Chapter 256: Please the Sword, Slay the True Dragon

Qin Mu's eyes widened in utter shock, a bizarre and absurd feeling washing over him. The sword light had bypassed him, striking directly at Buddha Heart's glabella and piercing his skull. It happened too quickly for Qin Mu to intervene.

The sudden sword light was intended to kill him, the Heavenly Devil Cult Master. However, in his fight with Buddha Heart, Qin Mu had been using the Great Rulai Sutra, emitting soaring Buddha light, while Buddha Heart had been employing the Great Yu Heavenly Devil Sutra, radiating deep demonic energy.

The flying sword's owner was still about a *li* away, and the dim moonlight only allowed them to see the two combatants' auras. Seeing this, the sword was launched, ending Buddha Heart's life.

The Crown Prince's attendant, naturally highly skilled in orthodox swordsmanship, launched the attack. Coupled with Buddha Heart's severe injuries from Qin Mu, he was caught off guard and died instantly.

Beside the boundary marker, the Dragon Qilin was staring at the Four-Unlike beast. The confrontation between the two mythical creatures ended before it even began.

The Four-Unlike beast, relieved that Qin Mu hadn't killed Buddha Heart, was taken aback by the sudden sword light. He couldn't react in time, and Buddha Heart was instantly struck down.

As several figures flew in from behind, Qin Mu, without a moment's hesitation, retreated towards the Dragon Qilin. The Four-Unlike, distraught by Buddha Heart's death, was overwhelmed by the Dragon Qilin's imposing presence.

Qin Mu leaped onto the Dragon Qilin's back, and the creature swiftly retreated, turning to depart on its fiery clouds.

"This head is mine!" one of the Crown Prince's attendants declared loudly. "No one is taking my credit!" He approached the boundary marker, pulled the flying sword from Buddha Heart's glabella, and was about to decapitate him when he paused, slightly puzzled. "Why is there no hair?" he mumbled.

The other Crown Prince's attendants arrived, surprised to see the "Buddha Son" apparently riding away on the Dragon Qilin, while the Four-Unlike beast, which guarded the Great Thunderclap Monastery's mountain gate, stood motionless beside the body.

Qin Mu looked back. Under the moonlight, the Heavenly Devil Cult Master gave the attendants a faint smile, a gesture that sent shivers down their spines.

"The Heavenly Devil Cult Master…" The attendants felt a chill run through them, their minds racing. If the Heavenly Devil Cult Master had ridden away on the Dragon Qilin, then who was the person lying dead at the boundary marker?

They slowly twisted their necks, seeing the attendant who was standing at the boundary marker, utterly bewildered. He reached out, attempting to plug the sword wound in Buddha Heart's glabella, but found it useless. He then stood up, about to drag the body away, only to turn and see them.

The attendant was beside himself, glancing from Buddha Heart's corpse at the boundary marker to his companions, then back to the corpse, repeating the panicked gaze several times.

"What do we do?" he cried, his voice trembling. "We came here together; don't even think about abandoning me! If you expose me, you'll also face execution! Killing the Buddha Son is a grave sin, and the Crown Prince will have all of us put to death!"

The other attendants were equally at a loss. One of them rasped, "Let's go all the way, destroy the body and evidence, and blame it on the Heavenly Devil Cult Master! He's already got enough blame on his head; one more won't make a difference!"

"But the Four-Unlike beast saw everything…" another reminded.

They all turned simultaneously to look at the Four-Unlike beast.

"Kill this deer, and no one will ever know!" the first one declared. The group suddenly attacked, countless flying swords whistling out of their scabbards, transforming into a rain of blades that assailed the Four-Unlike beast. The Four-Unlike shook its body, revealing its true form, which was dozens of times larger. It charged into the sword rain, ramming into them. The flying swords merely pricked its hide, unable to penetrate its tough skin or damage its internal organs.

With a thunderous roar, its massive antlers impaled two of them, slamming them against the boundary marker, which instantly bore two new bloodstains.

The remaining two quickly fled. The Four-Unlike beast was a unique mythical creature, with the face of a horse, hooves of an ox, tail of a donkey, and head of a deer. Having listened to teachings at the Great Thunderclap Monastery for one or two centuries, it had long cultivated vast and immensely powerful divine abilities.

The Four-Unlike beast shook its head, and its antlers shot out, piercing one of the fleeing attendants through the chest, pinning him to the ground. It then caught the other, raised a hoof, and stomped, crushing him to a pulp.

The Four-Unlike beast shook its head again, its antlers returning to rest atop its head. It glanced back at Buddha Heart's corpse by the boundary marker, then turned and galloped towards the Great Thunderclap Monastery.

Although its body was bristling with flying swords, they were merely superficial wounds, and its speed remained undiminished.

Soon after, as dawn broke, several elder monks, led by the Four-Unlike beast, arrived at the boundary marker. The monks examined the wounds on the corpses, their expressions grim.

"The Buddha Son... dead like this?" A yellow-robed elder monk frowned deeply. "The sword wounds were indeed inflicted by the Crown Prince's men; they don't match the Heavenly Devil Cult's sword techniques, and the weapons align. However, Rulai is currently consulting with the Crown Prince to establish a grand plan for the world's future: to change the dynasty, rectify Emperor Yanfeng's reforms, and restore ancient traditions. This is a plan for generations; if it is jeopardized by this…"

"While the Buddha Son's demise is sorrowful, it is but a vile skin; shedding it brings liberation, freeing him from the struggles of this great sea of suffering," another elder monk stated. "We cannot allow the Buddha Son's death to jeopardize the Great Thunderclap Monastery's grand plan for generations. Rulai does not need to know of this; it is sufficient that we, the Arhats of the Arhat Hall, are aware."

"But the Buddha Son is dead, and several of the Crown Prince's attendants are also dead. This matter cannot be concealed," someone pointed out.

"Then we shall tell Rulai and the Crown Prince that the Heavenly Devil Cult Master is responsible. We'll say the Buddha Son kindly escorted the Heavenly Devil Cult Master out of the monastery, but the Cult Master ambushed him at the boundary marker, killing the Buddha Son. The Crown Prince's attendants who tried to intervene also fell victim to his ruthless hand."

The faces of the yellow-robed elder monks changed dramatically. An Arhat exclaimed, "Monks do not lie!"

The elder monk with long, flowing eyebrows declared with solemn resolve, "You needn't speak; I will. After I have spoken, I shall renounce my vows and leave the monastery! This concerns the future of the Great Thunderclap Monastery. What does my personal reputation matter in comparison?"

"Excellent, excellent! Senior Brother, your righteousness is profound," the other monks said, pressing their palms together and bowing to him.

The monks of the Arhat Hall returned to the Great Thunderclap Monastery. Old Rulai had concluded his discussions with Crown Prince Yankang and stood to see him off. "Your Highness should return to the capital immediately," he advised. "Should His Majesty pass away and the realm be left without a ruler, your absence from the capital might allow other imperial princes to ascend the throne."

Crown Prince Yankang nodded solemnly. "What the Buddha says is absolutely true," he affirmed.

The long-browed monk from the Arhat Hall stepped forward. "Venerable One," he began, "the Heavenly Devil Cult Master is a wicked villain. The Buddha Son kindly escorted him, only to be killed by him. Several of His Highness the Crown Prince's attendants went to rescue the Buddha Son and also lost their lives, their souls now departed to the Pure Land."

Crown Prince Yankang erupted in fury. "How dare that demon? I didn't even seek trouble with him, yet he slays my people! Buddha, this fiend even killed the Buddha Son; he is utterly audacious and must not be spared!"

Old Rulai glanced at the Arhats from the Arhat Hall, who remained silent, eyes cast downwards in contemplation.

"Your Highness, you need not trouble yourself with this matter. Return to the capital as quickly as possible. The Great Thunderclap Monastery will handle the Heavenly Devil Cult Master."

With a gentle expression, Old Rulai turned to the long-browed monk. "Long-brow," he asked, "how long have you been in the Arhat Hall?" "Two hundred and nine years, Venerable One," the monk replied.

Old Rulai smiled kindly. "You shall handle the matter of the Heavenly Devil Cult Master, and I grant you permission to renounce your vows and return to secular life." The long-browed monk's heart was greatly shaken. He looked up at Old Rulai, but the elder had already turned to Crown Prince Yankang. "Your Highness, return to the capital without delay," he instructed.

Crown Prince Yankang affirmed, then hurried down the mountain, thinking, 'This Buddha is truly unfathomable.'

The long-browed monk also prepared himself and descended the mountain, pondering, 'Old Rulai saw through my lie, hence he expelled me from the Great Thunderclap Monastery before I could even speak. Truly, he possesses great wisdom and enlightenment. I will never attain such a realm in my lifetime, so I might as well utilize this useful body to do more for the Great Thunderclap Monastery!'

Not long after he descended the mountain, a voice suddenly called from the air: "Long-brow monk, why not join me here?" The long-browed monk looked up to see a magnificent multi-decked ship suspended in the air, with the Crown Prince standing at its bow, inviting him.

His heart stirred. He immediately ascended and landed on the ship, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness," he said, "I am no longer a monk. My secular surname is Su, and my given name is…" He paused, then chuckled ruefully. "It has been over two hundred years since I last used my secular name; it's too long ago, I've forgotten it. Your Highness must forgive my lapse."

Crown Prince Yankang replied, "Even though you've renounced your vows, you remain half monk, half layman. I shall call you Su Changmei."

Su Changmei thanked him. "That name it is then," he said. "Your Highness, why have you detained me?"

"The Heavenly Devil Cult Master," Crown Prince Yankang replied. "This demonic scoundrel is full of cunning. Even Sun Nantuo was secretly killed, leaving no trace! Furthermore, during his Imperial College break, he returned to the Great Ruins alone. I had word spread to draw various masters to pursue and ambush him, yet he still lives. I've received news that the powerful cultivators who hunted him—Lu Wenshu of the Qiongli Sect, Green Fish Hermit, Pushan Arhat, Withered Leaf Daoist, and even Green Mountain Daoist—are all dead! The Heavenly Devil Cult's power is no weaker than that of the Great Thunderclap Monastery! I fear that if you pursue him, you will only fall victim to him."

Su Changmei's heart trembled. Lu Wenshu, Green Fish Hermit—these were all prominent figures. Green Mountain Daoist, in particular, was a righteous expert who had attained the Life and Death realm, his abilities no weaker than Su Changmei's own! *Even Green Mountain Daoist is dead?*

Crown Prince Yankang continued, "I waited for you here to advise you to plan carefully. You would not be killing just anyone, but the Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult, the foremost holy land of the demonic path. I suggest you return to the capital with me, and we can plan our strategy meticulously."

Su Changmei nodded. "Your Highness," he said, "the Buddha Son's death cannot go unavenged."

Crown Prince Yankang smiled. "What I aim for is not merely the Heavenly Devil Cult Master's head, but the complete eradication of the entire Heavenly Devil Cult, root and branch. This objective perfectly aligns with your Great Thunderclap Monastery's. Rest assured, though you are no longer an Arhat of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, once I ascend the throne, I will grant you permission to establish your own sect, become its patriarch, and attain the status of a Buddha or patriarch!"

At Kunlun Yuxu Mountain, within the Daoist Sect. A Daoist acolyte rushed in, agitated. "Dao Master," he announced, "Rulai is visiting!" The old Dao Master quickly asked, "How many?" "Just one." The old Dao Master visibly relaxed. "Then he's not here for a fight. Quickly invite him in… No, never mind, I'll go greet him myself!"

A moment later, Old Rulai and the old Dao Master took their seats. After dismissing their attendants, Old Rulai wasted no time on pleasantries. "I have met Crown Prince Yankang," he stated directly.

The old Dao Master's heart stirred slightly. He said with profound meaning, "The Crown Prince is far from being as capable as His Majesty; he is not a wise ruler."

Old Rulai replied, "His Majesty's skill in governance is so profound that it paradoxically brings about such natural calamities. Daoist brother, look at this snow disaster and the suffering of the people. Do you wish for an even greater catastrophe to descend? Surely your Daoist Sect has records concerning the Era of the Mourning Emperor, the Empty Cycle?"

The old Dao Master mused, "Your Buddhist sect calls it the Mourning Emperor, the Empty Cycle, the Empty Kalpa, while our Daoist sect refers to it as the Founding Emperor, the Founding Emperor Cycle, the Founding Emperor Kalpa. I have indeed read the accounts of the Founding Emperor Kalpa. Back then, a once-flourishing divine kingdom was annihilated, countless beings perished, turning to dust. I too am deeply troubled by this very issue."

He continued slowly, "A small country with few people, abandoning sages and wisdom—that is the lesson our Daoist Sect learned from the Founding Emperor Kalpa. If the country is small, and its people few, and they do not rely on experience, intellect, or sages, then everyone can live happily and carefree. Isn't that beautiful? It was excellent in the past: a small country, few people, obeying the directives of the sects."

Old Rulai stated, "A new emperor must be instated. The death of one emperor is surely preferable to the demise of all living beings."

The Dao Master cast a sidelong glance at him. "What benefits did the Crown Prince promise you?" he inquired.

Old Rulai shook his head. "I did not ask him for any benefits," he replied.

The Dao Master smiled. "I believe you," he said, then stood up. "My Daoist sword has not been wielded in a very long time. I wonder if it has grown dull, or if it can still cleave through a true Son of Heaven?"

Old Rulai rose and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Daoist brother, for your assistance!"