Chapter 881: The White Crane Summons Reinforcements
Huai Ren quietly looked at Tang Thirty-Six, offering no reply.
Tang Thirty-Six quietly looked at her, saying nothing, clearly demanding an answer right then and there.
Huai Shu said in a stern voice, "A madman like Xiao Zhang, whose hands are stained with who knows how much blood—how could we allow him into the mountain, defiling this sacred ground?"
Tang Thirty-Six was tempted to bring up Su Li.
Su Li had killed countless people in his life, with more blood on his sword than Xiao Zhang. Did Holy Maiden Peak dare to drive him away?
Even your Holy Maiden had gone off with him.
He swallowed those words just as they were about to leave his mouth, because they were too harsh and could easily lead to an immediate fallout.
He shook his head, speaking dismissively, "If I remember correctly, before the Holy Maiden entered seclusion, she decreed that all affairs of Nanxi Zhai would be handled by Senior Sisters Ping Xuan and Yi Chen. I imagine that expelling Xiao Zhang from Holy Maiden Peak was not their idea, but rather the three of yours?"
Hearing this, the Nanxi Zhai disciples around the thatched hall showed uneasy expressions. In particular, the two Nanxi Zhai disciples standing behind the three Daoist nuns lowered their heads. Tang Thirty-Six sensed clearly that these two had profound cultivation bases and were likely Ping Xuan and Yi Chen.
Huai Ren knew she had to respond. Calmly, she said, "That's correct. It was my decision not to allow Xiao Zhang into the peak."
Tang Thirty-Six stared into her eyes and asked, "Why?"
Huai Shu said angrily, "I've already told you why."
Tang Thirty-Six ignored her, still fixing his gaze on Huai Ren, and said, "Then, by what right?"
Even if you gave ten thousand reasons for not sheltering Xiao Zhang, by what authority did you decide?
This was Nanxi Zhai's business. What gave you the right to issue orders?
Huai Bi sneered, "The Holy Maiden is in seclusion. Are we elders not allowed to manage affairs?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "The Holy Maiden is in seclusion, so you can disregard her decrees? Then who is greater—you or the Holy Maiden?"
These words were not merely cutting to the heart; they were a direct challenge.
Huai Bi was furious and was about to say something.
Huai Ren said, "Junior Sister, Young Master Tang is famous for his silver tongue. You are no match for him."
"Wrong," Tang Thirty-Six said. "Words like 'eloquent' have nothing to do with me. I just have a loud voice and speak quickly."
Huai Ren looked at him with a faint smile and said, "Being loud doesn't make you right. If that were all, why has no one ever been able to outtalk you?"
"Wrong again," Tang Thirty-Six said. "If you're right, of course you'll be loud. Because I'm in the right, I'm bold. No one can outtalk me because they don't have as much reason as I do."
Naturally, he was referring to the affairs of Nanxi Zhai.
He believed he was in the right, so the three elders of Nanxi Zhai were clearly in the wrong.
The thatched hall fell into an eerie silence. The Nanxi Zhai disciples kept their heads down, their thoughts unknown.
"Young Master Tang thinks that we three old women returned to Nanxi Zhai to seize power while the Holy Maiden is in seclusion."
Huai Ren looked at the disciples and asked, "Or do you think so too?"
Hearing this, the hundred or so inner disciples of Nanxi Zhai around the hall could no longer remain silent and hurriedly denied it.
The two disciples standing behind knelt directly, trembling slightly as they said, "How could we dare to think such a thing?"
Tang Thirty-Six thought to himself that the two people the Holy Maiden had entrusted with affairs before her seclusion were actually disciples of this old Daoist nun. That was indeed troublesome. How could a disciple control her teacher? If the teacher said something, would the disciple dare to disobey? A charge of betraying the master and destroying the sect could cast you into the abyss, never to rise again.
"I think His Holiness the Pope and all of you need not worry too much. The affairs of Nanxi Zhai have always been managed by the disciples themselves."
Huai Ren said in a gentle tone, "But as elders of Nanxi Zhai, on certain important matters, we must always make our stance clear."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Like the matter of Xiao Zhang?"
Huai Ren said, "I think Young Master Tang and His Holiness the Pope are both very clear about what this matter signifies."
This was exactly the answer Tang Thirty-Six had been seeking earlier.
These three Nanxi Zhai elders refused to shelter Xiao Zhang, which meant they were unwilling to see an alliance between Holy Maiden Peak and the Li Palace, let alone the great matter of unifying the northern and southern sects.
Huai Ren looked at Tang Thirty-Six and said, "Even if the Holy Maiden were not in seclusion, I think she would have to consider our stance."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "And what is your stance?"
Huai Ren said calmly, "Our stance is opposition."
Tang Thirty-Six fell silent. He had not expected this Nanxi Zhai elder's attitude to be so calm and resolute, completely unswayed by his threats or the pressure from the state religion.
This had become a deadlock. If things continued like this, the great matter that Ye Xiaolian had not explicitly mentioned earlier might indeed become reality.
How to break the deadlock? Tang Thirty-Six couldn't think of a way, so he could only fall back on his specialty—stirring up trouble.
"Since you don't handle the specific affairs of the sect, why did you hit her earlier?"
Tang Thirty-Six pointed at Ye Xiaolian, who was standing behind, and said to Huai Ren, "Is bullying the young while relying on your age the 'great matter' you speak of?"
The black-robed Daoist nun Huai Bi was enraged by this and shouted, "I don't manage the sect's affairs, but my seniority is here. Teaching this girl to respect her teachers and honor the Dao—is that not allowed?"
Seeing her grand-master aunt furious, Ye Xiaolian could no longer remain standing and quickly knelt as well. Even if she felt wronged, she dared not show it.
Looking at the three Nanxi Zhai female disciples kneeling on the floor, Tang Thirty-Six sighed inwardly. He knew they were, after all, girls who had been raised from childhood with the orthodox education of Holy Maiden Peak. They couldn't be like him and Chen Changsheng, daring to betray their masters and destroy their sect. Solving the problem from within seemed impossible. Now, he could only hope that Chen Changsheng would come up with a good method—by his calculations, Chen Changsheng should have already reached the top of Holy Maiden Peak. It had been a long time, and there was still no movement. If Xu Yourong, in seclusion in her cave dwelling, was safe, then he should show himself soon.
The problem was that with the three Nanxi Zhai elders watching, it was hard for him to even exchange a private word with Ye Xiaolian, let alone notify Chen Changsheng at the peak.
Just as he was thinking about this, his eyes suddenly lit up. He saw a white crane perched on a flowering tree in the courtyard.
Who didn't recognize this white crane?
...
...
The white crane was the sacred pet of Holy Maiden Peak, controllable only by Xu Yourong. It held a very noble status in Nanxi Zhai. Whether it was the flowering trees in the courtyard or the thin waterfalls among them, it could rest wherever it pleased. No one had ever dared to show it the slightest disrespect. Yet today, it was nearly hit by a stinky shoe.
An angry crane cry echoed through the courtyard. Spreading its wings over ten zhang wide, it was about to attack when it suddenly recognized the person who had thrown the shoe.
"You ungrateful thing! Back in the day, we were comrades, keeping watch for that adulterous pair! Now you see me coming and don't even greet me!"
Tang Thirty-Six stood by the thatched hall, holding another straw sandal in his hand, shouting loudly.
Ye Xiaolian and some Nanxi Zhai girls who knew the inside story looked shocked, unsure whether it was because he had taken off his shoe to hit the white crane or because of the past events he mentioned.
The white crane looked at him with innocent eyes, probably wondering what madness had seized this fellow.
Tang Thirty-Six grew even more annoyed. He threw the other shoe as well, while glancing toward the peak and giving a meaningful look.