Free Web NovelChapter 401: Chapter 208: The Source (2)
But now...
Shen Hex didn’t know by what means, he surprisingly snuck into the temple along with Zhu Xiaolian and entered the painted wall. There, in the Hell Map, he found the soul of Li Yunqing, sister of Li Mubai.
Li Mubai is a rising star in Jinyang’s officialdom in recent years, originally from Lin Anx. As a devotee under Red Lotus Temple’s jurisdiction, he proceeded to Qinghe County years ago, where he performed outstandingly at the Mountain God’s Literary Sacrifice, winning the top three honors, and was invited to the Wenhua Banquet in Huangshan, thus changing his allegiance to the Mountain God.
Later, with the support of the Song Family, he passed the imperial examination and became an official in the prefecture. As of today, he is a Standard Sixth-Grade Magistrate at Jinyang Prefecture. Not only is he an official rising star, but he also holds some sway in front of Shen Hex, having once prayed and requested aid from Shen Hex to find his younger sister Li Yunqing’s soul.
Shen Hex had no idea that Li Yunqing was in this Red Lotus Hell Transformation. This time, he purely intended to target Red Lotus Temple, and then he happened upon her by chance.
There was no choice; a gun targets the head bird. For years among the deities in Jinyang, aside from him being the Little Yellow Mountain God, the Venerable Red Lotus stood out the most, incense prosperous and dominating the surroundings.
Shen Hex could manage Little Yellow Mountain because he had professional assistance. What support did the Venerable Red Lotus have?
Without support, there’s something fishy!
Thus, Shen Hex arrived, and quite fortuitously, directly ran into Zhu Xiaolian and Li Yunqing.
Caught red-handed, irrefutable evidence!
Black-faced Evil Spirit didn’t know the intricacies, but there’s one thing he understood clearly: The insider details of this Hell Transformation must never leak out.
After all, imprisoning human souls is a grave offense against Celestial Rules!
Moreover, for years Red Lotus Temple has been seizing incense from all directions, especially from the Confucian Sect, having snatched away many talents with the Hell Transformation technique. If this matter is exposed, the Confucian Sect definitely won’t suffer the situation calmly.
Thus, regardless of who this divine being is, today they can’t leave Red Lotus Temple alive.
Killing people—no, killing gods—to silence them!
Though there would certainly be inquiries afterward, as long as it’s done cleanly, one could equally escape with innocence.
After all, they are a Buddhist Sect temple with a grand teaching backdrop as support. As long as they aren’t caught red-handed, the charges would scarcely stick.
With such thoughts, Black-faced Evil Spirit decisively attacked, hammering down like thunder towards Shen Hex.
During his lifetime, he was the chief seat at Red Lotus Temple’s Arhat Hall. After death, he was deified to follow the Venerable Red Lotus, becoming one of his Dharma Protectors, equivalent in rank to the City God’s Civil and Military Judges. Later, he was made the Master of Hell Transformation by the Venerable Red Lotus, overseeing the Flower-Scattering Celestial Maiden depicted in the painted walls, ranked as Senior Seventh-Grade.
Divine Dao Seventh Grade, Immortal Dao Nascent Soul, Martial Arts Heavenly Gang Sha.
Tier Six power, not to be underestimated!
Unfortunately...
"Whoo!!"
Shen Hex opened his folding fan, suddenly brimming with golden light, with wind and fire swirling inside, and transforming into streams of Sword Qi.
Before the heavy hammer of Black-faced Evil Spirit could approach its opponent’s range, it was already sparsely swept by Sword Qi, unmatched in sharpness that penetrated through the black armor, instantly causing Evil Qi to leak away, riddling thousands of holes.
"Ah!!!"
Black-faced Evil Spirit flipped back with a fierce scream and cried out to the heavens, "Venerable, save me!"
Before the words finished, there appeared a sudden display of blazing clouds in the sky, with a burst of red light enveloping him within it, blocking the unmatched Sword Qi.
"The main act has arrived."
Shen Hex smiled, folded his fan back, and glanced toward the heavens.
In the heavens, red light like clouds moved wildly, then quickly contracted, transforming into a Crimson Fire Red Lotus, within which a man sat wearing the Golden Crown of Vihara and draped in Red Lotus Brocade Robe, solemnly seated on the lotus platform with a majestic guise, faintly resembling a Bodhisattva.
It was...
"Amitabha Buddha!"
The Venerable Red Lotus brought his hands together, eyes lowered toward Shen Hex, saying, "Is Song Judicial Commissioner not at Dongping dealing with cases, coming to my Red Lotus for what reason?"
The words were calm, without waves, yet hinted at a confrontational stance.
He couldn’t think of why Shen Hex would come to Red Lotus Temple.
Being in Jinyang Land, not far apart, he was naturally aware of Qinghe matters, even having glimpsed internal details. He knew that Jinyang Prefecture promoted Shen Hex and transferred him from Little Yellow Mountain for a specific purpose.
Logically speaking, Song Xiang shouldn’t be in Dongping County, matching wits and courage with the Dongping County City God, handling Zhang Family’s murder case and the City God’s sheltering crime, should he?
How did he silently come to Red Lotus Temple?
Could it be a case of misleading the enemy, Jinyang Prefecture creating a false appearance, seemingly suppressing Little Yellow Mountain while actually plotting against his Red Lotus Temple?
Highly possible!
The tallest tree catches the wind. In recent years among Jinyang’s deities, Red Lotus Temple and Little Yellow Mountain stand most prominently and attract the greatest fear from the Prefecture City.
And as a Sixth Grade True God, especially one born from the Buddhist Sect, having accumulated power for years as a Sixth Grade True God, Jinyang Prefecture’s fear of him exceeded that of Little Yellow Mountain. It’s quite reasonable that they would employ a strategy to drive one force against another.
Thinking upon this, the Venerable Red Lotus’s expression grew colder, with a murderous intent already surfacing in his heart but quickly subdued again.
Song Xiang has already been promoted and is now a Sixth Grade True God. Even if his accumulation isn’t as profound, trying to kill him isn’t easy, and the aftermath would be hard to deal with.
Better to...
"Red Lotus, do you know your crime?"
Just as his thoughts were unsettled, they were interrupted by the words from Shen Hex, who stood with his hands behind, directly presenting accusations.
"Hm!?"
The Venerable Red Lotus’s gaze tightened, then returned to calm, "What crime does this seat have?"
Shen Hex’s eyes were cold, "For the incense, imprisoning human souls, offending against Celestial Rules—what crime is this?"
"Amitabha Buddha!"
The Red Lotus’s expression didn’t change, "What evidence does the magistrate have, thus falsely accusing me?"
"The souls within the map are the evidence!"
Shen Hex looked at him, "Do you admit or not?"
"Magistrate is perhaps mistaken!"
The Red Lotus’s words didn’t change, "The Hell Map is full of unclaimed wandering souls, and my Buddha compassionately opened doors for them, offering a place to stay, partake in incense, and avoid falling into the path of malevolent spirits. Magistrate, driven by some petty mischief’s words, would you truly impose such a crime on me?"
"Cunning tongue, heartless madness!"
Shen Hex’s eyes were cold, not arguing further, directly adjudicating, "Today I’ll act on Heaven’s orders to execute this Demon Buddha Demon Monk!"
Within his words, the folding fan in his hand transformed, suddenly revealing sharp edges—indeed the Sword of Righteous Punishment.
"Amitabha Buddha!"
The Red Lotus kept his hands folded, his expression unchanged, "Accusations without basis, punishing with intent, you have veered into the Demon Dao; today it’s this seat’s duty to subdue demons!"
Amidst the conversation, divine power intensified, red light erupted, Hell Map scenes vanished, the park and pavilions disappeared, replaced by a majestic shrine with terraces and towers, temple halls, and Red Lotus Fire igniting.
Indeed, the Red Lotus Realm!
Both being Sixth Grade True Gods, the Venerable Red Lotus didn’t fear Shen Hex. Previously, he restrained his killing intent only because killing him wasn’t easy, and afterwards cleaning up the mess was difficult.
But just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
Divine beings fighting, one aspect is the accumulation of divine power; the other is the grasp of authority.
Regarding the former, there’s no need to elaborate; as the Master of Red Lotus, incense has flourished for nearly a millennium, divine power accumulation is incomparably robust. If not for Jinyang Prefecture’s deliberate suppression, and no vacancy in the Buddhist Sect’s divine position, he would have become a Fifth-Grade God long ago.
The latter is equally so. Though he is neither Mountain nor Land God, nor City God or Dragon King, as a deity of the Buddhist Sect, he also shelters one side. Red Lotus Temple and the surrounding county areas are controlled by his authority, supported by faith, blessed by Buddhist Technique, transforming into the Fire Dao Crimson Lotus, aiding his dominion over the Fire Dao.
Even though he doesn’t know how Song Xiang evaded his senses, quietly infiltrated Red Lotus Temple and the Hell Map painted wall, but within this Red Lotus Realm, he absolutely doesn’t fear Shen Hex, let alone one Sixth-Grade Punishment Magistrate, even a Fifth-Grade Military Judge from Jinyang Prefecture coming might not be able to cope.
Thus, let’s not speak further, come forth for an attack!
"Boom!!!"
Red Lotus Fire ignited, raging as if to incinerate the heavens.
Simultaneously...
"Look!"
In the temple, a voice of exclamation drew everyone’s attention towards the painted wall diagram.
Depicted in the painted wall, there was also a newly drawn illustration, a Buddha seated in a Red Lotus Platform, with endless lotus flames burning behind, intending to annihilate the Red Robe Divine Being.
However, the Divine Being brandished a sword, golden light radiating outward, fearless of the Red Lotus Fire, instead seizing amid the flames, forming a battle clash scene.
Just at the instant when both sides were about to clash...
Outside Red Lotus Temple, within Lin Anx.
White-haired yet still robust Song Wu, Song Ying, along with a thousand Yellow Turban Warriors, stood solemnly in formation.
Ahead stood a person, a young man wearing a black hat and red robes, holding a folded decree: "Red Lotus Demon Monk, a lair of filth, committing murder and sins beyond redemption. Order now Jinyang Magistrate Li Mubai and Qinghe County Captain Song Jian to break this Demon Monk, eliminate their immoral rituals!"
"March!!!"
