Xu Qi'an followed the monk who was guarding the gate and entered the inner courtyard.

The young monk stopped in the courtyard and clasped his hands together, saying, "Brother Heng Yuan, please wait here for a moment. I will inform Master Jingchen."

Xu Qi'an bowed in response, "Thank you, junior brother."

As he watched the young monk enter a room, Xu Qi'an recalled the names on the list.

There were a total of twenty-one members in the Western Region delegation.

The innkeeper had to arrange rooms for the delegation. The rooms in the inn were divided into different grades, with higher-ranking monks naturally staying in better rooms. It was impossible for a young novice to stay in the presidential suite, while the leader would stay in a single room without windows.

Therefore, the innkeeper had a clear understanding of the status of the delegation.

The highest-ranking member was naturally the leader of the delegation, "Master Du'e," but the innkeeper didn't know about his cultivation level.

Behind him were two people, "Jingchen" and "Jingsi," who were probably brothers based on their Dharma names.

As for the other monks, their status seemed to be similar.

"One is called 'Jingcheng' and the other is called 'Jinshi.' These brothers have interesting Dharma names."

While thinking about this, the young monk came out and invited Xu Qi'an inside.

He followed the young monk into the room. The room was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. A round-faced monk with thick earlobes was sitting cross-legged on a mat, smiling as he looked at the door.

This monk had a restrained aura and looked no different from an ordinary person.

"Brother Jingchen," Xu Qi'an clasped his hands together.

"Junior Brother Heng Yuan," the middle-aged monk returned the greeting.

He immediately arranged for the young monk to serve tea, and only after Xu Qi'an took a sip did he speak, "Brother Panshu has just returned to the temple."

He meant to say that the monks of the Orient Loong Temple had just received the news of the delegation's arrival in the capital... Brother Panshu had just returned to the Orient Loong Temple, and there was no special reason for the monks to come and chat... Xu Qi'an instantly thought of many possibilities and knew that this was a test from the other party.

He had already prepared a response and calmly said, "I have left the temple for many years."

Monk Jingchen smiled and asked, "What brings Junior Brother Heng Yuan here?"

His voice seemed to have a strange charm, making Xu Qi'an instinctively resist lying and wanting to explain his purpose clearly.

A fifth-grade precept holder?

Xu Qi'an's heart trembled.

The abbot of the Orient Loong Temple, Panshu, was also a fifth-grade precept holder. Monks at this level were like moving "rules" that would consciously or unconsciously influence the people around them.

Monks were not allowed to lie, have sexual relations, or kill... If a precept holder had kept a certain precept, the people around them would also unconsciously follow it.

Xu Qi'an had never seen a precept holder fight, but when he went to the Orient Loong Temple to investigate the Sangbo case, he had deliberately looked up information about the martial arts of Buddhist masters.

The fighting power of a precept holder came from the "precepts." It was somewhat similar to the Confucian saying "speak and it shall be done," but not as rogue as Confucianism.

In layman's terms, a Confucian could say, "Xu Qi'an's Diao Chan is on his waist!" and it could be realized, although there would be serious consequences.

For a precept holder in Buddhism, there were many restrictions and they couldn't act as they pleased. They could only say, "Xu Qi'an, smoking backwards is like competing with immortals."

Except for Xu Qi'an's mouth being burned, there were basically no consequences.

The Confucian saying changed the rules, while the precept holder made people follow the rules. In essence, they were completely opposite.

Xu Qi'an clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddhist mantra, "Brother, are you and the others coming to the capital for the seal in the Sangbo case?"

These words were like a huge stone thrown into a lake.

Jingchen narrowed his eyes, remained calm on the surface, and smiled, "Did Brother Panshu say that?"

Before Panshu returned to the Orient Loong Temple, Master Du'e had repeatedly ordered that the existence of the seal should not be leaked, including to the monks of the Orient Loong Temple.

Master Jingchen had set a trap for Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an shook his head and sighed, "It's not what Master said. To be honest, I was also involved in the Sangbo case..."

A golden light seemed to flash in Jingchen's gentle and compassionate eyes.

"I have a junior brother named Heng Hui. We grew up together and have a deep bond. Over a year ago, Heng Hui suddenly disappeared and took away a spell that could conceal his aura from the temple. After investigating, I found that he was suspected of being abducted by a gang..."

Xu Qi'an showed a sorrowful and melancholic expression, as if he couldn't bear the grief. He could only chant the Buddhist mantra to ease his emotions, "Amitabha Buddha."

Jingchen listened attentively, and seeing Heng Yuan's appearance, he couldn't help but be moved. "Is there something hidden behind this case?"

"Yes, Junior Brother Heng Hui had a romantic relationship with a noblewoman, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Yu. The Duke of Yu is the emperor's younger brother, a prince. Without the spell that conceals their aura, they cannot leave the capital's territory."

Jingchen's face changed, and he was filled with many doubts. "Even if they eloped, there was no need to steal the spell, right?"

Xu Hengyuan sighed, "That noblewoman is the daughter of the Duke of Yu, who is the emperor's brother. Even if they eloped, they couldn't leave the capital without the spell that conceals their aura."

Jingchen's expression changed, and he urgently asked, "Where is that spell now? Is Heng Hui still alive? How did the Great Feng handle this matter? Did the Monastic Discipline Office take action? Or has the spell been resealed by the Monastic Discipline Office?"

He asked a series of questions, completely losing the calm and composed demeanor of a high monk.

"Brother Jingchen, please calm down. Let me explain slowly..."Xu Qi'an analyzed the Sangbo case and the Princess Pingyang case in depth, revealing the secrets and connections behind the two cases to Jingchen Monk.

Jingchen Monk had not spoken for a long time, seemingly shocked by the intricate and complicated cases.

Even Pan Shu, the head of the Pan family, did not know these inside stories. He had only come from the west to inform the Buddhist Sangbo seal.

Shifu went to the palace to meet the emperor and learn about the case, but unexpectedly, I, who stayed at the post station, learned about the whole process first... Jingchen Monk sighed:

"This case is indeed convoluted and mysterious, and the person who can solve this case is even more formidable. How did Junior Brother Heng Yuan know all this in such detail?"

Xu Qi'an knew that Jingchen Monk would definitely ask this question. He remained calm and forced himself to resist the instinct to lie, and answered:

"Although this case is handled by the San Si, the one who actually solved the Sangbo case and the Princess Pingyang case is a Nightwatcher from the Nightwatcher's Office named Xu Qi'an. I have a close relationship with Mr. Xu and personally got involved because of Junior Brother Heng Hui, so I know everything clearly."

Jingchen Monk noted down the name Xu Qi'an and asked eagerly, "Who is this Xu Qi'an with the silver gong? Junior Brother Heng Yuan, please tell me in detail."

"Ah!"

Heng Yuan did not speak, but sighed deeply.

"Junior Brother, what's the matter..."

"I thought of this person and felt a thousand emotions in my heart."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Heng Yuan slowly said, "Senior Brother, you don't know. Xu Qi'an is the most talented and extraordinary person I have ever seen in my life. In terms of cultivation, his talent is unparalleled. He is rarely matched in the entire Great Feng.

"In terms of being an official, he firmly stands up for justice and never harms the common people.

"In terms of solving cases, although there are many experts in the Great Feng, they are not as good as him even with just one finger.

"In terms of poetry, he is hailed as the number one poet in the Great Feng for the past two hundred years. It is said that the courtesans in the Official Brothel Sector love him to death, but he ignores them."

Jingchen Monk was shocked. He didn't expect such a person to exist in the capital.

"Is there really such a person in the world? It's a pity that he doesn't join our Buddhist sect." Jingchen Monk's eyes flashed with sharpness.

...Damn, he's exaggerating. Does this guy want to recruit me into the Buddhist sect? Then what's the use of this iron rod?

Xu Qi'an became wary in his heart, calmly changed the topic, and asked, "I came to see Senior Brother this time to ask about the evil thing under Sangbo. What exactly is it?

"I know that this thing is related to the Buddhist sect, but I can't understand why it needs to be suppressed in Sangbo in the Great Feng."

"This..." Jingchen Monk looked troubled.

"Senior Brother, what's the difficulty?" Heng Yuan asked proactively.

"This matter is a secret of the Buddhist sect. Junior Brother, it's better not to ask anymore," Jingchen said.

"Heh!"

Heng Yuan sneered, "I understand. I thought of the Western Region Buddhist sect as my own family, but it turns out that I am just an outsider in the eyes of the sect's senior brothers. Fine, the Western Region Buddhist sect is the Western Region Buddhist sect, and the Orient Loong God Temple is the Orient Loong God Temple. They are different."

With that, he got up and walked away.

"Stop!"

Jingchen stopped him, his face showing anger. "We are both disciples of the Buddhist sect, worshiping the Buddha. We are one family. Junior Brother's words just now were truly hurtful. Please don't say such things again in the future."

Interesting... Heng Yuan looked at him expressionlessly and snorted coldly.

With this snort, he used the Lion's Roar of the Buddhist sect, making the sound reverberate in the room.

The temper of a martial monk had always been so irritable... Jingchen sighed in his heart and invited him to sit down, saying, "Junior Brother, please sit. I will tell you what I know."

The Orient Loong God Temple is the last remaining spark of the Western Region Buddhist sect in the Great Feng. If the Western Region Buddhist sect wants to continue spreading its teachings in the Central Plains, the Orient Loong God Temple is an irreplaceable force.

In this context, the Western Region Buddhist sect attaches great importance to the "family" relationship with the Orient Loong God Temple, and any grievances and cracks must be eliminated and avoided.

"That evil thing is indeed related to our Buddhist sect. According to Du'e Shifu, it is a traitor of the Buddhist sect."

"A traitor of the Buddhist sect?"

As I expected, Shen Shu is a member of the Buddhist sect, but he was personally sealed by the Buddhist sect. What else could he be if not a traitor?

"Who is this traitor?" Heng Yuan asked.

"I don't know," Jingchen Monk shook his head. "That's why it's called a secret of the Buddhist sect. Even I don't know the inside story."

I really want to use divination to see if he's lying... If it's Shen Shu, then the traitor's name is Shen Shu... Heng Yuan asked again:

"Why was he sealed instead of being liberated?"

Although the Buddhist sect emphasizes compassion, they wouldn't be so lenient towards a traitor of the sect, right?

"After Pan Shu transmitted the news back to the Western Region, the Arhats and Bodhisattvas took it very seriously and informed each other through the Thunder Sound. Apart from the battle of Shanhaiguan twenty years ago, there has been nothing like this." Jingchen Monk pondered:

"On the way here, Du'e Shifu told me that the evil monk cannot be killed."

Cannot be killed?!

This statement contained a huge amount of information, causing Xu Qi'an to pause his questioning and think carefully.

In other words, Shen Shu was sealed in Sangbo not because the Buddhist sect was lenient, but because they couldn't kill him.

Shen Shu once said that he had reached the highest realm of "immortality."

But don't forget, the Buddhist sect has the Buddha, who surpasses all levels. If even the Buddha couldn't kill Shen Shu...

"My god, Shen Shu is even more terrifying than I imagined. What kind of monster is he..." Xu Qi'an muttered to himself.

One punch, one old prison guard?

"I understand now. So it's because he can't be killed that he was sealed and dismembered." Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

"But why choose Sangbo?" he asked again.

Such a formidable traitor, a great threat, chose to be sealed in the territory of the ally, the Great Feng. There must be a compelling reason for this.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be more secure to seal him under their own eyes?"This question, I too have wondered about it and have asked Uncle Du'e during our journey. He told me that it originated from an agreement with the Martial Emperor of the Great Feng five hundred years ago," said Monk Jingchen.

An agreement from five hundred years ago... That year, Buddhism was being spread throughout the Great Feng, and temples sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. There must be some hidden truth behind this... However, most of the records from five hundred years ago have been destroyed, altered, or concealed.

It's impossible to investigate.

After a few more exchanges, Xu Qi'an, realizing he couldn't extract any more information, stood up to take his leave.

Monk Jingchen personally saw him out. Just as they left the room, they saw a handsome monk walking down the corridor.

"Senior Brother!" The handsome monk put his hands together in a salute.

Monk Jingchen returned the salute and introduced, "This is Heng Yuan, a junior brother from the Orient Loong God Temple. You can call him Senior Brother."

Then, he introduced Xu Qi'an to Heng Yuan, "This is Junior Brother Jing Si."

'Jing Si' is so young? Heng Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"Senior Brother Heng Yuan." The handsome monk saluted.

Xu Qi'an returned the salute, then said to Monk Jingchen, "Senior Brother, you don't need to see me out."

Watching Xu Qi'an's retreating figure, Jing Si didn't withdraw his gaze for a long time.

"What's the matter, Junior Brother?" Monk Jingchen asked.

"I don't know why, but I feel a kind of approachable power from him," Jing Si said.

...........

After leaving the post station, Xu Qi'an walked briskly along the main street.

"Although I still don't know the identity of Monk Shen Shu, I have at least confirmed a few things: First, he is a traitor to Buddhism, and the evidence is conclusive. Second, his cultivation is higher than I expected, so high that even Buddha can't kill him, although there is no evidence to prove that Buddha made a move... I'll just assume this for now.

"Third, I'm only responsible for helping him investigate his identity and find his memories. I won't get involved in his grudges with Buddhism unless I become a Martial God, but that's impossible.

"Fourth, I must cling to this big thigh and squeeze out all the benefits I can.

"Fifth, I can't tell anyone about the existence of Monk Shen Shu, not even Wei Yuan. This matter is too big.

"Sixth, while it's still early, I'll go to the theater to listen to music."

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an saw a familiar figure in the crowd ahead.

It was a tall and burly monk with a circle of black stubble on his chin, as if he had just shaved. The loose monk's robe he wore seemed to fit him just right, hiding the muscles underneath.

"Holy shit, Heng Yuan!!"

In Xu Qi'an's mind, ten thousand horses were galloping past.

Master Heng Yuan also saw him, and while he was surprised, he was also taken aback by Xu Qi'an's attire.

"Mr. Xu, why are you dressed like this?"

"Performance art..." Xu Qi'an said with a straight face.

"?"

"Master, are you going to the San Yang Post Station?"

"My fellow disciples have arrived, and it's only right for me to go and see them."

"Can... can you not go?" Xu Qi'an tried to control the twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"Why?" Heng Yuan was puzzled.

Because you might get beaten up... Xu Qi'an shook his head with a dry laugh.

Heng Yuan looked at him for a few moments, then nodded, "I just came from the Xu Mansion after having a vegetarian meal."

Ah? What were you doing at my house... Oh, you went to congratulate my second brother on his achievement. Didn't my second brother kick you out?

Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a strong sense of guilt. He felt like he had tricked his little brother and the honest and simple Master Heng Yuan. He was simply not human.

He swore to be a good person in the future.

"Master..."

Xu Qi'an took out a silver note with a face value of ten taels from his bosom and sincerely stuffed it into Master Heng Yuan's hand, "This is my goodwill for the elderly and children at the Health Preservation Hall."

If it was for himself, Heng Yuan would not accept it. But this money was for the widows and orphans that the kind-hearted Mr. Xu wanted to help, so Master Heng Yuan would not refuse.

"Amitabha, Mr. Xu is truly a great benefactor." Heng Yuan sincerely admired.

"It's only right, only right......."

Xu Qi'an waved goodbye, took a few steps forward, couldn't help but turn back, and shouted, "Master!"

Heng Yuan stopped and turned around, "Does Mr. Xu have anything else?"

"......Take care!"

..........

Xu Qi'an found a quiet alley, changed back into his Nightwatcher uniform, and confidently entered a theater.

"Sir, do you need a room or just a meal?" A young man in blue greeted him.

"Call over the prettiest girl here to give me a shoulder massage." Xu Qi'an went straight up to the second floor.

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

The private rooms on the second floor were VIP boxes, where all the influential people watched plays and listened to music.

On the other side, Master Heng Yuan arrived at the entrance of the post station.

The two monks guarding the door looked at each other, wondering if Buddhism had become so prosperous in the Great Feng.

"Where does this brother practice?"

With doubt in his heart, the gatekeeper monk stopped Heng Yuan.

Master Heng Yuan put his hands together, "I am Heng Yuan from the Orient Loong God Temple. I heard that my fellow disciples have arrived in the capital, so I came to pay a visit."

After saying this, he noticed the two monks staring at him with wide eyes, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Is there a problem?" Heng Yuan asked in confusion.

"Hehe, no problem. Brother, please wait here, I'll go and inform them." The gatekeeper monk gave him a deep look, then turned and went inside.

After a while, he came out with a blank expression and said, "Please come in."

..........

PS: I'll edit after updating.

PS: There's an activity in the book review section about Xu Qi'an's promotion. First, reply to a post, then submit a chronicle of major events to get Qidian coins. Remember, you can get Qidian coins.

Xu Qi'an has to finish before he can become a little mare, everyone hold on.

The above is what the operation officer asked me to inform everyone. Actually, I... can I be another female supporting character?