Chapter 147: 147.Chapter 145 Hurry and invite the Buddha's talisman paper, exorcise evil and slay demons!

147. Chapter 145 Hurry and invite the Buddha's talisman paper, exorcise evil and slay demons!

"How could this be?"

Upon hearing that Master Zhi Dun's remains had surfaced, the abbot's usually calm face showed several degrees of excitement and shock.

Professor Song An gave an account of the archaeological progress, and the host became even more excited, repeatedly saying with clasped hands:

We originally thought we couldn't find Master Zhi Dun's final resting place, but unexpectedly it was buried deep beneath the riverbed; for our Xiguangsi Temple, and even for all of Great Xia Buddhism, this is a fortunate thing!

After a long while, the abbot gradually calmed his emotions, clasped his hands together, and solemnly bowed to the people of the Research Center.

"Amitabha Buddha, I, the humble monk, thank you all here."

"I hope we can later go pay respects to Master Zhi Dun's remains."

Professor Song hastily waved his hand and said politely, "This is all within our duties; abbot, your words are overly courteous. After a while, once the archaeological work is finished, Master Zhi Dun's remains will naturally be properly handled, and we will also invite various eminent monks to discuss it then."

"Very good, very good."

No matter what, if it weren't for the people of the Research Center, Master Zhi Dun's remains would probably still be hidden in the long river of history.

Therefore, the abbot was deeply grateful to the archaeological team; upon their inquiry, he hurriedly had the monks bring the temple's written records and all books related to Master Zhi Dun.

"Everything is here; benefactors, if you wish to examine, you may browse yourselves, or let the humble monk explain to you."

Speaking, the abbot showed doubt, saying, "It's also strange; according to the temple's records, Master Zhi Dun had no bronze ancient sword by his side, and Buddhist practitioners do not wear Sharp Instruments—could there be some misinformation?"

If it weren't for the people of the Research Center saying so personally, he wouldn't have known that Master Zhi Dun actually had such a bronze ancient sword with him.

Given how much Master Zhi Dun valued this sword, even taking it with him into his final meditation, logically there should be some clues left for posterity, and it would be impossible for later Buddhist disciples to know nothing at all about it.

Yet the Research Center's people investigated all the way and found nothing, and I myself have never heard such rumors.

Now, with the bronze ancient sword mysteriously disappearing, the Archaeological Center finds it inconvenient to speak further, after all it's somewhat embarrassing.

Afterwards, upon checking the materials, we discovered there was actually no information related to the ancient sword, making it feel even more like it appeared out of thin air.

Professor Song and the others couldn't help feeling disappointed; it seems this journey to trace the origins of the bronze ancient sword is destined to end in futility.

"Thank you, abbot."

The abbot waved his hand, indicating no need for courtesy; seeing the Research Center's people somewhat disappointed, he seemed to have thought of something.

"Amitabha Buddha, although we were unaware of the bronze ancient sword, recently the temple has experienced several marvelous events, still related to Master Zhi Dun; I do not know whether they will be helpful to your archaeological research."

Hearing this, the people of the Research Center couldn't help but feel doubtful, asking, "Matters related to Master Zhi Dun?"

The abbot nodded, saying, "Earlier in the Cangjingge, the Buddha manifested his holiness; even Master Zhi Dun came to peruse the scriptures, and besides that, later on even two talismans appeared…"

The abbot leisurely recounted the recent events, and each time he spoke of them his feelings surged.

Professor Song and the others were just like listening to a story; they originally thought they would hear useful clues about Master Zhi Dun, but instead it was such talk, leaving them somewhat torn between laughter and tears.

But the abbot spoke very seriously, seeming convinced that it was the Buddha and Master Zhi Dun revealing their spirits, his face full of reverence and sincerity.

The people of the Research Center pretended to look astonished, feigning surprise, "There are still such marvelous events?"

The abbot turned the beads in his hand, saying, "Amitabha Buddha, monastics do not tell falsehoods."

Professor Song An gave an embarrassed smile; he actually didn't believe these things, and could only say tactfully, "Could there be some coincidence in all this?"

Some temples seeking fame or lacking reputation might fabricate miraculous signs, proclaiming their supernatural aspects to attract worshippers.

But Xiguangsi Temple has a long history, was founded by Master Zhi Dun, its incense has always flourished, worshippers come in an endless stream, and the monks inside should disdain such tricks.

The abbot shook his head, saying, "This is what our temple's monks personally witnessed; it is definitely not a coincidence, and judging from the manifestations that appeared then, Master Zhi Dun's spirit indeed wandered here, perusing the scriptures, giving us considerable insight."

"It's a pity we didn't personally witness Master Zhi Dun's manifestation; otherwise we could also see whether the master was suited for a sword."

The more they listened, the more absurd it seemed; the people of the Archaeological Center had varied expressions, and someone couldn't help muttering a sentence.

"If it were really like that, it would be great; we could just ask Master Zhi Dun about the origins of that bronze ancient sword."

Although this was said jokingly, it's not without reason; if one truly wanted to clarify the secret, what way could be more direct than asking the person himself?

However, the people of the Research Center do not believe this.

At this moment it was already noon; the sun was suddenly shrouded in a layer of shadow, the light grew dim, and at some point a large mass of black clouds settled in a corner of the sky.

Looking at this weather, it won't be long before a thunderstorm arrives.

The aroma of food came from within the temple; it was already lunchtime.

The abbot said thoughtfully, "Why not finish your vegetarian meal before leaving?"

There's no place to eat around here; if we drove to the city, it would still be some distance, so we might as well stay here, which also lets us rest before setting off again for the capital.

Professor Song nodded in thanks, "Then I'll trouble the abbot."

The vegetarian meal at Xiguangsi Temple was quite good; although all vegetable dishes, they were delicate and refined, the taste was passable, and perhaps because they were hungry, the people of the Research Center ate heartily.

In just a moment, the heavy dark clouds had completely swallowed the sun's silhouette; not far away, the outline of the green mountains also became blurred, and under the dim sky it existed like a mass of ink.

Yet in the mountains, two people strode forward steadily; although the mountain path is difficult, they are clearly trained practitioners, with steady stances and even breath.

Both figures were tall and robust, their features ordinary, but occasional flashes of a fierce light in their eyes emanated an invisible killing aura, indicating they were not ordinary people.

The bald one spoke, saying, "Judging by this sky, it won't be long before it rains; we need to find shelter, for in thunderstorm weather the mountains are not safe either."

The other man, with a scar at the corner of his eye and triangular eyes that looked hard to provoke, cursed, "Damn, this time I'm really unlucky—I didn't get the loot, but instead attracted the cops' attention, and the big boss will be hard to explain to."

The bald man's name is Li Hai, the scarred man's name is Qin Yu, and the two of them are indeed hired by the previous Overseas Consortium organization.

The Overseas Consortium initially sent two batches of personnel, both of which were wiped out; the behind-the-scenes big boss obviously wasn't resigned, and after the situation gradually cooled down, he actually sent people again.

But this time the people he sent were quite special; the previous two batches were tomb robbers, and even if they had some skill, it was aimed at the interiors of tombs.

This time the two are professional mercenaries; their physical fitness and overall capabilities are far superior to those of the previous batches, and they are even of Great Xia nationality, making it easy to come and go, infiltrate.

But nevertheless, before they could even act, traces were exposed, so much so that even now it feels unbelievable.

I'm a professional, after all!

As a result, the operation was exposed before it even began—what the hell is this?!

The two fled all the way from Wu Du to Cloud Ridge City, hiding in the mountains, but this is no solution.

Qin Yu muttered curses, "I originally just wanted to gather some information from those villagers, but I didn't expect that group of villagers to be so alert—they immediately called the police."

Outrageous! Totally outrageous! Just a bunch of villagers—how could they be so sharp?

Back then even a villager wanted to trade a couple of moves with me—where did he get the nerve? If I hadn't wanted to avoid alerting the enemy, I'd have killed this pack of dogs.

Li Hai comforted him: "Forget it, saying all this now is useless; better think about how to shake off the cops behind us."

Qin Yu's expression turned a bit gloomy, making him look more ferocious: "Those cops are like dogs, tracking us from Wu Du all the way to Yun Ling; they'll probably find us soon, so we need another plan."

The two proceeded along the mountain path; Qin Yu seemed to have seen something, narrowing his eyes: "There looks to be a temple over there."

The temple is not far from the mountain base, nestled among lush trees; its red walls and gray tiles stand out, it covers a fairly large area, with people coming and going, the incense seems quite good.

"The mountain is too dangerous—if trapped, there's only waiting to die. The temple is crowded and chaotic; blending in won't be obvious, and if worse comes to worst we could take hostages and seize a chance to escape Yun Ling amid the confusion."

The two sneaked down the mountain, intending to pose as pilgrims coming to worship at the temple, then later figure out how to steal a car and leave, shaking off the relentless police behind them.

Since their appearances had never been exposed, they dared to sneak into the city to look for an escape opportunity.

Woof woof woof—

However, just as the two were preparing to go down the mountain, barking and hurried footsteps came from behind.

Both of their faces changed: "Damn, those cops have caught up!"

How could they be so fast?

Qin Yu and Li Hai's faces turned pale with shock— they hadn't expected the Great Xia police to be this capable; in such a short time they'd already tracked us down.

This mission really feels off!

The two hurriedly fled down the mountain; the temple is crowded, which could well mask their scent, surely making it hard for police dogs to detect them.

Because it was a weekday, the flow of visitors to Xiguangsi Temple wasn't as high as before, though still considerable; yet no one expected that among the worshippers, armed criminals had mingled.

Originally Li Hai and Qin Yu planned to blend in with the worshippers and leave together, but upon reaching the gate they heard a siren wail approaching from afar.

Beep—beep—

Their faces gradually grew grim.

I didn't expect there to be people on the mountain while the police down below had also made preparations—this is a classic case of catching a turtle in a jar, clearly planned all along!

Qin Yu involuntarily lowered his voice: "What should we do now? This mission shouldn't have been taken……"

"The police haven't gotten a clear look at our faces; mixed in the crowd we have a chance—don't panic."

Soon a number of police cars pulled up at the gate of Xiguangsi Temple; the temple has only one exit, which is now blocked by police.

If they tried to flee now, it would only draw attention; they can only choose to hold their position for the moment.

Other worshippers were also startled by this turn of events.

"What's going on? Why did police cars suddenly show up?"

"What happened?"

"I don't know—who called the police?"

The crowd murmured in discussion.

The commotion outside quickly drew the attention of the temple's monks and the research center.

"Abbot, it's bad—there are a lot of police outside."

The abbot's face shifted slightly: "What are the police here for?"

The monks shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

Professor Song recalled seeing the police cars earlier on the road, and for some reason felt uneasy.

Someone from the research center couldn't help muttering: "Could it be that some escaped fugitive has run over here?"

"Could it really be such a coincidence?"

The abbot and Professor Song, among others, went outside to see—quite a few police cars were parked out front, with about a dozen officers present.

Those who arrived were precisely Sun Zhenbang and company; besides the police who had rushed from Wu Du, they also contacted the Yun Ling local police, together encircling and suppressing the two criminals.

After all, they were armed with firearms, posing a threat to the public, so they must be apprehended as soon as possible.

Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei also appeared on the list, taking part in this operation.

The two sides are also acquaintances; counting their previous cooperation in Wu Du, this is their second joint effort.

Especially Bai Yanfei hadn't expected that, upon returning to the vicinity of Xiguangsi Temple, she would find herself in this situation again.

Sun Zhenbang's walkie-talkie crackled with a voice.

"No trace of those two has been found on the mountain; they likely fled downhill and haven't gone far."

"There's only one way down the mountain, which happens to lead to this side of Xiguangsi Temple."

"Oh no, there are too many civilians here—something bad is going to happen!"

"In such a short time, it's somewhat difficult for them to leave; Sun Zhenbang can be certain that those two are either hiding in the crowd or concealed inside the temple."

Sun Zhenbang's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, but with so many people it would be hard to spot those two right away.

"Don't worry, everyone—we're pursuing the two criminal suspects who fled here; we suspect they're currently hiding in the crowd."

As his words fell, the crowd erupted in an uproar; wary glances fell on nearby strangers, tinged with suspicion and scrutiny.

"How frightening—there are actually criminals among us."

"Having stirred up so many police, could the criminals possibly still have guns?"

"What rotten luck—I originally came to burn incense to dispel bad luck, and now it's only gotten worse."

The people whispered among themselves, their expressions revealing unease and fear.

Sun Zhenbang soothed the crowd: "Please don't panic, cooperate with our police work; now please line up, one by one, to pass through."

The police set up a cordon, with officers and guard dogs standing by, evacuating visitors while covertly inspecting—even the temple's monks and the research center staff were not exempt.

The crowd also cooperated fully; thinking that two criminals might be in the line, they felt uneasy, wishing the police would swiftly apprehend them.

Qin Yu and Li Hai dawdled, intending to slip into the temple unnoticed while the crowd queued, to evade the police search.

Sun Zhenbang's gaze was like a torch, fixed on the movements within the line; if the criminals were truly in the queue, to avoid detection they'd surely be unable to restrain themselves from acting.

As expected, the two people at the end of the line not only didn't queue, but instead walked toward the temple.

Why aren't you two lining up?

Qin Yu and Li Hai's bodies stiffened, their faces instantly turning grim: "Something fell into the temple; let's get it first, then line up."

Looking at their backs, Sun Zhenbang narrowed his eyes, feeling increasingly strange: "Why don't you turn around to speak?"

Seeing they had no response, Sun Zhenbang walked over to them: "I'm asking you a question."

Hearing footsteps behind him, in the blink of an eye Qin Yu suddenly turned around, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes, the dark gun muzzle aimed at Sun Zhenbang, and he quickly pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Thick gun smoke accompanied the gunshot, instantly stunning everyone; for a moment, the crowd cried out and scattered like birds and beasts.

At the instant of the gunshot, Sun Zhenbang's mind also boomed, as if time had frozen here.

Having been to Longyuan Village half a year ago, he felt his physical quality had improved considerably; his Vital Essence was much more vigorous each day, and his hearing and sight had become markedly sharper.

At the moment the bullet came at him, the surroundings instantly became extremely blurry; all he saw was the black bullet slicing through the air toward him.

The shadow of death loomed over his head; Sun Zhenbang's face turned grim to the extreme, his limbs went icy, and he already saw himself falling after being shot.

It's over! As long as it doesn't hit a vital spot!

However, at this critical moment of life and death, a strange and mysterious feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

Sun Zhenbang's pupils gradually dilated, a purple energy surging and bursting within his body!

The originally fast bullet, in his vision, kept slowing down, to the point where he could even see its trajectory!

How could this be happening!

Sun Zhenbang blinked, thinking he was hallucinating; his heart filled with astonishment, and before he could react, his body had already responded, swaying slightly to the side!

It was precisely at this hair's-breadth moment that his nimble maneuver perfectly dodged the deadly bullet!

And at the moment the gunshot rang out, it had already drawn the attention of others.

At this sight, everyone else dared not even breathe, their faces changing in shock, but fortunately it was a false alarm—Sun Zhenbang had escaped disaster!

The police barely saw Sun Zhenbang's movement, only knowing the bullet had nearly grazed his body, extremely perilous; they couldn't help but exclaim in awe: "What incredible speed!"

Qin Yu looked at Sun Zhenbang in disbelief, then at his pistol, astonished at how he had dodged that bullet.

The distance between them wasn't great; the bullet speed is 300–450 meters per second—at such close range, Sun Zhenbang had no way to dodge.

This is truly unbelievable!

Even Sun Zhenbang himself was quite astonished.

I actually managed to dodge it?!

But seeing the pistol empty, Qin Yu reacted swiftly, quickly grabbing someone and, like an eagle seizing a chick, clutching their collar; Li Hai beside him also hastily seized a person as a hostage, forming a standoff.

For a moment, the scene stalled.

Meanwhile, Captain Zhou and Bai Yanfei standing afar stared in shock: "Just now, good, good reaction speed!"

Bai Yanfei couldn't help but say: "Captain Zhou, Officer Sun's age is about the same as yours, but this reaction speed differs by quite a bit."

Captain Zhou rolled his eyes: "What nonsense are you talking? Dodging a bullet—who could achieve that?"

All the police shared the two's view: just now Sun Zhenbang's move was practically a divine stroke, something ordinary people could hardly do.

If it were them, they'd probably already be down from a bullet; truly, I don't know how Sun Zhenbang predicted it—this reaction speed is simply outrageous.

For a moment, everyone's gaze toward Sun Zhenbang carried an inexplicable admiration and bewilderment.

But now is obviously not the time to worry about this; since Sun Zhenbang is unharmed, we must figure out how to deal with the criminals.

If you don't want to see blood, don't come over!

The Cloud Ridge Police quickly surrounded the two in a circle, while some officers promptly dispersed the remaining crowd.

Officer Sun, are you alright?

On the other side, facing his companions' slightly concerned and surprised glances, Sun Zhenbang shook his head: "I'm fine."

At this moment, seeing Qin Yu and Li Hai holding hostages, Sun Zhenbang, who had narrowly escaped disaster, could only suppress the doubts and astonishment in his heart.

Because they feared the two had hostages, the police dared not act rashly for a time.

Sun Zhenbang stepped forward and negotiated: "You're already surrounded, with no chance to escape; don't continue futile resistance, release the hostages, and you won't be sentenced to death."

The bullet just now missed you—you're really lucky. Qin Yu gave a cold smile, the scar on his face becoming even more ferocious.

Cut the nonsense; give us a vehicle.

After saying that, he pressed the gun against the hostage's head: "Otherwise, you know what the result will be."

The hostage was a middle-aged man; ordinarily he'd never seen such a scene, but now, with Qin Yu pointing a gun at his head, he instantly trembled with fear, his face flushed red, on the verge of tears.

Don't kill me! Don't kill me!

Qin Yu said sinisterly: "Whether I kill you or not isn't up to me; it's up to these police."

The middle-aged man immediately looked at Officer Sun: "Officer, save me—I don't want to die; my wife and kids are waiting for me to come home!"

Beside him, Li Hai held a little monk; compared to the middle-aged man terrified out of his wits, the novice monk appeared far more composed, saying nothing, merely turning his prayer beads silently.

Only his hands trembled slightly, revealing the novice monk's unsettled state.

Faced with this situation, he was too young, naturally fearful, but he hid it well, being very well-behaved and not causing trouble.

Sun Zhenbang's face was somewhat grim; these two were truly arrogant, openly shooting police—not to mention now taking hostages.

This, across the province, is a rare major case in recent years!

"Amitabha!"

Just then, a Buddhist chant rang out, breaking the stalemate.

When everyone had stepped aside, fearing to be implicated, the abbot walked out.

Sun Zhenbang furrowed his brows, gesturing for the other officers to stop him: "These criminals are dangerous; don't approach."

The abbot showed no fear on his face: "Let me try to persuade these two benefactors; besides, my disciple is still in their hands."

Sun Zhenbang originally did not want to agree, but after glancing at the little monk and hearing the abbot say, "I, the poor monk, might have a way," Sun Zhenbang hesitated a moment, then told the other police officers: "Protect the abbot."

The abbot stepped forward calmly, looking at the two bandits without fear: "Amitabha, why don't you two lay down your butcher's knives and turn back to shore?"

Seeing the abbot arrive, the little monk's eyes lit up slightly, as if he had found his mainstay, and even his original panic dissipated considerably.

Master—

The abbot nodded at him and said, "Do you still remember the Heart Sutra I had you chant yesterday?"

The little monk nodded, his youthful face full of earnestness, and the familiar sutra flowed from his lips: "Observing the self, the bodhisattva, when practicing deep perfection of wisdom, sees that the five aggregates are empty, relieving all suffering."

What he was reciting was exactly the content of the Heart Sutra, and many monks outside the police line also began chanting the sutra, as if drawing fearless strength from it; even when facing armed bandits, they showed no fear.

The low, continuous chanting drifted beneath the overcast sky, and as a muffled thunder rumbled in the distance, the chanting became even more solemn.

It seemed to carry a calming power, so even the panic in people's hearts was eased a little, and unnoticed, raindrops fell, yet everyone seemed unaware.

But for Qin Yu and Li Hai, this was utterly useless; to them, the sound was like incessant mosquitoes buzzing into their ears.

They were never good sorts to begin with, so how could the abbot's few words sway them? This brainwashing is utterly useless.

Qin Yu's expression was grim, his triangular eyes flashing with a vicious light.

"I spit, you bald donkey, get lost—if you've got the guts, tell these police to let us go!"

Li Hai also shouted from the side, "Yeah, instead of urging us, you'd better urge these police—aren't we two living human lives?"

But seeing the police delay, Qin Yu's expression grew increasingly ruthless: "Since the monks and you cannot decide, then I'll help you!"

As the words fell, he pulled the trigger directly at the middle-aged man.

"Bang!"

With the gunshot, everyone's hearts jolted.

The bullet struck the ground, kicking up sparks; the hostaged middle-aged man stiffened like a dead fish, obviously somewhat frightened silly, the bullet nearly hitting him.

Qin Yu was extremely arrogant, his tone icy to the extreme: "Officer, my patience is limited; this shot missed, but next time who knows?"

It was nothing short of an outright threat!

The sky had completely darkened; the black clouds resembled waves on the sea, and in an instant towering surges rose, a deep rumbling came from afar, as if thousands of troops were surging forward, even the distant mountain outlines grew ever more blurred until nothing remained but a black silhouette.

The atmosphere in the air was somewhat oppressive, making it hard to breathe, an inescapable shadow looming over everyone's heads.

The monks' faces grew somewhat regretful; seeing Qin Yu and Li Hai showing no remorse, they shook their heads and sighed.

"This is a Buddhist holy land; if you insist on opening a killing spree here, the Buddha will certainly not spare you—why bother?"

Qin Yu snorted at that: "Buddha? Even if the Buddha's father came today, he'd have to answer for it here!"

His tone was arrogant, his demeanor full of disrespect, and he went on spouting nonsense here.

The monks' faces gradually showed hints of anger, for Buddhism also has the Wrathful Vajra.

The prayer beads in the abbot's hand gradually stalled, his aura shifting to stern; he was no longer the kindly, benevolent figure before, now exuding an aura of wrath without anger.

"If that's the case, then don't blame me, the poor monk, for being impolite."

"Haha." Qin Yu and Li Hai burst into laughter, obviously not taking the abbot's words to heart, mocking: "What can you bunch of bald donkeys do to me? Just sharp-talk."

"I'm literally laughing my ass off; I've come this far, still afraid of a few stinking monks? Do you think you can even summon the Buddha to deal with us?"

Only the police could make them wary; even if there were many more monks, what could they do? Unable to shoulder or lift, how great a threat could they be?

Obviously others present thought similarly; the crowd murmured, urging the monks to step aside and wait, leaving professional matters to professionals.

Sun Zhenbang ordered people to continue negotiating with the bandits, while he escorted the abbot to the rear, saying: "Abbot, we can handle this; reasoning with these villains simply won't work."

After all, the bandits still have guns; to avoid implicating the abbot, we must keep our distance from them.

But the abbot shook his head and said angrily: "These villains are committing evil under the Buddha's very nose—how can I ignore them? Benefactors, rest assured, the Buddha will deal with them himself."

Sun Zhenbang felt a bit strange, not understanding why the abbot was so confident, but he merely chalked it up to faith and didn't think further; just as he was about to advise them to wait in a safe place, he saw the abbot turn his head toward an elderly monk nearby and solemnly order:

"Junior brother, go to the Mahavira Hall and fetch the Buddha talisman; this time we shall surely exterminate evil and drive out demons!" (End of chapter)