The old monk sighed, his eyes brimming with tears, but Bai Junjun and Li Wenli had all the time in the world; they let him take his time.
Three years ago, the world was in turmoil, especially the Imperial Capital, which was in utter chaos.
Late, Prince Hanying quelled the Imperial Capital, saving tens of thousands from disaster.
However, what he didn’t know was that his success in pacifying the Capital so smoothly was because the elite of the Rebel Army that had suddenly appeared that year had avoided the brunt of the conflict by taking refuge in Fahua Temple.
Disguised as refugees, the Abbot unknowingly took them in.
Little did he know, it was like letting the wolf into the house.
On a dark and windy night, these people suddenly went to the Abbot’s Room, captured him, and even forced him to go to the Underground Palace.
With the lives of his senior and junior disciples at the mercy of the rebels, he had to violate the temple’s ancestral teachings and lead them in to save everyone in the temple.
Shockingly, when they reached the Underground Palace, all they saw was an empty Central Courtyard—the Underground Palace had vanished.
It is said that only during the Abbot’s inauguration ceremony can one enter the Underground Palace.
Inside were stored many of the temple’s scriptures, treasures, and magical treasures.
Typically, the current Abbot would return the treasures selected by his predecessor back to the Underground Palace and choose one to take away for his practice.
But now, the Underground Palace full of magical treasures had disappeared! Only an empty Central Courtyard remained.
The rebels were furious, feeling deceived by the Abbot.
That very night, the Rebel Army slaughtered all the disciples of the Inner Door and his senior and junior brothers in front of him.
After that, the Abbot began his long imprisonment.
He was tortured day and night in captivity until a year later, Yuwen Luanfei decided to designate this place as a Royal Monastery.
The rebels, who had been hiding among the wanderers, could now only disguise themselves as monks.
Somehow they managed to deceive Yuwen Luanfei, who did not notice a thing.
Thus, the Rebel Army and the Imperial Guards ended up living together.
About half a month ago, the leader, for some reason unwilling to continue this stalemate, bound him three days ago and put on the Jade-Faced Golden Body, under the pretense of letting him experience the taste of becoming a Buddha.
The Abbot had long harbored the wish to pass on, so he did not resist and just waited for his last breath to fade away.
Unexpectedly, instead of Yama Hall, Bai Junjun arrived.
After two and a half whole years, he finally saw the day he would regain his freedom.
Even though the old monk had seen his share of turmoil, he still couldn’t help but shed tears.
Li Wenli asked, "Do you know who those rebels belong to?"
The old monk paused for a moment, then nodded, "They didn’t say, but I guessed from bits and pieces that they were the Fifth Prince’s men."
Bai Junjun wore a look of ’I knew it.’
Just as I thought, during the whole war, the Fifth Prince of the Northern Lands had kept himself too clean.
While others joined the fray, he stayed at home; while others vied for the throne, he remained seated.
Yet, in the true Northern Lands, he had amassed many private soldiers and weapons.
This man clearly aimed to sit back and profit from the troubles of others, like the mantis stalking the cicada, oblivious of the oriole behind.
Unexpectedly, he had laid his traps in the Capital City long ago.
But there were still things that didn’t make sense.
"What did they want with the Underground Palace?"
"They..." the old monk’s expression darkened, uncertain whether to reveal it.
Li Wenli said, "At this point, what is there to hide? If you really wanted to keep it secret, you wouldn’t have taken them to the Underground Palace, would you?"
Li Wenli’s words left the old monk speechless, and after a long sigh, he said, "They were looking for the Ancient Treasure Box."
"???" Both were stunned.