Before entering the Great Sui Dynasty, Chen Ya had always held this eastern nation in contempt. In his view, the so-called largest country in the Central Plains of the Great Sui Dynasty was like an infant compared to a giant compared to the Mongol Yuan Empire that dominated the west. As for the Daoist sect of the Great Sui Dynasty, he could even be said to disdain it. In his view, how could a sect confined to a corner of the world, even with some fame, compare to the Buddhist sect, which covered almost the entire world?
He was the second of the Four Heavenly Venerables of Buddhism, the chief disciple of the Wisdom Venerable. When his cultivation was still very low, the Wisdom Venerable had said that if he could see through the illusions before him, he could instantly become a Buddha. Even the Great Wheel King had praised him, saying that he was a disciple of Buddhism with a high chance of becoming a Heavenly Venerable.
But he needed to remove that speck of dust from his heart.
All along, Chen Ya had never known what that dust in his heart truly was. Every time he recalled the words of the Great Wheel King, a sense of melancholy washed over him. The King said that if he could not cleanse the dust from his heart, then the path to perfection would remain forever tantalizing. Seemingly close, yet forever out of reach.
Under the moonlight of Chang'an, he solidified his belief that the red-robed high priest was the dust within his heart. He then planned to kill the Daoist high priest, cleanse his heart, and instantly attain perfection.
However, he realized he was wrong, terribly wrong.
He had underestimated the power of the Crane Cry Daoist, and was far too arrogant in his own strength. Since beginning his cultivation, he had rarely encountered a worthy opponent. After leaving the Great Snow Mountain, he was even more invincible, able to kill and move freely even in the impregnable city of Chang'an, the capital of the Sui Dynasty. He traversed the open sky with his Formless Skill, ignoring the Sui court officials who were relentlessly searching for him in the shadows. He had even deliberately teased the fair-skinned, chubby little Daoist.
The chubby Taoist priest, dressed in a deep black robe, clearly held a very high position within the Taoist sect. Yet, he couldn't see through Chen Ya's Formless Skill, which intensified Chen Ya's contempt for the Taoist sect.
Today, he finally understood that the Taoist sect's high status in the Sui Dynasty wasn't solely due to the emperor's patronage, but rather to its own extraordinary strength. The Crane Cry Taoist's Heavenly Eye easily saw through his Formless Skill, and the High Priest's repulsive force cultivation left him utterly powerless.
Faced with such an opponent, Chen Ya felt a complete sense of powerlessness.
Fighting him meant he had absolutely no chance of winning.
The Crane Cry Taoist's repulsive force permeated his entire body. In the instant he charged towards Chen Ya, Chen Ya's hand seals, though only changing once, still unleashed his strongest attack. He could create countless techniques with his fingers, but his strongest art returned to its origin. His greatest cultivation lay in finger techniques, not in any myriad methods.
He cultivated the Flower-Picking Finger. Just as the Crane Cry Daoist was about to approach him, the Flower-Picking Finger struck the Crane Cry Daoist squarely in the chest. However, this single strike, powerful enough to kill an eighth-rank master, was utterly ineffective against the Crane Cry Daoist, like a stone sinking into the sea. The repulsive force completely obliterated his Flower-Picking Finger.
Then, he was blasted away by the Crane Cry Daoist's overwhelming repulsive force.
The first time, he was embedded in the wall, but managed to struggle free. The second time, he crashed into four or five cold, hard stone slabs, shattering countless bones, rendering him unable to stand.
Chen Ya tried to sit up, but couldn't support his body at all.
Lying on the ground, he watched the red-robed high priest slowly walk towards him, while he couldn't even dodge. The man's steps were steady and casual, as leisurely as a stroll in a garden. The man's gaze was contemptuous and indifferent, as if Chen Ya were nothing more than a weak sheep, or even an ant, in his eyes. His crimson Daoist robe fluttered gently in the night wind, like a burst of intense, fiery fireworks.
Chen Ya watched as the Crane Cry Daoist approached, a sudden, intense resentment rising within him.
It wasn't resentment at death itself, but resentment at dying so humiliatingly. He had imagined that even his death would be earth-shattering. But today, before the Crane Cry Daoist, he was so insignificant and weak. The earth-shattering event wasn't his defeat, but the enemy's power.
"I told you, you can't leave."
The crack on the Crane Cry Daoist's forehead slowly reopened, a faint, dark red light flickering within.
Chen Ya was certain that he was now utterly powerless against the Crane Cry Daoist's illusionary binding technique. Though he was unwilling, he was powerless to resist.
A flash of red light appeared on the vertical eye on Crane Cry Daoist's forehead, and Chen Ya's body trembled violently before he lost his freedom.
But just as Crane Cry Daoist was less than ten meters from Chen Ya, his expression suddenly changed. He flicked his sleeves backward, and with a thud, his body accelerated towards the fallen Chen Ya. But just as he was about to touch Chen Ya's body, a white lotus, radiating a holy aura, suddenly appeared before him.
It was a very peculiar lotus, its white petals crystal clear.
The five petals looked so beautiful under the moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful. The holy aura emanating from this enormous white lotus was so intense that it took one's breath away. If there were any ordinary people present at this moment, many would likely succumb to the aura of this white lotus and kneel in worship.
The lotus had five petals, its radiance even surpassing that of the bright moon in the sky.
Crane Cry Daoist's eyes sharpened, and his cultivation reached its peak. With a sudden, powerful thrust forward, his wide robe sleeves billowed like sails caught in the wind. Two overwhelming repulsive forces slammed into the blooming five-petaled white lotus, their force as immense as two tornadoes sweeping across the heavens and earth.
At the same time, the Crane Cry Daoist paused slightly before continuing his charge.
A crisp crack resounded.
Under the Crane Cry Daoist's relentless bombardment, two petals of the sacred five-petaled white lotus cracked, like crystal petals being shattered. Yet the lotus remained, its petals broken, stubbornly refusing to yield an inch to the Crane Cry Daoist's attack.
A dazzling white light flashed suddenly from the lotus, and the Crane Cry Daoist's vertical eye on his forehead stung with pain. He could only stop, using his robe sleeves to protect his entire body. When the white light dissipated, where was the lotus flower? Where was Chenya?
...
...
The Crane Cry Daoist waved his robe sleeves, dispelling the dazzling white light on the street. The dust was also blown away by the sweeping hurricane, and the street immediately became clear again. He looked at the spot where Chenya had fallen; the bluestone slabs on the ground were shattered, but the figure of that alluring and beautiful person was gone.
The Crane Cry Daoist's face darkened. He squatted down and examined the area carefully. There was nothing on the ground except for the shattered bluestone; even the blood flowing from Chenya's body seemed to have been evaporated by the previous dazzling white light. He searched carefully for a while, but found nothing.
The white lotus had two petals broken, but nothing else remained.
Just as the Crane Cry Daoist slowly stood up, a figure flashed like lightning in the moonlight. In an instant, the person was in front of the Crane Cry Daoist. This was an elderly man, around fifty years old, dressed in a light blue robe. He had a long beard that flowed gracefully, giving him an air of otherworldly refinement.
This old man was the same one who had appeared on the rooftop opposite Keshengju during the conflict between the border troops and Wang Ding's group. It was this same man who had sent Shen Qingshan, who had stormed into the Ministry of War with a single palm strike that day. Had it not been for the timely intervention of the old cripple, Shen Qingshan would not have escaped that fate.
The old man in light blue took a few steps forward, clasped his hands, and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, Daoist Master."
The Crane Cry Daoist returned the greeting, then chuckled self-deprecatingly, saying, "I disturbed you, but I couldn't stop that person. I didn't expect him to have a highly skilled accomplice, whose movements were incredibly fast; I couldn't even see his accomplice."
The old man was clearly surprised: "Even you couldn't see that person?"
The Crane Cry Daoist nodded, his brows furrowed with deep worry and solemnity.
The old man was silent for a moment before saying, "It's alright, they won't go far."
The old man thought for a moment and said, "Even at night, as long as the city gates are closed, no one, not even the Great Wheel King, can leave Chang'an. Just as no one, not even the Great Wheel King, can enter Chang'an if the city gates are closed. It's just that Chang'an is too big, with too many gates, and the soldiers guarding the city can't distinguish who the enemy with high cultivation is. But, while they can easily enter, it will be difficult for them to easily leave!"
The Crane Cry Daoist was slightly taken aback. Although he didn't know where the old man's confidence came from, he knew that someone of the old man's status wouldn't speak carelessly, so he immediately made a decision.
"Separate to search."
The old man hummed in agreement and said, "If… should we ask Master Xiao to intervene?"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the Crane Cry Daoist understood his meaning. "No need."
The Crane Cry Daoist shook his head, choosing a direction and saying, "I'll search that way; you go the other way."
The old man nodded: "I suppose there's no need to trouble Master Xiao. I've already informed the Imperial Guards; their experts will arrive soon. Even if the two commanders don't come, if Mr. Zhuo does, who among the three of us can escape?"
The Crane Cry Daoist frowned slightly, seemingly disliking dealing with the old man. He grunted, flicked his sleeve, and soared into the sky like a cannonball. After watching the Crane Cry Daoist's figure disappear, the old man shook his head helplessly and sighed, then turned and flew off in another direction.
Shortly after the two disappeared, another person arrived. Dressed in simple clothes, his face was grave.
It was Zhuo Buyi from the Imperial Guards.
He first examined the traces of the fight, then frowned and pondered for a moment. Then he actually sat down cross-legged on the street, without chasing in any direction.
...
...
Early morning.
The summer sun always rises exceptionally early; while people are still asleep, it has already quietly climbed over the towering city walls of Chang'an from the east. As the sun rises, the streets gradually become lively. Breakfast vendors, who have been up early to prepare for business, are busy setting up tables and chairs, then starting to knead dough and boil water.
When Fang Jie pushed open the door, the aroma of hot noodle soup wafted out.
Fang Jie, dressed in a brand-new border army uniform, had clearly taken great care of himself; his hair was neatly combed. His black Sui Dynasty military uniform was crisp and clean, and his polished leather boots looked exceptionally handsome. A black belt cinched his waist, from which hung a very peculiar plaque.
The plaque was engraved with only one character:
Martial. This was a waist tag symbolizing his status as a candidate for the Martial Arts Academy. It had been issued to him by the Ministry of War; to enter the academy for the exam, one had to present the tag for identity verification. Only candidates who had been registered and confirmed received this tag.
The already clean-cut and handsome young man was even more dashing after being deliberately dressed up. Especially his well-tailored military uniform, which added to his imposing presence. Although Fang Jie hadn't slept well last night, he was clearly in good spirits today.
"Get up, young Master Fang, so early!"
Old Sun, who sells hot noodle soup and steamed buns at the door, greeted him warmly. Fang Jie smiled and said, "I'm earlier than you, I got up because of the aroma of the steamed buns."
Old Sun chuckled, "I rely on this to support my family, so of course I can't be lazy. But you, why are you leaving so early today?"
Before Fang Jie could answer, Old Sun suddenly slapped his forehead apologetically, "Oh dear! I completely forgot. Today is the big day of the Martial Arts Academy's entrance exam! Old woman, quickly make a bowl of noodle soup, add three times the amount of shredded meat, and then make a separate basket of steamed buns—thin wrappers and generous fillings. Today is young Master Fang's..." "It's a big day for Grandpa to take the martial arts academy exam, make sure he eats his fill!"
"Understood, old man!"
Grandma Sun smiled brightly, swaying her thick waist as she walked to the kneading board to roll out dough and make dumplings: "Young Master Fang, you must come back with a top-three ranking! I have high hopes for you! Don't let those rich kids who think they're so great get the upper hand. Although you haven't been here long, the neighbors are all waiting for you to bring back good news from the martial arts academy!"
"This meal is on me today, no charge! Wishing you a resounding success, Young Master Fang! We can't help much, this meal is our token of appreciation!"
Old Sun said with a smile.
Fang Jie clasped his hands in thanks, then took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. He stretched, opening his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He felt good.
His heart was at peace.
Fang Jie looked at the busy Old Sun couple and silently thanked them again. Looking at the couple, he seemed to see again Aunt He cursing while carrying a large basin of dirty water, Su the dog butcher and the proprietress serving wine, and all the matchmakers in Fan Gu, all smiling at him and saying, "Little Fang Jie, don't embarrass us!"