401: Chapter 13 Buddha Bone 401: Chapter 13 Buddha Bone “Fangyuan Square will have to split sooner or later.”
After hearing this, Xie Xuanyi reached a conclusion in his heart.
At those words, Chen Jingxuan just smiled.
“Who could argue with that?”
The junior State Preceptor said with downcast eyes, “Could Da Li and Great Chu really coexist in peace forever?”
“So, bringing Chu Guo back is also related to the changes in the situation at Fangyuan Square,” Xie Xuanyi said.
“According to what you’re saying, to accomplish this under the watchful eye of the Holy Empress, we’d need to build the plank road while secretly crossing through Chen Cang.”
“Indeed.”
Getting to the heart of the matter, Chen Jingxuan continued, “The plank road has already been built by others, what we need now…
is to wait.”
“Hmm?” Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow.
“Three hundred years ago, Great Chu and Da Li once joined forces to fight against Demon Country.
At that time, both Kings were on good terms with each other; after the war ended, there was peace for a sixty-year cycle.”
Chen Jingxuan said, “The Southern Dynasty reveres Buddhism.
The Da Li Emperor sent a mission to reside in Great Chu to spread the teachings of Buddhism.”
Xie Xuanyi was aware of this history.
That year, the mission crossed the western seas, bringing many gifts.
The members of the mission were high monks from the Buddhist institutions of Da Li.
These monks settled in Great Chu Imperial City, building temples and contributing to the peace of the next sixty-year cycle.
Even now, within the territory of Da Chu, one can still see the presence of Buddhist monks, which stems from the good karma they established back then.
“I heard that these monks built the Great Pudu Temple in the Eastern Suburb of the Imperial City,”
Xie Xuanyi murmured, “Later, as they passed away one by one, their remains were enshrined in the Great Pudu Temple…”
“This is the ‘plank road,'” Chen Jingxuan said solemnly.
“The world is often in chaos, peace is rare, and later, Chu Li once again plunged into war, with swords clashing.
It wasn’t until the Battle of Poison, with the invasion of foreign enemies, that the two dynasties negotiated a truce…”
Now was also considered a time of peace.
“According to the agreement made back then, every sixty years, the Li Kingdom would send a mission to cross the west seas.”
Chen Jingxuan spoke slowly, “News has come from Fangyuan Square that, according to the orders of the Zen Master, the current Buddha’s son has already departed from Li Kingdom…
They will soon arrive in Great Chu, teaching Buddhism at the Great Pudu Temple and simultaneously retrieving the remains of the monks who have reached nirvana.”
Xie Xuanyi understood Chen Jingxuan’s meaning.
After this mission arrives in Great Chu, they would also return to their homeland.
“Failure to reciprocate is against etiquette,”
Xie Xuanyi said with a chuckle, “After crossing to the west, it will be Great Chu’s turn for a mission to travel east.”
“Yes.”
Chen Jingxuan also smiled, “The mission traveling east, with all proper formality, heads to Li Kingdom.
The holy relics of the high monks from the Great Pudu Temple are extremely precious; Great Chu will naturally do its utmost, contributing heartily to the escort.”
With that,
Chen Jingxuan took out a dossier from his sleeve and slowly handed it over to the jade table.
Xie Xuanyi glanced at it.
It was a preliminary draft list of the mission’s members, and he saw a familiar name.
Iron Face.
No wonder the young Emperor had mentioned in the Red Pavilion that they had already found a position for the Special Enforcement Officer.
Following the mission to travel east, leaving Great Chu was indeed a good way to handle things.
“This is probably it.”
The junior State Preceptor gathered his sleeves in his hands, resting them on his knees, and spoke sincerely, “If you think the East Tour Mission needs changes, you may draft your own list.”
“If you think this matter is significant and you want to avoid involvement, you may withdraw.”
“If you still need time to think it over, you may go back and consider it at your leisure…”
Before he could finish,
“There’s no need to think it over.”
Xie Xuanyi tucked the list into the inner side of his garment and raised his head, saying calmly, “I’ve taken on the task.”
He owed Chen Jingxuan a favor.
No…
Was it just one favor?
From Yuzhu Town to now, Chen Jingxuan had helped him countless times.
The most difficult debt to repay in the world was a favor.
As long as Chen Jingxuan made a request, Xie Xuanyi couldn’t refuse.
Xie Xuanyi’s quick agreement caught Chen Jingxuan somewhat off guard.
The junior State Preceptor’s expression became somewhat complex, he sighed softly, and patiently reminded, “The journey east is not as simple as you think.
In recent years, there has been friction at the Chu Li border.
This westward crossing of the Buddhist mission carries with it a sense of establishing authority.
I’ve heard that the current Buddha’s son, although only at the Cave Heaven Realm, has strength far surpassing his peers…
Many people believe that this Buddha’s son is the reincarnation of a high monk who attained enlightenment in a previous life.
Because of the vast disparity, Fangyuan Square has already separated him from the other young talents and does not consider them together.”
“So…
you might as well go back and think it over properly.”
Chen Jingxuan’s message was very clear.
Xie Xuanyi knew.
He hoped for his involvement yet worried about the danger of the affair.
“What’s there to think about?”
Xie Xuanyi’s demeanor remained as tranquil as ever, and he nonchalantly said, “He undergoes his reincarnation, and I cultivate my Tao.
If there’s a fight, then we’ll fight.”
The Buddha’s son is extraordinary?
But as long as he’s in the Cave Heaven Realm, there’s nothing extraordinary to consider.
“The journey east, let’s not bring it up again.”
Xie Xuanyi said, “But there is one thing I need to remind you of seriously.”
“You’re referring to the Southern Border Demon Cleansing, aren’t you?”
Chen Jingxuan had already guessed what Xie Xuanyi wanted to say.
“The Southern Border Demon Cleansing is no small matter.
Lu Yuzhen’s strength far surpasses your imagination.”
On the way back to Chen Mansion from the North Suburb, Xie Xuanyi meticulously organized the secret report from the Great Yue Kingdom in his mind, before creating a soul scroll.
He was waiting to meet with Chen Jingxuan.
Now was the perfect time to deliver this secret report into the hands of the junior State Preceptor.
Chen Jingxuan took the soul scroll and studied it carefully for a long time.
“The battle between the Wuxian and Peacock Venerable… was driven under the manipulation of Lu Yuzhen himself.”
Chen Jingxuan asked with a furrowed brow, “He can intervene in battles between immortals, are you certain?”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
Xie Xuanyi spoke deliberately, “The Holy Empress’s intention to have the young emperor preside over the Demon Cleansing is purely sinister.”
“At least with the cultivation of a Yang God, Lu Yuzhen’s involvement was anticipated.
The outcome of the Southern Border Demon Cleansing is unpredictable, but I have a rough idea of what to expect.”
Chen Jingxuan sighed softly, saying, “But the Paperman Sect doesn’t even have a monastery… who could have guessed?”
Though he was a Sky Watcher,
One could not predict everything all the time.
And Lu Yuzhen was an exceptionally special existence.
In these ten years, the Paperman Sect had risen rapidly, gradually becoming the most prominent power in the South Border.
Chen Jingxuan, stationed in Great Chu Imperial City, naturally had considered investigating.
He had entered the Roundness Instrument, prepared to pay a corresponding price to try to pull out a strand of fate from this Southern Border Daoist.
But as he approached, Chen Jingxuan felt the immense karma attached to Lu Yuzhen… arbitrary meddling would surely provoke violent backlash.
Thus, he abandoned that course of action.
“Fortunately… there’s still some time before the Southern Border Demon Cleansing.”
Chen Jingxuan rapidly calmed down, organizing his thoughts as he spoke slowly, “Recently, Yin Mountain and Heavenly Puppet Sect have officially joined forces; the Three Great Sects of the South Border are itching to push forward this battle, and under normal circumstances, there should have been no obstacles…”
Qing Sun Envoy was once the liaison between the South Border and Great Chu.
However, after the task of the Xuan Shui competition, Qing Sun was disabled, and his place was taken by “Cang Mi.”
After all, Qing Sun had been involved in this undertaking for a long time.
As the Special Envoy Cang Mi was new, it was inevitable that he needed some time to adapt.
Many matters needed to be handled slowly.
“Looking at it this way, the Three Great Sects need to re-establish contact with the Great Chu Royal Family.
If they want to push forward the war of the Demon Cleansing, they must show enough loyalty and sincerity…”
Xie Xuanyi pondered before speaking.
“Exactly.”
Chen Jingxuan’s eyes suddenly brightened, “Just the other day, the Book Tower intercepted a message that not long ago, a group of evil cultivators, about a dozen people with not very high cultivation levels, safely passed through the South Border checkpoints and are heading towards the Imperial City.”
Xie Xuanyi was well aware of the defenses at Great Chu’s borders.
Once sealed tight.
Not to speak of evil cultivators, not even a bird could cross.
“The South Border dares to send evil cultivator messengers to the Imperial City for an appointment?”
Hearing this, Xie Xuanyi had a rough guess about the purpose of this group.
Now that the Three Great Sects of the South Border had resolved to eliminate the Paperman Sect,
They could only rely on the Great Chu Royal Family.
But with Ren Shou Palace in seclusion, contact between the Royal Family and the Three Great Sects was suddenly cut off… They couldn’t wait indefinitely.
“Is this group going to meet with Yuan Jimo?”
An idea faintly formed in Xie Xuanyi’s mind.
“Likely.”
Chen Jingxuan spoke gravely, seriously saying, “The border guards let them pass, which means they carry documentation of sufficient significance; most likely given by Cang Mi.
Now with Ren Shou Palace sealed for formation casting, the only one able to receive these people would be Yuan Jimo from the Imperial City Department.”
These people, nine out of ten, were envoys dispatched by the Three Great Sects to discuss the Demon Cleansing matter.
Xie Xuanyi tapped his fingertips on the tabletop, slowly asking, “What is the highest level of cultivation among these people?”
“The Black Scale Guards reported that the highest is most likely a Half-step Yin God, probably possessing near-Perfect power of Dao.”
Chen Jingxuan responded instinctively, “The level of these people can’t be too low, nor too high, after all, those ‘Big Ghosts’ from the Three Great Sects, they want to facilitate a deal without showing themselves.”
This is the Great Chu Imperial City.
Not to mention evil cultivators who skulk in the shadows.
Even legitimate Yang Gods, who have comprehended the Tao, would worry about the Array Pattern Mechanisms of the Great Chu Imperial City; if the Great Chu Royal Family were to set a trap here, even if gods arrived, they would likely run into trouble.
The Three Great Sects desired to cooperate with the Great Chu Royal Family, willing to genuflect, even willing to bow their heads like dogs.
But the one thing they wouldn’t do was attend in person.
That would be like putting their own heads beneath the Great Chu Royal Family’s executioner’s blade—
“Half-step Yin God Realm…”
“Good, very good…”
Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes, continuing to tap on the table, asking earnestly, “How many are there in total?”
“Roughly three, and there might be some unknown Fake Yin Gods amongst them.
What exactly do you plan to do, Xuanyi?”
Chen Jingxuan’s expression grew somber.
He had an inkling of the intent behind Xuanyi’s inquiry about their cultivation levels.
“Obviously, to kill.”
Xie Xuanyi said calmly, “There are some things you cannot be seen dealing with, so I will take action myself.”
“I plan to kill all of these people.”