The capital of the Dali.
Linglong Pavilion.
As the largest restaurant in the capital, Linglong Pavilion was crowded every day.
Visitors from other places, local guests.
Given the chance, who wouldn’t want to taste the cuisine of Linglong Pavilion?
Clap!
In the center of the restaurant, on a constructed stage.
A storyteller was vividly narrating a ‘story’.
“It is said that ten years ago, within the Great Zen Temple, a sacred Buddhist site, a Buddha child was born. This Buddha child was innately aware and bore the marks of all Buddhas.”
“It is rumored that at that time, the figure of the Buddha appeared above the Great Zen Temple, and golden light covered tens of miles around. Under the illumination of the golden light, many people found their hidden ailments fading away…”
“Now, ten years have passed, and that Buddha child….”
Just as the storyteller reached this point, he suddenly stopped and, bowing with his hands clasped, said, “Esteemed patrons, today’s tale ends here. If you wish to know what has become of this young Buddha child, please come again tomorrow.”
As soon as these words were spoken.
A murmur of disappointment spread through the many guests present.
They were engrossed in the story, eager to know what had become of this Buddha child, only to have the storyteller cut off at this juncture.
Who could bear this?
“This is for you, keep talking.”
A rugged burly man took out a silver ingot and tossed it onto the stage.
The other spectators also threw down some coins and other items of value.
“Hehe, thanks to all the esteemed patrons for your generosity, I will continue.”
Seeing this, the storyteller chuckled and immediately sat back down.
One must know where to pause in storytelling to arouse the audience’s curiosity if one wishes to tell a good tale and earn more money.
The storyteller obviously knew this well. After collecting the silver and money on the stage, he continued with his story.
“Considering the age, that Buddha child should be over ten years old now, naturally in the Great Zen Temple, reciting Buddhist scriptures and delving into Dharma…”
The storyteller unfolded his paper fan and continued, bobbing his head rhythmically.
“Sigh…”
The many guests couldn’t help but let out a sigh of disappointment.
They wanted to hear about any remarkable feats from the Buddha child, but this was it?
However, after thinking it over, they found it reasonable. What could a child of merely ten years old, no matter how advanced in Buddha nature, possibly do?
As for the extraordinary phenomena the storyteller had mentioned earlier, they were likely fabricated to attract attention.
What everyone in the restaurant did not notice was.
In a corner, a young monk dressed in a gray robe had a look of bewilderment on his face.
“Have I… been written into a storybook?”
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
He did not find it particularly strange.
The Great Zen Temple, being the sacred Buddhist site and one of the great martial sects in the world.
Every move they made naturally attracted attention from the outside world, especially someone like himself, taken as a disciple by Grandmaster Elder Long Eyebrow.
There were definitely many eyes watching.
Moreover, the abbots of the monastery had no intention of blocking the news.
Over time, various rumors would naturally arise, after distortions and exaggerations.
…
Having tasted the cuisine of this world in Linglong Pavilion.
Lin Yuan stood up, placed down the silver, and left.
On the streets paved with blue stone, there was an endless stream of pedestrians, with the cries of hawkers everywhere.
Lin Yuan, walking among them, did not attract much attention.
However, as Lin Yuan continued towards the deeper parts of the capital.
There were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road, but more patrolling soldiers.
Until he arrived in front of a tall city gate, guarded by dozens of soldiers with sharp looks and strong auras.
Beyond the city gate was the Dali Imperial Palace, the absolute heart of a dynasty.
Even standing outside the palace, one could faintly see the magnificent palaces within.
Just then.
A carriage slowly exited from within the imperial palace.
Seeing this, the guarding soldiers immediately stepped back, clearing a path for it.
In the carriage, a middle-aged monk dressed in a red kasaya was massaging his brow.
The current Empress Dowager of Dali was devout in Buddhism and often invited high monks into the palace.
This middle-aged monk in red kasaya was a well-known monk in recent years, held in high esteem and favor by the Empress Dowager.
Every ten days or so, he would be summoned to the palace.
“The Empress Dowager’s questions have been getting more and more tricky lately…”
The middle-aged monk furrowed his brows, somewhat troubled.
“I should be leaving the palace now.”
The middle-aged monk extended his hand and lifted the curtain of the carriage.
He glanced around carelessly.
But this casual glance made the middle-aged monk’s pupils shrink.
“Is that…”
The middle-aged monk fixed his gaze on the young monk standing not far away, his expression full of surprise and uncertainty.
“Buddha child?”
The middle-aged monk came from the Great Zen Temple, and although he had spent the last dozen years or so in the Dali capital.
He regularly stayed in touch with the Great Zen Temple; several years ago, the temple had sent him a portrait of a Buddha child, instructing the middle-aged monk to remember it well and to act accordingly if he ever encountered the child.
And that portrait bore a near identical resemblance to the young monk not far away.
With this realization, the middle-aged monk quickly got off the carriage and approached Lin Yuan.
“Buddha child?” he asked tentatively.
“You know me?” Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
“Twenty years ago, I was also a monk at the Great Zen Temple,” the middle-aged monk explained with a single sentence, indicating his identity.
“I see,” Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
The Great Zen Temple, being a Buddha Gate sacred place, its influence extended beyond Mount Shaoshi.
The Pudu Temple that Lin Yuan had passed by earlier, as well as the middle-aged monk in front of him, were a testament to this.
“May I ask what brings the Buddha child to the capital? Do you have any business here?” the middle-aged monk asked curiously.
Before meeting Lin Yuan, he had not received any news from the Great Zen Temple.
Clearly, Lin Yuan’s visit here was unbeknownst to even the abbots of the monastery.
Otherwise, they would have definitely informed him.
“I wish to enter the Martial Hall in the imperial palace for a visit.”
Lin Yuan spoke.
The Martial Hall of the Dali Imperial Palace… that is the place where countless Martial Arts Manuals of the world are stored.
In years past, the founder of the Dali Dynasty, when he established his rule, gathered copies of various sects’ martial arts and placed them all within the Martial Hall.
It could be said that the collection of martial arts within the Martial Hall of the Dali Imperial Palace is tenfold, a hundredfold that of the Great Zen Temple’s Sutra Pavilion.
“To enter the Martial Hall, that would be somewhat troublesome.”
The middle-aged monk furrowed his brows upon hearing this.
Generally speaking, only the royal offspring have the qualifications to enter the Martial Hall.
This was a rule set by the founder of the Dali Dynasty.
In addition, prominent officials who have made significant contributions to Dali also have the qualifications to enter the Martial Hall.
But clearly, Lin Yuan met neither condition.
Therefore, it was almost impossible for him to have the opportunity to access the Martial Hall.
The Dali Dynasty was founded on martial prowess and held the various secret martial arts manuscripts in extremely high regard.
It would definitely not allow just any outsider to enter such a sacred Martial Tao site as the Martial Hall.
“It’s not without a solution.”
The middle-aged monk slowly said:
“The imperial palace has tight security; sneaking in is definitely impossible.”
A look of wariness crossed the face of the middle-aged monk.
As a guest of honor of the Empress Dowager, he had some understanding of the Dali Imperial Palace.
The eight thousand members of the Imperial Guard inside the palace were all Acquired Peak Martial Artists trained by the royal secret technique.
The two hundred captains were Innate Realm Martial Taoists,
and the eighteen chief captains were Innate Peak Martial Taoists.
One could say that just with this force alone, it would be possible to easily sweep through hundreds of thousands of soldiers,
even if a Grandmaster personally arrived, he would be trapped.
Furthermore,
the middle-aged monk occasionally learned from the Empress Dowager that
at key points within the palace, there were Martial Taoists of Grandmaster level in residence.
Over the years, the middle-aged monk had gone in and out of the imperial palace,
and he had roughly estimated that the number of Grandmasters inside the palace was no less than four.
Four Grandmasters.
Eighteen at the peak of the Innate Realm.
Two hundred in the Innate Realm.
Eight thousand at the peak of the Acquired Realm.
This was the strongest hand of the Dali Dynasty.
Even now, as the world fell into decay, the Dali Dynasty could reclaim it all over again.
Not to mention this was just part of the Dali Dynasty’s strength,
outside the palace, a massive army suppressed the border,
and the Grandmasters, always ready to follow the Dali Dynasty’s orders.
“Buddha’s disciple,”
“listen to me.”
“You will accompany me to the palace to meet the Empress Dowager.”
“With my introduction, the Empress Dowager will certainly take a higher view of you, Buddhist disciple.”
“Over the next three months, Buddha’s disciple should frequently visit the Empress Dowager to become familiar to her eyes.”
“After half a year, when the Emperor celebrates his sixtieth birthday, with the Empress Dowager stepping forward to take you along to offer congratulations,”
“at that time, I will present a treasured item from the Buddha Gate.”
“Under the great joy of the Emperor of Dali, the chances of Buddhist disciple making a request to visit the Martial Hall would be very high.”
The middle-aged monk pondered deeply and offered the only feasible method he could think of.
Theoretically, it was impossible for an outsider to enter the Martial Hall.
But if the current Emperor of Dali permits it, naturally there would be no issue of being able or unable to enter.
As long as Lin Yuan could win over the Emperor’s favor, entering the Martial Hall would not be an impossible task.
After all, Lin Yuan merely wanted to take a look inside the Martial Hall, which would cause no loss to the numerous martial arts manuscripts there.
“I wonder what the Buddha’s disciple thinks of this…”
The middle-aged monk finished speaking in one breath and looked at Lin Yuan, who remained silent, then asked with some unease.
“It’s not bad,”
Lin Yuan nodded.
The middle-aged monk had indeed put a lot of thought into it.
According to his method, there was a high likelihood of smoothly entering the Martial Hall.
“It’s just…”
Lin Yuan shook his head again.
“It’s just what?”
The middle-aged monk asked anxiously.
“It’s just too troublesome,”
Lin Yuan said with a calm gaze, looking towards the palace not far away.
“Troublesome?”
The middle-aged monk did not respond for a long time.
His plan was already as simple as it could be.
Directly taking Lin Yuan to see the Empress Dowager, then using her influence on the Emperor.
This was the fastest method the middle-aged monk could think of to enter the Martial Hall.
Could they possibly just go straight to seeing the Emperor? Without someone of sufficient weight to make an introduction, even the middle-aged monk wouldn’t be able to see the Emperor, let alone Lin Yuan?
“Just say it directly,”
Lin Yuan finished speaking, then took a step forward, took a deep breath, and called out loudly in the direction of the palace.
“This humble monk Hui Zhen wishes to visit the Martial Hall of the imperial palace.”
When his voice produced the first word ‘humble,’ it still sounded normal,
but the tone began to rise with the second word,
by the fifth word, a terrifying sonic wave spread frantically in all directions.
Finally, when the last word ‘visit’ was uttered, it sounded like the sky was splitting and thunder was exploding.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!!!
At that moment, the entire imperial palace was enveloped in the ferocious sonic wave.
The eight thousand Acquired Peak Martial Artists of the Imperial Guard felt their ears ringing and their minds dispersing.
The eighteen Innate Peak chief captains further bled from their seven orifices, unable to rise from their knees.
Deep within the palace, five Grandmaster-level presences flickered as they tried to resist the Buddha’s voice invading their ears, but after only a few breaths, their presences rapidly waned, powerless to resist.
In an instant, the originally tight security of the Great Dali Imperial Palace turned into a disorganized mess, on the verge of collapse.
“This…”
The middle-aged monk’s mouth hung open in shock.