Chapter 37: Treasure Theft

The Human World

"You bald monk, how dare you continue to deceive the Crown Prince with your silver tongue! I, this general, am here by the Prince's command to eliminate you rebels! This person, do you dare say you don't recognize him?"

Zhou Mingguang, holding the Prince's handwritten order given to him by Qin Sang, waved his hand. His personal attendant took a preserved human head from a satchel and threw it over.

Grandmaster Yuanzhen's expression changed drastically. He hastily caught the head, his hands trembling violently.

The monks behind him immediately knelt, crying bitterly. Some called him Master, others called him Grandmaster.

Zhou Mingguang paid them no mind and unfolded a silken Buddhist ordination certificate.

"Xuanji Temple, Head Monk of the Arhat Hall, dharma name Yuanjue! Hmph! This man, despite his high position as Head Monk, willingly served as a pawn for the false emperor, almost ruining the Prince's vital affairs, and was killed on the spot. With both human and material evidence, the proof is undeniable. What more do you bald donkeys have to say?"

"Nonsense!"

A tall monk, eyes bloodshot, gritted his teeth. "Master is a congenital expert! You rebels could never be Master's match! What insidious plot did you use to harm my Master?"

Hearing the tall monk's words, Zhou Mingguang subtly glanced at Qin Sang.

"Rebels?"

Zhou Mingguang almost laughed aloud, then said sinisterly, "It seems there's more than just Monk Yuanjue serving the false emperor at Xuanji Temple. Everyone, listen to my command! Go into the temple and search! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

In an instant, gongs and drums resounded, and armor clanked.

The monks of Xuanji Temple formed a battle formation, seemingly prepared to resist to the end.

The atmosphere suddenly froze, becoming incredibly solemn.

At this moment, Grandmaster Yuanzhen suddenly closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and solemnly handed the head in his hands to a monk beside him.

"Amitabha."

Grandmaster Yuanzhen took a step forward. "General Zhou, my junior martial brother Yuanjue left Great Sui to travel the world and has not returned for ten years. He must have just returned to Great Sui and was unaware of the truth, thus being momentarily deluded by the false emperor. It is impossible for the monks of Xuanji Temple to serve as pawns for the false emperor. I ask General Zhou to see clearly."

"Grandmaster!"

Seeing that Grandmaster Yuanzhen seemed to admit guilt and accept punishment, the Xuanji Temple monks looked on in shock.

Qin Sang, however, was relieved that Grandmaster Yuanzhen was sensible. It was best to avoid a major conflict.

Zhou Mingguang's tone softened slightly. "Grandmaster is a monastic, highly virtuous and respected, so I presume you would not speak falsely. However, Xuanji Temple has many monks, and it's inevitable that some are not as virtuous as others. What if a pawn of the false emperor is hidden among them and causes trouble, implic implicating Xuanji Temple? Wouldn't that be undesirable? Grandmaster need not worry; I will ensure my soldiers are disciplined. We will only apprehend the false emperor's pawns and will never harm the innocent."

The Scripture Depository.

Qin Sang looked up at the seven-story pagoda in front of him. He had long admired this place. Legend has it that all the martial arts masterpieces originated from Shaolin, and all Shaolin's masterpieces were in the Scripture Depository, making it a sacred place in the hearts of anyone who had read wuxia novels.

However, Qin Sang knew that Xuanji Temple's Scripture Depository was just a front. It contained no high-level martial arts, only Buddhist scriptures.

The true treasure vault was not here.

Qin Sang turned his head and glanced at Grandmaster Yuanzhen, who sat cross-legged in the distance, silently reciting scriptures.

All the monks of Xuanji Temple were confined by Grandmaster Yuanzhen in the Great Hall, surrounded by archers.

And Grandmaster Yuanzhen watched as the soldiers emptied Xuanji Temple's treasury, chest after chest of gold and silver treasures flowing down the mountain, yet he remained undisturbed, truly a man of great composure.

Zhou Mingguang strode forward, his gaze sweeping around. He pointed to an inconspicuous path behind the Scripture Depository and shouted, "There's another path here! Men, take a squad of soldiers and search thoroughly! If you let a single rebel escape, I'll cut off your heads!"

Grandmaster Yuanzhen's expression subtly changed. He flashed forward, blocking the way. "General Zhou, you must not! That path leads to the sanctuary where our temple's patriarchs meditate in seclusion. They must not be disturbed!"

Zhou Mingguang snorted coldly. "Nonsense patriarchs! Without a thorough search, who knows who's really in there? Grandmaster, you're so anxious, could it be that the people inside can't bear to be seen?"

"You!"

Grandmaster Yuanzhen's hand, gripping his prayer beads, bulged with veins, and a stream of wood shavings fell from between his fingers.

"Fine! Fine! Fine! Then please, General Zhou, search thoroughly to clear our temple's name! However, I have one request: there are indeed patriarchs of our temple cultivating in seclusion within the cliff face. Please, General, allow me to go first and invite them out of seclusion, lest disturbing their cultivation cause a grave mistake."

Zhou Mingguang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost driven Grandmaster Yuanzhen into a rage, and his back was almost drenched in cold sweat. He waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "Grandmaster, please proceed."

Grandmaster Yuanzhen led the way, with Zhou Mingguang and his soldiers following behind. Soon, they turned past a stone forest and saw a cliff face.

Upon the cliff were countless stone carvings, bearing the signatures of former dignitaries, eminent monks, famous martial artists, and literary masters. At the foot of the mountain, a row of stone steps ascended, connecting to a stone path that traversed the cliff. Along the stone path were rows of exquisite Buddhist sculptures.

The cliff had two faces, east and south. The east face, aligned with the rising sun, symbolized the essence of Buddhism and was where Xuanji Temple's patriarchs meditated in seclusion.

Zhou Mingguang and his soldiers waited at the bottom of the stone steps. The old monk went up to invite down each of the patriarchs. Most were emaciated old monks, some among them top martial artists, others eminent monks with no martial arts skills.

Grandmaster Yuanzhen soothed each one, which was quite an effort. Zhou Mingguang had his soldiers conduct a perfunctory search while he silently calculated the time.

According to their agreement, he had to stall for at least fifteen minutes for Qin Sang.

At this moment, Qin Sang had already changed into casual clothes, quietly ascended to the cliff's summit, and lay prone, observing. When he finally saw the Xuanji Temple's congenital patriarch being led down the mountain, he silently climbed down the cliff face.

He had originally prepared a rope, but the uneven stone carvings on the cliff face allowed for easy climbing with his lightness skill, so it wasn't needed.

At the end of the stone path was a set of stone steps leading downwards. Qin Sang landed lightly on the path, his footsteps silent, and descended the steps.

The steps led very deep, and it was incredibly quiet.

There were some caves on either side, where Xuanji Temple's patriarchs had previously meditated in seclusion; they had now been invited out.

Had Zhou Mingguang not caused trouble and forced them out, Qin Sang would never have been able to infiltrate undetected.

Finally, he reached the end of the stone steps. In a corner, there was an inconspicuous narrow rock crevice, leading into the deep.

The crevice was narrow outside but wider inside, containing dangerous mechanisms. However, Qin Sang knew all about them. He stepped carefully, avoiding all the traps. The crevice split into several岔paths; these were where Xuanji Temple kept its rare treasures.

Qin Sang headed straight for the place where the bell was stored. The other岔paths also held priceless treasures, but in Qin Sang's eyes, they were no different from dust, and time did not allow for lingering.

The small grotto had been artificially shaped into a square, with a luminous pearl embedded in the ceiling, emitting bright light.

In the center of the grotto was a stone platform, on which lay a purple bell, a jade slip, and a talisman, all covered by a glass case.

There was one last mechanism on the stone platform. Qin Sang felt for the poison darts, disabled the mechanism, and lifted the glass cover.

Time was pressing. Qin Sang suppressed his excitement, quickly collected the three items, and quietly exited the grotto.