When Li Ping returned from the imperial palace, he naturally couldn't mention the disagreements that had occurred there to Zuo Wuji. He merely tried to smooth things over, explaining that the emperor understood Zuo Wuji's intentions and didn't force anything. However, his words also subtly implied that the other immortal masters in the Imperial Study seemed to have some reservations.
Zuo Wuji and Ji Yuan could discern that Li Ping was now hoping Zuo Wuji would take Li Feng and leave soon, even if it meant returning to their hometown, Kuinan, first.
However, it was clear that Ji Yuan would not be leaving just yet, nor would he allow Zuo Wuji and Li Feng to depart immediately. Zhu Yan was still lurking in the capital, seemingly with an unusual connection to other immortal masters at court.
After Li Ping left, Zuo Wuji continued to train Li Feng in martial arts, while Ji Yuan stood at the desk in the room, constantly writing on paper, his mind simultaneously occupied with other thoughts.
If Zhu Yan had arrived in the capital so suddenly, how could he have appeared to be such long-time friends with Immortal Master Tang in such a short period, even entering the imperial palace together?
There was an unwritten understanding and set of rules between the Southern Wilderness Mountains and the righteous path. For many years, both sides had maintained a state of mutual non-aggression, at least on a large scale. Moreover, there were indeed immortal sects that maintained relatively close ties with the Southern Wilderness Mountains.
Although Zhu Yan had previously displayed significant aggression and seemed somewhat reckless to Ji Yuan, this did not mean he lacked intelligence. If he truly was the avatar of a grand schemer, then it was even more crucial to consider how many pawns he had and where they were located.
"If Zhu Yan also contended for a portion of the Way of Heaven and Earth back then, what would happen if he died? What would become of the karmic connections that arose from his path, and the beings who gained those connections?"
Ji Yuan murmured this, his words implicitly referring to the player and the pieces, though phrased differently. After a long moment, Xiezhi's hoarse voice responded.
"This Zhu Yan in the capital is merely an avatar. His true body is trapped in the desolate realm, so he cannot be killed. However, his current avatar must have consumed a significant amount of his true essence and energy. If it were destroyed, he would undoubtedly be severely weakened, making it difficult for him to exert much influence on this world in the short term."
"Indeed."
Ji Yuan nodded. Zhu Yan was one of the few formidable mythical beasts from ancient times; truly slaying him would be exceedingly difficult.
"Ji Yuan, we could try having Zuo Wuji leave directly in a couple of days. Zhu Yan might pursue them…"
"That's not advisable. He might not fall for it, and this course of action is too risky. If I were to let Zuo Wuji leave, I would certainly ensure Zhu Yan couldn't pinpoint their location. However, Zhu Yan doesn't know I won't do this. In his eyes, Zuo Wuji and Li Feng will be leaving soon. Even if he's overconfident, he certainly wouldn't be entirely sure he could find the departing Zuo Wuji while I'm interfering."
Xiezhi fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice.
"That makes sense… Do you have a plan?"
Ji Yuan slowly raised his head, his pale eyes unfocused, as if gazing into the far distance.
"Leaving Zuo Wuji aside for a moment, let's make an assumption: if Zhu Yan also has designs on the Xia Yong Dynasty itself, and possesses an extraordinary relationship with those immortal sects, who would be his greatest impediment?"
This time, Xiezhi answered swiftly.
"Wouldn't that be you?"
Ji Yuan paused, then said helplessly.
"Excluding me, then?"
"That would likely be the young monk Moyun. Buddhist influence in the Xia Yong Dynasty is still considerable, and this young monk Moyun, in particular, holds pivotal sway."
"Precisely!"
The drawing paper on the desk was completely black, save for a brightly shining moon, upon which the faint, fleeting outline of a three-legged toad intermittently appeared.
That night, as silence descended, the imperial Buddhist pagoda, both inside and out, was quiet. The few monks within the pagoda were already asleep; only Monk Puhui remained standing outside, silently chanting scriptures, while the elderly monk Moyun continued his meditation in his third-floor zen chamber.
It was past midnight. Not long after the watchman's gong and clapper had sounded, Monk Puhui ceased his chanting and looked up at the sky. A dark cloud was now obscuring the bright moon.
'Tonight is a night of abundant moonlight, a night of spiritual resonance; the sky should be clear!'
Monk Puhui frowned, glanced up at the top of the pagoda, then lowered his head to continue chanting. However, the scripture had changed from the previous *Sutra of Tranquil Meditation* to the *Great Moha-Golden Sutra of the Wrathful Wisdom King*.
High in the distant sky, Zhu Yan also looked up at the bright moon, which was gradually being obscured by dark clouds, and let out a cold snort.
"Dead toad…"
As dark clouds obscured the bright moon, Zhu Yan lowered his gaze to the Buddhist pagoda within the imperial palace. He stroked the stiff stubble on his chin, a smile spreading across his face. Reaching behind his ear, he pulled out a glistening strand of hair, then lightly blew it towards the pagoda.
"Whoosh… whoosh…"
That gust of wind carried the hair, sending it flying towards the Buddhist pagoda.
Inside the third-floor zen chamber of the pagoda, the elderly monk Moyun sat in tranquil meditation with his eyes closed. Several rows of candles lined the chamber walls and were placed before him. At that moment, their flames suddenly began to flicker wildly.
The elderly monk Moyun instantly opened his eyes, frowning as he looked around. The doors and windows were closed, yet a current of wind swirled erratically within the room.
"Whence comes this evil wind, you wicked entity? Do not dare disturb the sanctity of my Buddhist sanctuary!"
The elderly monk's initial words were calm, but the final few exploded like thunder, reverberating only within the zen chamber. This caused the candleholders to tremble slightly, and the evil wind vanished without a trace.
Seeing the candle flames calm again, Monk Moyun's face registered thought. He twirled the prayer beads in his hand but could discern no cause or consequence.
'Hehehehe… Hahahaha…'
A deeply magnetic, eerie voice resonated within Monk Moyun's mind, startling him.
"Who? Who disturbs my tranquility?"
'Who? Who do you say? I am your inner demon, Moyun… I know the desires hidden deep in your heart, I know all your secrets… Hahahaha…'
Listening closely, the voice was strikingly ninety percent similar to Moyun's, with the remaining ten percent being profoundly eerie and sinister.
Buddhist light emanated from the elderly monk Moyun's eyes as he scanned every corner of the chamber.
"Hmph, what nonsense! You wicked entity, if you don't reveal yourself, this old monk will not hold back!"
'Not hold back? How can you not hold back against yourself? I am you, and you are me. Have you forgotten why you became a monk? Have you forgotten what you did after you took your vows?'
This type of probing question was extremely insidious, a dangerous and malicious method designed to destabilize the mind. Upon hearing this demonic sound, Moyun immediately recognized its potency and began to meditate and chant scriptures, understanding that this was undeniably the work of a Heavenly Demon.
'Hahahaha… Chant, chant all you want, but even the Buddhist Wisdom Kings cannot save you… Just think carefully…'
Certain things in his heart were constantly amplified. Sometimes, the more one tries not to think about something, or tries to forget it, the more it resurfaces. Even a high monk like Moyun could not maintain his composure for long under an external influence like Zhu Yan's, and fragmented thoughts began to stir in his mind.
Scenes from his youth flashed quickly, and various unholy thoughts from his younger days also continuously resurfaced, causing sweat to break out on Monk Moyun's forehead, and his chanting grew louder and louder.
"Puhui—Puhui—"
He called out for his disciple several times, but received no answer.
Above the Buddhist pagoda, Zhu Yan smiled again. He gestured towards a certain spot in the imperial palace, summoning another gentle breeze, then flicked this breeze directly into the pagoda.
Monk Moyun now realized that the external demon afflicting him was no small matter. He had already taken out his magical artifacts, among them two white jade sculpted statues of Wisdom Kings: one depicted with eight arms and wrathful eyes, the other reclining with downcast eyes.
"Praise be to the Great Wisdom King Buddha! Your disciple Moyun, encountering this demonic moment today, respectfully implores my Buddha Wisdom King's great Dharma to descend—descend—descend—"
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Moyun's voice roared like thunder, causing the entire Buddhist pagoda to tremble.
Tiles on the Buddhist pagoda rattled, but Monk Puhui below continued his chanting, seemingly oblivious. Not only him, but the imperial guards, eunuchs, and palace maids around the pagoda also remained unaware.
"Hmph, Wisdom King?"
Zhu Yan sneered from high in the sky, and the magnetic voice within the Buddhist pagoda resounded once more.
'You cannot summon the great Dharma of the Wisdom King. Your heart is full of filth and evil thoughts. How can the Wisdom King's divine presence descend for you? Look over there, and you still claim to be a pure monastic?'
Though no one was pointing, the elderly monk Moyun seemed to know exactly where to look, turning his gaze directly to a certain spot.
"Ah? Empress Li? Royal Consort Wang? Oh dear!"
Monk Moyun merely glanced and quickly turned his head away. Two young concubines lay almost naked on his usual sleeping mat, their snow-white skin flushed, embracing and entwining, writhing together, and emitting groans.
"Master, Imperial Preceptor…"
"Imperial Preceptor, come quickly…"
The voices of the two concubines trembled, filling the elderly monk Moyun with both incandescent rage and a chilling dread that made his hair stand on end.
"Wicked entity! How dare you tarnish my reputation, how dare you tarnish the imperial family's honor—"
At this same moment, a eunuch carrying a lamp passed by the Buddhist pagoda in a surrounding palace building. He looked up at the trembling pagoda, and it was Ji Yuan.
"I didn't expect him to use such a devious trick instead of brute force!"
"Hehehe, I must say, it's quite effective, isn't it? It doesn't even matter whether others believe it or not!"
Xiezhi's words, laced with amusement, also sounded in Ji Yuan's ear.
"Yes, if I weren't here, that would certainly be the case!"
Upstairs in the Buddhist pagoda, the furious elderly monk Moyun sighed, settling into a resigned silence. Sweat still beaded his face as he slowly walked to the window, opened it, and looked up at the sky.
"Praise be, Great Wisdom King Buddha! Is this old monk's inner demon in the heavens?"
At that moment, Zhu Yan saw the look in the elderly monk Moyun's eyes, and his heart jolted with a sudden, ominous premonition.
At this moment, the Celestial Net suddenly began to shift. It was as if the sky itself was pressing down, causing Zhu Yan to instinctively look up.
"What? The sky is fake!"
The outline of the sky in his vision seemed to reveal edges, but these edges were constantly extending in all directions. If an accomplished master could, at this moment, overlook Xia Yong Capital from a significant height, they would discover a gigantic painting continuously unfurling. This painting was clearly its reverse side, so its front could not be seen, but its surface was covered with large characters shimmering with spiritual light. In just an instant, it had already enveloped the entire Xia Yong Capital.
At this very moment, Ji Yuan, dressed in eunuch attire on the ground, also had a painting scroll appear in his hand. With a slight flick of his right hand, the scroll unfurled from the ground, seemingly disregarding all buildings, transforming into a painting that blended reality and illusion. It, too, continuously expanded, instantly reaching the limits of his vision.
"Last time, the formation was hastily arranged, but this time, after more than a month of dedicated preparation, it won't be so!"
As Ji Yuan spoke with a smile, all the changes had already occurred, happening so quickly that Zhu Yan couldn't react in time. Or rather, he did react, but failed to make the correct decision to flee immediately, because he held himself in excessively high regard.
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