Chapter 238: You don’t know why I’m angry?
Ning Xiaoyao placed her hand on Zhou Junqi's chest as she examined Grand Master Kumu from head to toe. Because her expression was too conflicted and her gaze too strange, Grand Master Kumu felt his hairs stand on end.
"Amitabha. Patron, you…"
"Stop 'Amitabh'ing," Ning Xiaoyao said in an affected tone as she randomly felt Zhou Junqi up and down. "Why weren't you thinking any benevolent thoughts when you screwed me over in the past?"
Now Grand Master Kumu didn't even have to guess to know that this person was Ning Yu, Yongning's current emperor. When Ning Xiaoyao saw that he was about to bow, her mouth twitched. She waved a hand and said, "Don't. If I accept this bow from you, you'll feel uncomfortable in your heart later too. If you end up claiming I'm incompatible with everyone in Yongning as a result, what will I do then? Find a place to die?"
Most people were unused to Ning Xiaoyao upon their first meeting. Grand Master Kumu was no exception and stared at her blankly before said, "This monk doesn't dare."
"If you've screwed me over once, you can screw me over twice," Ning Xiaoyao wiped her blood-stained hand against the sheets, then tucked in Zhou Junqi. "Come on, give me another fortune reading for free. Grand Master, where do you think I came from?" I'll know whether or not he's a holy fraud by his answer.
Great Master Kumu looked at Ning Xiaoyao, his face hesitant. "Your Majesty is of the imperial Ning Clan. For you to rise to your position, you must be none other than the descended down to Earth. You…"
"You're saying that I came from Heaven?" Ning Xiaoyao pointed at herself.
Great Master Kumu nodded.
Ning Xiaoyao had no idea what a Violet Star Sovereign was, but she was obviously from the apocalypse. Now this monk was claiming she came from the skies? As expected, he's a holy fraud.
"Your Majesty honors us with your grand presence—"
"Nothing grand about it," Ning Xiaoyao raised a hand to cut him off again. "Zhou Junqi's injury been healed. Grand Master, your medical skills seem only so-so, ah."
Great Master Kumu quickly looked over at Zhou Junqi, who was still unconscious. However, his complexion seemed much healthier than before. When he lifted the covers, it was to see that the arrow wound that had pierced through Zhou Junqi's chest from the back now completely healed over.
"H-how is this possible?" Great Master Kumu cried in shock.
Ning Xiaoyao said, "Great Master, why don't you rub your eyes and check again?"
Great Master Kumu exhaled, before looking at Ning Xiaoyao. She put on a respectable, dignified expression that was somewhat ruined by her childish face.
"Miaow!" Big Boss Black meowed viciously at Great Master Kumu. Typically speaking, he'd be scratching anyone who wronged him silly by now. Why waste so many words?
"Calm down," Ning Xiaoyao petted Big Boss Black's head.
Great Master Kumu stared at Big Boss Black. "Your Majesty is actually raising a black cat. This cat—"
"Great Master, if you want to say things like he's unlucky, he'll definitely bite you to death," Ning Xiaoyao interrupted again. "If not that, then scratch you half dead."
As if in response to her words, Big Boss Black lifted his bloody claws for Great Master Kumu to see.
"…….." said Great Master Kumu.
"We can leave our stuff for another day," Ning Xiaoyao said. "Great Master, let's talk about the here and now."
Great Master Kumu asked, "Is Your Majesty talking about Esteemed Empress's matters?"
"Great Master," a voice came from an opening in the secret chamber just then, that of a young monk. "Supreme Commander's arrived at Iron Buddha Temple. He's currently facing off against General Chen from the military barracks."
Ning Xiaoyao and Big Boss Black exchanged glances. Why did Supreme Commander come?
Great Master Kumu glanced hastily towards Ning Xiaoyao. With His Majesty here, it was impossible for him to decide what to do. Ning Xiaoyao took Big Boss Black to a corner and crouched on the ground, where the two of them held a quiet conference.
"How come Supreme Commander's here?" Ning Xiaoyao asked.
Big Boss Black replied, "Supreme Commander must have come to find you."
"But I left a message saying I went out to buy snacks, ah."
"Supreme Commander's so smart, you think he'll fall for that?" Once again, Big Boss Black put his Supreme Commander on a pedestal while belittling Ning Xiaoyao.
Ning Xiaoyao glanced at the tubby furball on her shoulders. "Are you trying to say that Windy is an idiot?"
Big Boss Black choked before he snarled, "Stop nitpicking to sow discord."
"Heh," Ning Xiaoyao chortled coldly, "You've become more cultured. Now you can even use idioms when you speak."
Big Boss Black didn't know what an idiom was, but he did know he wanted to scratch this ninny to death. The two little monks went to hide behind Great Master Kumu as they saw an imminent fight about to break out between human and cat. Black cats are unlucky and his Majesty—His Majesty doesn't seem all that normal, either.
"Great Master?" the voice from above called again, sounding panicked. "The switch for the stone entrance is broken, I can't open it!"
"What?" Great Master Kumu hastily turned towards Ning Xiaoyao. "Your Majesty, you broke the switch to the stone door when you came down?"
Ning Xiaoyao tossed Big Boss Black to the ground and looked at him. "There was a switch? I didn't even know, ah."
"Then, this—" Great Master Kumu knew that things had gotten troublesome. "Then aren't we simply trapped down here?"
Ning Xiaoyao gave him a sideways glance. "Great Master, you should keep General Zhou company. I'll find Supreme Commander for a chat."
"If the switch breaks, there's no way we can get out. Your Majesty, this monk will order the rest to dig us out instead," Great Master Kumu tried negotiated.
Ning Xiaoyao shook her head and started to climb up the steps. "Great Master, don't worry. I'll take responsibility for fixing that stone door."
Great Master Kumu fell silent. He'd been talking about nothing but the switch this whole time. Didn't His Majesty hear him? Big Boss Black meowed at him a couple of times before chasing after Ning Xiaoyao. Great Master Kumu could only continue to stay mute. Just what kind of person is this? And that cat, too—what's with him?
The two younger monks exchanged glances as well, before bracing themselves to follow behind Ning Xiaoyao. But she walked so quickly that the two monks soon lost sight of her and her cat. By the time they reached the exit, the stone door was already open. The sudden flood of sunlight momentarily blinded them.
"His Majesty got out?" Great Master Kumu asked when the two monks returned.
Before the monks could speak, they heard the sound of a heavy stone falling into place above them.
"His Majesty f…fixed the switch," one of the little monks stammered out.
"Ah!" Zhou Junqi suddenly woke up in a start. All Great Master Kumu could think of now was, how is this possible?!
—
In front of the gates to the temple, Chen Lu gave way to Lou Zigui as he spoke. "Since Supreme Commander insists on paying his respects to the Buddha today, please go in."
It wasn't that General Chen wanted to let him in, but that he had no way to keep him out. Even though Lou Zigui had only brought along Deng Rong, the man was perfectly prepared to kill him while he had to hesitate in turn. His Majesty would protect Lou Zigui to the death if anything happened, but would Grand Preceptor do the same for him? Chen Lu found the very idea impossible.
But the next second saw Ning Xiaoyao opening the temple gates from the inside. She stuck out her head and asked, "Is everyone here?"
Chen Lu thought he was seeing things. How could His Majesty be here?!
Lou Zigui creased his brows and covered the distance between them with a few steps. "Why did you come here?" he asked Ning Xiaoyao in a low voice.
"Urk," Ning Xiaoyao said, "I came to pay my respects to the Buddha."
Lou Zigui pushed Ning Xiaoyao inside as he entered the temple grounds, conveniently slamming the gates in Deng Rong's face when he moved to follow. Poor General Deng was left to rub at his throbbing nose before he glanced back at Chen Lu.
Chen Lu said, "Shadowgale has already come to escort Esteemed Empress back to the palace." What General Chen meant to say was, the empress is already going back, so what's His Majesty doing running over to Iron Buddha Temple?
Deng Rong only scowled at him. "His Majesty's right inside, so you can ask him yourself."
Chen Lu looked at the shut gates of the temple. Even if I want to ask, I need to wait for His Majesty to summon me first, ah.
On the other side of the doors, Lou Zigui had his hands pressed against Ning Xiaoyao's shoulders. "Why did you come here?"
"I told you already, I'm—"
"Don't say you're here to pay respects, that's the excuse I used,."
Ning Xiaoyao shrugged her shoulders at him. "To tell you the truth, I'm here to rescue Zhou Junqi."
Lou Zigui's hands trembled minutely before he immediately pressed down harder against her shoulders. Indifferent to the added force, Ning Xiaoyao rubbed her nose and added, "You can't kill people."
Lou Zigui glanced around the courtyard. They were standing in front of the hall for the Four Heavenly Kings, where two bodhi trees stood facing each other with their thick branches and leaves covering the entire space above them to block them from sight.
Ning Xiaoyao tugged at Lou Zigui's sleeve and added, "I said that you can't kill people. Give me a reaction or something, Supreme Commander."
Lou Zigui lowered his head and asked, "You know already?"
Ning Xiaoyao blinked. "If I didn't know, I wouldn't have ran all the way here."
"Isn't it a good thing to kill off the Zhou Clan siblings?" Lou Zigui asked.
Ning Xiaoyao pondered over that before pulling Lou Zigui to sit beside her on the steps leading to the prayer hall. She cocked her head to one side and said, "We can clearly manage this without killing anyone, so why do you insist on murdering them, Supreme Commander?"
"Because they want to kill you," Lou Zigui answered.
"Isn't all of this a big farce anyways?" Ning Xiaoyao spread out her arms.
"But those siblings are taking it seriously."
"Then—then if the person who wants to kill me is the empress, what does General Zhou have to do with it?"
Lou Zigui looked at Ning Xiaoyao before he suddenly burst into laughter. "How could it have nothing to do with him? If he hadn't agreed, the empress would never be so determined to kill you."
Ning Xiaoyao shook her head. "That's not right. It was the empress who steeled her heart first."
"But didn't Zhou Junqi agree with her?" Lou Zigui was sounding a little pushy by now. "Since they want to kill you, then I'll kill them. What's wrong with that?"
Ning Xiaoyao scratched her head. It looks like we can't chat about life anymore.
"Xiaoyao," Lou Zigui grabbed her hand with a murmur, "You don't have to get involved with this. I know what I'm doing."
"Then fine," Ning Xiaoyao said. "Supreme Commander, you tell me. Can that General Xu beat the Grand Preceptor?"
"And if he could?" Lou Zigui asked.
"If?" Ning Xiaoyao echoed. "So it's not a certainty? We can't even kill off the Grand Preceptor ourselves, but you're pushing General Xu to try the same? Do you have to treat others like that?"
"Xiaoyao!" Lou Zigui exclaimed quietly.
"Xiaoyao–'Little Yao?' It won't make a difference even if you call me Dayao—'Big Yao.' I'll still think the same way," Ning Xiaoyao replied. "The empress wants to murder me, but I'm not even angry. So why are you, Supreme Commander? It's not like she could really kill me."
Lou Zigui's expression grew dark. "You don't know why I'm angry?"
Ning Xiaoyao pursed her lips.
"Tell me, do you really not know?" Lou Zigui held Ning Xiaoyao by the chin, refusing to let her look away.