Yao Ying trusted that Meng Da Ti Po wouldn’t harm her and followed the disciple out. Just as they descended the stone steps, they found the courtyard gate blocked by people. Someone was shouting something in the Hu language while the monks tried desperately to stop them. These people berated the monks harshly, pounding on the wooden door with thunderous force.

Just as the wooden door was about to be broken down, the disciple, face filled with panic, led Yao Ying back to the room: “General Xue Yan Na is outside! He’s broken in with his men!”

Yao Ying frowned and asked, “How did General Xue manage to break in?”

During her days staying in the palace’s side hall, she chatted with the monks and learned much about palace affairs, including hearing about Xue Yan Na.

The royal court had been ruled by the Tanmo family since ancient times. Several decades ago, when the Tanmo family declined, the noble families seized control of the court. In the year when Tanmo Luo Jia was five, the Zhang clan brutally massacred the Tanmo family, attempting to usurp power. The royal court was filled with public outrage, and the Zhang clan was forced to spare the siblings Princess Chi Ma and Tanmo Luo Jia.

Tanmo Luo Jia ascended to the throne as a youth and was confined to a Buddhist temple to study Buddhism. When he was thirteen, the Northern Rong launched a major invasion, and the noble families abandoned the city. He, a puppet emperor, led the central army as a Buddhist disciple to repel Khan Wa Han, shocking the Western Regions and gaining unprecedented prestige. He seized this opportunity to reclaim royal power.

Afterward, Tanmo Luo Jia suppressed the noble families and consolidated royal power, appointing his confidant Su Dan Gu as regent. While studying Buddhism, he also nurtured the people, and his reputation grew daily.

However, the several great noble families of the royal court were unwilling to accept their loss of power.

Prime Minister Kang Mo Zhe, Grand General Xue Yan Na, Right Army Commander An Yu Le, Minister Meng Yun Han, and the several great families behind them were dissatisfied with Tanmo Luo Jia’s kind treatment of other tribes, often expressing complaints in private.

Tanmo Luo Jia was a Buddhist disciple who could never marry in this life. The royal bloodline only had him and Princess Chi Ma left. The royal court had no heir, and in recent years his illness had been worsening. Although he tried to keep it secret, rumors still spread, and the noble families’ ambitions grew increasingly active.

Among them, Xue Yan Na was the most brutal and impetuous, barely concealing his disloyalty. This man had a taste for debauchery and often abused female slaves. He had already clashed with Tanmo Luo Jia several times over the torture and killing of Han Chinese slaves.

Somehow he had heard that Yao Ying was staying in the palace, and a few days ago he came directly, demanding to see the beautiful lady.

Fortunately, Yao Ying was alert. While taking the air on the tower, she saw a tall, sturdy Hu man built like a black bear prowling outside. Knowing his intentions weren’t good, she immediately warned the monks to summon Meng Da Ti Po.

Meng Da Ti Po arrived in time and persuaded Xue Yan Na to leave, ordering increased vigilance everywhere.

Xue Yan Na came several more times afterward but didn’t force his way in when he saw the monks’ strict guard.

Today, however, General Xue Yan Na directly broke into the inner courtyard with his men and was about to charge in.

The disciple was sweating profusely in anxiety: “This humble monk doesn’t know how he got in!”

With a huge bang, the wooden door was finally broken down, and the Hu people’s shouts grew closer.

The disciple was panic-stricken: “The Master went to the medicine room to get medicine. It will take at least half an hour before he can get here!”

Yao Ying made a quick decision: “Go to the tower. There’s a very hidden room there where we can hide for a while.”

On her first day of confinement, she had walked around to familiarize herself with the layout, precisely for temporary refuge in emergencies.

The guards followed Yao Ying up to the tower and hid in the secret room. This room was originally used as a watchtower but had been abandoned. The corridor leading to other floors was hidden in a cramped corner, which ordinary people wouldn’t notice without careful observation.

Xie Qing stood guard by the door, listening carefully to the movement downstairs, her finger on her sword hilt.

Yao Ying pressed her hand: “We’re in the royal court’s palace now. Unless necessary, don’t hurt anyone.”

They could protect themselves against one Xue Yan Na, but Xue Yan Na was a royal court minister, and the Xue family had tens of thousands of left army cavalry. They were foreigners in the royal court and couldn’t provoke incidents.

Xie Qing nodded.

There was chaos and shouting downstairs, and soon came Xue Yan Na’s furious roar: “Where is the Han princess?”

No one answered.

The monks stood in the corridor, palms together, heads bowed, silently reciting scriptures.

The royal court revered Buddhism; they were monks, and no matter how bold Xue Yan Na was, he wouldn’t dare raise a blade against monks.

Xue Yan Na searched the courtyard with his soldiers but couldn’t find any trace of Yao Ying. In a rage, he split the wooden door with one stroke and roared, “Whoever dares to hide the Han woman, I’ll twist off their head!”

Up in the tower, Yao Ying felt tense.

They couldn’t hide for long, and who knew when Meng Da Ti Po would arrive?

Xue Yan Na paced back and forth with his long sword, his sharp eyes scanning around, stopping at the tower.

The monk disciple involuntarily trembled.

Xue Yan Na grinned viciously and charged up to the second floor.

At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the direction of the courtyard gate.

Yuan Jue, the central army guard who often stood with Ban Ruo, strode into the courtyard, coldly sweeping his gaze over the searching soldiers, then looking toward Xue Yan Na on the stairs.

“General Xue, the King summons you.”

Xue Yan Na continued climbing.

Yuan Jue raised his voice: “General Xue, do you remember how the Regent dealt with your uncle?”

The atmosphere instantly froze, and the soldiers in the courtyard looked at each other.

Xue Yan Na’s footsteps suddenly halted, his furious aura diminishing somewhat. He turned and descended the stairs, scanning around before his gaze fell on Yuan Jue’s face.

“Has the Regent returned from Gaochang?”

His tone carried a hint of probing.

Yuan Jue said coldly: “How could we know the Regent’s whereabouts?”

Xue Yan Na’s face showed a wary expression. After some thought, he angrily sheathed his sword: “The King, being a Buddhist disciple, actually hides a beautiful Han woman in the palace—his Buddhist heart is not sincere! I’ll go see the King right now and get a clear answer from him!”

With that, he strode away.

Yuan Jue remained, lifting his head to call out: “Princess Wenzhao, the King requests your presence in the main hall.”

Yao Ying emerged from her hiding place and looked at Yuan Jue: “Have Ban Ruo and General Ashina returned with the medicine?”

Had Tanmo Luo Jia’s condition improved, allowing him to summon Xue Yan Na?

Yuan Jue shook his head, his face taut, but his slightly trembling voice betrayed some grief and panic: “Still no news. The temple monks have all arrived.”

The monks had gathered to perform last rites for their sovereign.

Yao Ying sighed softly in her heart—not worried about losing protection, but purely lamenting for Tanmo Luo Jia.

He was brilliant and renowned throughout the Western Regions, originally capable of being a reclusive high monk. When the Northern Rong attacked the holy city and the noble families fled, he escaped from the Buddhist temple in the chaos. When monks urged him to flee to safety, the young man firmly refused, leading the central army to defend the royal court and saving tens of thousands of common people.

Yao Ying saw the shadows of many people in Tanmo Luo Jia. She thought of her uncle Xie Wu Liang, the former Zhu family, and the successive righteous heroes in troubled times.

Whether in the Central Plains or the Western Regions, whenever mountains and rivers were broken and people suffered, heroes would always step forward resolutely, using their flesh and blood to win a glimmer of hope for the weak.

Tanmo Luo Jia was a true high monk, not only extremely accomplished in Buddhist dharma but also spending his life practicing his faith, protecting all people, and delivering all beings from suffering.

Unfortunately, he was plagued by a strange illness and destined to die young.

Previously, Yao Ying had never met Tanmo Luo Jia and didn’t think much of it, but now that this person who had recently saved her was about to die, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat melancholic.

She covered her face with a veil and followed Yuan Jue to the main hall.

Xue Yan Na and his soldiers were just ahead of them, climbing the steps.

The main hall’s doors were tightly shut, with only a thin crack opened in the side door. Monks wearing full-shoulder and half-arm kasaya entered the hall successively from the corridors on both sides.

Xue Yan Na climbed the high platform in one breath and said angrily: “If the King summoned me, why won’t you open the door?”

No one answered him. Footsteps suddenly thundered as two teams of central army riders in blue shirts and white robes surged from all directions, walking down the corridors, surrounding Xue Yan Na and his attendants in the very center.

Xue Yan Na sneered: “What crime have I committed?”

The riders remained silent.

Xue Yan Na snorted coldly and continued forward: “Get out of my way!”

Suddenly a golden light flashed, and a lean, agile black shadow descended from above like lightning, pouncing toward Xue Yan Na.

The high platform was quiet for a moment, then erupted in heart-rending screams.

Yao Ying, not far away, was startled and instinctively stepped back half a pace.

At the front of the high platform, Xue Yan Na’s expression was terrified, his left hand streaming with blood. Surrounded by attendants, he staggered backward, only to be forced back by the blue-robed riders behind him.

He raised his head to look around in pain, his face twitching twice, and in his panic raised his sword to chop.

The black shadow rose, nimbly dodging his long sword, opened its bloody maw, and bit one of his attendants.

The attendant was knocked to the ground, had no chance to scream, convulsed a few times, blood flowing from his throat, and instantly died.

The other attendants could barely hold their swords, tightly surrounding Xue Yan Na, faces pale.

The black shadow on the ground released the attendant and raised its blood-covered face.

Yao Ying stood at the steps, her heart racing wildly.

It was a golden leopard, its coat lustrous and patterned with ancient coin-like spots. After biting through the attendant’s throat, it wagged its tail, crouched beside the corpse, looked toward the pavilion beside the main hall, and extended its scarlet tongue to lick its blood-stained front paws.

A deathly silence fell before the hall steps.

Xue Yan Na was drenched in cold sweat as he looked at his attendant who had died horribly in the leopard’s jaws, then gazed toward the pavilion.

As the sun set in the west, golden light flooded between the palace buildings and towers. Before a window decorated with gold powder, a tall, slender figure stood faintly visible, wearing a dark brocade robe, lean and sharp like a leopard lurking in the shadows.

Xue Yan Na roared: “Su Dan Gu! You killed my man!”

The figure stood with hands behind his back, grand and imposing, seemingly paying no attention to Xue Yan Na.

Blue veins bulged on Xue Yan Na’s forehead.

Yao Ying’s heart stirred.

Su Dan Gu, the man who served as regent for Tanmo Luo Jia?

While Tanmo Luo Jia was a deity in the eyes of the Western Regions’ common people, Su Dan Gu was the regent who held military and political power in the secular world. Unlike the gentle and compassionate Tanmo Luo Jia, he was decisive and ruthless. The common people privately called him the Vajra Asura who protected the Buddhist disciple.

Asuras and Yakshas were fierce and combative, hideous and terrifying, enough to stop children from crying at night.

Su Dan Gu’s whereabouts were unpredictable; he was said to have gone to Gaochang. Yao Ying had often heard the monks mention him these days.

The central army guards hoped for Su Dan Gu’s early return, while the court ministers felt the opposite—they feared Su Dan Gu’s return. No wonder they feared him; on his first day back at the royal court, he had already crippled one of Xue Yan Na’s hands.

Xue Yan Na’s left hand was a bloody mess, but he forced himself to stand steady and shouted at the main hall: “Su Dan Gu, you dare to kill someone before the hall—what place does that leave for the King?!”

The man in the pavilion seemed not to hear, turned, and left. The leopard on the ground leaped up, jumped onto the corridor, and with several bounds, its spotted form disappeared among the palace wall tops.

It left behind a trail of crimson paw prints.

The hall doors opened, and central army guards walked out.

Xue Yan Na’s left-hand wound throbbed with pain as he said angrily: “Didn’t you see what Su Dan Gu just did? His beast killed my man!”

The guards glanced coldly at Xue Yan Na and announced loudly: “These past days, General Xue has repeatedly trespassed into the palace, disturbing honored guests. The Regent has administered a minor punishment as a warning. The King is already aware and has said that if anyone dares to trespass into the palace again, the Regent may execute them on the spot!”

Each word fell like a stone.

Xue Yan Na trembled with uncontrollable rage, his face turning faintly blue.

The central army guards slowly drew their swords, advancing a step forward.

Sword light flashed on the steps.

The guards said: “The King wishes to discuss matters with the Regent. General Xue should take his leave.”

The attendants trembled like sieves and quietly urged Xue Yan Na: “General, you’re injured. It’s important to go back and treat the wound first… They say the Regent’s leopard has poisoned fangs…”

The attendants dared not speak the rest: The Regent dared to harm someone before the hall precisely because the General, instigated by Prime Minister Kang Mo Zhe, had repeatedly trespassed into the palace these days! The King was a Buddhist disciple who never took life, but the Regent was a Yaksha who killed as easily as breathing! The General had brought this upon himself…

Xue Yan Na’s eyes bulged with rage, breathing like a bull. His body swayed as the wound grew increasingly painful. Suspecting the leopard might truly be poisonous, he ground out through clenched teeth: “One day, I will kill Su Dan Gu with my own hands!”

The attendants hastily agreed, supporting Xue Yan Na as they fled in disgrace.

The blue-robed riders dragged away the dead attendant’s corpse, and soon slaves came with water buckets to clean the blood stains from the ground.

As Yao Ying walked along the corridor, she felt as if that dark figure in the pavilion was still standing there gazing at the hall steps. Remembering how the leopard had bitten through the attendant’s throat in one bite, her palms grew cold.

Regent Su Dan Gu truly lived up to his reputation.

Yuan Jue led Yao Ying into the hall.

Inside, curtains hung low and incense smoke curled through the air. All the jewels, jade, and precious decorations had been removed. Behind the corridor pillars, golden light flickered as monks in dharma robes sat cross-legged, chanting scriptures softly in both Sanskrit and Hu language. Candles burned in the four corners of the hall, with fresh fruits and flowers offered before the altar. A strong, rich sandalwood fragrance filled the air.

The monks’ chanting was solemn and desolate. Yao Ying didn’t raise her head to look more but walked into the inner hall.

Layers of gold-patterned gauze curtains also surrounded the bed. As dusk approached, the last rays of sunlight fell diagonally into the hall through the window, casting spots of light on the golden brick floor, rippling with light and shadow, floating with precious radiance.

A weak voice came from behind the curtains: “The royal court ministers were discourteous. Princess Wenzhao must have been frightened.”

Clear and cold, seemingly without a trace of emotion, yet listeners felt their hearts stirring.

Yao Ying was stunned for a moment.

Tanmo Luo Jia was near death, yet he had specially summoned her to say these words.

She didn’t know how to respond.

Behind the gauze curtains, Tanmo Luo Jia quietly asked Yuan Jue: “Where is Princess Chi Ma?”

Yuan Jue asked Yao Ying to step aside and answered: “Princess Chi Ma will arrive soon.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was movement at the side door as two snow-white-faced maids escorted Princess Chi Ma into the hall.

Princess Chi Ma had red hair and brown eyes with deep-set features and a delicate figure. Walking to the gauze curtains, her gaze swept past Yao Ying, initially carelessly, but suddenly she realized and her cold gaze returned, her expression changing dramatically.

Yao Ying had already heard from the monks about the old tragedy of the Tanmo royal family being killed by the Zhang clan, so she wasn’t surprised by Princess Chi Ma’s knife-like stare, but wondered: What did Tanmo Luo Jia intend to do?

Princess Chi Ma was even more shocked than Yao Ying and said angrily: “Luo Jia, why did you summon this Han woman here!”

From behind the gauze curtains came Tanmo Luo Jia’s voice, still cold as water without a ripple of emotion: “Chi Ma, was it you who let Xue Yan Na into the palace?”

Princess Chi Ma was stunned for a moment, then laughed coldly: “How did you know it was me?”

Tanmo Luo Jia didn’t speak.

Princess Chi Ma tore off her veil in one motion, and raised her head, brown eyes brimming with tears, her expression intense: “Yes, I deliberately let Xue Yan Na into the palace, and I had my maids tell him that the Han princess was staying in the palace side hall. Luo Jia, why do you protect a Han woman? Have you forgotten the Tanmo family’s vendetta? Over two hundred lives of the Tanmo family… over two hundred living people! Those people were our elders, brothers, sisters… our relatives. The Zhang family killed them one by one before our eyes. I dream of those dead people every night. I hate the Zhang clan! I hate all Han people!”

The guards standing by the curtains all lowered their heads.

The hall fell silent.

“The ones who massacred the Tanmo family were the Zhang clan,” came several intermittent coughs from behind the curtains, then Tanmo Luo Jia said flatly, “What does that have to do with Princess Wenzhao?”

Princess Chi Ma’s form stiffened.

Yao Ying raised her eyes, unable to resist glancing at the curtains.

Princess Chi Ma closed her eyes, her expression caught between crying and laughing.

“Luo Jia, you are a sage, a Buddhist disciple. You’ve studied the scriptures since childhood, your heart full of compassion. You’ve cut off worldly ties. Although you’re a prince of the Tanmo family, you have no room in your heart for the Tanmo royal family! No room for me, your sister! In your eyes, there is only the supreme dharma, only strangers who have nothing to do with you! The Zhang clan killed our relatives, yet you still treat Han people kindly… All beings are equal, you view everyone as your subjects, but what about me? What about the Tanmo family? What do we count for?”

She laughed loudly.

“I’m not you! I am a princess of the Tanmo family! I am a common mortal! I wish I could kill every Han person in the royal court and use their bones to make offerings to the Tanmo family!”

She suddenly rushed forward, lifted the hanging gauze curtains, and threw herself before the bed: “Open your eyes and look, this person is a Han woman! She’s one of the Han people who cruelly killed our mother, killed our brothers and sisters before your eyes!”

As the curtains lifted, before the guards could stop her, Princess Chi Ma threw herself onto the bed and then froze in shock at the sight of her brother.

Yao Ying’s eyes widened.

Tanmo Luo Jia wore crimson kasaya robes, sitting cross-legged on the precious bed, his hands resting on his legs with a string of dull prayer beads around his wrist. His face was pale and gaunt, with only his deep jade-colored eyes showing any sign of life.

Princess Chi Ma stared for a long while, the madness slowly fading from her face.

“Luo Jia, you’re dying.”

She said coldly.

Tanmo Luo Jia lowered his eyes and said calmly: “Birth, aging, sickness, and death, all vanish like smoke and clouds.”

His voice was clear as if reciting scripture.

Princess Chi Ma stepped back twice, laughing softly: “You’re about to die, yet you still rebuke me for a Han woman… you’re about to die! Luo Jia, how can you be so heartless? Having cultivated Buddhism, have you truly cut off all worldly ties and cast aside the entire Tanmo family?”

Tanmo Luo Jia slowly raised his eyes to look at Princess Chi Ma.

“Princess Wenzhao is a guest of the royal court and the Master’s benefactor… Chi Ma, swear by the Buddha that you will not harm Princess Wenzhao without cause from now on.”

Princess Chi Ma was stunned, looking at her brother as if he were mad.

“Luo Jia, I am your sister.”

Tanmo Luo Jia looked at his sister, his voice faint as a thread yet carrying immense weight: “Chi Ma, I am your sovereign.”

The surrounding guards looked at Princess Chi Ma.

Princess Chi Ma looked around, gave a few cold laughs, and turned to leave.

The guards stepped forward, blocking her path.

Princess Chi Ma turned back, glaring at Tanmo Luo Jia.

Tanmo Luo Jia lowered his eyes in silence.

Princess Chi Ma laughed in extreme anger, “Fine, I, Tanmo Chi Ma, swear today that if I harbor thoughts of harming Princess Wenzhao, may I suffer retribution, be trapped forever in the suffering of reincarnation, and never achieve liberation!”

Her eyes wide with rage, she glared at Tanmo Luo Jia: “Your Majesty, are you satisfied?”

Tanmo Luo Jia looked at her once, sighed softly, and wearily withdrew his gaze.

Princess Chi Ma trembled all over, barely able to control her expression. She shot Yao Ying a vicious look and stormed out.

Yao Ying’s heart was filled with mixed emotions, leaving her speechless for a long time.

Tanmo Luo Jia’s eyes were lowered as if he had fallen asleep, or as if he had truly left the mortal world.

Her gaze lingered on his haggard face for a long while. Just as she was about to speak, his eyelashes lifted, and his deep jade eyes looked toward her.

“Princess Wenzhao, you may travel to India with Master Meng Da Ti Po, then return home by sea.”

Yao Ying’s heart trembled slightly.

She had indeed been considering this plan—if Tanmo Luo Jia were to die.