From a Zhengyi Taoist Child to a Master of All Laws

Chapter 399 Sixty-three generations have a break

The Imperial Edict Pavilion is separated from the Jade Emperor Hall by the Lingguan Hall and two deep corridors. It is the current office of Suzhou Taoist Temple in the Huanghuai disaster area.

Zhang Miaocheng led the way while introducing Li Yang.

The Imperial Decree Pavilion was built by the Jiajing Emperor during the Ming Dynasty, but the original building was destroyed during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. The current Imperial Decree Pavilion was renovated after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and it contains imperial edicts of emperors of all dynasties and Taoist classics.

The Imperial Edict Pavilion is five rooms and four stories wide. It is definitely narrower than the Jade Emperor Hall, but it is sufficient for the Taoist temple's office.

The door of the Imperial Edict Pavilion was open, and young disciples came in and out from time to time, as well as an old Taoist priest with a goatee and a serious face wearing a Taoist robe. They were all students and Taoists of Suzhou Taoist Temple.

Zhang Miaocheng held a high status in the Suzhou Taoist Temple. When the Taoists inside saw Zhang Miaocheng following a young Taoist respectfully, they were all surprised and tried to guess Li Yang's identity.

A Taoist priest recognized Li Yang's identity and wanted to come forward to pay his respects with a look of horror, but Li Yang waved his hand to stop him.

The two of them went up to the third floor of the Imperial Book Pavilion and entered the office.

"The two disciples from Baiyun Taoist Temple did not contact us when they were in the disaster area, so we don't have much information. Taoist Master Wang Xin did come here half a month ago. After failing to find the disciples, he had a secret conversation with my senior brother for a long time, and then he left Yuhuang Temple and disappeared."

"It was also on the afternoon of the second day that Senior Brother Miaofa said that he might have found the cause of the flash flood, but he was unwilling to explain the specific cause. Then, when I went to call him during the evening meal, his room was empty. He has not shown up since today."

Li Yang sat in the main seat, sipping tea, listening to Zhang Miaocheng's narration, and asked:
"So, Taoist Master Zhang Miaofa went to investigate the cause of the flood disaster alone, and that's why he disappeared?"

"It should be so."

After hearing this, Li Yang frowned slightly.

The flash floods in the Huanghuai region this time were indeed extremely strange.
Since the outbreak in July, there have been continuous aftershocks and landslides for five consecutive months, and many nearby provinces, cities and river basins are still experiencing heavy rainfall.

July and August have always been severe flood seasons in North China, the Huanghuai region and other areas, but this time the flood cycle was too long and the severity of the disaster was the worst in the past few decades.

"Is it the same as in Dongting Lake and Songjiang in the northeast, with wandering dragons causing trouble?"

Zhang Miaocheng hesitated. "It shouldn't be. The satellite image shows that everything is normal. There is no strange shadow... And if it was a wandering dragon, the victims in the disaster area or the Taoist priests who participated in the rescue should have discovered it."

"It's not a demon dragon? With Taoist Master Zhang Miaofa's skills, there shouldn't be any danger."

Li Yang has come into contact with two walking dragons, one in Dongting Lake and the other in Songjiang. Walking dragons are gifted with extraordinary talents, and their actual combat power is above that of species. They rely on their water ability and are extremely difficult to deal with.

"I'm afraid it's not a natural disaster or an animal disaster, but a man-made disaster..."

Zhang Miaocheng hesitated to speak and glanced out the window.

That direction is exactly the location of the Jade Emperor Temple, which is now occupied by the Baodao Tianshi Dao.

Li Yang heard the hidden meaning in his words. The hunchbacked Taoist must have had some doubts. "Tell me about the background of this treasure island Tianshi Dao. I see that Zhang Daoyuan calls himself Tianshi, and his Taoist practice is not weak."

"Heavenly Master?" Zhang Miaocheng immediately gave a bitter laugh and sat down on the sofa helplessly: "Where can we find Heavenly Masters in this era?"

"Regarding the origin of the Dragon Tiger Mountain on the mainland and the Tianshi Dao on the Formosa... I believe that Li Zhenjun has heard of it. We were one family with them sixty years ago. In the 1950s, due to force majeure, the 63rd generation Tianshi Zhang Enpu took the high-level Zhengyi Dao masters and a large number of magic tools to the Formosa, and the Zhengyi Dao was divided into two.

A decade has passed, and both sides have changed a lot. In the meantime, there has been a lot of intrigue and scheming, which is shameful to the Taoist sect. My branch of lineage and that of Senior Brother Miaofa are inherited from the mainland's Longhu Mountain, while the branch of the Taoist sect in Treasure Island is inherited by Zhang Daoyuan and another Zhang Fazhen, each of whom has established his own mountain. "

"However, we on the mainland have already recognized the reality. Senior Brother Zhang Miaofa has never dared to call himself a Heavenly Master. His external identity has always been the abbot of the Successor Heavenly Master's Mansion. Only the people on the island are still keen on the position of Heavenly Master. They have been fighting for decades and it has become a mess."

Li Yang took a sip of tea and nodded slightly.

He had also heard about the situation of the Zhengyi sect in Taiwan. South Zhang and North Kong, these four short words fully describe the honor and prominence of the Zhengyi family.

"The successor to my throne can only be a descendant of my clan." The Heavenly Master of Zhengyi Dao is inherited by blood, and throughout the thousands of years of history, it has been more stable than the throne of the emperor.

As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be made public. Zhang Miaocheng sighed and continued, "Ever since the 63rd Heavenly Master Zhang Enpu passed away, there has been fierce fighting on Baodao Island because he did not designate the next Heavenly Master successor before his death."

"There are two people with the strongest voices over there. One is Zhang Daoyuan, who claims to be the 64th generation Heavenly Master. The other is Zhang Fazhen, who claims to be the 65th generation Heavenly Master. The two groups are fighting fiercely, but neither side of our mainland Heavenly Master Mansion recognizes them. Before the spiritual energy revived, the mainland and the island were at peace, and no one bothered each other.

But since the revival of spiritual energy, the fighting over there has gone a bit too far. In the past few years, it was Zhang Daoyuan who suppressed Zhang Fazhen, and then he contacted Senior Brother Zhang Miaofa intensively, saying that he wanted to merge the two branches, restore the ancestral principles, and glorify Zhengyi. "

Li Yang's face turned strange as he listened.
This Zhang Daoyuan has big ambitions. As the first of the Three Mountains of Talismans, the Zhengyi Sect of Longhu Mountain has been the overt leader of Taoism since ancient times. His so-called restoration of ancestral principles is to gain official recognition of his position as Heavenly Master from the mainland.

But the authorities are crazy and give you the title of Heavenly Master in this era?
Before the revival of spiritual energy, Zhang Miaofa was so cautious that he could only claim to be the host, let alone after the revival of spiritual energy?

The title of "Tianshi" in this era is of great significance. Even the title of Li Yang, the True Lord, is just a folk name. It is not recognized by the official authorities. When the edict is read out, it is read out by the Taoists, and the official authorities deliberately avoid it.

Li Yang pondered for a moment and then asked, "What is the attitude of Taoist Master Zhang Miaofa?"

Zhang Miaocheng paused and said, "I don't know exactly what they talked about, but since then the relationship between Senior Brother Miaofa and Zhang Daoyuan has been very tense."

"Senior Brother Miaofa once told me that a merger is fine, and this is also his long-cherished wish, but re-establishing the position of Heavenly Master is absolutely impossible."

Zhang Miaocheng looked up and saw Li Yang's strange expression. He smiled bitterly and said, "Master Zhenjun, please don't think too much. Senior Brother Miaofa definitely didn't refuse because he has no chance of becoming a Heavenly Master."

"Moreover, in fact, in terms of blood relationship, Senior Brother Miaofa is more qualified to inherit the position of Heavenly Master than Zhang Daoyuan and Zhang Fazhen."

At this point, Zhang Miaocheng's face became extremely serious, his eyes looking back, as if he was recalling something from the past. After a long moment, he raised his head and sighed slightly.
"Have you ever heard a proverb?"

"Never to be annihilated, never to be annihilated, there will be a rest after sixty-three generations!"

(End of this chapter)