Heng Yuan frowned slightly, feeling something was amiss. From the moment he had introduced himself, the expressions of the two guard monks had been strange.
After announcing him, there was a subtle hint of hostility.
“Please lead the way,” Heng Yuan said humbly.
Led by the guard monk, they passed through the front courtyard and main building, arriving at the back courtyard.
Under the eaves, in the corridor, stood a middle-aged monk wearing the simple robe of an ascetic, suitable for long journeys. He had a round face and thick earlobes.
He stared at Heng Yuan expressionlessly.
“Heng Yuan from Qinglong Temple?” Monk Jing Chen scrutinized Heng Yuan with sharp eyes.
“It is I,” Heng Yuan replied.
Heng Yuan was also examining Jing Chen. By this point, he had realized that this group of fellow monks from the Western Region harbored a subtle hostility towards him.
Heng Yuan didn’t understand the reason for this hostility, as they had no prior contact.
“Monks do not lie!” Monk Jing Chen said sternly.
Hearing these words, Heng Yuan’s most immediate reaction was an alarm bell ringing in his ears, telling him not to lie and to answer honestly.
“It is indeed I,” Heng Yuan pressed his palms together and replied calmly.
Monk Jing Chen fell silent.
He had just used a Disciplinarian’s ability and could confirm that this monk claiming to be Heng Yuan wasn’t lying unless the other party was also a Disciplinarian who could modify precepts at will.
The problem was if this was Heng Yuan, then who was the person from before?
What was his purpose?
Jing Chen carefully reviewed their conversation and realized with shock that the other person had come for the sealed object in Sangbo.
If so, the nature of the situation wasn’t as simple as someone impersonating Heng Yuan. It involved the evil monk, and he had to handle it with utmost caution.
“That warrior monk from earlier also knew the Buddhist Lion’s Roar. Even if he wasn’t Heng Yuan, he must be from the Buddhist sect… As for this one before me, even if he is the real Heng Yuan, is his arrival truly just for a visit, without any other intentions?”
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and Monk Jing Chen immediately made a decision, pointing at Heng Yuan and shouting, “Seize him!”
Immediately, two monks in blue robes stepped forward and grabbed Heng Yuan’s shoulders.
Bang!
Heng Yuan’s energy surged, easily sending the two monks flying.
In the corridor, Monk Jing Chen formed hand seals and chanted, “Body cannot move, hands cannot act, mouth cannot speak.”
As his words fell, ripples of golden light, like water, emanated from his hand seals, gently but firmly sweeping over Heng Yuan.
In an instant, Heng Yuan felt as if he was trapped in a quagmire. Except for his thoughts, his body had lost all control.
“Boom boom boom…”
Waves of air rippled around Heng Yuan, like small fireworks.
He was using brute force to resist the precept, trying to break free from the quagmire.
Jing Chen frowned slightly. This monk claiming to be Heng Yuan was stronger than he had anticipated. He couldn’t help but shout, “Quickly, seize him!”
Several more warrior monks, along with some dharma masters and zen masters, rushed out of the rooms. The latter two had low combat abilities and still relied on the warrior monks to capture people.
But before the warrior monks could surround him, Heng Yuan broke through the “precept,” leaving afterimages as he rushed toward Monk Jing Chen at an extremely fast speed.
Heng Yuan was angry and wanted to teach this fellow monk from the West a lesson.
At this moment, a figure blocked Jing Chen’s path. It was the young monk Jing Si, wearing a blue robe, with delicate features.
He calmly gazed at the approaching Heng Yuan and struck out with a palm.
The palm strike seemed normal at first, but as it progressed, a golden sheen spread from the center of his palm, quickly covering his hand and arm, until his entire body appeared like a golden statue.
Clang!
The palm struck Heng Yuan’s chest squarely. The latter flew backward as if hit by a battering ram, crashing through the inner courtyard wall and then through the main building’s wall.
The post-station runners were terrified, hiding in their rooms and trembling, not daring to come out.
These monks had just arrived and were already fighting. In a few days, wouldn’t they tear down the entire poststation?
“Cough cough…”
With a pained cough, Monk Heng Yuan walked out, staring at Jing Si without a word.
Jing Chen said calmly, “Stay at the post station. When Uncle Master Du’e returns, he’ll have questions for you.”
Heng Yuan nodded, “Fine.”
As the word “fine” left his lips, he once again became a blur, fiercely rushing forward. His target wasn’t Jing Chen this time, but Jing Si.
Jing Si, his body still emanating a metallic sheen, raised his hand again, striking out at Heng Yuan. This time he missed, and Heng Yuan caught his arm joint, raining down fist-sized blows on his face with a series of loud “clangs.”
Jing Si, his face under attack, headbutted Heng Yuan to break free. The two exchanged over a dozen rapid blows before Jing Si was once again caught.
Heng Yuan grabbed his wrist and, with a low growl, executed a shoulder throw, slamming Jing Si to the ground.
Boom!
The blue bricks paving the courtyard instantly exploded skyward, and the ground cracked.
Heng Yuan’s knee pressed against Jing Si’s throat, his right fist becoming a blur as he repeatedly pounded Jing Si’s head.
Clang clang clang clang… It sounded like a bell being struck, shockwaves mixed with air currents ravaging every corner of the courtyard.
Tiles clattered down, flower beds exploded, willows snapped… In an instant, everything was in ruins.
Jing Si could not resist and could only cover his face to endure the blows.
“Enough!” Jing Chen said sternly.
Only then did Heng Yuan stop, shaking his bloodied fist as he coldly stared at Jing Si: “Just thick-skinned, that’s all.”
At this point, the warrior monk’s fiery temper had finally been vented.
Xu Qi’an had always misunderstood Heng Yuan, thinking he was a simple and gentle “Lu Zhishen,” when in fact, Heng Yuan was a thug wrapped in an honest and simple exterior.
Someone without a violent temper wouldn’t break into Marquis Pingyuan’s mansion at night, kill people, and leave without a care.
It’s just that in Heng Yuan’s eyes, Lord Xu was a benevolent and charitable good person, worthy of gentle treatment.
After entering the post station, he was targeted at every turn. He had come with good intentions but was met with “beatings,” which infuriated him. In such an angered state, this little monk came out to show off, as if Heng Yuan was nothing, casually sending him flying with one palm.
But in the end, he was just a thick-skinned little monk.
…
At the beginning of the Shen hour (3-5 PM), the early spring sun hung tepidly in the west.
Master Du’e, holding a monk’s staff and wearing a golden-red kasaya, returned leisurely. He paused at the post station entrance, then took a step into the inner courtyard.
The inner courtyard was a mess. Station runners were on ladders, repairing the roof tiles. Warrior monks were carrying sand to tamp down the cracked ground.
The one working the hardest was an unfamiliar bald monk. Master Du’e looked at him a few times but said nothing.
Master Du’e appeared to be a skinny old monk with dark skin, his face covered in wrinkles. His thin frame wrapped in the large kasaya looked somewhat comical.
“Uncle Master!”
Monk Jing Chen came out from inside and spoke in the Western Region language: “Some things happened while you were in the palace…”
He detailed the events of the true and false Heng Yuan to Master Du’e.
“Heng Yuan beat Jing Si without him being able to fight back?”
Master Du’e turned his head to look at Heng Yuan, who was working diligently.
“Yes,” Jing Chen nodded, then added, “But Brother Jing Si wasn’t injured. The Diamond Sutra isn’t something an ordinary person can break.”
There was pride in his tone.
Master Du’e didn’t comment on this, instead asking, “When the first Heng Yuan spoke with you, did he mention any information about the evil being? For example, did he know the evil being’s background or any particular information about it?”
Jing Chen thought for a moment, then shook his head, “He only said that the sealed object beneath Sangbo was related to our Buddhist sect, and when recounting the case, he mentioned seeing that severed hand possessing Brother Heng Hui.”
“Uncle Master, we can verify this by calling Heng Yuan outside and questioning him.”
But Du’e asked again, “He didn’t reveal any information about the evil being to lure you into disclosing more inside details?”
Jing Chen shook his head, “No.”
Master Du’e made a sound of acknowledgment: “I know who he is now. Go to the Night Watchmen’s office and find the case officer Xu Qi’an. I have questions for him.”
…
Xu Qi’an came out of the brothel feeling light and relaxed as if his bones had turned to jelly. He had enjoyed a massage while watching a play and listening to music—truly a carefree life.
In the space of an hour, batches of girls from the brothel had come and gone, entering with smiling faces and leaving with trembling hands.
“It’s a pity that the girls in the brothel are primarily selling seafood, not professional masseuses. Their skill level is still lacking. This era has brothels, the Court of Revels, and entertainment houses, but lacks foot bath shops and massage parlors. What a shame.”
At this hour, he had already finished his shift, so there was no need to go back to the office. Xu Qi’an hired a carriage by the roadside and returned to the Xu residence.
“Young Master, you’re finally back. Someone from the office is looking for you. They’ve been waiting at the mansion for a long time and have already drunk two pots of tea,” Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, hurried over when he saw the Young Master return.
Someone from the office is looking for me… Xu Qi’an pondered briefly, guessing it might be someone from the Western Buddhist sect.
Entering the reception hall, he saw a clerk in black clothes sitting in a chair drinking tea, frequently glancing outside.
“Oh, Lord Xu, you’re finally back.”
After countless glances, finally seeing Xu Qi’an’s figure, the black-clothed clerk was overjoyed and said, “If you hadn’t returned, I would have had to stay overnight at your residence after the curfew.”
“What’s the matter?” Xu Qi’an got straight to the point.
“Not long ago, a high-ranking Buddhist monk came to the office looking for you. Not finding you, he went to see Lord Wei. Lord Wei sent me to wait for you at your residence,” the black-clothed clerk said.
It’s just a monk, why does Wei Yuan need to treat it so seriously? What do these Westerners think they are? When will we, the people of the Central Plains, be able to stand up? How infuriating.
Xu Qi’an said expressionlessly, “I understand. I’ll go see him later.”
The black-clothed clerk breathed a sigh of relief and was about to take his leave when he suddenly remembered something and smiled, “Lord Wei heard that you’ve been wandering around lately, not waiting at the office for assignments or patrolling the streets. He’s very angry and said you’ve lost three months of salary.”
…This, father, we can discuss this, can’t we? Xu Qi’an’s face froze.
After sending off the black-clothed clerk, Xu Qi’an remembered that he had left his little mare at the Night Watchmen’s office, so he ordered a servant to fetch Second Young Master Xu’s mount.
The Xu residence had three horses, belonging to Xu Pingzhi and the First and Second Young Masters Xu, respectively. There was also a carriage, used exclusively for the ladies of the household when they went out.
Xu Xinnian, hearing that his elder brother had returned, hurriedly came out of the study room and said worriedly, “Elder Brother, after you left today, those two suspicious characters came again.”
“What?” Xu Qi’an didn’t react immediately.
“A swordsman in blue robes and a monk who looked more like a butcher. They came uninvited, saying they were here to offer congratulations. Father said guests are guests, so he invited them in for drinks.”
Xu Xinnian frowned, “I always felt their gazes towards me were strange.”
Xu Qi’an remembered that when he met Heng Yuan in the afternoon, he seemed to have mentioned just leaving the Xu residence after drinking.
“Second Brother, don’t mind these nameless individuals. You’re now the top scholar, your sights should be set higher,” Xu Qi’an didn’t know how else to comfort his little brother, so he patted his shoulder:
“Let me borrow your mount. I’ll return it tomorrow.”
Just then, a servant led the horse from the back door, waiting outside the main gate. Xu Qi’an immediately left.
When he arrived at the Three Willows Post Station again, the setting sun was hanging in the west, casting a gorgeous golden-red light of dusk.
“You…”
The two monk guards, realizing they had been deceived, glared at Xu Qi’an unfavorably.
“I am Xu Qi’an, the lead investigator of the Sangbo case. Master Du’e summoned me. Please lead the way,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile, handing over the reins.
The two guard monks took a deep breath, suppressing their anger. One took the reins while the other made a “please” gesture.
Following the guard monk, Xu Qi’an entered the post station and came to the inner courtyard.
It looked like there had just been a fight here… Heng Yuan was also working there… What a sin, I must be a good person in the future.
Feeling a bit guilty, he lowered his head, avoiding looking at Monk Heng Yuan, and was led into a room by the guard monk.
There were three monks in the room. The one in the center sat on a couch, an old monk with dark skin, his face covered in wrinkles. His skinny body couldn’t fill out the loose kasaya, making him look somewhat comical at first glance.
To the left and right were Jing Chen and Jing Si, whom he had met before.
Jing Chen glared at Xu Qi’an unfavorably.
“Master Du’e!” Xu Qi’an pressed his palms together and bowed.
The old monk returned the greeting and said gently, “Why did Lord Xu impersonate Heng Yuan, the warrior monk from Qinglong Temple?”
Xu Qi’an replied seriously, “I wanted to find out what was sealed beneath Sangbo.”
The old monk narrowed his eyes, silently looking at him. That calm and gentle gaze seemed like a human body scanner.
In front of this old monk, Xu Qi’an didn’t dare to have any inner thoughts. He reined in his wandering mind, not allowing himself to overthink, and said:
“I investigated the Sangbo case and discovered many secrets within it. The Yongzhen Shanhe Temple was built on a grand formation that sealed an evil being. After the temple was destroyed and the evil being escaped, I went underwater to investigate and found Buddhist inscriptions on the remaining formation pillars.”
“At first, I thought what was sealed beneath Sangbo was the previous generation’s Astrology Bureau Chief, but as the case progressed and with Heng Hui’s appearance, it turned out to be a severed hand.”
“From this, I deduced that the severed hand was related to the Buddhist sect. But neither the Astrology Bureau Chief nor the royal family would speak of it.”
“I, Xu Qi’an, have solved many major cases in the capital. There’s no case I can’t solve. But this question stuck in my throat like a fishbone, keeping me awake at night and ruining my appetite.”
Master Du’e nodded slowly, “So that’s why you conducted that earlier probe?”
“Exactly!” Xu Qi’an said.
He had prepared this explanation when impersonating Heng Yuan earlier. He portrayed himself as a “madman” obsessed with solving cases, fixated on the origin of the severed hand and the secrets hidden behind it.
So when the Western Region envoy arrived in the capital, he impersonated Heng Yuan to probe for information.
His probe wasn’t flawed; all questions were asked tactfully, without actively revealing any information about Monk Shenshu, fully playing the role of a lead investigator who only knew part of the story.
Master Du’e smiled, “Does Lord Xu want to know information about the evil being?”
Xu Qi’an’s heart leaped with joy, appropriately showing his curiosity: “Is Master willing to tell me?”
The skinny old monk smiled, “It’s not impossible, but you must join our Buddhist sect and become my disciple.”
Get lost… Xu Qi’an’s face twitched, and he shook his head in refusal: “I practice martial arts and cannot cultivate Buddhist techniques.”
Master Du’e seemed to have anticipated this response and calmly said, “You can become a warrior monk.”
Can become a warrior monk… Warrior monks and martial artists indeed reach the same destination by different routes. My guess wasn’t wrong; the warrior monk system in Buddhism is prepared for “outer disciples.”
A long-held conjecture in Xu Qi’an’s heart was confirmed.
What’s the next grade after Eighth-Grade Warrior Monk?!
“Can I marry and have children?” he asked.
“Although warrior monks don’t need to keep precepts, they can’t marry or have children. This isn’t related to cultivation but is a rule of Buddhism,” Master Du’e shook his head:
“Once you enter Buddhism, you become a monastic. Warrior monks are the same. As monastics, how can they start families?”
Xu Qi’an feigned regret: “I’ve always admired Buddhism, but alas, I’m the only son in nine generations of my family… It seems I have no fate with Buddhism. This is truly one of the great regrets of my life.”
Master Du’e seemed pleased, not expecting Xu Qi’an to be so friendly towards Buddhism.
“Lord Xu, if you have any questions in the future, feel free to come to the post station and ask. I’ll tell you what I can. There’s no need to disguise yourself as a Buddhist disciple.”
“I understand my mistake,” Xu Qi’an said.
Master Du’e nodded and instructed Jing Si to see him out.
After Jing Si escorted Xu Qi’an out and returned to the room, Master Du’e said solemnly, “Summon Heng Yuan.”
“Yes!”
Jing Chen went out to call for him.
Shortly after, the dust-covered Heng Yuan returned with Jing Chen. Master Du’e smiled and said, “Pan Shu calls me Uncle Master. You’re his disciple, so you should call me Grand Uncle Master.”
There was no generational relationship between the Western Buddhist sect and the Qinglong Temple. Earlier, Jing Chen had addressed Xu Qi’an as a brother out of politeness.
“Grand Uncle Master,” Heng Yuan pressed his palms together.
Master Du’e nodded and asked, “I heard from Jing Chen that the Silver Constable Xu Qi’an claimed to be on close terms with you?”
Heng Yuan answered, “Yes.”
“The earlier misunderstanding was all because of this person. Do you harbor any resentment?” Master Du’e stared at Heng Yuan.
“Whatever Lord Xu does, this disciple can forgive and understand,” Heng Yuan said.
He owed Number Three two lives and Xu Qi’an one life. These were enormous debts of gratitude.
Master Du’e nodded again: “What kind of person is he?”