Chapter 37: Stealing Treasure
"Bald Thief, you dare use crafty words to deceive the eldest prince! I am here under the orders of the king to exterminate you traitors! And this man—do you dare say you don’t recognize him?"
Zhou Mingguang raised the royal decree given to him by Qin Sang and, with a fierce gesture, one of his attendants pulled a well-preserved head from a bundle and threw it forward.
Abbot Yuanzhen's face turned ashen as he hurriedly caught the head, his hands trembling violently.
The monks behind him fell to their knees, wailing in grief, calling out for their master or grandmaster.
Zhou Mingguang remained unfazed, unfurling a scroll with a list of names.
"Xuanji Temple, head of the Arhat Hall, Dharma name[1] Yuanjue! Hmph! This man held a high position, yet he willingly became a lackey of the fake emperor, nearly ruining the king's grand plans. The evidence is irrefutable, so what do you bald thieves have to say now?"
"Nonsense!"
A large monk, eyes bloodshot and teeth clenched, growled, "Master was an innate stage expert! There's no way you traitors could have bested him! What vile trick did you use to harm my master?"
Hearing this, Zhou Mingguang cast a discreet glance at Qin Sang.