Chapter 520: The Past is Gone, the Future is Promising

"Martial uncle?"

Looking at Zen Master Abbot Zhi Tong with his white eyebrows hanging to his chest, Zou Shaohai was stunned and said with some surprise, "Your martial uncle is still alive? Then how old must he be..."

Before he could finish, he came to his senses and turned his head to look at Li Yan.

Li Yan didn't speak, just nodded slightly.

Zou Shaohai suddenly understood; this was a criminal who had returned from the dead.

Although he was not a sorcerer, he could cultivate martial arts to the level of *Gang* energy, and people in the Mystic Sect wouldn't dare to look down on him, so he naturally understood some things.

He knew even better that the orthodox Mystic Sect would take in some seniors who had returned from the dead or disturbed the yin and yang as their foundation.

The old monk hiding at Lingquan Temple was very likely one of them.

So regarding this matter, Li Yan remained silent.

"The two benefactors have misunderstood..."

An old monk beside them suddenly spoke.

This old monk was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, holding a lotus seal in his hand, his eyes snow-white and hollow; he was clearly a blind man.

But when he looked over, it was as if he could see through a person's heart.

This old monk said in a deep voice, "Although that person's seniority is high, he is not a monk of our Guangde Temple, and can't even be considered a disciple of Fomen."

"His name is 'Lang Wu', and he is a 'Shi Bi' of a Qiang tribe on the Chuanxi plateau; he was also a hero in the hearts of many Qiang people at that time."

"During the previous dynasty, when the army of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom invaded the Chuanxi plateau, it was also he who led the tribe to resist, and the Mystic Sect of Shu praised him unanimously."

"At that time, he fought with a shaman of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom and suffered heavy injuries; his cultivation was almost completely wasted. My master's master respected his actions, so he broke the rules and passed on the Nirvana Vajra Dharma, taking him in as a registered disciple to practice in the temple."

"Therefore, we all address him as martial uncle."

"That year, there was an earthquake in the Daba Mountains, and there was a Qiang tribe there; he couldn't rest easy, so he went to check, but ended up with no news."

"Several monks in the temple who had the best relationship with him set out to search, but when they found him, his temperament had changed drastically, and he even killed a monk and fled, disappearing without a trace."

"When we heard news of him again, he was already the Dragon-Worshiping Sect leader."

"After all, he had once learned the secret arts of Guangde Temple, so we secretly sent people to search, but the other party was elusive and very difficult to find."

Li Yan frowned and said, "Is the one at Lingquan Temple not him?"

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong took over the conversation and said, "We are also investigating this matter; it just so happens that a Dharma Master once met him."

Saying this, he ordered toward the door, "Please invite Dharma Master Master Hui Ming."

Not long after, a monk entered the Mahavira Hall.

This monk was tall and thin, dressed in plain clothes, and was clearly injured, with his left sleeve empty, but his eyes were still peaceful and calm.

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong introduced, "This is Dharma Master Master Hui Ming, from the Xixin Zen Temple in Changsha Prefecture; he came to investigate a missing monk, which led to the exposure of that lurking demon."

"Master Hui Ming, this is Li Yan, an up-and-coming talent of the Mystic Sect; you can recount the matter to them."

Hearing Li Yan's name, a strange look flashed in the monk's eyes, but he didn't say much, instead performing a salute and saying, "This matter is also a coincidence."

"To tell you the truth, we came from afar, but in reality, we were pursuing a traitor to retrieve a secret treasure of our sect that he had stolen."

"This person's Dharma name is Chen Jue; after stealing the secret treasure, he hid all the way to Shu, originally wanting to defect to another Buddhist degenerate, 'Huiyuan', but didn't expect that 'Huiyuan' had already died at the benefactor's hands."

"'Huiyuan'?"

Li Yan was stunned for a moment, then remembered that the Prince of Shu's Mansion had indeed sent a team of Vinaya Sect monks to intercept and kill him, only to be killed by him in turn.

"That's right."

Dharma Master Master Hui Ming said in a deep voice, "That person has already stepped onto an evil path, slandering the Dharma and spreading evil theories; if he obtained the Buddha treasure, who knows what kind of evil deeds he would commit."

"That person is already dead, and Chen Jue had nowhere to defect, so he changed his name and stayed at Lingquan Temple, but didn't know his background had been seen through, and was secretly reported to us by a high monk of Lingquan Temple."

"We originally intended to take him down, but who knew this person would suddenly disappear."

"We came to investigate and found it was somewhat different from the people who had disappeared before; his luggage was still there, but the Buddha treasure and Dharma artifacts had all disappeared."

"This was his mistake; he stole the Buddha treasure but didn't know we were carrying Dharma artifacts that could cause the Buddha treasure to show anomalies..."

"As a result, the item is still at Lingquan Temple, right in the room of an old lay monk who draws water and farms in the temple."

"We went to question him, but didn't expect this person to be a Mystic Sect expert, and Chen Jue was also hidden by him in a secret room. They attacked directly, injuring several people, but were surrounded by the high monks who arrived later."

"Later, this old monk summoned the snake demon, causing a disaster!"

"So that's how it is."

After hearing this, Li Yan nodded slightly, "Master, you have seen that old monk; does he look like this?"

Saying this, he took a portrait from his bosom.

This was the one Sha Lifei had drawn.

His previous one was too abstract and had long since been torn up.

Master Hui Ming looked at it carefully and shook his head, "It is indeed this person, but the expression between his brows is somewhat different."

"Then that's correct."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "This person is indeed the Dragon-Worshiping Sect leader; we just destroyed one of his nests a few days ago, but didn't expect him to be hiding here."

"That monk Chen Jue has likely been absorbed by him, joined the Dragon-Worshiping Sect, and is hiding in Lingquan Temple; there must be a conspiracy."

Saying this, he turned to look at Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong, "May I ask, Feng Feng Shixiong, has anything else been discovered at Lingquan Temple, such as local gods being corrupted or incense being stolen?"

"Li Li Shaoxia Yan is joking."

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong said with a calm expression, "Although Lingquan Temple's reputation is not as great as Guangde Temple's, they face each other across the bank, and the incense and luck are connected; that 'Lang Wu' doesn't have this ability."

"The arrangements found in his room were all for hiding his aura; it's more like he was using the Bodhisattva's incense to hide from something..."

Hiding?

Hearing these words, in Li Yan's mind, the figure of that wealthy guest from Chengdu instantly appeared.

The only one who could make the Dragon-Worshiping Sect leader hide was this person.

"Little Benefactor, have you guessed something?"

Although his expression didn't change, the blind old monk suddenly spoke.

Hearing this, Li Yan glanced at the old monk.

It really was the supernatural ability of the mind!

He had heard that Buddhist cultivation, although also based on the six roots, could use secret methods to cultivate marvelous supernatural abilities, such as the ability to read minds.

The supernatural ability of the mind had the strongest sensing ability and was easier to cultivate into the ability to read minds.

Of course, this method also had many limitations in peeking into a person's heart.

First, one must have obvious cultivation, and second, the other person must not resist.

Li Yan carried the "Dragon-Snake Token" with him, so the other party couldn't detect anything at all, only sensing a trace of abnormality based on the changes in his voice.

Although it was cautious, it was also somewhat disrespectful.

Li Yan felt somewhat displeased in his heart and said, "I was thinking that the Dragon-Worshiping Sect leader has profound cultivation; the one who could make this person hide is likely even harder to provoke."

"In addition, there is one more thing."

"The people sent by the Prince of Shu's Mansion were beaten up by me; according to them, the original plan was to lure me to Lingquan Temple and have others take action."

"Investigate the Prince of Shu's Mansion; perhaps it is related to this matter!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence.

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong shook his head and said, "I have also heard of the matter between Benefactor Li and the Prince of Shu's Mansion, but our Guangde Temple is favored by the imperial family and is watched by too many people, so it is not suitable to get involved in this matter."

"As for the Dragon-Worshiping Sect, Benefactor Li, please rest assured; I will send people today to contact fellow Daoists from Emei and Qingcheng to jointly clear out the Dragon-Worshiping Sect to prevent disasters in Shu."

"Benefactor Li has been running around for this matter, and his merit is boundless; the commoners of Shu may not know, but our Mystic Sect will not treat you unfairly."

Saying this, he took a string of prayer beads from his bosom, which were received by a disciple beside him, who walked over and handed them to Li Yan.

Li Yan looked down and saw that the prayer beads were made of agarwood, with extraordinary spiritual charm and a thick scent of incense, which made his Great Luo Dharma Body restless.

Agarwood was clearly a heavenly treasure; it felt heavy in the hand, the fragrance made one's mind peaceful, and it was densely carved with characters: *Namo Great Compassionate and Great Merciful Savior of Sufferings and Difficulties Vast and Responsive Guanyin Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Namo Buddha, Namo Dharma, Namo Sangha... *

It used micro-carving techniques; it was fortunate that Li Yan's eyesight was extraordinary, otherwise he would have thought they were natural patterns on the prayer beads.

"This was made by my own hands."

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong said, "It is carved with the *White-Clad Great Being Divine Mantra* and has been offered in the Guanyin Hall for twenty years; it can increase blessings and eliminate disasters, and when practicing spirit storage, holding this treasure can avoid the disturbance of inner demons."

Li Yan's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly bowed, "Thank you, Feng Feng Shixiong."

He certainly wasn't afraid of any inner demons, but for his partners in the team, this thing was a supreme treasure.

Especially for Sha Lifei, who was already old and whose mind was easily disturbed; with this item, his spirit storage speed could be greatly improved.

Coming up the mountain this time was simply a huge profit.

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong added, "This is just a little token of our heart; besides, although Guangde Temple is not easy to intervene in some matters, from now on, as long as you are within the borders of Suining, Benefactor, you can stay with peace of mind, and no one will trouble you."

"Thank you, Feng Feng Shixiong."

Li Yan thanked him again with a bow.

【In one look...】

He had already understood the reason.

Guangde Temple was an Imperial Zen Temple and also a holy land of Fomen in the Southwest, with a prominent reputation, but it also had too many concerns.

Especially matters of the imperial family, which they absolutely could not touch.

But protecting them within their territory was not a problem.

Temple Master Abbot Zhi Tong nodded and looked at Zou Shaohai, "President Zou, the Dragon-Worshiping Sect is secretly harming the Dragon King Temples everywhere; they must be trying to trigger floods."

"The Mystic Sect has the Mystic Sect's affairs, but it also cannot do without the help of martial arts heroes from all over; for this matter, I must trouble you to work for Guangde Temple."

"Master, please rest assured; Zou will certainly not fail your heavy trust!"

Zou Shaohai also felt relieved in his heart.

This was also what he wanted when he came up the mountain.

Through Li Yan's matter, the Shaanxi Shaanxi Shen Quan Hui could be considered to have shown its face, and also let the martial world of Shu know that they were not outsiders who did nothing.

And encircling and suppressing the Dragon-Worshiping Sect was a good opportunity to build momentum.

Li Yan was also very satisfied with this.

They had already offended the Dragon-Worshiping Sect; with the Mystic Sect and the martial world joining in, the other party would be too busy running around to bother them.

What remained was to focus on resolving the matter of the Prince of Shu's Mansion.

The two were satisfied and bid farewell to leave.

After they left, the Mahavira Hall fell into silence.

"Temple Master Martial Feng Feng Shixiong, that 'Lang Wu' is mostly controlled by the Jiang Shen Da Jun; no wonder he wanted to destroy the Dujiangyan. Is this the demonic calamity in Master's dream?"

"This is a heavenly secret; how can mortals predict it."

"Let's go all out to capture this person first."

"Also, Lingquan Temple has suffered a calamity, and the public heart must be panicked; send people down the mountain to perform rituals to pacify the souls and the public heart..."

"Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice; the Dharma assembly will be continuous. Order the disciples of each courtyard to be cautious and careful to prevent the demons from causing destruction."

"Yes, Martial Feng Feng Shixiong."

…………

"Congratulations to Li Li Shaoxia Yan for obtaining the treasure."

On the Fu River, Zou Shaohai said with a smile.

"I must thank Feng Feng Shixiong for the introduction."

Li Yan was also in a good mood, thought for a moment, and then reminded, "This Dragon-Worshiping Sect's evil arts are powerful and cannot be underestimated; if Feng Feng Shixiong discovers anything, you must not act alone."

"That is natural."

Zou Shaohai stroked his beard and laughed, "Although Zou was lucky enough to step into the *Gang* energy level, this life stops here, and I know even better that there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens."

"Running around, it's just helping the younger generation pave a path; I know what I can do."

Saying this, he pondered for a moment and said in a low voice, "If Li Li Shaoxia Yan wants to enter Chengdu Prefecture, you can tell me first, and I will help you arrange it to avoid being plotted against."

"Thank you, Feng Feng Shixiong."

While speaking, the boat had arrived at the Suining City pier.

"Take care!"

"Take care!"

Li Yan jumped onto the pier and bid farewell with a bow.

They were going to rest in Suining for a period of time, while Zou Shaohai was going to Chongqing Prefecture to summon the Shaanxi Shaanxi Shen Quan Hui of Shu and take advantage of the year-end gathering to discuss encircling and suppressing the Dragon-Worshiping Sect.

……

Returning to the Ruifu residence, Li Yan recounted the events on the mountain.

"Good thing!"

"The Dragon-Worshiping Sect is too busy to care about themselves, Guangde Temple has spoken, and the Prince of Shu's Mansion probably won't come to cause trouble; we can have peace for a while."

"Right, let's have a good Winter Solstice!"

After hearing this, everyone was in a good mood.

Seeing this, Li Yan was silent for a moment, "This matter was also my lack of consideration, insisting on taking that 'Wish-Fulfilling Pearl'..."

He could see that no one liked this endless trouble.

"What is Feng Feng Shixiong Li Yan saying!"

Sha Lifei immediately shook his head, "We walk the martial world, isn't it for the sake of feeling happy in our hearts? That Prince of Shu's Mansion is aggressive; if we were cowardly, the anger we'd be holding in, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have a good New Year."

"That's right."

Wang Daoxuan also stroked his beard and laughed, "Our Twelve Yuan Chen signboard has just been put out; how can we retreat at this time."

"Right, right!"

Sha Lifei's eyes lit up, and he touched his big bald head and laughed, "Yesterday at Wangjiang Tower, someone called me 'Feng Feng Shixiong Noon Horse'; this counts as showing our name, right? I never thought I, Sha Guangsheng, would have this day."

"Sha Guangsheng?"

Lu San was a bit confused, "Aren't you called Sha Lifei?"

"'Sha Lifei' is a nickname!"

Sha Lifei said helplessly, "My real name is Sha Guangsheng; I wandered the martial world, thinking of giving myself a resounding nickname, but didn't expect it to become a joke."

"Even I had almost forgotten my real name. But it's fine; from now on, having a name, these years won't have been in vain."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and laughed, "The past is gone, no need to worry; my real name is Wang Lao Nian, and who remembers that?"

"Wang Lao Nian?!"

Lu San was even more surprised, looking at Wang Daoxuan's immortal-like appearance, it was hard to associate him with the name "Wang Lao Nian".

"Hahaha..."

Sha Lifei laughed loudly, "Feng Feng Shixiong Lu San probably doesn't know, 'Long Yan'er' is also a name changed after wandering the martial world; her real name is Long Amei..."

Saying this, his expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural.

Seeing this, Li Yan hurriedly changed the subject, looked at Wu Ba, and smiled, "Wu Ba's temperament is honest and kind, 'Ugly Ox' is also suitable. Daoist, what title do you think I should take?"

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment, "You are skilled in thunder arts and also skilled in water escape, rising from the grass roots; *Chen* is *Zhen*, naturally you are the Heavenly Gang Yuan Chen."

"Just take 'Chen Dragon' as your title."

"One day, you will surely ride the wind and clouds to the nine heavens!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 521 =====