Flames sprang up inside the Buddhist Sutra Pavilion. The phosphorus-fire arrows were made of special materials; water would not extinguish them, but only make them burn more fiercely. Sure enough, the Fan Monks inside soon discovered the fire and rushed to fight it with buckets of water. When they splashed water onto the burning phosphorus, there was a whoosh, and instead of going out, the flames leaped higher. Two firefighting Fan Monks were engulfed in an instant and ran about screaming. A companion came over to help with a blanket, only for one of the burning monks to seize him around the waist. The phosphorus fire leaped onto him as well.
Several Fan Monks caught fire and blundered about like headless flies. The phosphorus fire already spread quickly, and their panicked flight accelerated it enormously. Some even tumbled down the stairs, setting everything along their path ablaze.
Through a gap, Hu Xiaotian witnessed the horrifying scene inside and sighed inwardly. Had it not been for the greater plan, he would never have struck so cruelly.
Just then, a fierce shout came from below. Someone had spotted Hu Xiaotian on the eaves of the Buddhist Sutra Pavilion.
A red-robed Fan Monk reacted first. Pushing off with his toes, he launched himself toward Hu Xiaotian's hiding place.
Hu Xiaotian raised his hand, aimed at the monk, and fired. Zhuge Guanqi had specially made the short crossbow he held; even a first-rate expert would struggle to fend off its shots at close range, let alone an ordinary Fan Monk. The phosphorus-fire arrow struck him squarely. He screamed in midair as flames engulfed his entire body. His movements faltered, and he slammed hard into the edge of the eaves before plummeting straight down.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Metallic ringing rose from below. Hu Xiaotian looked