Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 521 Garda
—Emperor Chongming, Council Hall
Even as Ga Da, a Buddhist disciple of Benying Temple, raised his teacup to take a sip, he still couldn't help but glance at Abbot Kang out of the corner of his eye.

The latter had a warm smile and did not appear to have any fierceness at all, which was quite inconsistent with Kang Dabao's infamous reputation in Yunjiao Prefecture, which was enough to make children cry.

In truth, the Chongming Sect has never stopped its efforts to eradicate evil cultivators. However, in the past, its reach was limited to the two counties of Ping and Jin, as well as the territory of more than four hundred families in Hanya Mountain. Even the territories of the other families in the Chongming Alliance were not really managed by the Chongming Sect.

At most, Master Kang would occasionally meet with one of the leaders and subtly inquire about their affairs, thus fulfilling his duty.

The pain of punishment is not felt until it falls on oneself. A year or two ago, there were still people in Yunjiao Prefecture who relished the praise that Master Kang was "good at bullying women," but now, such people are extremely rare.

This reputation was reversed after the massacre of the various families in Yunjiao Prefecture. In the past, the families only regarded greedy officials like Tie Liuyun as cruel officials, but it was only after Kang Dabao truly took control of a prefecture that others realized the true meaning of the term "cruel official."

Tie Liuyun usually only seeks to make money. If you can be "sensible and generous", you can usually save your own life.

However, Kang Dabao, the newly appointed Marquis of Wuning, is different. The Chongming Sect disciples who were being suppressed everywhere have developed the habit of "enlightening the law and assisting the teachings" because of his influence. So far, there have been very few evil cultivation forces that have avoided being destroyed by entrusting their wives and children to others.

Rumors circulate that since the Duke of Qin's mansion moved north, at least half of the cultivators in the once bustling Yunjiao Prefecture have left. Of those remaining half, some were captured and killed by the disciples of the Chongming Sect, while others were forced to leave by the harsh punishments of the Marquis of Wuning's mansion. In just one or two years, another thirty percent have disappeared.

This statement is likely not entirely wrong. It is widely rumored that a seasoned official, who had been strictly enforcing the population tax for the past year or two, had roughly calculated the population of Yunjiao Prefecture and concluded that the current population was not much different from that of the Niu and Yue families when they were on equal footing.

Decades ago, Kuang Liuting's arrival brought a bizarre kind of excitement to Yunjiao Prefecture, but decades later, he took it all away with him.

However, Kang Dabao was not in a hurry. The six prominent families from the capital region who had been chosen by the Fei family of Yingzhou to provide Fei Shuhe with some dowry had already set off and would arrive in Yunjiao Prefecture soon.

It would be better to wipe out these evil cultivation forces hiding in Yunjiao Prefecture as soon as possible, making room for these good people.

Buddhist disciple Ga Da did not hold the Grand Master Kang in high regard because of the rumors circulating outside that he was "ruthless and cruel." After all, even if the Chongming Sect had recently gained some fearsome reputation, in terms of the lives of the cultivators it had harmed, how could it compare to even a fraction of the lives of the Benying Temple on the Snow Mountain?

Benying Temple is highly accomplished in this field, and it would be difficult to find another sect in the entire David Dynasty that can rival them.

The reason why Ga Da was somewhat wary and curious about Kang Dabao was because the latter's spiritual energy was indeed much stronger than he had imagined before he came.

In fact, even if Master Kang did eliminate Fu Neng, his rival, in the Xie Zhi prison, Ga Da never really took him seriously.

After all, if Funeng had not been favored by Abbot Gelie of Benying Temple, he would have been far inferior to Gada, the Buddhist disciple, in every respect.

The title of the so-called first abbot of Benying Monastery in contemporary times is not worth mentioning in Yu Gada's opinion.

If it weren't for Fu Neng's fortunate circumstances, Gada, as the foremost among his peers at Benying Temple, might not have even given the former a second glance. It was only after Zen Master Geli's promise in court that Gada began to take this junior brother seriously.

Therefore, Ga Da believed that even if Kang Dabao had some luck that surpassed Fu Neng, their abilities were only roughly equal.

But after actually meeting Master Kang today, Ga Da realized that he had misunderstood before. Based on what he saw today, the latter did not think he had the ability to defeat Kang Dabao.

This was quite different from what he had anticipated. All the thoughts he had prepared vanished in an instant, so he didn't rush to speak. Instead, he sat opposite Kang Dabao, sipping tea and listening to the wind.

The latter's composure was much better than Gada had imagined. Seeing that Gada remained silent, Kang Dabao also kept quiet, acting just like a proper waiter, adding water and refilling tea.

It was rare that Headmaster Kang, after initially being slightly surprised by the sudden arrival of these Buddhist disciples, did not show any astonishment afterward.

Although Benying Temple is a Buddhist sect, it actually has many different lineages and their strengths in practice are not entirely the same.

Buddhist disciple Ga Da is a disciple of the lineage of Jia Da, the head monk of Miaohua Hall at Benying Temple. This lineage never practices the Dharma form, but only focuses on the physical body.

When disciples of the same lineage as Ga Da fight with others, they mostly rely on their physical strength to defend themselves, and they rarely use magic weapons or treasures. Moreover, they are brave and fierce, which has brought Benying Temple a reputation for being daring to fight.

However, in terms of his ability to cultivate his mind, the Buddhist disciple Garda is not particularly outstanding.

After a period of silent exchange, Ga Da couldn't resist the urge to speak first:

"Master Kang has accomplished a great deal in Yingzhou. Ga Da has been in seclusion cultivating until now, when he finally had the time to express his gratitude to Master Kang."

"You're too kind, disciple," Headmaster Kang nodded and smiled faintly, but a sense of vigilance also arose within him.

After all, Ga Da's sudden visit could, strictly speaking, even disrupt the tacit understanding between the two families. This is not the usual style of the Buddhist monks from the Great Snow Mountain, so they must be very careful to avoid being easily devoured.
“Not at all. Just as Master Jiada said before, since Headmaster Kang has removed a thorn in my side, he has also gained my friendship, a friendship stronger than the ice on the Great Snow Mountain that has stood for ten thousand years.”

The monks of the Tibetan Tantric school are different. If it were a Buddhist practitioner of the exoteric school like Buse, how could they speak so simply and directly? They would make you ponder for ten days or half a month before you could respond.

However, whether it was Kang Da Bao's imagination or not, he felt that Ga Dayan's eyes were much more sincere when he arrived, not like he was just trying to deceive him. But at the same time, Kang Da Bao's vigilance did not relax in the slightest.

The person before me was someone who had mastered nine out of the sixteen major teachings of the temple and understood most of the essence of the three hundred and sixty-five esoteric doctrines. Even among the disciples of Buddhism throughout the ages, his abilities were outstanding, and he was no ordinary person.

He tentatively took out an item from his storage bag and said in a low voice, "I am humbled. The success of this matter is largely due to the power of the ancient magic ring borrowed by Senior Jiada. I dare not accept such a precious treasure. Please take it back with you, and thank Senior Jiada for his kindness in lending this treasure."

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of the Buddhist disciple Ga Da opposite him, but he quickly waved his hands and said, “Does Sect Leader Kang think I’m a debt collector?! I have come here to express my gratitude and have no other intentions. Please do not misunderstand, Sect Leader Kang.”

Seeing that Kang Dabao had no intention of taking back the ring, Ga Da then concealed the sharp light in his eyes and put on a sad expression: "My master passed away before the New Year to serve the Great Bright Buddha." Upon hearing this, the former's eyebrows twitched, because the abbot of Benying Temple, Ga Da, was no ordinary high-ranking monk.

He was only four hundred years old, yet he had already reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm. He was one of the few cultivators in Benying Temple who had the potential to become a Nascent Soul cultivator. It was quite strange that such a person would pass away so quietly in the Zen monastery of Benying Temple.

The sudden death of such a figure, without any commotion from the entire Benying Temple, demonstrates the depth of his foundation. Even the loss of one or two top-tier Golden Core cultivators had no impact on his strength.

Kang Dabao, a character well-versed in stories, was only slightly surprised upon hearing this, but the sorrow on his face was naturally revealed:
"Oh dear, this...this...Buddha, please don't be offended. It's all my fault for speaking out of turn! I never imagined that Abbot Jiada had already passed away."

Compared to Kang Dabao's meticulous acting, Ga Da's expression of sorrow was not strong. He did not continue the conversation with Kang Dabao, but instead turned his gaze to the ancient magic ring in the latter's palm.

To be honest, while this kind of treasure is not of high quality, it does not require refining and can be used immediately. It also has some restraining effect on Buddhist cultivators, making it quite rare in this world.

However, judging from Ga Da's perspective, he wouldn't value this ring highly.

With a smile, he formed a flower-picking hand seal with both hands. Then, the dark ancient ring in the hands of the Great Master Kang was enveloped by his divine sense, with the intention of returning it to his storage bag.

However, things did not develop as Ga Da had expected. Just as the ancient magic ring was raised an inch in Kang Dabao's palm, its movement suddenly froze, and an overwhelming divine sense pressed down, almost shattering Ga Da's divine sense.

The Buddhist disciple of Benying Temple suddenly tensed up, his surprise almost impossible to conceal. Then he sighed inwardly, "This fellow's spiritual sense is incredibly powerful. Even a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator might not have such profound spiritual power!"

He was decisive, and after persisting for a few more breaths, he realized that Master Kang's divine sense had not diminished, so he stopped this probing method.

Ga Da slowly opened his hands, which were adorned with flower-shaped fingers, and two pale yellow Buddhist lights vanished rapidly with two barely audible sound waves. The divine sense imprint that had been floating an inch above the palm of the Great Master Kang also completely disappeared.

As the ancient magic ring, now freed from its grip, returned to Kang Dabao's hands, Ga Da's praises rang in his ears once more:

"Sect Leader Kang's abilities are even more formidable than my master described, demonstrating my master's exceptional insight. He truly did not entrust this ancient demon ring to the wrong person. In that case, how can I, as his disciple, have the face to take it back?!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao stopped insisting. He slowly put the ancient magic ring into his storage bag, thinking to himself, "If I ever use this on you in the future, don't blame me."

Upon arriving here, the powerful Sect Leader Kang, who had already demonstrated his abilities, was finally able to confirm that Ga Da's visit was not malicious. However, he still didn't know the latter's purpose in coming so abruptly. Fortunately, before he could ask, the Buddhist disciple from Benying Temple spoke up first:
"To be honest, Sect Leader Kang, I have another important matter to ask of you."

“Buddha, there’s no need for such formalities. Please speak freely.” Kang Dabao felt a chill run down his spine, but his smile remained warm, revealing his deep vigilance.

“I have a beautiful wife. She was originally a cultivator in the Great Snow Mountain, but in recent years there have been many natural disasters, and many cultivators and mortals have died or been injured. So she had the idea of ​​moving to the southern mountain to make a living.”

"Mingfei, secular family." Headmaster Kang murmured these keywords in his mind, beginning to ponder the deeper meaning of the Buddhist disciple's words.

Benying Temple, representing the fence-sitting side of the Wei and Kuang factions of the Dawei Xian Dynasty, was moved to the outside of the Qin State Duke's Mansion by a senior monk and several disciples early on, as Zen Master Gelie had already sent one of his senior monks to do so.

These Tantric Buddhist practitioners outwardly disregard worldly affairs, focusing solely on their spiritual practice.

Although they never volunteered for any of the various tasks assigned by the Duke of Qin's mansion, the disciples of Benying Temple, led by the upper cultivator, rarely refused if the Duke's men asked them to do things for free.

Logically speaking, if Zen Master Gele didn't want Crown Prince Kuang Liuting to have any further dissatisfaction with Ben'o Temple, having these disciples would be enough to show his stance, and there would be no need to worry too much.

Therefore, it is worth pondering what the Buddhist disciple Garda's intention was in moving into this household.

"Could it be that there is a Zen master in Benying Temple who is loyal to the Kuang family and has some dissatisfaction with Zen Master Gelie?!" When Kang Dabao thought of this, he immediately put on a serious face again.

Kang Dabao naturally did not want to get involved in so many karmic consequences, so he solemnly replied, "Yunjiao Prefecture is a poor and remote border region, and I'm afraid it may not be to the liking of the Buddha."

Seeing Kang Dabao's reaction, Ga Da felt a pang of regret, but also a hint of admiration in his eyes. He smiled faintly and said:
"Master Kang, please don't misunderstand. It's just a respectable family. How could it possibly cost so much? After we send them here, you don't need to worry about them. If there's any fighting, just let them do as they please. Even if there are heavy casualties, I won't hold a grudge."

"Well, please consider this further, Buddha."

Seeing that Master Kang's gaze was firm and unmoved, Ga Da knew that further persuasion was useless, so he had no choice but to speak up and say, "In that case, I wonder if Master Kang could introduce the two seniors, Marquis Fengcheng and Marquis Gucheng, so that I may go and discuss this with them properly."

"Hmm," Kang Dabao hesitated for a moment, but still nodded. He took out a piece of spiritual silk, made a hand seal, and ground a piece of fine ink. Before long, about a hundred black seal characters covered the spiritual silk.

The spirit silk floated in mid-air, and with a flick of Kang Dabao's finger, it slowly swam into Ga Da's hand. The latter didn't even glance at it before directly putting it into his storage bag.

Having done all that, he felt there was no need to stay any longer. This trip hadn't been in vain; at least he now knew that Master Kang was not as easy to manipulate as he had imagined.

If we follow what the Zen master said before, all the actions we take in the future will likely have to be carried out by this new favorite in the eyes of the current emperor. If that's the case, we can't just decide on things by patting our heads like before.

As the handsome monk Ga Da stepped out of Chongming Sect, Sect Leader Kang felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. However, he did not stop there; instead, he wrote another letter and sent it to Fengming Prefecture. Ga Da's request was quite peculiar, requiring the elders of the Fei family to make careful preparations.

Meanwhile, neither of them knew that an old monk was hiding outside the Chongming Sect's mountain gate, watching Ga Da's gradually disappearing figure with a thoughtful expression.

(End of this chapter)