CHAPTER 291: COURT OF JUDICIAL REVIEW, THE VIOLET-ROBED MAIDEN, THE THOUSAND ILLUSIONS SECT!

Yet in the eyes of the gathered crowd there was a probing curiosity. Who was this young Daoist? Why did Ding Rou seem so close to him?

After a few words of polite greeting, He Yu joined several acquaintances and took a seat.

Li Yanchu, meanwhile, led Ding Rou to a quiet corner.

“Mr. Li, it’s been a while.” A roguish young man with twin sabers at his waist chuckled. Just from his voice alone one could sense his free and unruly spirit.

“So it’s you.” Li Yanchu glanced at him and smiled faintly.

The young man sat down beside him with a look of anticipation in his eyes.

“Well, how about it? When this is over, let’s go out and have a match. I’ve made some progress lately, and I’ve been itching to spar with you.”

Li Yanchu couldn’t help but laugh. “Another time, another time.”

The newcomer was none other than Xiao Ce, the martial fanatic he’d stumbled upon back in the Blessed Land of Mount Jinting.

Out of nowhere, he had picked a fight with Li Yanchu, and afterward, left him a battered Universe Pouch as an apology.

Thus, Li Yanchu still found Xiao Ce rather agreeable.

But Xiao Ce, unwilling to give up, pressed on. “Don’t brush me off. If you won’t agree later, then let’s fight right here. Anyway, this banquet Duanmu is hosting is boring as hell.”

Ever since witnessing Li Yanchu’s overwhelming strength last time, Xiao Ce had been deeply shaken, always itching for another match to hone his saber techniques.

“Daoist Xiao, I’ve been nothing but a gracious host, and yet here you are speaking ill of me behind my back.” A soft, melodious voice sounded from behind.

Duanmu Xuan approached with graceful lotus steps[1], her gaze smoldering and alluring.

Xiao Ce curled his lip. “Well, it’s true. Everyone here is just putting on airs. It’s utterly dull.”

At this time, Duanmu Xuan’s eyes settled on Li Yanchu, and curiosity flickered in her gaze.

“May we speak alone?” She gestured toward a side room. Her meaning was clear; there was something she wished to discuss with him privately.

“Me?” Li Yanchu was a little surprised.

It was just their first meeting, and she’s already asking to speak alone?

What’s that supposed to mean?

Inside a quiet, elegant meditation room, Duanmu Xuan lit a stick of sandalwood incense, thereafter its fragrant smoke curled into the air.

“Daoist Master Li, you must be curious why I asked you here.”

“Indeed.” Li Yanchu’s eyes were calm as he looked straight at her.

The beauty before him was draped in a flowing blue dress, and her demeanor was languid and alluring as she met his gaze with a captivating smile.

“Master Wuse of Jinguang Temple has run into trouble. Beset by inner demons, he secluded himself within the Merit Grove behind the mountain. With the power of relics, he seeks to refine and purge those demons.”

Li Yanchu’s expression didn’t change. He had already heard this from the old Daoist.

Duanmu Xuan continued, “Daoist Master Li, are you aware that demonic infiltrators have slipped into Jinguang Temple? Their aim is to remain hidden, then strike at the crucial moment, undermining Master Wuse’s cultivation.I want to invite you to join forces with me, to find this person, eliminate them, and avert disaster.”

Li Yanchu frowned slightly. “Why are you meddling in this? And why seek me out?”

Duanmu Xuan’s smile deepened, and she looked radiant and charming. “The Court of Judicial Review oversees the suppression of demons and aberrations across the land. Jinguang Temple is a major Buddhist stronghold in Donglin Prefecture. Chaos here is unacceptable. I am only fulfilling my duty.”

Duanmu Xuan... was from the Court of Judicial Review!?

Before coming to this banquet, Li Yanchu had thought this Duanmu Xuan might be some alluring, flirtatious temptress. Or perhaps a willful, domineering woman.

But never, absolutely never had he expected her to be from the Court of Judicial Review!

Li Yanchu lifted his head slightly, giving her a measured look.

“As for why I sought you out, Daoist Master Li, that’s simple. Chen Yang mentioned you in the Court of Judicial Review records. He said you’re righteous to the core, slays demons and purges devils, as well as versed in profound Daoist arts. I had originally intended to send someone to invite you. But as it happened, He Yu brought you along.”

She drew out a waist token from her sleeve engraved with the sigil of the Court of Judicial Review, radiating the official authority of the Kingdom of Qian.

Li Yanchu had seen a similar token in Chen Yang’s possession before.

“If the Court of Judicial Review already knew there were demonic infiltrators in Jinguang Temple, why not send more men here? And when the Donglin Prefecture was thrown into chaos by those monsters, where was the Court of Judicial Review then?”

Li Yanchu felt a flicker of surprise that such a flourishing Buddhist stronghold as Jinguang Temple could be infiltrated by demonic heretics.

Duanmu Xuan replied with a meaningful look, “Daoist Master Li, you misunderstand. The Court of Judicial Review has not been idle. As for the Donglin Prefecture’s disorder, we’ve been working in secret, cooperating with the martial guards to suppress the rebellion. As for manpower, let me just say this: it isn’t only Jinguang Temple facing problems right now. The Court of Judicial Review’s experts are stretched thin, rushing from one crisis to another.”

Li Yanchu’s brows rose slightly.

So, there would be no reinforcements from the Court of Judicial Review?

“Do the senior monks of Jinguang Temple know about this?” he asked.

Jinguang Temple was brimming with masters. Those elder monks each possessed great Buddhist powers to slay demons and purge devils.

There was no reason for them to remain silent on such a matter.

And hadn’t they summoned experts from all around to escort relics, partly as a form of bait, luring infiltrators into a trap?

Li Yanchu wouldn’t believe that they had no backup plan.

Duanmu Xuan nodded. “Of course they know. The original plan was to flush out the infiltrators. Even if they slipped inside, the mountain’s grand formation could expose them. It was meant to be a ‘lure them into the urn, shut the door and beat the dog[2]’ kind of strategy.”

“Judging by your tone... don’t tell me it backfired?”

A faintly bitter smile touched Duanmu Xuan’s alluring face. “You’re right. Master Yushu of Jinguang Temple, a third realm powerhouse who had already condensed the Yang Spirit, was meant to lead this operation. But a mysterious expert stormed the gates, dealt him a grievous wound.

That person didn’t kill anyone, however, and just went into the scripture depository, seized a scroll of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra[3], and left.”

Li Yanchu couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

The third realm! Such figures were rarer than phoenix feathers across the world. For Jinguang Temple to have one in residence should have made this plan foolproof.

How could a mysterious intruder have stormed the mountain and gravely injured him? Such an explosive revelation left Li Yanchu deeply astonished, and very curious about this so-called mysterious expert.

“What kind of person could possibly defeat Master Yushu, a cultivator of the Yang Spirit Realm?”

He let out a low sigh.

Duanmu Xuan spoke slowly, “Though Jinguang Temple tries to keep it under tight wraps, I’ve managed to hear some things.”

“Oh?”

“The one who injured Master Yushu was a girl of only seventeen or eighteen years of age. She was strikingly beautiful, and she was dressed in a violet robe, with a wine gourd tied at her waist.”

Li Yanchu’s expression shifted. A seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl actually injuring Master Yushu!? Surely it must have been some old crone skilled in preserving her looks. Or perhaps a monster that had cultivated for hundreds of years.

Duanmu Xuan’s tone grew serious. “Jinguang Temple may appear tranquil now, but hidden within is enormous danger. I truly hope you will lend us your aid.”

Li Yanchu stayed silent for a long time, then slowly exhaled. “Very well. I’ll help you.”

A trace of delight flashed across Duanmu Xuan’s face. She then began telling Li Yanchu about the heretics hidden within the temple.

“To slip past Jinguang Temple’s protective mountain formation, and then remain concealed in this sacred ground teeming with incense and monks, right under the noses of high monks... such a person is no ordinary intruder. If the information is correct, they should be connected to the Thousand Illusions Sect.”

The Thousand Illusions Sect...

Li Yanchu frowned. “What is this sect about?”

“The Thousand Illusions Sect is one of the demonic sects, famed for their mastery of disguise and transformation. Once, one of their disciples even infiltrated the imperial harem, was enfeoffed as a consort. Later she was exposed as a demonic fiend plotting treachery, and executed. At that time, Emperor Zhongzong was on the throne. Enraged, he ordered troops to wipe out the Thousand Illusions Sect’s mountain stronghold.”

1. The term 莲步 (lián bù) literally translates to “lotus steps” and is a poetic way to describe a woman’s graceful, delicate, and measured walk. The character 莲 refers to the lotus, symbolizing purity, elegance, and refinement, while 步 simply means “step” or “pace.” ☜

2. Both 请君入瓮 (qǐng jūn rù wèng) and 关门打狗 (guān mén dǎ gǒu) are vivid Chinese idioms with metaphorical meanings. 请君入瓮, literally “invite the guest into the urn,” originates from an old execution method where victims were trapped in a large urn; figuratively, it refers to luring someone into a trap under the guise of friendliness or invitation, often to punish or ambush them. In contrast, 关门打狗, literally “close the door and beat the dog,” depicts cornering an opponent before attacking. Figuratively, it means to deal with an opponent decisively when they are trapped or powerless, emphasizing ruthlessness and strategic timing rather than deception. ☜

3. The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is a prominent Mahayana Buddhist sūtra. It is also titled Laṅkāvatāraratnasūtram and Saddharmalaṅkāvatārasūtra. A subtitle to the sutra found in some sources is "the heart of the words of all the Buddhas". ☜