Chapter 214 — The Secret of the Ancient Shamanic Codex
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
" The other monks' eyes lit up, and they hurried off. The Court of Judicial Review handles the trying and the investigating of cases; the Nantuo Annex had no need at all to fight Shen Mu to the death—they need only let the authorities come and prosecute him, throw him into prison, and the Thousand-Banner Pagoda would return of itself to Nantuo Temple. Shen Mu had killed men in the capital; that the Court of Judicial Review should investigate was only natural.
What was more, Nantuo Temple had men in the Court of Judicial Review, which made the matter all the easier to handle.
At the Crown Prince's Annex, a monk came running in a panic, crying: "Abbot, disaster! Someone has come to our Nantuo Annex to run wild!
" Sun Nantuo sat withered like a great Buddha; at these words he opened his eyes and looked toward the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was a middle-aged man who did not appear many years apart from Emperor Yanfeng; twirling his mustache, he laughed: "Could it be some demon-brat of the Dark Demon Cult come seeking vengeance?
" The monk shook his head: "It is not the Dark Demon Cult, but a disciple of the Loulan Golden Palace from beyond the frontier, called Banggongcuo. He has brought our Nantuo Temple's teaching-treasure, lost for several hundred years—the Thousand-Banner Pagoda—saying he means to give it to the destined one.
Whoever can defeat him at the same realm shall be granted the pagoda. Several of us brothers went up to challenge him, and without a word he struck to kill; he has slain many of our brothers! " Sun Nantuo's face sank slightly: "You steep yourselves in wine and lust and do not cultivate the Dharma; you deserve this defeat.
But the Thousand-Banner Pagoda is our Nantuo Temple's teaching-treasure; it vanished beyond the frontier several hundred years ago, and we must indeed bring this treasure home. " The Crown Prince frowned slightly: "Grand Preceptor, the Dark Demon Cult has lost two Heavenly Kings in succession. Given the temper of this foremost holy ground of the demon path, they will certainly not let the matter rest. Now a disciple of the Loulan Golden Palace suddenly appears—might there be some trick? I have heard that after forty years the Dark Demon Cult has at last gained a new cult master, and this new master's origins are still unknown.
. . " Sun Nantuo rose and said calmly: "Your Highness, your news is somewhat stale.
The origins of the Dark Demon Cult's new master have already spread. I have word from the Great Tingming Temple that this new master is a Grand Scholar of the Imperial Academy, surnamed Shen, named Mu, a cast-off from the Wasteland Ruins. Not long ago His Majesty promoted him—a Grand Master of the Court of the fifth rank. " "So it is he!
" The Crown Prince rose to his feet in astonishment: "Young as the Dark Demon Cult's new master is, the cult still has its strong and its cunning; he must be guarded against. Grand Preceptor, I did not know you still had ties with the Great Tingming Temple. Might you open a line for me? " "That is easily done.
" Sun Nantuo walked outward, saying: "The Old Tathagata would also very much like to meet Your Highness.
" The Crown Prince followed him, laughing: "I shall go along and take a look at this Banggongcuo of the Loulan Golden Palace, and see whether he is truly of the Loulan Golden Palace, or of the Dark Demon Cult. " Before long, several inquisitors of the Court of Judicial Review arrived and, catching sight of the Duke of Wei, made haste to salute him. The Duke of Wei glimpsed Sun Nantuo and the Crown Prince approaching, and bellowed in his great voice: "The Emperor gave the order long ago: what belongs to the court belongs to the court, and what belongs to the jianghu belongs to the jianghu.
This is a jianghu grudge; the Court of Judicial Review has no need to meddle.
Otherwise the jianghu would be killing and brawling every day—could your Court of Judicial Review ever keep up?