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“Oh? Are you saying it has something to do with the Hanging Temple?” Ye Junlin sat up straight, intrigued.

Murong City Lord nodded, “That’s right. It’s said that the Black Bear Essence was once enlightened by the Abbot of the Hanging Temple, listening to Buddha’s teachings and receiving offerings. Then, somehow, it sneaked away and set up its own turf. It’s a shame that innocent children have suffered over the years. That bear, which should have been cared for, ended up bringing disaster to the innocent. Nations are wary of the Black Bear’s background and can only swallow their anger.”

“Of course, during this time, various rulers have sent envoys to the central area, wanting the Abbot of the Hanging Temple to take action and remove the Black Bear Essence. But in the end, they all went missing without a trace, not even their envoys returned. They must have met with an unfortunate fate.”

“Without any restraints, Hanging Mountain has become a tumor in the far west. Any wanted criminals will eventually risk their lives to escape to Hanging Mountain seeking refuge, forming a sanctuary for criminals over time!”

“To this day, we don’t have any effective means to deal with it. We can only rely on our fervor to negotiate with them as best as we can.”

After hearing Murong City Lord’s words, everyone gained a clear understanding of the situation in this place.

“Hmph, according to those bald monks’ nature, they must be turning a blind eye to the sins committed under their Abbot’s name. Plus, the monks below, fearing that this might tarnish the Hanging Temple’s reputation, probably took action in secret, causing those envoys to vanish from this world.”

Hong Qianye despised the Buddhist Sect, seizing the opportunity to cross her arms and casually share her views.

“That makes sense.” Ye Junlin agreed with this perspective. Considering the Master Randel he encountered before, who was daring enough to silence anyone out of anger, it wouldn’t be surprising given the internal style of the Hanging Temple!

Hong Qianye was taken aback, then felt pleased inside, a subtle smirk appearing at the corner of her mouth.

“See, I’m quite clever; you must admit it, right?”

“Uh, about that…” Murong City Lord was startled by this assertion, afraid to casually interject.

After all, Hanging Temple was the top force in Buzhou, wearing numerous halos, regarded as the holy place of the Buddhist Sect in the Eastern Domain. Stories about eliminating demons and saving vengeful spirits were as diverse as the storytellers.

In the eyes of outsiders, Hanging Temple was the light of righteousness in Buzhou, and the Abbot was the spiritual leader of all meditation in the world. No one could easily spew criticism!

Initially, Murong City Lord had such thoughts but dared only to keep them to himself.

After all, various nations had a certain number of meditation practitioners, primarily focusing on the Zen path, so even the rulers wouldn’t dare rashly discuss the Hanging Temple, fearing it might spark great disputes and shake their rule.

Ye Junlin’s gaze fell on Captain Yang, who was beside Murong City Lord, trembling and sweating profusely. He pointed at him with a smirk, “This guy seems to have connections with Hanging Mountain?”

“Yes, this scoundrel secretly colluded with Hanging Mountain, harming several previous lords of Wucheng. If it weren’t for Senior’s timely arrival, I would’ve followed their fate!” Murong City Lord glared at the burly man beside him with hatred.

Captain Yang fell to his knees in fright, begging pitifully, “Spare me, Senior! I was only momentarily confused!”

Ye Junlin sneered, “If I’m not mistaken, that Black Bear Essence must be planning something, otherwise, why would they be frequently kidnapping children lately?”

Captain Yang stammered, “Yes, yes, it’s the mountain lord—oh, no, I mean that damned beast. Recently, it’s planning a grand birthday feast, so it assigned heavier tasks to its subordinates…”

“For a small city, you need eight hundred children? How many kids will the Joyful Kindness Nation lose? Not to mention there are another thirty-five nations involved. What a heavy crime you’ve committed for Hanging Mountain!” Murong City Lord scolded angrily.

“I was bewitched, but it’s not my fault! The power of Hanging Mountain is too vast, and its background so solid. Who in the far west would dare to provoke them? So I…” Captain Yang tried to defend himself.

Ye Junlin shook his head, flicking his fingers.

Swish!

Captain Yang felt himself being flung away, the wind rushing past his ears, and then he saw the Kunpeng open its mouth wide, swallowing him whole.

“Ah…”

His scream echoed in the air before falling silent.

To the Kunpeng, this was just a little snack from its master.

“Do you know where Hanging Mountain is located?”

“Reporting to Senior, it’s just a thousand miles southwest. It used to be called Jingzhe Ridge, but since being occupied by that Black Bear Essence, it has been renamed Hanging Mountain.”

Ye Junlin nodded, “Alright, I’ll go take a look later.”

Murong City Lord, hearing this, was ecstatic, “Thank you, Senior! You’re saving countless innocent lives! You are truly a great benefactor! Your merit is boundless!”

With this powerhouse stepping in, how could one worry about clearing out Hanging Mountain?

“Great benefactor?” Ye Junlin couldn’t help but chuckle at this title.

He just thought this visit to the Hanging Temple would serve as an opportunity to bring a special gift.

Most importantly, he was curious about what stewed bear paws tasted like!

Suddenly, Murong City Lord tentatively asked, “May I ask your esteemed name, Senior?”

“Xuantian Sect, Ye Junlin.”

“So it’s you, Senior Ye. Wait!” Murong City Lord was just about to compliment him when he suddenly seemed to be struck by thunder, his eyes bulging wide, “You, you, you…”

“Off you go!” Ye Junlin waved his sleeve, a surge of magical power enveloping him, transporting him away in the blink of an eye, while also healing his injuries.

“Ah Kun, turn towards Hanging Mountain!”

The Kunpeng let out a cheerful cry, riding on the turbulent air to rush into the sky. The pressure enveloping Wucheng gradually dissipated, and the common folks felt much better, their faces filled with reverence.

Murong City Lord stood amidst the ruins, staring blankly at the scene.

Murong City Lord couldn’t believe that the striking young man who came to their aid was none other than that infamous white-haired old demon, known for his murderous reputation!

This was a stark contrast to the image circulated in Buzhou!

Ever since the Hanging Temple suffered a setback in that expedition, they had intensified efforts to vilify Ye Junlin, since mentioning him became synonymous with negativity. Now, every family knew of him, even scaring disobedient children by saying, “The Ye Demon is coming to eat you!”

In such a climate of public opinion, Murong City Lord had been influenced by the murmurs around him, believing that Ye Junlin of Xuantian Sect was bloodthirsty and ruthless.

But he never expected that the very individual helping Wucheng today was him!

And under such ignorance, he had praised this person as a great benefactor?

Murong City Lord wanted to laugh but couldn’t, feeling a mix of absurdity and sorrow within.

Once claimed to be the holy land of the Buddhist Sect that helps those in distress, the Hanging Temple ignored the lives of the common people, allowing the Black Bear Essence to act recklessly. Meanwhile, that vilified Ye Demon was willing to lend a hand to help them out of trouble?

The contrast between the two reputations formed a strong disparity, shattering Murong City Lord’s preconceived notions.

His eyes reddened, his nose tinged with sadness, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he murmured, “In the end… who really is the demon…”

Moments later, Murong City Lord lost control of his emotions, looking up to the heavens in a loud shout, as if questioning the supreme Buddha,

“Buddha, who really is the demon?!!!”

The hurried subordinates arrived, stunned, “City Lord, you…”

They were shocked by the abnormal behavior of their revered leader.

Murong City Lord gradually calmed down, then faced the direction where the Kunpeng flew off, bowing deeply with both hands together.

He didn’t say a word, but it felt like he had said everything.

 

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