Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 680 The lucky one

Qingcheng, Qingcheng, with its wide and clean streets bustling with people.

A group of people with an extraordinary air walked down the street, their eyes curiously surveying their surroundings.

The leader was a handsome man dressed in a blue robe.

The man was walking and eating a bag of snacks he had never tried before.

Suddenly, he turned to look at an old monk beside him.

"I didn't expect him to be so capable; he's really broadened my horizons... What does the master think of this place?"

Upon hearing this, the old monk's bright eyes gleamed with a mysterious light, and he slowly said, "The people here are cared for in their youth and supported in their old age. Everyone owns a house and land, and all beings are happy and at peace... This can be called the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss as described by the Buddha."

Even though many outsiders find it difficult to understand, accept, and adapt to the many regulations in this region.

But having witnessed the earth-shaking changes in this region, no one can deny its vibrant prosperity.

When the man in the blue robe first arrived, it was as if he had entered a new world, full of novelty.

Upon hearing the old monk's assessment, the man was surprised for a moment, then chuckled and said, "The Pure Land, huh? But that one was a Confucian disciple, and he seemed to dislike Buddhists quite a bit. Even here, there are explicit rules prohibiting monks from preaching..."

Upon hearing this, the old monk clasped his hands together and said leisurely, "It seems that benefactor has some misunderstanding about our Buddhist sect."

The man smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Then something occurred to him, and he murmured to himself, "It is often said that Confucianism governs the world with benevolence and virtue, but along the way, I have rarely seen any Confucian words being promoted. On the contrary, many regulations and rules are too harsh..."

The old monk said, "This place is infested with demons; only by governing the people with severe punishments can we maintain peace."

The man thought to himself that the severe punishments here were not only for demons, but for everyone, even outsiders.

The man then asked, "Master, do you see anything unusual about this place?"

The old monk said in a low voice, "There is neither the aura of a nation nor the aura of a king."

Upon hearing this, the man said, "So, it seems this place is unlikely to amount to anything..."

He brought this master with him to see how this place would change in the future.

Since such a large area has been integrated and there is no trace of royal aura, it seems there is nothing to worry about.

He felt that even if Lu Zheng became a saint or an immortal here, it would only be one person attaining enlightenment.

As long as no one establishes a state here and no one develops an imperial aura, then there is no threat to the State of Wei.

"It's not going to amount to anything..." The old monk looked at the sky. He indeed didn't sense any imperial aura, but this place seemed to possess another unusual and mysterious energy that he couldn't figure out.

The man chuckled and said, "Come to think of it, the fact that he could issue such a call to action doesn't seem like someone who intends to follow the path of benevolent rule."

The old monk said softly, "We still need to meet him in person and the important people around him."

Just then, a few people walked towards us.

The man raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Two of the people coming from the opposite direction looked very familiar.

Qingwan was taken aback when she saw the man in the blue robe, then smiled and waved to greet him, "Oh, isn't this His Highness Yuan Tao? What brings you here?"

Yuan Tao, a prince of the Wei Kingdom, represented the Wei royal family and stayed in the Yunmeng Sect for several months back then.

Yuan Tao smiled and said, "Miss Qingwan, it's been a long time! Several years have passed, and you've grown into a young woman. Time really flies."

Qingwan said, "My cultivation isn't slow at all. Are you bringing people to join us?"

Yuan Tao was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. How could he give up being a prince of the Great Wei, with a future opportunity to ascend to that position, and then come here to suffer?

Yuan Tao smiled and explained, "I was supervising the army in the northern border of the Great Wei. When I heard that you were here, I came to take a look."

Qingwan said, "Is that so! Military supervisor? Your border troops aren't very honest. They injured someone here before, are you aware of that?"

Yuan Tao's eyes flickered slightly. One of the reasons he came here was because of this matter, and he had even read the letter that Lu Zheng sent to the border army.

He hadn't planned to bring it up yet, but Qingwan brought it up first.

Yuan Tao said, "I have heard about this matter, but it is not under my jurisdiction."

Seeing Qingwan's expression, it seemed that if he dared to say that he had the right to handle that matter, she would demand an explanation from him.

The matter of the border scouts was nothing to him, and it wasn't something he would come here to ruin his relationship with Lu Zheng and the others over.

Yuan Tao changed the subject, asking, "Where is Brother Lu now?"

Qingwan said, "He's in the Baize District and probably won't be back for a while. You can go there to look for him."

Yuan Tao asked curiously, "Baize District?"

Qingwan explained, "It's the former Bai Ze Demon Kingdom."

Yuan Tao's eyes flashed, "You destroyed the Bai Ze Demon Kingdom?"

Yuan Tao knew some inside information about the marriage between the Xiao family's daughter and the Bai Ze royal family. It was not only the Xiao family's decision, but also the tacit approval of the Great Wei royal family.

That could be considered a small but significant piece that the Wei Kingdom had placed in the northern regions.

As a result, the Bai Ze Demon Kingdom disappeared without a sound, without making a fuss.

Qingwan couldn't help but say, "Hey, you can't just say things like that. They joined voluntarily to create a better future together..."

Yuan Tao looked puzzled, wondering if he was sure that no force had been used to coerce him.

Now that things have come to this, it's probably too late for the Wei court to react.

Unless a large army is mobilized to bring this region into the territory of the Great Wei.

But Yuan Tao saw that Lu Zheng managed the place very well, and countless people were drawn to him.

Taking this place with a large army will probably not be easy; it will require some planning and time to deploy troops.

If it were only targeting Lu Zheng, things might be simpler, but who should step forward is a matter that needs to be discussed.

Yuan Tao pondered for a while, but couldn't come up with any effective solution.

Moreover, the current situation seems to be a bit complicated.

Yuan Tao's gaze fell on the person behind Qing Wan.

Seeing that the conversation had paused, the man stepped forward and bowed to Yuan Tao and the others, saying, "This humble monk greets Your Highness and Master Fajue..."

The old monk Fajue looked at Wuqiu and asked, "Wuqiu, what are you doing here?"

He was two generations older than Wuqiu. Although he was not a monk of Baima Temple, he was a high-ranking monk worshipped by the royal family and had a close relationship with Baima Temple.

When Fajue saw this outstanding junior Buddhist disciple following Qingwan and her group, he was filled with doubt.

Wuqiu calmly replied, "Master, this humble monk is here to cultivate and seek the Buddha."

Yuan Tao's expression changed. "You mean, you're now working for Lu Zheng and the others?"

Without changing his expression, Wuqiu replied, "It is for the sake of all living beings."

Yuan Tao's expression was strange, and he couldn't help but ask, "Buddhism is forbidden here. How can you cultivate and seek enlightenment here?"

Wuqiu slowly said, "This place prohibits Buddhist teachings, not Buddhism."

Yuan Tao raised an eyebrow. "Is...the difference that big?"

Wuqiu said, "Benefactor Lu once said that Buddha, with the well-being of all sentient beings in his heart, forged the Great Way of Heaven and Earth. However, many people use Buddhist teachings to corrupt people's minds, which is not the true path of Buddha, hence it is forbidden." The old monk Fajue shook his head, "The true path of Buddha? He forbids all Buddhist teachings, doesn't that mean that we who cultivate Buddhism cannot attain the true path? How can that be? Can a Confucian disciple really distinguish what the true path of Buddha is?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Wan narrowed her eyes and asked, "Has this old man seen the real Buddha before?"

Upon hearing Qingwan's question, Fajue paused, "No. This humble monk's cultivation..."

Qingwan interrupted, "That settles it then. The true Buddha's will exists between heaven and earth. I see that your cultivation is profound, yet you have not seen the true Buddha, which means you have gone astray. Since you have gone astray, it is not your place to question anything."

Fajue couldn't help but say, "You're not even a Buddhist disciple, let alone knowledgeable in Buddhist teachings, so how dare you question my Buddhist sect?"

Qingwan said calmly, "Even Buddha can accept questioning, but you can't?"

Fajue said, "How do you know that someone is questioning the Buddha if you haven't seen him?"

Qingwan shrugged. "Wasn't I just questioning it? Buddha didn't say anything!"

Everyone:...

The Buddha has been gone for so many years, it's still uncertain whether even a trace of his true teachings still exists in this world, and whether they would respond to your words.

Qingwan added, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Let's get down to business. Don't cause any trouble here, or even if I can't beat you, I'll fight you to the death."

She thought this group of people had come to join them, but the old monk seemed to be there to investigate, and his gaze made her uncomfortable.

Seeing Qingwan walk away, Wuqiu and the others hurriedly followed.

Yuan Tao stood there, a fleeting look of amusement in his eyes.

As a member of the royal family, he actually had some grievances about Buddhism.

There are too many Buddhist temples in the Great Wei, and he is well aware of the character of many of the monks there.

The Buddhist community is now in such a terrible state that even the imperial court can't fix it.

Like a malignant tumor, it affected the development of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Seeing someone speak so disrespectfully to Fajue, Yuan Tao felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

"This person who cultivates the Confucian spirit of righteousness is truly fearless..." Yuan Tao thought to himself.

Yuan Tao looked at Fa Jue and said with a smile, "Master, don't get angry with a young girl. Back in the Yunmeng Sect, I saw her speak so bluntly..."

Upon hearing this, Fajue said, "This humble monk is not so petty. Judging from the fluctuations in her aura just now, she is a person of great fortune."

Yuan Tao's eyes flickered. "Oh, how big is it?"

Fajue whispered, "Comparable to a seeker of the Dao."

Yuan Tao's eyes showed surprise. "I feel that her cultivation level is at most the fifth realm, right?"

Fajue said, "Yes, this proves that it's only a matter of time before she achieves enlightenment. Moreover, her fortune is tainted by too much karma, making it unpredictable. This humble monk can't discern much from it either..."

Yuan Tao clicked his tongue and said, "The master said I would become emperor in the future, but he can't see through a little girl? Doesn't that mean she's more capable than me?"

Fajue calmly said, "Your Highness's path is already very clear, but I do not know much about her path of cultivation, so I cannot make any rash judgments."

"Ok."

Yuan Tao remained skeptical of Fajue's explanation.

After all, everything in the world is constantly changing, and the art of fortune can only be used as a reference.

It's impossible for Fajue to say that he can become emperor, and then just lie in his mansion and wait for the throne to fall into his lap.

Yuan Tao then asked, "And what about Wuqiu?"

Yuan Tao still vividly remembered the scene of Wuqiu debating with the monks at the Wuzhe Assembly.

After some time, it seemed that the other person's personality had changed a lot, and they were quietly cultivating themselves in this place.

He even suspected that Lu Zheng had given Wuqiu some kind of spell.

Fajue couldn't help but say, "I can't see his future. The people here, their very aura, seems to be connected to something, making it difficult for this humble monk to understand..."

Fajue paused, then exchanged a glance with Yuantao.

They both thought of the same person at the same time.

Yuan Tao said, "Let's go, let's go to the Bai Ze... region."

The group quickly left Qingcheng and headed straight for Baize District.

When they found Lu Zheng, they saw him busy planning and building a city in the mountains with a large group of people.

After spotting Yuan Tao and the others, Lu Zheng stopped and approached to greet them, "Brother Yuan, how have you been lately?"

Yuan Tao smiled and said, "Very good. I heard you're doing quite well here, so I came to see. I didn't expect you to do even this kind of thing yourself."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Learning to do a little bit of everything is also a kind of self-cultivation."

Yuan Tao said, "You've done a good job here, and with this expansion, are you perhaps planning to wipe out the demonic scourge of the entire Northern Region? If so, I wouldn't mind lending a hand."

Yuan Tao's words also implied a desire to probe Lu Zheng's thoughts.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that there's a Demon Saint in the Demon Kingdom deep in the Northern Region. Could it be that Brother Yuan has a way to deal with them?"

Yuan Tao blinked and said, "Well... I don't have that ability."

Lu Zhengdao said, "There are many powerful figures in the Northern Region, and I can only do what I can."

Yuan Tao said, "What you've done is no small matter. I was thinking of asking you for some advice on governing a region."

Lu Zhengdao said, "My experience may not be applicable to Wei, but if Brother Yuan wants to learn, you can stay a few more days and learn more... There are also people learning in Bai Ze's main city."

Yuan Tao asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Lu Zhengdao: "Some ambitious people came from the State of Qi."

Yuan Tao was slightly surprised to hear this. There were actually people from Qi who had come all this way. He was curious to see what they were up to.

Beside him, Fajue's eyes flickered uncertainly.

He realized that he couldn't see any kind of luck in Lu Zheng at all.

But his intuition told him that this young man was no ordinary person.

Even the Buddhist teachings he practiced showed a slight change.

This gave Fajue the inexplicable thought that this person had a connection with Buddhism.

How strange… Fa Jue thought to himself.

Noticing Fajue's unusual gaze, Lu Zheng couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

Seeing this, Yuan Tao smiled and explained, "This master is Fajue, a high-ranking monk from our Great Wei. He is here to protect me. There's no other way; someone of my status has to bring people with him wherever he goes, unlike Brother Lu who is so free and unrestrained. It's truly enviable."

Lu Zheng nodded. "I see. It sounds like Brother Yuan is enjoying himself."

At this moment, Fajue bowed to Lu Zheng with his hands clasped together and asked in a leisurely manner.

"May I ask, sir, what is the true Dharma of the Buddha?" (End of Chapter)