Chapter 714

If the Dayuan won't even give a thousand, I'll go find the Daqin instead!

They say they have a Lishan Project, similar to your Wang Si.

Perhaps it could also help our Yinyue Dynasty successfully send the demon out of Pudu Cihang."

Saying so, Wan Wan turned around again, looking as if she were about to leave.

How could Tie Muzhen let Wan Wan go.

Now is precisely the critical moment for Dayuan, precisely the time to begin cooperation with the Yinyue Dynasty.

Such a good opportunity—how could he hand it over to Daqin?

Even if it costs a thousand spirit children, Tie Muzhen will accept it.

At once he immediately stood up from the throne. He said loudly,

"Envoy Wan Wan, this Khan agrees."

Wan Wan's lips curled again—this trip to Dayuan was indeed the right call.

But she also knew that Dayuan's situation was poor now, precisely the time when they needed the Yinyue Dynasty.

At once she turned around, bowed once to Tie Muzhen, flattering him a little,

"People say Great Khan Tie Muzhen is generous and open-handed—seeing him today, the reputation is indeed well-deserved.

As long as Dayuan can help me send the demon out of Pudu Cihang, the Yinyue Dynasty will form an eternal alliance of friendship with Dayuan."

Yelu Chu couldn't help twitching his mouth, knowing that Wan Wan had actually pulled a fast one.

But given Dayuan's current situation, they really had no choice but to agree.

"Haha! Envoy Wan Wan, you flatter me!

The matters below will be handed over to Chancellor Yelu to take you through!"

Tie Muzhen laughed heartily—being flattered to his face like this, and by a top beauty like Wan Wan no less.

Even though he'd taken a bit of a loss, he felt it didn't matter, and said again to Yelu Chu,

"Chancellor Yelu, the matter of sending the demon out of Pudu Cihang—you must follow it through the entire way.

All of Wang Si must cooperate fully with Envoy Wan Wan.

Whatever is needed, satisfy it without exception."

"As you command."

Yelu Chu sighed, then immediately felt relieved again.

In any case, as long as the demon-sending succeeds, they could form a complete alliance with the Yinyue Dynasty—not bad either.

At once Yelu Chu took Tie Muzhen's golden tally arrow from him.

Preparing to go down with Wan Wan.

After all, without the golden tally arrow, only the face of a chancellor like him wouldn't be enough to move Wang Si.

In Dayuan, Wang Si holds the most exalted position.

Even an ordinary monk of Wang Si is far more noble than a typical seventh-rank official.

He, a chancellor, without the corresponding directive, couldn't even enter Wang Si.

Wan Wan bowed once more to Tie Muzhen in thanks, preparing to withdraw with Yelu Chu.

At the great hall's entrance, unexpectedly she suddenly turned and asked,

"The spirit children you speak of—are they at that Wang Si?"

"Precisely!"

Yelu Chu, not understanding why, answered immediately,

"Our Dayuan founded itself on horsemanship and archery, but reveres Fomen most of all.

Wang Si is our Dayuan's nation-protecting sacred temple.

Among its monks, many are of our Dayuan imperial clan.

The spirit children are also trained by Wang Si through secret methods."

Wan Wan only knew the name of the spirit children, and only knew that sending the demon out of Pudu Cihang required spirit children.

But what spirit children actually were, she had no idea at all.

Now hearing Yelu Chu explain it this way, she finally understood.

Suddenly, she turned again toward the great hall, toward Tie Muzhen atop the dais, and said,

"Great Khan! This Pudu Cihang, though it belongs to our Yinyue Dynasty.

It appears to practice the demonic path, but in truth it is the path of demon-monks.

If the demon-sending succeeds, could he take up lodging at Wang Si?"

Pudu Cihang is originally a Buddhist term.

Tie Muzhen and the others, who cultivated the Buddhist path intensively, naturally knew this.

It's just that the Yinyue Dynasty was incomparably mysterious, and demon-sending was utterly unheard of, never seen before.

Now, according to what Wan Wan said, this Pudu Cihang was actually willing to become a monk at Wang Si?

Wouldn't that mean that sending out one such Pudu Cihang would mean Dayuan gains an additional super powerhouse?

Although even if Pudu Cihang took up lodging at Wang Si, most likely he wouldn't obey Dayuan's commands.

But as long as he took up lodging within Wang Si, then Dayuan, being close at hand, could always establish contact with him.

Tie Muzhen was overjoyed, and immediately said,

"Envoy Wan Wan, this is exactly what this Khan and Dayuan have been hoping for.

How about this! If this Pudu Cihang intends to take up lodging at Wang Si,

This Khan will additionally confer upon Pudu Cihang the title of Dayuan's Right Protector Dharma Elder, second in rank only to the Living Buddha himself!"

Originally, by precedent, the Living Buddha of Lianhua was the State Preceptor of the Great Khan.

It was only later that two great masters arrived in succession — the God of Immortality and the Purple-Robed Scripture King — and Tie Muzhen enfeoffed them respectively as Left and Right State Preceptors.

Therefore he struck out on his own, creating yet another title: the Protector of the Realm's Dharma Elder.

On the surface, it meant the Protector of the Realm's Dharma Elder was on par with the State Preceptor.

It also showed he was not a man who grew tired of the old and craved the new.

Now, in order to win over the Yin-Yue Imperial Court and Pudu Cihang, he had not even met them in person.

Yet he directly bestowed the immensely important title of Right Dharma Elder of the Protector of the Realm upon Pudu Cihang.

"On behalf of Pudu Cihang, Wan Wan thanks the Great Khan for his generous gift."

Wan Wan bowed lightly, which counted as accepting on Pudu Cihang's behalf this title of Right Dharma Elder of the Protector of the Realm.

In fact, it had been Pudu Cihang's idea to lodge at Wang Si; Wan Wan was merely carrying it out.

Tie Muzhen wished to use the Right Dharma Elder of the Protector of the Realm to bind Pudu Cihang.

Whether it was Pudu Cihang himself, or Wan Wan naturally, both could see it plainly.

But they did not care.

After the thanks were given, Wan Wan left together with Yelu Chu.

The news of Su Dingfang leading the Left and Right Captain Guards — two full guard armies — west out beyond the frontier and seizing the Hetao region.

Spread like wildfire across the grasslands, throughout the entire realm of the Great Tang.

In this, naturally the propaganda efforts of the Great Tang's Buliang Ren could not be absent.

Even Yanmen Pass — which had been besieged airtight by Bo Erhu with fifty thousand troops and fifty thousand laborers and assaulted for seven days — received the news.

"Ha ha! Excellent!"

Seeing Ba Fenghan and Pei Xingjian celebrated, flicking the dust from their caps.

They had fought a bloody battle for seven days inside Yanmen Pass together with the five thousand garrison troops.

They had long been bursting with pent-up frustration.

These seven days, for everyone — including them — had been almost like a year.

Although, because Pei Xingjian had impersonated the so-called Qinglong Society altar master Kou Zhong, Meng Chixing, Bi Xuan and other experts never again considered directly charging the pass and breaking the formation.

But Bo Erhu was no fool; since the easy approach would not work.

He simply threw his fifty thousand troops and fifty thousand laborers — a hundred thousand souls — into attacking the city from three sides, day and night without rest.

Yanmen Pass had only five thousand garrison troops to begin with, and fought on in isolation.

Apart from having a somewhat ample supply of defensive equipment and provisions.