Chapter 256: The Weed-Pulling Monk and the Yellow Heaven Path
Yong Province, Kongtong Mountain, Heart Sect.
Inside the grand hall, unique to the Heart Sect, stood enshrined the black-bodied, gold-faced Mahakala Buddha Mother and her disciple.
The disciple’s statue was shorter, discolored by the smoke from the incense burner before it.
The Heart Sect made their own incense, strong in scent and smoke, giving the impression of flourishing activity.
On a dried grass cushion within the grand hall, Liaocheng rolled his walnut prayer beads, gazing at the person before him.
This person wore a yellow-brown Daoist robe, devoid of Bagua, Five Elements, or Yin-Yang fish symbols. There was only a single character:
Heaven.
The Daoist wore a straw crown, a black undergarment beneath his robe, and straw sandals.
If not for the strange talismans hanging from his robe and the “Heaven” character on it, Liaocheng would have mistaken him for a wandering Daoist.
But it was precisely these talismans and the “Heaven” character that revealed his identity.
Yellow Heaven Path.
He appeared to be around forty or fifty, with a scruffy beard and rough features. Yet, Liaocheng didn’t underestimate him, for he was a True Person Daoist of the Yellow Heaven Path.
Daoists in the Jianghu were all skilled individuals.
“What brings you here, Fellow Daoist?” Liaocheng inquired, looking at him.
“The Path Leader has a message for you,” the Daoist replied.
His voice was flat, as if he was merely a messenger.
“Speak,” Liaocheng said.
“The Path Leader says you can join us and become a District Leader of Yellow Heaven,” the Daoist stated.
“I refuse!” Liaocheng shook his head. “My heart is set on Buddha. I have no desire to change my allegiance.”
The Daoist continued, “You understand the consequences of refusal.”
Liaocheng certainly understood the consequences of refusal.
Yong Province had seven cities, two of which had already been captured by the Yellow Heaven Path from Ji Province.
Kongtong Mountain, though located on the western edge of Yong Province, held a strategic position. Once captured, it could connect with Ji Province, effectively locking down the remaining cities in Yong Province.
Especially since Kongtong Mountain’s Heart Sect had Liaocheng, the World-Honored One, and Jiao Wuba, the Flame Dragon Unparalleled who had taken refuge under him. In the eyes of the Yellow Heaven Path, they were more valuable than ordinary cities.
While other True Person martial artists had cities, the entire Kongtong Mountain belonged to the Heart Sect, far larger than any single city.
Therefore, the Yellow Heaven Path had specifically sent someone to speak with Liaocheng, extending their goodwill.
The Yellow Heaven Path governed Ji Province, Yanzhou Province, and a small part of Yong Province. They controlled more than just one city. Each city leader could be called a District Leader.
They were offering Liaocheng a place within the Yellow Heaven Path, granting him the position of District Leader, allowing him to continue governing the Kongtong Mountain area.
Essentially, Liaocheng wouldn’t have to give up anything or lose anything.
Yet, he still refused.
“Namo Taiping Shengshi Buddha! This humble monk understands,” Liaocheng said, looking at the Daoist with a calm expression.
After all these years, his efforts to weed and cultivate had only cleared the areas surrounding Kongtong Mountain. But the human heart was fickle, even some of his own monks had betrayed him, let alone others.
As for farming… the food they grew was only enough for them to eat. If they wanted to exchange it for other things, they would be stretched thin.
Ironically, the Heart Sect’s primary source of income was actually the incense offerings at the Buddha hall.
In the Jianghu, as long as you set up a Buddha hall, chanted a few scriptures, and spoke a few auspicious words, people would come to burn incense.
If you knew how to hype it up and promote it, the threshold of the Buddha hall might even be worn down!
Namo Taiping Shengshi Buddha was just like Shakyamuni Buddha.
Both were nonexistent.
There was neither peace nor a prosperous age.
Life was nothing but death. To fight and die for the Dao one pursued was truly a worthy death!
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If he were to become a District Leader of the Yellow Heaven Path, how could he face the Buddha Mother who had imparted the Dharma to him?
Besides, he wasn’t necessarily weaker than the people from the Yellow Heaven Path.
“Master Liaocheng, won’t you reconsider?” Seeing Liaocheng’s unexpected determination, the Daoist’s gaze shifted as he continued.
He knew the Yellow Heaven Path was currently strong, but their main fighting force was in Yanzhou Province, preparing to take Qing Province in one fell swoop.
Compared to the vast but sparsely populated Yong Province, Qing Province, although smaller, had a larger population and more arable land.
The Yellow Heaven Path could still distinguish the importance of Yong Province and Qing Province.
“No! This humble monk is certain. There’s no need to reconsider,” Liaocheng said, still in a calm tone.
“…” The Yellow Heaven Path Daoist fell silent for a moment before saying, “You should be able to sense our sincerity.”
Liaocheng could not only sense their sincerity, but also the goodwill emanating from him.
After becoming a True Person martial artist, Liaocheng could easily discern the good and evil intentions of others.
Even though this person spoke bluntly, Liaocheng could still sense his goodwill.
“Namo Taiping Shengshi Buddha!” Liaocheng chanted a Buddhist name. “This humble monk is devoted to Buddha. What would it look like for me to become a Daoist?”
“Alright. I understand,” the Daoist said. “This humble Daoist is Wang Zhenwo. I hope there will be another chance to meet!”
With that, Wang Zhenwo left.
After leaving the grand hall, he looked back and saw Liaocheng still sitting quietly inside, with the black-bodied, gold-faced Buddha Mother and the smoke-blackened disciple behind him.
If not for the fact that the Heart Sect farmed and was different from ordinary monks, the Path Leader wouldn’t have specifically sent him to talk.
After a glance, Wang Zhenwo lightly stepped on the ground and transformed into a yellow light, flying away.
After he flew away, a chubby pigeon poked its head out from under the eaves.
Although it was a pigeon, it knew that Shi Feizhe’s letters were not to be taken lightly.
What should have been a ten-day journey, it had flown for fifteen days to arrive. This was already considered fast.
Otherwise, for others, it would have taken at least twenty days.
It flapped its wings and arrived outside the grand hall, transmitting its thoughts: “Are you Liaocheng?”
“Hmm?”
Liaocheng, who was pondering his next steps, saw a pigeon demon transmitting its thoughts to him. He looked at the pigeon demon tilting its head and cooing, and said, “This humble monk is indeed Liaocheng.”
“I come from Jicheng in Yangzhou, with a letter for you!” The pigeon demon turned its head, used its beak to pull out a letter from the waterproof leather pouch on its back. Then, with a short flight, it delivered the letter to Liaocheng.
“A letter for this humble monk?” Liaocheng was taken aback. Someone had actually sent a pigeon all the way from Yangzhou with a letter for him.
“Bird Courier delivers, mission accomplished! Farewell!” The pigeon flew out of the grand hall and said.
“Bird Courier?” Liaocheng felt like he had encountered strange things today.
He saw “To Liaocheng” written on the envelope, with Shi Feizhe’s signature at the bottom.
Who was Shi Feizhe?
After opening the letter and skimming through it, Liaocheng remembered who Shi Feizhe was.
It was the eccentric he had met before, the one who didn’t fit in with the Jianghu.
He remembered that at the end of their time in the Great Cai Armory, Shi Feizhe was at peace, harboring no resentment. He would rather starve or be trapped to death than kill and eat meat to survive.
Shi Feizhe was like a disciple of Buddha in the darkness.
Now, this disciple of Buddha was asking him if he wanted to overturn the Jianghu?
Wang Zhenwo is a name provided by a reader.
