192: Mysterious Monk

The West Gate of Chang'an City, named Anding Gate, was overseen by the Jianmenwei, the yamen responsible for gate supervision and daily patrols.

Some people who watch TV shows or read novels depict the city guards as utterly incompetent, which is quite inaccurate. In fact, historically, the soldiers guarding city gates, especially those of a nation's capital, were not weak in combat, and their relevant yamen had very strict systems.

During the Tang Dynasty, each Jianmenwei had officials such as Langjiang, Xiaowei, Zhizhang, Changshi, Sima, and Lushi, responsible for daily scheduling and other tasks. Its staff was quite numerous, as this was the gateway to a city and could not be taken lightly!

Zhonglangjiang Xu Chang was routinely inspecting the city wall. It was now close to dusk, and the flow of people at the city gate had already thinned. It should be known that after nightfall, the Great Tang had a curfew, and those who violated it were never good people, usually petty thieves and pilferers. Of course, there were also some extraordinary individuals... In short, they were never ordinary citizens.

He would patrol here every day, watching the remaining citizens enter the city before closing the gate. Only after completing the night's defenses would he return to his yamen to report to the Great General, and only then would he have time to eat and rest.

However, just as there were no more citizens passing through the gate and the guards were closing it, a strong wind suddenly rose outside. A strange fellow, wearing a cloak that obscured his head and face, and covered in mud and fine sand, slowly approached the city gate from a distance.

This person was extremely tall, far beyond what an ordinary citizen could be. Xu Chang had sharp eyes and immediately saw that this person was a martial artist, and his martial arts should be extraordinary. Just from the few steps he took, one could tell his cultivation was impressive.

"...Hey, you there..."

On the city wall, a soldier also saw this person and called out loudly, "The city gate is already closed today, you can't get in. Go north, there's an old shop called Changjia. You can make do there for a night and enter the city tomorrow!"

The soldier meant well because there was a clear regulation: after the Xu hour, when the evening drum sounded and the city gates closed, no one was allowed to enter the city. Some travelers, unable to enter, would need to spend the night outside, and the Changjia old shop was a place where traveling merchants who missed the time often stayed.

The man had now walked to the foot of the city wall, looked up, and, by the light of the city's lamps, saw the people on the wall. He chuckled, "That General, Poor Monk is a wandering monk, and I came here to visit an old friend. I missed the time on my journey, please grant me some convenience..."

As he spoke, the man directly removed the headscarf covering his head. Xu Chang looked, and indeed, it was a monk.

The monk had a square face and large ears, and his gaze seemed benevolent, yet within that benevolence, there was a hint of majesty. His eyes sparkled with divine light, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person.

Moreover, where he stood was more than ten meters from the city wall, yet his voice, so calm, could reach everyone's ears. Xu Chang admitted that he himself could not achieve such a feat.

"Great Master, I am truly sorry!"

Xu Chang clasped his hands and said, "We are under orders from above. If we violate the curfew, it is a grave offense, and we too would be held accountable. Great Master, you would also inevitably have to go to prison. To avoid trouble, please rest elsewhere for a night..."

"Hmm..."

The monk scratched his bald head in distress, then suddenly said with a troubled expression, "Originally, for us itinerant monks, eating and sleeping in the open is no problem. But tonight is the last chance I have to see him. If it's tomorrow, I'm afraid there will be disaster... Very well, since you are unwilling to open the city gate, then I will go in myself!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, Xu Chang's pupils contracted, knowing something bad was about to happen. He saw the monk below suddenly stomp his foot lightly, and his body soared into the air like a wild goose, instantly appearing above the city wall.

Xu Chang was greatly alarmed, and with a sudden wave of his hand, the city guards instantly understood, nocking arrows to their bows and firing at the monk.

The monk smiled faintly, completely unconcerned by the rain of arrows. With a flick of his sleeve, all the arrows broke and fell. Xu Chang's brows furrowed, and he ordered the soldiers, "Go quickly and report to the Great General, inform him of this matter, and let him decide..."

As he spoke, he had already picked up his large bow. Xu Chang was a martial scholar, possessing immense strength, capable of drawing a five-hundred-stone Divine Arm Bow. The arrow, resembling a short spear, had astonishing power. He quickly drew his bow and fired an arrow at the monk.

The monk was startled, then smiled slightly and said, "My, my, this General has great strength..."

As he spoke, he lightly snatched the arrow with his right hand, then with a gentle flick, it grazed Xu Chang's cheek and embedded itself diagonally into the brickwork behind him. What was miraculous was that no bricks shattered; instead, it plunged directly into the stone as if cutting tofu with a knife.

And in the blink of an eye, the monk had flipped over and leaped into the city from behind the city wall.

General Xu was already drenched in cold sweat. After regaining his composure, he quickly wiped his forehead and personally ran down from the city wall!

Meanwhile, the monk, having landed on the street, saw that it was deserted, with not a single soul in sight. The sun had already set, and the sky had darkened.

The monk touched his bald head and smiled wryly, "Poor Monk was too rash. In this vast Chang'an City, where am I to search?"

Just as he was pondering, a commotion of hoofbeats erupted from that direction. A large group of soldiers, led by a young general in white robes, had already ridden out in pursuit. The General, clad in silver-white armor and wielding a spear, shouted angrily, "Hey, that monk! Why are you out at night? Don't you know the law of the land?"

It turned out that this General was Luo Tong, the son of the famous 'White-faced Divine Spear, Handsome Luo Cheng.' The soldier who reported the incident had encountered General Luo, who was on night patrol, and informed him of the matter. Fearing the monk would escape, Luo Tong personally led his troops in pursuit.

He brandished his silver spear and thrust it directly at the monk.

The monk touched his bald head, then executed a lazy donkey roll, turning and fleeing. Luo Tong spurred his horse but couldn't catch up, as the monk had already turned the corner and vanished without a trace.

"What the heck... is this monk a rabbit spirit? How can he run so fast?"

Luo Tong hastily led his soldiers in pursuit, but where could he find any trace of the monk?

The monk was extremely fast, but after turning several street corners, he got lost again. The monk couldn't help but frustratingly pound his bald head, saying, "I should have gotten a map or something earlier..."

Just then, a light flashed from the alley on the right. Countless people holding torches rushed out. Leading them was a fierce general, also clad in silver armor, holding a Fangtian Halberd. It was none other than General Xue Rengui, the wise minister foretold in a dream.

The monk pouted and said with a wry smile, "How unlucky, to encounter such a formidable individual..."