“You are you. Li Qingshan is Li Qingshan. You cannot get the two confused! If he really hasn’t fallen into the demonic path, why won’t he come and see me?” the Seven Treasures Monk King questioned.
The Dauntless monk said, “I’ll be honest with you senior brother, but the person listening to the Dharma Ceremony of Meditative Chan in the grand hall is Li Qingshan. If he really were a Demon King, would he still be alive?”
The Seven Treasures Monk King realised this too. Being able to listen to the Dharma Ceremony of Meditative Chan safely basically confirmed that Li Qingshan was not a Demon King, but he had not come all the way from the Dragon province to prove this.
“Then I’ll have to wait for the dharma ceremony to end. After that, please have him accompany me to the Dragon province.”
“Senior brother Seven Treasures, aren’t you going a little too far with that?”
The Dauntless monk became serious. Not to mention the fact that Li Qingshan’s cultivation method was a demonic art, the Dragon province basically belonged to the imperial clan, so they had countless ways to deal with him there.
“This has to do with a crown prince of the imperial clan. Even I dare not make a rash judgement about this. The final conclusion can only be determined at the Spirit K?etra temple by the grand preceptor of the left!”
The Dauntless monk and the Unraging monk exchanged glances. They both found this situation to be extremely troublesome. The opposition was also an eminent monk of buddhism, a Monk King whose title was conferred by the imperial court, so they could not treat him as an enemy. Once Li Qingshan emerged from there, it would definitely lead to a great mess.
Li Qingshan was not the kind of person who would just be led away by the nose. He could show mercy to the Unraging monk, but he would definitely be ready to kill a monk who had specially come here from the Dragon province to deal with him. By then, the situation would truly get out of hand.
In the blink of an eye, the entire night passed. As dawn broke, the buddhist glow around the mountain gradually subsided.
The flowers in the sky dispersed, and the golden lotuses scattered. The towering buddha statue closed its eyes.
Li Qingshan opened his eyes slowly. The entire world around him seemed different as if he had just experienced an entire decade. There was now a hint of gentleness on his previously-staunch face. He smiled. “Interesting!”
The benefits of the Dharma Ceremony of Meditative Chan were not obvious, but it had far-reaching effects. It also gave him a deeper comprehension with respect to his own path of cultivation, as well as new inspiration for balancing water and fire and allowing the Phoenix’s Scripture of Nirvā?a to progress.
This was equivalent to an increase in his ability to comprehend, but it came with some side-effects too, such as a heart of benevolence. After all, the dharma of buddhism did not pursue a natural balance like the Great Banyan Tree King did.
Li Qingshan’s ears twitched, catching the disputes from outside.
“Please hold on, senior brother Seven Treasures!”
In front of the entrance to the grand hall, the Unraging monk stopped the Seven Treasures Monk King.
“Isn’t the Dharma Ceremony of Meditative Chan over? Please tell your disciple to come and see me! Don’t tell me you’re trying to hide something with how violently you’ve stopped me? Or perhaps you’re trying to hide a demon!” the Seven Treasures Monk King said.
“I know best if I am trying to hide something or not.”
Anger flashed across the Unraging monk’s face. The Seven Treasures Monk King was clearly going to such great lengths to target Li Qingshan because of Si Qing.
“He needs to meditate and comprehend in peace after the dharma ceremony in order to completely digest his experience, so you may as well wait a little longer, senior brother,” the Dauntless monk said from the side as he shot a glance at the Unraging monk.
“Amitābha. Please don’t misunderstand, junior brother Unraging. I just do not wish to see an ancient temple like the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga become a place that shelters evil and harbours demons. Waiting a little longer is fine.”
The Seven Treasures Monk King was extremely composed. He did not believe that Li Qingshan could remain hidden in the grand hall for his entire life.
The Unraging monk hesitated and communicated with Li Qingshan, “Qingshan, don’t come out for now.”
“Master, who’s outside?” Li Qingshan asked curiously.
The Unraging monk gave a rough explanation of the entire story, as well as their many qualms regarding the Spirit K?etra temple.
“If it’s a blessing, then it’s a blessing, but if it’s a curse, it’s unavoidable. If this damned baldy dares to screw me over, he won’t be leaving the Green province alive!” Li Qingshan said resolutely.
Failing to kill Si Qing had already left him with quite the pity. Now, Si Qing actually egged on someone else to deal with him? What else was he supposed to do or say? He would kill them as they came!
The Unraging monk thought to himself, Oh no. Then, there was a rumble behind him. The doors to the grand hall swung open and revealed Li Qingshan’s tall, large figure. The Frenzy Flower Blade of Path’s End was already on his back. Perhaps because he sensed the killing intent within Li Qingshan, the Unraging monk instead calmed down and said nothing more.
The Seven Treasures Monk King’s eyes flashed. He actually became stunned by Li Qingshan’s bearing and thought, Sure enough, the person who destroyed Si Qing’s body must be anything but ordinary! His aura is completely concealed, so he must be hiding something intentionally. It’s said that this kid isn’t even a hundred years old, so he must have ties with the Demon domain. Otherwise, reaching his current cultivation at such a young age should be absolutely impossible unless he’s incurred the help of some powerful existence.
“You’re Li Qingshan?”
“I am.” Li Qingshan stepped over the door sill and made his way over right to the Seven Treasures Monk King. It took him less than ten strides.
“Accompany me to the Dragon province!” the Seven Treasures Monk King said indifferently, but there was a condescending, order-like tone to it.
This was a sense of pride he had developed since young as he grew up in the Spirit K?etra temple. Regardless of the sect, monastery, or temple, all buddhist disciples in the world had to submit to the Spirit K?etra temple’s orders.
“Why should I?” Li Qingshan asked coldly.
“What, you want to attack me?” The Seven Treasures Monk King smiled as if he had been anticipating Li Qingshan’s resistance and found it to be a very funny thing to do.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Li Qingshan smiled too.
“You sure are making your fierce and insubordinate nature abundantly clear! Very good. I’ve been wanting to see just what your demonic arts are capable of!”
The buddhist staff in the Seven Treasures Monk King’s hand shuddered, and the golden rings jangled about. When they fought, it would be impossible for Li Qingshan to keep his aura hidden. As long as he revealed his true cultivation, as long as he had even the slightest connection to demonfolk, he would not even have to take him back to the Dragon province. He could directly ask the Dauntless monk to capture him, or that would be colluding with the Demon domain. The Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga definitely could not carry a name like that.
Li Qingshan had not been thinking as much. Just a single swing of his blade was enough anyway!
The two of them spoke very little, but were already on the verge of fighting. A battle was on the brink of erupting.
Suddenly, a large, plump figure stood between the two of them. The Unraging monk frowned. What could go wrong basically went wrong. He definitely could not let the Seven Treasures Monk King die here, or they would never be able to face the Spirit K?etra temple, as well as all the buddhist disciples in the world.
“Junior brother Unraging, look at the situation. Are you still going to shield this mistake? Have you really cast all the buddhist precepts and rules to the back of your head? Is the Demon Suppression Statuary exactly a demonic art or not? Is that the reason why you’ve become so mad?” the Seven Treasures Monk King bellowed.
“I’m not shielding a mistake. I just don’t wish to see Great Buddha mountain being spattered with senior brother’s blood!” the Unraging monk said nonchalantly.
After witnessing Li Qingshan’s strength and the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower’s bladesmanship, even he himself did not believe he could defeat Li Qingshan. Once they actually began fighting, perhaps a single swing of the blade was enough to determine the outcome.
“Great Buddha mountain being spattered with blood! What a boast! I’d like to see just how Great Buddha mountain will be spattered with my blood!”
The Seven Treasures Monk King completely ignored the Unraging monk’s warning. For the sake of his own pride, Si Qing had even skipped over the details about how he had lost to Li Qingshan. If it were not for the fact that the Unraging monk had witnessed it all in person, no one would believe that Li Qingshan who had only just undergone the third heavenly tribulation recently could defeat and kill the Seven Treasures Monk King.
The Unraging monk furrowed his brows firmly. He really was asking to die! And yet they just could not let him die. They were basically caught between a rock and a hard place.
At this exact moment, a voice drifted over from the horizon, “Fighting and killing would be inappropriate in a place of quiet buddhist cultivation. Why don’t I witness your brilliant moves instead, Seven Treasures Monk King?”
