Chapter 626: The Fox Who Causes Trouble

The Golden Palace was quiet. After Chu Ruyan and Huicheng received their gifts, the Emperor, seated on his throne, looked at Monk Huicheng with interest. The entire palace awaited the Emperor's words.

"Though I reside in the capital of Tianbao, the renown of Dialiang Temple still resonates deeply with me. The abbot of Fayuan Temple in the city once spoke of Dialiang Temple as a sacred Buddhist site, and Master Huicheng as a venerable and virtuous monk. Seeing you today, Master, you are much younger than I anticipated. Could it be a return to original simplicity? I recall one of my beloved ministers in the court mentioning having met the Master years ago at Dialiang Temple, but I can't quite remember who it was."

As the Emperor spoke, he scanned his civil and military officials. From among the civil ministers, one stepped forward, bowed, and responded.

"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, it was indeed your humble servant. I mentioned it during the spring banquet last year, and I am surprised Your Majesty remembers."

The minister had graying temples and a beard as long as his forearm, exuding a refined and gentle demeanor.

"Ah, it's Minister Liu. Minister Liu, do you still remember Master Huicheng?"

The Emperor of Tianbao was somewhat skeptical that the monk before him was the renowned High Monk Huicheng. He looked exceedingly handsome and young. Although Master Huicheng was famous for his "beauty," this monk appeared to be barely in his early twenties, perhaps even younger than twenty.

Minister Liu bowed to Huicheng, then turned back to the Emperor.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, over thirty years ago, your humble servant made a mistake in his duties and became deeply entangled in a predicament, subsequently being banished to Tianhai Prefecture on the border. During that time, I visited Tongqiu Prefecture in Tingliang, where I stayed at Dialiang Temple for three days and met Master Huicheng. His demeanor is exactly as it was back then."

"Thirty years..." the Emperor murmured, repeating the phrase. This minister's abilities among the civil officials were unremarkable, and his presence was not strong, but he would never lie to the Emperor.

"Thirty years..." "This Master really doesn't look it..."

"Goodness, he truly is a high monk!" "How old is this monk exactly?"

The civil and military officials in the hall could not help but whisper amongst themselves, frequently glancing at Monk Huicheng. Even the radiant Chu Ruyan received little attention.

"Amitabha, it is merely a physical form. Your Majesty and esteemed sirs, please do not be fixated on appearances."

The Emperor's attitude towards Huicheng showed a slight change at this point, and he inquired more earnestly.

"Master Huicheng, you were summoned to the capital at my Queen Mother's behest. The Empress has suffered two miscarriages, and the protective amulets and treasures around her have shattered. She is often plagued by nightmares, unable to sleep at night. My Queen Mother has repeatedly dreamt of divine beings sending messages, yet cannot recall the details of these dreams, leading her to believe there might be malevolent spirits in the palace. We have invited several Dharma masters and high monks to perform rituals, but with little effect, which is why you were summoned to the capital."

Chu Ruyan frowned slightly. Though she did not speak, she disliked the word "summoned" used by the Emperor of Tianbao. Dialiang Temple belonged to Tingliang, and the Emperor's tone sounded as if Huicheng were one of his own subjects. Although Tingliang referred to Tianbao as the "Superior Kingdom," as the Princess Royal of Tingliang, she found it quite grating.

The Emperor paused briefly, then continued. "In the Master's view, are there malevolent energies within the palace?"

Monk Huicheng raised his head, looked directly at the Emperor, and with palms pressed together, uttered a Buddhist name. "Amitabha, your humble monk must first observe before speaking further."

Though Monk Huicheng said this, with his Bodhi Dharma Eyes, he could already discern the faint, almost imperceptible demonic energy intertwined with the Emperor of Tianbao's imperial aura. Had he not been informed about the palace's situation beforehand, he might have overlooked it, but with the incident at Hui Mansion as corroboration, Huicheng knew he couldn't be mistaken.

"Hmm, very well. After court adjourns, we shall go together to see the Queen Mother."

The court then proceeded with matters of Tianbao's governance. Huicheng and Princess Royal Chu Ruyan withdrew temporarily, awaiting further summons.

About an hour later, with the sun high in the sky, Huicheng and his companions, in a palace resting chamber, finally received a new summons. This time, Lu Qianyan was also permitted to accompany them.

Upon arriving at Yong'an Palace, Huicheng, Chu Ruyan, and their retinue met the Queen Mother. Besides the Emperor, the Empress and several other consorts, including Consort Hui, were also present.

Inside Yong'an Palace, the well-preserved Queen Mother and the Emperor sat together on a soft couch, while the other consorts sat on chairs to one side. Eunuchs, palace maids, and guards stood on either flank.

Chu Ruyan and Huicheng had already performed their greetings. The elderly Queen Mother was scrutinizing Chu Ruyan and Monk Huicheng, her face revealing an expression of admiration.

"I had long heard of Master Huicheng's handsome appearance, and seeing you today confirms it. Master, I heard you mentioned during the morning court that you needed to observe the palace more closely. When you came to Yong'an Palace, I had someone guide you for a brief tour. Has the Master gained any insights?"

Monk Huicheng remained serene, his expression calm and composed, as he uttered another Buddhist name. "Amitabha, reporting to Her Majesty the Queen Mother, your humble monk has already glimpsed a trace of ominousness."

"Oh? Quickly, tell us!" The Queen Mother's spirits lifted, and she immediately urged him to speak. The Emperor and the consorts beside her also reacted. Consort Hui feigned curiosity, but her eyes held a playful, intrigued look as she watched the foreign monk. She had heard of Huicheng's reputation and found him indeed handsome and alluring.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and esteemed consorts, what your humble monk perceives is residual demonic energy, extremely subtle and faint, almost capable of deceiving even gods and spirits. Had your humble monk not cultivated the Bodhi Wisdom Eyes, I would not be able to confirm it."

The Empress, already terrified, clutched her skirt tightly and, unable to restrain her fear, blurted out a question. "A demon? What kind of demon?"

Huicheng kept his hands clasped, his expression consistently calm, as his lips parted slightly. "The physical body encompasses myriad energies, and the mastery of principles brings about even greater transformations. However, the essence of the five elements cannot always be dissolved. The residual traces your humble monk observed are faintly flickering, manifesting as the Metal element, accompanied by a soft, echoing cry, indicating a furry beast."

"Master Huicheng, could you perhaps explain more clearly?" These words were profound and esoteric. The Queen Mother found them deeply meaningful and, without impatience, instinctively lowered her voice as she inquired.

"Reporting to Her Majesty the Queen Mother, although there remains more than one possibility for these various signs, your humble monk believes this demon is a fox."

Huicheng's Bodhi Wisdom Eyes indeed saw traces, but his ability to describe them in such detail was also due to his prior knowledge, incorporating a degree of backward inference.

However, after Huicheng finished speaking, Consort Hui was suddenly startled, almost letting a cold glint flash in her eyes. Fortunately, she quickly closed her eyes to conceal it, feigning the same fear as the other consorts.

Others also felt a slight chill. Master Huicheng's tone was calm, strong, and unhurried, as if his words themselves confirmed their truth, instilling a sense of conviction in those who heard him.

"Master, do you have a solution? Where is this demonic creature hiding? Will it harm people? Are the Empress's miscarriages related to this demon?"

"Your Majesty, please do not worry. If the demon intended to directly harm people, it would have acted long ago. Your humble monk has some prayer beads here, which I offer to you all for temporary protection. They have the effect of calming the mind and dispelling evil."

As Huicheng spoke, he took out several strands of prayer beads from his sleeve, each slightly thicker than a wrist. The beads themselves were smaller than ordinary Buddhist beads, and the sizes varied among the strands.

"The beads on these strands are polished from fallen branches of the Bodhi tree at my Dialiang Temple, and they have been cleansed by the Buddhist teachings of Dialiang Temple. I ask that Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and all esteemed consorts wear them now, and your humble monk will chant scriptures for your blessing."

An elderly eunuch approached Huicheng with a tray. Huicheng placed the strands of prayer beads onto it. In the eyes of everyone present, including the palace maids and eunuchs, the prayer beads glowed with clear Buddhist light, clearly indicating they were treasures.

The elderly eunuch carefully presented the tray to the Emperor and the Queen Mother, who exchanged glances.

"Mother, please choose first," the Emperor said, then watched as the Queen Mother selected one strand. He then chose the strand most pleasing to his eye. As soon as the beads were in his hand, the palpitation and irritability he had felt upon hearing about the demon immediately subsided significantly.

About ten seconds later, the Empress and several consorts had taken their prayer beads. The Empress's anxious expression noticeably improved, and she eagerly put on the beads.

"Please, everyone, put on the prayer beads."

As Huicheng spoke, his gaze swept over the Emperor and Queen Mother, and then over the other consorts. He appeared to treat everyone equally, but he paid slightly more attention to Consort Hui, though it was imperceptible on his face. In Huicheng's view, everyone, including Consort Hui, put on the prayer beads. Consort Hui's fair wrist, adorned with the beads, seemed completely unaffected.

"Amitabha, profound contemplation of immeasurable Dharma, the wisdom body should be Bodhi..."

The low sound of Buddhist scriptures filled Yong'an Palace. The monk's chanting seemed to continuously echo through the beams, reverberating repeatedly throughout the hall. Though only Huicheng chanted, it sounded as if an entire temple of monks were chanting in unison. A sense of brightness arose in the room, and the prayer beads in their hands shimmered with flowing light.

After a long while, Huicheng finished chanting, but the lingering echoes in the room persisted for a long time.

More than half an hour later, this informal ritual concluded. Monk Huicheng and Chu Ruyan returned to the imperial guesthouse, where preparations would begin for a truly grand ritual.

In Pixiang Palace, Consort Hui, a smile still on her face, returned. She then closed the palace doors, dismissed all but two trusted palace maids, leaving them by her side.

At that moment, the smile instantly vanished from Consort Hui's face. She immediately took off the prayer beads from her right hand and threw them to the ground.

Accompanied by a faint sizzling sound, a bizarre burn mark appeared on Consort Hui's otherwise fair wrist.

"Damn bald monk, I didn't expect him to have some skill after all!"

"What shall we do, Lady?" "Do we need to kill this monk?"

Consort Hui's eyes gleamed with coldness. As she rubbed her right hand, she gritted her teeth and said, "Inform those individuals: I want the monk dead at the imperial guesthouse, and that Chu Ruyan must die with him. Her death, however, must bring shame upon Tingliang. I don't need to instruct you on how to accomplish that, do I?"