Patrol Captain

Inside the small courtyard of green bamboo, by the pond.

Tiger Cub stood with his fists clenched, steam rising from his body, his face flushed.

With his back straight and his eyes sparkling, he looked at Chen Yuan like an armored soldier being inspected on the battlefield, awaiting the general's review.

Quite childish!

Chen Ze nodded, a few lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, and offered his comments.
"Indeed, this fist technique is exquisite. It can transform external training into internal training, stimulate qi and blood, and strengthen the body. However, this fist technique still has its flaws. It cannot maximize the mobilization of qi and blood in your body."

Overall, it's not bad!

"I still learned real skills."

Hearing this, Tiger Cub puffed out his cheeks and straightened his chest even more on the stone pillar.

Chen Yuan smiled knowingly at his comical appearance, but he quickly frowned and looked towards the courtyard gate.

The next second, a loud, cold snort rang out.
"Humph"

"What arrogance!"

"To say that my Dongxuan Mountain's body-refining method is merely passable and flawed, aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

Before the people arrive, the sound comes first.

Immediately following, Chu Yu, dressed in a black robe, strode in, sword in hand, from the entrance of the courtyard.

He glared at them coldly, his brows furrowed, his gaze full of scrutiny.

Qiong Le, with a mole on the corner of her mouth, followed closely behind. Her flowing skirt swayed as she entered the courtyard. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her eyes sized her up, first landing on her junior brother Huwa, and then on the tall figure in the pavilion.

"Third Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Sister!" Tiger Cub saw the people who suddenly appeared and recognized them as his senior brothers and sisters. However, seeing that their expressions were not right, he called out in a low voice.

Chen Yuan looked at the two men who entered with "unfriendly expressions," but his expression remained normal; he merely raised an eyebrow.
"It seems you two are Tiger Cub's fellow disciples!"

He spoke slowly, "This little fellow will be a great help to you two in taking care of him!"

Hearing Chen Yuan's reclusive elder-like tone, Chu Yu let out a cold snort; it was truly unpleasant.

They look about the same age, why pretend with him?

In particular, the other party's evaluation of the sect's techniques just now was rather arrogant and ignorant.

As a disciple of the grotto-heaven, Chu Yu naturally possessed a sense of pride.

"Junior brother, what are you doing here?"

"Who is this?"

At this moment, Qiong Le spoke up. Compared to her senior brother Chu Yu's displeasure, this fifth senior sister of Tiger Boy was a meticulous person.

As a soldier of the Heavenly Gate, she didn't sense Chen Yuan's aura, but judging from his comments just now, he was clearly knowledgeable in martial arts.

Unless, of course, the other party's cultivation level was far higher than theirs, but this man looked to be about the same age as them, so they had some doubts and asked him.

"Senior sister, this is my...uncle!"

Tiger Cub stammered a little, then nodded after he finished speaking.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yu and Qiong Le felt a slight relief from the cold and unpleasant atmosphere, somewhat surprised.

I've never heard my junior brother mention that!
Chu Yu remained cold, saying, "Although ignorance is no excuse, no one can judge Dongxuan Mountain."

Chu Yu raised the sword in her hand, swung it horizontally forward and gave it a sharp thud, and with a "whoosh" sound, the sound of the sword blade rubbing against the scabbard suddenly arose.

As soon as the sword hilt was drawn, a flash of white light appeared.

The next second, a few bamboo leaves hanging down from the bamboo forest snapped in two with a whoosh.

Then, several emerald green bamboo leaves transformed into streaks of green light, instantly piercing the air and heading straight into the pavilion.

"Brother!"

Qiong Yue spoke up, but felt it was inappropriate.

But before the words were even finished, the bamboo leaf arrived in the blink of an eye.

"dong dong dong"

Bamboo leaves flew off and landed on the red-lacquered pillars on one side of the pavilion, making a dull sound.

The leaf tips, sharp as steel knives, were embedded in the stone pillar!

Beside him, leaning against the railing, Chen Yuan remained expressionless, his hands behind his back, a smile still playing at the corners of his eyes.

Upon seeing this scene from behind the courtyard gate, Chu Yu was slightly taken aback, then looked surprised and doubtful before finally becoming serious.

Even when facing danger, remain calm and composed!
This "uncle" who suddenly appeared, junior brother, is no ordinary person!

Just then, a cry of surprise rang out.

Then Sister Hua rushed out and belatedly called out to Chu Yu and the other person.
"What are you doing?"

Then, in a panic, he tried to kneel down and beg for mercy towards the pavilion.

"Sir, calm down!"

“They are Tiger Cub’s senior brothers and sisters. They offended you, sir. I did not inform you of their presence, this…”

Sister Hua was speechless, for she knew Chen Yuan's identity.

She hadn't expected this to happen, and quickly pleaded for Huwa's senior brothers and sisters.

Under the pavilion, Chen Yuan waved his hand, helped Sister Hua up, and did not make her kneel down. However, his gaze remained fixed on Chu Yu and the other person, with a meaningful look.

Anyone who dares to lay a hand on him is long gone, their graves are covered in grass.

If the bamboo leaf had even slightly leaned in his direction, the other man would already be beheaded.

However, he wasn't a man who killed indiscriminately. He slightly raised his eyebrows, and a golden light gradually appeared in his eyes. He spoke slowly.
"As Tiger Cub's senior brother said, ignorance is no excuse!"

As he spoke, the golden light in his eyes turned into specks of lacquer and fell upon Chu Yu, who was holding a sword horizontally.

A few feet away, Chu Yu suddenly shuddered, and then found that he couldn't move his body. His expression changed, and he suddenly felt his vision change.

Meanwhile, her junior sister Qiong Le was startled by Hua Jie's actions.

The other party pleaded with the man on their behalf, addressing him as "sir."

Judging from their expressions, they were afraid that this person would do something to them, but Tiger Cub's mother probably also knew that they were disciples of the Cave Heaven and had a background.

Besides, didn't Huwa say that this person was his uncle?

Qiong Le was in a state of confusion and had no idea what was going on.

Soon, she noticed that her senior brother's body was trembling. Startled, she went over to take a look and found that Senior Brother Chu was in a daze.
"Brother!"

She quickly gathered her strength, reached out, and slapped her senior brother.

"boom"

With a muffled thud, a recoil force blasted her away, making her hands go numb and causing her to stagger backward, almost falling.

"Senior, please show mercy!"

She realized something was wrong, turned her gaze towards the pavilion, and saw a pair of golden eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, she quickly looked away, and cried out.

As soon as he finished speaking, a breath or two later, a rapid breathing sound was heard. Chu Yu, who had been stiff, took a deep breath, as if a drowning person were breathing in fresh air.

He snapped back to reality, his pupils constricting in fear. Then, realizing what had happened, he turned and grabbed his junior sister behind him.
"Come on!"

Then, he leaped out of the courtyard, his figure sweeping past as the wind he stirred up slammed the courtyard gate shut.

After being discharged from the hospital, Chu Yu led her junior sister Qiong Le through several alleys in one go, finally stopping in a narrow alley next to the bustling downtown area of ​​the county. As soon as they landed, Chu Le quickly grabbed the wall with one hand, her legs buckling and she almost lost her balance.

"Brother!"

His junior sister, Qiong Le, quickly helped him up.

He saw that his senior brother was pale and covered in sweat, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness, and he couldn't help but look worried.

"Senior brother, what's wrong? What just happened?"

Chu Yu, now devoid of her previous arrogance, was listless, panting heavily, and shook her head.

"Stop asking!"

"I almost met my ancestor just now!"

"It's so scary."

"Just one glance, and my soul almost couldn't take it."

Chu Yu was still shaken, her voice filled with lingering fear.

"Senior brother, what about that person just now?" Qiong Le's mole on the corner of his mouth was startled. Senior brother was at the Heavenly Gate Dao Fruit Realm, having condensed the Dao Fruit. The person's eyes had made him look like this, so terrifying. Who exactly was that person?

"Stop thinking about it!"

"We can't afford to mess with him; he's probably an old monster."

Chu Yu shook her head. "Should we leave first?"

However, he immediately rejected the idea, saying, "No, that would be too guilty. If they really make a move, I won't get involved. It shouldn't happen."

After saying that, he looked like a wilted eggplant, turning his head to look at his junior sister.

"Junior sister, was I speaking too loudly just now?"

Qiong Le frowned, looked at her senior brother carefully, and felt that her senior brother was a bit neurotic.

"Let's go back to the inn first. Senior brother, take good care of yourself and adjust your breathing. That senior shouldn't make things difficult for you anymore. We can ask junior brother later."

.........

On the other side, in Chengdu, more than 8,000 li away, as the morning bell rang, the nine gates of the four city walls gradually opened, and people and horses poured in one after another in an endless stream.

The streets and alleys quickly became lively, and teahouses and taverns were packed with customers. People from all walks of life, from vendors to laborers, brought news from all directions amidst their drunken revelry.

In the western part of Chengdu, on the carved beams of a building called Feitian Tower, the gilded lotus blossoms gleamed warmly in the dim morning light, while guests bustled about among the vermilion pillars.

The lobby downstairs gradually filled with people—travelers, merchants, all sorts of people gathered together, calling out "Waiter!" repeatedly.

"Have you heard? It's quite lively in Guangyuan City nearby!"

At a table in the main hall, a merchant dressed in a blue cotton-padded round-necked silk robe stuffed peanuts into his mouth, lowered his head, and glanced around at the other people at the table, spittle splashing into his wine bowl.

"Guangyuan City, I heard it's not safe there anymore. Demons from the Demon Kingdom are causing trouble, and the troops on the western front have retreated to their garrisons!" someone responded.

"Your news is outdated. I heard that a high-ranking monk from the Pure Land in the West descended from Mount Sumeru. His Buddhist teachings are boundless. He vanquished demons and monsters, and saved the lives of people in several counties along the way!"

"Truly, the Buddha's teachings are vast and worthy of reverence."

The scholar wearing a square cap across from them scoffed and waved his folding fan: "One person saving several cities? That's too mystical. Isn't that place just a legend? It's a lie!"

"No! I can testify. Our escort agency went to Guangyuan to escort a shipment, and I saw and heard it with my own eyes!"

At the next table, a bodyguard was slamming his fist on the table, his sword jingling violently. "Just the other day, outside Guangyuan City, demonic clouds surged, dark clouds pressed down on the city, and the city was in a state of emergency. A golden statue broke through the demonic clouds, holding only a string of Buddhist beads, chanting a Buddhist mantra, and the demonic clouds in the sky receded!"

The other guests clicked their tongues in amazement upon hearing this news, with one exclaiming, "So amazing! Even Mount Sumeru has appeared! It seems that the celestial beings have descended to the mortal realm, and all those legends are entering the world to face their tribulations!"

"Anyway, the news is spreading like wildfire, saying that the true Buddha's teachings have appeared in the world. Now, many people in Guangyuan City have become believers, following this eminent monk and burning incense. They say that the Buddha's teachings have spread eastward and Buddhism is about to flourish."

Just then, a waiter carrying a wine pot weaved through the crowd, his rag for wiping the tables flying in the air: "Gentlemen, stop arguing, your news is too late. Yesterday, a chivalrous knight from Guangyuan said that the high monk has been heading east non-stop and might be here soon!"

These words immediately piqued everyone's interest, and a lively discussion ensued.

Amidst the lively discussions in the restaurant, a thin mist hung over the mountains and forests outside the West Gate.

"Ding-dong"

The crisp sound of metal striking each other pierced through the thin mist in the mountains and forests.

Soon after, a monk emerged from the mist.

His robe was washed until it was almost white, and the golden tin staff he held in his left hand tapped the ground at an angle. The copper ring at the top of the staff jingled. With each step he took, wisps of mist rose from the staff and condensed into translucent lotus flowers at his feet before disappearing into the ground.

The monk was young and handsome, even somewhat eerily so, but his face possessed the compassionate features of someone from a Buddhist temple.

When the man stood still, his eyes, as bright as stars and the moon, lifted and looked at the giant city towering in the distance. On the city gate tower, three powerful characters were written: "Jin Guan City".

Behind the monk, two groups of golden boys and jade maidens stood on either side, their eyes fixed on the distant colossal city, which had transformed from pitch black to strange, greedy, and ferocious, sometimes blood-red, sometimes eerily green...

One after another, terrifying and enormous phantoms rose slowly from behind them.

At this time,

A crisp "ding" sound.

The monk tapped the ground with his staff.

In that instant, the ferocious appearances on the four golden boys and jade maidens vanished, and they returned to normal.

"Amitabha"

The monk chanted a Buddhist prayer and continued walking towards Chengdu.

Soon after, they appeared in front of the West Gate, passed through the gate, and the clanging of bells echoed into Chengdu along with the carriages and horses traveling with them!
At the city gate tower, Mo Qianyun, the garrison commander of the southern city, looked at the group of young monks with a surprised expression. Remembering the orders he had received from above, a golden light appeared in his eyes as he glanced at the monks.

The next second, a stab struck his eye, the golden light shattered, and he felt a sharp pain in his eye, clutching it.

"General!"

His soldiers quickly helped him up.

Mo Qianyun felt her eyes burning and was terrified. She quickly gave the order.
"Go and report this to Yunding Mountain immediately!"

“A monk entered through the west gate; his strength is unknown.”

"Also, have someone keep an eye on things."

As soon as the order was given, the news quickly reached the Heavenly Patrol Hall on Cloud Peak and the ears of Helian Shan, who was now in charge of the Pacification Office.

Helian Shan summoned Qi Tian, ​​the current second-in-command of the Fusi and the Demon Suppression General, to discuss matters!

The recent failed breakthrough did not cause Qi Tian any mental setback; on the contrary, his strength improved even more.

Qi Tian had previously suppressed the Eight Demon Kingdoms!
"grown ups!"

After entering the hall, Qi Tian bowed to Helian Shan.

"You're here!" Helian Shan nodded, his brows slightly furrowed. "There's something I need your advice on!"

"What's the matter?"

"Rumors are circulating in Guangyuan City that a monk has come from the Western Pure Land to spread Buddhism, and this eminent monk has now arrived in Chengdu!"

As he spoke, Helian Shan raised his hand and pointed at the void, whereupon white light rippled and quickly displayed a scene.

In the scene, the exceptionally handsome young monk, holding a tin staff, walks into Chengdu, followed by four beautiful young men and women.

Meanwhile, something happened along the street—it's unclear what was going on—in teahouses and taverns. Apparently, someone recognized the monk, prompting them to kneel and worship in the street. This atmosphere then spread to the common people, who also knelt down en masse. (End of Chapter)