Chapter 256: Invoking the Dao Sword to Slay the True Dragon
Qin Mu stared wide-eyed, utterly flabbergasted, with a surreal and absurd feeling. That sword strike just now had avoided him, struck directly at Foxin’s brow, and pierced straight through his skull, leaving Qin Mu no time to block it.
This sword light came out of nowhere, its purpose to kill him, the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader. However, when he fought Foxin, he had used the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra, his Buddha light soaring to the heavens, while Foxin had used the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra, steeped in deep demonic nature.
The owner of the flying sword was still about a li away. Add to that the hazy moonlight, and they only saw the radiance from the two figures before sending a sword flying over, claiming Foxin’s life.
As the Crown Prince’s attendants, their skills were naturally extremely high, cultivating orthodox swordsmanship. Furthermore, Foxin had already been severely wounded by Qin Mu, so he was caught off guard and died in a muddled daze.
By the boundary marker, the Dragon Qilin was staring at the Four-Unlike beast. The two mythical beasts hadn’t even had a chance to fight before the battle was over.
The Four-Unlike beast had been relieved when Qin Mu didn’t kill Foxin, but this sword light came too suddenly, catching him off guard as well, and Foxin was killed with a single sword thrust.
Several figures flew over from behind. Without a second thought, Qin Mu retreated towards the Dragon Qilin. The Four-Unlike beast, seeing Foxin killed, was thrown into chaos and was suppressed by the Dragon Qilin’s aura.
Qin Mu leaped onto the Dragon Qilin’s back. The Dragon Qilin immediately turned and retreated, stepping on fiery clouds as it fled.
“That head is mine!”
One of the Crown Prince’s attendants shouted loudly, “Don’t any of you try to steal my credit!”
He arrived at the boundary marker, pulled his flying sword from Foxin’s brow, and was about to cut off Foxin’s head when he paused in slight confusion. “Why doesn’t he have any hair?”
The other attendants of the Crown Prince caught up and saw that the “Buddhist Son” had ridden off on the Dragon Qilin, while the Four-Unlike beast guarding the Thunderclap Monastery’s mountain gate stood there motionless. They were all puzzled.
Qin Mu looked back. Under the moonlight, the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader smiled faintly at these attendants, a smile that sent chills down their spines.
“The Heavenly Demon Sect Leader…”
These attendants felt ice-cold all over, at a complete loss. If the one who rode off on the Dragon Qilin was the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader, then who was the person lying dead under the boundary marker?
They turned their necks with difficulty and saw the attendant standing helplessly by the boundary marker. This man reached out to plug the sword hole in Foxin’s brow, trying to seal the wound. Finding it useless, he stood up, trying to drag the corpse away, but then turned back to see them.
This attendant was utterly panicked. He looked again at the Buddhist Son’s corpse under the boundary marker, then at them, then back at the corpse, repeating this several times.
“What do we do?”
He said with a sobbing voice, “We came out together. Don’t you try to leave me to take the blame alone! If you report me, you won’t escape death either! Killing the Buddhist Son is a grave sin. The Crown Prince will have you executed too!”
These attendants were also at a loss. One of them said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s just go all the way. Destroy the body and evidence, and pin it on the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader! Anyway, he’s already got enough shit on his head; one more pile won’t make a difference!”
Another reminded them, “But that Four-Unlike beast saw everything…”
They all turned their heads in unison to look at the Four-Unlike beast.
“Kill this deer, and no one will be the wiser!”
Suddenly, they all attacked at once. Countless flying swords from their sword cases howled out of their sheaths, turning into a rain of swords that flew towards the Four-Unlike beast. The beast shook its body, revealing its true form, dozens of times larger. It charged through the rain of swords towards them. The flying swords pierced its hide but only broke the skin, unable to harm its internal organs.
With a thunderous crash, its massive antlers impaled two of the men, slamming them into the boundary marker, leaving two bloody stains on it.
The other two quickly flew away in retreat. This Four-Unlike beast was a rare breed among mythical beasts, with a face like a horse, hooves like an ox, a tail like a donkey, and a head like a deer. Having listened to the teachings at the Thunderclap Monastery for a hundred or two hundred years, it had cultivated vast divine powers and was incredibly powerful.
The Four-Unlike beast shook its head, and the antlers on its head flew off, piercing one of the fleeing men through the chest and pinning him to the ground. The other man was caught by the beast, which raised its hooves and stomped him into a pulp.
The Four-Unlike beast shook its head again, and the antlers flew back, landing on its head. It turned to look at the Buddhist Son’s corpse under the boundary marker, then turned and ran towards the Thunderclap Monastery.
Its body was covered in flying swords, but they were only superficial wounds, and its speed was undiminished.
Not long after, as dawn broke, several elderly monks, led by this Four-Unlike beast, arrived at the boundary marker. They examined the wounds, their faces grave.
“The Buddhist Son… is dead like this…”
A monk in a yellow robe frowned deeply. “The sword wound was indeed left by the Crown Prince’s men. It’s not the sword technique of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and the weapon matches. But the Tathagata is currently discussing with the Crown Prince, setting the future plans for the world, to change the dynasty and correct Emperor Yanfeng’s reforms, returning to the roots. This is a plan for ten thousand generations. If it were to be ruined because of this…”
“The Buddhist Son’s passing is indeed heartbreaking, but it is merely an illusory body. Shedding it is a relief, no longer struggling in this vast sea of suffering.”
Another monk said, “We cannot let the Buddhist Son’s death ruin the Thunderclap Monastery’s plan for ten thousand generations. The Tathagata does not need to know this. It is enough for us Arhats of the Arhat Hall to know.”
“But the Buddhist Son is dead after all, and several of the Crown Prince’s attendants are also dead. This matter cannot be hidden.”
“Then tell the Tathagata and the Crown Prince that the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader did it. The Buddhist Son kindly escorted the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader out of the monastery. At the boundary marker, the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader ambushed and killed him. The Crown Prince’s attendants went to stop him but all fell to his evil hands.”
The faces of several yellow-robed monks changed drastically. One Arhat shouted, “A monk does not lie!”
The long-browed monk’s eyebrows flew up, and he said with righteous indignation, “Don’t say it. I will say it. After I say it, I will leave the monastery and return to lay life! This concerns the future of the Thunderclap Monastery. What is sacrificing my own pure reputation compared to that?”
“Excellent, excellent! The senior brother is righteous.” The monks pressed their palms together and bowed to him.
…
The monks of the Arhat Hall returned to the Thunderclap Monastery. The Old Tathagata had already finished his discussion with the Yan-Kang Crown Prince and stood up to see him off. “Your Highness must return to the capital immediately. If His Majesty passes away and the world has no ruler, and Your Highness is not in the capital, I fear another prince will ascend the throne.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince shuddered with respect. “The Buddha speaks the truth.”
The long-browed monk from the Arhat Hall stepped forward. “World-Honored One, the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader is full of evil deeds. The Buddhist Son went to see him off and was killed by him. Several of the Crown Prince’s attendants went to rescue the Buddhist Son but also lost their lives, returning to the Western Paradise.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince was furious. “This demon dares to do this? I haven’t even sought him out for trouble, yet he comes to kill my men! Buddha, this demon even killed the Buddhist Son. He is truly audacious and reckless. We absolutely cannot let him go!”
The Old Tathagata looked at the Arhats of the Arhat Hall. The Arhats stared at their noses and their noses at their hearts, saying nothing.
“Your Highness need not worry about this matter. Return to the capital as soon as possible. The matter of the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader will be handled by the Thunderclap Monastery.”
The Old Tathagata’s expression was gentle. He said to the long-browed monk, “Long-Brow, how long have you been in the Arhat Hall?”
“Reporting to the World-Honored One, it has been two hundred and nine years.”
The Old Tathagata said kindly, “Go and handle the matter of the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader. I permit you to return to lay life.”
The long-browed monk’s heart shook violently. He looked up at the Old Tathagata, but the Old Tathagata had already turned around and said to the Yan-Kang Crown Prince, “Your Highness, on your way back to the capital, do not delay.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince acknowledged the order and hurried down the mountain, thinking to himself, “This Buddha is truly unfathomable.”
The long-browed monk also packed up and went down the mountain, thinking, “The Old Tathagata saw through my lie. That’s why he expelled me from the Thunderclap Monastery before I could even speak. Truly a being of great wisdom and great enlightenment. I will never reach this state in my lifetime. I might as well use this useful body to do more for the Thunderclap Monastery!”
After he descended the mountain and hadn’t gone far, a voice suddenly came from the air: “Long-Brow Monk, why not come and sit with me for a while?”
The long-browed monk looked up and saw a magnificent ship floating in the air. The Crown Prince stood on the deck, inviting him.
His heart stirred. He immediately rose into the air and landed on the ship, bowing in greeting. “Your Highness, I am no longer a monk. My lay surname is Su, and my given name is…”
He thought for a moment and laughed at himself. “I haven’t used my lay name for over two hundred years. It’s been too long; I’ve forgotten it. Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince said, “Even if you return to lay life, you are still half-monk, half-layman. I will call you Su Changmei.”
Su Changmei thanked him. “I will use this name then. Your Highness, why have you kept me here?”
“The Heavenly Demon Sect Leader.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince said, “This demon sect fiend is full of tricks. He even managed to kill Sun Nantuo without leaving a single trace! Also, during this year’s vacation from the Imperial Academy, he returned to the Great Wasteland alone. I ordered news to be spread, drawing experts from all sides to intercept and pursue him, yet he still lives. And I have received word that among those who chased him, Lu Wenshu of the Qiongli Sect, the Green Fish Hermit, the Pusan Arhat, the Withered Leaf Daoist, and even Qingshan Daoist are dead! The power of the Heavenly Demon Sect is no weaker than that of the Thunderclap Monastery! I fear that if you go to hunt him down, you will only be killed by him.”
Su Changmei was shaken. Lu Wenshu, the Green Fish Hermit, and the others were all renowned figures. Especially Qingshan Daoist, a righteous expert at the Life and Death realm! Qingshan Daoist’s skill was no weaker than his own!
Even Qingshan Daoist was dead?
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince said, “I waited for you here to remind you to take a long-term view. You are not trying to kill just anyone, but the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the foremost sacred land of the demonic path. How about you return to the capital with me and plan slowly?”
Su Changmei nodded. “Your Highness, the Buddhist Son’s revenge cannot be left unavenged.”
The Yan-Kang Crown Prince laughed. “What I want is not just the head of a Heavenly Demon Sect Leader, but to uproot the entire Heavenly Demon Sect, to completely eradicate this demonic sect. This aligns perfectly with the goals of your Thunderclap Monastery. Rest assured, although you are no longer an Arhat of the Thunderclap Monastery, after I ascend the throne, I will permit you to establish your own sect, become your own abbot, and become a Buddha, an ancestor!”
On Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Mountain, the Daoist Sect.
A young Daoist boy ran up in a panic. “Sect Leader, the Tathagata is here to visit!”
The old Sect Leader quickly asked, “How many people?”
“Just one.”
The old Sect Leader breathed a sigh of relief. “Then he’s not here to fight. Quickly, invite him in… No, I’ll go greet him myself!”
After a moment, the Old Tathagata and the old Sect Leader each took their seats. After dismissing the attendants, the Old Tathagata skipped the pleasantries and said directly, “I have met the Yan-Kang Crown Prince.”
The old Sect Leader’s heart trembled slightly. He said with deep meaning, “The Crown Prince is far inferior to His Majesty. He is not a wise ruler for governing the country.”
The Old Tathagata said, “His Majesty is too capable at governing, which is precisely what has led to this heavenly calamity. Brother Daoist, look at this snow disaster, the people are destitute. Do you want an even greater disaster to befall us? The Daoist Sect must have records of the Ai Huang Kong Ji, correct?”
The old Sect Leader pondered. “Your Buddhist sect calls it the Ai Huang, Kong Ji, Kong Jie, while our Daoist sect calls it the Kai Huang, Kai Huang Ji, Kai Huang Jie. I have seen the records of the Kai Huang Jie. The once-prosperous divine kingdom was destroyed, countless living beings suffered, and turned to ashes. I am also worried about this matter.”
He said slowly, “A small state with few people, abandoning wisdom and discarding sages—this is the lesson our Daoist sect learned from that Kai Huang Jie. If the country is small and the people are few, don’t believe in experience, wisdom, or sages. Then everyone can live well, each person can be happy, carefree, and without worry. Isn’t that wonderful? The past was good, with small states and few people, obeying the orders of the sects.”
The Old Tathagata said, “We must change the emperor. It is better for one emperor to die than for the countless masses to perish.”
The Daoist Sect Leader glanced at him. “What benefits did the Crown Prince promise you?”
The Old Tathagata shook his head. “I did not ask him for any benefits.”
The Daoist Sect Leader smiled. “I believe you.” He stood up and said, “That Dao Sword of mine has not been used for a very long time. I wonder if it has dulled, and whether it can still slay a True Dragon Son of Heaven?”
The Old Tathagata stood up and bowed in greeting. “Thank you for your help, Brother Daoist!”