The eighteen golden prayer beads in Xuanku's hand hovered in midair.
A Thunder Pattern flowed across each bead.
As Buddhist power surged from within him, the beads began to spin.
Hum.
A deep rumble of thunder sounded above the Mountain Gate.
The Tianyin Temple disciples in the square all looked up.
The eighteen prayer beads spun faster and faster, finally transforming into eighteen streaks of golden lightning that sealed off all four sides of the ritual platform.
Xuanku stood amid the lightning, his monk's robes billowing.
"These are the Eighteen Thunder Sound Beads of the Great Thunderclap Temple."
"Chen Changqing, I will ask you one last time."
"If you withdraw from Tianyin Temple, the Great Thunderclap Temple will no longer pursue the matter."
Chen Changqing stood at the edge of the ritual platform.
The Heavenly Thunder Sword hung at his side.
Rujie sat cross-legged behind him. He took out a fresh kasaya and draped it over himself, still muttering under his breath.
"Don't beat him to death just yet."
"This poor monk still has questions to ask."
Chen Changqing glanced back at him.
"When you were getting beaten earlier, why weren't you so polite?"
Rujie pressed his palms together.
"Those who have left the secular world reason with others."
"Besides, this lot came to this poor monk's doorstep to snatch things. We should at least find out what exactly caught their eye."
Chen Changqing nodded.
"Fair enough."
Xuanku's face darkened.
He had already offered Chen Changqing a way out.
Yet Chen Changqing refused to take it.
In that case, he could only suppress this boy first today, then let the people from Shushan come negotiate.
As long as he did not kill Chen Changqing, no matter how powerful Chen Yuan and Daoist Wuzhen were, they could not go to war