Baolun Monastery.
"Amitābha! Senior Brother Hongzhao, Senior Brother Hongzhen."
Hongku, the abbot of Baolun Monastery, gestured for the two grey-robed monks to take their seats. "Thank you both for your meticulous guidance. My disciple Fadu's martial arts have advanced considerably."
"We are all of the same family; it is only right," Hongzhao said with a smile.
Hongzhen let out a low snort. "Martial Nephew Fadu possesses uncommon talent. Junior Brother Hongku, you should have sent him to our Great Vajra Monastery much sooner. Had he learned the Great Vajra Divine Palm earlier, that Zhao Yu might not have snatched the pill from him."
Hongku had already heard about what had transpired from Fadu upon his return. He could not help but sigh. "I am told that Wei Honggang was also present that day. In any case, my disciple could never have protected the Jade Marrow Pill against him. Fortunately, two pills were successfully refined that day, and the monastery still retains one, currently enshrined in the Medicine Buddha Hall. When you two Senior Brothers return to the Great Vajra Monastery, please take it with you."
Hongzhen hastily waved his hands. "I did not say that to demand your pill."
"I know," Hongku said. "However, Baolun Monastery has few high-level experts. Martial Uncle Zonghu also cultivates the Arhat Divine Art and has no use for the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill. It would be far better to bring it back to the Great Vajra Monastery to aid the cultivation of our fellow brothers and nephews."
Hongzhao pressed his palms together. "Junior Brother is truly magnanimous."
Hongku smiled. "We are all of the same family; it is only right."
At this point, Hongku asked, "I heard that when the Prince of Zhenxi was in the capital, he wore lavish robes, rode spirited steeds, frequented brothels and opera houses, and indulged in every pleasure. How, then, did he manage to kill Wei Honggang? Did Zhao Rong intervene?"
Hongzhen replied, "According to Martial Nephew Fadu, when Wei Honggang appeared, Zhao Yu did indeed lure him away. But by the time Zhao Yu returned, Zhao Rong was by his side."
Hongzhao recalled his meeting with Wang Yu in Puning County and nodded. "As Junior Brother said, it was almost certainly Zhao Rong who took action."
Hongku mused, "In those days, Zhao Zheng rampaged across the Northwest, his Fire Cloud Saber undefeated in every fight. Though Zhao Rong was merely his adoptive brother and rarely had occasion to draw his blade, his few displays of skill were not to be underestimated. He achieved Xiantian long ago; Honggang was never his match."
Hongzhen snorted again. "If one does not reach the realm of Grandmaster, it amounts to nothing in the end. The senior uncles and elder brothers in our monastery who surpass him number well over five."
Hongku shook his head. "The Prince of Zhenxi's Manor commands an army of fifty thousand. They are not, after all, mere Jianghu folk."
Right then, a guest reception monk hurried into the hall and reported to Hongku, "General Wang Bin of Ding'an has arrived to pay his respects to the monastery."
"Show him in at once!" Hongku said urgently. He then turned to Hongzhao and Hongzhen to introduce him. "General Wang hails from the Northwest. He commands eight thousand troops stationed to defend Ding'an Prefecture and is a renowned general in this region."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the three monks saw Wang Bin striding in. Cupping his hands, Wang Bin greeted, "Greetings, Abbot Hongku."
"Greetings, General Wang." Hongku returned the greeting and introduced the two monks from the Great Vajra Monastery.
Wang Bin's brow twitched slightly. He had not expected to encounter monks from the Great Vajra Monastery here. Taking a closer look, he noted that Hongzhao had remarkably broad hands and Hongzhen walked with heavy, steady steps—both bore the unmistakable aura of formidable experts.
"The general has long been stationed in Ding'an. May I ask what brings you to our humble monastery?" Hongku asked after a novice monk served tea.
Wang Bin glanced at Hongzhao and Hongzhen. Seeing that neither showed any unusual expression, he turned back to Hongku. "Since the master asks, I will not hide it. My visit today is to make an earnest request."
Hongku smiled. "The general protects our borders and brings peace to the people, accumulating boundless merit. If there is any matter where our humble monastery can be of service, it would be our honor."
Wang Bin nodded. "Then I shall speak plainly. I have heard that your esteemed monastery possesses a Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill. I have come today precisely to ask for it."
"What?" Hongku was taken aback. The expressions of Hongzhao and Hongzhen also shifted.
Very few people knew of the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill. Aside from Baolun Monastery and the Great Vajra Monastery, the only ones who knew were Wei Honggang, the Poison Hand Veda who had pried into the secret, and the Prince of Zhenxi, who had snatched one of the pills.
How did Wang Bin know about it?
Without hesitation, Hongku asked, "How did the general learn of the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill?"
Wang Bin did not answer the question directly, saying only, "I have recently encountered a difficult predicament involving the lives of my family. I must obtain your monastery's pill. I implore you, Master, to show compassion and bestow the precious pill upon me. I shall be forever indebted."
Hongku fell silent, but Hongzhen spoke up. "The Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill is made primarily from Tianshan snow lotus, complemented by various spiritual herbs. It tempers qi, refines bones, and aids a martial artist's cultivation. It is a rare treasure of this world."
Wang Bin cupped his hands. "Which is why I have come in person to earnestly beg for the master's mercy."
Hongzhao asked, "May I ask what trouble the general has encountered? The Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill does not possess life-saving properties. If a relative or friend is injured or gravely ill, this poor monk has a bottle of Three Ginseng Pills that replenish qi and nourish blood with extraordinary efficacy."
Wang Bin shook his head. "There are unspeakable complications in this matter. Only the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill will suffice."
Hongzhen said angrily, "I have already told you that the Snow Lotus Pill is a world-class treasure. Why do you still refuse to explain its purpose? What kind of sense does that make?"
Wang Bin replied impassively, "I am asking Master Hongku for the pill."
Hongzhen glared. "Junior Brother Hongku has already promised the pill to us. Please see yourself out!"
Wang Bin looked at Hongku. "Is this true?"
Hongku said with some difficulty, "Please forgive me, General Wang. I have indeed already promised the pill to my two Senior Brothers. I also know a fair amount of medicine—might the general tell me what trouble you have run into?"
Wang Bin turned toward Hongzhen. "The master comes from the Great Vajra Monastery?"
Hongzhen nodded. "Indeed."
"Then does the master happen to know a secular disciple of the Great Vajra Monastery named Song Chengyue?"
"The son of Song Jingzhou, the Minister of Rites?"
"The Emperor ordered the execution of Song Jingzhou's entire household, and only the siblings Song Chengyue and Song Qingchuan managed to escape. Does the master know this?"
"Amitābha. This poor monk has been cultivating in seclusion at the Great Vajra Monastery and was unaware," Hongzhen said, shaking his head.
"Just because the master was unaware does not mean the Great Vajra Monastery was unaware," Wang Bin pointed out sharply.
Hongzhen had no choice but to nod. "That is true."
Wang Bin sneered. "Yet the Great Vajra Monastery did not lift a finger to save them."
Hongzhen pressed his palms together. "What belongs to the Jianghu belongs to the Jianghu, and what belongs to the court belongs to the court. This is a matter of state politics, and our humble monastery cannot easily intervene."
Wang Bin said coolly, "But I am their maternal uncle. If the Great Vajra Monastery will not save them, I must."
Hongzhen asked, "Why do you need the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill to save them?"
Wang Bin said firmly, "That is my family affair. Right now, I intend to use the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill to save the life of a secular disciple of your monastery. I ask you, as an eminent monk of the Great Vajra Monastery, will you stand in my way?"
Hongzhen was momentarily at a loss for words.
Hongzhao, however, shook his head. "If the general does not make the matter clear, this poor monk will not hand over the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill."
"I have come today determined to take that pill with me." Wang Bin was thoroughly enraged now. They had refused to save their own disciple, yet when he stepped forward to save him and merely asked for a single pill, they still refused?
"If I lay the matter bare, will you give me the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill?" Wang Bin asked.
Hongzhao replied, "Please speak, General. This poor monk is all ears."
Wang Bin saw through his verbal trap, but spoke anyway. "The person sent by the Emperor to hunt down my poor nephew and niece has already given me his word. As long as I provide the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill, he will spare their lives."
"Who is this person?" Hongzhao asked.
Wang Bin slammed his hand onto the table in fury. "Does the master not trust my word?"
"It is not that," Hongzhao answered. "However, for this person to dare make such a demand, he must know the immense value of the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill. Yet he dared not come himself, choosing instead to dispatch the general here. Clearly, his motives are foul. I fear the general may be deceived, losing both the treasure and the lives of your kin."
Wang Bin said in exasperation, "That is my own concern."
"Yet the Snow Lotus Pill belongs to our monastery," Hongzhao countered, shaking his head.
"After all this talk, you simply refuse to give it!" Wang Bin rose abruptly from his seat.
Hongzhao pressed his palms together. "If the general will not explain the matter fully, how can this poor monk present you with such a precious pill?"
Wang Bin swept his gaze across the three monks, his voice turning chillingly cold. "I will ask one last time: will you give me this Snow Lotus Pill, or not?"
What answered him was a chorus of three voices chanting the same Buddhist invocation:
"Amitābha!"
"Good, good, good!" Wang Bin nodded curtly and turned on his heel to leave.
"General, hold your steps." In a blur of motion, Hongzhao intercepted Wang Bin's path.
Wang Bin rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "You dare block me?"
Hongzhao said, "The matter of the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill was not widely known. Who exactly demanded it of you, General? Please enlighten us."
Wang Bin said in a dark voice, "And what if I refuse to speak?"
Hongzhao fell silent for a brief moment before saying mildly, "Then we must invite the general to remain as a guest in our monastery for several days, so that our disciples may chant sutras for you and calm your mind."
Wang Bin flared with rage. "Fine Great Vajra Monastery! You dare unlawfully detain a commanding general of the frontier army?"
"We would not dare," Hongzhao replied, palms pressed together. "The general is secretly defying the imperial decree. This poor monk merely wishes to ascertain who is coveting our monastery's precious pill from the shadows."
"Hahaha! As expected, monks always fall back on imprisonment and house arrest. Don't you baldies have any other tricks up your sleeves?"
Hearing the mocking voice, Hongzhao whipped his head around. There he saw Wang Yu walking in hand in hand with Li Yunxiu and Qianqian. Zhao Shan and Zhao He followed close behind, accompanied by a middle-aged man carrying a long spear.
"Zhao Yu!" Hongzhao snapped sharply.
Hongzhen also reacted. "You have already snatched one Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill, and now you have your sights set on this one as well?"
Wang Yu smiled faintly. "I took care of a traitor on behalf of the Great Vajra Monastery. Taking a single pill in return can hardly be considered excessive, can it?"
Hongzhen fumed, "You already stole one!"
Wang Yu chuckled. "One thing at a time. That one was compensation for saving Fadu and the others. In your eyes, is the future abbot of Baolun Monastery not even worth a single pill?"
"Sheer nonsense!" Hongzhen was thoroughly infuriated. "Besides, Wei Honggang was an outcast of our monastery. He was trying to kill you at the time, and you killed him. What does that have to do with our Great Vajra Monastery?"
Wang Yu grinned. "Wei Honggang used the martial arts of the Great Vajra Monastery. For every person he killed, a portion of that evil karma was tallied onto the head of the Great Vajra Monastery. You worship the Tathāgata Buddha, yet you dare claim he had nothing to do with you?"
Hongzhao raised a hand to silence Hongzhen, who was about to argue further. "This Zhao Yu has a glib tongue; you cannot outtalk him."
"Since Prince Zhao dares show himself in person, you must be confident in your chances," Hongzhao said, spreading his hands and lowering his voice. "Whatever methods you have prepared, bring them forth!"
As Hongzhao spoke, he shot a discreet glance at Hongzhen. Hongzhen understood instantly and fixed his gaze unblinkingly on Wang Yu.
Then they saw Hongku rise and bow with pressed palms. "Greetings, Manor Lord Ma."
Both Baolun Monastery and White Horse Manor were located in the Northwest. As one of the prominent experts of the Anxi Circuit, Ma Bojun was naturally recognized by Hongku.
Hongzhao and Hongzhen were struck with sudden alarm. "'Wave-Calming Spear' Ma Bojun?"
Chapter 52