317: Chapter 97 Conspiracy

Entering the courtyard and house, Jiumozhi quickly scanned the surroundings and noticed quite a few people inside.

Besides Duan Yanqing, Ye Erniang, and Third Elder Yue, with whom he had previously cooperated, there were three strangers.

One was a burly, imposing man wearing armor.

One was dressed like a wealthy merchant but had a slovenly temperament inconsistent with his attire; he was a bearded man.

One was a foreign man wearing a cloth hat and cloak, exuding an evil aura.

The armored, imposing man sat in the main seat, clearly holding a higher status than Duan Yanqing, the leader of the Four Evils. This must be General Helian, whom Crane in the Clouds had mentioned.

Indeed, that was the case.

After everyone took their positions, Crane in the Clouds cupped his hands toward the armored man and said, "General, this is Master Jiumozhi, whom Boss Duan mentioned."

Then, he introduced to Jiumozhi, "Master, this is General Helian Tieshu, who commands the First Rank Hall of Western Xia."

Jiumozhi immediately paid his respects, saying, "This humble monk greets General Helian."

Helian Tieshu quickly rose, raised his hand as if to stop him, and smiled, "Master, no need for such formalities."

After speaking, he turned to the two strangers with Jiumozhi and said, "I will introduce you. This Master Jiumozhi is a high monk from Tubo. He is not only the Abbot of the Great Wheel Temple but also the State Preceptor of Tubo, known by the nickname 'Great Wheel Illumination King'."

The two immediately stood up and showed respect with cupped hands.

Subsequently, Helian Tieshu pointed to the bearded man dressed as a wealthy merchant and introduced him to Jiumozhi, "Master, this is Quan Guanqing, the Beggars Sect Leader."

Jiumozhi was instantly shocked internally.

The Beggars Sect Leader?

He had fought Qiao Feng before and knew he was not Qiao Feng's equal in strength.

And Qiao Feng was the former Beggars Sect Leader.

For Quan Guanqing to succeed him as the Beggars Sect Leader, he must possess extraordinary abilities.

For a moment, Jiumozhi couldn't help but regard Quan Guanqing with extra seriousness.

In the next moment, Jiumozhi felt puzzled.

The Beggars Sect was a top School in the Great Song Jianghu, having spent many years resisting foreign invasions and advocating the principle that 'those not of our race must have different intentions'. Qiao Feng had to resign as Sect Head despite his merits and prestige simply because his Khitan identity was revealed.

Although Western Xia was currently not as hostile toward the Great Song as the Liao Kingdom established by the Khitans, they were still a foreign race and fell within the Beggars Sect's scope of exclusion.

How could Quan Guanqing, as the Beggars Sect Leader, be associating with people from the Western Xia First Rank Hall?

And he seemed to show deference to Helian Tieshu.

Before Jiumozhi could figure it out, Helian Tieshu introduced the last, evil-looking foreign man.

"This is Zhai Xingzi, the Sect Head of the Xingxiu Sect from the Western Regions."

The Xingxiu Sect?

Jiumozhi had some impression of this School; he recalled it was an evil sect from the Western Regions, whose founding Sect Head was named Ding Chunqiu, self-proclaimed 'Xingxiu Old Immortal,' also known as 'Xingxiu Old Monster.' But Ding Chunqiu had disappeared many years ago, and the Sect Head was now Zhai Xingzi, suggesting Ding Chunqiu was likely dead.

While thoughts raced through his mind, Jiumozhi remained outwardly calm, displaying a benevolent smile, and performed a Buddhist salute to Quan Guanqing and Zhai Xingzi.

"This humble monk greets Sect Head Quan and Sect Head Zhai."

Quan Guanqing and Zhai Xingzi simultaneously replied, "We greet the Master."

After brief introductions, Jiumozhi turned to Helian Tieshu and asked directly, "May I ask, General, why you summoned this humble monk and gathered everyone here today?"

Helian Tieshu countered with a question instead of answering, "Master, what are your thoughts on the Shaolin Monastery?"

Jiumozhi, not grasping his intent, replied courteously, "A thousand-year-old ancient temple, the leader of the Righteous Path in the Great Song Jianghu, and a titan among the martial artists of the Great Song and even the world."

Helian Tieshu slapped the table and said, "Correct, that is Shaolin."

Then, he further inquired, "Then, Master, why do you think Shaolin possesses such great prestige and fame? And why has it stood firm for thousands of years?"

Jiumozhi pondered for two seconds and replied, "Martial Arts."

Helian Tieshu laughed, "Correct!"

"All Martial Arts under heaven originate from Shaolin."

"Shaolin's Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills are renowned throughout the world."

"Ancestral Master Bodhidharma crossing the river on a single reed is a legend in the Martial Forest."

"Although Shaolin also widely studies Buddhist teachings, the fundamental reason they can suppress other Schools in the Jianghu and stand unshaken is that they possess numerous profound Martial Arts and a deep foundation."

"However, they hoard their treasures."

"Let alone outsiders, even their own Disciples find it difficult to glimpse their profound Martial Arts."

"This is unfair and a regret for someone like you, Master, who wholeheartedly pursues the truth of Martial Arts and possesses extraordinary talent."

"Therefore, this General wishes to invite the Master and everyone here to ascend Shaolin together, to right the unfairness and resolve this regret. Once successful, all Martial Arts within Shaolin—be it the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills, the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, or the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture—will be available for the Master and the others to copy and study."

The final promise instantly made Jiumozhi's heart burn, and even his breathing became rapid.

For a Martial Arts fanatic like him, the temptation of a treasure trove of Martial Arts was almost fatal.

Beside him, Quan Guanqing, Zhai Xingzi, Duan Yanqing, Third Elder Yue, and Crane in the Clouds could not help but have their eyes light up.

They were not as obsessed with Martial Arts as Jiumozhi, but as Jianghu figures who relied on Martial Arts for survival, they were equally immune to the temptation of profound Martial Arts.

Even if they didn't need them, they could use these Martial Arts for other purposes.

Not to mention that Helian Tieshu had other promises specifically for each of them.

Only Ye Erniang showed a worried look, concerned that this action would be detrimental to her old lover, Abbot Xuan Ci. However, her eyes were covered by the hair used to conceal her scar, so the unusual emotion in her eyes was not revealed, and no one noticed it for the time being.

Helian Tieshu took in the expressions of Jiumozhi, Quan Guanqing, and the others, satisfied, and then asked Jiumozhi, "Master, what is your opinion?"

"Amitabha."

Jiumozhi snapped back to reality, uttered a Buddhist chant, suppressed the greed, anger, and delusion in his heart, and then said, "General's action is truly benevolent. However, the Shaolin Monastery, as a thousand-year-old ancient temple, not only has deep foundations in both Martial Arts and Buddhist studies, but it also harbors numerous Protector Martial Monks who perform acts resembling Vajra's wrathful gaze—they are truly masters like clouds."

"To make them open their martial arsenal and save all living beings will certainly not be easy."

Helian Tieshu laughed heartily, full of confidence, "Master, please rest assured about that. Since this General invited you here, I naturally have a plan prepared."

Upon hearing this, Jiumozhi became very curious: "May the General enlighten this humble monk."

Helian Tieshu countered again, "Master, how do you compare those Shaolin monks to an army?"

Jiumozhi answered without hesitation, "In terms of individuals, Shaolin Martial Monks are stronger. But if they are numerous and organized into a structure, naturally the army is more formidable."

As he finished speaking, a flash of insight struck his mind, and his face showed astonishment: "Could it be that the General intends to lead a large army to trample Shaolin?"

In an instant, Jiumozhi denied it: "That's impossible!"

"Shaolin is within the Great Song territory, far from the border. If the General intends to lead troops to Shaolin, it will surely alert the Great Song government officials and be obstructed by the Great Song garrison."

Hearing this, Helian Tieshu grinned, "Indeed, if my Western Xia army ascends Shaolin, it will alert the Great Song garrison and officials and be obstructed by them."

"But, the Beggars Sect Disciples and the Jianghu people attending the Heroes' Assembly will not."

Jiumozhi was startled and turned to look at Quan Guanqing.

Ye Erniang also cast a sideways glance.

Quan Guanqing's face was expressionless: "This action only targets Shaolin and poses no threat to the Great Song. If the whale falls and all things benefit, it is actually a good thing for the Great Song."