"Wolf cub!"
Seeing Wang Lang fly backward like a deflated ball, vomiting blood with the air of someone half-dead, General Wang cried out in alarm, a flicker of heartache flashing through his eyes.
Yet that trace of heartache was cold and merciless, as though he were not looking at a person, but at a work of art.
"Good! Very good! Little monk, your name is Jingming, correct? You are quite impressive. At merely fifteen, you can already rival a Blood Tempering expert and heavily injure my Wolf cub with a single punch. Master Ben Zhen, Treasure Pearl Temple truly deserves its reputation as the martial sacred ground of the Great Yan Kingdom. It is indeed brimming with talent!"
General Wang's sharp eyes first swept over Gu Han, seeming to want to see through every inch of him. But then his tone shifted as he turned to Ben Zhen, his eyes filled with mockery as he pressed him.
"However, I have heard that everyone in Treasure Pearl Temple of Great Yan is a monastic, upholding compassion, abstaining from wrath and anger. Yet now your temple has produced such a vicious and wicked fellow as Jingming. How does the Abbot intend to deal with him?"
"Amitabha. General, you exaggerate. The Buddha once said: a Bodhisattva has a compassionate heart, but also the wrath of Vajra!"
Upon hearing this, Ben Zhen pressed his palms together and proclaimed a Buddhist invocation before refuting him.
"General Wang, your adopted son Wang Lang had just tried to kill Jingyuan, a disciple of our temple. Jingming could not stand by and watch. He merely offered a small punishment as a great warning and taught him a lesson. He neither ruined his future prospects nor harmed his precious life. All he did was carry out the Buddha's sacred will. How can he be called wicked or vicious?"
"So, you refuse to hand over that bald little donkey Jingming?"
The instant Ben Zhen finished speaking, General Wang's expression changed. Inner Qi erupted from his entire body, squeezing the airwaves around him until they seemed to wail, unleashing an overwhelming pressure.
"Amitabha! Jingming is a disciple of this temple. How can we casually hand him over for another to dispose of? General, you should return!"
Ben Zhen gave a low shout. As the Inner Qi within his dantian stirred, the airwaves around him immediately surged like a raging tide, standing toe-to-toe with General Wang.
As the saying went: even Buddha had fire!
General Wang had challenged the limits of his patience again and again. Now he even wanted to take away Jingming, whose talent rivaled those of the two patriarchs, Jue Ming and Liao Kong, and who might one day lead Treasure Pearl Temple to renewed glory, leaving him at General Wang's mercy. This had truly pushed Ben Zhen beyond endurance.
He was gambling now—gambling that General Wang would not dare turn hostile, gambling that King Tang would not agree to have General Wang mobilize tens of thousands of troops against Treasure Pearl Temple while surrounded by enemies on all sides!
Sure enough, after several breaths of silence, General Wang's face suddenly changed from overcast to clear. He burst into laughter and said,
"Haha! I had long heard that Master Ben Zhen, the Abbot of this generation of Treasure Pearl Temple in Great Yan, possessed a stubborn temperament and bones as hard as iron. I thought it was merely a rumor, but upon seeing you today, I now know that it was indeed true!
"Since the Abbot insists on protecting this little monk, I will not force the matter. Let what happened just now be treated as a joke. I hope the Abbot and little master Jingming will not take it to heart. If the Abbot and little master are interested in descending the mountain, please come visit my camp. I shall sweep my couch clean to welcome you."
General Wang spoke with a smile, as though the one who had been angry moments ago had not been him.
But in truth, he had indeed not been angry.
Because in his eyes, both his adopted son Wang Lang and Jingming were merely chess pieces in his hand. Jingming was clearly a superior piece to Wang Lang now. Why would he destroy a fine chess piece over an inferior one?
As for his earlier attempt to force Ben Zhen to hand Jingming over, it had only been because he wanted to abduct Jingming from Treasure Pearl Temple and slowly train him afterward, making Jingming useful to himself. It had never been for any damned father-son affection between him and Wang Lang.
How much was affection worth? How much benefit could it bring him?
Thinking this, General Wang slightly bowed toward King Tang, who sat within the great palanquin like a mountain of flesh, and respectfully said,
"My lord, everything has been taken care of. Let us return."
"Oh, it is already over? Wang Zhongyi, you handled this matter rather poorly! You failed to recruit the expert, and you failed to spread your reputation and prestige. You made this king come here for nothing. Hmph!"
Hearing that the trip was over, King Tang, the "mountain of flesh," snorted coldly in dissatisfaction.
Thud!
Seeing King Tang's anger, Wang Zhongyi's face instantly turned pale, and his body began to tremble. He immediately dropped to his knees like a golden mountain collapsing and a jade pillar toppling, repeatedly kowtowing as he said,
"This subordinate deserves death! This subordinate deserves death! I failed in this task. I beg Your Highness to punish me!"
"Hmph! Rise! Considering that you have rendered me quite a few meritorious services in the past, I shall spare you this once. But if you handle matters this poorly again in the future, I will absolutely not forgive you lightly!"
Watching Wang Zhongyi fear him so greatly, King Tang's anger dissipated considerably. He nodded in satisfaction and spoke.
"Yes, yes, yes! This subordinate thanks Your Highness!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhongyi immediately revealed boundless gratitude and hurriedly expressed his thanks.
"Mm! Return!"
Clang!
At the sound of a gong clearing the way, and with King Tang's command, more than a dozen bearers immediately rose and carried the heavy palanquin down the mountain.
Afterward, General Wang, Shi Rui, and the others quickly followed, surrounding King Tang. Before long, the enormous procession vanished from Treasure Pearl Temple.
"Phew! Amitabha, this matter has finally come to a satisfactory end."
Watching King Tang and his group depart, Abbot Ben Zhen let out a heavy breath. His body even seemed to tremble slightly, though he soon recovered. Then he turned and smiled at Gu Han.
"Jingming, when all is said and done, we truly have you to thank for resolving this matter! It was precisely because you acted that Treasure Pearl Temple's thousand-year reputation was not destroyed in a single day.
"And because of you, Jingyuan of Prajna Hall was able to preserve his life and contribute to Prajna Hall in the future. Jingming, your merit this time cannot go unrecognized. Tell me, what reward do you want? This old monk will do everything he can to satisfy you."
After saying this, Ben Zhen looked at Gu Han with a beaming smile, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
The other hall chiefs also nodded one after another, their faces wreathed in smiles, clearly agreeing with the Abbot's words.
The chief of Prajna Hall and the chief of Arhat Hall in particular—gratitude filled the former's eyes, while the latter's were full of pride.
Gu Han, however, did not put on airs. With a humble expression, he said,
"Abbot, you praise me too highly. The calamity was resolved through the efforts of all the hall chiefs and senior brothers. How could Jingming dare claim all the credit alone? However, Jingming does indeed have something he wishes to request of the Abbot. I hope the Abbot will grant it."
"Oh? What is it?"
Abbot Ben Zhen asked with a smile.
"Reporting to the Abbot, Jingming has yet to complete Muscle Tendon Strengthening. Therefore, I specifically wish to ask the Abbot for some White Tiger Muscle Tendon Strengthening Pills, so that I may use them in my future martial cultivation at the Muscle Tendon Strengthening stage. I hope to complete Muscle Tendon Strengthening as soon as possible and begin the path of Blood Tempering."
Gu Han answered respectfully.
"What! White Tiger Muscle Tendon Strengthening Pills? You... you are not yet at Blood Tempering?"
Upon hearing Gu Han's words, the pupils of the many hall chiefs contracted as they cried out in shock.
Before you continue