Chapter 407

They had a very pleasant conversation.

When we drove away from Mount Song, we both had smiles on our faces.

Fang Chuanzong brought a large group of people over, and they split into five vehicles.

He himself was sitting in our car.

Liu Junyan drove, I sat in the passenger seat, and Fang Chuanzong sat in the back.

After the car had traveled two li, Fang Chuanzong's smile-filled face suddenly collapsed.

I was already feeling uneasy, and when I looked at Liu Junyan's expression, it also turned very solemn.

I asked, "What's wrong with you? Is something off?"

"No! Very wrong!" Fang Chuanzong said, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, haven't you noticed? From beginning to end, that old monk never questioned why I brought so many people to storm the Dharma King Temple at night?"

I grunted, "Maybe he thinks you arrived like heavenly troops at a critical moment, rendered great help, so he won't hold you accountable."

Fang Chuanzong scoffed, "But why would I happen to appear at Mount Song and head straight for the Dharma King Temple?"

Fang Chuanzong came because of me.

Before the novice monk lured me into the trap, I threw my phone out the rear window of Shi Wu into the ravine; the phone contained a message I had sent to Fang Chuanzong asking for help.

Even if he didn't pursue responsibility, Empty Silence Abbott should indeed have asked why Fang Chuanzong brought five carloads of people into Mount Song in the middle of the night.

A Buddhist pure land tolerates no recklessness.

I don't know if he was just busy and forgot, but Empty Silence Abbott actually didn't mention a single word.

That somehow makes one feel uneasy.

I scratched my head; although I also had doubts, I still defended myself, saying, "But I fully agree with what Empty Silence Abbott said at the end; if he were on the other side, he would have no need to reveal these secrets to us."

"Sincerity has always been a killer move." Liu Junyan gripped the steering wheel with both hands, eyes fixed ahead, and said, "Although the Dharma-body Buddha has manifested in the world, he has not been born, and the nine strands of Dragon Qi have not yet gathered; they still need us, and Empty Silence Abbott might be even more terrifying than we imagine."

I instantly recalled the fleeting doubt I had when on the second level of the Revolving Wheel Tower.

I tentatively said, "But he killed Xin Deng."

"Xin Deng must die." Liu Junyan said, "One mountain cannot hold two tigers; Xin Deng's existence is assistance, surveillance, and also a threat. Empty Silence Abbott has tolerated him for so many years just to wait for today's arrival; Xin Deng is merely a puppet he pushed out to confuse our sight."

I exclaimed in surprise, "Āyàn, even you are so certain that Empty Silence Abbott has a problem?"

Liu Junyan nodded: "There are too many doubts—for example, why hasn't Dahui Chan Master's mummified body from sitting in meditation been enshrined in the Revolving Wheel Tower? Also, after Dībā pò was separated back then, why wasn't it left to cultivate in the Dharma King Temple but instead sent far to Wufu Town? And furthermore, if he has the ability to control the whole situation, why did he initially let Xin Deng run wild, pushing us all into a desperate situation?"

I pulled out the Golden Copper Coins from my inner pocket and clenched them tightly in my hand.

Yeah, even at the beginning, Xin Deng never imagined he himself had already been trapped in the urn.

Empty Silence Abbott's game of chess was played so perfectly it could be called flawless, achieving his expectation.

But perhaps he was also a bit anxious, overlooking some details.

For example… this Golden Copper Coins.

Liu Junyan contracted the Copper Coin Person through this Golden Copper Coins.

At that time, Liu Junyan and Empty Silence Abbott were both trapped in the meditation room by Xin Deng's formation array; Empty Silence Abbott feigned weakness, broke the formation, and enacted the mantis stalks the cicada, with the oriole waiting behind.

After enlightening the Copper Coin Person, he hurried to have the Copper Coin Person's soul merge with that of the Reincarnated Spirit Child, successfully retaining both, but forgot to swindle the Golden Copper Coins from Liu Junyan's hand.

I pinched the Golden Copper Coins and asked, "Āyàn, through this copper coin, can you summon him back?"

Liu Junyan shook his head: "It's difficult; Empty Silence Abbott will find a way to control him, but… if pushed to the extreme, I might use it to destroy him."

Destruction is always somewhat easier than creation.

After all, one is a downhill road, while the other is an uphill road.

The car slowly pulled over to the roadside; Liu Junyan turned to look at Fang Chuanzong and said, "Old Fang, I'll take Xiao Jiu back to have a look; you all go ahead."

Fang Chuanzong glanced out the car window and said, "Dawn is breaking; there's a small town five li ahead. I'll take everyone there for breakfast and a brief rest; you hurry there and back."

Liu Junyan brought me into hiding, while Fang Chuanzong drove the car to catch up with the leading group.

I actually didn't want to turn back: "Āyàn, there's no need for all this trouble; earlier, when I was on the second level of the Revolving Wheel Tower watching Xin Deng sacrifice his flesh, I had already been doubtful—the true strong one is the person they selected, Xin Deng is clearly unqualified, and from the very start, the one entrusted with the important task has been Empty Silence Abbott."

I had it figured out.

Liu Junyan, however, said, "Xiao Jiu, some things must be witnessed firsthand to be truly convinced; I need a fact to thoroughly persuade you, and also to convince myself."

Saying that, I understood.

Liu Junyan and Empty Silence Abbott do have some past affection.

As he just said, Empty Silence Abbott treats people with a hint of sincerity.

That hint of sincerity is his method of winning people's hearts.

During a certain period, to Liu Junyan, Empty Silence Abbott was like a guiding lamp.

Even borrowing the words Empty Silence Abbott used to describe his relationship with Dahui Chan Master, to Liu Junyan he was like a teacher and a father.

Whenever Liu Junyan encountered a major turning point in life, he would tell me, "Xiao Jiu, I need to go back to Mount Song."

He needed Empty Silence Abbott's clarification.

However, in the near future, he and Empty Silence Abbott may come to blows with weapons; he must make himself capable of being utterly ruthless, so as not to lose the winning edge by having the opponent play the emotion card at a critical moment.

People only know what pain is after they truly hit the south wall, and only then can they forge an iron-hearted resolve.

Returning to Mount Song, we proceeded very cautiously.

This is the darkest period before dawn; on the road up the mountain, black shadows loom everywhere.

We waited until Liu Junyan brought me to quietly crouch in a large tree ten or so meters outside the side courtyard wall, and my heart remained tightly clenched.

The large tree faced those three altars; although the distance was ten or so meters, because the altars were tall enough, we could still see the situation there clearly.

The next moment, Liu Junyan's hand covered my mouth, and he held me in his arms—not only because the tree's space was small, but also because he feared the scene before us would be too horrifying, and I might not be able to stay perched in the tree.

On the three altars, dozens of eminent monks who had escaped the great purge of the Buddhist turmoil now lay dead in pools of blood, not a single one alive.

Beside the altar, the young monk presented a white cloth; Empty Silence Abbott took it and, standing in the bloodstain, gently wiped the blood‑softened sword in his hand, bit by bit, without haste or agitation.

Through the lower hem of the red kasaya robe, fresh blood kept dripping down.

The soft sword was sheathed at the waist, the already blood‑stained cloth was casually thrown onto the face of the dead monk lying on the ground who died with eyes not closed.

Empty Silence Abbott took something out of his pocket, held it in his mouth and blew.

On the hilltop toward the Sutra Pavilion, over a hundred eagles glided in, swooped down, packed together in a black mass, vying for food…