Fire Seed

"Kill! Kill!"

"Charge! Warriors, charge!"

Below Treasure Pearl Mountain, waves of earth-shaking battle cries rang out.

Before the countless troops, A Yan, ruler of the Great Barbarian Kingdom, stood alone atop a massive boulder several zhang high, looking down upon the scene below like a god.

In his right hand, he held a Halberd over a zhang long, clearly weighing at least several hundred jin. In his left, he raised a blood-red banner embroidered with the golden character "Barbarian," its tip seeming to pierce the heavens as it fluttered in his grasp.

"Charge! Charge for me! Great Barbarian warriors, success or failure rests on this one stroke! So long as we flatten Treasure Pearl Temple today and capture Zhu Hong alive, we can march north in the future, seize the fertile and vast lands of Yan, and make the people of Yan the lowly slaves of our Great Barbarian people for generation after generation, loyal only to Great Barbarian!"

Upon the boulder, A Yanda threw back his head and laughed madly, as though he could already see Great Barbarian occupying the whole of Yan.

Ever since King Yan's death more than ten years ago, when the realm had fallen into chaos, Yan had endured over a decade of civil war and its strength had long since been drained dry. Apart from King Ming Zhu Hong, who controlled the northwest and part of the south, there was practically no one left in Yan worth mentioning.

So long as he killed Zhu Hong today, when he led his army north in the future, he would surely sweep through all before him and swiftly conquer the Central Plains! From then on, their barbarian people could put down roots in the fertile, boundless Central Plains and never again suffer in the poor mountains and evil waters of the Southern Barbarian lands.

"Charge! Kill!"

Hearing A Yanda's rousing words, the dense masses of barbarian troops went mad as well. Their eyes bloodshot, they charged forward without fear of death like swarming ants. No matter how rugged the roads were, beneath the barbarians' feet they seemed as flat as level ground. They crossed them swiftly, then continued toward Treasure Pearl Temple on the mountain.

Meanwhile, within the Great Hero Hall of Treasure Pearl Temple, after the nine bell chimes rang out, every monk in the temple immediately gathered there.

Not only were the newly initiated disciples of the Kong Generation present, along with the Jing Generation martial uncles and elders, and the Yuan Generation elders and hall chiefs—even the retired supreme elders of the Ben Generation had come. All listened as Abbot Yuanyin made arrangements and prepared to discuss the retreat.

"Abbot! Hall chiefs! Elders! Something terrible has happened!"

Just as everyone was making their arrangements in orderly fashion, a young monk in yellow robes hurried in from outside the hall and said:

"Abbot, this is bad! The barbarians below the mountain have finished gathering and have begun their charge. They are rapidly closing in on Treasure Pearl Temple's mountain gate. At this rate, they will reach the gate in another half an hour!"

"What?!"

Inside the Great Hero Hall, Abbot Yuanhuai's expression changed at once. His face filled with shock and fury as he said:

"What did you say? How could these barbarians be so fast? Didn't you just say they were still dozens of li from the foot of the mountain, and that it would take a full two hours for them to reach Treasure Pearl Temple? How had they already reached the foot of the mountain in less than one hour?"

"Besides, Treasure Pearl Mountain is nearly a thousand meters high. Though it cannot compare to the perilous Western Mount Hua, aside from the one road leading up the mountain, the other paths are difficult to traverse. Even an ordinary Muscle Tendon Strengthening martial artist would need more than half an hour to climb it. How could they possibly make it in merely half an hour? Jingyan, did you get it wrong?"

Abbot Yuanyin rebuked Jingyan, his face full of disbelief.

"Abbot, this disciple did not see wrongly. I—I do not know why those barbarians are so fast either, but that is the truth!

"These barbarians must be reincarnations of something unknown—their speed is astonishing. It is as if they have Wind Fire Wheels beneath their feet, crossing mountains and fields as though walking on level ground. When they encounter ravines, boulders, or other obstacles, they simply ignore them, taking one step and one leap to cross them with ease. They are truly, truly as nimble as apes!"**

Hearing the Abbot's words, the messenger monk Jingyan hurriedly explained, his face filled with anxiety.

"What? This... this is Heaven's will to destroy Treasure Pearl Temple!"

The moment Jingyan finished speaking, Abbot Yuanyin let out a miserable cry and closed his eyes in pain. Tears welled in his tiger-like eyes as he could not help crying to Huizhen, Treasure Pearl Temple's previous Abbot, whose brows and beard were white and whose face was wrinkled like chicken skin:

"Martial Uncle, was Yuanyin wrong to do this? Should I never have let King Ming in? Should I never have involved myself, but allowed him to fend for himself? Then today's disaster would never have come to pass, and I would not have become a sinner in Treasure Pearl Temple's thousand-year history!"

As Abbot Yuanyin spoke, his burly body seemed to hunch over all at once, showing just how deeply grieved he was.

"Hehe! Foolish child, let this old monk ask you: according to the Buddhist scriptures, what should those who leave home hold in their hearts?"

Huizhen smiled faintly, as kindly as a Buddha. Rather than answer directly, he asked a question.

"Reporting to Martial Uncle, the Buddhist scriptures say: those who leave home should hold compassion in their hearts."

Yuanyin answered.

"Yes, you know that those who leave home should hold compassion in their hearts. That is why we monks recite the Rebirth Mantra over and over whenever we drink water, to deliver the mayflies within it; why we sweep the ground with such care each day, lest we harm the lives of ants and insects. This is called pitying all living beings.

"And now, King Ming is not only one among all living beings—upon his shoulders rest the lives of tens of millions in Yan. For only he has hope of standing against A Yanda, ruler of Great Barbarian, and only he can protect the countless common people of Yan.

"Thus, saving him alone is the same as saving tens of millions of people in Yan. Even if Treasure Pearl Temple is destroyed for it, what does that matter?

"Before the Buddha attained enlightenment, he could cut flesh from his body to feed an eagle, and sacrifice himself to feed a tiger. We monks may not be as great as the Buddha, but for the sake of all living beings under heaven, what harm is there in giving up one life?

"Yuanyin, notify King Ming's generals. Tell them to leave at once. At the same time, gather all monks in the temple over fifteen years old and prepare to meet the enemy. We will buy them time! As for disciples under fifteen, Jingming and Jingyuan will lead them down the small path behind the mountain. That way, we can at least preserve a single spark for Treasure Pearl Temple."

Huizhen sighed. Then his aged body shuddered, and a powerful surge of Inner Qi erupted fiercely from him. Though it was no longer as mighty as it had been in his prime, it carried an incomparably steadfast will.

"Yes! I shall obey Martial Uncle's decree. Yuanyin will make the arrangements at once."

Tears filled Yuanyin's eyes as he continued giving orders.

"Oh, I am to lead them?"

In a corner, Gu Han stared in surprise at the kindly gaze Huizhen cast toward him. He was somewhat startled.

Ever since he had failed to break through Blood Tempering for more than ten years, he had gradually become like an invisible man within the temple.

Even after returning a month ago, few people recognized his face. He had never expected Huizhen to still remember him, much less entrust him with the crucial duty of escorting Treasure Pearl Temple's final spark. It truly took him by surprise.