The eighteen golden prayer beads in Xuan Ku's hand hovered in midair.
A streak of lightning flowed across each bead.
As Buddhist power poured from his body into them, the beads began to spin.
Hum.
A low rumble of thunder sounded above the monastery gates.
The Heavenly Sound Temple disciples in the square all looked up.
The eighteen beads spun faster and faster, finally turning into eighteen streaks of golden lightning that sealed off all four sides of the ritual platform.
Xuan Ku stood at the center of the lightning, his monk's robes billowing.
"These are the Great Thunder Sound Temple's Eighteen Thunder Sound Beads."
"Chen Changqing, I will ask you one last time."
"Withdraw from the Heavenly Sound Temple's affairs, and the Great Thunder Sound Temple can let this matter go."
Chen Changqing stood at the edge of the ritual platform.
The Heavenly Thunder Sword hovered beside him.
Rujie sat cross-legged behind him, taking out a fresh kasaya and draping it over himself while still muttering.
"Don't kill him just yet."
"This humble monk still has questions to ask."
Chen Changqing glanced back at him.
"Why weren't you this polite when you were getting beaten just now?"
Rujie pressed his palms together.
"A monk reasons with people."
"Besides, these people came right to this humble monk's doorstep to steal things. I ought to find out exactly what caught their eye."
Chen Changqing nodded.
"Fair point."
Xuan Ku's expression darkened.
He had already given Chen Changqing a way to step down.
But Chen Changqing refused to take it.
Since that was the case, he could only subdue this brat first today, then have Mount Shu send someone to negotiate.
As long as he did not kill Chen Changqing, however powerful Chen Yuan and Daoist Wu Zhen might be, they could