The Recruitment

"Amitābha. Many thanks, Your Highness, King Tang."

The abbot first led the disciples in straightening up, then asked again:

"I have long heard of Your Highness King Tang's great name—it rings in my ears like thunder, filling my heart with admiration. Yet Treasure Pearl Temple is a place beyond the mundane world, never meddling in worldly strife. May I ask what important matter brings Your Highness to condescend to visit this humble site today? I beg Your Highness to enlighten me."

"Heh. General Wang, you may speak."

King Tang gave a light laugh at this, not answering the abbot. Instead, he addressed a general standing beside the large sedan—one clad in golden armor, a long blade at his waist, his bearing imposing and extraordinary—and gave the order. Then he returned to enjoying his beauties and fine food, clearly entrusting all matters concerning Treasure Pearl Temple to General Wang's handling.

After all, matters of the jianghu should be settled within the jianghu. He was of noble birth and had never dealt with these so-called martial artists. Forcing his way in would only be unseemly. Better to let General Wang, who came from the jianghu, take full charge, while he himself waited quietly for the show to unfold.

For as a sovereign, one need not know everything or do everything personally. As long as one is skilled in employing people, even if one's own talents fall short of one's subordinates, one can still ascend to the peak!

"As you command, Your Highness!"

General Wang nodded respectfully at this, then laughed heartily and said to the abbot of Treasure Pearl Temple, Benzhen:

"Haha! Abbot, you jest. Treasure Pearl Temple is the acknowledged paramount leader of the Great Yan martial world. Within its walls, experts are as thick as clouds, masters as plentiful as rain, and five hundred monk soldiers guard the mountain gate. If this is a 'humble site,' then I fear there is no place in all the world worthy of the word 'noble.'"

As General Wang spoke, he took a step forward, and a powerful aura suddenly surged from his body. His voice rang out clear and loud, like a great bell or bronze cauldron. Even in this plaza large enough to hold over a thousand people, his words were distinctly audible to all, showing his formidable strength.

"An Internal Qi Grand Completion expert!"

Feeling the mighty aura radiating from General Wang, the abbot Benzhen and the Six Great Seat Masters all changed expression at once. They exchanged glances, shock filling their hearts.

Great Yan's Treasure Pearl Temple, ever since its founder established the monastery in Fangnan Prefecture, had dominated Jiangnan for nearly a thousand years. It had long become the undisputed martial arts sacred ground of the Great Yan jianghu. Indeed, among the martial world, there was even a saying: "All martial arts under heaven come from Treasure Pearl." This spoke volumes about its immense strength and profound heritage.

Yet even so, among the entire current Treasure Pearl Temple, the only Internal Qi Grand Completion experts besides the abbot himself were the Dharma Institute's Seat Master Benyuan, who had barely achieved that realm after taking a Treasure Pearl Temple sacred medicine—the Greater Returning Pill.

Apart from these two, the other Seat Masters had cultivated for many years but only reached Internal Qi Minor Completion. Moreover, having passed the age of forty, their qi and blood were in decline, leaving them no chance whatsoever to attain Internal Qi Grand Completion. Merely maintaining their current strength without decline was already a blessing.

Who would have thought that this General Wang in golden armor, serving under King Tang, appeared no more than thirty years old, yet his martial arts had already reached such a level? Truly a heaven-blessed prodigy!

"Amitābha! General, your talent is peerless. At such a young age, you have achieved great mastery, your martial arts reaching the sublime. This old monk admires you deeply. But for what purpose have King Tang and the General graced our humble temple? I beg the General to enlighten us."

Abbot Benzhen, seeing that the visitors meant no good, intoned a Buddhist salutation. His own aura surged skyward, standing in distant opposition to General Wang, matching him evenly.

"This old monk... terrifying strength!"

Feeling the powerful aura from Benzhen, General Wang was also deeply shaken.

He had long heard of this old monk's reputation, knowing his talent was unmatched—like himself, he had broken through to Internal Qi Grand Completion in his prime.

But youth triumphs over age!

He and this old monk were both at Internal Qi Grand Completion. He was in his prime, while the old monk was nearing sixty. If they truly fought, he had thought he could win. Yet reality often defied expectations.

Though the old monk was aged, his strength remained formidable, even slightly surpassing his own at present.

Thinking this, General Wang set aside his trace of contempt and grew much more solemn. He laughed heartily and said:

"Haha! Since the Abbot has asked, how dare this minor general refuse to answer? The reason we have come up the mountain today is entirely because I heard that Treasure Pearl Temple in Fangnan Prefecture is the martial arts sacred ground of the Great Yan dynasty, with countless experts. Not only is the Abbot an Internal Qi Grand Completion master, but the other Seat Masters of the various halls have also cultivated Internal Qi—rare under heaven.

Thus, I advised King Tang to come and recruit all you eminent monks to serve under my lord, King Tang, as advisors and to work for him.

My lord King Tang is a man of great ambition and talent, thirsting for worthy men. In a short time, he has already taken Yunhai, Zhencang, and Lanling—three prefectures—and now holds all of Jiangnan. In the future, even ascending to the highest throne is not impossible. If the Abbot agrees today, when my lord's work is accomplished, wealth and honor will surely be yours without question."

General Wang made his promises, his tone full of sincerity.

Great Yan had enjoyed peace for centuries, with civil culture flourishing and martial arts declining. Those high officials far away in the court might not understand the terror of Internal Qi experts, thinking that no matter how powerful a master was, a single charge by an army would grind them to dust.

But Internal Qi experts were not fools. Why would they bind their hands and feet and willingly fall into a military formation?

Thus, the value of Internal Qi experts lay not in charging at the front lines, but in the art of assassination!

For once a martial artist cultivated Internal Qi, ordinary guards could hardly stop them. Before an Internal Qi expert's qi was exhausted, under the cover of powerful Internal Qi, their entire body would be as if sheathed in a suit of fine steel armor—impervious to blades, fire, water, and arrows!

With such formidable defense, coupled with their terrifying attack power that could shatter metal and jade, if they acted as assassins, who under heaven could stop them, unless protected by an equally powerful expert?

It was for this reason that General Wang had convinced King Tang to recruit the eminent monks of Treasure Pearl Temple into his service before the other feudal lords realized the value of Internal Qi martial artists.

"Amitābha. So that is it."

Abbot Benzhen listened to General Wang's explanation, first intoning a Buddhist salutation, a look of understanding appearing on his face. Then he said:

"This old monk is grateful that King Tang and the General have condescended to visit our temple in person to recruit us. But all the monks of Treasure Pearl Temple are men beyond the mundane world. We have long sworn before the Buddha to distance ourselves from the red dust of worldly affairs, and naturally, it would be inconvenient for us to meddle in earthly conflicts.

Thus, for this kind intention of the General and King Tang, we poor monks can only accept it in our hearts. I beg the General and King Tang not to make things difficult for us who have left the household life. Please go elsewhere to recruit!"

Benzhen sighed as he spoke.

"Oh? So the Abbot's meaning is that you refuse King Tang's recruitment?"

Hearing Benzhen's words, General Wang narrowed his eyes. In an instant, a dangerous aura radiated from his entire body, like a starving wolf in the forest—terrifying, enough to chill one's heart.

"Alas! Amitābha! I beg the General and King Tang to descend the mountain."

Abbot Benzhen sighed once more, closed his eyes, and pressed his palms together.