Hai Donglai's Deep Schemes, Du Fanchuan's Prophecy of the Suppression of Buddhism

Chang'an, Pei Residence.

The setting sun casts a beautiful glow outside the window, birds chirp and cicadas sing incessantly.

Pei Dongcheng sat behind his desk, holding the Nine Luminaries Shared Heart Mirrors in his hand, his face grim. Suddenly, he found the sound of cicadas outside the window jarring.

Bang!!

He slammed his palm on the table, the Sword Intent flashing and disappearing in an instant.

The chirping of cicadas in half of the Pei residence, covering an area of dozens of acres, completely ceased, leaving only a deathly silence.

Many servants and maids in the mansion were unaware of what had happened, but instinctively remained silent in fear.

"Ying'er, my Ying'er..."

Pei Dongcheng had just attended the meeting of the nine members of the Kunlun Society in the Mirror when he received heartbreaking news.

The Tubo spies planted in Nanzhao have confirmed that the assassination attempt, carried out by Kunlun Society members posing as Inner Guard in the royal gardens of Nanzhao, has failed.

The leader of this assassination attempt was none other than Pei Dongcheng's daughter, Pei Ying.

This was the most outstanding of his children.

Pei Dongcheng intended to groom his daughter as his successor when she was young, but because she was a woman, she faced opposition from some old-fashioned family members.

Since they were all relatives and elders, Pei Dongcheng, despite being the most powerful, was unwilling to easily offend the clan elders, so he came up with a compromise.

First, let Pei Ying go into the shadows and gradually take control of the Pei Clan's hidden power.

Over the years, Pei Ying has made great contributions to the Pei Clan with his skills in disguise, poison, and swordsmanship.

In terms of both strength and prestige, she was already enough to subdue most of the tribe.

This time, Pei Dongcheng sent her to Nanzhao on business, intending to add icing to the cake. After retrieving the Divine Drum, it would be natural for him to have his Lineage work together to put her on the table.

The merits made in secret may not be publicized to outsiders, but as long as the clan's higher-ups understand them, they will wholeheartedly support them.

In the end, in the eyes of outsiders, she will be another proud daughter of a prestigious family, who, despite being new to the world, already possesses extraordinary strength and is proficient in both literature and martial arts.

This perfectly reflects the profound cultural heritage of the Pei Clan of Hedong.

But how did it fail?

"There's no way to escape..."

Pei Dongcheng's expression turned cold.

"It must be because the experts sent by the Tubo and Turks were not up to par and dragged my child down."

Ying'er, Ying'er, your father shouldn't have trusted these barbarians and savages just because we've had a few successful collaborations!

At this point, his anger had reached its peak, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to utter the last angry word.

He only growled inwardly.

I hate it so much!!

Just as he was filled with rage.

In the basement of an unassuming Daoist temple in the north of Chang'an.

A golden alms bowl was placed on the prayer mat, gleaming brightly.

Above the alms bowl, a long sword was actually floating.

The handle is like black jade, and the blade is like silver.

The sword lay horizontally, its length reaching four feet.

There was also a two-foot-long apricot-yellow sword tassel, which had been hanging quietly, but now it was moving and fluttering without any wind.

The alms bowl trembled slightly, affected by the energy emanating from the sword.

Inside the Pei Clan family study.

Pei Dongcheng's hair and beard were disheveled, and he was still furious. Suddenly, he felt a Baiyu at his waist, which emitted a cool sensation.

He pulled off the jade pendant, placed it on the table, composed himself, suppressed his anger, and then used a drop of blood to dab at the tiger's eye on the jade pendant.

In today's world, it is extremely rare to find a means that allows people to freely transmit their voices across vast distances, disregarding geographical and climatic barriers, as is the case here.

However, if it's only within Hundred Li, the leaders of all sides have more or less mastered some of the magical artifacts used for secret communication.

Besides the mirror used for the nine members of the "Kunlun Society" to make joint decisions, Pei Dongcheng also possessed other valuable items.

There are also several treasures specifically designed for discussions among four people, deliberation among three people, or secret discussions among two people.

This tiger-shaped jade pendant is a treasure used to contact Wu Chunlei, the top expert of the Wu Clan.

A refined male voice emanated from the jade pendant.

Brother Pei, please accept my condolences.

Wu Chunlei said, "Don't forget, our treasures are still gathered together for cultivation."

Your anger is so intense that it has even ignited the sword's fury, making my alms bowl restless.

Pei Dongcheng controlled his heartbeat, suppressed his body temperature, and gradually calmed his anger, saying, "Brother Wu, what kind of impact do you think our various families' successive actions and subsequent setbacks, starting with the struggle for the Divine Drum, will have?"

Wu Chunlei remained silent for a moment.

"From here to Nanzhao, we mobilized many hidden forces along the way to stop Nie Hongxian and others. On the other hand, the original structure was also disrupted by Nie Hongxian and others."

"Now, if they want to come to Chang'an again, we won't be able to make any more arrangements along the way."

Wu Chunlei said slowly, "Therefore, if we still want to target the Divine Drum, the only time we can act is before they arrive in Chang'an and before Hai Donglai returns."

But is it worth it?

They sabotaged the Inner Guard on the road, and even sent assassins to Nanzhao.

These actions are entirely different in significance from taking direct action in Chang'an.

Chang'an is indeed the place with the most experts from aristocratic families, but it also has the most experts who do not belong to any of these families.

If someone dares to seize the Divine Drum here, start a fight, and provide this kind of ignition source, what will be the ultimate consequences?

No one could have predicted it.

"Brother Pei, don't forget, although our Four Great Aristocratic Clans participated in the Kunlun Society, our original intention in vying for the Divine Drum was not truly to use it to kill Hai Donglai."

"It's simply to add more depth to the aristocratic families and to create more constraints on Hai Donglai."

"He's 147 years old. Wouldn't it be better to wait a few more years until he dies of old age?"

"As long as we can guarantee that he won't arbitrarily settle scores with us in the time before his death, that's fine."

Wu Chunlei's words truly represent the consensus of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans.

Don't be fooled by their apparent agreement within the Kunlun Society on killing Hai Donglai.

However, if the Dashi or the Turks were to send troops to attack, the Four Great Aristocratic Clans would not easily send their main forces to participate in the war.

Pei Dongcheng's eyes flickered, and he let out a long sigh.

"Brother Wu, that was what I originally thought too, but the changes in Nanzhao made me realize something."

Pei Dongcheng said, "That person from Nanzhao, Cheng Xin calls him his great-uncle, and he is of the same generation as Hai Donglai."

"But according to our scouts, that person looks to be only around twenty years old, full of life."

"People of our generation have known since childhood that Hai Donglai is an old man, a senior figure. But do you remember how many years it has been since he last looked alike?"

The jade pendant's light suddenly intensified.

This indicates that the person on the other side who controlled the jade pendant experienced a significant fluctuation in their mind.

Pei Dongcheng originally harbored hatred in his heart and was unwilling to give up so easily, which is why he casually brought up this topic.

But once the words were spoken, it was as if a century-old mystery had been shattered, making even him feel a chill run down his spine.

Yes!

Many years ago, the major families had harbored resentment towards Hai Donglai, but they were unwilling to break off relations. Therefore, when reprimanding their younger generations, they often said, "Let him die of old age."

This is the arrogance of aristocratic families. They watch others build tall buildings, and then watch them collapse. They'll see who can endure longer.

Moreover, those who have entered the realm of the Uncrowned Plain King in martial arts will feel that their lifespan is approximately one hundred and fifty years.

The power control of a peak-level Plain King is on a completely different level from that of an ordinary Plain King, but their premonition of lifespan is not much different.

Therefore, many people have accepted from childhood that Hai Donglai will die at the age of 150.

This is a habit formed in childhood, and no one would normally question it.

But as the deadline approaches, it actually makes people feel uneasy.

"One hundred and fifty years is the lifespan of the Plain King..."

Pei Dongcheng took a deep breath and said, "If he really survives this ordeal and doesn't die, could it actually give him an opportunity to advance further?"

Wu Chunlei remained silent for a long time. "In our families, there are also ancestors who are close to this age..."

Pei Dongcheng said decisively, "They are not even as good as you and me, how can they be compared to Hai Donglai?"

"Back then, the Mountain King was said to have been defeated and killed, but in reality, no one saw his body. Everyone just thought that he had been torn to pieces by Hai Donglai."

"Perhaps Hai Donglai deliberately hid his body to study something. Over the years, he frequently left Chang'an, and no one knew where he went. They could only occasionally find out that he seemed to be studying plants and insects."

"Ha, plants and insects, do they need him to study them personally? Thinking about it carefully, isn't this just a cover-up, a scheme in the dark?"

Pei Dongcheng slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"And that person from Nanzhao, who has remained unknown for so many years and never interfered in world affairs, why has he suddenly appeared recently?"

"Was it because he was nearing the end of his life, and secretly learned of Hai Donglai's research findings, that he was persuaded to come out of seclusion?"

As long as you reach enlightenment in this direction.

There is virtually no evidence to support this.

The jade pendant's light flickered, its brightness varying.

Wu Chunlei said in a low voice, "That's right, that's right, exactly! No, this matter is too far-reaching. We must notify the Kunlun Society. You and I will immediately re-enter the Silver Mirror and gather everyone together."

"The Great Tang already has such an old monster, which is already pushing us to the limit. To actually invite another old monster out of seclusion, plotting to prolong our lives, we must devise a plan as soon as possible!"

The nine people who had just parted ways at the Kunlun Society quickly reunited in the mist.

When Pei and Wu voiced their guesses, everyone was moved.

Even though the fog blurred their faces, their unsettled state could still be discerned from their silhouettes.

Especially the figure with the simplest clothing, whose voice trembled slightly.

"The Red Emperor has discovered a method to prolong life, but how could I... Yes, yes, I also know nothing about the existence of that person from Nanzhao."

"You old scoundrel, you're incredibly cunning!"

Chu Tianshu was unaware that his emergence as an "old monster" had already sparked a series of intriguing speculations.

At this moment, he was sitting inside a spacious carriage.

The carriage curtains were all rolled up, revealing the lush greenery outside. The setting sun's rays filtered through, making the room bright and airy.

Those assassins contributed a large number of fine horses, which, when paired with ordinary carriages, could travel a thousand miles a day, possessing extremely high carrying capacity.

Moreover, the car Chu Tianshu was riding in was Su Xian's motor vehicle.

The carriage was so large that Nie Hongxian, Su, Li, and the others could still maintain a distance of six or seven steps between them, even though they were all inside.

A large number of copies of the case files were being gathered into their entourage, which did not appear crowded or messy, but were filled with the smell of paper being exposed to sunlight.

The murder case related to the son of the Dongchuan military governor is just one link in this chain of evidence.

Chu Tianshu casually flipped through some files and asked curiously, "Why are there so many monks helping them?"

"Firstly, monks in large temples are generally on good terms with aristocratic families; secondly, many monks were dissatisfied with the court after the Great Tang's suppression of Buddhism decades ago."

Nie Hongxian offered a few casual explanations.

The so-called suppression of Buddhism was actually just tightening the issuance of ordination certificates, canceling some of the conveniences that made holders of ordination certificates exempt from punishment, and confiscating many illegal private properties obtained through collusion, such as buying and selling at high prices and selling at low prices.

Moreover, this crackdown is not only targeting monks, but also Daoist priests, Church of the East, Zoroastrians, and others, all of whom are being thoroughly investigated.

After all, Daoism was highly revered in the early Tang Dynasty, and many Daoist priests owned large tracts of land, making them quite wealthy. How could they be allowed to remain unchecked?

However, the monks were exceptionally loud-mouthed, constantly clamoring about the suppression of Buddhism, as if the imperial court had carried out a massacre against them.

Su Xian smiled and said, "There's another rumor circulating among the people about the persecution of Buddhism."

"It is said that back then, Du Fanchuan, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, possessed Weapon Soul powers, including the ability to foresee the future and predict the fate of the nation."

"The old supervisor had predicted many natural disasters such as droughts and floods, and earthquakes, which often allowed the court to relocate people and prepare disaster relief six months in advance. He was highly trusted by the court and loved by the people."

"And when the old eunuch knew his lifespan was nearing its end, he decided to predict the greatest calamity that would befall the Great Tang in the future..."

Although Su Xian was telling a folk tale, his expression turned serious when he mentioned the old supervisor.

"But whether it was because he revealed too many secrets of heaven, or for some other reason, Elder Du died spitting blood before he could leave behind even a single word in his final divination."

"On his deathbed, he simply pointed to a yellow banner in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau."

In addition to observing celestial phenomena and calculating the calendar, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau also had the responsibility of praying to the heavens for blessings in the event of natural disasters.

The major Buddhist and Daoist temples in Chang'an would send banners to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and pray for blessings together.

That yellow banner was a Buddhist banner.

Rumors circulated that Du Fanchuan had predicted that Buddhism would bring disaster to the Great Tang, which was why the court had taken steps to suppress Buddhism.

Nie Hongxian shook her head slightly. "The mystery of that prophecy is still unsolved by anyone. As for confiscating the property of monks, nuns, and temples, it is merely for the sake of the people's livelihood and to rectify the social atmosphere."

Chu Tianshu was very curious. "Although the supernatural powers of Weapon Soul are incredibly diverse, are there really any that can make prophecies?"

"Have any of his disciples also cultivated this kind of Weapon Soul?"

Nie Hongxian said, "No. But when Elder Du was alive, his blood and qi were extremely pure. After his death, his Weapon Soul did not dissipate with him but was inherited by a disciple."

(End of this chapter)