Internal Strife?

When Li Xian and his men arrived at the Canoe Gang's large dragon boat, the Prefectural Army had already surrounded the boat so tightly that not a drop of water could get through.

And on the outer perimeter, Canoe Gang members who had received the news kept rushing over, surrounding the Qingzhou Prefecture Army in turn.

Thus, layers upon layers, it was quite a scene.

Liang Haisheng stood on the dragon boat and shouted down.

"Commander Chen, are you trying to start a war with our Canoe Gang?"

The Commander of the Prefectural Army in Yangzhou City was Chen Zhongwu, a Mid-fourth Grade Martial Artist of many years.

Chen Zhongwu sat astride a tall horse, his expression cold.

"I am merely following orders to apprehend the wanted criminal Cao Xiong. As for the order to start a war, I have not yet received it."

The implication was, I've wanted to deal with you for a long time, and I've been waiting for this day.

In Yangzhou City, people feared the Canoe Gang more than the Prefectural Army, something Chen Zhongwu could not accept.

He had long wanted to find an opportunity to teach the Canoe Gang a lesson and curb their arrogance.

He hadn't expected the opportunity to come so quickly.

This was the perfect chance to thoroughly teach this bunch of hooligans from the Canoe Gang a lesson.

Liang Haisheng said with a smile, "Commander Chen, you've come to the wrong place. Cao Xiong is no longer one of us in the Canoe Gang. You should look elsewhere."

Chen Zhongwu said coldly, "Your word doesn't count. We'll know if Cao Xiong is hiding inside only after we've searched."

With the vast Canoe Gang, thousands of people watching, to be searched like this would be a complete loss of face.

Liang Haisheng said unapologetically, "Chen Zhongwu, if you want blood to flow like a river today, then go ahead and try!"

Chen Zhongwu's face darkened, and he remained silent.

Did he not know that this would be the outcome?

Looking at the tightly packed, overwhelmingly large mass of Canoe Gang disciples outside, he knew that if a conflict broke out, he might be able to leave today, but few of the Prefectural Army soldiers he brought with him would likely escape.

"Sir, look at this..."

A subordinate anxiously whispered in his ear, fearing he would do something foolish.

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing!"

Chen Zhongwu said displeasedly.

As the dignified Commander of the Prefectural Army in Yangzhou City, holding great power, he could not back down just because he was spoken to. Even if he didn't make a move, he had to find some leverage for himself.

He turned his head and said to a monk beside him, who was also on horseback.

"Master Yuan Zhen, I'll trouble you to make a move!"

"Amitabha!"

The fat monk named Yuan Zhen chanted a Buddhist name and said with a smile, "It is as it should be!"

Monk Yuan Zhen shouted towards the dragon boat.

"Guan Jing, Guan Yi, are my two martial nephews present?"

Liang Haisheng quickly said to two monks behind him, "Masters, please ignore that fat monk and pretend you're not here!"

But these two monks were honest people, and moreover, their own senior from the sect was calling them. How could they pretend not to hear?

The two monks took a step forward and replied to those below.

"Your disciple is here!"

"Amitabha!" Monk Yuan Zhen said, "My two martial nephews, come back with your uncle!"

Oh, so these two were uncle and nephew?

They were on the same side, so why fight?

Li Xian was bewildered.

Monks Guan Jing and Guan Yi both shook their heads and refused.

"Martial Uncle, we cannot go back. We have more important matters to attend to."

Monk Yuan Zhen said with a half-smile, "Are you disobeying orders?"

"We dare not!"

"Then come with this old monk!"

The two monks shook their heads, remained silent, and retreated.

Monk Yuan Zhen's eyes widened in anger, and he roared.

"Insolence!"

Saying that, his figure leaped high into the air, his wide monk's robe flapping in the wind.

His body was like lightning, and he swiftly attacked Guan Jing and Guan Yi.

"Old monk, how dare you!"

"Uncle-Master, forgive me!"

Guan Jing, Guan Yi, and Liang Haisheng shouted in unison, attacking simultaneously with a combined force against the monk Yuan Zhen.

A loud explosion echoed above the dragon boat.

The four exchanged a blow.

Monk Yuan Zhen landed back in his original spot, his expression unchanged.

Guan Jing, Guan Yi, and Liang Haisheng staggered, barely managing to avoid retreating.

However, Monk Yuan Zhen, fighting three on one, held his ground. This exchange had been a loss for Liang Haisheng and the others.

Li Xian, witnessing this, his expression flickered slightly before returning to normal.

"This fat-headed monk is quite something. I'll have to spar with him when I get the chance."

Monk Yuan Zhen let out an enraged laugh. "Good, good, good! Guan Jing, Guan Yi, you two traitors! You dare lay hands on this seat? When the Buddha Son returns, I will ensure you both die without a burial place!"

He no longer bothered to feign civility, tearing off his benevolent facade. His face now contorted into a terrifying grimace.

This was his true face.

The two monks, Guan Jing and Guan Yi, remained unfazed. They clasped their hands together, their faces calm as they said, "For White Dragon Temple, this humble monk has long cast aside life and death!"

Li Xian, watching from the side, frowned deeply.

What was going on? Had internal strife erupted within White Dragon Temple, with chaos brewing within the walls?

From what he could see, White Dragon Temple had split into two factions.

The Buddha Son mentioned by Monk Yuan Zhen led one faction, while Guan Jing and Guan Yi led the other.

Then, who was backing Guan Jing and Guan Yi?

At this moment, Monk Yuan Zhen sneered, "Don't expect that old geezer Yuan Hui to save you. Do you really think we don't know where he and Cao Xiong went? Hmph... the Buddha Son is already on his way to find them."

Oh, so now he knew. There was a monk named Yuan Hui.

But who was this Yuan Hui, and what was his position in White Dragon Temple?

"Not good!"

The expressions of the two monks, Guan Jing and Guan Yi, changed drastically.

"Hahaha..."

Yuan Zhen laughed heartily. "Did you really think your little trick of 'golden cicada shedding its shell' could fool that esteemed person? We saw through it long ago!"

Guan Yi said urgently, "Yuan Zhen, you old bald donkey! If you dare harm Abbot Yuan Hui, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

Oh, so Monk Yuan Hui was the Abbot.

Li Xian suddenly understood.

In that case, the situation was clear.

The Buddha Son and the Abbot of White Dragon Temple had some unknown conflict, leading the two monks to form their own factions and fight each other.

Based on the current outcome, the Buddha Son's side seemed to have the upper hand.

But when did Cao Xiong get involved with Abbot Yuan Hui of White Dragon Temple?

Did Boss Cao try to meddle in their internal affairs and end up getting dealt with along with them?

If that was the case, then this Buddha Son was quite formidable.

After a prolonged verbal exchange between Yuan Zhen and Guan Jing and Guan Yi, during which he thoroughly angered his two grand-nephews on the dragon boat, Monk Yuan Zhen finally left contentedly with Chen Zhongwu's men.

A real fight was impossible; it was just a verbal spar for amusement.

After all, this was the Canoe Gang's home turf. If a fight were to break out, their side had too few people, not even enough to fill the gaps for these ruffians.

There was no other way; the other side had numbers. Look at the crowd surrounding them, three layers deep, at least a thousand people, all looking fierce and arrogant, showing no regard for the Prefectural Army.

The Canoe Gang members were truly ferocious!

Lord Zheng was right. The Canoe Gang had to be eliminated!

Monk Yuan Zhen, with a chilling gaze, silently took note of the faces of those shouting the loudest at the scene.

Just you wait.

When the opportunity arises, I will kill you all!