Chapter 913

Hu Xiaotian walked out of the bamboo grove, night had already fallen; the group of guards outside Puxian Courtyard were all on high alert, although Fu Yuehong had luckily escaped from Hu Xiaotian's men, he did not dare return to Puxian Courtyard, and without even bothering to inform Chi Feixing, he fled in haste.

Although Puxian Courtyard heard a few miserable cries, no one knew what had actually happened in the bamboo grove.

In the distance, a group of monk warriors came toward Puxian Courtyard under the guidance of Mingzheng, and the side of Long Dragon Temple should also have heard the commotion.

Inside the meditation chamber, the false emperor Chi Feixing's palms sweated nervously; before leaving Long Dragon Temple, eliminating Hu Xiaotian was his mission; the appearance of Fu Yuehong proved that his benefactor had already lost confidence in him; no matter what, he hoped this operation would go smoothly; Chi Feixing clasped his hands together and silently prayed.

Inside the room, a cold, merciless voice sounded: "Are you the emperor?"

Chi Feixing's heart jumped: "Who is it?" As he spoke, the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle hidden in his sleeve had already been aimed at the direction of the sound; before Chi Feixing could pull the trigger, his wrist was seized by someone, and with just a light grip, Chi Feixing felt his wrist bone about to shatter, and the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle clanged to the ground.

The opponent struck his pressure point, seized him like an eagle catching a chick, lifted him, tucked him under the arm, then leapt into the air with a boom! A huge sound, the roof of the meditation chamber burst open a large hole, and for a moment tiles, rubble, and stones fell like rain.

Everyone's attention was drawn to that loud noise, only to see a strange old man, like a ghost, holding the emperor, breaking through the roof of the meditation chamber and rushing out, without any pause, he swooped down from midair toward the direction of the Sutra Pavilion; although he was holding a person in his hand, he seemed to bear no weight, and his movement was utterly unaffected.

At this moment, Hu Xiaotian had just arrived in front of Puxian Courtyard. He was about to go meet Mingzheng's group of monk warriors to ask why they had come, when the loud noise from Puxian Courtyard attracted his attention; he looked up and saw Bu Wu seize the false emperor and, like a great bird, soar above the crowd, heading toward the Sutra Pavilion.

Hu Xiaotian had thought Bu Wu would act at midnight, but he never expected him to come this early; it seems Bu Wu indeed does not fear making a big scene.

The false emperor Chi Feixing was held under Bu Wu's arm; seeing Bu Wu's hideous face, he was terrified out of his wits, and only then did he recall Hu Xiaotian's words; Chi Feixing loudly cried out: "Save the emperor! Save the emperor!"

Hu Xiaotian naturally had no fear of making a big scene, shouting: "Brothers, chase after them! Save the emperor!" He secretly rejoiced, his master's arrival was perfectly timed, diverting everyone's attention; now even if the matters of Liu Huchen and the black-clothed person were discovered, no one would suspect him.

Seeing the emperor seized, the guards of the imperial guard all rushed forward, vying to be first; at this moment nobody was afraid, for if the emperor died they would all have to die with him, and Hu Xiaotian naturally led the charge.

Mingzheng and the monk warriors, seeing the scene, also became somewhat flustered; Mingzheng sent two junior disciples respectively to inform the abbot and the master, while leading the remaining monk warriors to pursue toward the Sutra Pavilion.

Bu Wu seized the false emperor and climbed over the wall of the Sutra Pavilion, disappearing into the courtyard.

Hu Xiaotian and the crowd arrived at the gate of the Sutra Pavilion's courtyard. Several guards of the Sutra Pavilion blocked the gate, shouting sternly: "This is the forbidden area of the Sutra Pavilion; without the abbot's order, no one may enter."

Hu Xiaotian angrily said: "To hell with your forbidden zone, the emperor has been seized inside! Brothers, arm yourselves; whoever stops us from rescuing the emperor, we'll kill him!" Over a hundred guards simultaneously drew their wooden sticks.

Mingzheng and the group of monk warriors also came to reinforce, shouting loudly: "No one may enter the Sutra Pavilion without permission!"

Hu Xiaotian coldly said: "Mingzheng, you clearly saw the emperor being seized into the Sutra Pavilion just now, yet you still block us from going in to rescue the emperor; this is clearly intentional cover-up."

"You're talking nonsense!" Mingzheng glared at Hu Xiaotian, such a charge he could not bear, nor could Long Dragon Temple.

Hu Xiaotian loudly said: "Zuo Tang, immediately send a signal to have the Feather Forest Army at the foot of the mountain come to reinforce; if today the emperor suffers any harm, we will surely raze Long Dragon Temple and burn the Sutra Pavilion."

The scene was tense, the situation ready to explode at a touch.

The abbot of Long Dragon Temple, Tongyuan, also came hurrying with a group of monks; hearing that the emperor had been seized, Tongyuan was also greatly startled; Hu Xiaotian's earlier remarks happened to be heard by Tongyuan; although Hu Xiaotian's words were truly too arrogant, if the emperor were indeed injured in Long Dragon Temple, the outcome would likely be even worse than he said.

Tongyuan angrily shouted: "Everyone, disperse!" Faced with this situation, Tongyuan could not maintain his usual calm demeanor.

Seeing the abbot arrive, the monks hurriedly bowed in panic.

Hu Xiaotian, regardless, had to play the villain's role, and his aura remained fierce.

Tongyuan came before Hu Xiaotian and said: "Sir Hu, please calm down; what exactly happened?"

Before Hu Xiaotian could speak, a strange, cackling laugh came from inside: "Today I will throw this dog emperor to his death; let's see how you monks will explain it to the court."

Tongyuan's face changed upon hearing it.

Hu Xiaotian waved his arm and said: "Brothers, follow me to rescue the emperor!" With his influence at this moment, naturally one call brought a hundred responses.

Tongyuan said: "Sir Hu, please remain calm and do not act rashly; the abbot, as a poor monk, is also anxious about the emperor's seizure, but merely being anxious is of no use; let us first calm down and consider how to safely rescue the emperor."

Hu Xiaotian's expression eased slightly: "Abbot, how do you plan to rescue?"

Tongyuan said: "The incident occurred within our temple; our temple naturally bears responsibility; the situation of Long Dragon Temple is known best by our own monks; Sir Hu, even if you summoned one hundred thousand Feather Forest Army to Long Dragon Temple, it might not help much."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You mean the emperor's safety is to be borne by Long Dragon Temple?"

Tongyuan inwardly sighed; having come to this point, he could not shirk responsibility even if he tried, so he nodded and said: "Sir Hu, please remain calm and do not act rashly; give this poor monk some time."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It's not that I distrust the abbot, but the emperor's safety concerns not only our lives and property but also the future fortune of Dakang.".:

Tongyuan said: "If Sir Hu does not trust this poor monk, you might as well come in with me."

Hu Xiaotian was just hoping for this; since you said so, I certainly won't stand on ceremony.

Tongyuan said: "Please, Sir Hu, understand my difficulties; others, please wait outside."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said to Zuo Tang: "Zuo Tang, we won't send a report down the mountain for now; we'll talk later." In fact he never intended to let Zuo Tang go down the mountain to report at this moment; if the news of the emperor's seizure spread, the Feather Forest Army at the foot of the mountain would surely pour out, and before long the matter would reach the capital, making the situation uncontrollable.

Hu Xiaotian also had his own considerations; today's purpose in creating this chaos was to help Bu Wu, as for the life or death of that false emperor, he didn't care at all.

Tongyuan waved his hand, the guards at the door stepped aside to open a path, and Hu Xiaotian followed Tongyuan into the Sutra Pavilion.

Bu Wu, holding the false emperor, stood on the flying eaves of the third floor of the Sutra Pavilion, chuckling: "These thieving bald monks of Long Dragon Temple have trapped me for a full thirty years."

Tongyuan came beneath the Sutra Pavilion and raised his voice: "Master Uncle, you must never do wrong again; a state cannot go a day without a ruler; if you harm the emperor, Dakang will become a loose sand, hearts will scatter, chaos will erupt everywhere, and in the end it will be the common people who suffer."

Bu Wu's ears twitched slightly, his face turned toward where Tongyuan stood: "Tongyuan? What qualifications do you have to speak to me? Don't call me Master Uncle; I have never once believed in the Buddha; go ask your master what he did back then? You lot, full of benevolence and morality, everywhere proclaiming compassion, what a bunch of hypocrites; look at what you've done— which of it wasn't for your own gain? Raising the Buddha's banner to swindle and deceive, what compassionate deeds have you ever done?"

Tongyuan said: "Master Uncle, your hatred of Long Dragon Temple is directed at me; as the abbot of Long Dragon Temple, any fault should be borne by me; why must you make things difficult for an outsider?"

Bu Wu laughed loudly to the heavens: "Is it not this outsider? Do you really deign to lower yourself to come see me? Is it not this outsider, how else would you raise troops and gather the temple's forces to besiege me? Are you perhaps afraid? Afraid that I will kill this dog emperor and bring down heavenly disaster upon you?" His hand seized the throat of the false emperor Chi Feixing.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian spoke up: "Hey, senior, grievances have their origins and debts their debtors; you and Long Dragon Temple have some deep grudge, why drag our emperor into it? Our emperor has done nothing to offend you."

Bu Wu coldly said: "Who are you again? What qualifications do you have to speak in my presence?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am Hu Xiaotian, Deputy Commander of the Dakang Imperial Guard; why have you seized our emperor? If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one."

Bu Wu laughed heartily; twisting and harassing, this brat's forte is really something; thinking about this disciple, he's not bad either, he knows how to cooperate with my act.

The monks present did not know the relationship between Hu Xiaotian and Bu Wu; hearing his words, they all secretly sighed that this fool overestimated himself. What kind of person is Bu Wu? Even the abbot Tongyuan must address him as an elder; how could you possibly challenge him?

Tongyuan said: "Master Uncle, how can we let the emperor go?"

Bu Wu said: "Let me think; rather, have Yuanmu come out and kowtow three times before me; perhaps I will vent a little of my anger."

Tongyuan said: "My uncle is out wandering and has not returned; if you are willing, let me kowtow on his behalf—how about that?" Although his words were soft, his tone remained neither humble nor arrogant; even Hu Xiaotian felt some admiration for this abbot of Long Dragon Temple. In the face of danger, unafraid, at the critical moment he displayed extraordinary courage and breadth of mind; enduring humiliation and bearing burdens is not something everyone can do.

Bu Wu said: "Then let him kowtow."

Tongyuan indeed knelt down, and the monks beside him shouted in unison: "Abbot!" Clearly they could not bear to see the abbot humiliated. What Tongyuan represented was not only himself but also the face of the entire Long Dragon Temple; to the monks of the temple, this was nothing less than a great disgrace.

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought, these monks' cultivation is still insufficient; within Long Dragon Temple, there are hardly any who could tolerate favor and disgrace as calmly as Tongyuan.

Tongyuan respectfully kowtowed three times, his expression unchanged, his face like an ancient well without ripples, and he softly said: "Master Uncle, may the emperor be released now?" (To be continued~^~)