The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 405 - 178: The Earth Unleashes Killing Intent, Dragons and Snakes Rise from the Ground (Please Subscribe)_3

Chapter 405: Chapter 178: The Earth Unleashes Killing Intent, Dragons and Snakes Rise from the Ground (Please Subscribe)_3

Clever strategies and tactics can at best be dessert, not the main course.

On the other hand, although the various villains each harbored their own nefarious designs, having suffered enough from disunity in their dealings with Xu Qing, they decided to set down three fundamental rules upon deliberation.

As for whether to abide by the agreement or not, they would definitely need to play it by ear. Regardless of the final outcome, it’s better to reach an agreement first.

If everyone ends up not keeping their word when the time comes, isn’t it also a form of everyone keeping their word?

Unity in advance seems unachievable, but in retreat, perhaps there will be a tacit understanding after all.

The Heart Moon Fox suffered a heavy blow last time, losing a Divine Separation. This time, it has learned to be more cautious. True chaos has not yet arrived; it must use this opportunity to grow, find a chance to rescue its true body, recover its peak strength, and then find its own opportunity.

Every time chaos ensues, it presents an opportunity for these devils. Whoever can seize the moment of slaughter and outshine the rest has a chance to achieve the Dao.

...

...

In North Zhili, the monastery guest reception monk at the Great Zen Temple welcomed a Taoist from the Heavenly Master Mansion.

This was a messenger.

The guest reception monk promptly ushered him in.

While the Great Zen Temple and the Heavenly Master Mansion were not old friends, both being Daoist lineages with over a thousand years of tradition, there was considerable mutual respect.

Upon meeting with the temple Elder, the Taoist explained the purpose of his visit.

It turned out to be an invitation for Abbot Xiong Chan to attend the grand Luo Sect ceremonial observance.

Originally, since Buddhism and Daoism follow different paths, the Great Zen Temple, as a Buddhist Sect Cultivation Sacred Land, naturally had no need to join the hustle and bustle.

However, when Abbot Xiong Chan was young, he was guided by the Old Heavenly Master, as they were friends despite the age gap and had exchanged letters for many years as pen pals.

For such a significant event, personally inviting Abbot Xiong Chan to attend seemed reasonable.

On hearing this, the Elder could only apologize: "Our temple’s Abbot Xiong Chan commenced a critical meditation retreat a few days ago to contemplate the Heavenly Human Dao and is truly inconvenient to attend."

He was responsible for receiving and seeing off visitors. After apologizing extensively and presenting many gifts to the messenger Taoist, he requested that the Great Zen Temple’s apologies be sincerely conveyed.

The guest perfectly performed the etiquette and, indeed, had justification. The messenger Taoist declined the gifts once, but when pressed by the insistent monk, he had no choice but to accept. Furthermore, the Great Zen Temple even assigned porters to help the messenger Taoist carry the gifts back.

Descending the mountain, the messenger Taoist heard vague chanting of scriptures echoing from within the Great Zen Temple.

Being in charge of liaisons with the Heavenly Master Mansion and being learned himself, he recognized the sounds of scripture as resembling the "Rebirth Mantra," and found it quietly intriguing.

Why would the Great Zen Temple be reciting the Rebirth Mantra out of the blue?

The messenger Taoist mentally noted this, and en route, he heard news of the Yellow River flooding, leaving many refugees. He couldn’t bear it in his heart and, taking initiative, exchanged the received gifts for food to aid the disaster victims.

Making his way back leisurely, he returned to the Heavenly Master Mansion and reported back to the Old Heavenly Master.

This Old Heavenly Master, whose age is uncertain—whether ninety or a hundred years old—as all his contemporaries had already passed away. To this day, he still sports the appearance of a middle-aged man, his broad Taoist gown barely concealing his robust physique and full muscles.

He sat cross-legged in front of the Alchemy Well, listening to the messenger Taoist recount his journey, including his independent decision to distribute the gifts to aid disaster victims.

Old Heavenly Master: "Cultivation is about forgetting love, not Absolute Emotionlessness. It’s only natural to have compassion upon seeing people in hardship. How can that be considered a sin?"

He paused, then continued: "Zhishan, you mentioned hearing the Rebirth Scripture from the Great Zen Temple Mountain. Are you sure you heard correctly?"

"Disciple is certain there was no mistake."

"Oh, I see. You may go now. As for the matter of Rebirth Scripture, just assume you heard it wrong, and don’t mention it to anyone else."

"Yes."

The Old Heavenly Master pictured in his mind the image of a young monk known for his vigilance against evil, but that was either twenty or thirty years ago.

"I can’t remember."

Immediately, he started chanting the Daoist Rebirth Mantra in front of the Alchemy Well.

Below him, the well seeped a crimson liquid, seemingly on the verge of transforming into a surge of blood that would submerge the Zhengyi Temple of the Heavenly Master Mansion.

The Old Heavenly Master opened his eyes, glanced at the Alchemy Well, and said, "Stop your nonsense."

With one rebuke, the crimson liquid swiftly retracted.

The Old Heavenly Master stroked his beard and looked in the direction of Chaotian Temple in the Capital, then fell into a brief silence before writing another letter, ordering the Taoist to deliver it to the Lu Family in South Zhili.

...

...

In South Zhili, Yingtian Prefecture, the Lu Family Head received yet another letter from the Old Heavenly Master and couldn’t help feeling a headache coming.

"Great, another errand to run." Seeing the Old Heavenly Master’s continued urging, the Lu Family Head had no choice but to look for Xu Qing once again.

Fortunately, Xu Qing and his wife had returned to reside in Yingtian Prefecture to host the Chaotian Temple Master’s closed-door disciple, saving the Lu Family Head the long journey to Jiangning Prefecture.

Hearing of Xu Qing’s arrival in Yingtian, many Scholars flocked to request an audience.

At this time, outside the Xu Mansion in Yingtian Prefecture, there were quite a few scholars.

These people were engaged in heated discussions, some cursing under their breath, others praising, but regardless, the bloodline issue of North Kong had become the hottest topic among South Zhili scholars of late.

Meanwhile, matters such as the gesture of submitting a petition to the court were, intentionally or unintentionally, being overlooked.

On one hand, South Kong, having heard about Xu Qing’s article and with secret funding from the Luo Sect Master, the family sold everything they had, raising a significant sum of money to move to South Zhili and hire scholars to fervently promote the bloodline issue of North Kong.

This was a golden opportunity, and South Kong would certainly not miss it.

Losing simply meant continuing as the lesser branch, while winning could turn the smaller branch into the dominant one!

If they didn’t make an effort now, they reckoned their grandchildren would curse them during ancestral worship rituals.

However, North Kong was not to be outdone, managing to fling mud back, with significant expense in the Shuntian Times subtly suggesting that Xu Qing’s essay was instigated by the Grand Secretary.

And since the Shuntian Times was the realm of the Pure Stream, which had a bone to pick with the Grand Secretary, they were all too happy to add fuel to the fire.

The two sides stirred up public opinion warfare.

All in all, while the atmosphere was relatively hostile towards North Kong in the south, in the Capital, North Kong’s standing among public opinion was actually quite favorable.

Yet soon, two significant events happened, drastically worsening the public opinion climate for North Kong.

"The Yellow River has caused a flood disaster, leaving the people in dire straits; and there was a large-scale peasant uprising in the Kong Mansion?"

The Yellow River flood disaster had become all too common for the Court officials.

But a peasant uprising at the Kong Mansion shocked everyone.

Especially many Pure Stream officials, who felt as though they were ready to fight to the death, only for Your Majesty to surrender first.

What’s left to play at then?

They had, with the silver backing of the Kong Mansion and shared animosity, been pulling out all the stops, ready to defend North Kong to prove their innocence.

And then this debacle happens?

Are the people from the Kong Mansion even human?

Even pigs wouldn’t cause an uprising at such a time.

Many officials ready to follow Pure Stream into battle quietly tucked their petitions away.

On the Court, a Seventh Rank official stood up righteously:

"What uprising? They are carrying out heavenly justice, overthrowing the descendants of Tartars, and rescuing the Master!"

The Assistant Minister of War, Mr. Feng, stepped forward, looking down in contempt at the Court officials, with the air of one boldly speaking on behalf of the common people.

For a moment, everyone was rendered speechless.