Chapter 103: The Relic of the Demon Lord

The city of Chang'an stretches over twenty li from north to south. Li Chunfeng was blasted out of the city in an instant, and Lu Xin was naturally worried. For a master at the ninth level of the Guiwei Realm, leaving aside other techniques, this level of cultivation alone is enough to shock the world. Yet, that robed man in black sent Li Chunfeng flying dozens of li out of Chang'an with a single strike. There is only one possibility for this level of cultivation: the In-Spirit Realm!

Lu Xin desperately wanted to leave the city to assess the situation, but at that moment, numerous men in black appeared within Xiaofu Temple. Each was armed with a scimitar, their movements exceptionally agile. Over a dozen of them stormed into the temple grounds. Screams soon erupted from the monks' quarters. Lu Xin’s expression shifted drastically; just as he was about to signal Yue Buhei to go down and save them, a hidden weapon flew toward him.

It was a gleaming silver throwing dart, which pierced into the pagoda’s railing with a sharp "swish." Lu Xin could clearly sense a powerful mana locking onto him from not far away.

Following the sensation, he looked toward a rooftop about three hundred meters away, where a masked figure in black robes stood. Lu Xin could not penetrate the stranger's cultivation, but the man’s gaze was unmistakably filled with intense killing intent.

"Brother Xin, what should we do now? Will these people down there kill us too?"

The scholar, who had been less terrified a moment ago, felt his legs begin to tremble again as the screams drifted through the wind.

"Fox, Miss Yang Xiu, my master once said that tonight is a tribulation for both Chang'an City and the Great Tang court, as well as for the common people of the world. If I were to stand by and watch them wantonly slaughter the people of Chang'an without doing anything, I, Lu Xin, could not bear it."

"Hehehe, no need to say more. Do whatever you wish; this Emperor will accompany you. Besides, that dead monk is from the Buddhist sect after all. He surely wouldn't want to see all the monks of Xiaofu Temple meet such an untimely death."

"Young Hero Lu, let's strike. We Miao people despise these sneaky, thieving villains most of all!"

Yang Xiu said no more. As her voice trailed off, she leapt down the pagoda level by level. Yang Qin followed closely behind, surrounded by a swarm of beetles that acted like living armor. Seeing this, Lu Xin glanced at the distant rooftop and realized the man in black had vanished. He frowned and immediately vaulted off the high tower.

"Scholar, stay inside and don't move. Wait for us to return."

"Oh, mother! Brother Xin, you must come back! Otherwise, this top scholar will have perished before achieving his goal, without even having taken a wife—that’s far more miserable than that Zhuge fellow!"

Accompanied by Tu Chengli’s shouts, the four of them landed on the temple grounds. As they reached the courtyard, a large group of monks came rushing toward them, pursued by three men in black. Their scimitars were dripping with blood, clearly having already killed many.

Although the abbot of Xiaofu Temple was a high monk from Jingtu Temple, because of its location in Chang'an, the temple only taught standard scriptures. They did not teach the cultivation methods of Yin-Yang masters, such as the Shurangama Mantra, the Great Compassion Mantra, the Ten Small Mantras, the Bodhisattva True Words, or the Arhat Heart Sutra. Consequently, the monks of Xiaofu Temple were mostly men without mana or even martial arts training.

Such a situation was naturally related to the court’s restrictions. After all, Chang'an was the Emperor's residence; if all the citizens were Yin-Yang masters, even the most powerful court could not manage them.

"Little Xin, leave these few to me. You go find the others."

Yue Buhei, upon seeing the three masked men, took the lead, his body flickering as he lunged forward. His right hand instantly transformed into the sharp claws of a demon fox, exhausting their sharpness and carving arcs of light through the darkness. In just two short months, Yue Buhei’s cultivation seemed to have grown significantly. The three men in black had barely reacted before they fell to the ground one after another. Lu Xin did not delay and rushed toward the largest Buddha hall.

Xiaofu Temple was not particularly large, but land in Chang'an City was worth its weight in gold during this era. That the various wards could accommodate so many temples was entirely due to the Great Tang court's policy of treating Buddhism with respect. In particular, Li Shimin's personal preferences gave Buddhism an irreplaceable status in Chang'an.

Lu Xin’s urgency to enter Xiaofu Temple to save people was not just due to his innate kindness. Back under the pagoda, Li Chunfeng had mentioned that Xiaofu Temple was a royal temple where Li Shimin often left the palace at midnight to practice. Logically, the various factions attacking Chang'an would only need to slaughter the candidates participating in the imperial examinations to shake the foundations of the court. Yet, the dozen men in black had clearly planned their invasion of Xiaofu Temple, which meant they must have had an important motive.

"Could it be that Li Shimin hid some treasure in this temple? Or perhaps some unknown secret?"

Lu Xin felt that the attack on Xiaofu Temple was no accident. Despite his doubts, his pace did not slow. He stepped into the hall, where the candlelight flickered violently. Directly ahead stood a three-zhang-tall golden Buddha, holding prayer beads, with a bared belly and a smiling face, radiating wealth and kindness. Lu Xin was not familiar with Buddhism, but he recognized this statue. It was the Maitreya Buddha, an iconic image famous in later generations, often used for crafting jade, jewelry, and gold and silver ornaments.

Maitreya, also known as the Future Buddha, is said to be the successor to Shakyamuni Buddha, destined to be born into the Saha world in the future to practice. This Buddha is revered as the patriarch of the Consciousness-Only school. His image represents a great capacity for tolerance and joy, laughing away all the sorrows of the human world. Buddhist classics like the *Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish* and the *Avatamsaka Sutra* mention Maitreya’s attainment of the "Compassionate Samadhi," a path of boundless mercy.

Compassion is the fundamental doctrine of the Consciousness-Only school. In the history of Buddhism, the monk Xuanzang of Jingtu Temple was one of the patriarchs of this school. This explains why the portrayal of Tang Sanzang in *Journey to the West* was so immensely compassionate—to the point of appearing foolish.

The moment he saw the Maitreya Buddha, Lu Xin understood why Li Shimin had designated Xiaofu Temple as a royal temple. It surely had to do with Xuanzang. However, that great Buddhist master had long since traveled to the West and could not protect Chang'an in its current hour of need.

Shifting his gaze to the right, he saw a Zen door left slightly ajar in the corner of the hall. Lu Xin felt several powerful fluctuations of mana spilling from behind it. There were definitely Yin-Yang masters inside, and more than one.

"Young Hero Lu, what are you doing?"

The two Yang sisters had also entered the hall. Seeing no one around, the impatient Yang Qin urged him on. Lu Xin frowned and stepped toward the Zen door. He moved slowly, fearing that any sound might be heard. Seeing his caution, the sisters exchanged a grave look.

The three of them passed through the Zen door into the backyard of Xiaofu Temple, which contained meditation rooms for daily practice and dormitories for sleeping. Although it was dark, they were Yin-Yang masters and could see clearly. A light was still burning in the largest dormitory.

"Miss Yang Qin, is there a way to approach that room without being detected by those inside?"

Lu Xin suspected the group of men in black were inside and dared not act rashly. Yang Xiu didn't speak; she silently retrieved a talisman from her waist pouch.

The talisman was strange, square in shape. While it was made of yellow paper, the runes were drawn with a black pigment rather than cinnabar or gold dust.

"This is our Miao people’s unique 'Blood Stealth Talisman.' It is inscribed with witch-clan scripts, drawn with the blood of a spirit insect called the Ghost Leech. Keeping this in your mouth masks all presence. As long as there isn't a Guiwei Realm master inside, we should be able to move silently."

Yang Xiu handed the talisman to Lu Xin, signaling him to put it in his mouth. She took two more from the pouch, intending to take them with Yang Qin, but Lu Xin stopped her.

"It’s only about seven zhang to that room; at your speed, you can arrive in two breaths. I will sneak over to check the situation. You two stay here to hold the line and adapt as needed."

With the Blood Stealth Talisman in his mouth, Lu Xin moved without a sound. In less than three seconds, he reached the dormitory. Pressing his ear to the door, he heard people speaking inside, and ten distinct breathing patterns.

"Old monk, my patience is limited. I will say it again: where is the object?"

"The object you seek, almsgiver, this poor monk has never seen. How can I inform you?"

"Heh, they say monks do not tell lies, but I think you monks are worse than street thugs. Xuanhong, in terms of seniority, you are Xuanzang’s senior brother. After he left, you were responsible for teaching the scriptures to Li Shimin. How could you not know the whereabouts of the Demon Lord’s Relic?"

"Since the founding of Xiaofu Temple, we have propagated the Dharma for the benefit of all. What you seek is an object of the Demonic Sect. My temple is pure; how could it contain such a thing?"

"Hahahaha... You stubborn monk, you won't weep until you see the coffin. Do you think Li Shimin can still come to save you? The Demon Lord’s Relic is a sacred object lost by our Great Desolate Divine Sect for hundreds of years. Today, even if I have to turn all of Chang'an upside down, I will find it. It doesn't matter if you won't tell the truth; it won't be long before I find it after this entire temple runs red with blood."

The speaker was clearly the leader of the men in black, shrouded in robes and a veil. Behind him stood eight subordinates, scimitars in hand, watching with predatory intent. Before him sat an old monk with white eyebrows and a white beard, legs crossed in meditation.

"It really is the Great Desolate Divine Sect! The Demon Lord’s Relic—what is that? But judging by this monk, he clearly won't tell the truth."

Lu Xin mused, realizing these people were indeed here to find something—something the Great Desolate Divine Sect had lost long ago. As for the monk, he was none other than the abbot of Xiaofu Temple, Master Xuanhong.

"Amitabha... Your karma of killing is deep, almsgiver. Put down your butcher's knife and attain Buddhahood on the spot. How virtuous, how virtuous!"

The old monk suddenly chanted a Buddhist title, then closed his eyes and began reciting scripture. The leader of the men in black sneered and drew the scimitar from his back. At that same instant, Lu Xin kicked the door off its hinges.

"Who goes there!"