Chapter 57: Things from the Past

Wei Guang and Shao Yao arrived at the temple gate and did not find any visitors.

It was Shao Yao whose mind worked faster. Her expression changed and she shouted, “Wei Guang, not good! We’ve been tricked!”

Only then did Wei Guang react. He hurriedly searched around. This deliberate search immediately revealed a hidden figure. Wei Guang was furious inside, but thinking of the Sage’s instructions, he suppressed his anger and called out loudly, “Friend in the shadows, come out! My Sage invites you!”

“Stop being a coward,” Shao Yao also said angrily.

Wu Zhanfa knew his cover was blown. He originally wanted to retreat, but he was afraid that after finally tracking them here, if he left and lost their trail, he would never find them again. But if he attacked forcefully, there was no telling how many experts were inside the temple. He might even be completely wiped out.

In the end, Wu Zhanfa stepped forward on his own.

This time, Wu Zhanfa was not wearing night clothes, but his build was obvious. Wei Guang and Shao Yao immediately recognized him. Wasn’t he the mysterious person who had come looking for them?

Thinking about how he had fooled them so completely, Wei Guang and Shao Yao burned with rage. Even if they couldn’t beat him, they wanted to go up and slash him a couple of times.

“Friend, please. Weren’t you looking for our Sage?” Wei Guang said sarcastically.

Wu Zhanfa stood outside the stone steps of the temple, looking at the humble Lotus Temple. He did not dare act recklessly and was momentarily at a loss.

Shao Yao continued the sarcasm, “Seems like you’re just a lackey dog. Since you don’t dare enter, just stay put right here.”

After saying this, Shao Yao entered the temple to report to Monk Yuan Zhen.

“Sage, the tracker does not dare enter the temple. Probably fears an ambush inside. Also, they are just subordinates. The person behind them has not appeared,” Shao Yao said.

Monk Yuan Zhen smiled and said, “To be able to find you and track you here, the person behind this is not simple. Go tell the person outside the temple to have him fetch his master. Say that this humble monk awaits within the temple.”

“Sage… right now, within the Capital City, they are conducting widespread searches for followers of our Black Lotus Sect. The Black Lotus Sect has suffered severe blows. If you show yourself now, aren’t you putting yourself in danger?” Shao Yao worried.

Monk Yuan Zhen, however, said, “Go. I know my limits.”

Shao Yao gritted her teeth and could only obey.

After hearing Shao Yao’s message, Wu Zhanfa immediately arranged for an Imperial Guard to enter the city and report to Xiao Rui. Upon learning that the Sage of the Black Lotus Sect wanted to see him, Xiao Rui was also somewhat surprised.

“Sir, what do you think?” Xiao Rui asked Jia Xu.

Jia Xu said, “We cannot be certain this Sage is Xiao Heding. He waits to see you, so he must have something to rely on, even to the point of not fearing you reporting him. Wait… it seems he is not unafraid of you reporting him, but rather, he is sure you will not report him. Because he knows we do not know his true identity, and he has aims. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be sending people to watch; we’d be sending the Brocade Guard to surround and exterminate.”

“Otherwise, this person is truly confident and unafraid. That would be interesting.”

Xiao Rui nodded. His mission was to find the Night King. As long as he found him, the mission was complete. Going to see this person would tell him whether the mission was finished. As for if it really was the Night King, Xiao Rui did not truly intend to expose his identity to claim merit from Emperor Xia.

Right now, he only cared about Advent Points, Advent Points!

“Sir, will you accompany me on this trip?” Xiao Rui asked.

Jia Xu nodded and said, “I would be delighted.”

The two immediately took a carriage out of the city and arrived at the Lotus Temple.

After getting off the carriage, Wei Guang and Shao Yao at the temple gate saw Xiao Rui’s face. Their expressions changed. It seemed they recognized Xiao Rui, and it was even more unexpected that it was him.

It seemed the entire Capital City had been deceived by this low-key Seventh Prince.

“Seventh Highness, please,” Wei Guang extended his hand in invitation, not daring to be impolite. Even the hot-tempered Shao Yao stood behind Wei Guang.

“My thanks,” Xiao Rui smiled and entered the temple with Jia Xu.

Passing through the front hall and the rear quarters, they arrived at the small vegetable garden.

Just as he entered the garden, a pleasant notification sound suddenly rang in Xiao Rui’s mind.

“Ding dong, congratulations Host, mission completed: Find the Night King Xiao Heding, Advent Points +10.”

“Advent Points 100/100. Initiate Advent?”

Xiao Rui’s breathing clearly became rapid, and his steps even paused slightly, which was noticed by Jia Xu beside him. But Xiao Rui did not initiate the Advent, because he noticed the old monk in front of the Pagoda had already stood up.

Now it could be confirmed: he was Xiao Heding, and also the Sage of the Black Lotus Sect. But why had he shaved his head to become a monk?

Was it to conceal his identity, or had he truly left behind the worldly desires and become detached?

While Xiao Rui was lost in wild thoughts, he had already arrived before the old monk.

“Sage… this is…” Wei Guang was about to introduce them when Monk Yuan Zhen raised a hand to stop him.

“So similar. You look extremely like your mother, especially these eyes,” Monk Yuan Zhen looked at Xiao Rui and suddenly spoke these words.

Xiao Rui immediately widened his eyes, his face full of surprise. It couldn’t be this cliché, could it? The Night King before him had a relationship with his mother? Could today turn into a family reunion?

Xiao Rui hesitated for a moment, then clasped his fists and said, “Senior Xiao.”

Monk Yuan Zhen smiled and said, “It seems you already know my secular name. I renounced the world and entered monastic life fifteen years ago. My Dharma name now is Yuan Zhen. According to secular relations, you are still my nephew. You’ve grown so big now. Thinking back, I last saw you when you were two or three years old.”

Xiao Rui opened his mouth but actually didn’t know how to respond.

The atmosphere was off!

How did it turn into family chit-chat? Logically, you are a rebel. Me not arresting you is already breaking the rules.

“What is your relationship with my mother?” Xiao Rui couldn’t help but ask.

Monk Yuan Zhen sighed with emotion, “Before this poor monk took the tonsure, my wife was your mother’s older female cousin. Your mother often lived in my residence when she was little.”

Damn… Xiao Rui was a bit confused.

If one calculated the time according to what he said, when he raised troops in rebellion back then, Xiao Rui’s mother had not yet married Emperor Xia. So Emperor Xia, ordered to pursue and suppress the rebel Xiao Heding, married his wife’s younger sister along the way?

Now not only was the script wrong, but it was also starting to move towards a relationship and ethics drama.

Monk Yuan Zhen looked at Xiao Rui, quite pleased, “Although this poor monk has entered monastic life, these people who once supported me often inform me of the situation in the Capital City. That you could find this poor monk through strategy is not simple. You must be full of doubts right now. Come, this poor monk will tell you slowly.”

Xiao Rui nodded and followed him to a monk’s room in the rear quarters. Xiao Rui also invited Jia Xu into the room and said, “Great Master Yuan Zhen, this is Jia Xu, my excellent teacher and helpful friend.”

Jia Xu clasped his hands and said, “I have long heard of your great name. A pleasure to meet you.”

Monk Yuan Zhen looked Jia Xu over and smiled, “With a right-hand man like you, Xiao Rui will not be bullied.”

The three entered the room and sat cross-legged on meditation cushions. Monk Yuan Zhen wanted to brew tea, but Xiao Rui took over and did it himself. Monk Yuan Zhen smiled and nodded, not stopping him.

“If you have any questions, ask freely. This poor monk will try to answer them for you. If it were anyone else, this would not be possible,” Monk Yuan Zhen said with a smile.

Xiao Rui nodded and asked the biggest doubt in his heart, “Great Master, are you truly the Sage of the Black Lotus Sect? Even intended to rebel? Now that you have entered monastic life, it doesn’t seem like a disguise…”

“I was once the Sage of the Black Lotus Sect,” Monk Yuan Zhen did not hide it. “I also made mistakes for the sake of the Imperial Throne. But since entering monastic life, I have wholeheartedly served the Buddha.”

Saying this, Monk Yuan Zhen put his palms together and chanted “Amitabha Buddha.” “Since this poor monk entered monastic life, I am no longer the Sage of the Black Lotus Sect. The Black Lotus Sect is now controlled by another Sage. All the evils of the Black Lotus Sect are due to his ambition. People like Wei Guang, and many core believers of the Black Lotus Sect, were trained by the me of the past. So even now, they still revere me as their Sage. This poor monk’s heart is also not hard enough to refuse to see them. So I have not achieved complete detachment and am still entangled in worldly matters. Amitabha Buddha.”

“So that’s how it is,” Xiao Rui understood now and then asked, “Then who is the other Sage? Does Great Master know where he is?”

“Him?” Monk Yuan Zhen laughed, “Who this person is, this poor monk must beg your pardon and not say. As for where he is, in all the world, perhaps only Emperor Xia alone knows.”

Xiao Rui rolled his eyes. He knew it. Emperor Xia was definitely involved in this. His guess was indeed proven correct.

The Black Lotus Sect was just a fattened pig.

“Great Master, back when Night King Xiao Heding raised troops in rebellion, was it as people now discuss? Listening to the undertone of your words, there must be some hidden story, right?” Jia Xu asked.

Xiao Rui nodded. This was also something he was curious about. After all, from his words, he had seen Xiao Rui when Xiao Rui was two or three. Back then, Xiao Rui was in the palace. How did he see him?

Monk Yuan Zhen sighed softly and did not rush to answer.