Chapter 790

Before Fan Long and the others took action, Fan Kun retreated far to the side, standing silently there, reciting sutras without sound.

When Fan Long and the others gained the upper hand, repeatedly shattering the Wu tribesmen behind Wu Tie to pieces, and Wu Tie himself was covered in wounds, Fan Kun wore a hint of confident smile, continually nodding in praise.

In his view, this was the proper performance of a mighty Red Lotus Temple.

His earlier defeat was merely being tricked by that dead-bull-nose Qingfeng……But after so many years, being tricked by Qingfeng over and over has become a habit, and Fan Kun didn't think anything was wrong with it.

Anyway, when Fan Long took action, Wu Tie ended up at a disadvantage; that was just great.

But the situation suddenly changed; Wu Tie and the Wu family youths collectively mutated, using an unimaginable method, like a silkworm breaking its cocoon to become a butterfly, or like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, soaring upward and becoming extraordinarily miraculous.

In an instant, Fan Long and the others were completely defeated.

Before Fan Kun could react, Wu Tie had already seized 1,296 innate spiritual treasures, and at the same time stripped clean the relics embedded in the Vajra Sumeru pedestal.

Moreover, the wolf-like Wu family youths, under Wu Tie's direction, frenziedly charged at Fan Long and the others.

Shila— rang out……

The Wu family youths had no interest in the monks' robes, so they violently tore the robes off Fan Long and the others into shreds.

The monks' outer, middle, and inner garments of Fan Long and the others were all made of superb material, their grade not inferior to Nine Refined Immortal Weapons; yet in the hands of those Wu family youths, these Nine Refined Immortal Weapon–grade treasure robes were like tofu dregs, torn to rags in just a few pulls.

Strings of Buddhist beads were pulled off.

Pieces of Buddhist weapons were pulled off.

Ornaments of treasure were pulled off.

The disciples qualified to join this generation's Vajra Sumeru Formation, including Fan Long among these great monks, each possessed profound cultivation and great wealth, each person at least carrying a set of commonly used and a set of reserve Buddhist treasures and weapons.

Like Fan Long, the chief senior disciple of the Vajra Hall, his status was comparable to that of a senior elder of the Red Lotus Temple, with especially generous treatment.

Just Fan Long alone yielded three 'ancient treasures' and over fifty ordinary spiritual treasures from his person; this Fan Long could practically be called a 'treasure-laden monk'……or a 'treasure-delivering boy'.

Fan Long struggled furiously, coughing up blood, with difficulty raising his hand to resist.

But the Vajra Sumeru Formation was violently shattered; as the main formation holder, Fan Long suffered a particularly terrible backlash. His body constantly emitted the sound of bones shattering, his soul suffered severe damage, and sticky golden blood continually flowed from his seven orifices; his cultivation realm, which had been at the peak of the tenth heaven, had unknowingly slipped down to the ninth heaven.

Moreover, his breath continued to decline, and his cultivation was likely to keep falling.

The weakened Fan Long could not even employ the most basic Buddhist divine abilities; he could only rely on his innate brute force, throwing punches and kicks to resist the Wu tribesmen's looting.

However, his opponents were the three Wu Jin brothers.

Wu Jin possesses the Human Emperor inheritance; Wu Yin and Wu Tong are also elite disciples carefully cultivated by the Wu tribe at great expense. The three brothers, together with a dozen or so of their strongest brothers, surrounded Fan Long—two or three men gripping one arm, three or four gripping one leg, and another wielding a wolf‑tooth club and a sledgehammer, striking Fan Long's head lightly then heavily.

Fan Long bellowed 'ah ah' in rage, smoke pouring from his seven orifices as he was beaten; he could not muster even a tenth of his full strength, and could only watch as Wu Jin used the Wu tribe's secret technique to pull out, one by one, the dozens of secret treasures refined within his body.

The other Red Lotus Temple disciples were much the same.

They struggled helplessly and in vain, yet could not resist in the slightest.

Faced with the wolf‑like Wu tribe youths, some monks whose martial‑world experience was insufficient and who had never endured such humiliation began to wail 'ah ah'.

The wailing finally awoke Fan Kun.

Holding a string of golden Buddhist beads, Fan Kun stepped on flowing clouds and flew swiftly toward Wu Tie: 'Lay down the butcher's blade, attain Buddhahood on the spot… Martial King, turn back and you'll reach the shore…'

Before Fan Kun had finished speaking, Wu Tie grabbed the head of a stark‑naked monk and hoisted him up.

"Fan Kun, if you keep spouting that Red Lotus Temple nonsense, guess whether this monk is dead or alive." Wu Tie sneered at Fan Kun: "Guess right and I'll give you a copper coin; guess wrong and this monk is as good as dead."

Fan Kun's lips twitched.

He very much wanted to inform Wu Tie, using the Red Lotus Temple monks' painstakingly studied art of dialectic, that his statement contained a glaring logical loophole.

But…

Faced with the stake of a copper coin, Fan Kun dared not gamble.

If he speaks, Wu Tie will surely kill the monk in his hand—for the price of a mere copper coin.

Fan Kun vows that if he dares to guess, Wu Tie will dare to kill.

Fan Kun saw in Wu Tie's eyes the fierce light unique to desperadoes—men he had slain many of before. Such desperadoes are truly heedless and fearless, capable of anything.

"Martial King!" Fan Kun halted his cloud‑borne flight and, from a distance, bowed with palms together to Wu Tie.

At this moment Fan Kun's demeanor became extremely gentle and elegant, utterly peaceful and tranquil, with not a trace of negative aura.

That aura, like a white lotus blossom transcending the world and drifting gracefully, even led Wu Tie to mistake him for a pretty‑boy from the White Lotus Palace.

"Think before you speak!" Wu Tie glared fiercely at Fan Kun, then turned and bellowed at the Wu Jin brothers: "Be careful—use the secret technique to comb their bodies. Their śarīra aren't only in the head; it's very likely that many places on their bodies could hide three or five śarīra."

With that fierce light in his eyes, Wu Tie said coldly: "If you really can't find any, try burning them… It's said that in ancient times many Buddhist śarīra were produced by fire."

Fan Kun and Fan Long shuddered; Fan Kun drew a deep breath, wearing an incomparably gentle smile, and almost bowed at a ninety‑degree angle with palms together to Wu Tie: "Martial King, there's something I don't know whether I should say…"

Wu Tie rudely cut off Fan Kun: "Since you don't even know whether that 'fart‑talk' ought to be spoken, don't fart! Shut your bird‑mouth and get lost!"

Wu Tie's mood had sunk to rock bottom; his mouth spewed foul language nonstop, and he couldn't be bothered to observe even the most basic etiquette.

Fan Kun's voice faltered; he gazed resentfully at Wu Tie, and then that burly monk, unexpectedly, acted all coy and timid, offering Wu Tie a faint obsequious smile.

"Your scolding is quite right, Martial King… but you probably don't know the foundation of my Red Lotus Temple."

"As the saying goes, grievances should be resolved, not deepened!"

Fan Kun finally spoke his words sincerely.

"Lay down the butcher's knife, attain Buddhahood instantly"—a saying Wu Tie clearly did not want to hear; so Fan Kun used wording more in line with worldly views to persuade him.

Fan Kun's words were so sincere, so genuine, yet they made Wu Tie burst out laughing.

"Grievances should be resolved, not deepened!"

That saying really makes sense… but you Red Lotus Temple, earlier you thrust a blade sideways to stop Wu Tie from dealing with those 'scholars' of the White Lotus Palace—how could you not have thought of this 'supreme truth' then?

Aren't you afraid of creating grudges that would bring trouble to your Red Lotus Temple?

It's obvious that Fan Long and his lot back then never even considered this line of talk…

They basically aren't afraid of bearing a grudge against Wu Tie.

Because they are strong.

Because they are disciples of the Red Lotus Temple.

Because Red Lotus Temple stands behind them.

They aren't at all afraid of forming a grudge with Wu Tie. They think they have Wu Tie wrapped around their finger.

"Resolving grievances is better than tying them…… I like that saying." Wu Tie tilted his head, looking at Fan Kun, and pointed at him: "So, Monk Fan Kun, come on, don't say I'm not giving you a chance…… Resolving grievances is better than tying them…… Come, you explain the reasoning to these pretty boys, let them return Pei Feng, and we can talk about anything."

"Give you a chance, you must seize it, make them return Pei Feng, and I'll agree to anything."

"If you…… can't make them accept your reasoning, can't make them understand the principle that grievances should be resolved not tied, then this proves you're just talking out of your ass!"

"I, Wu Tie, am a ruler of a state…… you dare to fool me with bullshit, then don't blame me…… hehe!"

Wu Tie clenched his right hand, and with a "crack," the bald head of the monk he was holding let out a sharp cracking sound; his five fingers were like eagle talons, sinking half an inch into the monk's bald head.

The threatening intent goes without saying.

Fan Kun's face turned grim.

Wu Yin and Wu Tong supported the heavily injured Fan Long; a Wu family youth with Profound Void Bloodline waved his hand, the sea surface below froze, and a thick huge piece of profound ice appeared on the sea.

Wu Yin and Wu Tong forced Fan Long to kneel on the ice; Wu Jin brandished his great axe, like a butcher patting a fat pig ready for slaughter, lightly stroking Fan Long's neck, choosing where to cut to cleave that huge head more cleanly.

Fan Kun's face grew ever uglier.

He took a deep breath, forced a smile, and nodded at Wu Tie.

He slowly walked toward the White Lotus Palace disciples under the protection of Clear Wind, pulled out a fist-sized medicinal gourd from his sleeve, pointed a finger, and threads of fragrant medicinal liquid flew out of the gourd.

The medicinal liquid turned into a misty fine rain that fell on the White Lotus Palace disciples; each unconscious disciple's Adam's apple twitched, they let out low groans, and woke from their faint.

Bai Wen and Bai Wu, who were already awake, also regained their strength from the nourishment of the liquid; they panted as they looked at Fan Kun, gritting their teeth and staying silent.

Fan Kun approached the five-colored auspicious clouds, bowed to Bai Wen and Bai Wu: "Two senior brothers, it's been several years…… or rather, ten years ago, when White Lotus Palace opened its mountain gates and recruited scholars from all over, this poor monk followed my master to attend the ceremony."

Bai Wen smiled faintly: "Fan Kun, what do you want to say?"

Fan Kun seriously looked at Bai Wen: "Of course, to speak reason."

Bai Wu sneered on the side: "A disciple of Red Lotus Temple actually talks reason with people…… rare, rare."

Fan Kun smiled and shook his head: "My Red Lotus Temple's disciples have always been the most reasonable. It's just that very few people have the fortune to encounter a Red Lotus Temple disciple speaking reason."

Bai Wen and Bai Wu sneered simultaneously.

Bai Wen jeered: "After all, all the principles in the world lie on your Red Lotus Temple bald thief's three-inch tongue that never rots……"

Fan Kun hurriedly shook his head: "Wrong, the great principles of the world are all in the White Lotus Palace's scriptures…… My Red Lotus Temple only speaks of trivial little principles. For example, I ask the two senior brothers to decide and return the Martial King's beloved."

Bai Wen's face darkened: "Fan Kun, what do you mean by saying that, treating our White Lotus Palace as what? Kidnappers and extortionists?"

Fan Kun smiled at Bai Wen: "Isn't that so?"

Bai Wu sneered: "What if we say no?"

Fan Kun turned his head to look at the great monk seized by Wu Tie, then at Fan Long forced to kneel on the profound ice, and said softly: "Even the Buddha has wrath."

Bai Wen said coldly: "Fan Kun, do you mean you want to act against us?"

Fan Kun closed his eyes and softly said: "Grievances should be resolved, not tied——two senior brothers, this principle, you should understand it better than I."

Bai Wen and Bai Wu snorted in unison.

Fan Kun turned the string of golden prayer beads with his fingers, speaking slowly: "Besides, a wise man doesn't suffer immediate loss…… those who know the times are outstanding…… Or perhaps you two senior brothers still remember the saying often on the lips of White Lotus Palace disciples?"

Bai Wen and Bai Wu still just sneered.

Besides sneering, their eyeballs rolled about with a "gurgling" sound.

The White Lotus Palace disciples awake nearby—Bai Lu, Bai He, Bai Lu—also had their eyeballs rolling.

They all saw clearly the predicament of Fan Long and the others, each racking their brains, thinking of various countermeasures.

"A scholar meeting soldiers can't make sense of reason"…… Indeed, this is the first time in their lives they've encountered someone like Wu Tie. Offending both Red Lotus Temple and White Lotus Palace at once is something even the demons and monsters of the four great barbarian states of the Suichao dynasty would never dare to do.

"To repay a grudge, ten years is not late…… Two senior brothers, why insist on holding out?" Fan Kun lowered his voice, earnestly looking at Bai Wen and Bai Wu: "Red Lotus, Blue Lotus, and White Lotus—these three teachings were originally one family…… You two won't think that, having cultivated grand righteous qi, you've truly become unyielding noblemen, will you?"

Bai Wen and Bai Wu yelled as if their buttocks were on fire: "Fan Kun, what are you saying?"

Seeing Bai Wen and Bai Wu like that, Fan Kun simply ripped open the pretense: "How you cultivated grand righteous qi—do you really think I, a monk, don't know? The White Lotus Palace's true 'gentlemen of righteous qi' who relied on their own cultivation have all been squeezed out by you to become pastoral officials in remote backwaters…… Those of you remaining in the White Lotus Palace, your grand righteous qi is all thanks to the 'righteous qi seeds' bestowed by your teachers, nurtured and strengthened with the ancestors' literary way secret treasure."

Fan Kun snorted coldly: "Who doesn't know who? A bunch of pretty boys and hypocrites, pretending to be martyrs in front of a monk?"

The speed of turning the prayer beads on his fingers clearly increased greatly; Fan Kun shouted sternly: "Release the people, or else let you experience just how fiery a monk's temper can be!"

Without waiting for Bai Wen and Bai Wu to speak, Fan Kun glanced at Clear Wind and said coldly: "May the Daoist friend die while the poor Dao lives——that's what the Taoist priests often say, and I, as a monk, deeply believe it makes sense!"

Bai Wen and Bai Wu's eyeballs spun even faster.

But they simply refused to speak, putting on the posture of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, absolutely unwilling to talk.

Wu Tie, seeing this, felt anger rise in his chest; he sharply pulled back his right hand.

With a "bang," the monk he was holding exploded completely.

"Fan Kun, Bai Wen, Bai Wu, do you really think I'm a benevolent philanthropist? Men, seize thirty monks and ten pretty boys, chop them up!" Wu Tie roared furiously.