Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 879 – The White Crane Sends for Reinforcements

Huai Ren calmly gazed at Tang Thirty-Six, but did not reply.

Tang Thirty-Six calmly looked back, also not speaking. It was clear that he wanted nothing more than for her to give an answer.

Huai Shu harshly said, “A madman like Xiao Zhang, whose hands are drenched in blood? How could we let him enter the mountain and sully this pure and holy land?”

Tang Thirty-Six wanted deeply to mention Su Li.

The number of people Su Li had killed was uncountable, his sword stained in far more blood than Xiao Zhang’s spear, but did Holy Maiden Peak dare to drive him away?

Even your Holy Maiden left with him.

Just as he was about to say these words, he took them back. These words were too ruthless, and if he didn’t say them right, it would end in conflict.

He shook his head and unconcernedly said, “If I remember correctly, before the Holy Maiden secluded herself, she ordered that all matters of South Stream Temple would be managed by Senior Sisters Ping Xuan and Yi Chen. I think that driving Xiao Zhang from Holy Maiden Peak was assuredly not their will, but the will of you three?”

Hearing this, the disciples around the thatched cottage became uneasy, especially those two disciples standing behind the three Daoist nuns, who even lowered their heads. Tang Thirty-Six could clearly sense that these two disciples possessed a powerful cultivation, so they were presumably Ping Xuan and Yi Chen.

Huai Ren knew that she had to respond and serenely said, “Correct, it was my will that Xiao Zhang not enter the mountain.”

Tang Thirty-Six stared into her eyes and inquired, “Why?”

Huai Shu angrily said, “I’ve already said why.”

Tang Thirty-Six ignored her. Still staring into Huai Ren’s eyes, he questioned, “Then, based on what?”

Even if you gave ten thousand reasons for not allowing Xiao Zhang in, just what authority was it based on?

This is a matter of South Stream Temple. On whose authority are you issuing orders?

Huai Bi sneered, “The Holy Maiden is in seclusion, but does that mean that we seniors can no longer concern ourselves in such matters?”

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “The Holy Maiden is in seclusion, so that means that you no longer need to respect her decrees? Just who is greater, you or the Holy Maiden?”

His words had ceased to be criticism, becoming a direct challenge.

Huai Bi was infuriated at these questions and prepared to retort.

Huai Ren advised, “Junior Sister, Young Master Tang is well known for his eloquent words. You are certainly not his opponent.”

“Wrong.” Tang Thirty-Six corrected her, “I am no silver-tongue. I just speak loudly and quickly.”

Huai Ren smiled. “One who speaks reason does not need a loud voice. If you just spoke loudly and quickly, why has no one ever been able to win an argument against you?”

“Wrong again.” Tang Thirty-Six explained, “One who speaks reason will naturally speak loudly. My reasons are straightforward, so my voice is robust. No one has ever been able to win an argument against me because they do not speak with reason.”

His words were naturally referring to the matters of South Stream Temple.

He felt that he had reason, so these three elders of South Stream Temple were naturally without reason.

Silence reigned inside and outside the thatched cottage. The disciples of South Stream Temple lowered their heads, not knowing what to say.

“Young Master Tang feels that we three elders returned to South Stream Temple to avail ourselves of the Holy Maiden’s seclusion to seize power.”

Huai Ren looked at the disciples and asked, “Perhaps they think the same?”

Hearing this, the hundred-some disciples around the thatched cottage quickly broke their silence to say that they wouldn’t dare.

The two disciples attending behind the three nuns even prostrated, their voices shaking as they said, “Student would not dare.”

Tang Thirty-Six thought, the two people that Xu Yourong assigned the responsibility of managing the temple are actually this old nun’s students. This certainly is a problem. When has a student ever managed their teacher? If the teacher gave an order, was there a disciple that dared to disobey? The crime of deceiving one’s teacher or betraying one’s ancestor is enough to directly cast one into the abyss for eternity.

“I think that His Holiness the Pope and our guests need not be too worried. The matters of my South Stream Temple have always been managed by its disciples.”

Huai Ren warmly said, “But as elders of South Stream Temple, there are some important matters in which we must make our stance known.”

Tang Thirty-Six asked, “Like the matter with Xiao Zhang?”

Huai Ren replied, “What this matter signifies, I think Young Master Tang and Your Eminence understand very well.”

This was precisely the question that Tang Thirty-Six had wanted answered.

These three elders of South Stream Temple had refused to protect Xiao Zhang. This meant that they were not willing to have Holy Maiden Peak ally itself with the Li Palace, let alone unify the Orthodoxy’s north and south.

Huai Ren looked at Tang Thirty-Six and said, “Even if the Holy Maiden were not in seclusion, I believe that she would also have to consider our stance.”

Tang Thirty-Six asked, “And your stance is?”

Huai Ren indifferently said, “Our stance is one of opposition.”

Tang Thirty-Six fell into thought. He had not expected this elder to have such a calm and firm stance. She simply did not care for his threat or the pressure from the Orthodoxy.

Negotiations had reached an impasse. If things were allowed to continue, the major event that Ye Xiaolian had alluded to might really become reality.

How could this plan be broken? Tang Thirty-Six couldn’t think of a way, so he could only use his expertise to stir trouble.

“Since none of you are managing the temple’s affairs, why did you have to hit her?”

Tang Thirty-Six pointed at Ye Xiaolian behind him and asked Huai Ren, “Or does the old bullying the young count as one of your important matters?”

The black-clothed Huai Bi flew into a rage, shouting, “I don’t manage the temple matters, but with my seniority, am I not allowed to teach this girl to respect her teachers and honor the truth?”

Ye Xiaolian could no longer stand upon seeing her martial grandaunt’s rage, and also prostrated. Even if she felt wronged, she did not dare to show it.

Seeing these three disciples prostrating on the floor, Tang Thirty-Six internally sighed. After all, they were girls, and they had grown up under the traditional teachings of Holy Maiden Peak, so it was impossible for them to be like him and Chen Changsheng, daring to bully their teachers and betray their ancestors. There did not seem much of a chance of resolving this problem internally, so he could only hope that Chen Changsheng could think of a method. Given the time that had passed, Chen Changsheng should have already reached the summit of Holy Maiden Peak. No sign of activity after all this time meant that Xu Yourong remained undisturbed in the seclusion of her cave, so it was about time for Chen Changsheng to quickly show himself.

The problem was that with these three elders watching him, it was even a challenge for him to whisper to Ye Xiaolian, so how could he inform Chen Changsheng at the summit?

As he was contemplating these things, his eyes suddenly glowed. In the courtyard, he saw a white crane resting on a flowering tree.

Who couldn’t recognize this white crane?

……

……

The White Crane was the sacred beast of Holy Maiden Peak. Only Xu Yourong could ride it, and it had a most revered status in Holy Maiden Peak. Whether it was the flowering trees within the temple or the waterfalls trickling between the trees, it could choose anywhere it wanted to make its perch. No one had ever dared to treat it impolitely, but today, it was almost struck by a stinky shoe.

An angry crane cry resounded in the courtyard and its ten-some-zhang wings unfurled. It had just prepared to counterattack when it suddenly realized that it recognized the thrower of the shoe.

“You heartless thing. We kept watch together for that adulterous couple, but now that I’ve come to visit, you don’t even say hello!”

Tang Thirty-Six stood outside the thatched cottage, his hand holding another straw shoe as he loudly yelled.

Ye Xiaolian and a few other informed disciples were stupefied. Was it because he had thrown a shoe at the White Crane, or was it those old matters he had mentioned?

The White Crane pleaded innocence with its eyes and was probably wondering why this fellow was going crazy.

Tang Thirty-Six grew even angrier and threw the other shoe. At the same time, he cast a glance at the summit and winked.