Chapter 445 - 230: Once a Formidable Foe? A Mere Ant Today

Chapter 445: Chapter 230: Once a Formidable Foe? A Mere Ant Today

"My Lord, Master Xuanbei from Golden Spring Temple is outside and requests an audience."

Just as Xie Jingze and the others were solemnly accepting their orders, a subordinate from the Prefecture Government Office hurried into the hall to report.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly tensed.

Nie Xuanfeng and Li Qianzhou’s gazes turned in unison toward Chen Sheng, who was seated in the seat of honor.

"Oh?"

A hint of a smile touched Chen Sheng’s lips, but a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"What a coincidence... Let him in."

’He won’t take the road to heaven, but insists on barging through the gates of hell.’

’Perfect. I’ll make an example of this bald donkey to rally the troops!’

Xie Jingze nodded slightly and ordered in a deep voice,

"Show him into the hall."

"Yes, sir."

...

Outside the main gate of the Prefecture Government Office, Monk Xuanbei paced slowly before the stone steps. He was clad in a brand-new, bright yellow monastic robe, prayer beads in hand, a compassionate and peaceful smile gracing his features.

However, a closer look at his eyes would reveal a self-satisfied confidence swirling in their depths.

He had sent someone to sound out the Government Office’s attitude yesterday.

Although Xie Jingze’s response hadn’t been a clear promise, it also hadn’t been an outright refusal, leaving room for negotiation.

’To Xuanbei, this was an excellent sign.’

’There was plenty of room for discussion!’

He had come in person this time to leverage the might of Golden Spring Temple and Celestial Dragon Temple. Combined with a precise grasp of who was responsible for the chaos in Ning’an, he intended to sway the heart of this famously prudent Lord and force him to compromise.

Compared to the hard-nosed Nie Xuanfeng and the relatively neutral Li Qianzhou, Xie Jingze, who bore the primary responsibility for the peace and livelihood of the prefecture, was undoubtedly the better breakthrough point.

If Ning’an truly fell into chaos, Nie and Li might have ways to extricate themselves, but Xie Jingze would bear the brunt of it and be unable to escape the blame.

"Master Xuanbei, the Lord invites you in."

The subordinate who had announced him earlier came out quickly, inviting him in with a cupped-fist bow.

"Thank you, Donor."

Monk Xuanbei smiled and put his palms together, growing even more certain in his heart.

They hadn’t made him wait long, which showed they weren’t just giving him the cold shoulder.

He immediately straightened his monastic robe and, following the guide, strode confidently into the main hall of the Prefecture Government Office—the very symbol of Ning’an’s highest authority.

As the announcement faded, Monk Xuanbei stepped into the slightly dim hall.

However, when Xuanbei’s gaze habitually swept toward the seat of honor and he saw clearly who was sitting there, the compassionate smile on his face instantly froze, and his pupils contracted sharply.

’Chen Sheng?!’

’How could it be Chen Sheng?!’

’What is he doing here?!’

’How could he possibly have returned from the State City so quickly?!’

What shook Xuanbei to his core was that the seat of honor, which should have belonged to Lord Xie Jingze, was now calmly occupied by Chen Sheng.

Xie Jingze, Nie Xuanfeng, and Li Qianzhou, the three great figures of Ning’an, were clearly seated below him.

In an instant, countless questions and horrors flooded his mind like a tidal wave, nearly shattering the decades of meditative discipline Xuanbei had cultivated.

He stood frozen on the spot, so shocked he even forgot to recite the Buddha’s name.

"What, it’s been little more than a month, Master Xuanbei... and you no longer recognize me?"

Chen Sheng sat high in the main seat, leaning forward slightly. His gaze fell upon Xuanbei as if he were looking down at an ant. The curve of his lips was not quite a smile, filled with unconcealed coldness and mockery.

Monk Xuanbei’s mind reeled. He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his blood and his shock, his gaze quickly sweeping over Xie Jingze and the others.

Xie Jingze’s expression was calm, his gaze lowered as if focused on the teacup in his hand; Nie Xuanfeng’s jaw was tight, his eyes sharp; Li Qianzhou, on the other hand, had a slight frown, his expression complex.

Finally, his eyes returned to Chen Sheng’s face. He forced an extremely strained smile and put his palms together, saying:

"Amitabha Buddha... Donor Chen, it has been a long time. I trust you have been well."

Monk Xuanbei tried his utmost to keep his tone steady, but inside, alarm bells were screaming and a chill washed over him.

’Why is Chen Sheng here? Why is he in the seat of honor? The entire leadership of the Ning’an Government Office is gathered—what are they discussing?’

One ominous thought after another surfaced uncontrollably.

’Something’s happened!’

’Something major must have occurred that Golden Spring Temple is completely unaware of.’

’Otherwise, Chen Sheng would have no way, and absolutely no right, to be sitting in that seat!’

"Sit."

Chen Sheng casually pointed to an empty chair below, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable command.

"Thank you."

Monk Xuanbei sat as instructed, but beneath his robe, his fingers had already tightened.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became strange and heavy. You could have heard a pin drop.

"What brings you here, Master Xuanbei?" Xie Jingze put down his teacup, the first to break the silence. His tone was unreadable.

Monk Xuanbei looked at him. The words he had prepared—a mix of threats and enticements, a careful weighing of pros and cons—rolled around on the tip of his tongue before he ultimately swallowed them back down.

He then took a deep breath, his face once again plastered with that all-compassionate smile, and said slowly,

"On my abbot’s orders, I have come to pay my respects to you, my Lord. Ning’an has been unquiet of late. As a sacred place of the Buddhist Sect, Golden Spring Temple is nevertheless deeply concerned for the welfare of the people. Is there perhaps some way we clergy might offer our humble assistance to resolve the current strife?"

Then, Monk Xuanbei paused. His gaze shifted back to Chen Sheng, his smile widening, now even carrying a hint of sincerity.

"Furthermore, I have also been entrusted by the abbot to extend his greetings to you, Donor Chen. It seems there were some past misunderstandings between our temple and yourself that led to friction. The Buddha is merciful, and we at Golden Spring Temple have all reflected on this. The abbot wishes to resolve our old grudges and sever these karmic ties. If you would only agree, Donor Chen, Golden Spring Temple is prepared to demonstrate its sincerity and atone for its past mistakes. We only hope that both our sides can coexist in harmony from this day forward, without further conflict."

Monk Xuanbei’s posture was extremely deferential and his words were earnest, making him seem like a completely different person from the self-assured man who had arrived moments ago.

The situation before him was unclear. Chen Sheng’s sudden appearance and strange status, the gathering of the Government Office’s entire senior leadership...

All signs pointed to one possibility: the Ning’an Government Office was likely plotting a major move against Golden Spring Temple!