Chapter 695
"For the sake of all lives under heaven, please, rest your anger . "
Hearing these words in the rain, Fan Xian could not help but laugh . His laugh was not exaggerated . The lips on the half of his delicate and pretty face showing from under the hat curved slightly at the corners, carrying a sliver of disdain and absurdity . This was the most honest reaction from the depths of his heart . Even he had probably not thought that he would meet these Ascetic Monks when he entered the temple in the rain and that the air around these Ascetic Monks would be so strange .
What was the Temple? Not many people in the world knew . The only person who had some understanding of that illusory existence was Fan Xian, who had accompanied Xiao En as he died . Throughout the days of his reborn life, he had thought about this question more than once . He never had anything solid to show . Fan Xian knew many Priests, Ascetic Monks, and monks who served the Temple . Among them, the most famous was the Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi, the wielder of Tianyi Dao, Master Ku He . Even Master Ku He never thought that he received orders from the will of the Temple to pity the toil of the living and enact punishment on behalf of heaven .
Yet, the Ascetic Monks in front of him in the rain said such things seriously and firmly . Fan Xian could not help but laugh coldly .
"Why must it be me who rests my anger and not the other person?" Fan Xian asked calmly, looking at the Ascetic Monks around him as he slowly restrained the smile on his face . "If there really is a god, presumably all life is equal in their eyes . Since it is so, why are you targeting me? Unless the Ascetic Monks who serve the temple are also nothing more than bullying cowards?"
It was clear these mocking words had no effect on the Ascetic Monks . They remained calmly kneeling around Fan Xian . They looked like they were worshipping him, but the pure aura that had coalesced into one being had already rooted Fan Xian firmly to the ground .
"It is not difficult to have me enter the Palace and ask for forgiveness . However, I need an explanation . Why am I the criminal?" Fan Xian slowly pulled down the rain hat connected to the collar of his clothes, allowing the fine raindrops to slowly roll down his smooth black hair . Intently, he said, "Initially, I did not know that you nobodies were such fanatics . I can also understand the things you have not said . It is nothing more than for the sake of uniting the world, eliminating the decades of unease and warfare, and to allow the common people to create peaceful and happy lives . But, I don't understand . What made you decide that that man will be able to perfectly fulfill your expectations and carry out of the will of the Temple?"
Fan Xian turned his body slightly . He that the heavy aura around him was like a living thing . It changed with him and flowed smoothly without a glimmer of stagnation . It did not reveal any flaws that could be exploited . His brows twitched . He had truly not thought that these Ascetic Monks would be able to meld their individual strengths together to form such an incredible power .
Perhaps this was the reason the Emperor had summoned back to Jingdou these outwardly wooden but inwardly fanatic Ascetic Monks .
From the moment he took his first step into the Qing Temple, if Fan Xian wanted to escape the trap of these Ascetic Monks, he should have reacted in the first instant . However, he had already missed his opportunity and had sunk into the trap . Perhaps this was because he had underestimated the power of the Ascetic Monks . More so, it was because he wanted to talk with the Ascetic Monks and learn from this conversation some things he really wanted to know . For example, why the Ascetic Monks of the Qing Temple supported the Qing Emperor so wholeheartedly, completely disregarding the pressure the court and Royal Palace had put on them these years? As well as, what exactly was the relationship between the Emperor and that illusory Temple?
In the rain, the dozen Ascetic Monks changed from kneeling to sitting cross-legged . They still kept the standing Fan Xian in the center . Their expressions were wooden and seemed to have long escaped the bounds of external matter . There was a long silence . Perhaps these Ascetic Monks still hoped that Fan Xian would be persuaded by them and would not watch as the almost unified territories of the Qing Kingdom sank into instability . A voice began to ring out in front of Fan Xian .
An Ascetic Monk had his hands pressed together . Raindrops hung from his weak lashes . Faintly, he said, "The Emperor is the person who has received the apocalypse . We help the Emperor unite the world to create fortune for the people . "
"Apocalypse? When?" Fan Xian asked with his hands behind his back . His expression did not change as he stared at the Ascetic Monks old face . He could easily see that the ages of these Ascetic Monks were all quite advanced .
"Many decades ago . " A voice rang out to his right and left . The answer was very blurry . Fan Xian's eyes narrowed slightly and began to think quickly .
"Has an emissary imparted to you the will of the Temple?" Fan Xian asked .
"Yes . " The reply came from another Ascetic Monk . His answer was clean and efficient, without debris . However, the answer made Fan Xian narrow his eyes even further .
Emissaries from the Temple coming to scout the earth was one of the greatest secrets of the world . If he had not grown up at Uncle Wu Zhu's side and learned so many secrets from Xiao En and Chen Pingping, he would not ask such things . Yet, these Ascetic Monks were not surprised at all hearing Fan Xian use the word emissaries . It was as they expected Fan Xian to know some of the secrets of the Temple . This, ironically, surprised Fan Xian .
"But, the High Priest, San Shi, and your peers on Dong Mountain have all died," Fan Xian continued calmly . Even the autumn rain could not hide the poison and mockery in his voice .
"Who is there that won't die?"
"Then, why didn't you all die?" Fan Xian asked
"The Emperor still needs us . "
"It sounds like you are very much like the girls in my brothel," Fan Xian said .
The atmosphere in the rain in the Qing Temple was wondrous . Fan Xian continued to ask questions calmly . The Ascetic Monks sitting around him each answered his questions . They replied woodenly and methodically . They spoke in order . The 16 people present answered like one person .
Fan Xian's heart gradually sank . Looking at these strange Ascetic Monk's long years of hard training, their mutual connection had reached a powerful realm . What chilled him even more was the information about the Temple emissaries .
The most recent time a Temple emissary had come to the mortal world was during the fifth year of the Qing calendar . This emissary had come onshore from the south . All along the way, he had learned the cultures and habits of human society indifferently like a wild beast . In the process of acclimating, many people died to the hands of this emissary in the southern provinces and regions of the Qing Kingdom . Perhaps it was a habitual indifference to life . Or, perhaps this emissary wanted to hide the news of his existence . All in all, the 13 city gate guards of the time paid a great price and were unable to even touch the corner of the emissary's robe .
At the time, the Qing court only saw him as an extremely powerful martial artist and did not know his true identity . Thus, there was the later scenario of the Ministry of Justice asking the Overwatch Council for help, Yan Bingyun took it seriously and aske Fan Xian to borrow the Tiger Guards .
However, the Overwatch Council hadn't had time to react before the emissary arrived in Jingdou to the little alley beside the Fan manor and was stopped by Wu Zhu outside a noodle shop .
After a plain-clothed Grandmaster fight, the Temple emissary died . Wu Zhu had been heavily injured . He disappeared and recovered on Dong Mountain for a number of years . The bones of the emissary were cremated in the Qing Temple .
Fan Xian's gaze pierced through the curtain of rain toward the wild plain behind the Qing Temple . His gaze was cold . He thought of the day the Emperor and High Priest looked at the emissary in the flames . For a moment, he didn't know what to say .
In the past, the Great Priest of the Qing Temple preached in the marshes and wild territories in the south and just happened to return to the capital not long before the Temple emissary did . Not long after, the emissary melted in the flames . He had died of a serious illness .
Was it a coincidence? Of course not . At least, Fan Xian did not believe that . The matter of Uncle Wu Zhu getting injured and arrival of the Temple emissary were both things he only knew later . After a lot of time, he only managed to discover this much . It at least proved that the Emperor must have formed some kind of agreement with the Temple emissary through the High Priest of the Qing Temple .
During the fifth year of the Qing calendar, the Emperor had hoped to use his illegitimate child as bait to lure the Temple emissary and Uncle Wu Zhu to kill each other off . However, he did not achieve his goal . In order to hide this so that Fan Xian would not know, the High Priest had to die .
Fan Xian drew back his gaze and looked at the Ascetic Monks in front of him . He thought of the so-called apocalypse, the so-called will of the Temple imparted by the emissary . That emissary was presumably the one who had come to the Qing Kingdom 22 years ago .
Looking at it now, that emissary not only lured Uncle Wu Zhu away from Jingdou, he had also represented the illusory Temple and formed some kind of agreement with the Emperor .
The Emperor cooperating with the Temple? Fan Xian furrowed his brows . The first cooperation had killed Ye Qingmei . The second cooperation had almost killed Uncle Wu Zhu . Everything was actually clear now . The only thing that didn't make sense was why did the Temple, which supposedly did not interfere in mortal affairs, make such decisions in the mortal world?
The Ascetic Monks surrounding Fan Xian in the Qing Temple were all old . Twenty years ago, they had already obtained the will of the Temple . In their joy, they loyally invested themselves into service for the Qing Emperor's ambitions . During these 20 years, they walked among the people, preaching what should be kindness as enlightenment . They lived harsh but peaceful lives . At the same time, they were acting as secret agents for the Emperor .
Presently, Dongyi had surrendered, internal unrest had been quelled, and Chen Pingping was dead . Everything was going smoothly . The people were peaceful . The nation was wealthy, and its army was strong . The power of the Qing Kingdom had reached its peak . Other than Fan Xian, there didn't seem to be anything that could obstruct the Qing Emperor's steps in unifying the world . These Ascetic Monks had returned to Jingdou, preparing to welcome that dazzling moment .
Thus, the Ascetic Monks wanted to persuade Fan Xian to forget his personal hatreds for this mighty ambition and personal sorrow for the world's justice .
…
…
Fan Xian stood alone in the rain . Although the rain was misty, it gradually soaked through his clothing . Very openly, these Ascetic Monks spoke to him of their actions these 20 years . They explained the secrets behind the history of the Qing Kingdom because they truly and sincerely wanted to persuade him . They wanted to use the will of the Temple, allegiance of the people, and direction of the big picture to convince Fan Xian to not become an enemy of the Emperor because he was a wise ruler chosen by heaven and the master of the world .
"That's all nonsense . " Fan Xian shook his head helplessly and wiped away the rain from his face . Looking at the sincerely begging Ascetic Monks around him, he said, "What does this have anything to do with me? I am just one of the Emperor's officials . No, now I am just a commoner . I think no one under heaven thinks I can influence the direction of the world . Are you all forcing me to enter the Palace or will you escort me into the earth? Is this not an over-reaction?"
The Ascetic Monks looked at each other and saw the caution and determination in each other . They did not believe Fan Xian's words . One of them gazed at Fan Xian and sincerely said, "Because you are her son . "
Fan Xian was silent . Finally, he understood where such a major battle formation in the Qing Temple had come from . If these Ascetic Monks served the Temple loyally and regarded the Emperor as a heaven chosen leader then, without a doubt, Ye Qingmei, a woman who had escaped the Temple and once stolen many things from it, was their greatest enemy . Perhaps these Ascetic Monks did not know anything or did not need to know anything . They only needed the Temple emissary from over 20 years ago to determine the nature of Ye Qingmei's action . They would become deeply fearful of the woman who dared to despise the Temple .
Such fear continued to 20 years later to Fan Xian .
"If you kill me, what would the Emperor think?" Fan Xian asked with a smile . "I'm sure he wouldn't want to see his son die to you mystics . I am very worried about you all . "
All of the Ascetic Monks eulogized in unison . A determined expression showed on their faces . No one replied, but their meaning was clear . For the sake of the goal they pursued, even if the Emperor killed them all afterward, they would keep Fan Xian here forever .
"I have heard everything I wanted to hear," Fan Xian said with slight mockery as the corners of his mouth twitched up slightly . "Presumably, if I agree to enter the Palace, you would not feel reassured and would place some kind of restriction on my body . Of course, I could lie and first agree . At least, it would save my life .
"However, you misjudged one thing," Fan Xian said coldly as he looked at them . "I believe in the existence of the Temple even more than you do . It is precisely because of this that I am not terrified at the mere mention of its name and kneel like you in the rain . "
An Ascetic Monk sighed deeply and said with great pity, "Living between heaven and earth, there always needs to be fear and respect . "
"The Emperor once said those words to me . " Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and thought that it was clear the Emperor had no fear and respect toward anything . The Temple? The emissary? These illusory and terrifying existences for mortal people were probably, in the Emperor's eyes, nothing more than a kind of power to be used .
"One should respect the heaven and the earth, but one cannot respect the will of the person beside them," Fan Xian said . "When it comes to this, you should all learn from Master Ku He . "
The Ascetic Monks all paused slightly, not certain what this meant . However, they saw the encircled Fan Xian began to float .
Fan Xian floated up in the fine autumn rain . The clothing on his body was slowly held up by zhenqi, like a large and heartless bird . With a swoosh, he swept toward the outside of the Qing Temple .
Without any sign, it was as if Fan Xian's body was being pulled by a long and shapeless rope . He moved with astonishing speed toward the doors of the Qing Temple . His speed through the air was incredible . His bodily movements were particularly gentle . He swiftly rolled and floated away through the wind and rain .
His body had only traveled about 50 feet when he felt a thick wall of air coming toward him . At the moment Fan Xian took action, a dozen Ascetic Monks also moved . An Ascetic Monk stepped onto another's shoulders . With a muffled grunt, he threw out the person next to him . Six or seven continuous movements were demonstrated smoothly . It was as if their minds were long connected . These movements were not jerky or hesitant .
The formation of these Ascetic Monks was an irregular circle . With a mutual push, seven people moved quickly toward the front doors of the Qing Temple . In the air, their hands remained joined together, pulling along the Ascetic Monks below them at the same time like a wave .
In an instant, the Ascetic Monks irregular circle became a whole entity, turning in the air through the fine rain . Rising in the air, they used a wave-like motion and forcefully overtook the quickly flying Fan Xian and surrounded him again .
When a circle flipped in the air and landed once again on the ground, it was still a circle . Fan Xian was still inside it . In a flash, the rain continued to fall as before . The situation essentially did not change at all except for the fact that everyone had moved about 50 feet toward the front doors of the Qing Temple . However, the Ascetic Monks did not give Fan Xian any further changes to create trouble . Eulogizing in unison, countless palms containing rich zhenqi and firm power slammed toward Fan Xian's body .
Fan Xian didn't know what mind of secret technique the Ascetic Monks practiced to truly be able to link their minds together and perfectly meld the powers of their bodies together . The attack of these countless hands was like a god emanating a powerful light . In an instant, countless god-like hands indifferently and heartlessly appeared and attempted to destroy the demon in front of them .
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