Testing the waters (5400)
The cry for help was like a pebble thrown into a well, causing ripples on the calm surface.
The heart of the one who saves from suffering is like well water.
He stopped, slowly, little by little, turned around, looking at the Bodhisattva Guangxian behind him, and at the Bodhi tree.
The Bodhisattva Guangxian narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Is there anything else?"
The Bodhisattva Guangxian answers all questions and never hides anything or lies. It would be better to be frank with him now and ask the Buddha what really happened; he must know something. This thought flashed through the mind of Arhat Du'e.
Unable to suppress his thirst for the truth any longer, he clasped his hands together, chanted Buddhist mantras, and then stared at the Bodhisattva Guangxian, saying:
"Since the Bodhisattva Garuda insisted on not accepting Mahayana Buddhism, we had no choice but to consult the Buddha. Fortunately, the Bodhisattva Garuda was not in Aranya."
Du'e stopped there, not continuing the conversation.
Guangxian Bodhisattva stared at him for a few seconds, his expression softening slightly, and said calmly:
"This is a crucial moment for the long-term development of Buddhist School; everyone in Aranya should unite as one."
The Arhat who had been saved from suffering clasped his hands and bowed his head.
"Amitabha Buddha, it was I who was overcome with anger."
Having said that, he turned and left, his steps slow, the hem of his robe fluttering, heading towards the edge of the Zen monastery.
The Bodhisattva Guangxian withdrew his gaze, looked at the scattered stones on the ground, paused for a few seconds, and then looked at the gnarled and thick Bodhi tree.
Du'e Arhat walked steadily out of the Zen forest and came to the edge of the cliff. A cold wind howled, making his kasaya flutter violently, as if freezing his soul.
As a mature Arhat, he had long since attained a clear understanding of the State of Mind and was not swayed by emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Curiosity, of course, could not make him lose his rationality.
With a single step, the Arhat Du'e transformed into golden light and vanished.
The next moment, he appeared on the chilling pool, sitting cross-legged on a lotus platform.
"Amitabha."
Du'e put his hands together in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name in a low voice. Immediately afterwards, a faint golden light shone from his body.
He entered a meditative state.
Buddhist School meditation can ward off all external evils and instantly calm inner demons.
After about half an incense stick's time, Du'e opened his eyes and voluntarily broke free from his meditation state. His gaze was calm, his expression serene, and there was no further abnormality.
Just then, steady footsteps came from outside the path, and Asuro's tall and imposing figure emerged from the greenery and appeared by the pool.
Their eyes met, and neither of them spoke. Du'e took out a golden bowl from his sleeve and gently placed it upside down in front of him.
In an instant, the pool was enveloped by a barrier, shaped like an inverted bowl.
Asuro then spoke, his voice deep and serious:
"I heard breathing sounds in the Demon-Suppressing Ravine. I tried to get closer, but the martial artist's sense of danger did not give me any warning."
"This was unusual, so I retreated."
As the strongest fighter below the Bodhisattva level, Asura is certainly not a mindless brute. Today, he will only make a preliminary test and stop when the opportunity arises.
After all, this matter involves the Super Grade. Asura didn't know how terrifying the Super Grade was, but he was very clear that in front of the Super Grade, he was probably only slightly stronger than an ant.
After he finished speaking, Du'er said slowly:
"Deep within the Zen monastery, beneath the Bodhi tree, there was indeed a statue of the Confucian sage, but it has long since collapsed."
Asura recalled Xu Qi'an's analysis: if the sculpture were still there, then the Buddha would still be in a semi-sealed state. Back then, the one who pushed for the Sixty-Year Demon Purge and sealed Shenshu was another mysterious super-grade.
If the sculpture breaks, it means that Buddha has broken free from the seal of the Confucian sage by taking advantage of the fortune of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, but because he needs to seal the divine beings, he chooses to sleep.
"Then that's the second possibility: Buddha and Shenshu are the same person. Buddha has already escaped his predicament. Perhaps the one in the Demon-Suppressing Ravine is him." Asura's tone was calm, without any surprise.
After all, Xu Qi'an had already analyzed the situation very clearly that day, and Asuluo was fully prepared for either scenario.
At this moment, the Arhat Du'e gently shook his head:
"Before I could check, Bodhisattva Guangxian arrived. As I turned to leave, I heard cries for help behind me."
Asuro, with his prominent, eyebrowless brow bone, twitched sharply and emphasized:
A cry for help?
The Arhat Du'e nodded.
In this way, Xu Qi'an's second possibility seems less plausible.
The two fell silent immediately, a chill running down their spines.
After a while, Asuro said slowly:
"Guangxian has a problem."
Du'e Arhat nodded. "He keeps a close watch on the Chan monastery. By extension, most of the Bodhisattvas have problems. At the very least, the Bodhisattvas know some secrets, such as the matter of the Confucian sage sealing the Buddha."
Now that Xu Qi'an's words have been proven true, the Bodhisattvas must have known about this matter, but chose to conceal it. Even he, as a second-rank Arhat, was unaware of it.
Asura gazed at the pool and pondered:
"Finding out who called for help and who is asleep will unlock the truth. But that's too dangerous for us."
Du'er's eyes flickered, and he said:
"You mean"
Asuro confessed:
"We can take advantage of the Southern Demon. The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox wants to protest against Buddhist School, so it will definitely come to reclaim Shenshu's head. That will be our opportunity."
Under normal circumstances, with Guangxian stationed in Alando, they would have no chance of finding out the truth.
Du'e sighed:
"I cannot take any further action in the near future; Bodhisattva Guangxian has most likely already become suspicious of me."
Qingzhou.
Inside the military tent, Xu Pingfeng watched as the figures of the two Bodhisattvas, Guangxian and Liuli, disappeared, and the Bodhisattva Gara Tree put away the golden bowl.
He raised his cup, took a sip, and savored the slightly astringent taste of the local tea.
"The restoration of the Southern Demon Kingdom is truly a momentous event worthy of being recorded in history."
Dressed in pure white, his voice gentle, as if chatting with an old friend. "Why didn't Bodhisattva Guangxian personally go to the Southern Frontier? Although it was to prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from taking the opportunity to attack Alanda, this matter is easy to handle."
He put down his teacup and said:
"You could have just asked me for a few teleportation Law Artifact beforehand. You clearly have a way to deal with this, so why didn't you use it? Has Guangxian left Alanto?"
The Bodhisattva of the Garuda tree sat cross-legged with his palms together, eyes closed and silent.
Xu Pingfeng sighed softly and said in a low voice:
"You have indeed done something great that will go down in history, but, in the end, history is written by the victors and the vanquished. How history records it depends on the attitude of those who come after you."
"If your reputation is too good, wouldn't it make your father seem like he's committed heinous crimes?"
Cloud Deer Academy.
Dean Zhao Shou stood on the edge of the cliff, hands behind his back, gazing southward, and slowly said:
"In the first year of Yongxing, in winter, the Southern Demons rose again. Lian'an drove out the Buddhist School and rebuilt the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."
A table appeared out of thin air behind him, paper was spread out, and a brush jumped into the inkstone, dipped in ink, and wrote on the paper with a "swish".
The ink dried instantly.
"One copy for everyone!" Zhao Shou waved his hand, and the papers and the table disappeared.
Inside the academy, the sound of reading aloud filled the air. In each classroom, teachers and students alike received calligraphy works by Zhao Shou.
Zhao Shou's voice echoed in my ears:
"Each student wrote a policy essay based on the content on the paper. Students submitted their essays to their respective teachers for review, and the teachers submitted them to me for review."
What important matter could prompt the dean to personally set a test for all the students in the college? Whether students or teachers, they were all astonished and surprised, some picking up the papers and others unfolding the contents.
Upon closer inspection, they were all dumbfounded and stood there stunned.
The Southern Demon Kingdom has been restored, and the war against the demons recorded in history has been reversed in this day and age.
The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, vanished from history, has returned to the Nine Provinces.
At that moment, all the students and teachers felt a sense of unreality, as if they were witnessing history firsthand.
At the same time, they also understood Dean Zhao Shou's intention, because they were well-versed in history books and had read the comments of their predecessors and sages on the Buddhist School's actions after the destruction of the Ten Thousand Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons five hundred years ago, as well as the analysis of its impact on the Kyushu continent, and so on.
For example, the Buddhist School Sixty-Year Demon Purge laid the foundation for humanity's rule over the Nine Provinces.
For example, after the Sixty-Year Demon Purge, the Demon Race lost its habitat and wandered around, frequently clashing fiercely with the human race in their struggle for territory. This action by Buddhist School caused great suffering to ordinary people.
For example...
Now that the Southern Demons have restored their kingdom, it's not hard to understand why Dean Zhao Shou asked them to write articles evaluating the matter.
"The reappearance of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons shows that the human race has a long and arduous road ahead if it wants to unify the nine provinces," someone commented thoughtfully.
"Humanity has never truly unified the Nine Provinces; the northern demons and barbarians have existed since ancient times. However, the southern demons' establishment of a kingdom at this time has, ironically, tied down the Buddhist School for the Great Feng."
Because of the alliance between the Demon Race and the Great Feng, the scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy unusually set aside "racial differences" and felt a certain goodwill towards the Southern Demons.
"Wait, what is 'Lian'an'? Why didn't the dean explain it?"
"I remember, well, the alliance between the Demon Race and the Great Feng was orchestrated by Xu Yinluo."
The discussion subsided slightly, and the students looked at each other, suddenly realizing what had happened.
It was Xu Yinluo who helped the Southern Demon Kingdom establish itself.
"Understood!" A student picked up his brush and wrote quickly on the rice paper:
"In the winter of the first year of Yongxing, the Buddhist School broke its alliance and betrayed the Central Plains, aiding the rebels in Yunzhou and plunging the Central Plains into chaos. Xu Yinluo rushed to the Southern Frontier, leading a group of demons to fight against the Buddhist School, driving the Westerners out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. This restrained the Buddhist School and alleviated the war in the Central Plains, a move of great significance."
The classroom immediately fell silent. The students spread out their papers and began writing furiously, while the teacher sat on the floor and focused on writing at his desk.
Prince's Mansion.
In a good mood, Lin'an strolled in the back garden with Wang Simu. The two drank a lot of hot tea, ate pastries, and wore thick cloaks, feeling no cold at all.
After walking for a while, Wang Simu said with a half-smile:
"Your Highness has achieved your wish, but you don't seem happy?"
Lin'an knew what she meant, glanced at the desolate flowerbed to the side, thought for a moment, and said:
"Since my wish has been fulfilled, I am naturally happy. However, this marriage is a formality."
Of course she was happy; otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed so readily that day, her heart pounding with joy.
However, from a woman's sensitive and delicate perspective, the motive for the arranged marriage was not what she wanted.
What she wanted was a marriage decree granted by the emperor, whereby Xu Qi'an would ask his brother, the emperor, for her hand in marriage and marry her into the Xu Household.
Rather than out of self-interest.
What she wanted was for Xu Qi'an to want to marry her, not to be "forced" into it. Even half-hearted attempts were unacceptable, because her feelings for Xu Qi'an were pure and untainted by any ulterior motives, just as they were when he was still a lowly servant.
The difference in their social status did not affect her feelings.
However, after experiencing so much, her willful and capricious nature has been greatly tempered, and she has matured considerably.
Wang Simu smiled and said:
"To be able to marry the person you love is the greatest blessing. As for the reasons or purposes, there's no need to worry too much. Those who worry too much are just creating trouble for themselves."
"My father said that the essence of politics is compromise. As a person, you also have to compromise appropriately."
"I know, I don't need you spouting these grand principles." Lin'an glared at her, then said:
"However, he himself may not be aware of the arranged marriage. Although Commander Xu has agreed, it is still unknown whether it will be valid."
"Your Highness, rest assured. Xu Yinluo was raised by his second uncle and aunt from a young age. Although they are not his parents, they are more than parents to him. Marriage is a major event that is arranged by parents and matchmakers. Based on my understanding of the Xu Household, Lord Xu's agreement will be useful."
Lin'an was secretly delighted, but gave a reserved "hmm".
At this moment, she heard Wang Simu sigh:
"As a princess, you should have been able to marry with great fanfare and prestige, no matter who you married. But if you marry into the Xu Household, your princess status will probably be useless."
Given Xu Qi'an's current status and cultivation level, the mere title of princess certainly cannot restrain him.
It's no exaggeration to say that Xu Household's foolish youngest sister could walk sideways in the palace, and even the princes and princesses wouldn't dare to provoke her.
Since that's the case, once Xu Residence, as long as Xu Yinluo doesn't separate from her uncle and aunt, she will be subject to the suppression of the Xu Household's matriarch.
Lin'an wasn't stupid; she understood the underlying meaning in Wang Simu's words:
"If you have feelings for someone, just say so."
Wang Simu whispered, "The matriarch of the Xu Household is extremely shrewd. Once you enter the Xu Household, don't clash with her. Just be a dutiful daughter-in-law. If you are subjected to rules or difficulties, just endure it."
Upon hearing this, Lin'an frowned slightly, a strange heaviness settling over her heart. She asked in surprise:
"So much that even you are so wary of him?"
Wang Simu sighed:
"My skills are far inferior to hers. Have you even seen Xu Lingyue?"
Lin'an recalled that he had met Xu Lingyue briefly at the Star-Gazing Tower that day, and nodded:
"Well-behaved and sensible, delicate and charming, she looks quite fragile."
Wang Simu sneered:
"That's all an act to scare people. That girl is cunning and vicious. By the way, she's extremely infatuated with her brother, Xu Yinluo. When you marry into the Xu Residence, the first thing you must do is join forces with me to marry her off, or you'll suffer the consequences."
Lin'an seemed lost in thought.
Wang Simu continued:
"I have clashed with her in secret many times, but I have not gained the upper hand. How could the matriarch of the Xu Household be an easy person to raise a daughter like that? Erlang is very talented, and it is said that the matriarch of the Xu Household has been urging him to study and learn to read since he was a child."
"You should know that Second Uncle Xu is just a martial artist; he couldn't possibly raise a scholar like Erlang. Also, I heard that when Xu Yinluo was young, he had a bad relationship with his aunt and was forced by her to live in a small courtyard next door, where he lived a very poor life."
Lin'an was shocked, never expecting that Xu Qi'an had such a painful past.
She understood Xu Qi'an; he was unruly and defiant, rising from a humble Kuaishou user in Changle County to become a towering hero, unmatched by anyone.
Such a person was banished to a small courtyard by the matriarch of the Xu Household when he was young.
Wang Simu said in a deep voice:
"Of course, at that time Xu Yinluo was still rising in power and was living under someone else's roof. But Your Highness, after Xu Yinluo rose to prominence, he did not settle scores with him. Instead, he treated his aunt and her family with utmost sincerity."
"Now you know how powerful Xu Household is at managing people, right?"
Lin'an immediately cowered, his face filled with fear, and he stammered:
"Why would I want to provoke her? I'm not going to provoke her anyway."
Wang Simu opened her mouth, but what she really wanted to say was that dealing with the matriarch of the Xu Household wouldn't be difficult, as long as they joined forces and she would follow her orders.
Seeing how incompetent His Highness Lin'an was, she suddenly couldn't bring herself to say those words.
After his walk, having received a satisfactory answer, Lin'an, still wary of the matriarch of the Xu Household, boarded a luxurious carriage with a heavy heart and returned to the palace amidst the rumbling of the wheels.
It was almost lunchtime, so instead of returning to Shaoyin Palace, she went to her mother's residence.
Consort Chen had laid out a table laden with delicacies, waiting for her two children to have lunch together. When Lin'an entered, she nodded slightly.
The relationship between the mother and daughter was somewhat strained. Consort Chen took a sip of tea and said indifferently:
"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has become increasingly deaf to his mother's advice. As his mother, I can't even control my own daughter's marriage."
According to the rules, you have no say in my marriage. Lin'an muttered to herself, frowning.
"If my mother is not happy with my marriage, she can talk to my brother, the Emperor, about it. Why bother talking to me?"
Consort Chen snorted coldly:
"There's no need for that. Your mother knows you have feelings for him."
Consort Chen was still holding a grudge about the case of Consort Fu. That boy disregarded the dignity of Lin'an and exposed her scheme, causing her to be demoted by the late emperor.
"I heard from His Majesty that he is neither in Qingzhou nor in the capital. With the Central Plains in chaos and the war in Qingzhou at a stalemate, why is he running around instead of serving the court?"
Consort Chen complained.
"I wonder if His Majesty's marriage to him will win over that damned brat," Consort Chen thought to herself, but did not say it aloud to her daughter.
She still loved Lin'an.
Muttering to themselves, the dishes on the table were all served. The mother and daughter waited for a while, but Emperor Yongxing did not arrive.
Consort Chen frowned and gave the order:
"His Majesty has not yet had his meal; please send someone to the Temple of Peace to inform him."
The palace eunuchs who were serving him withdrew upon hearing this, and returned hastily a quarter of an hour later, saying:
"His Majesty is discussing matters with the officials, and this servant was unable to see His Majesty."
Consort Chen's heart sank. "Do you know what it is?"
This is a sensitive and turbulent time, and she pays close attention to political affairs.
The eunuch said:
"According to the eunuch of the Temple of Peace, the Director of the Imperial Observatory just sent Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy to deliver a message to the palace, saying that the southern qi is surging towards the heavens, the fortunes are overturned, and the southern demons have reclaimed the Hundred Thousand Mountains and rebuilt the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."
The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons Dowager Chen suddenly remembered the existence of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, and a look of joy appeared on her still charming face:
"Is that the Demon Race that allied with the imperial court?"
The eunuch nodded.
"Okay, okay."
Consort Chen smiled broadly, looked at Lin'an, and said, "His Majesty said recently that if that southern demon fails, the plan to restrain Buddhist School will be difficult to achieve. The situation in the Central Plains is worrying."
Lin'an smiled and chimed in, "It seems that my brother the Emperor's worries will not come true."
Consort Chen was overjoyed:
"May Heaven bless the Great Feng! May Heaven bless Your Majesty!"
After waiting for another half an hour, Emperor Yongxing finally arrived, smiling and in a very good mood.
Having already eaten half her fill, Consort Chen rose with a smile:
"We're warming up the wine and dishes for His Majesty."
He immediately ordered the palace maids to bring up the wine and dishes.
Emperor Yongxing laughed and said:
"Today is a day for a few drinks, Lin'an, you too shall have a few drinks with me."
He patted his sister on the shoulder, showing that he valued Lin'an very much.
Seeing this, Consort Chen frowned slightly and tentatively asked:
"Your Majesty, I've heard there's been trouble in the Southern Frontier?"
Emperor Yongxing laughed and said, "Speaking of which, Xu Yinluo deserves the greatest credit for the Southern Demons' ability to reclaim the Hundred Thousand Mountains and restrain the Buddhist School. If it weren't for his leading from the front, it wouldn't have been so easy for the Southern Demons to reclaim the Hundred Thousand Mountains."
Lin'an's eyes lit up.
"It's him." Consort Chen felt conflicted. She glanced at her radiant daughter and felt a little embarrassed.
Tianzong.
The sacred mountain stands tall, shrouded in auspicious clouds, and the melodious cries of monkeys and cranes resound.
Palaces upon palaces, nestled among clouds and forests, occasionally echo with the melodious sound of bells from this idyllic paradise.
Above the sea of clouds, a tall and majestic mythical beast lowered its head.
It gazed down at the sacred mountain for a moment, then emerged from the sea of clouds.
Its body resembles a deer, covered with snow-white scales, with a pair of antlers on its head, horse hooves, and a snake tail.
A pair of vertical pupils, as blue as the sea.
P. S.: Due to the large number of words, the update is late. Typos will be corrected later.