Luoyang city, southern suburbs, evening homework.
The sound of Buddhist chanting came from an unknown distance and spread throughout the temple.
Eight hundred crossbowmen were waiting, while Zhang Xuanning stood on a tall building, overlooking the situation. The main buildings in Jingnian Zen Temple were arranged in sequence on the central axis facing the temple gate, with the Bronze Hall as the center of the Zen Temple, and the scale was complete and uniform. Except for the Bronze Hall, all buildings were covered with three-color glazed tiles, and the color was as new as ever.
Just by looking at this bronze palace, you can tell that the imperial seal is inside.
The destination of Cihang Jingzhai's campaign in the north should be the true owner of the imperial seal.
As the successor of Cihang Jingzhai, Shi Feixuan is looking for the true God for all people. Although the behavior of this woman with a Hu religion background in choosing the emperor of China is extremely childish and ridiculous, she has the support of the powerful Hu religion and the Hu people alliance, and even Ning Daoqi. Such power and influence will be extremely powerful and should not be underestimated.
For Zhang Xuanning, maybe Shi Feixuan would come to ask him, listen to his opinions, and check his strategies, but she would never actually choose Zhang Xuanning.
A cold murderous intent flashed across Zhang Xuan's eyes as he looked at the square of the temple. The square was a hundred feet wide, built with white stones and surrounded by white stone carved railings. In the middle of the white stone square, there was a bronze statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva riding on the back of a golden lion, about two feet tall. Beside the niche were the Three Buddhas, including Medicine Master, Sakyamuni and Amitabha.
The white stone square in front of the bronze temple and the Buddhist shrine were lit up, and even the hall where sutras were chanted was pitch black, making people realize that if they walked onto the white stone square, they would become the most obvious target, and anyone who approached would be discovered.
But it doesn't matter. Someone once said in the previous life that no matter how good the safe is, if someone steals the safe as well, all the anti-theft measures are useless.
He noticed the method of chanting in the temple, which was to recite the scriptures in one breath, so chanting was like breathing. Moreover, they were divided into two groups, after one group finished chanting, the other group continued without interruption, so it was like a continuous flow of water. If the length of chanting was used as a measure of breathing time, the monks here had a very deep inner strength foundation, and the number of people in each group should be around a hundred.
More than two hundred monks with high martial arts skills, plus the four Vajra guarding the temple and the Zen master Liaokong who practices silent meditation, are indeed extremely powerful. Since Cihang Jingzhai is willing to entrust the imperial seal that concerns the fate of the world to them, it is naturally confident that they have the power to protect the treasure. However, no matter how high their martial arts skills are, how much room for resistance can they have when facing nearly a thousand continuous crossbows?
Especially when being ambushed.
A powerful crossbow is pulled open by a foot pedal. The crossbow arrows are made of iron and are eight inches long. Eight crossbow arrows are placed in a crossbow slot. When the trigger is pulled, an arrow is shot out from the arrow hole. Then another arrow in the crossbow slot falls into the arrow chamber. The arrow can then be strung up and continued to be shot. Each arrow can pierce armor.
Zhang Xuanning sneered and asked, "Is the oil fire ready?"
"My lord, everything is ready." Chen Changlin bowed his head and stopped the order, but he was a little hesitant.
"Don't worry. Jingnian Zen Temple is on the outskirts of the city, and the city gates are closed now. Without repeated requests and orders, no one can leave the city unless they climb over the wall. So even if we fight outside the city and the sound of killing is deafening, it is impossible for a large group of troops to come out within two hours." Zhang Xuanning said leisurely.
The city gates were opened at Mao time (5:00 to 7:00 Beijing time) and closed at You time (17:00 to 19:00 Beijing time). When the city gates were closed at night, even if the emperor wanted to open them, it would take a lot of effort.
"Yes, my lord." Chen Changlin could only respond like this. In fact, no one attacked Jingnian Temple because of its status in the Hu Sect, not just because of its strong military force.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Three clear chime sounds came from the main hall where the evening prayers were being performed, and the chanting suddenly stopped. The entire Zen temple was completely silent, with only the chirping of insects gradually filling the space of the mountain and the temple.
Zhang Xuan stared intently and saw monks one after another walking out of the main hall behind the bronze temple with their hands clasped together.
These monks, who were forming a long snake formation, not only did not disperse, but they were led by a blue-robed monk with an intimidating figure, different from the other monks in grey robes, and walked straight towards the White Stone Square.
Two hundred and thirty-two monks were neatly arranged in more than ten rows in the open space between Manjusri Bodhisattva and the bell tower, facing the Bodhisattva niche. Despite the large number of people, no sound could be heard, not even the sound of breathing. Four monks, each with a different appearance, stood at the four corners of the square.
"The barbarians and their barbaric teachings are really worth killing!" Although he had known this long ago, when he really saw this situation, Zhang Xuanning's murderous intent suddenly became extremely hot. He knew at a glance that if this group of monks formed a monk army and cooperated with other armies, they would be able to rampage on the battlefield as if they were in an empty space.
Fortunately, they only had these key members at this time, so they could catch them all in one fell swoop!
At this moment, two heavy copper doors, each ten feet high, opened automatically without any wind, revealing the dark space inside. The monks chanted the Buddha's name together, and a tall and handsome monk walked out of the copper hall leisurely and stood at the top of the white stone steps leading to the hall.
Led by the Four Vajra Kings, the monks clasped their hands together and saluted.
This monk is Master Liaokong, with a slender and elegant figure and a straight nose, which makes him look very unique. The curved upper lip and slightly upturned lower lip bring out a kind of indescribable charm, which looks very good and leisurely on his slender face. His collar is wide and his bright face has a kind of divine light that transcends the world.
"Let's go forward, no need to hide." Zhang Xuanning sneered, went downstairs directly, and then walked upstairs slowly and unhurriedly, with the night breeze blowing.
The soldiers followed and, under the command of Chen Changlin, were divided into three groups , with crossbows hidden under their shields.
“Buddhism is a quiet place, only to save those who are predestined to be saved!” I don’t know who said this, but right after he finished speaking, all the monks started chanting together. Wooden fish and bells rose and fell in a certain rhythm amid the chanting. Even the night sky seemed to be filled with a peaceful atmosphere, making it feel exceptionally deep and distant.
Still pretending, I wonder what you will think when you see not just one person, but a large army of nearly a thousand people? Just as he was thinking this, Zhang Xuanning had already climbed the stairs and reached the square.
"Amitabha, this is a pure land of Buddhism. I wonder what your name is? Why do you lead a large army here?" On the square, an old monk in his sixties with white beard and beard said with his hands folded in front of the densely packed army.
This is the monk Buchen, the leader of the four Dharma protectors. Although he saw the army, he was not surprised. Jingnian Zen Temple is a Buddhist temple personally designated by the emperor. It has a huge influence among the believers of the Hu religion. Even the leaders of the four major clans and Wang Shichong, the garrison commander of Luoyang, dare not do anything to them.
Not to mention, there are only 800 to 1,000 people, so they may not be defeated in a head-on confrontation.
Following this greeting, two hundred monks crowded in the square also chanted Buddhist names. For a moment, the entire sky was filled with the sound.
The sky was dotted with stars, the night breeze was blowing gently, and the bright moon was embedded in the starry sky. Zhang Xuanning laughed silently, and then looked at Master Liaokong at the top, and met his pair of deep and unfathomable eyes, which were most unforgettable at first sight.
"Liaokong, hand over the imperial seal and I will spare your life." He said this calmly. At this time, the eight hundred soldiers were holding shields and half-surrounded.
"How dare you! Who are you to speak to the master like this?" Suddenly, a strong and powerful voice shouted, "You ignorant lunatic, how dare you come to the Buddhist temple to make trouble? If you don't put it down and leave the temple immediately, don't blame me for being merciless with my magic wand."
Zhang Xuanning retracted his gaze and laughed loudly. After he finished laughing, he suddenly shouted angrily: "Fire!"
He bought time to adjust the crossbows behind the shield. As soon as the order was given, the crossbow team that was prepared, the first row of crossbowmen knelt down, the second row half-knelt, the third row did not kneel, and the eight hundred crossbowmen moved their shields away, revealing the crossbows behind them, and they aimed at the monk at the first time and fired repeatedly.
"puff!"
Eight hundred crossbowmen fired at the same time. Although there were torches in the square and stars and the moon in the sky, in an instant, the square turned dark and a rain of arrows appeared. At such a short distance, there was not much difference between crossbow shooting and modern machine gun fire. Although the group of monks with high martial arts skills were immediately alerted after one shot, it had no effect at all.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!" Hundreds of monks were pierced through the body by powerful crossbows in the first instant. There was no room for them to use their martial arts. The monks at the back were still roaring, but the speed of the crossbow trigger was too fast. No matter how high their martial arts skills were, their movements could never be faster than the fingers that pulled the crossbow.
As soon as the first batch of arrows rained down, the second, third, and fourth batches of arrows poured down madly. Two hundred of the crossbows were specifically aimed at Master Lao Kong who was standing at the highest level.
At this moment, he admired the pinnacle of martial arts and the fall of the master.
The initial velocity of this powerful crossbow can reach 100 meters per second, and the range of direct shooting is 90 meters. In other words, the distance of only a dozen meters in front of you does not even take half a second, especially under this kind of covering unit attack. When the first batch of 200 crossbows were fired, this guy who was good at keeping silent reacted instantly and roared. In this half second, his body actually moved three meters away.
If there was only one or several crossbows, he would have been able to avoid this completely, which shows the master's strength that exceeds human limits. However, under a covering attack, this distance was not enough to escape the attack range. With two "pu pu" sounds, he was hit by two arrows and blood splattered. However, the crossbow arrows that were strong enough to penetrate iron armor did not penetrate deeply.
If it weren't for the continuous crossbow fire, it would have been enough for him to escape, but the speed of pulling the crossbow trigger was so fast that in this extremely short interval, Master Liaokong retreated again, retreating a few meters. When he was about to retreat into the bronze hall, the second wave of covering attacks enveloped him again.
Before the sound of "puff puff" of arrows piercing his body could come out, he was seen retreating into the bronze hall before the third wave of crossbow arrows rain. His martial arts were truly terrifying.
"What a strong man!" Zhang Xuanning was stunned. Fortunately, Chen Changlin was also like this at this time, and finally saved the face of his master. After looking at each other for a while, Zhang Xuanning smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. I just saw that he was hit by at least eleven arrows. Even if he is a master, so what? Is he not a human, but a god?"
He paused, watching that after three rounds of arrow rain, there were still a dozen monks staggering and not dead yet. He then admired the fourth and fifth rounds of sweeping fire, and admired that after these two rounds of arrow rain, no monk could stand up. Then he smiled and said, "These monks are really careless. If they had planned to fight in the field earlier, if they were not in the square, even if all of us died, we might not be able to defeat these monks. Unfortunately, there are no ifs in the world."
At this time, the square was littered with the bodies of monks, including the Four Vajra Kings. They struggled to the end, but died the most miserably, with dozens of arrows hitting their bodies, completely turning them into hedgehogs.
"Finish the job!" After Zhang Xuanning finished laughing, he snorted coldly and spoke in a deep voice.
Suddenly, eight groups of five people emerged from the eight hundred men. They drew their swords one by one and stepped forward. They struck each corpse hard in the vital parts, no matter how many arrows had hit it.
When they got close to the middle, suddenly, three monks among the corpses jumped out, covered in blood, and roared. Two soldiers flew out and were killed.
Chen Changlin sneered and stepped forward with his sword drawn.
The three monks fought desperately in order to gain a chance of survival. Forty soldiers and Chen Changlin surrounded them, determined to kill them as soon as possible. First, the swords and knives roared, then blood splattered and screams were heard.
Zhang Xuanning stood with his hands behind his back and watched quietly. He felt his whole body's energy and spirit rising infinitely and merging with all things. This kind of killing was truly the supreme method of the sword.
The battle did not last long. With the help of Chen Changlin, the monks who had been hit by several arrows were hacked to death, and eleven of their own soldiers also died.
Zhang Xuan stared at the copper temple with a flash of concentration, and said calmly: "This copper temple has no windows, only four fist-sized ventilation holes on the tile roof, which are three meters wide and deep, and one and a half meters high. Not only does it require a lot of gold and copper, but it also requires real masters and skilled craftsmen. This temple is enough for a thousand families to live for a year, right? Only copper can isolate the strange power of the imperial seal and not affect other monks, but they also want to comprehend its meaning, so they built this copper temple. This is not something that can be done overnight. It can be seen that the imperial seal has long fallen into the hands of the Hu people."
As he spoke, he laughed again: "That's why there is no other passage in this bronze hall. I see Master Kong, how can you get out?"
As he spoke, murderous intent burned in his heart. He pointed his finger, and the soldiers, as ferocious as wolves and tigers, rushed in through the gate like a tide. Chen Changlin also snorted coldly and rushed in. Suddenly, continuous fighting and the sound of Buddhist chanting were heard from inside.
It seems that Kong has reached the end of his rope, but he still puts up a final resistance.
The sounds of killing continued for a long time, as waves of soldiers rushed in until the moon illuminated the square.
At this time, Chen Changlin came out. He was pale and staggering, obviously injured, but in his hand was a pure white jade seal that shone with precious light. On the seal was engraved a pattern of five intertwined dragons. The craftsmanship was exquisite, but there was a corner missing, which had to be filled with gold.
In the moonlight, the He Shi Bi radiates an indescribable brilliance.
Zhang Xuanning's mind was moved.
"My lord, I and other soldiers have led the troops and killed Kong. One hundred and forty-one of our men were killed. Fortunately, the imperial seal affected the thief Kong's innate energy, but I and other soldiers were not affected. Otherwise, even more of us would have died." Chen Changlin stepped forward to report.
"How is Chang Linqing's injury?" Zhang Xuanning said. He is worthy of being a master. He still has such strong fighting power under such circumstances. It is really terrifying.
"It's not a big deal. It's not damaged. I just need to go back and recuperate for a while."
"Very good, you have made a great contribution this time, I will not forget it." After saying that, he took the jade seal from his hand. When he took off the jade seal, Chen Changlin's body trembled.
Although Zhang Xuanning already knew about the existence of the imperial seal, this was the first time he saw it. He took it carefully and looked at the seal text carefully. He found that it was in seal script, which must be the eight characters "Received the Mandate from Heaven, May You Live Long and Prosper".
Under the induction of the innate true qi, he felt his body and mind were peaceful, as if he was intoxicated, but he also felt the irresistible, huge and terrifying energy in this small jade seal.
After taking a look, he realized that he was a modern man after all, so he was not fooled. He took out a copper box, put the jade seal in it, and then asked, "Where is the head of Liaokong?"
"Here." A soldier took it out.
Zhang Xuanning glanced at him nonchalantly and sneered, "I thought this monk was a saint. Even if he died, he would have a look of complete despair. Why is he still baring his teeth and looking ferocious? I am so disappointed. Whoever kills him will be rewarded with fifty taels of gold and promoted one rank!"
He added: "Take away all our dead and wounded. We will leave tonight and try to return to the county within ten days. As for the rest, add fuel to the fire. I want to burn this Hu temple down!"
Not long after the order was given, flames broke out. By the time we got on the boat, we could see a sea of ​​fire outside the city, with tongues of flame shooting up into the sky. There was also a loud noise in the city, probably because they had discovered the fire. However, it was the middle of the night, and the city gates could not be opened, so it was just empty talk.
Dozens of ships took advantage of the wind and, under the night sky, took advantage of the newly excavated Grand Canal and headed south at a speed of hundreds of miles a day.