Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 38 Candlelight in the Buddhist Hall, Blood Splattered Seven Steps Away, Bodhisattva Lowers His Eyebrows, Vajra Gazes Wrathfully
The Buddhist hall had no lights, so candles were used for illumination. Two rows of candles were lit inside, but it was still somewhat dim.

The deputy abbot, whose Dharma name is Jingyan, wore a kasaya and held Dharma implements, leading the lay Buddhists in chanting scriptures.

The chanting of scriptures was orderly and melodious, sometimes deep and resonant, sometimes clear and high-pitched, echoing in the Buddhist hall in harmony with the rhythm of ritual instruments such as the wooden fish and the handbell, making people unconsciously calm down.

After chanting the sutra for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, begin the next step: circumambulate the Buddha and bow in worship.

Led by the presiding monk of the lay Buddhist center, the lay Buddhists walked slowly around the Buddha statue in neat rows, their steps light and gentle, chanting the Buddha's name in hushed tones, each step filled with reverence.

A figure walked past the candle, its reflection illuminating the Buddha statue, making it appear as if a Bodhisattva had lowered its brows.

After circling the statue once, they bowed to the Guanyin statue in unison, bending down and prostrating themselves. The whole process was orderly and without any disorder.

This is not the first time the Buddhist Association has held a Dharma assembly, and everyone knows the rules.

The process of circumambulating the Buddha and paying homage is done in groups. The monks from the lay Buddhist center were first. They had just finished, and it was the turn of the people in the first two rows of prayer cushions. However, Ichiro Itagaki remained in place and did not get up.

The lay Buddhists are not surprised; the Dharma assembly is not mandatory, it's up to them.

Two people in the first two rows had not yet stood up. The man next to Itagaki Ichiro nodded to Itagaki, slowly stood up, and followed the presiding master, taking only a few steps.

In the fifth row, a woman wearing a black fur coat stood up and remained still, without moving.

The presiding official of the ceremony, Jingyan, said, "Please wait a moment, female benefactor. It will soon be your turn to worship in the back row."

The woman did not respond; she was dressed in a luxurious fur coat, her hands tucked into her sleeves, remaining calm and composed.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened.

The woman turned her sleeve slightly.
"Bang! Bang!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Two shots rang out, followed by three more.

The events that happened in an instant stunned everyone, including Itagaki Ichiro, the Forest Master, the Deputy Forest Master, and even Chen Zhan and Ye Ningzhen who were observing from a distance.

The woman in the fur coat fired her gun abruptly, decisively, and calmly.

Five shots were fired!

Five shots were fired.

In the Buddhist hall, amidst the flickering candlelight, blood splattered seven steps away!
He was shot five times in a row, twice in the head and three times in the chest. Blood flowed everywhere, and he was beyond dead.

But it wasn't Itagaki who died; it was the warlord who had spoken with him in the front row earlier.

"what!"

A gasp escaped in shock, followed by panic.

No one is unafraid of death, and a commotion suddenly broke out in the Buddhist hall. There were many people, and it was crowded. People in the front row ran out, and people in the back row also crowded in.

The main hall was packed with people, shouting and surging everywhere.

Chen Zhan seized the opportunity to approach Ye Ningzhen, glanced at the interior of the hall and the eaves, and said, "Come with me."

The two took advantage of the crowd and squeezed their way inside.

Now, with several spears pointed at her, the woman who had committed the murder smiled knowingly, threw the Browning to the ground, and laughed:
"The murderer, Shi Jianqiao, sought revenge only for his father's death, without harming the innocent."

With a smile on her lips and an air of composure, she calmly raised her hand, indicating that she would not resist.

Ichiro Itagaki, who was several feet away, was extremely angry. Not only did his eight guards draw their guns to keep watch, but people he had secretly arranged also rushed in from the back hall, the front hall, and other places to protect him.

These five gunshots exposed all the arrangements.

Man proposes, God disposes!

Shi Jianqiao's voice was not enough to quell the riot.

A gunshot rang out, he fell to the ground, and blood gushed out.

With so many armed and knife-wielding Japanese soldiers rushing into the hall, ordinary people simply couldn't remain calm.

The gun she threw away was taken away by the commotion of the crowd, and its whereabouts are unknown.

Chen Zhan had exceptional eyesight and spotted the Browning pistol at a glance. His stance was incredibly steady as he forced his way forward against the crowd, reached out and grabbed the gun, handing it to Ye Ningzhen.

How good is your marksmanship?

"shoot with great precision!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Itagaki Ichiro, who was tightly surrounded by guards and ronin, and thought to himself that there were so many people hiding in the shadows.

"There are only two bullets."

Ye Ning was truly an expert with guns; she could tell how many bullets were in the gun just by feeling its weight.

"You don't need to get close. Find an opportunity to strike," Chen Zhan said calmly. "And what about you?"

"Go take a look and see if there's an opportunity to make a move."

After Chen Zhan finished speaking, he turned to leave, adding one last sentence, "Don't hit me."

Ye Ningzhen glanced at Chen Zhan, her eyebrows twitched, and she raised an eyebrow: "Don't worry."

The two whispered to each other in an instant.

People darted about inside the hall, frantically pushing and shoving to get out, knocking over many candles, setting the prayer cushions ablaze, and causing flames to erupt. The monks inside were busy putting out the fire.

The situation became even more chaotic.

The Guanyin Grand Dharma Assembly was completely out of control.

The forest chief and deputy forest chief were both ashen-faced, but they had no choice but to step forward and take charge of the situation.

"Put out the fire first, evacuate the guests, and please invite the distinguished guests to the back hall."

"Also, have you taken this woman into custody and called the police?"

The young monk beside him said, "Master, we've already sent someone to call the police."

After the young monk finished speaking, he also hurriedly went to put out the fire.

Lin Chang turned to Itagaki Ichiro, who was surrounded by guards, and said, "I'm so sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Itagaki. Would you like to come with me to the back room to rest?"

Ichiro Itagaki nodded and said, "Okay."

Lin Chang led the way, with Itagaki Ichinō and his entourage closely following and surrounding him, looking around to prevent any assassination attempts.

They had witnessed Ye Ningzhen's marksmanship; it was truly unpredictable and beyond belief.

Deputy Abbot Jingyan followed at the back.

The group had only taken a few steps when

Bang!
Inside the hall, a burning pillar collapsed, seemingly by coincidence, and it hurtled straight towards Ichiro Itagaki.

The two ronin samurai reacted swiftly, drawing their swords simultaneously, one for each of them, and cleaved the pillar of fire into four pieces. The remaining force sent the fire flying, and they glanced at the monks inside the hall who were putting out the fire.

Bang!
On the other side, the pillar of fire collapsed and crashed towards Master Jingyan. The auxiliary pillars inside the hall were not thick, but they collapsed while still on fire, so they should not be underestimated.

Master Jingyan, who was not skilled in martial arts, was stunned, while Itagaki Ichiro's guards showed no intention of making a move.

If he were to make a move, he would have to take two steps away from Ichiro Itagaki.

Jingyan lowered her brows like a Bodhisattva, staring blankly as if resigned to her fate.

At that moment, a monk wearing a cap suddenly rushed over, knocking Master Jingyan aside, and the two monks fell to the ground together.

Jing Yan seemed to wake from a dream, and stood up, saying, "Thank you for saving my life."

The monk bowed his head and asked, "Master, are you alright?"

Jingyan shook his head. Although he had fallen, he was not seriously injured.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Are you alright?"

He saw that the monk in front of him was wearing a monk's hat and kept his head down. He took half a step forward and saw his face clearly.

"Sigh, you seem a bit..."

Jingyan wanted to say that he looked unfamiliar, but before he could say it, the monk in front of him suddenly looked up. Because they had fallen to the ground earlier, the two of them were already very close to Itagaki.

At this moment, Chen Zhan suddenly twisted his body and moved half a step to the side, arriving in front of the ronin samurai next to Itagaki Ichiro!
The cold light in his hand was chilling; the movement was incredibly fast, like a fleeting glimpse of a swan.

A flash of brilliance!

Chen Zhan ducked and slid past the two ronin, then stepped backwards in the Seven Stars formation, performing the Dipper Step!
He turned and passed the three people, shattering the white jade slabs beneath his feet. He held the base of the dagger in his four fingers, his hand outstretched like a monkey's arm, and in an instant, he thrust out three more daggers.

Each strike is silent and stealthy.

But the sharp chill within can only be felt by the person directly in front of them.

The two ronin who had been there earlier were now lying on the ground, their throats broken. They stared wide-eyed, trying to say something, but could only make a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound like bellows.

Chen Zhan's actions were too fast and too sudden; no one had time to react.

I just realized that five people had already fallen to the ground.

A master boxer who is close to the level of mastery can be terrifying when he launches an assassination or sneak attack.

In less than two seconds, five people were instantly killed!

(P.S.: I'm hesitant to write the names of many people in this chapter. If you don't know them, just look up Shi Jianqiao.)
(End of this chapter)