Transcendent Gu beasts (thanks to "Magic Speeding Car" for the Golden Alliance)

Although the Western Regions and Buddhist Order have been allies who have helped each other for the past five hundred years, they have not been without open and covert struggles.

Especially in dealing with Confucian School scholars, Buddhist Order actively promoted its message, thus spreading hatred.

Almost every Buddhist Order believer harbors hatred towards scholars from the Central Plains.

This feud stemmed from the anti-Buddhist campaign launched by the Cloud Deer Academy years ago.

As is well known, the Central Plains government was dominated by scholars; the court was filled with high-ranking officials, all of whom were scholars.

Therefore, Mahayana Buddhism inevitably feel uneasy.

That said, the climate in the Central Plains is indeed different; the air is more humid, and even breathing it seems to carry a sweet scent.

The sun was shining brightly, but not scorchingly. The group of believers from the Western Regions had gradually removed their turbans and robes from the sun along the way.

Furthermore, the scenery along the way was breathtaking: verdant mountains and clear waters, lush green grass by the roadside, and fragrant wildflowers. This doesn't mean that there were no flower fields and green hills in the Western Regions, but rather that the Central Plains bestowed upon these Western Regions a kind of indescribable "gentleness" and "delicacy."

The scenery of the Western Regions is more characterized by its ruggedness and vastness.

"Brother Zhu Lai, if we had lived in the Central Plains before, we wouldn't have needed to beg. There were fruits to pick everywhere on the mountains."

A young man pointed to the wild fruits hanging heavily on the treetops not far away and said.

Zhu Lai put his hands together in prayer:

"Amitabha Buddha, this place is full of life."

He paused, looked around, and said to the Mahayana Buddhism believers beside him:

"Silver Gong Xu a man of great influence in the Central Plains, and he is the supreme Buddha of the three thousand worlds and the founder of Mahayana Dharma. He will certainly not treat us unfairly."

"Fellow disciples, please rest assured."

After months of Buddhist practice, he has shed the slickness and cunning of a street beggar and sincerely converted to Mahayana Buddhism.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the official road ahead, raising dust as a troop of lightly armored cavalry galloped towards them.

The Mahayana Buddhism instinctively became alert and tense.

Jingsi gestured with his hand, briefly reassured the believers, and then stepped forward.

"Law!"

The cavalryman abruptly stopped in front of him, and the leading officer said in a deep voice:

"Is the Master Jingsi?"

Jingsi nodded and put his hands together in prayer position.

"It is indeed this humble monk. Is this Panshan County?"

The leading officer laughed:

"By order of the Leizhou Provincial Administration Commission, I have come to welcome Master Jingsi and all the Mahayana Buddhism."

As he spoke, he stretched his neck on horseback, gazing into the distance.

A dense crowd stretched along the official road to the horizon.

The young officer immediately realized that this group of Mahayana Buddhism numbered over 20,000.

Hearing that they had come to welcome them, the Mahayana Buddhism behind Jingsi felt somewhat relieved.

Jingsi said:

"Please lead the way, sir."

The young officer nodded, turned his horse around, and walked slowly at the front of the group to lead the way.

Continuing along the official road, along the way, there are neatly divided fields on both sides, with golden waves of wheat undulating in the air.

Farmers harvest crops with sickles in their hands. They work under the sun, sweating profusely, but the vibrant life and joy of the harvest make the Mahayana Buddhism along the way yearn for it.

It is said that the Central Plains are rich and fertile land, and this is indeed true.

They gained some confidence in their own future and in the future of Mahayana Buddhism.

After all, leaving one's hometown and the land that nurtured them, arriving in an unfamiliar environment, and facing an unknown future, anxiety and unease are the norm.

Half an hour later, a somewhat dilapidated city wall came into view. Jingsi asked:

Is this Panshan County?

"Is our temple located in the city?"

The young officer shook his head:

"You don't have a temple yet, nor do you live in a city."

The Leizhou Provincial Administration Commission never intended for Western Regions and Central Plains people to live together, as this would inevitably lead to frequent conflicts and create trouble.

Jingsi frowned. The Mahayana Buddhism had traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains, enduring wind and rain, and what they needed most now was rest and food.

But this officer seemed to have no intention of letting us into the city at all?

Where do these believers he brought live?

Trusting his Uncle-Master Du'e and Silver Gong Xu, he did not protest and, led by the officer, bypassed the county town and continued onward.

A short while later, a beautiful mountain range appeared in front of them.

This mountain range is not high, but it is exceptionally beautiful and full of vitality.

At the foot of the mountain are rolling fields and a winding river.

Tents stretched along the riverbank, and on the main road leading to the foot of the mountain, countless laborers pushed flatbed carts, transporting bricks and timber up the mountain.

Jingsi's gaze followed the laborers upwards and saw a huge temple already taking shape, nestled among the mountains and forests.

Mahayana Buddhism clearly saw this as well.

They were muttering to themselves in Western Regions language, their faces showing suppressed joy and anticipation.

Jingsi looked at the officer and said:

Is this the place?

The young officer nodded.

"From now on, this Mount Pan will be your place of residence. The fields at the foot of the mountain and further south are a gift from the imperial court. Before you are completely settled, you can communicate with the magistrate of Panshan County about anything."

"However, until the temple is built, you will have to live in tents at the foot of the mountain."

He paused, then smiled.

"Panshan County has a small population, and building this temple requires a great deal of manpower and resources. We are short-handed, Master Jingsi, your arrival is just in time."

The nearly 20,000 Mahayana Buddhism are all free laborers.

"Of course!"

Jingsi, of course, had no objection.

He turned to face the Mahayana Buddhism and informed them of the arrangements made by the Great Feng Dynasty and the matter of helping to build the temple.

The young officer sat on horseback. Although he couldn't understand the language of the Western Regions, the cheers from the crowd showed him that these Buddhist followers from the Western Regions were very satisfied with the court's arrangements.

[I: I have selected six counties in the central regions of Leizhou and Chu Prefecture to settle Mahayana Buddhism. To prevent conflicts with the local people, the settlement sites are mostly in the mountains where temples are built, or abandoned villages are expanded and transformed into temples.]

[Four: Your Majesty, have the relevant decrees been implemented?]

[One: Not at all! Brother Chu, what insightful opinion do you have?]

Chu Yuanzhen, who had traveled in the Western Regions for several years, spoke actively:

[Four: Taxes for Mahayana Buddhism may be reduced or waived, and land may be allocated, but donations of land by believers are prohibited. Furthermore, the allocation of land according to the number of people cannot be changed.]

[One: If Mahayana Buddhism were to flourish in Central Plains China, the number of people entering monastic life would increase daily. This method might work in the short term, but it would be ineffective in the long run.]

[Third: Create a special yellow register for Mahayana Buddhism, which can effectively prevent unlicensed monks and temples from privately accepting disciples and expanding uncontrollably.]

At this moment, Xu Qi'an jumped out to express his opinion.

When discussing government affairs, it's usually just Number One, Number Three, and Number Four who keep talking non-stop, while the other members remain silent.

Those who truly wish to convert to Buddhism should not be bound by the so-called Yellow Book. Master Hengyuan put down the Earth Book Fragment in his hand and protested in his heart.

But he wisely refrained from refuting it.

Because Number One, Number Three, and Number Four are all sharp-tongued and quick-witted, once they start talking, they can go on and on.

In this situation, Master Hengyuan would usually put his hands together and say:

"You are all right!"

Hengyuan carefully put away the Earth Book Fragment, looked up at the Azure Dragon Temple in White Phoenix Mountain, and silently began his ascent.

He passed through the temple gate and, led by a young monk, arrived at the meditation room of Abbot Panshu of Azure Dragon Temple.

"Senior Brother Hengyuan, the abbot has been waiting for you for a long time."

After the monk finished speaking, he bowed his head and retreated.

Hengyuan stood outside the door, hesitated for a moment, and then gently knocked on the door.

Come in!

An aged voice came from the meditation room.

Hengyuan pushed open the door, and with a creak, stepped across the threshold and saw the old monk sitting cross-legged on a futon.

Three years had passed since I last saw him, and the monk Panshu had aged considerably, his face covered with age spots and wrinkles, but his eyes remained clear and gentle as he gazed at me.

"Disciple Hengyuan greets Master."

Hengyuan clasped his hands together and bowed in respect.

The monk who Panshu slowly said:

Do you know why your fellow disciples in the temple have ostracized you since childhood?

Hengyuan shook his head:

"Your disciple is foolish!"

The Panshu, said softly:

Everyone is trying to understand themselves, but you insist on trying to understand others, which will naturally lead to rejection.

"I know your past distress and confusion, why your fellow disciples dislike you, why I stand by coldly. You like to study Buddhist scriptures and comprehend Buddhist teachings, but I forbid you from practicing meditation."

Hengyuan remained silent. He had grown up in Azure Dragon Temple since childhood, but his relationship with his fellow disciples was not good.

After her junior brother Henghui, whom she had personally raised, disappeared, she lost all attachment to the sect and chose to leave, a journey that lasted three years.

Panshu's indifference played a significant role in this.

Abbot Panshu sighed:

Because I can't teach you.

Hengyuan was stunned; he hadn't expected this answer.

Panshu presided over the ceremony:

"My lifelong arduous cultivation is nothing more than a failure to surpass others."

Hengyuan said in a low voice:

Helping others is helping oneself; both lead to good results.

"Arhat Du'e broke away from the Western Regions Buddhist Order and founded Mahayana Buddhism; this is an inevitable trend. Azure Dragon Temple should follow this trend and support Arhat Du'e. Hengyuan, you are a born Mahayana Buddhism, and you have a very close relationship with Silver Gong Xu."

Abbot Panshu said, "I have summoned you back today to pass on the position of abbot to you."

Hengyuan was taken aback for a moment.

Before he could respond, Panshu clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and smiled:

"You have found your path, congratulations!"

Hengyuan did not refuse, but put his hands together and bowed.

When he looked up again, Abbot Panshu had already passed away.

Hengyuan stared at him silently, like a statue.

Directorate of Astronomy.

In a spacious room on the fourth floor, there were nine teleportation platforms, each corresponding to a different continent.

The ninth teleportation station corresponds to the overseas region.

With a sufficient number of teleportation jade tokens, one can teleport to Merfolk Island in several consecutive trips.

Merfolk Island is not the end; wherever the Nine-Tailed Fox leads the descendants of Gods and Devils, teleportation arrays will be built there.

To ensure she wouldn't get lost in the vast ocean.

Suddenly, the teleportation array representing the Southern Frontier lit up, and a woman dressed in a black gauze dress and with a bright and elegant appearance appeared on the stage.

She had a beautiful oval face with well-defined features, azure eyes, and two slender snake-like hairs hanging from her earlobes.

Chun Yan, the leader of the Heart Gu Tribe, glanced around, left the teleportation platform, pushed open the door to the room, and found a white-robed sorcerer at the end of the corridor.

After introducing herself, she said:

"Please inform Silver Gong Xu that the power of the Extreme Abyss Gu God has erupted, giving birth to two Transcendent Realm Gu beasts."

PS: Thank you to the "Magic Speeding Car" player for the second Gold Alliance. Seeing the Gold Alliance icon floating on my phone screen made me both touched and excited. Thank you so much!