Nightfall

Countless people rushed around the palace. They Looked at the solemn buildings and the armored soldiers and the awe that deeply rooted in their bones calmed them down and stopped them from going forward.

However, there were too many people. Seen from the palace, half of the city was nearly filled with vegetables. Senses of tension and violence pervaded the air.

Thousands of soldiers and archers formed lines of defense to maintain order, while hundreds of ascetic monks and dozens of West-Hill Divine Guards were vigilantly watching the sky, three old priests in red came out of the palace, solemnly.

They followed the black crows here but they lost them. They all raised their heads to look for the black spots as many hungry geese.

Some of them found the crows when they looked at the White Tower Temple to the southwest of the palace and began to shout.

“They are over there.”

Wasn’t the Daughter of Yama afraid to die by entering the White Tower Temple? People began rushing into the temple and waved their fists while talking about and cursing the girl who dared to offend the Buddha, willy-nilly. The soldiers and cultivators didn’t stop them. Instead, they pushed people toward the temple.

A moment later.

Ning Que didn’t slow down when he ran to the walls of the temple. He stepped on a salient of the wall and soared in the air. Supporting with his hand, he jumped up in a direct gesture of defiance and flew over the wall.

Even though the walls were nearly 20 meters high and weren’t easily climbable for a normal man, they were not hard for him. Standing on the wall, he found no ascetic monks nor angry people which came as a relief. Until he found the flying crows above their heads, he straightened his face.

The black crows seemed to feel his anxiety, anger and killing intent. They quacked and flapped their wings rise higher in the sky, refusing to leave.

Ning Que jumped down from the wall and bent his body to discharge most of the vibration. Then he turned around to Sangsang and asked, “Are you Ok?”

Sangsang was bumped badly but she shook her head.

Ning Que came here so many times, and he even brought Sangsang to the temple to worship the Buddha for three times during the whole winter. He was very familiar with the terrain and the buildings. He ran through the garden and the side hall, entered the back yard where it was more peaceful, and rushed toward the nearby White Pagoda.

The bell in the temple was still ringing, echoing with the ones in the city. No one would expect that Ning Que dared to bring Sangsang to the temple, so all the monks in the temple ran out to look for them. The black crows were also flying beyond people’s vision, so no one found them at this moment.

Yuelun Kingdom was a Buddhist country which was famous for its 300 temples. There was another saying that there were 72 temples in the country. In both two sayings, the White Tower Temple in Chaoyang City was the first temple in the country.

It was the Front Gate of the Xuankong Temple, as the Lanke Temple, even though it had a long history and brought up many big monks.

The White Pagoda enjoyed a high requtation in cultivation. Quni Madi was tonsured here. It was rumored that the abbot of the White Tower Temple was an eminent monk who was at the Knowing Destiny State.

Same as the Go games on Tile Mountain, the most famous building in the temple was the White Pagoda.

Looking at the white pagoda in the lake, Ning Que felt a little anxious. He had been here three times in the past, but he never got close to it.

However, the place he planned to go to was under the White Pagoda. Considering he was so tired since he had been running for too long a time, he needed to have some rest.

There was a small island in the lake behind the White Tower Temple where the White Pagoda stood.

There was an unimpressive temple on the island which was connected to the land with a narrow bridge. The lake didn’t freeze in early spring. A few lotuses were strenching on the bridge and looked beautiful.

As the unpleasant cries of the crows sounded in the sky, Ning Que quickly ran out of the back of an ancient clock, along with the narrow bridge to the eyot at the other end of the bridge.

While a dozen monks were walking out of a hall and discussing, pointing at the black crows, they saw Ning Que on the bridge and exclaimed in shock.

All of sudden, hasty steps reverberated in the temple. As the monks shouted, more and more people cried out and ran toward the lakeside.

As Ning Que realized they were found by the monks in the temple, he sped up, breaking the dead lotus while holding the hilt with his right hand.

Reaching the other end of the bridge, he tightened his hand and drew the podao out. A chill light flashed and two iron staffs were blasted away.

Two ascetic monks had been hiding at the bridgehead, trying to sneak attack on Ning Que since they heard the noises. Unexpectedly, Ning Que had already figured out their positions and struck first.

Two deep wounds appeared on their bodies, from face to waist, bleeding. They looked miserable and died quickly.

Ning Que didn’t stop to look at them. He rushed into the quiet monastery, smashing a wooden door.

The windows of the monastery were covered with thick gauze. It was very dark inside.

Suddenly, an iron staff with Qi of Heaven and Earth ripped the air with a harsh sound and smashed toward Ning Que’s head, freezing the air in the monastery.

Powerfully harnessing the Qi of Heaven and Earth like this, the man must be very strong. Considering the timing he attacked, Ning Que could not get rid of him easily.

However, Ning Que already knew who was inside and that was why he broke into this room, so how could he be unprepared for the attacks? He waved his podao and heavily countered the iron staff.