79: All appearances are false

“Don't be in a hurry to release him. I'll go out and take a look.”

With that, Jiang Lan walked outside.

Bao Jing was also a Martial Artist, and he could hear the shouts of the monks outside the main gate, so he followed behind Jiang Lan, walking together towards the Demon Suppression Division's main gate.

A moment later, Jiang Lan stood in front of the door.

Before him were dozens of bald monks dressed in monastic robes.

The leader of the monks was a middle-aged man, somewhat obese; who knew what he had eaten.

He led the chant: “The Demon Suppression Division disregards human life, ignores the law, and forcibly enters Bao Ping Temple to abduct monks. Where is the justice?”

The monks behind him echoed.

“Where is the justice?”

Jiang Lan narrowed his eyes.

His entire Aura emanated.

“Boom!”

As his Aura spread, a gust of wind blew, sending all the monks stumbling, and some of the weaker ones even sat directly on the ground.

The monks only felt their hands and feet turn cold, as if all the blood in their bodies was about to be frozen by this Aura.

But after a short while, the cold sensation on the monks' bodies completely receded, gradually becoming warm.

Almost instantly, the crowd was drenched in sweat, feeling as if their bald heads were being roasted by a giant sun, almost steaming them alive.

Looking at the crowd's reaction, Jiang Lan immediately understood what was happening.

Although the Cultivation Technique Fusion was only halfway complete, it was still a tangible Fusion.

In other words, the Cultivation Technique Jiang Lan was currently Cultivating was the one that was half-Fused.

Although not completely Fused yet, the True Qi circulation routes had changed significantly compared to before.

The 'Aura' emanating from a person, besides their own essence, also has a certain relationship with the Cultivation Technique they Cultivate.

When Jiang Lan only Cultivated the Three Yuan True Nurturing Skill, his Aura was 'killing intent' and 'icy coldness'.

And Cultivating the Golden Sun Transformation Art changed the 'icy coldness' to 'scorching heat'.

But now he was in the stage of Fusion of the two Cultivation Techniques, which is why his Aura underwent this change.

Jiang Lan would call it: Ice and Fire Nine Heavens.

At this moment, the monks no longer cared about shouting curses; they were in a chaotic mess on the ground, scrambling and crawling, and even the leading middle-aged monk was no exception.

Jiang Lan's Aura was only directed at those monks and did not affect others.

Bao Jing looked at the monks, then at Jiang Lan, seeming to hesitate to speak.

Gritting his teeth, just as he was about to speak, he heard another voice from behind the door.

“This is a vital area of the Demon Suppression Division, who dares to make such a ruckus?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Lan turned his head.

The person who arrived was Wu Qingyun.

Jiang Lan's lips curved into a smile.

What a coincidence; normally, a chiliarch wouldn't bother with such trivial matters, unless he happened to encounter them.

It was the same last time when people from the Prince's Mansion came.

However, this time, he didn't need to borrow Wu Qingyun's light.

As soon as Wu Qingyun stepped out of the gate, he saw Jiang Lan.

He was slightly stunned.

“Demon Suppression Envoy Jiang?” He then looked at the monks in disarray and asked in confusion, “What's going on here?”

Jiang Lan waved his hand, “I arrested a monk from Bao Ping Temple and brought him back. Brother Wu can go attend to his business, I'll handle this.”

“Ah? Ah!” Wu Qingyun quickly said, “Alright, alright, then I'll be going.”

Now he was a chiliarch, and Jiang Lan was a Demon Suppression Envoy.

Although he didn't know why Jiang Lan wanted to arrest a monk from Bao Ping Temple and bring him back.

But a Demon Suppression Envoy doing this must have his reasons!

So, Wu Qingyun, who had just stepped out the door, immediately retreated back inside and turned to leave without a second thought.

Jiang Lan turned again, looking at Bao Jing.

“You have something to say?”

Bao Jing was speechless.

“Whatever you have to say, say it later.”

As his voice fell, the Aura emanating from Jiang Lan completely retracted.

The monks on the ground took a good while longer to recover, then slowly helped each other up.

Just as the fat monk at the head was about to rise, Jiang Lan took two steps forward and stomped his foot on the monk's thick thigh.

Jiang Lan's foot was like a mountain weighing ten thousand tons, pinning the monk firmly to the ground, no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.

Narrowing his eyes, Jiang Lan said coldly:

“You led this?”

The surrounding monks were like quails, watching the fat monk being trampled by Jiang Lan, yet not a single one dared to make a sound.

The fat monk was scared, his previous arrogant demeanor completely vanished.

He had intended to rely on the principle that the law doesn't punish a crowd, but unexpectedly, the crowd wasn't punished, only he was being trampled.

He swallowed nervously, but the fat monk still stubbornly said:

“What crime did Huijue commit? Why are you arresting him?”

By now, he knew he absolutely couldn't show weakness.

If he had a point, he could argue it, but if he showed weakness, his valid point would become invalid.

Jiang Lan pressed down slightly with his foot.

“I arrested him because I wanted to. What, do I need to ask your permission first?”

“You arrest whoever you want, where is the Dao in that? Where is the law in that?”

Jiang Lan smiled.

He stomped down heavily with his foot.

“Crack!”

The sound of bone breaking rang out, followed by a painful wail from the fat monk.

“Ah ah ah! My leg... my leg!”

Jiang Lan's smile grew colder.

He lowered his head, directly meeting the fat monk's eyes.

“In this Demon Suppression Division, I am the Dao, I am the reason.”

Jiang Lan lifted his foot, then kicked the fat monk in the kidney area.

The fat monk's obese body, weighing at least two hundred catties, flew into the air and crashed directly into the group of terrified monks.

“Bang!”

A group of monks were knocked down.

Jiang Lan said coldly, “Get back. If you want him, tell your abbot to come.”

By now, that group of monks dared not say no; they quickly helped the fat monk up, scrambling away without looking back.

Bao Jing said, at a loss, “Demon Subduing Envoy Jiang... you...”

“Call me Benefactor Jiang, Demon Suppression Envoy sounds awkward.”

“Benefactor Jiang...”

“I know what you want to ask, but don't ask yet.” Jiang Lan interrupted Bao Jing, “Let me ask you first, how many statues are enshrined in the Mahavira Hall of Bao Ping Temple?”

Although Bao Jing was puzzled, he answered directly:

“Three, of course.”

“Three?” Jiang Lan frowned slightly, “Who are these three, respectively?”

Bao Jing recounted them as if listing family treasures:

“The three Buddha statues are the Past Buddha, the Present Buddha, and the Future Buddha, named Dīpaṃkara, Tathāgata, and Maitreya.”

“Do those three Buddhas have any other forms?”

“All forms are illusory. If one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathāgata.”

Jiang Lan: “...”

Am I here to discuss Buddhist Dharma with you?

“What I mean is, behind the golden bodies of those three Buddhas, is there anything else?”

Bao Jing's brows were tightly furrowed, seemingly not understanding Jiang Lan's meaning.

“Anything else?”

But before Jiang Lan could speak, he shook his head to himself.

“No, there isn't. Inside the Mahavira Hall, there are only the three golden Buddha statues, nothing else. By rights, shouldn't Benefactor Jiang have just returned from Bao Ping Temple? Why, didn't you enter the Mahavira Hall?”