Wet viviparity

Chapter 876 Wise Advice, Practical Political Commentary
On Mount Dayunfu, outside Baiyun Cave.

The Martial Ape Master, who guarded the cave, sent his disciples to deliver tea and fruit to the two people outside the cave. Then he and the disciples went to avoid them.

Just as they were about to enter the cave, the Martial Ape Master hesitated for a moment, then stopped and said to Lu Zhenjun, one of the two outside the cave, "Zhenjun, the Monkey King was momentarily confused and made a grave mistake, but fortunately he did not commit any murder. I hope you will forgive him."

Lu Zhenjun sat suspended in auspicious light, bathed in the heavenly light.

Ji Ming stood barefoot on the lotus, and seeing that the True Lord had not spoken, he said, "Wrong is wrong, and right is right. The Venerable One is now guarding the White Cloud Cave, isn't it also to atone for the sins of colluding with the two elders to wreak havoc in Tiannan when this dynasty was founded?"

"What a sin!"

The Martial Ape Master looked ashamed after being spoken to, and said to the Lingxuzi who was leaning on his arm with a ruyi in front of him: "Young sage, you are right. It was because I acted impulsively back then and failed to live up to my loyalty and courage that I decided to stay in Baiyun Cave. It is not about atoning for my sins, but rather that I have gained more peace and quiet because of it."

"The Monkey King was my senior brother. He went to great lengths to awaken me to the truth, but in the end, he was killed by Lady Gu Lian. The whole story is a tangled mess, impossible to explain or unravel. Now, I only wish to save my senior brother's life."

"Can!"

Lu Zhenjun spoke sparingly, as if uttering a precious word.

"Thank you, True Lord. I know what to do."

Master Wu Yuan bowed in thanks, then retreated into the White Cloud Cave and sealed the entrance.

"Ask whatever you want to ask. Once this matter is settled, we won't have many more opportunities to sit down and chat," Lu Zhenjun said to Ji Ming.

Ji Ming opened his mouth, he had many things he wanted to ask, but he didn't know where to start. So he continued on from what had just happened and said, "The True Lord is going to take action against the Hook and Scythe Elders of Nanmu Divine Mountain next, which is why he is giving special treatment to the Martial Ape Elder."

"Yes and no."

Lu Zhenjun said.

"Although we must eradicate evil completely, the battle at Yunyu Temple has already caused our sect to lose two monks, Yifeng Liaojie and Liaoguo. The Three Officials also had their primordial spirits severed and their infants weakened because they blocked the Nao King. If it weren't for the three of them working together to cultivate the 'Nine-Bend Heavenly River True Method,' which uses the softest of the softest to overcome the hardest, I'm afraid this time the odds would be against us, and our sect would certainly have suffered serious injuries."

Therefore, the key to eliminating Nanlaoshan is not to directly lead the newly victorious army to the top of the mountain, but to proceed step by step and win hearts and minds.

The Martial Ape Master was the two elders' sworn brother in the past, and is currently in charge of guarding the White Cloud Cave. Whether it's to weaken the two elders' power or to get the Martial Ape Master to take part of the blame for the removal of the mist, it's necessary to appease this demon.

Ji Ming knew that after the great calamity, it was time to restore order to the land, appease the people, and deal with the evil and heretical thoughts of demons and heretics.

Judging from what Lu Zhenjun is saying now, he intends to... no, he intends to snatch back the Acquired Formless Spiritual Treasure, the Mist Curtain, from Chi Yi Langjun. However, this is one of the most precious treasures in the world, and anyone would be tempted by it.

"The matter of the two monks is..."

Ji Ming spoke with unusual caution, leaving his words unfinished.

The two monks' self-sacrifice in their magical duel greatly contributed to the downfall of Yunyu Temple. However, Ji Ming believes that the monks' act of self-sacrifice was not simply for the sake of the grand cause of the magical duel at Taiping Mountain. Considering the matter of the Taiping Mountain's hidden agents, it seems to have been a way of taking the blame for someone else's mistake.

"Gu Huagong has already confessed that the hidden stake is Jueguang."

During Chi Yi Lang Jun's imprisonment, because he had refined the Golden Elixir of the Calamity Insect, he used the sound of clouds transmitting to the earth to teach Jue Guang the method of using the Immortal Raft, luring him to the True Maiden Palace. Jue Guang could not resist this temptation, and after returning from the Milky Way, he became more and more deeply involved and could not turn back. From then on, he was constantly threatened by Chi Yi.

The two monks sacrificed themselves for the sake of their teachings, partly for this disciple. Otherwise, they wouldn't have passed on the magical treasure, the Soft Armor, to Jueguang beforehand, signifying his inheritance of the mantle. Now, Jueguang is entrusted to you."

Ji Ming pursed his lips. This was a tricky matter, but he still agreed without hesitation. When it was clear that he was beginning to relinquish some of his power as the sect leader, he couldn't afford to hesitate for a moment.

"The various proposals set forth by the patriarchs on the Jade Platform constitute the general framework."

However, when it comes to the vast land of Tiannan, how to heal the wounds, how to rebuild order, how to restrain demons, how to stabilize people's hearts, and how to channel the various problems in Luoyin Lake, it can be described as another 'great calamity,' a calamity of construction.

Lu Zhenjun's tone was calm, yet every word carried immense weight, "Xiao Yuan needs to immediately go into seclusion to stabilize his injuries, and Su Yue Bi also needs to be nurtured. Junior brothers Xuan Ying, Diao Long, and Zhen Hu will stay behind to help you initially sort out the ley lines here and suppress the remaining demons." "Disciple understands."

Ji Ming nodded.

"After that."

Seeing that Lu Zhenjun seemed to be inviting him to speak, Ji Ming stood on the lotus platform and gazed into the distance.

The thick smoke below the mountain had not completely dissipated, and rumbling occasionally came from the depths of the earth's lungs. It was the echo of the collapse of the underground cavity. Master Xuanying and the two elders Longhu were using the Five Elements Escape Technique to initially stabilize the cracks that had emerged from the ground. More disciples of Taiping Mountain had appeared in various places.

Honestly, Ji Ming didn't know how good he was at governance. The reason he was able to maintain a clean and harmonious political environment under his rule was because he knew how to use people well, dared to delegate power, and had some political experience from his hometown.

Although his practical political skills are unknown, he can at least talk a little about strategy on paper.

Having already made up his mind, he said, "The most urgent task is to determine the scale."

"Speaking!"

Lu Zhenjun placed Ji Ming on an equal footing and said solemnly.

"According to the agreement reached at Yutai, we have regained 70% of the area around Luoyin Lake. The quality of the Daoist products cultivated in those areas varies, the degree of damage to the earth veins under the islands and spiritual mountains is different, and the distribution of various minerals and spiritual herbs is also uneven."

Our church needs to quickly establish a clear and fair set of "Detailed Rules for Estimating Spiritual Resources," just like establishing a standard of measurement. This will determine which areas of the land should be prioritized for restoration, how resources and assets should be calculated and distributed, and the criteria for tax reductions or exemptions for newly established branch altars. All of these must be based on this "yardstick" to prevent future disputes. This is the foundation for reconstruction and the source of our church's order.

"good!"

Lu Zhenjun was moved and said, "These are golden words of wisdom."

"Any more?"

Lu Zhenjun asked again.

"It's gone for now."

Ji Ming actually had more to say, but he felt that those words were a bit ahead of their time and not suitable to be said at the moment. Besides, this one point alone was already enough to keep him busy.

Of course, there are other reasons as well. That is, when he has emptied his belly of knowledge, what should he say when the patriarchs ask him questions?

Lu Zhenjun pondered Ji Ming's proposal, "Several Detailed Rules for Estimating Spiritual Resources," and said, "With this clause, it is clear that you will be able to steer the great ship of Taiping Mountain in the future."

Lu Zhenjun looked at him with undisguised expectation in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "With the external affairs settled, the internal affairs also need to be reformed. Taiping Mountain has enjoyed peace for tens of thousands of years. Although it has a profound foundation, it has also accumulated problems. Each branch and family has flourished, but there are often sectarian views. There are many disciples, but few are diligent and many are complacent."

He paused, his voice low but filled with unwavering determination: "We must seize this opportunity to eradicate deep-seated problems and promote reform."

Ji Ming simply nodded without speaking. It wasn't that he was against reform, but rather that he knew it was destined to be a troublesome matter. Once he got involved, it would definitely delay his cultivation. He was already considering his own plan to form a small cabinet.

We must seize power, but we must also practice our spiritual discipline.

Finally, Lu Zhenjun handed an iron whip to Ji Ming and said, "This is the Mountain-driving Whip borrowed by the Ancestral Master. It can help you drive the Ancient Forbidden Mountain back to its original place."

Ji Ming happily took the iron whip. This was the first request he made to the patriarchs after the ordeal. He didn't expect the patriarchs to be so accommodating, which also showed that he had officially entered the innermost circle of Taiping Mountain.

"Go, after you have earned this merit, go to the upper palace as soon as possible to take on the important task. After everything is settled, the patriarchs will take you to the cave to discuss the Dao and help you advance your Daoist practice."

(End of this chapter)