head monk accompanying him reacted swiftly, disregarding all etiquette. With a low shout, he unleashed his Arhat power, grabbed the prince by the back of his collar, and flung him like a sack of potatoes toward the lotus pond used for fire prevention!
"Pfft!"

The prince fell into the water in a sorry state, barely avoiding the direct impact of the fireball.

What may seem like a simple throw actually requires immense power and willpower to carry out with the intention of punishment.

After throwing the person away, the chief felt as if his bones and muscles had been pounded by a massive object, and his magical power was also somewhat depleted.

The fireball crashed onto the bluestone ground and exploded with a deafening roar, sending flames flying in all directions.

Then, something truly astonishing happened:

The monks of the surrounding Linji Temple, whether martial or scholarly, seemed to have long been accustomed to this.

A group of monks skillfully began evacuating nearby flammable materials such as prayer cushions and banners; other monks immediately used minor water or earth magic to suppress the fire; still others carried buckets and deftly fetched water from water tanks and ditches to sprinkle it...

The entire process was orderly and well-organized, with clear division of labor and a level of skill that was almost heartbreaking. Clearly, this was not the first time they had dealt with such a sudden "divine fire" situation.

At this moment, even the accompanying steward sensed something was wrong. Watching the monks' well-trained firefighting techniques, alarm bells rang in his mind: "Something's not right! You monks... there's definitely something wrong with Linji Temple!"

Meanwhile, Liang Shizi, who was lying in the icy pool, soaking wet and still in shock, had just escaped the brink of death. His anger seemed to have been mostly extinguished by the pool water, replaced by a sense of lingering fear and clarity.

Realizing that perhaps... I really shouldn't have come today, or rather, I shouldn't have barged in with so few people.

Struggling to climb out of the pool, he spoke with a fierce but ultimately weak tone towards the main hall, attempting to salvage some face:
"Hmph! I will remember this humiliation! I will repay you handsomely in the future!"

"You...you'll make that Xu guy wait!"

After saying that, he turned around and wanted to leave, wanting to get away from this strange and troublesome place as soon as possible.

But is Linji Temple a place you can come and go as you please?
The moment the footsteps began, a peaceful voice, yet carrying an indescribable power, drifted from the depths of the main hall:

"Please wait, benefactor."

These five simple words seemed to contain immense causal power, instantly freezing Liang Shizi's steps, making his legs feel as if they were filled with lead, and he was unable to move for a moment.

At the same time, that familiar ground tremor and heavy footsteps sounded again—Duang! Duang! Duang!

Several muscular, muscular monks, as if cast in bronze, stood like moving mountains, blocking the only path to the mountain gate and sealing off any way out.

The scene instantly became extremely delicate and tense.

The guards brought by the prince changed their expressions drastically, instinctively placing their hands on the hilts of their swords and scanning the monks around them warily.

The guard leader was sweating profusely, and a specially made distress signal flare was already fastened in his sleeve, ready to send a signal at any moment.

The elders were on high alert, immediately grabbing various magical artifacts and quickly forming a defensive formation back to back. They lamented inwardly, "We shouldn't have come out to die with this spoiled brat! The Linji Temple is too dangerous!"

Even the young master Liang, who had just been making threats, finally regained some composure after his anger was dampened by the pool water and he was intimidated by the shout of "Stay!" and the scene before him.

He stood frozen in place, unusually silent, his expression shifting constantly, finally looking... like a human being.

At this moment, Xu Xuan slowly stepped out from the back of the crowd, his gaze falling on the disheveled target. He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. "Man proposes, God disposes..." This saying proved true once again today.

They had originally set up several scenarios, intending to gradually erode his spirit and lure him into a trap.

As a result, before those carefully designed methods could even be used, God almost killed this guy directly, which was incredibly efficient.

Seeing that the situation was at risk of getting out of control, he immediately abandoned all his subsequent "tricks" and hurriedly showed up to personally take over the trouble.

It's not that I feel sorry for the young master, but I'm mainly afraid that if he really dies outside before he's ready, then all his usefulness will be wasted.

His face instantly switched to a calm expression, even with a perfectly measured hint of "surprise," as he spoke to Prince Liang:
"Amitabha. Your Highness, you've come at the perfect time. This humble monk has something to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, the anger that had just been suppressed by the cold water in Liang Shizi's heart suddenly flared up again. However, having just experienced the life-or-death fright, he was somewhat subdued and dared not act recklessly again.

All I could do was keep a cold face and reply curtly:
"Hmph! What a coincidence? You're looking for me too?" The resentment in his voice was almost tangible.

Xu Xuan pretended not to hear the almost overflowing resentment in the other person's words, his expression calm, as if it were truly a coincidence, and continued:

"Indeed. These past few days, I've had in-depth discussions with Master Huiren on Buddhism and medicine, and I suddenly had some new ideas about the patient's symptoms in the backyard. I've come up with a potentially feasible treatment method. I was just thinking about how to contact the Prince's residence to go in and examine the patient more carefully when, unexpectedly, Your Highness, you arrived. Isn't this fate?"

Yes, the way to enter the heavily guarded Liang Prince's Mansion, which was like a war fortress, was that simple.

It would be fine if the host personally led the way.

Prince Liang's heart stirred slightly, thinking that this might be an opportunity to salvage his image in front of his father.

But the thought was quickly overshadowed by the anger from the three slaps he'd received and the memory of the dark room. He stiffened his neck and declared in a firm voice:
"No need! This young master doesn't need your fake kindness!"

He felt that he had learned his lesson to some extent.

"Although my father did not explicitly state the specific reason, since he has imprisoned me, it is clear that I do not need to interfere in matters of the inner courtyard, nor should I concern myself with them anymore."

So he decided to ignore Xu Xuan and try to get away from this eyesore. He wanted to go home, change into dry clothes, and calm his nerves first.

However, just as she took a step, she vaguely heard Xu Xuan mutter something under his breath.

It seems to be... 'Could that rumor be true... He actually...' or something like that.

This seemingly random sentence, however, seemed to possess a magical power, instantly freezing Liang Shizi in place, unable to move.

Suddenly, he remembered the original reason why he had stormed into Linji Temple today: those vicious rumors about his "hidden illness" and "difficulty in continuing the family line"!

The anger in my heart suddenly flared up as if oil had been poured on it!
But he simply couldn't bring himself to directly question the prince in front of so many monks, guards, and worshippers, "Did you say outside that I have some unspeakable secret?!"

This kind of topic is so embarrassing. Asking it is tantamount to admitting that you care, and it might even make things worse.

He could only suppress his anger, veins bulging on his forehead, and force out the question through clenched teeth:
"What you just said... was it true or false?! Explain yourself to me!"

Xu Xuan remained composed, as if it were just a casual remark: "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that there are rumors circulating outside that Your Highness is intolerant and vindictive, and Your Highness is quite disappointed by this."

"Bullshit!" The prince retorted immediately, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Xu Xuan became more composed and immediately changed his tune: "Everyone says you lack decisiveness and courage, and that you shrink back in the face of adversity. The Prince is very disappointed in you."

"Impossible! How could Father..." The Crown Prince denied it again instinctively.

Seeing this, Xu Xuan immediately adopted a strategy of retreat, his tone becoming indifferent: "In that case, Your Highness, please do as you please. Actually, this humble monk didn't really want to treat anyone, it's just that it's my nature as a healer, and I was just eager to try something new. Please go back."

This nonchalant attitude, however, completely ignited the Crown Prince's rebellious spirit.

"No!" Prince Liang took a step forward abruptly, as if afraid that Xu Xuan would change his mind. "We must go! Now! I'll show you whether I have the guts or not!"

Xu Xuan smiled, a subtle smile, a barely perceptible curve at the corners of his lips, and a faint provocation in his eyes that only someone like Prince Liang could clearly sense.

However, the words that came out of his mouth were still so "respectful," even carrying a hint of consideration for the other party:
"Amitabha. Your Highness, this matter concerns the secrets of the inner courtyard of the Prince's residence, and is of utmost importance. Should I go? Perhaps you should first inquire with Your Highness about the matter?"

The more "reasonable" and "rule-abiding" they are, the more it seems to be an irony that the crown prince has no say in the matter.

This expression and these words were like the last straw, completely crushing Liang Shizi's already fragile rationality.

He was like a firecracker that had been lit; he suddenly waved his hand and almost roared:

"What are you asking! In the Liang Kingdom, my word is law! Now, immediately, come with me!"

Thunder roared across the sky, and the aura of calamity surged once more.

As everyone knows, our Northern War God is tolerant, courageous, and resourceful!

Xu Xuan is nothing special. We were able to "invite" him here last time, so we can certainly do it this time too!
He was even thinking that if the man surnamed Xu couldn't be cured after they got home, he would just execute him on the spot.

What, then, truly constitutes groundbreaking wisdom?
Thus, thanks to the "wise and mighty" decision of Prince Liang, Xu Xuan and Hui Ren were added to the returning procession.

Meanwhile, Li Gongfeng, who was in the Prince's Palace, asked: Why am I so restless today?
The King of Liang, who has arrived in Luoyang, asks: Why am I so restless today?

(End of this chapter)