Chapter 441 - 228: I Will Bear All the Blame

Chapter 441: Chapter 228: I Will Bear All the Blame

Ning’an Prefecture, Golden Spring Temple.

Inside the solemn and majestic Great Heroic Hall, candlelight shone brightly, illuminating the compassionate, downcast face of a gilded Buddha statue.

Wisps of green smoke curled up from the incense burner, yet they couldn’t dispel the complex atmosphere filling the hall—a mixture of murderous intent and smug satisfaction.

All of the First Seats of Golden Spring Temple were present, seated on cattail cushions.

In the month since Abbot Kongxu returned from Celestial Dragon Temple in the State City, Golden Spring Temple had not only stabilized the foundation shaken by Luoyun Manor’s destruction but had even seen its prestige grow by allying with Qingfeng Temple.

They now seemed poised to dominate all other factions in Ning’an.

The first objective of their alliance was to clean house.

They would punish the Iron Sword Sect, the Danxia Sect, and the Ning’an Wang Clan for abandoning the alliance and siding with the Government Office.

Their assault was like a tidal wave, leaving the three factions gasping for air.

The Danxia Sect had it the worst. The Blood River Sect launched a brazen sneak attack amidst the chaos. If not for the timely intervention of the Government Office, they would have been annihilated. One of their elders, a man with the surname Lin, was even killed on the spot.

Regarding this, although Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple did not openly join forces with the Blood River Sect, they had formed a tacit understanding.

The Buddhist and Daoist sects resisted the overt pressure from the Government Office, while the Blood River Sect, like a venomous snake, latched onto the Danxia Sect and refused to let go.

The Iron Sword Sect and the other two factions were naturally furious, but they were helpless.

In the past, the Ning’an Six Sects had coexisted, seemingly as equals. In reality, Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple had the deepest foundations, each boasting a late-stage Profound Mastery expert. They were the true hegemons.

Even if the three factions joined forces, they would struggle to challenge them.

Their only hope was to fully ally with the Government Office.

However, behind Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple stood Celestial Dragon Temple and Dragon Tiger Mountain.

And they weren’t merely vassals; they were important branches of these two top-tier powers in Yunzhou.

If the Government Office wanted to move against them, it had to consider the reactions of Celestial Dragon Temple and Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Thus, while the Buddhist and Daoist sects were confident, they were also careful to keep the chaos within a range the Government Office could tolerate, aiming to send a clear message.

Jianghu matters are settled in the Jianghu.

The Government Office had best not interfere.

At this moment, Golden Spring Temple’s goal was clear.

They would leverage the situation to establish their dominance and completely eradicate the three traitors: the Iron Sword Sect, the Danxia Sect, and the Ning’an Wang Clan.

As long as the Government Office tacitly approved, Ning’an could return to its previous delicate balance once the matter was settled.

The Government Office and the sects would co-govern Ning’an.

"Xuanbei."

Abbot Kongxu, seated at the head, spoke slowly, his deep voice echoing in the spacious hall:

"Tomorrow, you will go to the Prefecture Government Office to meet with Lord Xie. Tell him that as long as the Government Office remains neutral regarding the matter of the Iron Sword Sect and the other two factions, our Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple will remain loyal subjects of the court.

Not only will we immediately restrain our disciples, but we are also willing to join forces with the Government Office to eliminate heretical evils like the Blood River Sect."

"I will obey the Abbot’s command."

Monk Xuanbei put his palms together and accepted the order. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked:

"And what about... Chen Sheng? How should he be handled?"

At the mention of this name, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

This young Vice Governor of the Jingwu Bureau had already left Ning’an, but he remained like an invisible thorn in the hearts of the Golden Spring Temple monks.

"An edict has arrived from Celestial Dragon Temple."

Abbot Kongxu’s eyes lowered slightly as he rolled the Buddhist Beads in his hand:

"Chen Sheng’s marriage into the Nie Family is a foregone conclusion. Targeting him further could create unforeseen complications. The Master’s intention is to force him to swear an oath to settle all grievances with our temple. At the same time, we will pressure the State Government’s Martial Bureau to have him transferred out of Ning’an Prefecture."

Given the choice, Golden Spring Temple would never let Chen Sheng off the hook.

The man was terrifyingly talented and ruthless, and his feud with the temple already ran deep. Allowing him to grow stronger would lead to endless trouble.

But now he had latched onto the great tree that was the Nie Family, and even Celestial Dragon Temple had to show some deference.

Compromise and negotiation had become the more realistic options.

"That devil... He sure is lucky."

Monk Xuanming, who was at the side, sighed softly, his tone complex.

"What if... Chen Sheng refuses to resolve the grievances?"

Monk Xuan Ku, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked, his voice hoarse.

He had a vivid memory of how vengeful Chen Sheng could be.

As soon as he spoke, the gazes of the several First Seats sharpened, and they all turned to look at the abbot.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Abbot Kongxu chanted the Buddha’s name and slowly raised his eyes. A flicker of vajra-like wrath flashed in their depths and was gone:

"If he knows what’s good for him, that would be for the best. But if he remains obstinate and insists on making an enemy of our Buddhist Sect..."

He paused, his voice turning grim:

"Then we will have no choice but to send that devil to paradise early. No matter how powerful the Nie Family is, they won’t fight Celestial Dragon Temple to the death over a son-in-law with a different surname who hasn’t fully come into his own.

It would just mean paying a higher price afterward to appease them a little."

"I understand."

Monk Xuanbei bowed and replied, a glint in his eyes beneath his lowered eyelids.

Deep down, he secretly hoped Chen Sheng would refuse to compromise.

’After all, as long as that devil lives, I can never rest easy!’

Sitting silently in the lowest-ranking seat, Profound Heart Monk, Chu Kuangfeng, put his palms together with the others and murmured his assent. His face remained expressionless, but hidden within his sleeve, his fingers quietly tightened into a fist.

...

Meanwhile, within the gates of the Danxia Sect, the atmosphere was one of bleak despair.

Although the Mountain Protection Array had been reactivated, its flowing spiritual light could not conceal the fear and trauma that gripped the sect.

In the main hall, Lu Qingsong, Sect Leader of the Iron Sword Sect; Wangqingshan, the Ning’an Wang Family Master; and their host, Danxia Sect Leader Bai Qing, sat facing one another. The Spirit Tea before them had long since grown cold, but no one had the heart to drink.

Bai Qing was dressed in plain robes, wearing no makeup. Her brow was furrowed with an inseparable gloom and exhaustion, and much of her former radiant beauty had faded.

The Danxia Sect’s losses had been devastating. Their mountain gate was breached, an elder was killed, and disciples were dead and injured in great numbers. The sect’s foundation, built over centuries, was now on the verge of collapse, and the weight of it all was nearly suffocating her.