The bargain five hundred years ago

What is it?

Hearing the ethereal voice of Shen Shu, Xu Qi'an saw a thick fog gathering and dispersing. He passed through the floating fog and saw a dilapidated temple with the handsome monk Shen Shu sitting cross-legged at the entrance.

"Master, it's nothing much, I just saw a big scene and wanted to come over and have some fun with you," Xu Qi'an said sincerely.

"Do not call my name in your heart in front of Buddhist School masters," Shenshu admonished.

"Understood, Master. I won't hold you back."

Xu Qi'an recounted the scene that had just unfolded in the night sky over the capital, and remarked with admiration, "The Supervisor's technique for shielding celestial secrets is truly remarkable."

"Since it's a first-rank cultivator, it's naturally powerful," the monk Shenshu said gently. "However, perhaps due to my fragmented memory, I don't recall any information about Warlock."

Um... the Warlock System only emerged a hundred years before the monk Shenshu was sealed away, right? It's normal that he didn't know about the Warlock System.

Xu Qi'an said, "Master, I tested the monk from the Western Regions a few days ago and have gained some understanding of your identity."

The monk Shenshu's gentle face hardened with seriousness as he stared intently at him. "What was the result?"

Xu Qi'an replied, "The Buddhist School monks said you are a traitor to Buddhist School, and because they couldn't kill you, they sealed you away."

"Traitor to Buddhist School."

The monk Shenshu muttered to himself, his expression gradually changing, a hint of sorrow and anger flashing deep in his eyes.

The mist in this hidden world trembled, surging like a river.

"You did very well. I've been reminded of some things from the past." After a long while, the monk Shenshu, having calmed down, nodded.

"What kind of past events, sir? Can you share them with me?" Xu Qi'an asked with a sigh.

The thought had barely formed when the fog closed in front of me, obscuring the dilapidated temple and the monk Shenshu, and then the whole world began to fade away.

As the scenery changed and the furnishings in the room came into view, he emerged from the mysterious world of the monk Shenshu.

"That old lady and I have a connection. I'll ask Master Jinlian about it later. Otherwise, I'll feel like I have a fishbone stuck in my throat, it's unsettling."

"I don't know when the Buddhist School delegation will leave, so I'm trying to keep a low profile during this time. Master Du'e is stronger than I imagined."

"My mental strength has reached its peak, and I'm almost ready to break through. But after witnessing the wonders of the Vajra Divine Skill of Buddhist School, I'm starting to look down on the copper skin and iron bones of martial artists."

"Master Shenshu's memories are incomplete, so he doesn't possess this skill. Hengyuan is an adopted son, so he won't be able to learn such a profound and unique technique. It's going to be difficult."

He lay in bed, his thoughts wandering, when suddenly, a familiar feeling of palpitation washed over him.

As Xu Qi'an reached under his pillow and pulled out the fragment of the Earth Book, he got up, lit the oil lamp, sat down at the table, and examined the transmitted message.

[One: Daoist Master, leader of the Western Regions delegation, what rank is Master Du'e?]

Rarely, the number one voyeur actually took the initiative to send a message.

[Nine: Du'e is a second-rank Arhat, a meritorious official who has killed thieves.]

A second-rank Arhat—that does align with my guess. But what is the rank for killing thieves? Xu Qi'an briefly recalled and confirmed that there was no record of "rank" in the archives of the Nightwatchers's office.

[Four: The term "fruition" is Buddhist School concept. There are three levels of Arhatship: slayer of thieves, non-returner, and Arahant. Among them, Arahantship is the highest level, while slayer of thieves and non-returner are equal.]

"I see. Although I don't understand, it sounds very impressive!" Xu Qi'an nodded slowly.

After explaining, Number Four added, "[However, I feel that the second Dharma form that appeared tonight is ridiculously powerful.]"

The first Dharma form is a manifestation of the power of the slayer of thieves, representing the power of Master Du'e himself. The second Dharma form possesses an even more magnificent and profound aura.

[Nine: That is the wrathful form of Vajra, one of the nine major forms in Buddhist School.]

[Four: No wonder, it turns out it was the Bodhisattva who intervened.]

A Bodhisattva, a first-rank Bodhisattva?! Xu Qi'an hissed. He subconsciously looked around, a chill running down his spine, the kind of fear a thief feels when he hears a police siren.

If the one coming to the capital is a first-rank official, Xu Qi'an feels he's in serious trouble again.

"Stay calm, stay calm. Every system has its unique features. Shielding the heavens is Warlock's specialty. Trust in the supervisor's abilities." That was the only way he could comfort himself.

At this moment, Li Miaozhen appeared and sent a message: [What are you talking about? What do you mean by the Dharma form that appeared tonight?]

Number One has always been at odds with Number Two, and Number Four, due to the conflict between Celestial Person and Man, is "avoiding suspicion" with her. Master Jinlian remained silent for a while, creating an awkward silence. Finally, Number Six, Hengyuan, sent a message to explain:

[Buddhist School delegation has arrived in the capital, causing quite a stir. Tonight, a divine image will appear in the skies above the city.]

A few seconds later, Li Miaozhen sent another message: [Are you here because of the Sangbo case?]

The sealed artifact beneath Sangbo involves Buddhist School, a fact that Number Three had previously announced within the Heaven and Earth Society. Thinking of Xu Qi'an's demise, she felt a pang of melancholy.

[Six: Yes.]

Li Miaozhen sent a letter expressing her admiration. "[The Buddhist School is indeed powerful; it truly deserves to be called the greatest sect in the Nine Provinces.]"

I hadn't thought of Buddhist School as the most powerful force in the Nine Provinces before. I'll go to the government office tomorrow to check the records.

[Four: Li Miaozhen, why haven't you arrived in the capital yet?]

[Two: Ha, wouldn't it be better to let you live a few more days?]

"Hey, girl, don't be so blunt. You should try to win people over with your manners!" Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

[Second: I choose to travel to the capital by land, which will allow me to eliminate evil and punish corrupt officials and powerful figures along the way.]

After a long silence in the Earth Book group, Daoist Jinlian finally spoke up: [By the way, how's Number Five doing lately?]

There was no response from number five.

[Second: Master, could you secretly send a letter to inquire about this? I feel like this girl has gotten into trouble again.]

Master Jinlian said helplessly, "Alright."

Number Five's experiences could probably fill a book like "Number Five's Wanderings" or "Number Five's Wonderful Adventures." Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an's lips curled up slightly.

Xu Qi'an slept soundly until dawn, then rode his mare to the Nightwatchers's office.

He went straight to the archives, specifically to the "C" section, and instructed the clerk in charge, "Retrieve all documents related to Buddhist School."

"And another cup of tea, please," he said.

The materials related to Buddhist School were vast, stacked on the table taller than a person. After filtering them, Xu Qi'an eliminated some strange people and events, as well as "legends," and focused on books related to the regions, such as "Geography of the Nine Provinces" and "Geography of the Western Regions."

About an hour later, he got what he wanted.

"Indeed, in terms of land area, Buddhist School ranks first in the Nine Provinces. Buddhist kingdoms are everywhere in the Western Regions, and the territory of the Western Regions is twice that of the Great Feng, three times that of the North, and three to five times that of the Northeast."

"Of course, the Western Regions are vast and sparsely populated, and not fertile land. Then, if we add the territory of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the Southern Frontier, which was originally the territory of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, the Buddhist School 'territory' becomes terrifying."

Then, he had his officials bring him pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to write words such as "Sangbo", "State Religion", and "Suppression of Buddhism" on a piece of Xuan paper.

He recalled a piece of history that Master Jinlian had told him, about the history of that founding emperor.

In order to overthrow the corrupt Central Plains dynasty, the founding emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty once borrowed troops from the Northeast Witch God Sect, in exchange for adopting the Witch God Sect as the state religion.

According to the Records of the Western Regions, Buddhist School was also the state religion.

"Judging from the information that Princess Huaiqing and I have found out, four hundred years ago, Buddhist School flourished all over the Central Plains, clearly showing a trend toward becoming the state religion. It's just that Confucian School at that time was at its peak, thinking, 'Excuse my bluntness, everyone here is trash.'"

"When the persecution of Buddhism was directly pushed forward, the Buddhist School did not react excessively and withdrew from the Central Plains. I have two guesses: First, the Confucian School was indeed so powerful that it was lawless. Second, the Buddhist School did not dare to directly turn against the Great Feng because it still needed to rely on the Great Feng to seal the divine power."

"If Confucian School had not yet declined, with the combined strength of Confucian School and the Bureau of Astronomy, the Great Feng Kingdom would undoubtedly be the most powerful in the Nine Provinces."

Xu Qi'an used his internal energy to shred the paper, left the archives, and turned to enter the Righteousness Pavilion.

After receiving the message, he went up to the seventh floor. He couldn't hear Wei Yuan's voice in the tea room, so he habitually looked towards the lookout tower and sure enough, he saw Wei Yuan there.

The elderly eunuch, with graying temples and disheveled hair, was wearing a blue robe and reclining on a chair, taking a nap and leisurely basking in the sun.

"Did you kneel last night?" the chief eunuch asked with a smile.

"His legs didn't even tremble," Xu Qi'an said dismissively.

"Come over here and let me massage your head," Wei Yuan beckoned.

Xu Qi'an checked first to confirm that Nangong Qianrou was not there, then stepped forward with peace of mind and, as if possessed by a hairdresser, massaged Wei Yuan's head acupoints.

"The escape of the Sangbo seal is, in any case, a dereliction of duty by the Great Feng. It's just the Buddhist School monks throwing a tantrum; there's no need to take it to heart," Wei Yuan comforted him.

He thought I came because I was worried about yesterday's events. Duke Wei, you think I'm on the first level? Actually, I'm on the eighteenth! Not only do I know that a Bodhisattva intervened yesterday, but I also know the whereabouts of Monk Shenshu. Xu Qi'an asked decisively:

Why did the Great Feng help Buddhist School seal away evil spirits?

By now, he was Wei Yuan's confidant, and could openly discuss many secrets that could not be shared outside the family.

"Did you find out something?" Wei Yuan was slightly taken aback.

"When I was investigating the Sangbo case, I accidentally discovered a piece of history: five hundred years ago, the prince was playing in Sangbo when he accidentally fell into the water and then suffered from hysteria, and soon died."

Five hundred years ago, Emperor Wuzong seized the throne. Five hundred years ago, Buddhist School from the Western Regions suddenly began spreading in the Central Plains. Within a hundred years, Buddhist temples flourished everywhere, until a hundred years later, Confucian School promoted the suppression of Buddhism.

"The formation beneath Sangbo Lake is inscribed with Buddhist script. Based on these clues, I deduce that the evil entity was sealed away five hundred years ago."

Wei Yuan pondered for a long time before slowly nodding, "That's right, the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo originated from a transaction between Buddhist School and Emperor Wuzong."

"Emperor Wuzong was a man of both literary and military prowess, commanding countless elite troops and generals. However, there was one obstacle he could never overcome in his quest to seize the throne. And that obstacle might even cause his grand ambitions to vanish into thin air."

A figure flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind: the first Supervisor!

"The first Director of the Bureau of Astronomy was a top-ranking expert in the Warlock System. With the Director in charge, as long as the Great Feng dynasty did not end, no one could shake the throne. Faced with such an incomparably powerful figure, and with no way to bypass the obstacle, Emperor Wuzong chose to cooperate with the Buddhist School in the Western Regions."

"That was the beginning of the alliance between the Western Regions Buddhist School and the Great Feng. The Buddhist School helped Emperor Wuzong kill the first Supervisor, and in return, Emperor Wuzong agreed to allow the Buddhist sect to spread its Buddhist School in the Central Plains and to seal away evil spirits for the Buddhist School. That old scoundrel Supervisor sat idly by and watched Sangbo being bombed. That was already considered a breach of the agreement."

Holy crap!!

So that's how it is. I was wondering why the first Director of the Imperial Censorate was doing after Emperor Wuzong successfully seized the throne. The Buddhist School sect was involved in the power struggle, Buddhist School have the Buddha, a being beyond rank. It makes perfect sense for them to eliminate a Director of the Warlock Censorate who was at the peak of his magical powers.

Wait a minute, what role does the modern-day veteran eunuch play in this?

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an trembled slightly and regretted asking Wei Yuan.

"The supervisor, why did he stand by and watch the evil creature escape?" After hesitating for a long time, Xu Qi'an finally asked this question.

This issue is highly likely to involve myself.

The Supervisor knew about the remnants of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons's plot, yet chose to remain indifferent; the Supervisor knew that the remnants of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons had taken the severed arm of the monk Shenshu and placed it on his own body, yet chose to remain indifferent; the Supervisor even secretly helped him!

What exactly is the supervisor's purpose? What is he plotting?

Isn't he afraid that the Buddha, wielding his great Buddha root, will come knocking on his door and unleash a torrent of attacks?

Wei Yuan chuckled, "Who knows?"

He squinted, enjoying the service of his trusted servant, Yinluo, and said, "This morning at court, Master Du'e came to the hall. He proposed a debate and magical contest with the Supervisor, with the stakes being the Heavenly Secrets Compass and the Diamond Sutra. I hope Your Majesty will agree."

"His Majesty sent someone to inquire with the Bureau of Astronomy, and the Director agreed. A yellow proclamation will be issued this afternoon to announce it throughout the capital; there's going to be some excitement."

For some reason, Xu Qi'an's heart suddenly sank, and a chill ran down his spine. He asked cautiously:

How to fight?

Wei Yuan shook his head. "We'll know today."

P. S.: I kept my promise and finally finished writing two chapters before midnight. Please subscribe to the official version and give me monthly tickets!