Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 709: Man can conquer nature

"Alas, I am not familiar with the Dao Ancestor either..."

Yun Xiao sighed, for he had never witnessed the appearance of that ancient sage.

"Hmm? But if we can compile the complete Taiping Jing, there might be a chance. When you come to Chengdu to witness the birth of the classic, we can invite the Taoist sages..."

Yun Xiao couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, his eyes sparkling with a strange light.

Qingwan pouted and said, "Wouldn't that be waiting forever?"

Qingwan couldn't help but say again, "You've taken so long to discuss the opening chapter. By the time you finish compiling the scripture, it'll be too late. By then, all the ancient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Wei will probably have descended to earth..."

Yun Xiao coughed lightly, "It's not that bad, it's not that bad... We were just discussing it before, but now it's settled, it won't take too long."

"Our Taoist sect still has quite a few masters. This time, the Buddha's true intention has descended to earth in Wei. I reckon that even without His Majesty urging them, those old fellows will be motivated to compile scriptures. We can't fall behind, can we?"

Qingwan clicked her tongue and said, "People fight for a breath, Buddhas fight for a stick of incense?"

Yun Xiao leisurely said, "That makes sense. In the past, various countries banned Buddhism for many reasons. Now that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have manifested themselves to vindicate Buddhism, this matter has a significant impact. If His Majesty were to use this as an opportunity to loosen his grip and allow the orthodox Buddhist sect to enter Shu to propagate Mahayana Buddhism, tsk tsk..."

That really put pressure on the Taoist sects of Shu...

As a Taoist master of Qingyang Palace, Yun Xiao was not worried about how much the appearance of Buddhism in Shu would affect his Taoist temple.

However, it would likely have a significant impact on Taoist temples that were not supported or valued by the imperial court, as they would truly compete for incense offerings.

Qingwan pondered, "This is a good thing. There has to be competition! Whoever can help the people will naturally be supported by them."

Qingwan couldn't help but look at Yun Xiao, and said with a smile, "Why don't you go and persuade the Emperor of Shu and Empress Furong? I'll have Yuan Tao send a few eminent monks to Shu as well..."

Yun Xiao's expression froze. "Ah... I respect the ancient sages and honor the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, but it's not very proper for a Taoist master like me to do this kind of thing, is it? If those old fogies in the Taoist sect find out, won't they gossip about me behind my back?"

Qingwan said, "If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, and nobody goes around gossiping, who will know? Surely the Emperor of Shu and Empress Furong won't spread the word? You could say it more tactfully, like you could say it like this..."

Qingwan muttered to herself, instructing Yunxiao on how to respond.

Yun Xiao listened with a strange expression, feeling that something was wrong with him getting involved in this kind of thing.

Seeing Yun Xiao's still troubled expression, Qing Wan said leisurely, "What you're doing is promoting righteousness, saving the people, and also putting pressure on those Taoist sects to do more good deeds. The Taoist Ancestor is magnanimous and will definitely not blame you; he'll even praise you..."

Yun Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to say something to refute or decline, but couldn't find a reason for the time being.

Qingwan blinked. "Why don't you do a divination, Taoist priest? Isn't that something you're good at?"

"Fortune telling isn't always accurate. The laws of nature and destiny aren't so easily discerned..."

Despite saying that, Yun Xiao still reached into his pocket, took out a few gleaming gold coins, and then made a hand seal to cast a spell, muttering something under his breath.

A few copper coins were gently tossed out, landing with a crisp sound as they were displayed before everyone's eyes.

"how?"

Qingwan didn't really understand Yunxiao's techniques; she could only barely read the divination results.

Yun Xiao counted on his fingers for a moment before shaking his head and sighing, "The outcome is uncertain..."

How could a mere Taoist priest possibly predict such a momentous event concerning the future development of both Taoism and Buddhism?

"Really?"

Qingwan reached out and fiddled with the copper coins, flipping one of them over.

"Wouldn't that make everything perfect?"

Yun Xiao looked at Qing Wan, his lips twitching slightly, giving her a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

Qingwan said earnestly, "This is an auspicious sign! It shows that human will can overcome nature. Daoist, please do it with confidence!"

Qingwan looked at Yunxiao with bright eyes, feeling encouraged.

Gongyang Ming, standing nearby, couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh, "Man can conquer nature. Miss Qingwan's actions are not without reason; it is an auspicious omen."

Gongyang Ming, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but nod in approval of Qingwan's actions.

Yun Xiao was speechless for a moment, then silently accepted the copper coins, feeling that this old man and young man were really unreliable, even more unreliable than him.

Just then, Lu Zheng returned from outside.

When everyone saw Lu Zheng arrive, they were all slightly surprised.

"Hey, weren't you in seclusion? How come you're back from outside?"

Yun Xiao looked at Lu Zheng with a puzzled expression. They had been talking here the whole time and hadn't noticed when Lu Zheng had left.

Lu Zhengdao: "I went out and dealt with a few monks who were gathering to discuss their escape."

"What? How did you know? How come we didn't hear a sound?" Yun Xiao became even more curious upon hearing this.

Lu Zheng began, "It was a temple thousands of miles away. The bodhisattva in the temple had a secret thought, and Buddha sent me there..."

Lu Zheng briefly explained the situation.

Yun Xiao was astonished. Could this be Buddha opening his eyes and sending someone to cleanse the Buddhist community of its sins?

Lu Zheng then asked, "Didn't you sense anything unusual shortly after I went into seclusion?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao thought carefully and shook his head, saying, "No, there was nothing unusual. Was it when you left? We didn't sense anything."

Lu Zhengdao: "It wasn't when I left, but rather when I was in a special state, able to sense the entire Garan..."

The group looked at each other, realizing they hadn't detected Lu Zheng's presence.

Lu Zheng paused, then said, "Never mind, that's not the point. The point is that many Buddhists have probably received the news and want to leave Wei. We need to get Yuan Tao and the others to act quickly and find some examples. We can't let those highly accomplished monks escape; those people are a great threat..."

Qingwan blinked. "Run away? They don't have many places to go, do they? If they go to the Northern Region, wouldn't that be perfect for us to catch them red-handed? After all, those high monks would definitely take a lot of good stuff with them when they run away."

Qingwan was already fantasizing about seizing the benefits brought by those Buddhist monks.

However, if Buddhist monks want to escape, it is unlikely that they will seek refuge in areas under their jurisdiction, as it would be quite troublesome to specifically capture them.

Qingwan opened her palm and looked at it, thinking that the things Buddha and the others left her would be very useful in the future.

Lu Zheng looked at Gongyang Ming and said, "I have a small task for you, Mr. Gongyang."

Gongyang Ming smiled and said, "Let's continue."

Lu Zheng took out a storage bag and handed it to Gongyang Ming, "I would like to trouble you, Mr. Gongyang, to go to the west. After leaving the northwest of Wei, go straight west, cross the snow-capped mountains for thousands of miles, and you will find a snow-covered plain. There are still some people there... Go there and stay for a few months to teach and guide, and at the same time prevent powerful enemies from invading..."

Gongyang Ming was slightly surprised, not expecting that Lu Zheng and his group had created a pure land in that harsh and cold place.

Gongyang Ming took the items and nodded solemnly, saying, "Alright, then I'll set off now?"

Lu Zhengdao: "Sure, there are some documents in the storage bag, some planning ideas for that area..."

Lu Zheng explained a few more things, and Qing Wan also asked Gongyang Ming to pass on some messages to their acquaintances over there.

After that, Gongyang Ming didn't need to pack any luggage. He left Garan directly and used his skills to rush to the snowfield as quickly as possible, curious about what that place was like.

Yun Xiao watched the academy teacher depart, then sighed, "Snowy Plains, I'd heard before that people lived there in extreme poverty. I never imagined you'd actually been there, and even transformed the place..."

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "As long as we are willing, we can do a lot of things with our abilities; it just depends on whether we are willing to do them."

"The Unobstructed Gathering can actually be concluded ahead of schedule. I'll go and have a chat with Yuan Tao, and then we'll head back to the Northern Region later."

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao said, "Alright, I'll go say hello to a few acquaintances. Also, a few members of the Shu Kingdom's royal family have arrived; I was thinking of taking them along to the Northern Region..."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "It's fine to let them all go and take a look. We welcome everyone to visit."

Yun Xiao stroked his chin and said, "I have the Empress's instructions. I can persuade the royal family members. As for the others, I will try my best to talk to them, but they may not be interested."

After saying that, Yun Xiao tidied his appearance and leisurely stepped out the door.

Lu Zhengze went to Yuan Tao's place and discussed some important matters with Yuan Tao and the others.

When Lu Zheng returned to his residence, he found that Yun Xiao had also returned with some people.

Among them were several Taoist priests dressed as Taoists, and several other people dressed in fine clothes and exuding a noble air.

A beautifully dressed woman walked excitedly up to Lu Zheng and smiled sweetly, "Ha, it really is you, Young Master Lu! I didn't expect you to come to the Unobstructed Gathering. I haven't seen you for days. You're still living on the mountain..."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Greetings, Ninth Princess. Garan is such a large place, and now so many people have come. It's quite normal that the Princess hadn't met me before."

During this busy period, Lu Zheng didn't actively contact anyone.

The woman before him was none other than the Ninth Princess, whom Lu Zheng had met once before in the Shu Kingdom's imperial palace.

Wang Yanran smiled and said, "You still remember me? Hey, just call me Yanran! After all, even your second brother calls you 'Master'... Mother has praised you several times recently, saying that you're doing great things in the Northern Region and have made a name for yourself..."

"My second brother originally wanted to come to the Unobstructed Assembly and also wanted to visit your place, but his health isn't very good, and Father Emperor wouldn't let him travel around, so he couldn't come... I'm here on behalf of my second brother to attend the Unobstructed Assembly. I never expected to see all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; it's truly an eye-opening experience..."

It was a rare treat to meet a fellow acquaintance of the same generation in a foreign land, so Wang Yanran couldn't help but start chatting happily with Lu Zheng.

At this moment, Qingwan and Qingyi came out of their residence and curiously looked at the people outside.

Yun Xiao then introduced themselves to each other, and they got to know each other for the first time. (End of Chapter)