The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 1016 - 569: Empress Enters the Dream, Temple Guardian Tiger (Part 2)

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has been waiting for a long time."

Zhong Pan suddenly pulled tight the reins, and the white unicorn horse abruptly stopped, restlessly fixing its gaze on the two monks standing side by side in the middle of the road ahead.

Zhao Douan’s gaze pierced out from the open curtain of the carriage, and his expression slightly darkened.

Divine Dragon Temple monks?!

Under the moonlight, the two monks blocking the way ahead, one fat and one thin, were unmistakably two monks.

Both were wearing robes of the abbot’s rank, their bald heads remarkably conspicuous.

The fat monk clasped one hand in prayer, the other hand supporting a gold-lacquered staff, entirely golden with spiral patterns, with a dense array of metal rings at the top.

The thin monk also clasped one hand, but with the other hand, he held a golden alms bowl. The surface was smooth and clean, devoid of any decorative patterns.

"Guangyuan, Kongzhu!"

Zhao Douan blurted out, reciting the two names!

Before leaving the Capital, Zhang Yan Yi had informed him that to the west of the Huai River, there were two experts from the Divine Dragon Temple that needed attention.

Subsequently, in the Archival Repository of the Imperial Court, he had reviewed relevant information, thus simply by the signature attire of the fat and thin monks and their magic artifacts, he recognized their identities.

Inside the carriage, the three, born of the Heavenly Master Mansion, likewise recognized the monks blocking the path.

They exchanged glances, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts—the experts of the Divine Dragon Temple secretly assisting Mu Prince Manor, this was expected.

But why did they appear here so abruptly, that phrase "waiting for a long time" sounding in their ears gave a psychological suggestion of walking into an ambush.

"What’s going on? Did our whereabouts get leaked?" Yu Xiu huddled inside the carriage, her face looking grim.

Immediately, Zhao Douan let out a derisive laugh, his eyes sharp: "Don’t let these bald donkeys scare you. If our whereabouts were leaked, would the Embroidered Robe Envoy have foolishly entered the Huai Royal Mansion just now? It is likely that these two bald donkeys are in league with that Embroidered Robe Envoy, just coming one after the other. I was just wondering, why did the Embroidered Robe Envoy take only a hundred armored soldiers, yet dared to intrude the Royal Mansion and attempt to kidnap Xu An, rather underestimating the Huai Royal Mansion... Now it makes sense, he was merely the forerunner, these bald donkeys followed. If I’m not mistaken, the Embroidered Robe Envoy intended that if negotiations collapsed, only then would he send a signal to summon the bald donkeys for assistance... After all, if the people of the Divine Dragon Temple can be unused openly, it’s better not to use them."

Is that so? Yu Xiu and others were taken aback, suddenly finding it reasonable.

Zhao Douan deliberately raised his voice, and Guangyuan and Kongzhu, the two monks at a distance, also heard it, the two faces, one fat and one thin, furrowed their brows.

They hadn’t expected Zhao Douan to be so astute, pointing out the truth in a single breath.

They had indeed come to pressure for the Embroidered Robe Envoy tonight, having sensed something amiss from the direction of the Royal Mansion earlier.

Then, seeing the carriage rushing in, they recognized the iconic mode of transport of the "Little Heavenly Master," and adapted accordingly.

The plump and sturdy Monk Guangyuan stepped forward: "Amitabha Buddha, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard Master Zhao’s name, having heard it was Master Zhao himself who personally led the destruction of the Divine Dragon Temple’s main altar in the Capital, and that Junior Brother Fan Long also died by your hand?"

At this moment, as the carriage came to a halt, Zhao Douan and his companions gracefully exited in single file, leaping out of the carriage and landing firmly on the ground.

Yu Xiu, hearing this, arched her slender eyebrows and spoke aloud: "Fan Long Monk violated the Righteous Alliance, even disguising himself to collaborate with the Yunfu Army, entering the battlefield and slaughtering mortals. Our Heavenly Master Mansion, being the leader of the righteous path, had me personally strike down Fan Long. If you seek revenge, I am here to accompany!"

Zhao Douan was momentarily stunned, the female Daoist who continually emphasized acting on principles alongside him had actually taken the initiative like this?

"Junior Sister Yu Xiu has some grievances with Guangyuan and Kongzhu," Zhong Pan waved his hand, gave the white horse a slap, and the unicorn neighed, pulling the carriage far aside, then, with a large sword on his back like a door panel, he walked up beside him and whispered.

Ah this... Zhao Douan looked in surprise at the ferociously ugly Little Heavenly Master clad in a priest robe.

Monk Guangyuan indifferently: "Master Zhao has destroyed my Divine Dragon Temple, while Master Nie slaughtered Fan Long unjustifiably... thus forming a deep enmity with our Divine Dragon Temple. Meeting today, it is only right to seek justice."

Yu Xiu sneered: "Just the two of you?"

Monk Guangyuan heavily lifted and lowered the staff in his hand: "Where are the disciples of the Divine Dragon Temple?"

The words had just fallen.

From the darkness behind them, in the alleys on both sides, dense footsteps echoed, approximately several dozen monk soldiers, bare-chested, holding long sticks, wearing long pants, shod with monk shoes, rushed out into the moonlight, forming ranks like a tide behind the two!

"Monk soldiers..." Zhao Douan silently cursed his luck.

The martial arts of monk soldiers are generally not strong, mostly within the Qi Cultivation and Divine Chapter stages.

However, dozens of monk soldiers, forming a charge formation, are enough to shake, even besiege and kill, a martial artist in the Worldly Realm.

Not over yet!

Monk Guangyuan’s expression was solemn as he said, "Summon the Divine Tiger again!"

"Yes!"

The monk soldiers replied in unison.

Following this, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Zhao Douan clearly saw the monk soldiers in front stepping aside, as two martial monks came out from left and right, actually carrying a plaque!

In the night, the details of the plaque were not clear, but one could vaguely see the word "temple" on it.

"Temple Guardian Tiger!" Zhong Pan’s pupils suddenly narrowed as this Heavenly Master, who had long reached the pinnacle of the Worldly Realm with his magic, finally revealed a hint of seriousness.

"What is that?" Zhao Douan was stunned for a moment, uneasily looking at the Little Heavenly Master.

Among their group, Zhong Pan undoubtedly had the strongest cultivation and was his greatest reliance. Judging by past battle records, Zhong Pan might not have reached Half-step Celestial, but he wasn’t far off.

Yet just a plaque could make the Little Heavenly Master so solemn?

"A Suppressing Object, a special type nurtured by a Wild God," Zhong Pan explained in a deep voice. "In Buddhism, those with great power can subdue dragons and tigers. In the deep mountains and forests, there exists a Wild God known as the ’Mountain Lord.’ The Buddhist sects have a secret technique to capture and seal the Mountain Lord in temple plaques. A Wild God can only have the chance to be tamed when sealed in a flourishing incense-temple, becoming a Suppressing Object. This Mountain Lord in the plaque devours the temple’s incense day and night, listening to the monks chant with righteous minds. Only after sixty years of effort can a Temple Guardian Tiger be nurtured. The power of this tiger correlates with the years it has been nurtured and the incense it consumes. This stout bald monk is the abbot of the Gold Mountain Monastery. The Gold Mountain Monastery is a grand monastery on the Huai River, nurturing for many years, and I fear it’s bred an incredible fierce entity."

Zhao Douan was taken aback, seriously saying, "Can’t Senior Brother defeat it?"

Upon hearing this, the Little Heavenly Master smiled with a proud confidence, "If it’s the Mountain Lord nurtured by the Capital’s Divine Dragon Temple, I might have to be cautious, but as for Gold Mountain Monastery... even if they nurture it for a hundred years, it would just take more effort to subdue."

Zhao Douan silently exhaled a breath of relief, his heart reassured.

If it can be defeated, that’s enough.

"However..." Zhong Pan paused, his eyes deep as he said, "Seeing these two dare to block the way even with me here, they must have other trump cards, not just this fierce tiger. When the fight starts later, remember to be careful and not underestimate the enemy."

Zhao Douan’s heart tightened, and he held his breath. Seeing Lang Shiba and Ji Yue’s tense expressions, he quickly recounted what he knew about the two monks:

"The stout one is Guangyuan, a body-refining monk who can take a beating. Records say he has advanced the Golden Bell Shield technique to its peak, allowing him to resist a military formation unhindered, in the High Grade Realm of the world. The thin one is Kongzhu, whose martial arts are comparatively weaker, but he’s a Buddhist mage skilled in wielding magic treasures. That alms bowl he holds is said to be as heavy as ten thousand catties, renowned for his formidable mana... also High Grade in the world."

As he spoke, tensions on both sides were at a boiling point.

Ji Yue, having heard about the Temple Guardian Tiger and the two High Grades, was quite intimidated, continuously trying to bolster her courage... She had been suppressed in the Back Lake of the Capital for years, her strength not improving much, feeling somewhat inadequate.

Lang Shiba also felt a heavy pressure, but coming from the Northern Border Army, he had a certain vigor. Suddenly, he pulled the wine gourd from his back, smashed the cork with a slap, tilted his head, and gulped down the clear wine, wetting his chest and stubble.

"Bang!"

Lang Shiba smashed the wine gourd, his disheveled hair blowing without wind, grinning widely as he drew his scimitar with his right hand: "Sir, please stay behind to command, let me test the depths of this bald monk!!"

When he shouted "bald," he had already taken a step forward, his foot landing with a "crack" as the ground cracked.

When he uttered the word "depths," he’d shot out like an arrow, leaving an afterimage. Using the Qinggong technique of Eight Steps to Catch Cicada, in a flash, he closed a dozen zhang, the scimitar gleaming with a blue light under the moon, chopping down towards Monk Guangyuan’s bald head!

Monk Guangyuan stood unmoving like a mountain, not dodging or avoiding, facing the fierce blow without even activating the Golden Bell Shield for protection. He just slowly raised his large arms, the golden staff in his hand whistling through the air to block.

"Clang!!!"

With the two at the center, spider-web cracks spread across the ground, accompanied by a ring of dust expanding outward in a circle.

Lang Shiba felt his palm go numb, as if a bolt of lightning were traveling through the scimitar back into his hand. His face flushed, his Qi Sea churned within, and he was startled to notice a continuous influx of immense power surging into his meridians.

His face contorted as he suddenly kicked out with both feet, striking Guangyuan’s big belly brutally, but it felt like hitting a steel plate, nearly fracturing his bones, yet he took the opportunity to pull back and distance himself.

What a tough adversary... Lang Shiba tumbled backward, supporting himself on the ground with his left hand, his body spinning 180 degrees in place, scimitar striking at Guangyuan from an odd angle!

This strike was superbly executed!

But Guangyuan merely smiled faintly, chanting, "Put down the butcher knife, become a Buddha at once."

——

Correction of typos will be made later