From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Without any hesitation or delay, Master Zhuang led a group of Inner Court masters, took four carriages, and headed straight for Lingyin Temple.

Since they were racing against time, they didn't care about much. Many female guards were wearing martial arts uniforms, holding long swords, with serious faces and murderous eyes.

At dusk, the setting sun had passed, and the sunset glow was like blood.

When they arrived at Lingyin Temple, it was dark, the temple gate was closed, and only the slow chanting of Zen could be heard from it.

As an ancient temple with a long history, Lingyin Temple was built on the mountain, with one level higher than the other.

There is the largest Guanyin Buddha statue here, with hundreds of monks, and it has been popular for many years.

Zhou Yuan knocked on the door gently, and soon a voice came from inside: "Which donor? The temple is closed today, please come back tomorrow."

Zhou Yuan said: "I am a pilgrim this afternoon. I left a valuable item in the temple. Please open the door and let me retrieve it."

"Is this true?"

The door slowly opened, and a young monk saw Zhou Yuan and more than 20 people, and was a little confused for a moment.

He subconsciously stepped back a few steps and said in surprise: "Donor, it is not allowed to bring weapons to the pure land of Buddhism."

Zhou Yuan drew out his sword, put it on his neck, and chuckled: "Little Master, take us to see your abbot."

"Don't refuse, otherwise I don't mind chopping off your head."

The little monk had never seen such a scene before, and his legs were immediately frightened and he led Zhou Yuan and others forward.

As they climbed up all the way, there were more and more monks around, and they were frightened to see Zhou Yuan and others.

"Quick, go and ask the abbot!"

Someone shouted, and some monks came hurriedly, holding sticks, but they didn't dare to attack.

Because Zhou Yuan and others had already held seven or eight monks, with sharp knives on their necks, and a slight move could kill them.

Fires were lit everywhere, and a large number of monks hurriedly came from a distance, and several old monks looked anxious.

"Donors! The temple mobilized troops, aren't you afraid of the Buddha's anger!"

The old monk who spoke was wearing a cassock, holding a Zen stick, and glaring.

Zhou Yuan had a blank expression on his face, and pierced a monk's shoulder with a sword, blood flowed, and screams suddenly rang out.

The faces of the people around him changed drastically, and the old monk also widened his eyes.

Zhou Yuan then said coldly: "Don't mention Buddha in front of me. If you make me angry, I will kill all your people in the temple and burn this place down."

The old monk held the Zen stick tightly in his right hand. He was obviously furious, but he could only swallow his anger and said: "What do you want, please tell me. Lingyin Temple is willing to help you."

Zhou Yuan said: "Let the others withdraw, and you old monks can stay."

"If you do things obediently, you will be lucky. If you play tricks, this thousand-year-old temple will be cut off here."

The old monk gritted his teeth, hesitated for a few breaths, and then shouted: "All monks in the temple listen to my orders, go back to the courtyard, chant scriptures and chant Buddha, and don't go out."

Many monks shouted, unwilling to leave, but had to obey.

So only four old monks were left, standing alone at the door of the hall, with extremely ugly faces.

Many female officials of the inner court were silent, and neither was the head of the Zhuang Division. Unknowingly, Zhou Yuan took the lead in this matter.

"What's your name, old monk?"

Zhou Yuan's pace slowed down instead.

The old monk sighed and said, "My name is Shanzhi, and I am the abbot of Lingyin Temple. You came here at night, holding a knife, and saw blood in the temple. What is your purpose?"

Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "It turns out to be Master Shanzhi. Amitabha, I am a hundred households of the Jinyiwei, and I came here to perform official duties under the order of the Holy Lord. Anyone who obstructs will be treated as a treasonous crime and can be killed on the spot. Behead first and report later."

"At this moment, there are a few questions that Master Shanzhi needs to answer. Master, don't you mind?"

The four old monks looked at each other. Of course, they had heard of the name of Jinyiwei and knew that it was a group of mad dogs, so they said no more and just nodded slowly.

Zhou Yuan said: "You should still remember the four monks Xuning, Xudu, Xusong and Xuting, right?"

Master Shanzhi frowned and said slowly: "Are they disciples of the Xu generation in my temple? There are a total of 38 disciples of the Xu generation in my temple, but the above four are not included."

Zhou Yuan's face turned cold, and he turned around and said: "Qingying, if this old monk tells another lie, you will cut off one of the little monk's arms."

After this, Master Shanzhi and others looked even uglier.

Then Zhou Yuan said lightly: "Master is proficient in Buddhism, and should be compassionate. You should not treat the lives of temple disciples as worthless. Now it's just bloodshed, and we will kill and set fire later."

"If you dare to resist, my Jinyiwei Qianhu Division will send a thousand cavalry to kill you, I'm afraid you can't stop it?"

Speaking of thisHe wiped the blood off the sword and continued, "Let me remind you that the above four people were once monks in Lingyin Temple. They were very good at martial arts, but they returned to secular life a few years ago."

"As monks, they are often not allowed to return to secular life easily. Master Abbot, please don't say you don't know."

Shanzhi was silent for a moment, then he sighed, "Amitabha! Donor, why do you mention those traitors?"

"Six years ago, these four..."

He suddenly raised his head and asked in confusion, "No, there are only three disciples, Xu Ting, Xu Song and Xuning, who returned to secular life. There is no Xu Du at all!"

Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "You answered very well. Xu Du is a name I made up on purpose. If you dare to fool me, I will kill you."

Master Shanzhi hated it in his heart. These Jinyiwei lackeys were too vicious.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Six years ago, these three people did not abide by the rules and regulations, went out of the temple to gamble, and owed a huge gambling debt."

"The gambling thugs came to the temple and demanded a huge debt. My Lingyin Temple was unable to repay it. Fortunately, a pilgrim helped to pay off the debt."

"The three disciples were also expelled from the temple, that's all."

Zhou Yuan nodded and said, "That pilgrim paid so much money, Master Shanzhi, don't say you don't remember who it is."

Master Shanzhi said, "Since he is a benefactor, I dare not forget it, but at that time I promised that donor not to reveal his identity."

"Monks should not break their promises, please understand."

Zhou Yuan swung out with a sword and cut off one of the monk's arms.

Blood gushed out, and the monk fell to the ground in pain, screaming miserably.

Master Shanzhi and the other four changed their faces and couldn't help but yell.

Zhou Yuan looked cold and said in a chilling voice: "Master Shanzhi, have you thought it through? Will you answer or not?"

"Han Tuo! Han Tuo, Marquis of Annan!"

Master Shanzhi said hurriedly: "Quick, send him to the doctor and reconnect his arm."

The other two old monks came over to help, one carried the little monk, and the other took the broken arm and left in a hurry.

Zhou Yuan did not stop him, but looked at Shanzhi and said slowly: "Master may not have recognized the reality yet. You decide the life and death of this thousand-year-old temple tonight."

"So please tell me, where did those three people go after they returned to secular life?"

Master Shanzhi growled: "I don't know, but these three people like to gamble, so they must often go to the gambling house."

Zhou Yuan looked at him deeply and said lightly: "This investigation is due to the death of Mr. Huang Heng, the governor of Zhejiang Province. All those involved in the case will be exterminated!"

"Master Shanzhi, if you dare to leak the information, you will personally start the disaster of destroying Buddhism in the Jin Dynasty."

"Everything, you weigh it yourself."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left without staying any longer.