Chapter 1778

Yuanmu slowly opened his eyes, the formerly gentle gaze suddenly becoming incredibly sharp, like a sword shooting toward Hu Xiaotian's eyes as he said: "Where are Bu Wu and Mu Yuming now?"

Hu Xiaotian knew he could no longer deceive him; this affable old monk suddenly transformed from a hen to a duck, emanating an unprecedented aura of pressure that surged toward Hu Xiaotian like a towering wave.

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly; despite Yuanmu's imposing presence, he remained composed, smiling and saying: "As it turns out, Master still has something he cannot let go of."

The overwhelming pressure vanished instantly; Yuanmu's stern expression instantly softened, and he smiled lightly, saying: "Letting go—how easy is that?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If I refuse to tell the truth, Master will not only be unable to let go, but perhaps also unwilling to let me off."

Yuanmu smiled without speaking, but already understood in his heart that Hu Xiaotian's martial arts had reached perfection; even he dared not claim he could surely defeat him, and retreating unscathed from his presence should pose no problem.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Bu Wu and his brother both died on the Ankang grasslands; otherwise I would not have obtained the lower volume of the Void Great Law, which had all along been hidden on Bu Wu's person."

Yuanmu nodded, not doubting Hu Xiaotian's words, and softly sighed: "Bu Wu's martial arts are not inferior to mine; as for his brother Mu Yuming, who stole two secret manuals from Tianlong Temple, his skill should be no less than Bu Wu's—yet it is unexpected that they both died."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Bu Wu was trapped in Tianlong Temple for over thirty years, blaming everything on Mu Yuming, and naturally hated him intensely; after enduring and honing himself for so many years, his deepest wish was actually revenge. Mu Yuming had been avoiding him, even going so far as to hide his name and enter the palace as a eunuch, evading detection for nearly forty years, until his identity was exposed and reported to Bu Wu. For either of them to survive, they must place the other in a death trap—no rest until death."

Hearing this, Yuanmu slowly closed his eyes, his expression showing great reluctance.

Hu Xiaotian certainly would not tell him everything; even if Yuanmu racked his brains, he probably could not imagine why those two brothers became enemies, nor would he think that Li Yuncong still had a son.

Yuanmu asked: "Did you absorb Yuankong's internal energy?"

Hu Xiaotian did not deny it, nodding; under those circumstances, if he had not absorbed Yuankong's internal energy, Yuankong would have taken it all, likely costing him his life—what choice did he have?

Yuanmu said: "Yuankong is my senior brother; he introduced me to the path. Without him, I would not be alive today."

Hu Xiaotian inwardly wary, calmly said: "Master Yuanmu, are you seeking revenge for him?"

Yuanmu shook his head and said: "Everything in this world has cause and effect; his predicament is not due to you, but his own choices. Although he lost his martial arts, he thereby freed himself from his inner demons—in fact, it was you who shaped him."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaotian relaxed; the old monk seemed reasonable, but he did not know why the monk sought him out. Today, his appearance with Mingjing in the pagoda grove was surely no coincidence.

Yuanmu said: "Do you know, benefactor, why I destroyed that pagoda?"

This is exactly what troubled Hu Xiaotian; Yuanmu clearly knew some truth. He shattered the pagoda with a palm strike, intending for Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi to see that it was empty inside—there were no Buddhist relics beneath it.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The last time I came to that pagoda, I was accompanied by the Yongyang Princess, who said her mother had collided and died before it."

Yuanmu smiled and nodded: "I have never heard of that; there is absolutely nothing beneath that pagoda."

Hu Xiaotian said: "But there were two characters?" He had clearly seen the two characters "Minghui".

Yuanmu said: "Minghui is one of my disciples; he has been dead for many years."

Hu Xiaotian had never heard that name before, but since it was carved beneath the pagoda, linking it to Qiqi through the pagoda, he could not help but think of Ling Jiazi, wondering if there were unknown connections among these people. He whispered: "How exactly did he die?"

Yuanmu's expression filled with regret, he softly sighed: "Minghui was the most outstanding disciple since the founding of Tianlong Temple; we once entrusted him with the heavy task of restoring the temple and propagating the Dharma, but…" He trailed off.

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought: he had heard that Mingjing was the finest of the 'Ming' generation; unexpectedly, there had been an even more capable monk before Mingjing—likely Mingjing was only intensively trained after Minghui's death.

Yuanmu said: "He ultimately could not overcome the word 'love,' and in the end it cost him his life."

Hu Xiaotian secretly speculated: Could it be that Monk Minghui had some relationship with Ling Jiazi? He had long suspected that Qiqi's biological father was unlikely to be Long Yelin, for Long Yelin is merely an ordinary mortal; according to the earlier Ghost Doctor Fu Zhuo, the bloodline of the Heaven's Chosen is extremely pure, so her parents might both possess that pure bloodline. Ling Jiazi is undoubtedly a Heaven's Chosen—how could such a person take a languid figure like Long Yelin? Even if Long Yelin is the crown prince.

After pondering, Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "Master, have you ever heard the name Ling Jiazi?"

Yuanmu slowly nodded: "She is the birth mother of the Yongyang Princess, formerly the crown prince's consort." He pursed his lips and added: "Minghui met his end at her hands." His compassionate, tranquil visage suddenly flashed with a hint of venom, showing that the name Ling Jiazi could arouse such resentment in this deeply cultivated old monk, revealing the depth of his hatred—even such a high monk could not let go of his grudge. Who exactly is Ling Jiazi?

Yuanmu said: "Ling Jiazi is the most ruthless woman I have ever seen… she stops at nothing, refusing to rest until her goal is achieved."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows; from the first time he saw Ling Jiazi's portrait, he had imagined her as a gentle, kind yet ill-fated woman, never considering her ruthless. Now hearing Yuanmu's evaluation, it completely overturned his perception; however, Yuanmu's character should not lie, or perhaps, because he mourned his deceased disciple, he blamed everything on Ling Jiazi, thus his hatred.

Hu Xiaotian said: "What exactly happened back then?"

Yuanmu shook his head, closed his eyes again, and silently calmed his emotions.

Hu Xiaotian still wanted to press further, but Yuanmu said: "Today I sought you out for another matter." He took from his sleeve an item wrapped in yellow cloth and handed it over.

Hu Xiaotian took it; from its feel and weight he immediately recognized what it was. He hastily opened the wrapping to find a light sword's hilt inside. He instantly concluded this was the light sword he had given to Ji Feihua—its importance to her goes without saying. Normally she would never part with it, yet the sword lay in Master Yuanmu's hand, indicating Ji Feihua likely encountered trouble.

Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of tension; his gaze fell on Yuanmu's face: "Master, what do you mean?"

Yuanmu's expression was calm as an ancient well: "You should know who the owner of this sword is."

Hu Xiaotian sneered: "Master, are you trying to threaten me? How unbecoming of an enlightened monk, a Buddhist disciple, to resort to such means."

Yuanmu said: "Benefactor, why get agitated? Worry brings chaos. The sword's owner is now safe and sound, a guest at Tianlong Temple; you need not fret over his safety."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaotian felt secretly ashamed—why had he suddenly lost his composure? Ji Feihua's place in his heart is immensely important; given her martial prowess, why would Tianlong Temple trap her? Even her light sword taken? Unless the temple's most mysterious space monks intervene, no one could detain her. Yuanmu producing this sword must have another motive; for now he steadied himself to see what Yuanmu truly wanted.

Hu Xiaotian said: "If so, I ought to go to Tianlong Temple to meet this friend of mine."

Yuanmu said: "Benefactor, seeing him is not difficult; just bring the Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing, and we can reunite you with your old friend."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What exactly is this Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing? How do we know it even exists?"

Yuanmu said: "Since you have already found the Lingxi Buddha relic, the Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing naturally lies in the same place."

Hu Xiaotian blinked; he had never heard of a Lingxi Buddha relic before. Then it occurred to him that the Lingxi Buddha relic might refer to the Lan-colored transparent Skull of that extraterrestrial visitor. If so, it is quite possible—he had not fully explored Long Ling Shengjing; there must be many secrets hidden there. Yet why do these monks value that scripture so highly? What secrets do they keep?

Hu Xiaotian said: "How can I know whether my friend is in your hands?"

"Monks do not tell falsehoods!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed loudly: "Monk! Save that talk to deceive those good men and women!" He rose, his gaze blazing as he fixed on Yuanmu: "Master, you had better treat my friend well; if she suffers the slightest harm, I will erase Tianlong Temple from Dakang!"

Even Yuanmu's steady composure stirred ripples; Hu Xiaotian's words truly revealed a domineering aura, thereby proving how important the person trapped in Tianlong Temple is to him. Yuanmu smiled: "Benefactor, why such great resentment? My Buddha takes compassion as the foundation—how could we slaughter the innocent?"

Today there is only the First Update; I have some social engagements tonight, so I'll treat it as a weekend break for myself (to be continued~^~)