557 Warning Signs (2/2)

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However, the monk in the Buddhist chariot did not react. It looked as if the high monk from Xuankong Temple, who sat behind the curtains cross-legged, did not hear what Ning Que had said at all. He did not seem angry.

Ning Que's brows rose. He froze slightly when he recalled the Buddhism Sect's specialty and how Master Lotus had described them at the Front Gate of the Devil's Doctrine— Buddhism Sect's high monk was indeed tolerant like a turtle.

Anything done to the extreme would make it strong. Ning Que had seen countless deaths and knew the importance of tolerance. He would, of course, know that the more the monk could bear, the scarier he was.

It was extremely silent by the stream. Some cultivators looked at Ning Que, who was on the black horse carriage, aiming at the Buddhist chariot. They were frightened, uneasy and nervous. No one dared to make any sounds, and even their breathing had slowed down, afraid anything would cause the bowstring to relax.

The atmosphere was tense. Someone had to break the invisible battle of wills between the black horse carriage and the Buddhist chariot if they did not want to see bloodshed between the Academy and Xuankong Temple.

There wasn't anyone by the stream who could avoid Ning Que's iron arrow. But someone could stop it. He couldn't stop it with a flying sword or with prayer beads, but with his physical body.

Monk Guan Hai positioned his chest before the dark iron arrow. The color in his face was even darker than the arrows. He said gloomily, ”Thirteenth Brother... is this necessary?”

Ning Que had admired the young monk when they first met in Chang'an. The monk had a truly serene aura that belonged to the Buddhism Sect. However, he did not pretend to be profound and enigmatic like other Bhandantas of the sect. Furthermore, Monk Guan Hai's skin was tanned and he looked like how Sangsang had as a child.

It if was any other thing, Ning Que would definitely hold back for Monk Guan Hai's sake. But not today.

He aimed the iron arrow at the Buddhist chariot, not even looking at Guan Hai, he said, ”My arrows do not have eyes.”

Monk Guan Hai said bitterly, ”Arrows do not have eyes, but everyone present does. The president of Commandment Yard had already admitted defeat by staying silent. Do you still have to shoot your arrow?”

Ning Que said, ”I have not yet shot my arrow.”

Guan Hai sighed and asked, ”Then what are you waiting for?”

Ning Que replied, ”I'm waiting for the high monk in the Buddhist chariot to speak.”

Guan Hai asked, ”If he remains silent, what would you do?”

Ning Que did not know what he would do, so he stayed silent.

Even though the monk in the chariot made him uneasy, and even though he was a core disciple of Headmaster, he could not kill the man without any reason before so many cultivators.

While aggressiveness and pride did look similar at times, they were completely different. In Second Brother's words, pride was reasonable aggressiveness, while aggressiveness was unreasonable pride.

No matter what kind of reasoning it was, Second Brother had always been reasonable. That was why he thought he was proud but not aggressive. He hoped that Ning Que would become someone like that as well.

The high monk in the Buddhist chariot of Xuankong Temple had criticized the ways of the Academy and lectured Ning Que with the tone of an elder. No matter how Ning Que shamed him, it would have been thought to be reasonable, and would at least pass Second Brother's examination. That was why it would not have been an issue of contention even if many were shocked by it.

However, the situation right now was different. The high monk from Xuankong Temple had been shamed, but had borne it and remained silent. He did not grow angry or tried to attack. If Ning Que insisted on shooting, the Academy would seem aggressive and not prideful to others.

Monk Guan Hai looked at Ning Que and said pleadingly, ”Senior Brother, if you insist on battling the chief monk, then kill me. Do not say that killing me isn't a big deal. Washing Lanke with blood might not be a big deal to you either. But I assume you have brought the Lady of Light to Tile Mountain for an important reason. What would you do then?”

This was not a threat, but sincere persuasion. Ning Que did not have the ability to kill everyone on Wa Mountain and charge to the cave with his black horse carriage. Even if he were to possess such an ability like Younger Uncle, would Master Qishan still heal Sangsang if he killed everyone in Lanke Temple?

It wasn't that Ning Que hadn't thought of this point. He just hadn't understood the freezing warning sign that he received when he aimed his iron arrow at the Buddhist chariot.

The Xuankong Temple monk in the Buddhist chariot remained silent. He did not dare to fight Ning Que's arrows, so even if they fought in the future, the monk's Buddhist Heart would also be affected. The high monk from the Buddhist Sect was indeed powerful and terrifying, but he would not pose any hindrance to Ning Que's journey on the Tile Mountain any further.

However, the warning signs remained, and even became stronger, causing Ning Que to feel very uneasy.