"What? Two people and one person?"
Zhuo Buyi didn't understand Fang Jie's mutterings. Fang Jie's sudden remark was extremely difficult to comprehend.
Fang Jie, however, wore an expression of sudden realization. He couldn't help but pace back and forth in the courtyard, still somewhat unable to believe his deduction. Earlier at the teahouse, the man who brought him to the Imperial Guard said, "You are his disciple. If you had revealed your identity when entering the city, who would have dared to make things difficult for you?" Thinking of this, Fang Jie's thoughts became clearer and clearer, and he couldn't help but sigh at his unbelievably good luck.
The man in the blue robe in Fan Gu actually had such a powerful background.
The more he thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed.
Finally, Fang Jie couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you crazy?"
Zhuo Buyi rolled his eyes at him and asked.
"I'm not crazy."
Fang Jie stopped laughing and said, "I was just thinking about some ridiculous things, and I couldn't help but feel like an idiot for only realizing this now."
He asked Zhuo Buyi, "Is there anywhere I can wash my face?"
Zhuo Buyi was increasingly confused about what the young man was thinking. His speech was becoming increasingly incoherent. He asked in surprise, "Wash your face? Why do you need to wash your face?"
Fang Jie said, "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll probably be summoned by the Emperor soon. Since it's an audience with the Emperor, I should at least wash up. It would be disrespectful to go to see His Majesty looking so disheveled."
Zhuo Buyi was stunned. He couldn't help but stare intently at Fang Jie before suddenly realizing, "I can't believe you only just realized that person's identity. You really are an idiot. Even more unbelievable is that that fat Taoist priest actually deceived the Commander, and then even His Majesty!" "...You're not his disciple after all."
Fang Jie was taken aback, then said with annoyance, "You can't take advantage of someone in distress."
"This isn't taking advantage of someone in distress."
Zhuo Buyi said, "I said before that you're a very determined person, so it's not easy for me to see through your heart. But everyone is influenced by emotions, whether it's grief or joy, and often at these times, their defenses lower... You were a little carried away just now, which is why I was able to see what you were thinking."
Fang Jie couldn't help but shake his head, "I'm indeed not that person's disciple, but are you planning to expose me, sir?"
Zhuo Buyi also shook his head, "I don't care if you live or die, I just can't bear to lose a promising talent I've finally found. If you die, Xiao Yao won't have an easy time either."
"I still have to thank you."
Fang Jie smiled, feeling that the sky seemed much bluer than before. "Don't be too smug."
Zhuo Buyi said seriously, "His Majesty's temperament is not something that just anyone can fathom. Just because he hasn't killed you now doesn't mean he won't kill you later. Perhaps after summoning you and understanding the situation, he'll still have you dragged out of Changchun Garden and dismembered into 168 pieces. So what you need to do now is not be smug, but think about how to continue your lie."
"Damn Xiang Qingniu!"
Fang Jie cursed under his breath, "He wouldn't even tell me a single piece of information. If he had told me what he said to the Commander first, why would I be so angry now, trying to reconcile with him?"
Just then, a palace guard strode in, first bowing to Zhuo Buyi, then pointing at Fang Jie and saying, "You, come with me."
"Where to?"
"Changchun Garden."
...
...
Fuyun Tower was a relatively famous restaurant in the capital city of Chang'an, said to be a century-old establishment. The restaurant was always doing good business, attracting many high-ranking officials and dignitaries for casual gatherings. The owner was supposedly from the Cui family, but that was almost certainly an exaggeration.
Everyone wants to make their lineage sound more impressive. Those surnamed Wang would claim descent from the Wang family of Jiangnan, and those surnamed Li, even if they'd never left Chang'an, would often insist on ties to the Li family of Longyou. Giving oneself a prestigious background wasn't shameful.
The sky was completely dark, but the diners at Fuyun Tower were still immersed in the shimmering light of the lamps. In prosperous times, restaurants were never too bad, especially in the capital of the Sui Dynasty. Even ordinary people would occasionally dine there, and besides, the capital was never short of wealthy people.
In a private room on the second floor of Fuyun Tower, several people had been there for quite some time. The table was laden with food and wine, but when the waiter went in to refill their tea, he discovered that these four guests had barely touched their food. The wine was consumed quickly; five jars of aged liquor had already been served, demonstrating the four guests' remarkably high alcohol tolerance.
Of the four men, the most striking was a towering figure, over two meters tall. His long cloth robe was unbuttoned, revealing bronze skin beneath, his chest muscles appearing as hard as rock. Even seated, he exuded a powerful aura of intimidation. Most striking was the black Qilin tattoo on his chest.
His name was Qilin.
This wasn't his real name, but after being called that for fifteen years, he had almost forgotten it.
He picked up his wine bowl and downed it in one gulp, slamming it down with tremendous force.
With a loud thud, the bowl was embedded in the table.
"Frustrated!"
He hissed, his face contorted with rage.
"What a load of crap!"
The Iron Slave sitting opposite him said with a gloomy face, "Fifteen years have passed. There's no need for us to take any more risks. We finally settled down and found a strong tree like the One Qi Temple to rely on. Was it easy? There aren't many places in the Great Sui that can guarantee our safety. The One Qi Temple is clearly the best place to go. How many of us came out with us back then? How many are still alive?"
Qilin glared at him and said, "If it weren't for Shen Qingshan, we wouldn't be alive today."
The Iron Slave suddenly stood up and roared, "If it weren't for Fang Jie, we wouldn't have had to live in fear for these past fifteen years!"
Qilin was stunned, unable to find a rebuttal.
The oldest among them was the Iron Slave, who already held considerable authority. Over the past decade, the bond between them had grown stronger than that of blood brothers. They had faced life-and-death situations together, supporting each other through thick and thin, becoming an inseparable unit, capable of entrusting their lives to one another. But today, a major disagreement had arisen among the four of them.
"I still feel this is a bit unfair."
Qilin grabbed the wine jar, gulped it down, wiped the wine from his chin, and said in a low voice, "Shen Qingshan saved my life."
"She saved you to protect herself!"
Tie Nu glared at him and said.
"I don't care about that. I owe her a life, and I have to repay it."
Qilin stood up, his eyes sweeping over the other three, and asked, "I'm going to find Shen Qingshan and Fang Jie now. Who's coming with me?"
Tie Nu didn't speak, and Ye Xiao didn't answer either.
After a moment of silence, Henggun stood up and walked to Qilin's side, saying, "You and I... although without Fang Jie we wouldn't have suffered these fifteen years of torment, I really do like that little guy. To be honest, I've missed him quite a bit after not seeing him for three and a half years. Before we parted ways in Dali City, that little guy loved to stick to me and listen to my lewd jokes. Back then, didn't you all say we were two lecherous devils, one big and one small...? If people with the strength of Daquan and Mu Xiaoyao can do it, there's no reason I should lose to them. Qilin... don't try to persuade me anymore. Everyone has their own ambitions. Let's go."
Qilin hummed in agreement and took out a silver ingot from his pocket, placing it on the table.
"This drink is on me... perhaps we'll never have another chance to sit and drink together like this."
He turned and walked out of the room, bowing slightly to Tie Nu and Ye Xiao, saying, "My two brothers, I've remembered your care for the past fifteen years. This parting may truly be our last. The danger we face this time is no less than what we've faced before. Shen Qingshan stormed the Ministry of War and killed over a hundred people in one fell swoop. Even the most good-tempered emperor of the Sui Dynasty couldn't tolerate that. Chang'an is teeming with experts; if I leave..."
He smiled, not finishing his sentence. "Take care!"
...
...
After leaving Fuyun Tower, a slightly unsteady Qilin stood on the street and asked Henggun, "Where do we go to find Fang Jie?"
Henggun thought for a moment and said, "Go back to our lodgings and retrieve our weapons first. We're less confident without them. Chang'an has strict rules; you can't just walk around with weapons. Be careful after you get them, don't let the patrolling soldiers spot you. Since Fang Jie and that Hongxiuzhao dance troupe are close, I'll go there and ask them. Whether they know anything about Fang Jie or not, we'll meet in front of Hongxiuzhao in an hour, find a place to rest, and leave the city at dawn."
"Okay!"
Qilin patted his face to perk up and looked at Henggun, saying, "You be careful too."
"Are you worried I'll be devoured by those young ladies?"
Henggun smiled, turned, and left. "Henggun!"
Qilin called out to him from behind. Henggun turned around and asked, "What is it?"
"You seem to be a few years older than me. How about we become sworn brothers? From now on, I'll call you Big Brother?"
Qilin touched his bald head, this mountain-like, robust man surprisingly hesitant.
"Alright!"
Henggun nodded and said, "Once we're out of the city and find Fang Jie, we'll take him as our mistress."
Qilin laughed heartily, nodded vigorously, and then turned and strode away. Henggun watched Qilin's imposing figure gradually disappear, couldn't help but shake his head and smile, muttering to himself, "That simpleton... not bad as a brother!"
He looked at the street, now almost deserted, identified the direction of Hongxiuzhao, and quickly walked towards it. Fuyunlou wasn't close to Hongxiuzhao; even walking quickly, it would take at least half an hour. These past few days, since arriving in Chang'an, the four of them had spent a lot of time wandering around, their greatest pleasure being finding restaurants to eat at, one after another. Fifteen years of hardship and sleeping in the open, finally, there was peace.
But this peace seemed all too short.
Henggun turned into a narrow alley, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then gathered his inner strength and sped forward. He only took secluded paths, allowing him to use his lightness skill; patrolling soldiers would pass by on the main streets every now and then, and being seen would inevitably lead to trouble.
Just as he turned into a deep alley, he suddenly stopped and turned around.
A white figure had appeared behind him without him noticing.
In the quiet, deep night, the sudden appearance of the white figure was as eerie as a ghost, sending a chill down his spine. This person's movements were clearly superb; it was unclear how long they had been following Henggun. They moved forward like a garment caught in the wind, seemingly without any apparent leverage.
"Who!"
Henggun asked in a low voice.
The person seemed somewhat surprised to be noticed by Henggun, paused for a moment, and then slowly walked towards him. Under the cold moonlight, the white-robed figure fluttered about, looking like a legless ghost drifting forward. Only when he drew near did Heng Gun realize it was a handsome young man with an elegant demeanor.
"Why are you following me?!"
Heng Gun asked coldly.
"You are…"
The man hesitated before asking, "The one who wields the iron rod?"
Hearing this, Heng Gun's expression changed drastically. He looked at the young man, trying to recognize him, but he had absolutely no recollection of this person.
"Could you be…"
He wanted to ask if he was one of those who had been hunting them, but before he could finish, the white-robed young man spoke: "I wanted to follow you to find Fang Jie's whereabouts, but I underestimated your vigilance. No wonder, fifteen years is enough time for a person to remain constantly alert."
"Your cultivation is not bad, but unfortunately… your weapon is not with you."
He said.
Heng Gun snorted coldly, secretly gathering all his energy in his right hand. He looked at the young man in white and said, "Whether the stick is here or not doesn't matter, the intent of the stick is enough!"
Having said this, he suddenly retreated rapidly, raising his right hand in mid-air, four fingers together, index finger pointing upwards.
"The stick is here!"
With a roar, that index finger slammed down.
The temperature in the night sky suddenly changed, becoming scorching hot within dozens of meters. In an instant, that index finger seemed to transform into an invisible, gigantic iron rod, over ten meters long, crashing down like a tidal wave. As the invisible giant rod fell, the air crackled and popped.
Boom!
A deafening roar, and dust billowed into the alley as if swept up by a fierce wind.
One finger transformed into a stick, actually carving a trench a meter wide and deep into the alley's surface. Hard bluestone slabs shattered into dust, shaken into powder by the force of the stick. Dust billowed and swirled outwards, snapping roadside saplings. The walls of several nearby houses were instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks!
Without a doubt, this was the strongest strike Heng Gun had ever unleashed.
"Not bad. A rogue cultivator has achieved such a feat on his own. Very good. The Demon-Subduing Pestle's Demon-Slaying Style is similar, but more powerful than your staff technique. Because since it's about slaying demons, there can be no mercy. Demons wreak havoc on humanity, even Buddha must glare in fury."
Just as Heng Gun was watching the thick dust warily, these cold words drifted out from within. A gust of wind swept through, dispersing the dust. Looking again, Heng Gun's expression changed drastically.
The staff's intent, reaching three feet in front of the white-robed young master, could not advance an inch further! The meter-wide trench stopped abruptly three feet before the man's body.
Such a domineering and powerful strike had failed to reach the white-robed young master! "Buddha said the human body is merely an appearance, subject to both fixed and illusory states. Your ability to transform a finger into a staff shows some understanding, even grasping some of the Buddhist concept of fixed and illusory states. But since it's an illusion, why be confined to the staff itself?"
He extended his finger and pointed, and with a soft "poof," a narrow wound suddenly appeared on the right side of the staff, running through it, blood mist exploding outwards.
"It can transform into a sword."
The white-robed young man said softly, "It can also transform into a hammer."
He pointed again, and with a deafening crash, the staff was sent flying backwards for over ten meters, crashing heavily into a house wall, countless ribs broken.
"It can also transform into an axe."
He pointed again, and like a sharp axe falling from the sky, neatly severed half of the staff's shoulder! The white-robed young man walked slowly forward, saying as he went, "This is illusion, with countless wondrous transformations. But a finger is a finger; though it may manifest a thousand times, its form remains unchanged. This is samadhi."
"I like to use the fingers of samadhi. The original intention is the original intention, the most authentic and simple—this is what Buddhist disciples seek."
He pressed his finger down, and the struggling staff, trying to stand, couldn't help but groan, its body twitching a few times before falling still. A smooth, round hole appeared on its forehead, from which a mixture of white brain matter and red blood trickled.
"May the Wise King have mercy and grant you rebirth."
The ethereal monk Chenya, his white robes flowing like a lotus emerging from the dust, chanted softly, his countenance solemn and dignified.