Capital of Dali.
Linglong Pavilion.
As the largest restaurant in the capital, Linglong Pavilion was packed with people every day. Whether they were visitors from out of town or locals, anyone with the opportunity wouldn't miss the chance to taste the dishes at Linglong Pavilion.
Snap!
In the central part of the restaurant, on a constructed platform, a storyteller was energetically narrating a "story."
"Ten years ago, in the sacred land of Buddhism, the Great Zen Temple, a Buddhist disciple was born. This disciple was born with knowledge, possessing the appearance of various Buddhas."
"It is said that at that time, the sky above the Great Zen Temple revealed the golden body of Buddha, with golden light covering an area of tens of miles. Many people, bathed in this golden light, had their hidden illnesses cured."
"Now, after ten years, that Buddhist disciple..."
The storyteller paused abruptly, arching his hand, "Ladies and gentlemen, today's story ends here. If you want to know how this young Buddhist disciple is doing now, please come back tomorrow."
As these words were spoken, a sigh spread among the audience. They were captivated by the tale and wanted to know more about the young Buddhist disciple. However, the storyteller chose to leave them in suspense.
"This is for you to continue," a burly man said, throwing a silver ingot onto the platform. Other onlookers also tossed various coins and valuables.
"Hehe, thanks to everyone for the appreciation. I will continue right away," the storyteller said with a grin, collecting the rewards before resuming his narrative.
"Considering his age, that Buddhist disciple should be in his teens now, undoubtedly studying Buddhist scriptures and delving into the Buddha's teachings."
As the storyteller elaborated on the disciple's mundane activities, the audience began to lose interest. Yet, what they didn't notice was a young monk in gray robes seated in a corner, wearing a peculiar expression.
"Am I written into these stories?" Lin Yuan shook his head slightly. He wasn't surprised. Being a disciple of the Great Zen Temple, a place of great influence, his every move naturally attracted attention. Additionally, with the openness of the abbot and the masters, various rumors and versions of stories circulated.
Having sampled the delicacies of this world at Linglong Pavilion, Lin Yuan left the establishment. The streets, paved with bluestones, bustled with people and echoed with the shouts of merchants.
As Lin Yuan walked further into the city, the number of pedestrians decreased, but the presence of patrolling soldiers increased.
Until he reached a towering city gate, dozens of soldiers with formidable auras guarded the entrance.
Behind the gate lay the Great Departure Palace, the absolute core of the dynasty, and even standing outside, glimpses of the magnificent palace buildings were visible.
At that moment, a carriage slowly emerged from the palace.
Seeing this, the soldiers immediately stepped back, creating a path.
Inside the carriage, a middle-aged monk wearing a crimson kasaya was massaging his brow.
The current Empress of Dali held Buddhism in high regard, frequently inviting esteemed monks to the palace. The middle-aged monk in the crimson kasaya had gained significant prominence in recent years, earning the favor of the Empress.
Every ten days or so, he would be invited into the palace.
"The Empress's inquiries have become increasingly intricate lately," the middle-aged monk furrowed his brows, feeling a bit annoyed. "It's time to leave the palace now."
The middle-aged monk reached out and lifted the curtain of the carriage. Glancing around casually, he noticed a young monk not far away. However, just this casual glance made his pupils contract.
"That is..."
The middle-aged monk stared at the young monk nearby, his expression filled with uncertainty. "Buddhist disciple?"
Coming from the Great Zen Temple, the middle-aged monk had stayed in the capital for over a decade. Although he didn't actively participate in the temple's affairs, he kept regular contact with them. A few years ago, the Great Zen Temple sent a portrait of a Buddhist disciple, instructing him to remember and comply if he ever encountered the depicted person.
As the middle-aged monk examined the young monk, he was astonished to find that the features of the young monk were nearly identical to the portrait.
"Disciple of the Great Zen Temple?" the middle-aged monk inquired tentatively.
"Do you know me?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Twenty years ago, I was also a monk of the Great Zen Temple," the middle-aged monk said, revealing his identity with just one sentence.
"I see," Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
The influence of the Great Zen Temple extended beyond Mount Shaoshi, where it was situated. The previous visit to Pudu Temple and the presence of this middle-aged monk were indicative of this.
"I wonder if the Buddhist disciple has any specific business in the capital?" The middle-aged monk curiously asked. Before meeting Lin Yuan, he hadn't received any information from the Great Zen Temple. It seemed that Lin Yuan's arrival in the capital was not known to the abbot or the masters.
"I wish to enter the martial arts hall in the imperial palace for observation," Lin Yuan spoke.
The martial arts hall in the Great Departure Palace stored countless martial arts secrets from all over the world. When the Great Li Dynasty's founder, Emperor Ma, unified the world, he collected martial arts from various sects, and all these records were stored in the martial arts hall.
"Entering the martial arts hall might be a bit troublesome," the middle-aged monk said, furrowing his brow. Generally, only members of the imperial family or those who had made significant contributions to Dali had the qualifications to enter the martial arts hall. This was a rule set by Emperor Ma.
"Wanting to enter the hall is indeed a bit tricky."
The middle-aged monk explained, "Typically, only the royal family members and those who have made significant contributions to Dali have the qualifications to enter the martial arts hall. It's a rule established by Emperor Ma."
"However, there might be a way."
The middle-aged monk spoke slowly:
"Within the palace, security is extremely tight, and infiltrating it is definitely impossible," the middle-aged monk's face revealed a hint of anxiety. As an honored guest of the Empress, he had some understanding of the Imperial Palace of Dali.
The eight thousand Forbidden Army members within the palace were all trained using secret methods to reach the pinnacle of postnatal realm. The two hundred deputy commanders were prenatal realm martial artists, while the eighteen grand commanders were peak innate peak realm experts. In essence, this force alone was enough to easily sweep away tens of thousands of troops, and even a master would be trapped if they entered.
Moreover, the middle-aged monk occasionally heard from the Empress that there were martial arts masters stationed at various points in the palace.
Over the years, the middle-aged monk, having frequently visited the palace, speculated that there were at least four martial arts masters within the palace.
Four masters.
Eighteen peak innate experts.
Two hundred innate realm experts.
Eight thousand postnatal realm peak experts.
This was the Great Dali Dynasty's strongest hand. Even if the world fell into chaos now, the Great Dali Dynasty could easily regain control. Furthermore, beyond this, there were armies stationed at the borders and martial arts masters ready to be mobilized.
"Buddhist disciple."
"Listen to me."
"Later, follow me into the palace, and meet the Empress."
"I will introduce you, and the Empress will certainly take notice of the Buddhist disciple."
"For the next three months, you should visit the Empress frequently, become familiar with her."
"After that, on the Emperor's sixtieth birthday, when the Empress appears, I will take you to congratulate the Emperor."
"At that time, I will present a precious Buddhist artifact."
"With the Emperor pleased, there will be a good chance for the Buddhist disciple to enter the martial arts hall."
The middle-aged monk, after careful consideration, presented the only feasible method at the moment. In theory, it was impossible for outsiders to enter the martial arts hall. However, if the current Emperor Dali permitted it, then it was a matter of whether Lin Yuan could please the Emperor. After all, Lin Yuan was just going in to take a look, and it wouldn't cause any loss to the numerous martial arts scriptures inside.
"I wonder what the Buddhist disciple thinks."
The middle-aged monk spoke all in one breath.
Lin Yuan nodded.
The middle-aged monk had indeed thought carefully. According to his plan, there was a high probability of Lin Yuan successfully entering the martial arts hall.
"It's just."
Lin Yuan shook his head again.
"Just what?"
The middle-aged monk asked anxiously.
"It's too troublesome."
Lin Yuan gazed calmly towards the distant imperial palace.
"Troublesome?"
The middle-aged monk took a while to react. The plan he just devised was already as concise as possible. Directly taking Lin Yuan to see the Empress and leveraging her influence over the Emperor was the fastest way to enter the martial arts hall.
However, it wasn't possible to directly meet the Emperor. Without enough weighty figures to recommend him, even the middle-aged monk wouldn't be able to meet the Emperor, let alone Lin Yuan.
"Just say it straightforwardly."
Lin Yuan finished speaking, took a step forward, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly in the direction of the imperial palace.
"I am Hui Zhen, a humble monk, and I wish to enter the martial arts hall of the imperial palace for observation."
His voice was normal at the first word 'humble,' but starting from the second word, the pitch began to rise. By the fifth word, the terrifying sound waves spread in all directions. When the last word 'observation' was spoken, it was as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was shattering, echoing like thunder.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
At that moment, the entire imperial palace was enveloped by the terrifying sound waves.
The eight thousand postnatal peak Forbidden Army soldiers felt a deafening roar, and their consciousness dissipated. The eighteen peak innate grand commanders were bleeding from all seven orifices, kneeling on the ground unable to rise.
Deep within the imperial palace, the auras of five martial arts masters flashed and disappeared. They attempted to resist the Buddhist sounds entering their ears, but they could only persist for a few breaths before their auras rapidly weakened, losing any resistance.
For a moment, the once well-guarded Imperial Palace became disorganized, crumbling into a pile of loose sand.
"What is this?"
The middle-aged monk's mouth gaped open.
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