Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 281 Forging the Relic!

The underground chamber of the Eastern Depot was dark and damp, with only a lone lamp hanging overhead, emitting a dim yellow light.

Wang An, dressed in a purple python robe, sat upright on a soft couch, a strange smile on his face, listening to the report from the eunuch beside him.

"Your Excellency, Chief Zhao has sent word that the man impersonating him has successfully abducted Lord Liu. He must have received the news by now. However, there was a slight mishap. King Zhuanlun was ambushed and no Qi family descendant was left behind. The whereabouts of those treacherous officials are unknown, and they are probably keeping an eye on Guangyuan Temple in secret."

The young eunuch bowed and said, his voice trembling slightly.

Wang An slowly raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand up, his tone calm and even: "I understand. What's the situation with Xuan Kong?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Guangyuan Temple has strengthened its security. Master Xuankong is personally guarding the Sutra Repository, and Abbots Yuanjue and Yuanmie are also patrolling around. It seems they are also aware of the recent changes in the capital."

"hehe."

Wang An chuckled softly, his voice high-pitched and tinged with a hint of effeminacy, "That old monk Xuan Kong, did he think he could keep the relic? He's too naive. This relic was originally a bait deliberately released by the miscellaneous sect. If it weren't to lure the snake out of its hole, do you think Guangyuan Temple could have kept it hidden peacefully for so long?"

The young eunuch dared not reply, and simply lowered his head.

Wang An stood up and walked to a map in the center of the secret room. The map marked important locations in and around the capital, with Guangyuan Temple circled in red.

The red circles connect many silk threads.

The capital city, Mount Song, Mount Putuo, Mount Heng, and even the coastal areas.

Wang An turned his head and said:

"Tell Zhao Qianshan to spread this news. It's not enough for just Black Stone and a few others. I want the whole world to know."

As he spoke, he stretched out his withered finger and lightly tapped it on the map, laughing, "Come on, come on, perfect, saves me the trouble of dealing with them one by one."

The little eunuch prostrated himself even lower.

He quickly replied, "Yes, Supervisor."

News of the Eastern Depot spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and then, via the Grand Canal and post roads, it spread like wildfire throughout the land and the martial arts world.

First, at the largest restaurant in the capital, "Zui Xian Lou," the storyteller had just struck the gavel to tell a martial arts story from a hundred years ago when several notices suddenly appeared upstairs.

The storyteller and the customer were also annoyed that someone was littering.

Upon opening it, I was immediately captivated by the content.

[The relics of the Buddha of Putuo Mountain housed in Guangyuan Temple can heal the dead, restore flesh to bones, and even extend life by more than ten years if ingested without injury!]

The crowd erupted in uproar upon seeing this.

More patrons put down their bowls and crowded around to read the notice, turning the once noisy restaurant into a hub for news.

"Resurrecting the dead and healing bones? Does such a miraculous thing really exist?"

"Guangyuan Temple! That sacred Buddhist site on Yunqi Mountain?"

"What's so great about healing injuries? It's like extending your lifespan by more than ten years! Even a master of the Innate Realm only has a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. When their lifespan is about to end, this is a life-saving opportunity!"

The news spread like wildfire across the land.

Within three days, in both Beijing and the capital, as well as in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shandong, and Henan—wherever there were martial arts sects—a tremendous upheaval was stirred up.

Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, Golden Summit on Mount Wudang, and the headquarters of the Hengshan School.

The three factions, being the leaders of the righteous path, were also greatly shocked upon hearing the news.

For others, the Buddha's relics may be completely unfamiliar, but for the practitioners of several schools, this is not the first time they have heard of them, and they may even know the origin of the relics.

Martial arts skills are divided into innate and acquired levels.

However, experts who have reached the Innate Realm know that the Innate Realm is not the pinnacle; there is another realm above it.

It's called "Tongxuan!"

The Profound Realm possesses incredible abilities, refining one's own essence and inner strength, combining them into true essence. This not only greatly increases power but also nourishes the soul and extends lifespan by sixty years.

The Tongxuan realm also possesses another ability, which is "Initiation"!
He can pass on his skills to the next generation, quickly creating a top master.

However, generally no one is willing to do this, because a master of profound understanding has a lifespan of 180 years, and after the initiation, he will lose his power and die of old age.

It almost cost them their lives.

However, it only involves channeling internal energy into the head and cannot achieve the effects of healing injuries or prolonging life.

The origin of the Buddha's relics is too ancient.

It first appeared during the Northern Song Dynasty, a time when the martial arts world was in turmoil, and the three kingdoms of Song, Liao, and Western Xia were separated, along with smaller kingdoms such as Dali and Tubo.

Buddhism was flourishing at that time.

In Dali and Western Xia, everyone believed in Buddhism, and Buddhism was even the state religion. The various tribes of Tibet were similar.

The Liao Dynasty also had some territory there, and Buddhism flourished in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Despite constant warfare, Buddhism reached its most prosperous moment.

But it was during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty that a demon appeared in the martial arts world, who relentlessly pursued and exterminated Buddhism, possessing unparalleled martial arts skills.

Moreover, he was exceptionally ruthless. Later, he single-handedly refined the power and essence of a Buddhist master who had not yet reached the end of his lifespan and forcibly infused it into the relic.

Refining "Buddha's Essence Relics"!
This cannibalistic behavior naturally aroused the wrath of the Buddhist community, who gathered hundreds of experts to besiege him, but still failed to kill him on the spot, and he escaped.

The whereabouts of the "Buddha's relics" are also unknown.

Moreover, there is likely more than one "Buddha's Relic"!
Hundreds of years have passed, and I never expected this thing to reappear.

The leaders of the three major sects felt more fear than greed towards this relic.

It is recorded in the classics of various schools of thought.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there were many masters. Almost every sect had a master with profound knowledge beyond the innate level. The thirteen Buddhist sects each had at least one such master.

Unlike now, where innate masters are the backbone of the sect and those who have reached the profound level are almost extinct.

That madman back then targeted Buddhism, but he wasn't a master of other sects either. Because if anyone tried to stop him, no matter what sect you belonged to, you would die. It's just that he wouldn't actively cause trouble for other sects.

That tragedy nearly severed the Buddhist community for a century, until a hundred years later when a new master of profound understanding emerged.

It's terrifying.

What the leaders of the major sects fear is that if another such wicked person were to emerge and obtain the method to "refine" the Buddha's relic, the martial arts world would likely face an even more severe extinction.

The leaders of the three major sects immediately agreed to travel to the capital for a meeting.

Even more reclusive old monsters, who had been hidden for many years, broke out of their seclusion.

At the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, an old man dressed in hemp clothing tore apart the mountain bandits blocking his way with his bare hands. His footwork was as fast as a galloping horse. He muttered, "More than ten years of lifespan is enough for me to break through to the Tongxuan realm!"

On Peach Blossom Island in the East China Sea, a small boat cuts through the waves. On board, an old man holds an iron flute. The flute's sharp sound kills the approaching pirates in the sea. The boat heads straight towards Yunqi Mountain.

These old monsters either live alone in the deep mountains or hide in the city; they are all top masters whose lifespans are about to end and who are stuck at the bottleneck of their cultivation level.

The allure of extending their lives by more than a decade was more insane to them than any secret manual or treasure. Various sects, and even legendary figures from across the land, suddenly emerged from seclusion.

This led to the collapse of the martial arts world's order.

In the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty, even those who had cultivated internal energy were considered masters and thus had a reputation.

People like Ding Baiying and Ling Yunkai.

Once one enters the Innate Realm, one can suppress an entire sect. In the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one can even become a Commander-in-Chief, a high-ranking official of the fifth or sixth rank.

As a result, in the past few days, people in the martial arts world have been saying that those with acquired skills are worse than dogs, while those with innate skills are everywhere.

Any random old man on the road might be the patriarch of some sect and act ruthlessly; if you offend him, you'll be slaughtered.

At the foot of Yunqi Mountain, the once quiet town has been crowded with all sorts of martial arts practitioners in just a few days.

Martial arts masters in tight-fitting clothes, monks in monk's robes, Taoist priests in Taoist hats, and barbarians carrying curved swords—all sorts of people from different walks of life gathered together. Inns and taverns were packed, and fights with drawn swords could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.

"Kid, do you know the rules? I reserved this fast horse first!" A burly man with a fierce face grabbed the waiter by the collar, his broadsword gleaming coldly at his waist.

A figure flashed by and delivered a heavy punch. The burly man screamed and flew backward, spitting out blood.

The person who made the move was Lei Bin of Black Stone. He was ordered by King Yama to come to the town to investigate the situation. When he saw someone blocking his way, he immediately attacked them.

Under the large banyan tree at the entrance of town, Jin Yichuan mingled in the crowd, his face solemn.

He was ordered by Shen Tong to investigate, and it just so happened that he wanted to come here. With his identity as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, there were no obstacles to his investigation.

There are many people in the martial arts world, but they are still somewhat wary of the Embroidered Spring Blade of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After all, this town is not far from the capital, and Guangyuan Temple is also under the jurisdiction of the capital.

Although the Ming Dynasty suffered a major defeat, even a weakened tiger retains some of its power. Under the emperor's nose, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was still able to maintain basic order and prevent incidents of martial arts practitioners harassing ordinary people.

Jin Yichuan saw that various forces had gathered, with Jinyiwei sentries scattered around the street corners, Dongchang agents disguised as merchants, Black Stone masters hiding in the shadows, and countless unidentified martial arts figures. The air seemed to be filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.

"Sigh, these scoundrels never understand that even if there is a real opportunity, is it something you can get your hands on?"

Jin Yichuan sighed, greeted his subordinates Lu Jianxing and Shen Lian, and planned to go to the store to buy some food.

"Yichuan, be careful," Shen Lian said to Jin Yichuan.

"Well, don't worry."

The cobblestone streets of the small town creaked underfoot as people thronged the streets, shoulder to shoulder.

With more people in the martial arts world, there are also more stalls and vendors selling mats and shoes. Even if there is some danger, it is nothing for the sake of money.

Street vendors were squeezed into corners, their cries, arguments, and the clanging of swords mingling together in a chaotic mess.

As Jin Yichuan walked in front of a steamed bun shop, he saw three burly men dressed in the attire of the Songshan Sword Sect dragging the old man selling steamed buns away.

"Old man, I'm taking over this shop. You better get out of here or I'll break your bones!"

The burly man leading the group had a face full of scars, and a long sword was half-drawn from its sheath at his waist, its cold light dazzling.

The old man clung tightly to the chopping board, pleading, "Sir, this is my only livelihood, please have mercy..."

The burly man sneered and kicked the cutting board, sending the steamed buns scattering all over the floor.

The two burly men immediately threw punches at each other, but were stopped by a knife.

Looking up, the sight of Jin Yichuan's official robes and embroidered spring knife made the three men's eyes flash with a hint of apprehension.

"You two have gone too far. Under the Emperor's nose, in broad daylight, is this how the rules of the Songshan Sect are?"

"And why are you going to kick out the owner of the steamed bun shop if you want to rent it out? Can't you afford this little bit of money?" Jin Yichuan was speechless.

The three disciples from Mount Song exchanged glances and made no attempt to hide anything.

"The inns in town are full, so we wanted to rent out the steamed bun shop to house the disciples of the Songshan Sword Sect. We offered them money, but this old man refuses to move out, haha."

"."

Seeing the officials backing him up, the old man stood up and said, "Sir, winter is coming soon, and my family will freeze to death if we stay on the streets. I can't earn this money."

Jin Yichuan then understood the reason.

This small town doesn't usually have many visitors. There are inns, but they're all fully booked.

The disciples of the Songshan Sect were probably bragging within the sect when they went out to find a place to stay. They took a fancy to a steamed bun shop, but naturally, they didn't want to live with the old man, so they wanted to kick him out.
"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, anyone who injures another person without cause shall be arrested, questioned, and punished."

Shen Lian's voice came from behind him. He walked slowly over, holding the Embroidered Spring Blade in his hand.

Lu Jianxing also came over.

The Imperial Guard squads are scattered throughout the town, and with such a commotion, many Imperial Guards will arrive soon.

The leading disciple of the Songshan Sword Sect stepped forward and said, "Hehe, it's a misunderstanding. I didn't hurt anyone. I'll be leaving now."

As they were about to leave, Jin Yichuan suddenly drew his knife and held it to the head of the leading man: "Pick up the buns on the ground, give them to the old man, and leave some money for medical expenses."

Actually, the old man wasn't injured, or rather, the scraped skin wasn't considered an injury.

However, with so many onlookers, the Imperial Guards couldn't simply release the man; they couldn't get past the moral hurdle, either for the sake of their reputation or for their own conscience.

The three disciples from Songshan dared not disobey. They picked up the buns, took out a silver ingot and threw it to the old man, then squeezed out of the crowd in a disheveled manner. Before leaving, they glared venomously at Shen Lian and Jin Yichuan.

The old man took the silver and thanked them repeatedly: "Thank you both, sirs, for saving my life. Otherwise, I would be dead here today."

The surrounding people also gathered around, praising the two for their chivalrous act.

Lu Jianxing waved his hand, pulled Jin Yichuan around, and whispered, "Let's go, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow."

The two had only taken a few steps when they noticed several sharp gazes fixed on them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jin Yichuan caught sight of a man dressed in black standing in the shadows at the street corner. It was Lei Bin from Black Stone, who was staring at them with a cold gaze.

He thought Jin Yichuan didn't know him.

Dante Baiying had seen his true appearance at the blacksmith's shop, and naturally afterwards he would draw a portrait and make a copy for the group to see.

Therefore, Jin Yichuan knew that he was a member of Black Stone.

Jin Yichuan didn't make a fuss, but left with Shen Lian first, though he kept glancing at Lei Bin out of the corner of his eye.

The three of them didn't go far; they found a shop about a hundred paces away.

Seeing that the three were dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Guards, the shopkeeper made room for them at a window seat, and the three sat down.

"You seem distracted. Is something wrong?" Lu Jianxing noticed Jin Yichuan's unusual behavior and asked.

"It's alright, we'll talk about it when Commander Qian arrives," Jin Yichuan replied.

(End of this chapter)