CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 209: TAKING DONGFANG XINGLAN TO SEE ’FAR AWAY’_2

Dongfang Xingsong sharply turned her head to look at the monk wearing a straw hat and a kasaya.

She seemed to have grasped a lifeline and hurriedly exclaimed, "Master, save, save me... Is it, is it you!?"

Her weak tone suddenly turned sharp, her eyes glaring at the figure emerging from a nearby spatial tear, "You, you actually dare..."

Lu Jin’an stepped out from the spatial fissure without expression, looking at the monk who suddenly appeared, with spiritual power already swirling in the palms of his slightly clenched hands.

"Amitabha." The young monk turned around, gently tapping the Zen stick on the ground, and slightly bowing while giving Lu Jin’an a single-palm salute: "Saint Heir Lu, compassion of Buddha..."

Unmoved, Lu Jin’an stepped forward, slightly raising his right hand to grasp, and Netherworld Validation reappeared in his hand.

The domain unfolded, Broken Realm Realm.

The incredibly weak Dongfang Xingsong looked incredulously at Lu Jin’an. Was this barbarian from outside the border really so strong!?

From him, Dongfang Xingsong felt a pressure similar to when Father Emperor wielded the National Guardian Sword.

When did barbarians become so strong!?

"Amitabha." The young monk sighed lightly, "Why must you get entangled in such karma now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Zen stick in his left hand rose and fell, and at the moment it hit the ground, a sound as deep as a bell echoed instantly.

Amidst a golden Buddha Light, it transformed into a giant golden palm rushing towards Lu Jin’an head-on.

Lu Jin’an’s face darkened, and without much thought, he exploded with all his spiritual power instantaneously, thrusting a sword straight out within the domain of the Broken Realm Realm.

But at this moment, the young monk suddenly spoke in surprise: "Master, Sect Master Pei, why have you come?"

Lu Jin’an instinctively turned his head to look, the golden giant palm had already pushed him back several kilometers.

Not seeing his Master’s figure, Lu Jin’an’s face darkened, but he did not continue to strike because the palm in front of him shattered on its own in his view.

Without expression, he waved aside the golden light, teleporting back to a distant place, but the scene before his eyes made him squint.

The young monk, wearing a straw hat, stood with his back to him, while Dongfang Xingsong lay on her side on the ground in front, her eyes wide open, already devoid of life.

The young monk was holding a Zen stick in one hand and twiddling Buddhist beads in the other, chanting a Buddhist hymn, seemingly performing a passing ritual for Dongfang Xingsong.

Lu Jin’an, who was holding the sword single-handedly, withdrew his gaze from Dongfang Xingsong. Dongfang Xingsong was indeed dead; the residual sword qi in her body was undeniable.

But the ultimate cause of death wasn’t the sword qi hidden in his Broken Realm Realm; it was this young monk.

The bottom of the Zen stick in his left hand still had blood flowing, and there was a penetrating wound in Dongfang Xingsong’s chest.

’Why must you get entangled in such karma now?’

Recalling what the young monk had just said, Lu Jin’an pondered.

What karma would come from killing Dongfang Xingsong?

Whiz——

With the sound of breaking air behind, Dongfang Xinglan rushed over, and what greeted her eyes was the scene of Dongfang Xingsong dissolving into golden light as the young monk waved his hand.

Her expression immediately darkened, striding towards the young monk, "Was it you who killed her?"

Although she disliked this Imperial Sister Dongfang Xingsong, it didn’t mean others could kill her without permission!

The young monk turned and bowed to Dongfang Xinglan, then leaped back, stepping on the Lotus Platform and disappearing instantly.

"Saint Heir Lu, Buddha knows my heart, salvations all beings... Amitabha."

As the Lotus Platform disappeared into the horizon, Lu Jin’an frowned at the departing figure of the young monk, secretly contemplating.

Could this young monk be the Buddha’s son Sumeru Mountain has always been hiding?

Late-stage Harmonization Realm stage, plus that powerful Zen stick, it likely is.

He put away Netherworld Validation in his hand, turned to Dongfang Xinglan, and as he pondered, Dongfang Xinglan first asked, "Was it him who killed the Imperial Sister?"

Lu Jin’an countered, "Does the Buddhist Sect have a grudge against the Eastern Dynasty?"

"On the surface, it’s harmonious." Dongfang Xinglan said: "The Buddhist Sect has always wanted to become our dynasty’s state religion and has been secretly developing followers...

So, by killing the Imperial Sister, it would only make our dynasty target the temples even more. What good does it do for the Buddhist Sect?"

Dongfang Xinglan frowned in thought, Lu Jin’an countered, "You don’t think it was him who killed her?"

"I don’t know either... Mainly because I can’t think of a reason he would kill the Imperial Sister." Dongfang Xinglan shook her head, then carelessly said, "Forget it, the State Preceptor must have already found out who killed the Imperial Sister."

Lu Jin’an gave Dongfang Xinglan a discreet glance, so that young monk appeared to resolve it for him?

What could be the reason?

Moreover, if the Buddhist Sect wants to develop followers in the Eastern Dynasty, the simplest way would be to show the people of the Eastern Dynasty how vast the world is, thus dividing the dynasty internally.

But from Dongfang Xinglan’s words, the Buddhist Sect hasn’t adopted this approach.

If they didn’t adopt this approach, and yet the young monk, suspected to be the Buddha’s son of Sumeru Mountain, killed Dongfang Xingsong to cover it up for him...

What is the intention?

Thinking about it, Lu Jin’an asked, "Are you going back to the court to handle this?"

"It’s an Observatory matter, unrelated to me." Dongfang Xinglan turned and stepped forward, "Although she’s a prince, our dynasty doesn’t lack princes."

"Speaking of which..." Dongfang Xinglan tilted her head to look at Lu Jin’an, changing the subject, "I couldn’t tell you were a Saint Heir from outside the border."

Lu Jin’an smiled, "Still dare to take me under your command?"

"Who do you look down on?" Dongfang Xinglan stretched her hands a bit to loosen up, "Taking you, a Saint Heir from outside the border, into the fold further proves my capability, right?"

"Makes sense." Lu Jin’an nodded, "But with such capability, why haven’t you been ennobled?"

Dongfang Xinglan took out a booklet from the Qiankun Bag, looking while commenting, "When I said ’I’ve got you covered’ earlier, it wasn’t a joke. Even a prince isn’t as competent as me."

Lu Jin’an glanced at the cover of the booklet in her hand, his expression slightly stunned, "Essential Books of Governance? Do you want to be Emperor?"

Dongfang Xinglan didn’t respond, only skillfully flipping through the booklet as she walked.

Perceiving this, Lu Jin’an wisely refrained from asking further, merely observing Dongfang Xinglan’s side profile, finding her quite dashing in male attire.

He wondered what difference her real appearance had from now?

He thought there must be some difference, otherwise, when the group of demons from Minbao Mountain and martial monks from Lingshan chased her before, how didn’t they recognize her identity?

Although Emperor Jia Ning had many offspring, but given Dongfang Xinglan’s status as Jinyiwei Commander, it wasn’t a low position, in addition to her formidable strength, the Buddhist Sect couldn’t possibly not know her.

Thinking about it, Lu Jin’an took out the cloak his Master gave and handed it over, "Since you’re being hunted by the Buddhist Sect, you’d better cover up."

Dongfang Xinglan tilted her head to look at him, "Aren’t you as well?"

"I don’t need it now." Lu Jin’an smiled, "As for why, you’ll find out in time."

Dongfang Xinglan didn’t refuse, reaching out to take the cloak and wrap it around her, "There are indeed quite a few treasures outside the border."

Lu Jin’an chuckled, "Have you ever been to Sumeru Mountain?"

"No."

"Lingshan then?"

"Nope."

"The farthest you’ve been is Lingbao Mountain?"

"Hmm..."

"Does Radiant Domain count as outside the border for you?"

"It does." Dongfang Xinglan was flipping the pages, "What do you want to say?"

Lu Jin’an turned to look at her side profile, "Aren’t you curious? With such a vast place outside the borders, why are there mostly just monks here?"

Dongfang Xinglan remained silent, but her fingers stopped flipping pages.

Her expression didn’t show surprise; to Lu Jin’an, Dongfang Xinglan may have already considered this question long ago.

Not just her, could it be that no one in such a large dynasty has ever thought about this question?

There must be some who have, it’s just... the pass at the frontier of the dynasty is like a door.

"Put the book down for now, I’ll take you to a place." Lu Jin’an said with deep meaning, "Recently, Radiant Domain has been quite lively."

Dongfang Xinglan’s expression didn’t change, "Where to?"

"A place where experts gather."

Dongfang Xinglan finally closed the booklet, "How high?"

"Probably not taller than you, but..." Lu Jin’an softly said, "Even ’faraway’ there."

"Hmm..." Dongfang Xinglan put the booklet into the Qiankun Bag, "Then let’s go have a look."

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Author: Temporarily busy, personally unharmed, update resumed, please don’t worry～