Chapter 746: Solving the Problem Once and for All?

Great victory!

The Daughter Kingdom's officers and soldiers were in high spirits, their killing intent filling the sky.

Like dark clouds pressing down on the summit, it made the mere two remaining cultivators feel a calamity of annihilation descending upon them like Mount Tai crushing the crown.

How could this be possible?!

These two cultivators were naturally powerhouses no lesser than Xuan Daozi and the others; they had thought that once they entered, the Heavenly Demon would surely be theirs for the taking.

They never expected...

They never expected that Xuan Daozi, Tu Xing, and the others who had entered before them had actually died!

And not even their divine souls had escaped; the Heavenly Demon was far stronger than last time, so strong it had turned into a massive millstone, grinding them to death bit by bit.

The cultivators who died, the person they hated most before death was not the Heavenly Demon.

But Tian Xiezi!

You despicable, shameless villain! I never thought you'd actually collude with the Heavenly Demon!

If it weren't for Tian Xiezi setting up some sword formation, the weaker cultivators wouldn't have been blocked outside.

If those cultivators hadn't been blocked, experts like them wouldn't have entered this quickly.

If they hadn't entered this quickly, they wouldn't have been strangled to death alive by the Heavenly Demon at its most ferocious power.

Everything is Tian Xiezi's fault!

Tian Xiezi, you deserve to die!

Alas, their furious roars couldn't transmit to the outside world; the vortex allowed entry and exit, but didn't transmit sight or sound.

And "long-range" attacks had basically zero effect.

Only the artifacts refined by the Artifact Alliance had a bit of use, but even then only when they demonstrated them was the effect a little better.

The few sold off were just for "listening to the noise."

On the Shanhaiguan city wall, Xia Jianjia's face lacked the joy of those generals and soldiers; on the contrary, her expression was quite complex.

On the Daughter Kingdom's side, not a single person had died.

An unprecedented great victory.

What it brought was incomparable peace of mind, a sense of security where nothing needed to be considered.

Just like when the Monk Xuanzang appeared back then, exterminating the ferocious monsters.

Sheltering them behind him.

This peace of mind of being sheltered under another's wings, this warmth, she hadn't felt it for a very, very, very long time.

Xia Jianjia recalled her childhood; outside, a violent storm raged, wind and rain lashing out, the pattering sound of rain arriving, rainwater turning the world between heaven and earth into a vast white expanse.

She opened the main gate; the eaves outside kept the rain out, only a few drops falling in, coolness permeating the air.

Xia Jianjia lay in soft, warm silk cotton quilts, one hand constantly stuffing small snacks into her mouth.

Listening to the storm raging outside, her mind held nothing; all worries had nothing to do with her.

Scenes from her childhood emerged in her mind, shifting, arriving at her teens, innocent and radiant, when first love stirred.

That was after being saved by Tang Luo, on the journey back to the Daughter Kingdom, when another heavy rain fell.

Tang Luo waved his hand lightly; an invisible force isolated the heavy rain outside.

Forming a small world belonging solely to them.

One man, one woman, one white horse.

The sound of wind and rain outside could be heard, yet had absolutely nothing to do with them.

As for the true body that isolated the heavy rain, it was actually Ao Yulie; this matter having nothing to do with Tang Luo was naturally ignored by Xia Jianjia.

The color of recollection slowly faded.

The last cultivator was also slain by the Daughter Kingdom; Xia Jianjia rode her horse once more, alone, heading for her mother's tomb.

Upon arriving, she saw Tang Luo sitting cross-legged beside the tombstone, staring blankly at his own right hand, unknown what he was doing.

Only when Xia Jianjia approached did Tang Luo raise his head and say: "You've come."

"Hmph, the Holy Monk Xuanzang is truly as charismatic as ever." Xia Jianjia's words couldn't be told as mockery or praise.

It seemed to be both at once; worthy of someone who had been Queen for many years.

Very good at playing guessing games.

"So-so." Tang Luo laughed, accepting it all, giving Xia Jianjia a feeling of punching empty air.

"Once you've shown off enough prestige, can the Holy Monk leave now?" Xia Jianjia brought up the old matter again.

"You want me to leave that badly?" Tang Luo stood up, looked up... thought for a moment, stepped up one step into the air, and looked down at Xia Jianjia with satisfaction.

This girl, she's grown taller than back then, should be half a head taller than her mother even.

Right now Tang Luo is a half-grown youth; looking up is very unaccustomed, flying up a bit is only normal.

Xia Jianjia was speechless for a moment, then nearly laughed out loud; a Tang Luo of this size looked quite amusing too.

But the corner of her mouth had just curved up slightly before she immediately reined it in, her face cold as she said: "Yes."

"Why?" Tang Luo asked.

"Because you'll leave in the end, won't you?" Xia Jianjia stared at Tang Luo's face, both unfamiliar and familiar, and spoke slowly.

Tang Luo frowned, not answering for a while.

These words weren't wrong!

He indeed had to leave; although he could return after leaving, he ultimately had to depart.

"Hmph, same as before." Xia Jianjia got the affirmative answer.

"Cough."

Tang Luo coughed once; this really wasn't the same as before.

Before, the carriage just blew up, blew up like that — who could survive that?

Master and disciple was already the limit; things like a cover-up, once they're out, they're gone.

This time the situation is clearly different.

"This time we rode the coattails of Your Holiness the Holy Monk's gentle breeze, rampaging everywhere; after you leave, what are we supposed to do?" Xia Jianjia didn't harp on the past, lightly letting it go.

"When next time comes, countless cultivators will swarm out; at that time the awe-inspiring Holy Monk won't be here, how are we weak women supposed to resist?"

"Cultivators under heaven, their number is so great, I'm afraid more than half are coveting the Holy Land of the Heavenly Demon."

"We pay some price, they pay some price, only then can this fragile balance be maintained."

"So I did something superfluous?" Tang Luo asked.

Xia Jianjia closed her eyes and opened them again: "Yes!"

"Actually it doesn't count as superfluous, at least it helped lighten your burden considerably." Tang Luo smiled, looking calm and unbothered, not angry at all.

"Helped us?"

Xia Jianjia's emotions shifted violently and rapidly; she stepped forward, grabbed Tang Luo and pulled him before her, their faces nearly touching.

Tang Luo could see the incomparably complex emotions in Xia Jianjia's eyes.

And Xia Jianjia saw only a pair of eyes like an ancient well without ripples, deep as the sea, revealing no emotion at all.

"You helped us, is it because you feel guilt in your heart!"

"Speak!"

Restrained emotions suddenly erupted; Xia Jianjia's whole body trembled.

"Amitabha." Tang Luo used a Buddhist invocation in place of an answer.

A Buddhist invocation is truly a good thing — whether when showing off, or when faced with a hard-to-answer question, just say "Amitabha".

You get style points, and the question gets brushed aside.

After all, there's simply no way to judge whether Tang Luo means "hehe" or "bought a watch last year" when he says "Amitabha".

The most crucial thing is, even if you judge it's the latter.

You still can't beat him; getting worked up while he stays calm and collected...

No wonder a bunch of monks like to speak in Zen riddles, talking unclearly — there's a reason for it all.

She stepped back, released Tang Luo, and straightened the brocade kasaya he'd just had pulled askew: "No need to help anymore, let's go, really, it's enough already. I don't want us both to regret it..."

"Actually, the thing you're worried about won't happen." Tang Luo said.

"What?" Xia Jianjia froze for a moment.

"You said the casualties this time were too heavy, provoking more cultivators to retaliate." Tang Luo said, "This matter won't happen."

"What do you mean?" Xia Jianjia laughed lightly, "Could it be you can still kill all the cultivators under heaven?"

"Right."

Tang Luo smiled and nodded.

Xia Jianjia stood stunned on the spot; after a while, her eyes blinked twice.

"Did I mishear just now?" she asked.

"No mishearing; convert them all, and the problem can be solved once and for all..." Tang Luo said, "Hmm, actually there's no need to convert them all. Cultivators aren't stubborn fools; as long as you make them understand the Kingdom of Daughters is something they cannot touch, whoever moves dies, that's enough."

"... Are you really a monk?" Xia Jianjia asked faintly.

"Brocade kasaya." Tang Luo shook his clothes.

A nearly fully bloomed Merit Jade Lotus pattern emerged on his brow: "Merit Jade Lotus."

"Imperially appointed scripture-fetcher, Great Thunderclap Temple of Spirit Mountain, Victory Fighting Buddha."

"Who dares say this poor monk isn't a monk?"

Tang Luo said with a smile, revealing snow-white teeth, "Even Maitreya would only say this poor monk is a 'demon monk'."

I've rendered meritorious service for the Great Teaching, shed blood, seen the Tathagata.

Everyone acknowledges it.

This identity of a monk, only Tang Luo can actively abandon it; there's no such thing as Great Thunderclap Temple expelling someone.

Great Thunderclap Temple wouldn't expel anyone either; at most they'd catch this demon monk and lock him in the Demon-Subduing Pagoda, in the deepest level... still not enough.

Best to get him a single cell, every day one-on-one supervision, teaching him the Dharma.

That's the proper way.

Xia Jianjia didn't speak.

Although your fleeing back then looked wretched, your arrogant look now... really leaves her with nothing to say!

"It's decided then; next I need to focus on cultivating a divine ability, no leisure to mind your side. When your troops are trained well enough, this poor monk will go out and let those idiots taste what 'Buddha's Dharma is boundless' means." Tang Luo sat back down by the tombstone, directly dismissing her, "Remember to notify me when the troops are trained; though I feel training troops has no meaning."

Xia Jianjia turned and left; when she reached the stone steps she turned back to glance at Tang Luo once, then left quickly.

She didn't know if Tang Luo had discovered some clue.

The Holy Monk Xuanzang of that year... in her heart was invincibly strong.

But that was a little girl's blind worship of an idol, not reliable.

Now, Xia Jianjia looking at Tang Luo, likewise cannot fathom any depth.

She doesn't know if he noticed, perceived it; she's also unwilling to think about it.

A sense of exhaustion surged like a tide, nearly swallowing her.

Xia Jianjia left; Tang Luo opened his eyes, looked at his right hand: "Still needs a bit of time."

Outside, as more and more cultivators applied pressure, Tian Ezi finally couldn't hold on — or rather, quit while he was ahead, withdrawing the sword formation.

A group of cultivators rushed in scrambling to be first; so many experts went in ahead.

Right now is definitely the Heavenly Demon's moment of weakness; miss it and this shop won't exist anymore.

Thinking this way, I suddenly felt that Tian Xiezi's actions were not bad; before, they were the first to face the onslaught of the heavenly demons, but now it was those experts' turn.

Not bad, not bad.

Before those cultivators could even show smiles on their faces, the attack from the Daughter's Kingdom arrived.

They struck those cultivators until their heads were broken and bleeding.

Only, this time there was no Tang Luo with his boundless Buddhist Dharma; even if the Iron Armor Talisman's effect remained, the situation was no longer one-sided.

The number of cultivators entering kept increasing; outside Shanhaiguan, it had already completely become a true battlefield.

Even more brutal than a cold weapons battlefield.

More and more cultivators crossed Shanhaiguan, entering the interior of the Daughter's Kingdom.

The troops stationed at Shanhaiguan could no longer completely block these cultivators.

And on the battlefield outside Shanhaiguan, where the slaughter had reached a horrifying extent, the soldiers of the Daughter's Kingdom suddenly saw their skin and flesh fade and disappear.

Revealing the stark white bones within, in the hollow eye sockets, ghostly flames ignited.

Shrill cries beyond compare, the female demons' furious howls, as if they wanted to pierce the eardrums.

Resentment from one life, two lives, ten lives, a hundred lives surged forth, and their combat power rose in a straight line.

White Bone Heavenly Demon, Pink Powder Skull!

Those cultivators were not here for the flat peaches and heavenly treasures; they casually slapped the label of heavenly demon onto the Daughter's Kingdom's heads.