Why Go to So Much Trouble

Great Li Capital.

Exquisite Pavilion.

As the largest restaurant in the capital, Exquisite Pavilion was packed every day.

Guests from elsewhere, guests from the city.

Given the chance, who wouldn't want to sample Exquisite Pavilion's dishes? Smack! At the center of the restaurant stood a raised platform.

A storyteller was animatedly recounting a "tale."

"Ten years ago, within the Buddhist holy land of Great Zen Temple, a Buddha's Disciple was born. This disciple possessed innate wisdom and bore the appearance of countless Buddhas."

"It was said that a golden manifestation of the Buddha appeared above Great Zen Temple at the time, its light covering dozens of miles. Many commoners whose bodies were bathed in that light had their hidden ailments vanish."

"Now, ten years have passed, and that Buddha's Disciple..."

The storyteller suddenly stopped and cupped his hands. "Dear patrons, that is all for today. If you wish to know how that young Buddha's Disciple is doing now, please return tomorrow."

As soon as he said this,

the many guests in the hall immediately erupted into dissatisfied murmurs.

They had been completely engrossed, eager to learn what had become of the Buddha's Disciple, only for the storyteller to cut off there.

Who could stand that? "This is your reward. Keep going."

A Rough Man took out a silver ingot and tossed it onto the platform.

The other patrons followed suit, throwing up copper coins and other valuables.

"Hehe, thank you for your appreciation, honored patrons. I shall continue at once."

Seeing this, the storyteller chuckled and promptly sat back down.

To tell a story well, one had to stop at precisely the right moment and stir the audience's curiosity. Otherwise, how could one make money?

This storyteller clearly understood the craft well. Only after collecting the silver and coins from the platform did he continue.

"By now, that Buddha's Disciple should be more than ten years old. Naturally, he is currently at Great Zen Temple, chanting Buddhist scriptures and studying Buddhist teachings..."

The storyteller unfolded his paper fan and spoke with a swaying head.

"Boo..."

The guests could not help but let out a chorus of disappointed jeers.

They had wanted to hear what astonishing deeds the Buddha's Disciple would accomplish, yet this was all? But upon thinking it over, they found it reasonable. Even if a child barely over ten possessed extraordinary Buddhist nature, what could he do? As for the miraculous signs the storyteller had mentioned earlier, most of them were probably fabricated to draw attention.

What no one in the restaurant noticed was that

at a table near the corner, a young monk dressed in gray robes wore a strange expression.

"Have I been written into a storybook?"

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.

He did not find it particularly surprising.

Great Zen Temple was a Buddhist holy land and one of the great martial sects of the realm.

Naturally, every move it made drew outside attention, especially when it came to him, a disciple taken in by a Master such as Long Eyebrow Old Monk.

Countless eyes were surely watching him.

Moreover, the Abbot and Courtyard Heads had shown no intention of suppressing the news.

As time passed and rumors spread from mouth to mouth, all manner of versions naturally emerged.

Lin Yuan sampled some of this world's food at Exquisite Pavilion.

Then he rose, left behind some silver, and walked out.

On the streets paved with bluestone slabs, people bustled back and forth, while vendors' cries rang out everywhere.

Walking among them, Lin Yuan did not stand out much.

However, as Lin Yuan continued deeper into the capital,

there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road, while more patrolling soldiers appeared.

When he reached a towering city gate, dozens of sharp-eyed officers and soldiers with formidable auras stood guard there.

Beyond the gate lay the Great Li Imperial Palace, the absolute core of a dynasty.

Even standing outside the palace, one could vaguely see the magnificent halls within.

Just then,

a carriage slowly emerged from the Imperial Palace.

Seeing it, the gate guards immediately stepped back and cleared a path.

Inside the carriage, a Middle-aged Monk dressed in scarlet kasaya robes was rubbing his brow.

The current Great Li Empress Dowager revered Buddhism and often invited eminent monks into the palace.

This Middle-aged Monk in scarlet kasaya robes was a renowned eminent monk of recent years, deeply valued and favored by the Empress Dowager.

Every ten days or half a month, he would be invited into the Imperial Palace.

"The Empress Dowager's questions have become increasingly tricky lately..."

The Middle-aged Monk frowned, looking troubled.

"I should be leaving the palace now, right?"

The Middle-aged Monk reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.

He casually glanced outside.

Yet that glance made his pupils contract.

"That is..."

The Middle-aged Monk stared at the young monk standing not far away, uncertainty flashing across his face.

"Buddha's Disciple?"

The Middle-aged Monk came from Great Zen Temple. Though he had remained in the Great Li Capital for the past decade or so,

he stayed in frequent contact with Great Zen Temple. Several years ago, Great Zen Temple had sent him a portrait of the Buddha's Disciple and instructed him to memorize it. Should he encounter the disciple, he was to follow his orders.

And that portrait was nearly identical to the young monk standing nearby.

Thinking of this, the Middle-aged Monk hurriedly stepped down from the carriage and approached Lin Yuan.

"Buddha's Disciple?"

the Middle-aged Monk asked tentatively.

"You know me?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Twenty years ago, I was also a monk of Great Zen Temple."

With that single sentence, the Middle-aged Monk made his identity clear.

"I see."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

Great Zen Temple was a Buddhist holy land, and its influence extended far beyond Shaoshi Mountain.

The Pudu Temple Lin Yuan had passed earlier, as well as the Middle-aged Monk before him, were proof of that.

"May I ask why Buddha's Disciple has come to the capital?"

the Middle-aged Monk asked curiously.

Before seeing Lin Yuan, he had received no word from Great Zen Temple.

Clearly, even the Abbot and Courtyard Heads of Great Zen Temple did not know Lin Yuan had come here.

Otherwise, they would never have failed to inform him.

"I wish to enter the Martial Hall of the Imperial Palace and take a look."

Lin Yuan spoke.

The Martial Hall of the Great Li Imperial Palace was where countless martial arts manuals from across the realm were stored.

Back when the Great Li Founding Ancestor unified the realm, he placed copied martial arts from every sect within the Martial Hall.

It could be said that the Great Li Imperial Palace's Martial Hall contained ten or even a hundred times more martial arts than the Scripture Storage Pavilion of Great Zen Temple.

"Entering the Martial Hall will be rather troublesome."

Hearing this, the Middle-aged Monk knitted his brows.

Ordinarily, only members of the imperial family were qualified to enter the Martial Hall.

That was a rule established by the Great Li Founding Ancestor.

In addition, high ministers who had rendered tremendous service to Great Li were also qualified to enter the Martial Hall.

But Lin Yuan clearly met neither condition.

Thus, it was nearly impossible for him to have any chance of accessing the Martial Hall.

The Great Li Dynasty had been founded through martial strength and placed immense importance on its many martial arts manuals.

It would absolutely never casually allow an outsider into a Martial Path holy land like the Martial Hall.

"It is not as though there is no way."

The Middle-aged Monk said slowly,

"The Imperial Palace is heavily guarded. Sneaking inside is certainly impossible."

A trace of apprehension appeared on the Middle-aged Monk's face.

As a favored guest of the Empress Dowager, he knew a thing or two about the Great Li Imperial Palace.

The palace's eight thousand Imperial Guards were all Peak Houtian Realm martial artists trained through secret imperial methods.

The two hundred Deputy Commanders were Innate Realm martial experts, while the eighteen Grand Commanders were Peak Innate Realm martial experts.

It could be said that this force alone could easily sweep through an army of hundreds of thousands. Even if a Master came in person, he would be trapped.

Furthermore,

the Middle-aged Monk had occasionally learned from the Empress Dowager

that Master-level martial experts were stationed at every critical point throughout the Imperial Palace.

After entering and leaving the palace constantly over the years, the Middle-aged Monk had roughly deduced that there were no fewer than four Masters within the palace.

Four Masters.

Eighteen Peak Innate Realm experts.

Two hundred Innate Realm experts.

Eight thousand Peak Postnatal Realm experts.

This was the Great Li Dynasty's strongest trump card.

Even if the realm fell into ruin, the Great Li Dynasty could conquer it anew.

Not to mention that this was only part of the Great Li Dynasty's hidden strength. Beyond the Imperial Palace, the armies suppressing the borders, along with the Masters, could be mobilized by the Great Li Dynasty at any time.

"Buddha's Disciple."

"Listen to me."

"In a moment, come into the palace with me and meet the Empress Dowager."

"With my introduction, the Empress Dowager will certainly regard Buddha's Disciple highly."

"For the next three months, Buddha's Disciple should visit the Empress Dowager often and make yourself familiar to her."

"Then, half a year from now, when the Emperor celebrates his sixtieth birthday, have the Empress Dowager bring you along to offer congratulations."

"At that time, I will present a Buddhist treasure as well."

"If the Great Li Emperor is pleased, there will be a strong chance that Buddha's Disciple can request entry into the Martial Hall."

After thinking hard, the Middle-aged Monk laid out the only feasible method he could think of.

In theory, outsiders could not enter the Martial Hall.

But if the current Great Li Emperor permitted it, then there would naturally be no question of whether one could enter.

As long as Lin Yuan could win the Emperor's favor, entering the Martial Hall would not be impossible.

After all, Lin Yuan only wished to enter the Martial Hall and look around. The many martial arts manuals inside would suffer no loss.

"What does Buddha's Disciple think?"

Having finished in one breath and seeing Lin Yuan remain silent, the Middle-aged Monk asked uneasily.

"That is not bad."

Lin Yuan nodded.

The Middle-aged Monk had indeed put considerable thought into it.

Following his method, Lin Yuan would most likely be able to enter the Martial Hall smoothly.

"However..."

Lin Yuan shook his head again.

"However what?"

the Middle-aged Monk asked nervously.

"It is too troublesome."

Lin Yuan's gaze was calm as he looked toward the Imperial Palace in the distance.

"Troublesome?"

The Middle-aged Monk did not react for quite a while.

The plan he had just devised was already as streamlined as possible.

He would directly take Lin Yuan to meet the Empress Dowager, then use the Empress Dowager's influence on the Emperor.

This was the fastest way into the Martial Hall the Middle-aged Monk could think of.

Could they possibly go directly to see the Emperor? Without someone important enough to introduce them, even the Middle-aged Monk could not meet the Emperor, much less Lin Yuan.

"Just say it directly."

After speaking, Lin Yuan took a step forward, drew in a light breath, and raised his voice toward the Imperial Palace.

"This humble monk, Huizhen, wishes to enter the Martial Hall of the Imperial Palace and take a look."

When he uttered the first word, "This," his voice was still perfectly ordinary,

but by the second word, his tone began to rise. By the fifth, terrifying sound waves were wildly spreading in every direction.

And when he uttered the final word, "look," it was as though the heavens were collapsing and thunder was exploding.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!! At that moment, the entire Imperial Palace was enveloped by terrifying sound waves.

The eight thousand Peak Houtian Realm Imperial Guards felt only a roar in their ears as their consciousness scattered.

The eighteen Peak Innate Realm Grand Commanders bled from all seven orifices and dropped to their knees, unable to rise.

Deep within the Great Li Imperial Palace, five Master-level auras flashed into existence, trying to resist the Buddhist chant flooding their ears. Yet after holding on for only a few breaths, their auras rapidly weakened, leaving them utterly powerless to resist.

In an instant, the once heavily guarded Great Li Imperial Palace collapsed into disarray, reduced to a scattered rabble on the verge of falling apart.

"This..."

The Middle-aged Monk's mouth fell open.