Chapter 105: Illuminating Envoy, Vajra Treasury
“Young Master is truly joking. Our Red Lotus Sect has no such thing as a ‘Holy Father’.”
Lady Miaoyun let out a charming laugh, her pair of eyes rippling like spring water, charming and alluring. Even though she was draped in a loose robe and her face covered by a heavy veil, she still exuded a captivating and soul-stirring allure.
“However, our sect’s teachings are open-minded, indulging in passions without restraint, nothing is forbidden… The Sect Master has an even broader mind and a humble heart. With Young Master’s exceptional talent, the Sect Master would surely be overjoyed upon seeing him and might even call him ‘Holy Father’.”
Hong Yuan listened and sincerely praised: “Your Red Lotus Sect isn’t just open-minded; it’s downright enlightened.”
Without waiting for Lady Miaoyun to reply, Hong Yuan picked up his teacup, blew away the steam, and smiled: “Since that’s the case, then please have Lady Huairu hurry back to persuade your Sect Master. Hong is eager to gain thousands or even tens of thousands of righteous sons and daughters, so that he won’t have to worry about old age in the future.”
Lady Miaoyun’s laughter faltered: “Young Master has remembered wrongly. This servant’s name is Hong Lian…”
Hong Yuan took a sip of tea, waved his hand: “Close enough.”
Soon after, Lady Miaoyun left the mansion. After a few turns, she entered a serene and elegant villa in the east market.
About the time it takes to burn one incense stick later, a graceful figure flitted out from the courtyard, drifting out of the city in mere moments.
This figure’s movement technique was swift and ethereal, like a light silk book fluttering in the wind. Soon she traveled over twenty li and vanished into a lush bamboo grove.
In the center of the bamboo grove, clear water sounds rang out crisply as a babbling stream flowed past beside a stone pavilion.
In the pavilion, a tall and slender figure stood with hands behind his back, leisurely watching the fish swimming in the shallow water. He wore a brocade black robe, with each sleeve embroidered with a crimson lotus flower as vivid as blazing flames, extremely bewitching.
Lady Miaoyun’s toes landed on the ground covered with fallen branches and leaves, making a rustling sound. She looked toward the man in the black robe and curtsied gracefully: “Who would have thought it was the Illuminating Envoy himself. This servant pays respects to the Envoy.”
“You are the Goddess serving the ‘Great Desire Heaven’, your status is no lower than ours. No need for excessive courtesy.”
The Red Lotus Sect’s Illuminating Envoy spoke in a flat tone.
As he spoke, he slowly turned around, revealing the face of an ordinary middle-aged man. Only his eyes were deep and bottomless, like a thousand-zhang cold pool, filled with unfathomable meaning.
“What did that ‘Divine Prison Spear Master’ say?”
Lady Miaoyun walked past the Illuminating Envoy to the stone steps in front of the pavilion, removed her shoes and socks, and soaked her feet in the stream. Humming a tune and splashing water, she said: “Not only did he not agree, he even toyed with this servant for a bit.”
“As expected.”
The Illuminating Envoy’s expression was calm as he said indifferently: “From observing this person’s behavior, he is no one who would submit to others.”
Lady Miaoyun giggled, tilting her head back to look at the Illuminating Envoy: “This Young Master Hong isn’t looking to submit to others; he wants to be the ‘Holy Father’ of our Red Lotus Sect. This servant has no objection. Does the Envoy agree?”
Amid her charming laugh, the heavy veil on her face slipped down, revealing a delicate and beautiful face. She appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, with fair skin and an otherworldly elegance.
Only when paired with her charming eyes did it create a slight sense of disharmony, giving people a feeling of stunning beauty at first sight but inexplicable horror upon closer inspection.
The Illuminating Envoy frowned: “Your ritual was not fully completed; there are too many flaws in your dharma body!”
The charming expression on Lady Miaoyun’s face gradually faded, her eyes flickering: “A momentary oversight let a few fish slip through the net. I thought they were just small fry, but in the time it took to nap, they had leaped over the dragon gate and become extremely troublesome.”
The Illuminating Envoy said: “It’s too unusual.”
“Precisely because I know it’s unusual, this servant went to contact him personally.”
Lady Miaoyun’s finger lightly touched her cheek, and in an instant, it transformed into the face of another beautiful woman. Her expression grave, she said: “I originally wanted to probe him with a secret technique, but standing beside that person gave me a sense of impending great disaster. His martial arts are probably even beyond expectations.”
Splash!
Water splashed, and Lady Miaoyun stopped kicking the water, saying: “Song Yinglong has been repeatedly suppressed by him and is now at a loss, having lost his former steady mindset.”
“If it were before, Song Yinglong still had some chance of achieving【Hundred Poisons Bodhi Gang】. With his current state of mind, even one percent chance is too much.”
The Illuminating Envoy’s voice was indifferent: “Success has its uses, failure has its role. Our sect has invested heavily in Song Yinglong, and now we must pay with ‘Blood Bodhi’ and ‘Sand of Resentment’. We can’t do losing business.”
He waved his hand, his tone slightly sinking: “These are nothing. Our main task this time is still to seize that treasure. Once the treasure is in hand, not only can your dharma body be perfected with it, our cultivation can advance further. At that time, looking across the vast world, few could rival our sect.”
“Whether Song Yinglong or that Zhenhai Dragon King, they are but specks of dust that can be erased at will.”
Lady Miaoyun’s expression was peculiar: “That treasure is really at Vajra Temple?”
“No mistake. This was personally confirmed by the Sect Master.” The Illuminating Envoy nodded: “Not long ago, for some reason, something happened at Vajra Temple that caused the treasure to stir. The Sect Master sensed its existence through the holy relic.”
“However, we must act quickly. The treasure’s fluctuations have been gradually concealing lately. In a few more days, even the Sect Master may not be able to sense its location. If Vajra Temple moves it, it will truly be like searching for a needle in the ocean.”
Lady Miaoyun pondered: “Just the two of us won’t be able to deal with Vajra Temple.”
“For such a major matter, how could it be just the Envoy and the Goddess? How could we be without this little monk?”
A burst of laughter echoed in the bamboo grove, followed by a plump-faced, rotund monk walking over with a grin. A string of prayer beads hung around his neck, and he held another in hand, faintly emanating chanting sounds. Upon approaching, he saluted with one palm: “This little monk Baosheng pays respects to the two of you.”
The newcomer was none other than Dharma King Baosheng, one of the Red Lotus Sect’s four Dharma Kings.
As soon as the fat monk finished speaking, another cold voice rang out: “And me!”
Wind howled fiercely, leaves swirled in the bamboo grove, and suddenly a black shadow shot over like lightning—it was a tall and thin man in a black robe with a pale, bloodless face.
Lady Miaoyun’s eyes flowed over the two, smiling: “Dharma King Baosheng, Dharma King Qingjing, you two have always been at odds, yet this time you join forces. It truly surprises this servant.”
Dharma King Baosheng narrowed his eyes into slits and chuckled: “Saying we’re at odds is a bit much. I am a monk, Junior Brother Qingjing is a layman; we have no grudges, just different ideals.”
“However, if we obtain that Buddhist treasure from Vajra Temple, my junior brother and I can use it to verify our learnings and see who is right, who is wrong, who is higher, who is lower.”
Dharma King Qingjing snorted coldly and said nothing.
Lady Miaoyun smiled faintly: “Since that’s the case, we need to choose a perfect timing to strike. This matter still requires some planning…”
Several days later.
Tao Mansion, in a secret stone chamber.
“Is that all? Think again.”
Hong Yuan looked at the Night Roaming God. He had originally been wary of Ghost Fan Tower coming to rescue him, but according to the Night Roaming God, when he was captured, the ‘Night Roaming God’ codename had automatically been lost.
It meant Ghost Fan Tower had no record of this person!
Hong Yuan thought he had learned something. No wonder Ghost Fan Tower had such a high mission success rate.
You say you captured Ghost Fan Tower’s ‘Night Roaming God’?
Sorry, Ghost Fan Tower declares: Don’t come here slandering us. Any tom, dick, or harry dares to impersonate our codename assassins? Our Ghost Fan Tower’s ‘Night Roaming God’ wouldn’t be such a sorry sight?
As for coming to rescue, that’s wishful thinking. Assassins don’t talk brotherhood; a second round of assassination is far more likely.
“That’s all, really nothing left…”
The Night Roaming God’s eyes were bloodshot, lifeless, his face extremely weary. These past few days, he had been continuously interrogated by Hong Yuan for various secrets, without even a moment to sleep.
If that were all, he could endure, but the opponent had used some method on him, threads of force entering his body like maggots in the bones—sour, numb, itchy, painful, all flavors making him suffer.
The Night Roaming God wanted to say: Ask whatever directly, no need for these methods.
“Nothing left…” Hong Yuan nodded and sighed: “Then you’re useless.”
“Hm?!” The Night Roaming God’s eyes widened, struggling to lift his head to stare at Hong Yuan.
Hong Yuan smiled faintly and said leisurely: “You didn’t think that by putting on some clownish acts these past few days, I’d really see you as some comedic character, did you?”
Hong Yuan shook his head, tone flat: “Or are you still expecting to turn enemy into friend? Or that Hong won’t hold grudges and take you as a subordinate? I can only say, as an assassin, you didn’t practice your assassin skills well and read too many storybooks!”
“Hong survived not because you went easy, but skill inferior to others!”
“And I have a habit: anyone who makes a move against me, I will never let live in this world.”
After a moment, Hong Yuan left the stone chamber and instructed the servant waiting outside the door: “Go in and clean it up thoroughly.”
“Yes!”
Upon returning to the courtyard, someone came to report: “Alliance Leader, someone from Dragon Steed Mansion has come again?”
“Lao Song is really pushing like a grim reaper. Took little benefit but lots of work to do. Fine, I’ll make a trip.”
Hong Yuan smiled, waved the servant away, turned his gaze toward the direction of Xingqing Prefecture.
“Zhongyu Sect…”
