Treasure Theft

"You insolent monk, daring to mouth off and deceive the young lord! I, this general, am acting under the Prince's orders to exterminate you traitors! This person, do you dare say you don't recognize him?"

Zhou Mingguang brandished the Prince's authorization letter that Qin Sang had given him and, with a mighty wave, signaled his personal guards. They retrieved a well-preserved human head from a bundle and tossed it over.

Abbot Yuanzhen's expression drastically changed. He hastily caught the head, his hands trembling violently.

The monks behind him all dropped to their knees with a rustle, crying out in sorrow, some calling him "Master," others "Grandmaster."

Zhou Mingguang acted as if he saw nothing, unfurling a silk ordination certificate.

"Xuanji Temple, Arhat Hall's Chief Seat, Dharma name Yuanjue! Hmph! This man, holding such a high position, willingly became a pawn for the False Emperor, nearly ruining the Prince's grand plan, and was executed on the spot. With witnesses and evidence presented, the proof is irrefutable. What more do you have to say, you traitorous monk!"

"Nonsense!"

A tall monk glared with bloodshot eyes, gritting his teeth. "Master is a Xiantian Master! With you rebels, you could never be Master's opponent! What poisonous scheme did you use to harm my Master!"

Upon hearing the monk's words, Zhou Mingguang glanced at Qin Sang, his expression unreadable.

"Rebels?"

Zhou Mingguang almost burst out laughing. He said sinisterly, "It seems there's more than just Monk Yuanjue among Xuanji Temple's lackeys for the False Emperor. All soldiers, heed my command, search the temple! Anyone who dares resist will be killed without mercy!"

Instantly, drums and gongs sounded, and armor clanked with a 'swish.'

The monks of Xuanji Temple formed battle formations, appearing ready to resist to the very end.

The atmosphere suddenly froze, becoming extremely tense and murderous.

At this moment, Abbot Yuanzhen suddenly closed his eyes, let out a long sigh towards the heavens, and solemnly handed the head in his hands to a monk beside him.

"Amitabha."

Abbot Yuanzhen took a step forward. "General Zhou, my junior brother Yuanjue left Great Sui to travel the world ten years ago and has not returned. He must have only recently returned to Great Sui and, not understanding the truth, was temporarily misled by the False Emperor. It is impossible for the monks of Xuanji Temple to be the False Emperor's pawns. I ask General Zhou to see clearly."

"Abbot!"

Seeing that Abbot Yuanzhen seemed to be admitting guilt and accepting punishment, the monks of Xuanji Temple were all shocked.

Qin Sang, however, was relieved that Abbot Yuanzhen was being sensible; it was best if there was no major conflict.

Zhou Mingguang's tone softened slightly. "The Abbot is a man of faith, highly respected. I believe he would not speak falsely. However, Xuanji Temple has many monks, and it's inevitable that some are good and some are bad. If any of the False Emperor's pawns are hidden among them and commit any acts, it would implicate Xuanji Temple, wouldn't it? Abbot, you need not worry. I will certainly restrain my soldiers and only apprehend the False Emperor's pawns; I will not kill innocent people indiscriminately."

The Sutra Depository.

Qin Sang looked up at the seven-story pagoda before him. He had long admired this place. Legend had it that all the martial arts of the Wulin originated from Shaolin, and Shaolin's martial arts were all kept in the Sutra Depository. It was truly a sacred place in the hearts of anyone who had ever read a martial arts novel.

However, Qin Sang knew that Xuanji Temple's Sutra Depository was just a facade. It contained no superior martial arts, only Buddhist scriptures.

The real treasure trove was not here.

Qin Sang turned his head and glanced at Abbot Yuanzhen, who was sitting on the ground in the distance, chanting Buddhist scriptures.

All the monks and disciples of Xuanji Temple were confined to the Great Hall by Abbot Yuanzhen, surrounded by crossbowmen.

And Abbot Yuanzhen watched with an impassive expression as soldiers emptied Xuanji Temple's treasury, carrying out chests of gold and silver treasures down the mountain like a flowing river. His composure was truly remarkable.

Zhou Mingguang strode forward, his gaze sweeping around. He pointed to an inconspicuous small path behind the Sutra Depository and shouted loudly, "There's another path here! Guards, take a squad of soldiers and search thoroughly! If you let a single traitor escape, I'll have your heads!"

Abbot Yuanzhen's expression flickered. He flashed forward and blocked the way. "General Zhou, absolutely not! That area is where our temple's Ancestor meditated in seclusion. We must not disturb him!"

Zhou Mingguang snorted coldly. "Nonsense about an Ancestor! If we don't search thoroughly, who knows who is inside? Why is the Abbot so nervous? Is it that the person inside cannot see the light?"

"You!"

Abbot Yuanzhen's hands, clutching his prayer beads, showed bulging veins, and a stream of wood shavings flowed from between his fingers.

"Fine! Fine! Fine! Then please, General Zhou, search thoroughly and clear our temple's name! However, this old monk has one request. There is indeed our temple's Ancestor cultivating in seclusion within the cliffside. I ask the General to accommodate me and allow this old monk to invite the Ancestor out of seclusion first, so as not to disrupt his cultivation and cause a great mistake."

Zhou Mingguang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost provoked Abbot Yuanzhen into a rage, and his back was almost soaked with cold sweat. He repeatedly waved his hand. "Abbot, please proceed."

With Abbot Yuanzhen leading the way and Zhou Mingguang and his soldiers following, they soon passed through a stone forest and saw a cliff face.

Countless stone carvings adorned the cliffside, bearing the inscriptions of past dignitaries, eminent monks, and martial arts masters, as well as great literary scholars. At the foot of the mountain, a row of stone steps led up to a stone path that traversed the cliff face. Along the stone path were rows of exquisite Buddhist sculptures.

The cliff face had two sides, southeast and northwest. The east side, facing the rising sun, symbolized the dawn and the Buddhist faith, and it was the place where Xuanji Temple's Ancestor meditated.

Zhou Mingguang waited with his soldiers at the foot of the stone steps. The old monks went up one by one to invite the Ancestors down. Most of them were gaunt old monks, including top masters and eminent monks who knew no martial arts.

Abbot Yuanzhen comforted each of them, a strenuous task. Zhou Mingguang had the soldiers conduct a perfunctory inspection, while he mentally calculated the time.

According to their agreement, he had to stall for Qin Sang for at least fifteen minutes.

At this time, Qin Sang had changed into casual clothes and quietly climbed to the cliff top. He observed from above. As soon as he saw the Xiantian Ancestor of Xuanji Temple being invited down the mountain, he immediately began to climb down the cliff face silently.

He had originally prepared a rope, but the stone carvings on the cliff face were uneven, and with his Qinggong, he could climb easily, so he didn't need it.

At the end of the stone path, there was a stone staircase leading downwards. Qin Sang landed softly on the path, his footsteps silent, and walked down the stairs.

The stone stairs descended very deeply, and it was incredibly quiet.

There were several caves on both sides, where Xuanji Temple's Ancestors had previously meditated in seclusion, but they had now been invited down.

If Zhou Mingguang hadn't caused trouble and forced them out, Qin Sang would never have been able to sneak in without being discovered.

Finally, he reached the end of the stone stairs. In a corner, there was an inconspicuous, narrow crevice, leading deep into the darkness.

The crevice was narrow on the outside but wide on the inside. There were dangerous mechanisms within, but Qin Sang was already aware of them. He stepped carefully, avoiding all the mechanisms. The crevice split into several diverging paths, which were where Xuanji Temple stored its rare treasures.

Qin Sang headed straight for where the bell was. Although the other branching paths held treasures of immense value, to Qin Sang they were no different from dust, and time was of the essence.

The small cave had been artificially shaped into a square, with a luminous pearl embedded in the ceiling, casting a bright light.

In the center of the cave was a stone platform, upon which rested a purple bell, a jade slip, and a talisman paper, all covered by a glass dome.

There was one final mechanism on the stone platform. Qin Sang located the poison dart trap and disabled its trigger, then lifted the glass dome.

With time running short, Qin Sang suppressed his excitement and quickly gathered the three items, then quietly withdrew from the cave.