Domineering and Hypocritical

Jiang Shuyue did not argue with Kong Nian. Pulling Zhao Ping'an along, she tried to go around him, but Kong Nian still blocked their path with his fat, massive body.

"Old monk, if you don't move aside, I won't be polite!" Jiang Shuyue said. With a clang, she drew her longsword. Her willow brows rose sharply, revealing the fierce savagery of a mother beast protecting her cub.

Kong Nian remained motionless, one hand held in a single-palm salutation and the other supporting an alms bowl. He clearly did not take Jiang Shuyue's sword seriously.

Seeing this, Jiang Shuyue immediately revealed killing intent. She circulated her True Essence with all her strength and unleashed the Spirit Star Swordplay, her sword stabbing at Kong Nian like a flying star.

Kong Nian neither dodged nor evaded, standing still until the sword tip was about to pierce him. Only then did he act, casually catching the blade's tip between two fingers.

Jiang Shuyue was utterly shocked. She hurriedly tried to pull back her sword with all her strength, but it would not budge in the slightest.

"Female Benefactor, Old Monk intends to grant your son a tremendous Buddhist affinity, yet you harbor killing intent toward Old Monk." Kong Nian spoke blandly. "For the Young Benefactor's sake, Old Monk shall administer a slight punishment."

As he spoke, he released the sword tip and swept the broad sleeve of his monk's robe toward Jiang Shuyue. A tremendous blast of force struck her entire body.

Jiang Shuyue had no time to evade and was sent flying more than one zhang. When she landed, she could not help spitting out a mouthful of blood. She had actually suffered serious internal injuries.

Zhao Ping'an hurried over and supported Jiang Shuyue. "Mother—"

"Mother is fine!" Jiang Shuyue flung Zhao Ping'an's hand away, forced her delicate body one step forward, and shielded Zhao Ping'an behind her.

Zhao Ping'an glared furiously at Kong Nian. This old Bald Donkey actually dared to hurt his Mother!

Although Jiang Shuyue had struck first on the surface, it was this old Bald Donkey who wanted to forcibly take him away to become a monk. What mother would be willing to let her four-year-old son leave home and become a monk?

However, he could also tell that Kong Nian was at least a Divine Treasury Realm expert. He could not fight him head-on.

At once, he shouted at Kong Nian, "Old monk, you said you wanted to take me to some Pudu Mountain to cultivate. I'll ask you one question. If you can answer it, I'll go with you. Otherwise, it means your Pudu Mountain lacks wisdom and isn't worthy of teaching this young master!"

"Please ask, Young Benefactor," Kong Nian said indifferently.

Zhao Ping'an said, "For every scripture verse you recite, I'll reward you with one thousand taels of silver. For the second verse, I'll reward you with another Five Hundred Taels. For the third verse, I'll reward you with another Two Hundred Fifty Taels, and so on. Once you have recited every Buddhist scripture, how much silver and copper coinage should I reward you with in total?"

Without thinking, Kong Nian shook his head. "Our Buddha's scriptures are as vast as a sea of smoke. Your question is a rogue's question."

"Hahaha, of course my question has an answer. Once I say it, you'll be utterly convinced." Zhao Ping'an deliberately mocked him. "I'll give you another cup of tea's time to think. If you still can't answer it, then your Pudu Mountain has no wisdom. You should disband as soon as possible, lest you mislead the young!"

Seeing how certain Zhao Ping'an was that there was an answer, Kong Nian began to think seriously.

I possess more than a hundred years of wisdom and have been steeped in Buddhist teachings day and night. Could I truly be inferior to a four-year-old child? he thought, his competitive spirit roused.

In truth, he knew Zhao Ping'an's background very well. This encounter appeared to be fate, but it had actually been planned for more than ten days. Three days after Zhao Yingpeng advanced into the Dragon Transformation Realm, he had received a Buddhist decree to convert Zhao Ping'an and bring him to Pudu Mountain.

He had deliberately refrained from calling Zhao Ping'an and Jiang Shuyue by name, all to create the illusion that Zhao Ping'an possessed some predestined Buddhist affinity.

"Ping'an..." Jiang Shuyue turned, intending to tell Zhao Ping'an that Kong Nian would not keep his word, only to see Zhao Ping'an gently shake his head at her.

Zhao Ping'an took Jiang Shuyue's hand and wrote in her palm: "His target is me. I'll escape; you go back to Jiang Manor and wait for me."

He had never expected a mere question to make Kong Nian abandon his plan to kidnap him to Pudu Mountain. He only wanted Kong Nian to sink into thought so that he could take the chance to escape.

Worried that Kong Nian's hearing was too keen, he did not dare whisper to Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue shook her head anxiously, refusing to agree.

"We can't beat him. This is our only option." Zhao Ping'an wrote in her palm again. "Mother, trust me."

Then he released Jiang Shuyue's hand and took out a Swift Travel Talisman.

He slowly turned around, then suddenly unleashed the Willow Branching Movement and fled at full speed toward the mountain forest across the road.

At the same time, he activated the Swift Travel Talisman in his hand and slapped it onto his body, increasing his speed another step.

The Willow Branching Movement had originally only allowed passive evasions in battle, but the new Willow Branching Movement he had comprehended had risen to an even higher level. Not only was it faster and lighter, it could also launch proactive attacks—in other words, it could actively burst forward in a chosen direction.

Moreover, there was no shortage of wind in the wilderness.

With the Swift Travel Talisman's enhancement, Zhao Ping'an's figure darted left and right at extreme speed. His feet scarcely touched the ground, like a ghostly phantom. In the blink of an eye, he had fled twenty or thirty zhang away.

Jiang Shuyue was startled at the sight. What kind of movement technique is that? So fast! It resembles Willow Branching Movement somewhat, but it's far stronger. When did Ping'an learn such a powerful movement technique?

Just then, Kong Nian, who had been seriously contemplating the question, noticed Zhao Ping'an fleeing. Yet rather than flying into a rage from humiliation, he slowly said as though everything were under his control, "Young Benefactor, take care."

As he spoke, his fat, massive body rose into the air and flew after Zhao Ping'an.

Jiang Shuyue had intended to risk her life to stop Kong Nian for even a moment and buy Zhao Ping'an time to flee. But before she could react, Kong Nian had already swept over her head.

Watching Zhao Ping'an's small figure flee at astonishing speed and swiftly vanish into the forest, while the fat, massive figure of a monk pursued him through the sky, Jiang Shuyue gripped her sword tightly in one hand and clenched her delicate fist in the other. Her silver teeth bit through her lower lip until blood flowed, tears filled her eyes, and she hated herself beyond measure.

Why could she not be stronger? Why could she not even buy her son a little time?

After Zhao Ping'an plunged into the forest, he used the trees to conceal himself and continued fleeing through the woods.

However, after running through the forest for some time, he discovered that he could not shake Kong Nian's pursuit. No matter which direction he fled, Kong Nian could always chase after him from the air.

He could not help suspecting that Kong Nian had locked onto him with some sort of technique.

Since the forest could not conceal him and weaving through the trees hindered his speed, he simply leaped onto the treetops and canopies, fleeing with all his strength using the Willow Branching Movement.

The wind was stronger atop the forest canopy, granting him more assistance. His speed immediately surged by quite a bit.

"Young Benefactor, you have affinity with our Buddha. Why must you flee?" Kong Nian followed unhurriedly behind Zhao Ping'an, slowly tempting him. "Pudu Mountain is a sacred land of Buddhism, with countless profound Buddhist teachings. Others may accumulate the blessings of three lifetimes and still be unable to obtain entry. With your spiritual insight, given time, you may attain fruition..."

Zhao Ping'an grew irritated by his words and could not help cursing back, "Old Bald Donkey, you repay kindness with enmity! I kindly gave you loose silver, and this is how you repay your benefactor?"

"Amitabha. Old Monk is granting you tremendous Buddhist affinity; this is repaying the grace of a drop of water with a gushing spring."

"Pah! You're forcibly kidnapping me! This young master loves fame, profit, and women. My six roots are impure—I was born to clash with Bald Donkeys like you. Since childhood, this young master has aspired to sleep with the most beautiful women under heaven: princesses, holy maidens, countless women, one in each arm, all sharing one great bed..."

After fleeing at full speed for around an Incense Stick's time, Zhao Ping'an noticed that the old Bald Donkey Kong Nian had kept a distance of roughly three zhang behind him the entire time.

He realized that Kong Nian would not find it difficult to catch up to him if he truly wished to, yet had deliberately allowed him to run. He was likely planning to make him submit completely.

Still, Zhao Ping'an did not lose heart or stop. Instead, he continued fleeing at full speed.

As long as he did not stop, there was still a chance he could escape!

Kong Nian did indeed intend to make Zhao Ping'an feel despair, at the very least until Zhao Ping'an was completely unable to run any farther.

However, as time passed, Kong Nian gradually grew impatient. Zhao Ping'an had been running for too long—more than two hours had already passed.

Kong Nian suddenly accelerated, swooping down like a hawk hunting its prey. In the blink of an eye, he closed the three-zhang gap and reached from the air for the back collar of Zhao Ping'an's clothes.

Zhao Ping'an sensed a fierce wind coming from above and behind. Under the Willow Branching Movement, his body naturally drifted aside with the wind and evaded it.

"Hm—" Kong Nian could not help voicing his surprise. His hand had grasped nothing but air. "This movement technique isn't bad."

He immediately reached for Zhao Ping'an again and again. Every strike was swift as lightning, yet Zhao Ping'an always evaded with the wind.

"Young Benefactor, this movement technique of yours is quite good. Once you arrive at Pudu Mountain, you and Old Monk may properly exchange pointers." Kong Nian smiled, a glimmer of greed appearing in the depths of his eyes.

Finding that Kong Nian truly could not catch him while he relied on the Willow Branching Movement, Zhao Ping'an could not help growing smug. "Old Bald Donkey, you may be able to keep up with this young master, but you can't catch this young master. Give up already! This young master will never go to any Pudu Mountain!"

"Amitabha. You are merely a little monkey. You may be slippery, but you still cannot escape Old Monk's Five Finger Mountain," Kong Nian said unconcernedly.

The next moment, his True Essence surged as he shouted, "Dragon Grasp!"

One of his arms became wreathed in golden light, forming a golden dharma hand as large as a house that reached down to seize Zhao Ping'an head-on.

This time, the Willow Swaying Movement Technique lost its effect, and Zhao Ping'an was caught squarely by the golden hand.

Kong Nian dragged Zhao Ping'an back before him and moved to seal all the True Essence in Zhao Ping'an's body.

However, as his finger was about to touch Zhao Ping'an's body, a layer of golden Primal Chaos Body Protection emerged over Zhao Ping'an's skin and blocked his finger.

Kong Nian tried several times in succession, but still could not break through the Primal Chaos Body Protection.

"What body-protection force is this?" he demanded with a frown, a trace of greed surfacing in his eyes.

Zhao Ping'an avoided answering and snorted coldly. "Unless you kill me, you will never capture me alive!"

He had long sensed that Kong Nian would not kill him. But it was certainly not out of compassion or appreciation for talent; Kong Nian had likely received some order to bind him and take him to Pudu Mountain.

"Amitabha, what a sin, what a sin." Kong Nian resumed the appearance of an enlightened monk. "How could Old Monk kill you? You have affinity with our Buddha. It is destiny ordained by fate."

As he spoke, he took out a golden rope and muttered two incantations. The golden rope immediately came alive like a long flood dragon, coiling around Zhao Ping'an again and again and binding him tightly.

Zhao Ping'an tried struggling a few times, but could not break free.

At that moment, Kong Nian's voice came. "This is the Golden Dragon Binding Cord, refined from the main sinew of a three-thousand-year-old Sinister Flood Dragon. The flood dragon's soul is sealed within it as well. Young Benefactor, you should save your strength."

Hearing this, Zhao Ping'an stopped struggling and allowed Kong Nian to carry him through the air toward Pudu Mountain.

The Ancient Sacred Body possessed an invincible physique. Though he was still a child, whether the Golden Dragon Binding Cord could truly restrain him was another matter.

For instance, he had yet to use the power of the Taiyang Meridian.

The Taiyang Meridian and Taiyin Meridian were the most miraculous Meridians in the body. When True Essence flowed through the Taiyang Meridian, one's strength increased by more than Ten Times, reaching as high as one hundred times; when True Essence flowed through the Taiyin Meridian, one's speed increased by more than Ten Times, reaching as high as one hundred times.

Unfortunately, using either the Taiyang Meridian or the Taiyin Meridian consumed enormous amounts of True Essence.

During his escape just now, he had not used the Taiyin Meridian to increase his speed because his True Essence was limited and could not sustain it for long.

By pretending to accept his fate now, he intended to lull Kong Nian into letting down his guard and seek an opportunity to snap the Golden Dragon Binding Cord and escape.

More than two hours later, the sun was setting and night was about to fall. As they passed over a town, Kong Nian descended with Zhao Ping'an, preparing to stay for the night.

"I will release you for now. Do not entertain any thoughts of escape, or Old Monk will teach you a harsh lesson," Kong Nian told Zhao Ping'an. "You should understand that you cannot escape."

The town had a large population, and he did not wish to damage Buddhism's image.

Yet Zhao Ping'an showed no cooperation at all, curling his lip. "I'm definitely going to escape."

After a pause, he added, "But I'm hungry, and my throat is burning with thirst. If there's food and drink, I won't run away within the next hour."

Kong Nian secretly laughed. He really is only a four-year-old child.

Thus, he formed a hand seal and recalled the Golden Dragon Binding Cord from Zhao Ping'an's body, then led Zhao Ping'an into the town.