The group made their way through the temple grounds, past the layers of defensive formations, until they reached the inner sanctum.
As they conversed, the group arrived before the Mahavira Hall.
Yuyang Daozi led the way. With a single glance, he spotted the old monk still sitting before the chessboard, deep in thought.
"Why are you still here? Get lost."
Yuyang Daozi rebuked him without the slightest hesitation.
He had assumed the monk was going to come clean. Instead, the old monk planned to let Li Junzi file a complaint on his behalf, and to his face, no less.
Was undermining someone's character like this something Yuyang Daozi would ever do?
Especially since Chu Xingchen was notoriously protective of his own. If Chen Baiqing complained to her master, Yuyang Daozi would truly never be able to hold his head up before Chu Xingchen again.
And with Chu Xingchen's sharp tongue on top of that...
Yuyang Daozi looked at the old monk now, feeling nothing but displeasure.
Previously, he had treated the monk with courtesy, given that he was at least at the Buddha realm.
But since this old monk refused to play by the rules, there was no need for politeness either.
The old monk finally raised his eyes lazily, a smile appearing on his face.
"This is my last remaining dwelling..." the old monk said, his expression pitiful as he pointed toward a corner. "Shall I roll over there? Would that be acceptable?"
Yuyang Daozi gave a cold snort and simply waved his hand to shoo the monk away.
The old monk sighed helplessly and slowly rose to his feet.
His gaze swept across the newcomers before settling on Li Junzi. He clasped his hands and asked.
"May I ask your name, benefactor?"
Li Junzi had just arrived and did not understand the underlying dynamics.
But she knew that anyone present here could not possibly be a monk without any cultivation.
So even though she could not sense the monk's aura and he seemed perfectly ordinary to her, she still politely prepared to return the greeting.
Before she could speak, however, Yuyang Daozi cut in.
"Pay no mind to this monk. He is either trying to pry information from you or recruit you into Buddhism."
"His methods are numerous. Minimize your contact with him."
Li Junzi shot a sideways glance at Chen Baiqing.
Chen Baiqing gave a straightforward nod.
Li Junzi understood. She was unfamiliar with both Yuyang Daozi and the monk, so she could not judge their words.
But Chen Baiqing, she could trust.
So she stopped herself and stood quietly in place, no longer engaging with the old monk.
The old monk smiled. "That brush in your hand is the Poluo Brush of Junzi Mountain in the Southern Continent, is it not? The brush of a former Vice Sage."
Li Junzi's expression grew slightly wary.
"Rest assured, the ultimate treasure of a Confucian cultivator is of no use to me." The old monk's tone turned nostalgic. "It is merely that when I wandered the world in those years, I conversed with the Vice Sage of that era."
"To feel its aura again now, I cannot help but feel nostalgic."
"To be able to wield this brush, the next Vice Sage must surely be you."
"I did not expect to have the fortune of speaking with two Vice Sages in one lifetime."
The old monk, fearing Li Junzi might not believe him, softly chanted a Buddhist mantra.
The Poluo Brush in Li Junzi's hand trembled slightly as a surge of righteous Confucian qi flowed from it, as though offering a greeting.
The old monk clasped his hands again, this time bowing to the brush itself.
"You still remember this old monk. The honor is mine."
Li Junzi pondered for a moment before finally returning the courtesy to the old monk.
"You flatter me, Senior. I am still far from becoming a Vice Sage. Whether I can reach that realm in this lifetime remains unknown."
That the Poluo Brush would respond suggested this was no mere casual conversation. They must have at least debated together.
By seniority, the monk was leagues above Li Junzi.
Having encountered a senior, the proper thing was to pay one's respects.
Seeing that Li Junzi had finished her greeting, Yuyang Daozi stepped slightly forward.
"Quite the nerve, building connections and then stepping aside."
A Vice Sage might carry tremendous authority in the mortal world, but among cultivators, it was not quite so exaggerated. They might be respected, but that was where it ended.
And when the monk spoke of "those years," that was only from Li Junzi's perspective.
For all anyone knew, this monk might have already been a Buddha back then. With his level of cultivation, conversing with a Vice Sage was arguably doing the Vice Sage a favor.
Now, putting on this display and bowing to a brush was clearly just posturing.
Playing the weak while scheming in secret.
The old monk had his face slapped by Yuyang Daozi several times, yet he did not grow angry.
He simply shuffled obediently to one side and cleared the way.
Yuyang Daozi signaled for everyone to rest, then spoke.
"I had not intended to let you all meet this bothersome monk. But the turmoil has not fully subsided, and this is the safest place."
Yun Chuan and the others naturally agreed. How could they dare to object?
They found spots and settled down to rest on their own.
Chen Baiqing led Li Junzi to a seat, simultaneously pulling a tea set from her spatial ring.
"I already informed Master of your arrival. Fourth Junior Sister is also in the Western Ox Continent right now. She should arrive together with Master."
"Have a couple cups of tea and collect yourself, so Fourth Junior Sister does not worry when she sees you."
"By my reckoning, they should be arriving soon."
Li Junzi felt a stir of emotion at those words and smiled.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Chen Baiqing gently slid the tea toward Li Junzi.
"We are practically family. Calling it trouble is too formal."
Li Junzi wrapped her hands around the warm teacup.
"I am always causing trouble for you all, and this time is no different. If I do not say a few extra words now, I may never be able to bring myself to ask again."
Chen Baiqing smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, then began asking Li Junzi about everything that had happened since she came to the Western Ox Continent.
It was a natural way to guide the conversation.
Yuyang Daozi paid no attention to any of this. He simply helped himself to the teapot Chen Baiqing had prepared, sipping contentedly on his own.
He even personally refilled Li Junzi's cup when it ran empty.
Once finished, he placed the teapot back in front of Chen Baiqing for her to brew another.
Normally, Yuyang Daozi would never dream of asking Chen Baiqing to make tea for him.
If Chu Xingchen could ask, it was naturally because he was her master. But Yuyang Daozi was just her martial uncle. Brewing tea was...
The old monk had previously tasted Chen Baiqing's tea as part of a wager.
Naturally, at this moment, even if he wanted some, he could not get any. He could only gaze longingly from the sidelines.
If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have waited a couple more days before saying those things.
Chen Baiqing might not have Cui Hao's talent for never letting a conversation drop, always finding surprising angles to keep things flowing.
But she was perfectly capable of simple, comfortable conversation that put people at ease.
Li Junzi naturally understood that Chen Baiqing was steering the topic, but her skill at doing so was so seamless that the relaxed smile never left Li Junzi's face.
Chen Baiqing paid no mind to the old monk's gaze from behind her. She simply waited.
After some time, three streaks of rainbow light descended from outside and landed before the great hall.
Chen Baiqing looked over. Leading the group was her master.
To his left was Fourth Junior Sister. To his right was Second Senior Brother.
Seeing the arrivals, Chen Baiqing first gave Li Junzi an apologetic smile, then immediately went to greet her master.
Chen Baiqing walked up to her master, a smile on her face, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Master, you are here."
Chu Xingchen nodded with a faint smile. But the next moment, his brows furrowed.
He studied Chen Baiqing carefully, then reached out and gently patted her head, his tone carrying a hint of anger as he asked.
"Yuyang, do you have something you need to tell me?"
Yuyang Daozi quietly set down his teacup... These two master and disciple were something else. He quickly spoke up.
"Go interrogate the monk first."
Chu Xingchen looked back at Chen Baiqing, only to see her lower her head slightly.
His gaze shifted to the side. Beneath the faceless Buddha statue stood an old monk with a composed aura,此刻 wearing a placating smile that seemed almost apologetic.
The next moment.
Everything transformed into a streak of azure light.
BOOM!
The only remaining Mahavira Hall was instantly destroyed, half of it blown away.
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