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Chapter 9: Why Bother with Such Troubles?
Chapter 9: Why Bother with Such Troubles?
In the capital city of Dali Nation.
There stood the Linglong Pavilion.
As the largest restaurant in the capital, Linglong Pavilion was always bustling with customers.
Travelers from afar and locals alike, all relished the opportunity to savor the delicacies it offered.
Clap! At the center of the restaurant, on a raised platform, a storyteller captivated his audience with animated gestures.
"A decade ago, in the sacred grounds of Dachen Temple, a Buddhist prodigy was born. This child was enlightened from birth, bearing the countenance of the Buddha himself."
"It is said that at the time of his birth, the image of the Buddha appeared in the sky above Dachen Temple, bathing the surrounding area in golden light. Many who were bathed in this radiance found their ailments mysteriously cured."
"Now, a decade has passed, and that prodigious child..."
The storyteller paused, bowing respectfully. "Dear patrons, I shall end my tale here for today. If you wish to know more about the young Buddhist disciple and his current whereabouts, please return tomorrow."
A chorus of disappointed sighs filled the room.
The audience had been engrossed in the story, eager to learn more about the young Buddhist prodigy, only to be left hanging by the storyteller's abrupt ending.
Who could resist the urge to know more?
"Here's a token of my appreciation. Please continue," a burly man said, tossing a silver ingot onto the platform.
Other patrons followed suit, tossing coins and other tokens of appreciation onto the platform.
"Hehe, thank you for your support, dear patrons. I shall continue then." The storyteller chuckled, quickly gathering the offerings before resuming his seat and his tale.
A skilled storyteller knew when to pause, leaving the audience in anticipation, thus ensuring a steady income.
This particular storyteller was a master of his craft, and after securing the tokens of appreciation, he continued.
"By now, that Buddhist disciple should be in his teens. Naturally, he would be studying the sutras and delving into the depths of Buddhism at Dachen Temple."
With a fan in hand, the storyteller painted a vivid picture with his words, causing the audience to lean forward in anticipation.
"Huh?"
A collective murmur of surprise escaped the lips of the audience.
They had expected to hear of more extraordinary feats from the young Buddhist, but this?
However, upon further reflection, it made sense. What could a child, even one with an innate connection to Buddhism, truly accomplish? The miraculous events the storyteller had described earlier were likely embellishments added for dramatic effect.
What went unnoticed by everyone in the restaurant was a young monk sitting near the corner, clad in a gray robe, a peculiar expression on his face.
"Have I become a character in a storybook?" Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.
He did not find this situation strange at all.
Dachen Temple was a sacred Buddhist site and a major sect in the martial arts world.
Its every move was watched by the outside world, especially when it came to disciples like him, who were personally accepted by the Longbrow Elder.
There were undoubtedly many eyes following his every step.
Moreover, the abbot and the elders had shown no intention of keeping his existence a secret.
Over time, with information spreading and evolving, various versions of his story had emerged.
Lin Yuan had come to Linglong Pavilion to sample the culinary delights of this world, and now, after finishing his meal, he stood up, leaving a few silver coins on the table before departing.
He walked along the streets paved with blue stones, bustling with people and the lively cries of vendors.
Lin Yuan blended in with the crowd, attracting little attention.
However, as he ventured deeper into the heart of the capital, the crowds thinned out, and the number of patrolling soldiers increased noticeably.
Eventually, he reached a towering city gate, guarded by dozens of formidable soldiers with sharp gazes.
Beyond this gate lay the Dali Imperial Palace, the absolute core of the dynasty.
Even standing outside, one could catch glimpses of the exquisite palaces within.
Just then, a carriage slowly emerged from the palace.
The guards immediately stepped aside, creating a path for the carriage to pass through.
Inside the carriage sat a middle-aged monk, clad in a crimson cassock, rubbing his temples.
The current Dali Empress was a devout Buddhist, often inviting eminent monks to the palace.
This middle-aged monk, dressed in crimson, was one such revered figure, held in high esteem by the empress.
Every ten days or so, he would be summoned to the palace.
"Recently, the empress's questions have become increasingly challenging," the middle-aged monk muttered, a furrow forming between his brows.
"I should be leaving the palace now," he said, reaching out to lift the curtain of the carriage.
He glanced around casually, but his eyes suddenly narrowed as he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
"Is that..."
The middle-aged monk stared intently at the young monk standing not far away, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty on his face.
"The Buddhist disciple?" he asked aloud.
The middle-aged monk had once been a monk at Dachen Temple, and although he had resided in the capital for over a decade, he maintained regular contact with the temple.
Several years ago, Dachen Temple had sent him a portrait of the young Buddhist disciple, instructing him to commit it to memory and obey any orders the disciple might give.
And the portrait bore a striking resemblance to the young monk before him.
Realizing this, the middle-aged monk quickly climbed down from the carriage and approached Lin Yuan.
"Are you the Buddhist disciple?" he asked cautiously.
"Do I know you?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, his tone conveying a hint of surprise.
"Twenty years ago, I was also a monk at Dachen Temple," the middle-aged monk replied, using this simple statement to convey his identity and connection to the temple.
"I see," Lin Yuan nodded slightly, acknowledging the other's affiliation with the renowned Buddhist sect.
Dachen Temple's influence extended far beyond Mount Shaoshi, as evidenced by the Pu Tuo Temple he had visited earlier and the presence of this middle-aged monk.
"May I ask what brings you to the capital, Buddhist disciple?" The middle-aged monk's curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but inquire.
Before meeting Lin Yuan, he had not received any news from Dachen Temple.
Obviously, Lin Yuan's arrival here was unknown even to the Abbot of Dachen Temple.
Otherwise, he would have definitely been informed.
"I wish to enter the Martial Arts Palace within the imperial palace."
Lin Yuan spoke up.
The Martial Arts Palace of the Dali Imperial Palace was the place where countless martial arts secrets were stored.
In the past, the Dali Emperor had unified the world and placed all the transcribed martial arts manuals within the Martial Arts Palace.
It could be said that the Martial Arts Palace of the Dali Imperial Palace housed ten or even a hundred times more martial arts manuals than the Dachen Temple's collection.
"Wanting to enter the Martial Arts Palace is quite troublesome," the middle-aged monk said, his brow furrowed.
Usually, only royal descendants were qualified to enter the Martial Arts Palace.
This was a rule established by the founding Dali Emperor.
Additionally, important ministers who had made great contributions to the Dali Dynasty were also eligible to enter.
However, Lin Yuan obviously did not meet either of these criteria.
Therefore, he almost certainly had no chance to access the Martial Arts Palace.
The Dali Dynasty was founded on martial might, and they attached great importance to various martial arts secrets.
They would absolutely not allow an outsider to enter the Martial Arts Palace, a sacred place for martial arts.
"There is a way, though."
The middle-aged monk said slowly:
"The imperial palace is heavily guarded, so sneaking in is out of the question."
The middle-aged monk's face showed a hint of apprehension.
As the empress's honored guest, he had some understanding of the Dali Imperial Palace.
The eight thousand palace guards were all peak post-innate warriors trained in the royal family's secret martial arts.
The two hundred vice-commanders were innate realm martial artists, and the eighteen grand commanders were peak innate realm martial artists.
It could be said that with just this force, they could easily sweep through hundreds of thousands of troops.
Even a Martial Grandmaster would be trapped.
Additionally, The middle-aged monk occasionally heard from the empress that
at various key points within the imperial palace, there were Martial Grandmasters on guard.
Over the years, as he frequently entered and exited the palace, the middle-aged monk had roughly guessed that there were no fewer than four Martial Grandmasters in the palace.
Four Martial Grandmasters.
Eighteen peak innate realm martial artists.
Two hundred innate realm martial artists.
Eight thousand peak post-innate realm martial artists.
This was the Dali Dynasty's strongest trump card.
Even if the world fell into chaos, the Dali Dynasty could still conquer it anew.
Not to mention that this was only part of the Dali Dynasty's strength; outside the palace, there were also the vast armies stationed at the borders and Martial Grandmasters who were ready to move at the dynasty's command.
"Venerable One."
"Listen to me."
"Come with me to meet the empress later."
"I will introduce you, and the empress will definitely look favorably upon you."
"Over the next three months, you should frequently visit the empress and become familiar to her."
"Then, in half a year, when the emperor celebrates his sixtieth birthday, the empress can bring you to offer birthday greetings."
"At that time, I will also offer a Buddhist treasure."
"If the Dali Emperor is pleased, your request to enter the Martial Arts Palace will likely be granted."
The middle-aged monk racked his brains and came up with the only feasible method.
Theoretically, an outsider had no chance of entering the Martial Arts Palace.
But if the current Dali Emperor permitted it, there would be no obstacle to entry.
As long as Lin Yuan could please the emperor, entering the Martial Arts Palace wouldn't be impossible.
After all, Lin Yuan only wanted to take a look inside, and there would be no loss to the numerous martial arts manuals within.
"What do you think, Venerable One?"
The middle-aged monk spoke in one breath and, seeing that Lin Yuan didn't respond, asked anxiously.
"It's not bad."
Lin Yuan nodded.
The middle-aged monk was indeed thoughtful.
Following his plan, there was a high probability of smoothly entering the Martial Arts Palace.
"However..."
Lin Yuan shook his head again.
"What is it?"
The middle-aged monk asked nervously.
"It's too troublesome."
Lin Yuan's gaze remained calm as he looked towards the distant imperial palace.
"Troublesome?"
It took a while for the middle-aged monk to react.
The plan he had just formulated was already as simple as possible.
He would directly bring Lin Yuan to meet the empress, and then have her influence the emperor.
This was already the fastest way he could think of to enter the Martial Arts Palace.
It was impossible to go directly to the emperor, wasn't it? Without someone influential enough to make the introduction, even the middle-aged monk himself wouldn't be able to meet the emperor, let alone Lin Yuan?
"Just say it directly."
After Lin Yuan finished speaking, he took a step forward, inhaled slightly, and called out towards the imperial palace.
"I, Monk Hui Zhen, wish to enter the Martial Arts Palace of the imperial palace."
The tone of his voice was normal when he said the first character of 'Monk', but he raised the pitch when he said the second character,
and by the fifth character, a terrifying sound wave spread wildly in all directions.
And when he uttered the last character, it was like the heavens collapsing and the earth shattering, like the thunderous roar of lightning.
Boom! Boom!
Boom!!! In that moment, the entire imperial palace was enveloped by terrifying sound waves.
The eight thousand peak post-innate guards felt their ears ringing, their consciousness scattering.
The eighteen peak innate grand commanders bled from their seven orifices and knelt powerless on the ground.
Deep within the palace, five auras of Martial Grandmaster level flashed and disappeared as they tried to resist the Buddhist sound, but they only lasted for a few breaths before their auras rapidly weakened, and they were left without any strength to resist.
In an instant, the heavily guarded Dali Imperial Palace fell into disarray, turning into a pile of sand, tottering on the verge of collapse.
"This..."
The middle-aged monk's mouth hung open.
(End of Chapter)
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