The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 210 - 185. Reap immense benefits

On the same night, under the veil of darkness, a group of monks returned to the main entrance of Divine Dragon Temple.

"Master," the monk guarding the gate greeted with hands clasped in respect, looking reverently at the white-robed monk leading the group.

Bian Ji smiled and nodded, stepping into the temple and heading towards the rear hall.

The rest of the monks followed suit, carrying with them some utensils used for preaching.

—After the evening’s dharma assembly concluded and the invited dignitaries from the Capital had departed, these monks began tidying up the aftermath.

Bian Ji, who appeared to be just over thirty, with soft and handsome features and a serene demeanor, eloquently strolled along the temple path, his sparse eyebrows framing eyes as clear as a baby’s.

Monks along the way would stop to pay their respects, and he returned each greeting with a smile, not slighting a single one.

"Master treats us so kindly, unlike those officiating monks who strut around with scowls, too lazy to bother with people,"

whispered a young novice in admiration.

This prompt others nearby to agree.

All the monks knew that Bian Ji was a legendary figure.

It was said that long ago, he had followed Master Xuan Yin, listening to his teachings.

Back then, Master Xuan Yin hadn’t yet stepped into the "Worldly Realm" or taken the position of abbot at Divine Dragon Temple.

At that time, vying for the seat of the new abbot and leader of the Great Yu Buddhist Sect were two other elders, and Xuan Yin wasn’t the most likely to win.

Until that year, Xuan Yin ventured alone into the mortal world, traveling across the Great Yu Dynasty to preach.

Discussing the sutras with common folk, through the bustling secular world, experiencing various worldly affairs to refine a Buddha’s heart.

Many talented disciples followed Master Xuan Yin, wishing to walk and rest side by side with him.

During that time, they endured countless hardships, drinking the morning dew when thirsty and begging for alms when hungry, often sleeping in the open. One by one, the disciples, unable to bear the suffering and perhaps unwilling to gamble their futures on Xuan Yin, left one after another.

Only a few stubbornly loyal followers remained, and among them was Bian Ji, who was just a novice at the time and not particularly remarkable.

In terms of Cultivation and wisdom, he was no match for Long Shu Bodhisattva, who had been praised by the previous abbot as a rare Buddha-hearted talent, able to comprehend even the most obscure passages of the Worldly Treasure Scripture after just one night of study.

In terms of perseverance and resilience, he was not equal to Da Jing Master, who, after a decade of meditative contemplation amid banana trees, finally made a Breakthrough during a rainstorm, surpassing thirty years of another’s cultivation.

But when Master Xuan Yin finally walked on foot to the west gate corridor, intending to journey to the Western Regions Buddhism ancestral grounds.

Bian Ji was the only one who chose to follow and successfully returned alive with Master Xuan Yin.

As the soldiers guarding the gate described vividly:

By that time, Master Xuan Yin had entered the Heavenly Human Realm, becoming one of the most powerful beings in the world.

And he forcefully snatched two chests of scriptures from the hands of Western Regions Buddhism.

At that moment, Bian Ji was carrying those chests on a pole.

And now,

After preaching, Bian Ji walked alone to the front of the main hall at the back of the Divine Dragon Temple.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

The main hall doors were very wide, with ten intricately carved wooden doors standing side by side, hinting at the grandeur of the space within.

But all the doors were closed.

Bian Ji began from the far left, walking to the right, and slowly pushed open the first door.

Candlelight poured out from within, revealing the most prominent feature inside the spacious hall: a colossal gold-plated Buddha statue.

Its face gazed down with compassion.

And on the long, equally majestic row of offering tables were thirty-two sticks of yellow incense, each as thick as a baby’s arm.

Underneath the offering table was a single, solitary old monk.

His back turned towards Bian Ji, he faced the Buddha statue, eyes closed, gently striking a large wooden fish.

The old monk was dressed in brown robes and was not particularly tall, even somewhat short.

His appearance was not very attractive, his expression solemn and stern, even appearing somewhat fierce.

But upon closer inspection, one could see the kindness and compassion within.

At that time, the massive and overlooking Master Buddha statue had transformed into a fierce protector with wrathful eyes.

"Master, today’s Ullambana Festival preaching has been concluded, and I have come to report back to you. There’s nothing much of note, except for two interesting matters,"

said Bian Ji as he pushed open the first door but did not enter.

Instead, he continued to push open the second door, while the abbot inside, Master Xuan Yin, seemed to have no reaction.

"The first matter concerns Her Majesty that lady.

She was supposed to be sequestered but still made an appearance. I ponder, this is undoubtedly the Royal Family showing goodwill, not unexpected.

As you said, our Majesty’s foundations are not stable, and her cultivation lacks a critical step; her confidence is not exactly solid.

In the eyes of Her Majesty, the Heavenly Master Mansion and Divine Dragon Temple are like the ’Li Party’ and the ’Clear Stream Faction’ in the court, essential to keep in balance so that the Emperor’s heart can be at ease."

Bian Ji stepped forward, opening the third door.

He paused, smiling as he said:

"As for the second, it’s quite amusing and has to do with Zhao Douan. This man has risen to prominence recently, and I have taken some notice.

Since his close connection with the Heavenly Master Mansion’s Jade Scroll, I took the opportunity to visit him on the invitation of the White Horse Bureau Director Sun Lianying, and indeed, he’s different from the rumors.

What I didn’t expect was his talent for governance discourse... This is peculiar.

If it wasn’t for his ignorance in Buddhist principles, I would almost believe he had been blessed by the ’Worldly Buddha,’ leading to his enlightenment..."

Bian Ji continued to leisurely push open door after door by himself.

The outside of the hall became brighter as he spoke:

"Master, I know you are roaming the heavens, leaving only a physical shell here, but at least give me some reply.

Do you think, our Majesty suddenly went into seclusion because she has gained some insight?

Is she a step closer to the true Heavenly Human Realm?

As you said, is it better if she never makes a Breakthrough? Otherwise, some existing structures might be disrupted, making it difficult for our Divine Dragon Temple to leverage the court’s power to fulfill the long-held wish to unite Eastern and Western teachings...

Yes, it’s better not to Breakthrough..."

Bian Ji spoke and had pushed open the last door, but suddenly the sound of the wooden fish inside the hall stopped.

"Eh?"

Bian Ji turned his head toward the direction of the Imperial Palace and slightly furrowed his brow.

He heard a low dragon’s cry.

Within the Buddhist Temple, Master Xuan Yin opened his eyes, as if perceiving something.

Moments later, he closed his eyes again, calmly stating,

"The Dragon Qi is disturbed, be still and don’t be hasty."

Was it merely a disturbance? Because of the Ghost Festival night? Or...had the Empress truly made progress?

Bian Ji was silent, frowning and saying nothing.

...

In the depths of the Heavenly Master Mansion, in a small courtyard,

the mysterious banyan tree’s crystalline leaves rustled.

Suddenly, within the treetop, the vague visage of a human face appeared, quietly gazing in the direction of the Imperial Palace.

"Master, what’s calling?"

With refined facial features and unfocused eyes, appearing somewhat bewildered, the young girl Jin Jian calmly looked around, sitting beside a table.

Beside her, on a rocking chair, was Old Heavenly Master Zhang, tall with narrow eyes, wearing a dark-colored priest’s robe, holding a jade scroll, also quietly gazing into the distance.

After a while, he furrowed his brows slightly and shook his head,

"Seems like the Dragon Qi is restless, related to the celestial phenomena..."

He was somewhat uncertain because the entire Imperial City possessed strong prohibitions, isolating it from external scrutiny.

Although he could forcefully break through, it would imply turning against the court.

"Oh." Jin Jian received an answer and didn’t care anymore.

After all, the thing just called out once, and not very loudly at that. If one were not a cultivator with sharp senses, they might not have heard it.

She excitedly shared gossip,

"Master, then I’ll continue telling you about the excitement in the vegetarian garden with Zhao Douan tonight..."

Heavenly Master Zhang said cheerily,

"Alright, tell your master all about it in detail."

...

Inside the secret chamber,

Zhao Douan only felt a splitting headache, as if a massive rod was crudely thrust into his brain, accompanied by violent stirring.

He shouted in pain, but his voice was perfectly isolated by the secret chamber.

Zhao Douan fell to the ground, holding his head, the veins on his skin grotesquely raised, looking particularly terrifying.

Vaguely, he seemed to "see" a golden, indistinct, smoke-like "Dragon Essence" traveling through his meridians, seemingly inspecting its new home.

After being quite choosy for a while, it finally nestled into his dantian Qi Sea and gently coiled up.

Like a cat, it fell back into a deep slumber.

Only in its sleep, each breath it took would swallow the Qi in Zhao Douan’s body and exhale it, refined several times over.

The pain receded like a tide.

After an unknown length of time, Zhao Douan slowly got up, his face showing a blank expression.

"Not...?"

He looked at his hands and felt his abdomen, sensing the strong and continuous power emanating slowly from his dantian.

He had a vague premonition that with this thing inside him, it was as if he had activated an auto-pilot mode, constantly absorbing and cultivating every moment.

At the same time, he felt an indistinct perception:

Should he encounter life-threatening danger, he could awaken the "Divine Thought" inside him... the cost unknown.

"Did I swallow the divine entity made by Old Xu?"

"That’s not right... didn’t the stone platform say it requires someone of the Worldly Realm... I am merely mortal..."

"And wasn’t this thing prepared for the descendants of the Royal Family? Aren’t there any requirements for bloodline? Can cultivating this heritage allow swallowing? Can’t you see I’m not from the Xu family?"

Zhao Douan was utterly confused, with a strong sense of unreality.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

He increasingly doubted that something was amiss with himself; the Martial God Map was also different from others’ experiences.

"Heh, but to look on the bright side, at least I don’t have to worry about whether to hand it over. It’s impossible to do so now."

Zhao Douan mocked himself with a smile, suddenly wondering if Zhenbao could detect the anomaly within him.

What if, like last time in the sedan, she inspected his body...

Thunk.

He swallowed, feeling a headache. What if this thing were discovered?

The Empress might ask: "How did my treasure end up in your stomach?!"

Zhao Douan: "Actually... Your subject can also place my treasure in Your Majesty’s stomach..."

He shook his head, casting aside the weird thoughts.

Zhao Douan stealthily rechecked everything in the secret chamber once more, then hastily made his escape from the Imperial Palace, taking advantage of the Ghost Festival’s time buff to activate the Array and flee.

...

"Splash!"

Under the stone bridge in the Capital’s night, Zhao Douan emerged from the water, looked up at the waning moon in the sky, and felt the night wind, thinking it all a dream.

...

Inside the Imperial Palace.

Xu Zhenguan, in flowing white robes, stood on the roof of the Primordial Ancestor Temple, her Divine Thought enveloping the entire Imperial City, her expression blank:

"Gone again?"

After a moment of silence, she sighed.

Dragon Essence... in the end...

Was it just her illusion?