I want to embrace the moon for nine days

Su Hanshan and his companions entered the city and soon stepped onto the main road. The street was crowded with people, and vendors on both sides were laughing and shouting, enjoying the festive atmosphere.

There was a shop selling sesame pancakes. After collecting the money, he took out a bag of pancakes and shouted, "Please come back next time, my Lord."

There were several people standing in front of the shop. The most conspicuous one was wearing a golden crown on his head, but his clothes were not particularly luxurious or complicated. His hair and beard were all white, and he was slightly fat with a ruddy complexion. After taking the bag of sesame cakes, he immediately took out one the size of a chess piece and put it in his mouth. He smiled so hard that his eyebrows were visible and his eyes were not. He nodded to the stall owner.

Although Gaochang was a small country, its ruler was also a local hero who governed hundreds of thousands of people.

The so-called having fun with the people actually means walking around the streets like this, which is quite rare.

The key is not just relying on the king to show his approachable side on the spot. The stall owner selling sesame cakes, the vendors on the left and right, and even the pedestrians, when they heard this kind of greeting, basically acted as if they were accustomed to it. They did not show the kind of fear and gratitude that they occasionally showed when they saw the king.

This just proves that this person is really like this in normal times and everyone is used to it.

"Mr. Shanyue doesn't go out often, so you probably haven't tried this shop's sesame pancakes. They are crispy and crunchy, and the taste is just right. You should try them."

The King of Gaochang took out a sesame seed bun and handed it to the tall and thin old man with loose silver hair beside him.

The old man had thick hair, sword-like eyebrows, slightly high cheekbones, yellow skin, a long beard, and was holding a yellow bamboo stick. It was obvious that he must have been a handsome man when he was young, but he probably didn't have a good life, as the wrinkles between his eyebrows were very deep. There was no smile on his face as he walked on such a busy and cheerful street.

He took the chess piece pancake, took a bite, and casually commented: "Well, it's okay."

As he was speaking, he suddenly seemed to sense something and looked towards Su Hanshan and his group.

"My Lord, Prince Harsha is here again."

The King of Gaochang was delighted when he heard this and looked over quickly: "Where is he? I haven't seen Prince Harsha for several years."

Seeing the King of Gaochang approaching quickly, Prince Harsha was helpless. He clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "King of Gaochang, Mr. Shanyue, nice to meet you again."

The King of Gaochang quickly returned the greeting.

Mr. Shanyue said, "Thanks to your secret book of ordeal, I have lived a few more years and my body is still healthy. I will remember this kindness."

"You are joking, sir. What we have done is just an exchange."

Prince Harsha was not lying before. He had indeed been to Gaochang Kingdom. He was just sightseeing at that time and inadvertently interacted with Shanyue Jushi for a while.

At that time, the year for the birth of the ninth Buddha soldier predicted by the Indian Buddha was almost approaching.

Prince Harsha suddenly had an idea and remembered the ninth Buddha weapon. Although it was called the Cool Dharma Sword, it was actually like a sword but not a sword, like a knife but not a knife. He had learned a lot of Buddhism, but he did not understand the art of swords. Even if he had the chance to encounter this magical weapon in the future, he might not be able to use it.

Therefore, he made an exchange with Shanyue Jushi, using his own "Secret Book of the Precepts" to exchange for the weapons skills from Shanyue Jushi, whose hidden injuries had erupted and whose foundation was weakened at the time.

The King of Gaochang looked at Su Hanshan and the others: "Who are these people?"

Su Hanshan smiled and said, "My last name is Su. I am just a tourist who met the prince halfway. I saw Gaochang was very lively, so I came to visit the city."

"Hahaha, you distinguished guests have come to the right place. Gaochang these days is nothing but lively, which is worthy of its reputation."

The King of Gaochang smiled and leaned forward the bag of sesame cakes in his hand. "I wonder if you would like to try these sesame cakes. If they are not to your taste, I have prepared a lot of delicacies in my palace. I will have a banquet later. I sincerely invite you to join me."

Su Hanshan took a pancake, tasted it and nodded, saying, "The flavor is just right. If you chew it a little longer, you can smell a faint herbal fragrance, which adds a little variety to the salty, floury and oily aroma. The store owner is really good at it."

Kou Zhong thought that since even the Demon Lord had praised the sesame seed buns, he must try them, so he ordered two and gave one to Xu Ziling.

People walked on the streets and strolled in the gardens. The closer they got to the palace, the more fragrant the wine was and the more ingredients in the soup. No one dared to sell inferior goods as good ones.

The shouting became quieter, gradually shifting from the densely packed shops and stalls to restaurants, clothing stores, tea houses, rouge shops, and so on.

But it is still lively and there are many customers.

There is a restaurant with brightly colored flags and vigorous handwriting, which you can tell at a glance was written by a famous calligrapher. The store is well built, with a wide door lintel and five layers of stone steps, with two stone lions squatting on both sides of the steps.

The door to the first floor of the restaurant was wide open, but it was deserted inside. There seemed to be only a few people sitting in the huge hall.

Su Hanshan looked at the restaurant and couldn't help but smile: "This is the most lively place."

The King of Gaochang was a little puzzled. When he went out in the morning, there were still quite a few people in the restaurant, and business was usually very good. Why were there so few people today, and yet it was said to be the busiest place.

"Lord of the country!"

The expression of Shanyue Hermit didn't change much, but it was obvious that his expression had changed from being indifferent to a serious one. He said softly, "Something is wrong with this place..."

There was an old monk in the store wearing a five-Buddha crown and a large cassock. He suddenly turned around, revealing a kind face, with slightly curved eyebrows, narrowed eyes, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth, and a white stubble on his chin. He smiled and said, "So it's Donor Yueshan. Although we haven't seen each other for many years, we are old friends. Why do you feel so unfamiliar?"

Yue Shan's expression changed slightly, and the bamboo stick in his hand tightened: "Master Bianhe?!"

"It turns out that the famous Shanyue hermit in the city is the world's number one swordsman back then, Ba Dao Yue Shan."

At another table, a young man with an elegant demeanor, wearing a light yellow robe and with tassels hanging down from both sides of his face, also turned his head and said in a gentle voice, "You are truly a true person who does not reveal his true colors. I am Yang Xuyan, a junior from Jianghu. I am honored to meet you."

Yang Xuyan looked at Kou Zhong again, "Kou and Xu, we meet again. It seems that your cultivation has improved a bit, which makes me happy. Are these two your new friends?"

Kou Zhong chuckled and said, "Young Master Yang of the Evil Alliance, long time no see."

The Four Saints of Shenzu, the Evil Alliance of Tiandao, and the last evil alliance refers to the Evil Alliance.

In those days, the Pei family, a noble family in the Central Plains, produced a genius named Pei Ju. He offered advice and suggestions in the court and was efficient in handling local affairs. He was highly appreciated by the Emperor of Sui Dynasty and rose to a high position in the government at a young age.

But this Pei Ju had secretly joined the Demon Sect since he was a child, using the alias Shi Zhixuan, and earned the title of Evil King in the martial arts world.

After he had achieved success in his cultivation, he was still not satisfied with these two identities. He took advantage of the court rewarding Master Jiaxiang and giving lectures, and disguised himself as a wild monk to sneak in. He soon learned the true teachings of the holy monk.

But in that year, when he returned to Beijing to report on his work, he met Yang Lin, the king of patrons.

When he was crowned as king, he was named "backer", which was completely unreasonable. It referred to him as the backer of the Sui Dynasty. It can be seen that the king was very powerful.

Not long after, Yang Lin noticed something fishy about Pei Ju and expelled him from the court.

Originally, Yang Lin did not have much evidence, and even though Pei Ju was temporarily unemployed at home, he still maintained his status as a celebrity.

But after he was expelled from the court, he simply revealed his identity and used the name of Shi Zhixuan. Soon after, he announced that he had completely left the Demon Sect and established his own lineage, known as the Evil Alliance.

Yang Xuyan is the direct disciple of the Evil King, and naturally also the young master of the Evil Alliance. He has a strong desire for achievement and is often active in the martial arts world.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had had friction with him before, but fortunately they ran away as soon as they met him at that time. They ran fast enough, and with the help of the Qiankun shortcut method and good concealment skills, they managed to escape unscathed.

Yang Xuyan was sure that if these two people saw him, even if they were not as frightened as birds with a broken horn, they would at least be somewhat cautious, or even eager to try.

Unexpectedly, these two people, one giggling foolishly, and the other smiling without saying a word, looked a little strange and even more hateful than imagined.

Yue Shan said calmly, "What do you mean by the best swordsman in the world? He is just a loser who has fallen on hard times. With his peak cultivation, he fought against the 20-year-old Song Que and suffered a miserable defeat. The title of the best swordsman in the world is really unworthy of an old man like me."

He bowed to the innkeeper and said, "I have settled in Gaochang for many years, just wanting to find a place to stay. You are all big names in the martial arts world, and I believe you will not take this small country seriously. Please show some mercy."

Master Bianhe smiled and said, "I was just passing by. It was a coincidence that I sensed the presence of Young Master Yang and Wu Zun nearby. I was puzzled and stopped here to meet them."

The King of Gaochang cried out in amazement: "Martial Master?!"

Among the Three Sects of Paradise, the Three Sects refers to the three great masters, three top experts, the wandering man Ning Daoqi from the Central Plains, and the Yijian Fu Cailin from the Eastern Liao.

There is also the Turkic martial lord Bixuan.

Ning Daoqi never interfered in the Central Plains government affairs, and Fu Cailin did not interfere much in the Eastern Liao court.

Martial Master Bi Xuan is completely different from the two of them.

He is a god in the eyes of the Turks, an undefeated myth that grew up little by little on the battlefields between Turkic tribes.

To this day, his every word and every move are reflected in all aspects of the Turkic people, and he is the supreme ruler of the entire Turkic people.

In terms of authority to the public, this Martial Master Bi Xuan is more than one level higher than Ning Daoqi and Fu Cailin.

What's more troublesome is that although Gaochang Kingdom was named a country, in fact, due to geographical factors, it had long been a vassal and paid tribute to the Turks.

It’s just that the Turks had no experience in governing a unified dynasty and they themselves were still a combination of tribes, so they did not incorporate Gaochang into a city or send officials to govern it.

When Wu Zun arrived at this place, the first reaction of the King of Gaochang was inexplicable fear and deep uneasiness, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The guest sitting at the innermost table of the inn took off his felt hat and turned around.

He had originally attracted no attention, but when he showed his face, people immediately realized that he was extremely tall, and when he sat down he was as tall as an ordinary person standing up.

The tables and chairs in the restaurant were totally unsuitable for him and seemed too fragile.

He looked like a man in his prime, handsome and majestic, just like the sculptures of gods imagined by the world. When he glanced at me, without any deliberate aura, I suddenly felt my own insignificance.

The King of Gaochang almost fell to his knees.

Prince Harsha happened to meet his eyes and couldn't help but frowning and chanting the Buddha's name. He almost felt like he was alone in an endless desert from which he could never get out. The heat made the whole world distorted.

Kou Zhong also started to murmur, "It's lively, lively, it's really lively, the former world's number one swordsman, the White Horse Temple's divine feet, the young master of the Evil Alliance... even the Martial Master Bi Xuan is here!"

Su Hanshan smiled and said, "That's why I said that a small country like Gaochang is actually a place where talented people gather."

The ruler of Gaochang bowed and said, "I didn't know you were coming. I'm sorry that I failed to welcome you."

"I am the leader of the Turkic people. How can I not pay attention to the fact that the Grand Master of the White Horse Temple passed by the Turkic people? I also found the traces of this guy from the Evil Alliance halfway through, which made me even more worried."

Bi Xuan said, "Shi Zhixuan has been plotting against the Turks for a long time and has infiltrated in many ways. Even I have to be cautious."

"But after meeting in this city, I realized that you two seemed to have different purposes, and neither of them had anything to do with the Turks. It was really a coincidence."

Yang Xuyan smiled and said, "In that case, let's part ways in peace."

Master Bianhe smiled and said, "Please feel free to go wherever you want. What I am looking for is right before my eyes."

He glanced and landed on Su Hanshan.

"Yesterday, a great battle broke out in Dong Liao. Four juniors, known as the Four Great Saints, tried their best and even used the Buddha's weapons, but they still failed to trap their target. However, among the four juniors, Dao Xin, who was from the Zen sect, did not even bring out the relics of his three previous generations of ancestors in such an emergency." "When the old monk learned about this, he immediately became suspicious. It was midnight when he realized that the relics had already gone to India. I'm afraid they wanted to use those relics to bring back the ninth Buddha's weapon."

Master Bianhe clapped his hands and laughed, "What a great way to deceive the world. Several famous monks and nuns did not move, and let others do the running errands for them."

Su Hanshan smiled, and three relics appeared on his palm.

"I said there was something wrong with the second and third generation's relics. It turns out you were the one who tampered with them. We are both monks, and you should have done it when the two of them were still alive."

"No wonder others couldn't see any problem after it turned into a relic."

Upon hearing this, Master Bianhe's face was moved: "You can actually feel it?! No wonder they entrusted all the relics to you. So, the Ninth Buddha Soldier is also in your possession?"

Su Hanshan did not answer, but suddenly turned his gaze to Yang Xuyan.

There was a strange look in Yang Xuyan's eyes, but when he saw him looking at him, he still smiled back.

"Your fake smile is a bit too much. You were staring at the relic of the second generation of Zen Buddhism just now. Was it because it was stained with the breath of a shadow demon?"

Su Hanshan smiled and said, "So you came here for that shadow demon. The aura on you makes me a little curious. How can humans and demons coexist? It's not a matter of demonic parasitism, nor is it a matter of suppression and refining?"

Yang Xuyan's smile did not diminish: "This is the characteristic of the magic sect's skills, and everyone knows it. But the best one is my Xieyi Alliance. If you are curious, why don't you come to my Xieyi Sect and take up a guest position temporarily?"

When Su Hanshan received this answer, he captured more information about the connection between heaven and earth.

It turns out that most of the martial arts in the world are mixed with the secrets of demon-subduing martial arts. As long as you can defeat the demons, you can suppress and refine them. However, after refining them into the purest vital energy, the greatest effect is just to replenish the foundation.

Some warriors believe that it is a waste of resources to crush and transform the demonic energy and nature of the demons and use them as a simple tonic. They believe that the spirituality of the demons and their innate unique perspective are their most valuable.

They created a secret method. After capturing demons, they retained the demons' original consciousness, condensed Tao seeds, planted them into the demons' bodies, and then planted the demons in their own bodies.

The more demons they captured and the higher their quality, the more they could use the demons' destructive talent to observe everything in the world, and even themselves, so as to avoid and make up for defects.

Combine the demons' destructive perspective with humans' quest for immortality, two completely opposite paths.

Sounds like a good way to go too.

However, practitioners who embark on this path do not live in an uninhabited area. They conduct strict self-examination and supervision, and develop cautiously and gradually.

They were running wildly on the cliff next to the abyss!
Too many people have gone too far. Not only have they died themselves, but too many innocent people have also been killed.

Originally, there were some people from all the schools of thought who studied this path, but later they were all ostracized and ordered to change their practice. However, they felt that they had tasted the sweetness and were unwilling to give up. They became more and more cynical and went astray.

Since the Han Dynasty, these schools have separated from their original lineages and, when gathered together, have been collectively referred to as the Demonic Sect.

Yang Xuyan had long noticed the brewing of the great demon next to the Suiye Kingdom, and had once fanned the flames and cultivated better potential. However, last night he felt that the great demon had not yet matured and was born prematurely, so he quickly arranged the matters at hand and rushed to check it out.

"Young Master Yang, are you going to go against this old monk for him by recruiting him at this time?"

Master Bianhe drank a sip of tea and said helplessly, "The four people opposite are all talented people. I am also quite tempted. Unfortunately, it is impossible for them to hand over the relic weapon just because of a few words of pressure. I have to stretch out my hands and move my feet. Young Master Yang, don't stand in the wrong place."

The King of Gaochang felt that the atmosphere was a little strange and quickly looked towards Yue Shan.

Yue Shan's bamboo stick was already an inch off the ground: "I can take your family away."

The King of Gaochang pleaded with Bi Xuan and said, "Wu Zun, I, Gaochang..."

"Your Gaochang Kingdom worships Buddhism so much, isn't it because you want to attract the attention of the Buddhist sects in Tianzhu and Central Plains, and use their power to break away from the control of the Turks?"

Bi Xuan said coldly, "Everyone present today, except me, has some connection with Buddhism. What are you asking me for?"

"Even if they don't destroy you today, I will wipe out your country and make an example of you."

The King of Gaochang was sweating profusely, feeling that he had been seen through, and stood still for a moment.

The Turkic customs were too barbaric, and sometimes wars of annexation and plunder occurred among the various tribes of the Turks.

Vassal states like Gaochang paid a lot of tribute, which seemed to keep them safe for a while. However, once the situation with the Turks became unstable and a war broke out, these small states would become both food supply stations and vanguards.

The ruler of Gaochang had long understood that if he continued to be dragged down like this, his country would surely be destroyed within three generations. Therefore, he tried every means to increase his own weight so that even if he was annexed by another party in the future, he would not be bullied too harshly.

Worshiping Buddhism became the only option. It had geographical advantages and could be done in a relatively covert manner. It connected both the Central Plains and India, and the process of accumulating personal connections made it difficult for the Turks to be guarded against.

He was gambling in the first place, and he finally lost today. Wu Zun said he wanted to use him as an example to scare the monkeys, so he definitely saw through his plan not just today.

Prince Harsha felt sorry for him and couldn't help but look at Su Hanshan: "Senior..."

"Don't ask me. No matter what you ask, I will tell you no. Then what?"

Su Hanshan threw the three relics into the air like oranges, one after another. The relics rose and fell in the air to form a ring, like he was juggling, with a smile in his eyes, not looking at anyone.

"I said no, so how can you choose? Are you really going to be a dog around me?"

Prince Harsha hesitated for a moment, then his eyes became firm and he took a step forward.

The prince and Yue Shan stood on the left and right, sandwiching the ruler of Gaochang in the middle: "Amitabha, the monk Jie Ri from Tianzhu, I beg you, Mr. Bi Xuan, to put down your butcher knife."

Su Hanshan raised his eyes, and the smile in his eyes became more obvious. What he said before about the relics and the Buddha's soldiers having problems was not false.

The problem with the relic can be seen, but the problem with the Buddha's soldiers is more of an intuition, hidden and complex, and not so easy to see clearly.

To reflect the problem.

First of all, he needed a pure local Buddhist monk with no problems. Prince Harsha had good cultivation and his character was not stubborn, so he was a good candidate for a try.

Alas, it’s all Fahai’s fault for not being able to come along. Otherwise, with his ability to rebuild his foundation, he would have been able to find out where the hidden dangers lay within three days after getting the Qingliang Fajie Sword.

"Harshari?"

Bi Xuan raised his hand and scratched his eyelids with his pinky nail. "I created the "Unique Sun Martial Classic" and am unrivaled in the world. You call yourself Jieri in front of me and try to stop me from doing things. You have violated two of my taboos. There are not many young people like you who are brave enough to seek death."

Kou Zhong took a deep breath, looked at Su Hanshan's back, held the hilt of his knife, and walked forward slowly, pretending to laugh: "Wu Zun said this, is it just because he doesn't see enough young people in his daily life?"

Xu Ziling didn't say anything, but his steps were the same as Kou Zhong's.

Suddenly a bamboo stick blocked the way between them.

Yue Shan's heart skipped a beat, as if a cold and lonely breath had untied the shackles and spread outward. He said in a deep voice: "You think it's rare for a young man to be brave, but you don't think it's strange for an old man to be brave, do you?"

"I won't allow you to destroy the country today either. I also practice the Harshari Dafa."

"The Wu Zun Tian Dao is as famous as anyone in the world. I don't want to see Song Que again, so I'll clash with you today!"

The situation changed suddenly. Master Bianhe, who had shown hostility at first, was no longer in a hurry to take action.

He also wanted to see Wu Zun's achievements over the years. As he smiled, the space inside the inn suddenly expanded and stretched horizontally.

The debate table was a hundred miles away from Wu Zun, so it was moved to the side, and Yang Xuyan also moved to the other end.

Bi Xuan knew that they all had their own thoughts and might become his opponents in the future, but he didn't care and just stood up.

"Okay! Yue Shan, it's not shameful that you lost to Song Que, but I thought you were a loser after being abandoned by a woman. Today, I see that you still have some backbone."

Bi Xuan raised his hand, "Only people like this are qualified to die at my hands."

When Yue Shan heard this, his eyebrows raised and a look of rage appeared on his face.

People in the martial arts world only know that after he was defeated by Song Que, he changed his identity and disappeared, but they don’t know that after he was defeated by Song Que, he only suffered hidden injuries.

Song Que did not kill him, so he had a good chance of recovery.

But at that time, a witch whom he had always loved found him.

The woman from the Demon Sect was named Zhu Yuyan. She was originally in love with Shi Zhixuan, but ended up being heartbroken by Shi Zhixuan and turned to find Yue Shan.

Although Yue Shan felt a little complicated at the time, he was mostly happy, thinking that although he failed on the battlefield, he succeeded in love and could finally get married.

As for what happened in the past, he didn't care. He thought to himself: Which good woman doesn't have a bad past? It's not her fault.

As a result, after the two of them had been enjoying themselves for a while, Zhu Yuyan left him. Puzzled, he chased her and asked her, only to find out the truth.

It turned out that Zhu Yuyan wanted to completely break up with Shi Zhixuan because she didn't get him, so she went to bed with the man she despised and hated the most in her life.

In this way, whenever she thinks of love in the future, she will think of Yue Shan, and she will feel disgusted and naturally be able to cut off her lust.

Yue Shan's state of mind collapsed on the spot. He didn't even know how he left the Central Plains and settled in Gaochang.

When Prince Harsha met Yue Shan, he was just an old beggar. But it was because the old beggar did not die without food or drink that he attracted Prince Harsha's attention, and they spent some time together, getting to know each other, and exchanging skills.

"Under the blazing sun, the universe is filled with burning winds, burning the heart and body, with endless troubles, 84,000 diseases, and heat poison everywhere. On the day of precepts, you will feel cool, and the Dharma Realm will be peaceful and boundless!"

The general outline of Prince Harsha’s mantra will bring about a cool and refreshing Dharma realm when practiced.

After Yue Shan obtained the Jie Ri Secret Book, he made unexpected rapid progress. That was because he had cultivated the Xinliang Dharma Realm.

He kept thinking of what Zhu Yuyan said at that time, and every time he thought of it, his heart sank.

Two cool Dharma realms, like gray glazed halos, emerged from Yue Shan and Prince Harsha, without any conflict between them.

As soon as they collide, they become one.

The fury on Yue Shan's face brought about an even greater loneliness in his heart. The merged Dharma Realm operated according to his will. A grey glazed halo flashed in the air and suddenly slashed past.

The coolness gradually turns into silence, ruthlessness, forgetfulness, a knife that kills the heart!

(End of this chapter)