After waiting another two days in anticipation, Xu Xiao finally got the visit to Dali from Jiumozhi that he had been waiting for.
Early that morning, Xu Xiao had just finished his morning cultivation when a servant came to report the news.
Greatly intrigued, he had a servant lead him to Heavenly Dragon Temple ahead of time to wait, hoping to meet the Imperial Preceptor of Tubo at the earliest opportunity.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged monk in a yellow robe and cloth garments, with straw sandals on his feet and a radiant expression on his face, emerged from the Dali imperial palace, accompanied by Dali's high-ranking officials.
"Now that I have met the ruler, this humble monk will go to Heavenly Dragon Temple to discuss the agreement made years ago."
The great monk with the radiant face was, of course, Jiumozhi.
He bore the title of Imperial Preceptor of the Kingdom of Tubo and had come to Dali in the name of exchanging Buddhist teachings.
Of course, the great monk's purpose in coming was to obtain the sword manual for the Dali Duan Clan's Six Meridian Divine Sword.
Jiumozhi was obsessed with martial arts. He had once been close to Murong Bo and had learned Shaolin's Seventy-Two Supreme Arts from him, which had also stirred a deep greed in him for the martial arts of the Central Plains.
Although the Dali Duan Clan could not be considered an orthodox martial arts family of the Central Plains, its hereditary One Yang Finger stood unrivaled in the martial world, and the legendary Six Meridian Divine Sword was even more extraordinary, arousing Jiumozhi's greed.
This time, the great monk had come under the pretext of a friendly contest, but his real aim was to seize another's martial inheritance.
When the Dali officials around him heard that Jiumozhi was going to Heavenly Dragon Temple, each wore an enigmatic smile.
There was none of the panic from the original plot, when news that Jiumozhi was coming to challenge them had frightened even the ruler into becoming a monk.
Instead, everyone was smiling, like an audience waiting for a good show to begin.
Could the people of the Kingdom of Dali have gone mad? Or have they already prepared a way to deal with me?
Jiumozhi was puzzled as well, but his skill gave him courage, so he paid it no mind.
He boarded a carriage that had long been prepared nearby, and the party headed straight for Heavenly Dragon Temple in Dali.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiao, who had been waiting at Heavenly Dragon Temple for some time, grew impatient and began looking around inside.
Of the old monks beside him, all but Master Kurong wore expressions of inescapable tension.
They were nowhere near as relaxed as Xu Xiao, even though everyone said his abilities were extraordinary and that even a villain like Duan Yanqing dared not stand against him.
But as the saying went, a man had his name, just as a tree had its shadow.
Unlike Xu Xiao, whose abilities had been witnessed by only a few, Jiumozhi's name and abilities had long been renowned throughout the martial world.
They could not help but panic, could not help but keep still.
After all, if they lost, not only would the Kingdom of Dali lose face, but they would also have to let their opponent examine their family's martial art as agreed. That was no different from handing over their family inheritance.
"Your minds must be still. Look at the way every one of you is behaving. Where have all your usual studies of Buddhism gone?"
Master Kurong, seated in the middle, slowly spoke, rebuking the monks in a mildly reproachful tone.
"A sin, a sin."
Now that Master Kurong had spoken, the monks could only recite the Buddha's name one after another and say no more.
Seeing that his disciples had stopped acting like young girls, Master Kurong turned his gaze to Xu Xiao, who was wandering nearby.
"Your composure is admirable, benefactor. Even with a formidable enemy before you, your heart remains calm. Emperor Baoding recommended you, and you are indeed extraordinary."
It sounded like praise, but he was probing him.
The old monk Kurong had not actually seen Xu Xiao's abilities either, but with the reigning emperor and the prince both vouching for him, he could only let him be.
Now, seeing him behave like a traveler sightseeing at the temple, Master Kurong could not help feeling a touch of curiosity stir in his meditative heart.
"A formidable enemy? Perhaps to you. To me, they're all the same-just someone I can destroy with a raised hand."
Xu Xiao did not catch the meaning behind the old monk's words and continued wandering around the temple.
To him, Jiumozhi was merely an opponent on the same level as Duan Yanqing, someone he could destroy with a flip of his hand.
Why did he need to pay him any attention?
All he cared about was the man's pure Internal Energy, and the fact that he needed him to lead him to Canhe Manor in Gusu.
"You are truly broad-minded, benefactor. We will leave it to you, then."
Seeing that his probe had revealed nothing, the old monk Kurong made a Buddhist salute and closed his eyes to resume his meditation.
Before long, the guest-reception monk announced, "The Imperial Preceptor of Tubo has arrived," and everyone turned toward the front courtyard.
Jiumozhi, dressed in a bright yellow monk's robe, swaggered in from the front courtyard as though this were the temple where he practiced.
"That's Jiumozhi! His face is radiant; his internal cultivation looks very advanced."
"Those who come with good intentions do not come like this."
"Fellow disciples, we must be very careful!"
Seeing the overbearing Jiumozhi enter, the eminent monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple's Ben generation all braced themselves as though facing a formidable enemy.
Only two people present made no sound at all: Xu Xiao and Master Kurong.
Xu Xiao studied the newcomer with curiosity written all over his face. Seeing that he had the manner of a Tantric monk, he could not help thinking of some of Tibetan Buddhism's cruel beliefs.
Recalling the man's methods in the drama, Xu Xiao felt a trace of displeasure rise in his heart. Though Jiumozhi called himself a Buddhist, his methods were ruthless, and he possessed every one of the Buddhist vices of greed, anger, and delusion.
Even that slightest shift in emotion drew Jiumozhi's scrutiny, though he soon looked away.
In Jiumozhi's eyes, a trace of killing intent toward him had suddenly flashed through the gaunt man.
But judging by the man's build and clothing, he was not a monk of Heavenly Dragon Temple, so Jiumozhi looked away.
Stepping forward, Jiumozhi, intending to observe courtesy before resorting to force, bowed politely to Master Kurong:
"Jiumozhi, a junior from the Kingdom of Tubo, greets you, senior."
But before Master Kurong could answer, Xu Xiao's voice rang out first:
"Now that you're here, that's enough, Jiumozhi. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
The next instant, without the slightest hesitation, five iron slivers flew from Xu Xiao's robes and shot forward with a fierce momentum.
"Hum! Hum!"
The sound of the iron slivers slicing through the air startled everyone, and Jiumozhi, who bore the brunt of the attack, naturally reacted most strongly.
"How dare you! Is this how Dali treats its guests?"
Angrily rebuking him, Jiumozhi stirred his Internal Energy and swiftly moved aside.
In the next instant, the iron slivers swerved sharply in midair and followed close behind him.
"Mr. Xu, please stop for now! This goes against the rules!"
It was not just Jiumozhi who grew anxious; the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple and Master Kurong were anxious too.
This went against the rules of the martial world. Who started fighting the moment they met, without even giving anyone a chance to exchange pleasantries and display themselves?
Both the challenger and the challenged were dumbfounded. Neither had expected someone to disregard the rules of the martial world entirely.
Acting this way, he would be ridiculed by the martial world even if he won.
"I don't have that much time to wait while you exchange pleasantries. I've already wasted more than two precious days."
Xu Xiao's voice came over calmly.
Apart from his words, the only sounds in the courtyard were the humming of the iron slivers cutting through the air and Jiumozhi's movements as he dodged.
My rules are the rules. Why should I care about any others?
Xu Xiao had not agreed to help the Dali Duan Clan for the sake of making them famous in the martial world.
He had his own plans. Now that the man himself had appeared, why would he wait through so much tedious chatter?