Killing Monks

"Junior brother, it's time for vegetarian food."

The voice of the old monk from Prajna Temple rang out in the courtyard.

The terms "senior brother" and "junior brother" are used between monks to indicate closeness.

People are iron, and rice is steel, so you panic if you don't eat a meal.

The vegetarian meals were very simple, even rudimentary.

The whole meal consists of brown rice steamed with a few mixed beans, two kinds of green vegetables grown in the yard, stir-fried with a little rapeseed oil.

Guangyuan is not picky about food; she eats whatever is available.

Eat meat when there is meat, eat vegetables when there are vegetables.

He quietly finished his meal, and seeing that the old monk had also put down his chopsticks, he habitually got up to help clear the dishes.

"Leave it, I'll do it." The old monk waved his hand, his movements slow but firm in his refusal.

He glanced at Guangyuan with his cloudy eyes, then lowered his gaze and began to tidy up on his own, his hands trembling.

Seeing this, Guangyuan did not insist, but simply nodded slightly and stepped aside.

When his gaze inadvertently swept over the old monk's hunched back and profile, he caught a fleeting glimpse of something unusual.

The old monk looked at him... very strangely.

It was neither the serenity expected of a monk nor the kindness of an ordinary elderly person towards a younger generation.

There seemed to be too many complex and indescribable emotions mixed in those eyes.

There was a fleeting envy, a deep-seated jealousy, a nostalgic feeling as if from another world, and even... a hint of indescribable greed.

All sorts of emotions intertwined, ultimately turning into a deep, murky, and numb pool.

However, the old monk did not exhibit any fluctuations of true energy; he was an ordinary person through and through.

He ate the food with them and showed no signs of discomfort.

Guangyuan secretly took note of it, but didn't ask any further questions.

In the martial arts world and within temples, who doesn't have their own secrets and past?

The days passed peacefully, and before they knew it, it was the fifteenth of August.

The night sky was clear and bright, with a full moon like a silver plate hanging high in the sky. Its gentle light bathed the small Prajna Temple courtyard, coating everything in a hazy silver hue.

Guangyuan sat alone by the well, gazing up at the bright moon, lost in thought.

The night of reunion... brought him many feelings.

Having grown up in a temple with little family warmth, I have now betrayed the temple and fled, becoming a lonely person.

In his previous life, he was bedridden with illness, mostly because his family had sacrificed for him. His constant illness made him feel very guilty towards his family.

Now, many years later, having experienced the vicissitudes of life in the martial world and the temples, recalling his family from his previous life brings a mix of emotions.

After a long, long time, he could only let out a long sigh.

The past is gone and cannot be retrieved.

Then, he thought of Lu Fei.

That guy said he'd come to meet him after leaving the Tang family, but several days have passed and he hasn't seen a trace of him.

Could it be that the Tang family banquet was too lavish, with fine wine and beautiful women surrounding him, making him forget all about home?

However, upon further reflection, considering Guangyuan's understanding of such "family banquets," Lu Fei's identity as a "wandering swordsman," and his mention of the Tang family parents' initial reservations about their daughter's adventures in the martial arts world...

It seems more likely that Lu Fei was "enthusiastically persuaded to stay" by the Tang family elders, or even "entangled" and "interrogated" or "advised" in detail.

As he was lost in thought, his ears suddenly twitched slightly.

Extremely faint footsteps, almost blending into the night breeze, are rapidly approaching from afar!

This place is remote and desolate, and apart from him and the old monk, few people usually come here.

It's late at night again, who would come here?

Guangyuan instantly became alert. Without moving, his gaze shot like a sharp arrow toward the low earthen wall of the courtyard.

A dark figure, like a raccoon blending into the night, silently vaulted over the wall, landing as lightly as a feather, making almost no sound.

The moonlight illuminated the figure and attire of the person who had arrived.

He was a lean and agile man dressed in a dark, practical outfit.

A specially made cowhide rope was wrapped around his waist, with a steel grappling hook hanging from one end.

A black iron token hanging from his waist reflected a cold, eerie luster in the moonlight, and engraved on it a single, clearly written character in regular script:

"catch"!

Constables of the Northern Zhou government!

Moreover, judging from their skills and equipment, they are by no means ordinary constables of the county government, but more like elites who are specifically responsible for apprehending criminals and tracking down experts!

Guangyuan's heart sank suddenly, and all the muscles in his body tensed up instantly.

He slowly stood up and faced the uninvited guest who had arrived late at night.

The two stood facing each other, several feet apart, in the moonlight that seemed to flow like water.

The constable wore a black cap without wings, the brim pulled down slightly, obscuring part of his face, revealing only a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes.

He carefully looked Guangyuan up and down, and after a moment, he spoke:

"You... are that evil monk's accomplice?"

Guangyuan frowned: "Which demonic monk?"

He himself was wanted by the Southern Tang Dynasty and was called a "demon monk" by the head constable Qi.

Speaking of "demonic monks," the most enigmatic one he had ever seen was probably the ageless monk who brought a spotted dog and forced a "mirror of karma" on him.

What was it called again?

Letter ball?

Secondly, there's Pigsy, who carried the "Evil-Suppressing Blade" and killed Xu Jinying in three moves.

Who is this constable?

"Who else could it be in this Qujiang area?!" The constable sneered, and seeing Guangyuan's expression harden slightly, he was even more certain that he had something to hide.

In his view, ordinary people would either be terrified or respectful when they saw constables. How could they be like this young monk in front of him, who was not only unafraid but also wary and composed?

This person is definitely not a good one!

Guangyuan's mind raced, and he said, "I am from the Southern Tang Dynasty. I am merely passing through your esteemed place and have stopped here to cultivate in seclusion. Do the constables of the Northern Zhou Dynasty intend to arrest even monks from the Southern Tang?"

He tried to use his identity and location as leverage, but unexpectedly, Constable Zhong was playing right into his hands.

To the constables, this was a classic case of protesting too much!

"A Southern Tang person?" A fierce glint flashed in the constable's eyes. "I am Hai Yantian, the head of the anti-piracy constables of the 'Maritime Police Division' directly under the Ministry of Justice of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

"The Bureau of Naval Arrests, personally ordered by His Majesty, is dedicated to apprehending the most heinous criminals and vile men throughout the land!"

"Don't think that just because you're a monk from the Southern Tang Dynasty, you're not a member of the Northern Zhou royal family. If you're involved in this case, our Maritime Arrest Bureau will arrest you without hesitation! Let alone a bald monk of unknown origin like you!"

Before he finished speaking, Constable Haiyan Tian had already moved!

He knew the world was dangerous, and if anything seemed suspicious, he would strike first!

With a quick shift of his feet, he closed the distance instantly. His right hand clenched into a fist, creating a sharp whooshing sound as he aimed straight for Guangyuan's chest acupoint at the Tanzhong point!

The punches were fierce and swift, yet they carried a peculiar stickiness, not simply aiming to inflict damage.

Guangyuan's gaze sharpened, and he instantly recognized the style of this set of boxing techniques.

The Undying Fist!

Although he did not serve in the Northern Zhou for long, he had heard of some of the special institutions of the Northern Zhou court.

The Ministry of Justice's "Coastal Arrest Division" is responsible for apprehending the most serious criminals in the country. Internally, it is divided into three divisions based on the strength of the targets: "Fierce Blade," "Horizontal Sword," and "Immortal Fist"!