Satisfied, Su Haoran gathered his thoughts and pushed open the woodshed door, intending to head to the kitchen for more food and, while he was at it, learn about the temple's recent situation.
For nearly three months, he had shut out all matters beyond his window, devoting his whole heart to cultivation.
Yet the moment he stepped out of the woodshed courtyard, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.
Prajna Temple in the early mornings had never been bustling with voices, but it had always brimmed with life.
The chanting of scriptures, the shouts of martial training, and the rustling of Sweeping Monks' brooms had woven together into a distinctive morning rhythm.
But today, the entire temple lay shrouded in a stifling, oppressive atmosphere.
The monks he encountered on the road, whether Sweeping Monks or Scripture Monks, all hurried along with furrowed brows and worry that would not melt from their faces.
Even the training ground, usually the liveliest place, was much quieter now. Only a handful of Martial Monks sparred silently, their moves carrying less sharpness and more heaviness.
What surprised Su Haoran even more was that at this hour, devout worshippers would usually be arriving outside the Mountain Gate to burn incense and pray for blessings. Yet today, the bluestone road leading down the mountain was utterly deserted, desolate beyond measure.
Something had happened!
That was Su Haoran's first thought.
His heart tightened. He quickened his pace and headed straight for the Martial Monk Courtyard.
Before he had gone far, he spotted a familiar figure: Zeng Qiu, the Martial Monk who had always been grateful to him.
"Senior Brother Zeng!" Su Haoran called out.
Zeng Qiu turned at the sound. When he saw Su Haoran, his tightly furrowed brow first eased, only for even deeper worry to rise across his face. He hurried forward, pressed his palms together in greeting, and said, "Senior Brother Su, you have emerged from seclusion?"
"Yes, I just finished my secluded cultivation." Su Haoran came straight to the point. "Did something happen in the temple? Why is the atmosphere so grave?"
At those words, bitterness and indignation appeared on Zeng Qiu's face. Lowering his voice, he said, "Senior Brother Su, you do not know. This past month or so, Prajna Temple has had a hard time of it!"
"Crimson Hair Stronghold?" Su Haoran's gaze sharpened.
"Those beasts, exactly!" Zeng Qiu slammed a fist into the nearby tree trunk in hatred, shaking loose cascades of snow. "Ever since Senior Brother Su killed that Ghost Shadow Leopard Cat and Shadow Hand Liao Fan, ridding the people of harm, Crimson Hair Stronghold's First Boss, 'Crimson Beard Dragon' Xiong Ba, has gone mad!"
Fear flashed through Zeng Qiu's eyes. "We all thought he would turtle up in his stronghold and not dare show his face. Who would have thought that, unable to find the killer, he would put the whole debt on Prajna Temple's head?"
"This past month, Xiong Ba has changed completely. He no longer holes up in the stronghold, but frequently leads his vicious bandits down the mountain to harass us! They do not dare attack the temple directly, so they specifically target our temple's farmland and tenant farmers below the mountain!"
"They have blocked the road down the mountain, robbed passing merchants, burned three of our estates, and... and killed more than a dozen tenant farmers working at those estates, as well as two junior brothers who had gone down the mountain to purchase supplies!"
By the end, Zeng Qiu's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
Su Haoran's expression darkened at once.
Killing intent quietly spread through his heart.
I thought killing Crimson Hair Stronghold's Second Boss and Third Boss would be enough to frighten those mountain bandits and make them behave for a while...
Yet he had not expected First Boss Xiong Ba to be so crazed, turning his vengeance upon unarmed commoners and ordinary temple disciples.
"It is said that Xiong Ba is already an expert in the Bone Forging Realm, and his skills are terrifying. Moreover, he has become exceptionally cunning and never clashes with us head-on." Zeng Qiu continued, "Elder Hui Jue and several Martial Uncles led men down the mountain to suppress them twice, but Xiong Ba is extremely alert. At the slightest rustle of wind or stir of grass, he immediately takes his men deep into the mountains. Once the elders leave, he emerges again to continue his evil deeds. He is impossible to guard against!"
"Most hateful of all, a dignified Bone Forging Realm expert has actually resorted to ambushes! Once, martial uncle Wujing was leading a mountain patrol when he was ambushed by him. If several senior and junior brothers had not risked their lives to protect him, martial uncle Wujing would likely already have..."
Su Haoran's brow drew tightly together.
A madman who disregarded his status and used the strength of the Bone Forging Realm for ambushes and guerrilla tactics was indeed troublesome.
"If that is the case, why..." Su Haoran looked at Zeng Qiu and voiced the doubt in his heart. "Why did the Abbot and elders not notify me?"
Given his current strength and standing within the temple, such a matter concerning the temple's safety should have been brought to his attention. He should even have taken part in it.
Hearing this question, the indignation on Zeng Qiu's face faded somewhat, replaced by a complicated expression.
He sighed. "Senior Brother Su, that was precisely the Abbot's and Elder Hui Jue's intention."
"A few days ago, Abbot Daoming summoned every monk of steward rank and above in the temple for a discussion. At the time, someone suggested asking Senior Brother Su to take action.
After all, even the Second Boss and Third Boss fell to your hands. Senior Brother, perhaps you might have a way to deal with the First Boss."
"But Elder Hui Jue rejected that proposal on the spot."
"Why?" Su Haoran pressed.
Zeng Qiu's tone was full of emotion. "Elder Hui Jue said that Senior Brother Su was a martial prodigy Prajna Temple had not seen in a hundred years, the hope of our temple's future rise. Your task was to cultivate wholeheartedly without distraction, to keep breaking through, not to be entangled by these mundane affairs—much less be allowed to take such enormous risks."
"The elder also said that you had already rendered the temple a tremendous service. Bandit suppression was originally the temple's responsibility.
How could they let a meritorious man bleed, then immediately send him out to risk his life again?
The storms beyond the temple should be borne by old bones like theirs. So long as those old fellows still had a breath left in them, they had to hold up a patch of sky for juniors like you!"
"Abbot Daoming agreed completely. He strictly ordered that no one was to disturb you during your secluded cultivation. Everything would wait until they had dealt with it..."
Zeng Qiu recounted the events exactly as they had happened, his words brimming with respect for the temple's elders.
Su Haoran listened in silence as a warm current rose from the depths of his heart.
Ever since he had crossed into this world, he had been cautious at every step in order to survive and grow stronger.
He had grown accustomed to relying on himself, to placing all his hopes upon himself.
Su Haoran had never imagined that in this cold, cruel Chaotic World, there would be people—an entire group of people—quietly shielding him from wind and rain.
It was not that they did not know his strength. They simply valued his future even more.
They would rather face danger and bear losses themselves than fail to create a stable environment for his cultivation.
At that thought, Su Haoran slowly drew a breath and forcibly suppressed the surging Qi and Blood and emotion within his chest.
He did not make any grand declarations. He merely nodded to Zeng Qiu and said calmly, "I understand. Thank you for telling me, Senior Brother."
With that, he turned and walked back toward his woodshed courtyard.
Watching Su Haoran's departing back, Zeng Qiu opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something. In the end, however, it became only a long sigh.
In his view, Senior Brother Su had accepted the elders' arrangements and was preparing to continue his secluded cultivation.
Yet after returning to the woodshed courtyard, Su Haoran's gaze became sharper and more resolute than ever before.
Without alerting anyone, he changed into a set of black monk's robes suitable for movement, strapped the Monk's Knife to his back, and checked the medicine and dry rations in his robes.
Then, with a thought, the Breath Concealment Art at Major Accomplishment silently began to circulate.
His entire aura vanished in an instant. Like a stubborn stone, like a withered tree, he blended completely into his surroundings.
Like a wisp of light smoke, he silently left the woodshed courtyard, evaded everyone's notice, and slipped toward the rear mountain of Prajna Temple.
Crimson Beard Dragon, Xiong Ba...
Your day of death had arrived!
At the same time, at the western military camp of Qingshi City at the foot of Prajna Temple.
A killing chill permeated the entire camp.
Squad after squad of soldiers clad in dark armor and wielding long halberds trained on the drill ground. Their shouts were orderly and unified, filled with the scent of iron and blood.
Within the central command tent, a tall, stern-faced officer stood with one hand resting on the saber at his waist, studying a huge map intently.
He was around thirty-five or thirty-six, with sword-like brows reaching his temples and eyes bright as stars. His tailored centurion's armor made him appear all the more heroic and extraordinary.
This man was Wei Yan, centurion of Qingshi City's defending army.
A personal guard hurried into the tent, dropped to one knee, and presented a dispatch order.
"General, an urgent order from headquarters!"
Wei Yan accepted the order, tore open its seal, and rapidly scanned it.
"Hmph. A bunch of mountain bandits dare touch Qingshi City's trade route? They truly do not know whether they are dead or alive."
The contents of the dispatch were simple. Crimson Hair Stronghold had recently become increasingly active, seriously threatening the trade route upon which Qingshi City depended for survival. The city's tax revenue had plummeted, and merchants were groaning in complaint.
The City Lord's Manor had issued a strict order: he was to lead his troops at once and wipe out Crimson Hair Stronghold, restoring the trade route within one week without fail.
"General, the area occupied by Crimson Hair Stronghold overlaps considerably with Prajna Temple's territory." The personal guard raised his head and asked cautiously, "Should we notify Prajna Temple first and have them provide some assistance? After all, they know the mountain terrain better."
"Notify those monks?"
Wei Yan let out a scornful laugh.
He turned around, fixing his personal guard with a sharp gaze. His tone was filled with disdain and arrogance.
"Chanting scriptures is one thing, but what use could they possibly be in wiping out Crimson Hair Stronghold? How many years has Crimson Hair Stronghold been right under their noses? Have you ever heard of them accomplishing even the slightest thing?"
"I heard that Crimson Hair Stronghold's two bosses were killed by someone not long ago. And what happened? Not only did Prajna Temple fail to seize the chance to eliminate the remaining bandits, they were instead thrown into such chaos by a single First Boss that chickens and dogs were left in turmoil. They could not even protect their own estates. What utter humiliation!"
"Have Qingshi City's elite soldiers join forces with such incompetents?" Wei Yan snorted. "So long as they do not come drag us down, that will already be a tremendous help!"
In his eyes, these so-called martial sects were nothing more than a rabble.
They might be able to deal with a few street thugs, but once they faced true vicious bandits—or even an army—they immediately revealed their true colors.
Why would he need anyone else's help to destroy a mere Crimson Hair Stronghold? The hundred elite soldiers under his command were enough to trample that stronghold flat three times over!
"Pass on my command!"
Wei Yan abruptly swept out his arm.
"Entire army, assemble! Check the provisions and weapons! In one hour, depart immediately!"
"Yes!"
Intimidated by the powerful confidence and killing intent emanating from him, the personal guard did not dare say another word. He immediately accepted the order and left.
Before long, urgent, muffled horn calls rang out through the military camp.
One hundred elite soldiers clad in iron armor and carrying sharp weapons quickly assembled. Their ranks were orderly and silent as death, every one of them exuding the fierce aura of battle-hardened veterans.
Wei Yan stepped out of the command tent, and a groom immediately led over a magnificent pitch-black warhorse.
The horse stood half a head taller than ordinary horses, with thick, powerful hooves and lively eyes. It was a Dark Cloud Steed, the kind only officers of centurion rank or above were qualified to possess.
He swung onto its back, drew the standard military saber from his waist, and pointed it forward. His voice rang like a great bell.
"Destination: Black Wind Mountain!"
"Destroy Crimson Hair Stronghold and exalt our army's might!"
"Move out!"
"Roar!!"
The hundred soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the wilderness, their momentum soaring like a rainbow.
At Wei Yan's command, this elite force surged out of Qingshi City like a black torrent of steel, galloping mightily toward Black Wind Mountain.
Rows upon rows of orderly footprints were left in the snow, only to be swiftly covered by fresh snowfall.
Wei Yan rode at the front, the cold wind whipping the cloak behind him. His face bore the confidence of certain victory.
In his eyes, this so-called bandit suppression was nothing more than an easy assignment.
That Crimson Beard Dragon Xiong Ba might count as an expert in the eyes of martial wanderers.
But before his well-equipped, rigorously trained army, he was nothing but a clay chicken and porcelain dog—unable to withstand a single blow!
Before you continue