Upon hearing this news, I was filled with fear and unease, deeply afraid it might be false. So I immediately placed Lady Ye and this twenty-four-year-old son of yours under tight protection, intending to uncover the truth. I also had Duan Yanqing deliver a letter to you, seeking confirmation of its veracity.
Abbot Xuanci, if it is true, rest assured. I, Li Daoqiang, swear I will never reveal a single word of it. Though I am a bandit, I still harbor justice for the world and will not allow evil forces to run rampant. However, Abbot, you know that Li Daoqiang’s greatest love in life is wealth.
How about we make a deal? One hundred million taels of silver, and I, as the fortress master, will immediately hand over Lady Ye and the child to you, never mentioning this matter again. Li Daoqiang.
After reading the letter, Xuanci closed his eyes once more, his face even paler. The other two elderly monks also wore grim expressions, glancing at Xuanci and then at each other. There was no need to ask; Xuanci’s reaction alone made it clear. This matter was true.
Countless thoughts raced through their minds, their expressions shifting rapidly. The great hall fell into an eerie silence. After a long moment, Xuanci spoke, his tone weary but resolute: "Junior Brothers Xuan Du and Xuan Ming, prepare yourselves. I am about to enter nirvana."
The two elderly monks’ expressions changed again. Yet it was not entirely surprising, for this was inevitable. After a pause, Xuan Du said gravely, "Elder Brother, this is no longer solely your affair. Even if you enter nirvana now, Li Daoqiang will not let this go. He has all but explicitly stated that he has imprisoned... those two. He also mentioned justice and evil forces. Clearly, if his terms are not met, he will spread this matter across the land. With those two in his hands, I fear we..." His words were heavy with dread.
Xuanci and Xuan Ming both understood the unspoken conclusion. Shaolin was one of the leaders of righteous path in the world, wielding influence over discourse. But Shaolin was not without enemies; in fact, it had countless foes—more than one could imagine. Such a matter, capable of crippling Shaolin in a single blow, would surely attract many enemies eager to act. Moreover, Li Daoqiang was no unknown figure. They had already received word from Dali’s Tianlong Temple. A peerless expert! He held the facts and those two individuals. If things turned hostile, even Shaolin might not necessarily overpower him in the court of public opinion. If they failed to suppress it, Shaolin’s thousand-year reputation could be lost in a single day. Even the Buddhist faith, already waning within the Song Empire, might be utterly crushed. When a wall crumbles, everyone pushes it. The Daoists, evil forces, other righteous sects, and even all factions would surely seize this opportunity. At the thought of such an outcome, even these monks, who had cultivated Zen for decades, were filled with terror. It absolutely must not happen.
Their three pairs of eyes met, each seeing the fear in the others. After a moment of silence, Xuanci took a deep breath and said, "Let me enter nirvana after this matter is resolved." Xuan Du and Xuan Ming said nothing on this point. Regardless of their thoughts, Xuanci would have to enter nirvana afterward. As long as he lived even a single day, he would be a massive powder keg, capable of destroying Shaolin or even the entire Buddhist faith at any moment. As for whether Xuanci had considered the need to wait until the matter was settled before entering nirvana—they would not raise it. Xuanci’s immediate mention of nirvana was a statement of intent, leaving no room for error.
Setting aside this unspoken agreement, Xuan Ming’s voice turned cold: "Li Daoqiang learning of this matter clearly means he intends to extort our Shaolin Temple. One hundred million taels of silver—he certainly dares to ask."
"This is no longer just about silver. Li Daoqiang is utterly greedy for wealth and women. Even if we give him one hundred million taels, will he truly refrain from scheming? Since he dares to extort our Shaolin Temple, he might not hesitate to use this matter for even greater gain." Xuan Du said solemnly.
"He wouldn’t dare, unless he wants an irreconcilable feud with our Shaolin." Xuan Ming fumed.
"He’s already extorting us—that is an irreconcilable feud. Why wouldn’t he dare?" Xuan Du sighed. Xuan Ming was left speechless, forced to admit that from this moment on, Li Daoqiang’s relationship with Shaolin Temple was one of irreconcilable enmity. Both sides knew that, given the chance, Shaolin would never let him go. They would do everything in their power to kill him.
"He wouldn’t dare." Suddenly, Xuanci spoke. Xuan Du and Xuan Ming looked at him. Xuanci said calmly, "Li Daoqiang dares to have an irreconcilable feud with our Southern Shaolin, but he does not dare to have one with the entire Buddhist faith." Xuan Du and Xuan Ming pondered this, then suddenly understood.
"Indeed. Li Daoqiang had Duan Yanqing personally deliver the letter, insisting it be handed directly to you, Elder Brother Xuanci. This shows he is extremely cautious and does not want the news to leak. Because he knows that if it does, he would offend not just our Southern Shaolin, but the entire Buddhist world. Then, no matter how strong Li Daoqiang is, he would have no other path. Thus, like us, he does not want the news to spread. His goal is merely to extort a sum of silver from our Southern Shaolin. For one hundred million taels, he deems it worth an irreconcilable feud with us." Xuan Du stated with certainty.
As long as the news did not leak, Southern Shaolin would never reveal it voluntarily. Even to fellow Buddhists, they would not. Thus, Li Daoqiang’s enmity would only be with Southern Shaolin.
"In that case, isn’t he gambling? If we refuse to pay, would he dare to leak it? If he does, his only option would be to submit to justice." Xuan Ming couldn’t suppress his anger. As soon as he finished, his expression turned rueful, as if he himself knew his words were flawed.
"Li Daoqiang is gambling—gambling with his life. He is betting that we will not drag the entire Shaolin, or even the whole Buddhist faith, into a gamble with him." Xuan Du sighed softly. Xuan Ming sighed along with him; that was why he felt regret after speaking. Indeed, Li Daoqiang could be mad enough to stake his life. But they could not be mad enough to stake all of Southern Shaolin, or even the entire Buddhist faith, against him.
"What a Li Daoqiang! Does he think his peerless strength can contend with our Southern Shaolin?" Xuan Ming’s anger grew, a hint of killing intent slipping into his tone.
"Junior Brother!" Suddenly, the usually quiet Xuanci spoke, his voice like a morning drum or evening bell. Xuan Ming froze, then quickly composed himself, pressing his palms together.
Xuanci said calmly, "Li Daoqiang appears greedy for wealth and women, and that may be true, but he is also a cunning leader. Since he dares to act, he must be confident. His moves are precise and ruthless. I suspect that his deliberate display of peerless strength at Tianlong Temple was for this very moment."
Xuan Du and Xuan Ming’s expressions shifted slightly, then they nodded in unison, feeling this was likely true. Had they not known Li Daoqiang’s strength reached the peerless level, their discussion now would be about eliminating him at all costs... And a peerless expert was far harder to deal with than a top-tier one. Even Southern Shaolin had no absolute certainty of eliminating a peerless expert in one stroke. Thus, they could not act rashly—again, because they could not gamble.
"All faults lie with me. Though I am already a sinner of Southern Shaolin, I am still its abbot for now. This loss, Southern Shaolin must accept. We cannot gamble. We must reach an agreement with Li Daoqiang and retrieve those two. As long as I am gone afterward, and those two are gone as well, even if Li Daoqiang tries to act again, it will have little effect." Xuanci spoke again, his slow tone filled with certainty.
Xuan Du and Xuan Ming intoned "Amitabha," understanding his meaning.
"Since we must accept this, we should prepare for Li Daoqiang to play tricks with those two. Their identities must be genuine. Moreover, to be safe, we should be ready for the news to leak. If that day comes, could we say that Elder Brother made a mistake before becoming a monk—no, that he was framed?" Xuan Du suggested. If the news leaked and the world believed it, this explanation might at least soften the blow. With some additional measures, the impact could be reduced.
Xuanci paused, closed his eyes, and sighed. Slowly, he said, "No need for that. That woman is called Ye Erniang." Xuan Du and Xuan Ming froze, then their faces drained of color as they stared at Xuanci.
"Ye Erniang of the Four Evils?" Xuan Du’s voice trembled. Xuan Ming’s eyes held a glimmer of hope, but mostly tension. Under their despairing gazes, Xuanci slowly nodded.
Xuan Ming staggered back several steps. Xuan Du was no better, his face haggard.
"Elder Brother!" Xuan Ming couldn’t hold back his anger, his breathing heavy. The blow was as severe as when they first read the letter. Indeed, there was no need for excuses or explanations. If the news leaked and the world believed it, the collapse of Shaolin and the Buddhist faith might have been merely possible, an unprecedented catastrophe. But with that woman being Ye Erniang, it was no longer a possibility—it was a certainty. It would no longer be a simple catastrophe, but an unimaginable calamity. Thus, Xuan Ming could no longer contain his fury toward Xuanci.
Xuanci showed no reaction, standing still, exuding a calm, deathly aura.
"Enough. The priority now is to reach an agreement quickly and bring those two back. First, we must guard against Li Daoqiang’s tricks. Second, one hundred million taels is too much; it will be hard to come up with." After a long pause, Xuan Du calmed down and spoke gravely.
Xuan Ming gritted his teeth and nodded. Then they both looked at Xuanci, who was the most skilled and adept in such matters.
Xuanci said, "Li Daoqiang wants a deal, and deals can be negotiated. We must act quickly, but not hastily." Xuan Du and Xuan Ming nodded.
After further discussion, the two soon left and summoned over a dozen elderly monks to the great hall. When they dispersed, each wore a grim expression. Even those who were usually kind-faced now bore unmistakable worry, mixed with anger and frustration.
(Chapter 3, thank you for your support.) ······