The stolen magic is a bit magical

Xuan Kong severed the three corpses; everyone witnessed it, and it couldn't be hidden from them.

These three great Buddhist masters must be acknowledged.

Once you recognize this, the basic theory of "severing the three corpses" is established.

Xuan Kong was indeed a monk before, but after he severed his three corpses, he turned away from Buddhism. What kind of person is someone who turns away from Buddhism?
Traitor to Buddhism!

Magic!

You three great Buddhist masters have come from afar to uphold justice for the demonic path. Don't you find that laughable?

His Majesty's eyes lit up slightly; this was a good breakthrough!
Sure enough, ginger is still spicy.

The seventh prince also breathed a sigh of relief.

Master Zhiding said, “Amitabha, the Buddhist path is vast and saves all sentient beings. How can you, sir, decide whether someone is a Buddha or a demon? Even a demon of the past can become a Buddha of today, and even a demon of today can become a Buddha of the future. You, sir, hold a high position, yet you are so biased. No wonder the Great Wilderness Dynasty has such a heaven-defying act!”

Upon hearing this, Song Lifu was stunned.

He wasn't a Buddhist, but he had heard the Buddhist saying "Buddhism saves all sentient beings" far too often.

He was the Minister of Justice. Every day, heinous crimes occurred in various prefectures, and Buddhist sects intervened daily. Their rhetoric always included the vastness of Buddhism, its salvation of all beings, and the idea that one could lay down their butcher's knife and instantly become a Buddha...

These words may sound glorious and lofty to others, but he is in charge of criminal law, and they are annoying to hear.

If you want to argue, you'll find it very difficult to win against these stubborn old monks.

They have nothing better to do all day than play this game.

Master Miaoyu also chanted Amitabha: "Your Majesty must know that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If Your Majesty is benevolent, Heaven and Earth will be benevolent; if Your Majesty is cruel, the world will be in chaos. This time, Your Majesty has imprisoned the primordial spirit of a high monk, which has aroused the wrath of both Heaven and Man. Furthermore, you have imprisoned more than two hundred innocent monks of Tunyun Temple in the Heavenly Prison. Is this the behavior of a benevolent ruler? This humble nun respectfully advises Your Majesty to rein in your horse at the precipice! Do not go on your way!"

His Majesty's heart is ablaze with fury!

He stared coldly at the nun.

Master Miaoyu held her hands to her chest, her eyes radiating Buddhist light.

If it were an ordinary person, anyone who dared to speak to him like that would be executed that same afternoon, and their home confiscated without hesitation.

However, the wise and skillful nun was no ordinary person.

She is the abbess of Luohua Temple.

Luohua Nunnery is no ordinary nunnery!
Suddenly, the palace doors were gently pushed open, and the chief eunuch announced, "Your Majesty, Li Chengnian, a fifth-rank inspector, requests an audience outside the palace!"

His Majesty's heart skipped a beat...

Li Chengnian!
To be honest, this whole thing started because of him!

He once debated with a group of monks at the Tunyun Temple mourning hall, without losing any royal dignity. Can he handle this situation today?

"Xuan!"

A single announcement traveled through the long corridor, relaying messages along the way, until it reached the palace gates.

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently: "Qingying, wait here, I'm going to get promoted!"

This sound was transmitted secretly.

Qingying's face was a mask of emotions, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. If she could disregard her own status, she really wanted to snap at him: "You're so arrogant! If you get promoted today, that's a miracle!"

Lin Xiaosu strode in and entered the Wenling Hall: "Your humble servant Li Chengnian greets Your Majesty!"

His Majesty nodded slowly: "You've come at the right time, my dear minister. These masters have all come for matters concerning Xuan Kong Feng Shui. You are the most knowledgeable about this matter, so please speak with them."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree!" Lin Xiaosu turned to the three masters: "What do you three masters desire?"

Seven words, a mere understatement, clearly show a lack of respect for the master.

Fortunately, the three masters were all highly respected Buddhists and did not hold it against him. They reiterated the matter, stating that Buddhism is compassionate and would not abandon its fellow Buddhists, that the royal family should be merciful and not drive them to extermination, and that since Master Xuan Kong's physical body was destroyed, his primordial spirit should be returned, and so on...

Lin Xiaosu listened quietly, without commenting.

After Master Xuanfeng finished speaking, three pairs of compassionate eyes focused on Lin Xiaosu's face.

He was meeting the three for the first time, but the three had heard of him before.

Everyone knew that the young official in front of them was the one who caused the destruction of Tunyun Temple.

However, since the three were eminent Buddhist monks, it was not appropriate to speak ill of him.

"Your Majesty!" Lin Xiaosu turned to His Majesty: "The three masters have come today, displaying great compassion. Your Majesty is also a benevolent emperor throughout the ages, and you must be in a dilemma. Your humble servant requests permission to hand over Master Xuankong's primordial spirit to me for disposal."

Everyone was startled.

Especially Huo Gang.

What's going on with Li Chengnian?

He orchestrated this whole affair, and he was extremely tough on the issue of Xin Ge. So why is he talking about compassion today?
Although Xuan Kong's physical body is destroyed and his primordial spirit can no longer cause any trouble, he must be a high-ranking member of the Heart Pavilion and possess great secrets of the Heart Pavilion. Wouldn't it be a pity to hand him over like this? In addition, the fact that the royal family had already obtained the criminal's primordial spirit and then compromised directly because of the pressure from the three Buddhist monks is also a great loss to the royal family's face.

The Seventh Prince's face was ashen.

Song Lifu wore the same expression.

Only one person in the hall gradually relaxed from his tense expression. This person was the Right Grand Master Li Heping, a representative of maturity and composure. As the monks spoke more and more seriously, the pressure on his heart also increased. At this moment, the arrival of one of His Majesty's most trusted men, who showed a compromising attitude, greatly reduced his pressure.

The three eminent monks in the hall felt a slight sense of relief and appeared even more compassionate.

His Majesty took a deep breath: "The matter of Xuan Kong was originally caused by you, my dear minister. If you are willing to clean up the mess, then... Huo Gang!"

"exist!"

"The Xuan Kong Yuan Shen is to be disposed of by Minister Li!"

"……Yes!"

Huo Gang raised his hand and took out a golden cage from his waist.

Within the golden cage, a phantom image was shattered.

This cage is a cage that locks away the gods.

This illusory figure is Xuan Kong Yuan Shen.

The moment Huo Gang handed over his primordial spirit, he felt a pang of regret. He should have just wiped out that bald thief.

If it had been destroyed outright, Buddhism would have lost all hope, and the current coup would not have occurred.

But now it's too late.

As the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards, he could only answer "yes" in this situation; saying even one more word would be a breach of etiquette!

His Majesty's mind was also in turmoil.

Deep down, he was determined to kill Xuan Kong.

However, he also knew that while the killing might have been satisfying, the consequences would be extremely serious.

This would trigger a direct conflict between the imperial court and Buddhism.

As an emperor, how could he bear such a huge price for a moment of pleasure?

Therefore, as Lin Xiaosu said, His Majesty is in a dilemma.

In such a dilemma, there is a clever way to deflect the pressure: pass the buck, allowing someone else to handle the situation instead of His Majesty personally. This "someone else," however they choose to deal with it, can minimize the impact of the matter.

This is why His Majesty granted Lin Xiaosu's request for punishment.

Lin Xiaosu took the primordial spirit.

The three eminent monks in the room smiled as they waited for Lin Xiaosu to hand over her primordial spirit.

Lin Xiaosu slowly raised her hand, staring at the primordial spirit in the cage of the locked spirit. This primordial spirit was already broken and severely injured, but at this moment, it was also conscious, and its illusory eyes seemed to be looking at Lin Xiaosu as well.

Lin Xiaosu seemed to also sense the contempt from the Daoist master in the palm cage.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly, and suddenly something changed inside the golden cage in her hand.

A spatial rift suddenly opened!
puff!
With a soft sound, Xuan Kong's primordial spirit was drawn into a spatial rift within the Soul-Locking Cage and torn to pieces.

If Xuan Kong were at his peak, this crack would not have been able to swallow him.

If Xuan Kong hadn't been inside the God-Locking Cage, even if he was on the verge of death, the rift probably wouldn't have swallowed him. Unfortunately, he was inside the God-Locking Cage, all his supernatural powers were sealed, and he had already been severely injured by Huo Gang, so he was already on the verge of death.

Combined, Lin Xiaosu suddenly unleashed the Sky Rift technique, devouring the primordial spirit. The spatial turbulence within the Sky Rift tore the primordial spirit apart on the spot. The Xuan Kong primordial spirit that everyone had been fighting over all morning vanished into thin air right before everyone's eyes!
The eyes of the three eminent monks widened simultaneously!

His Majesty's eyes widened suddenly!
Song Lifu was terrified.

Right Physician Li Heping could hardly believe his eyes.

Seventh Prince Hong Yun suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. How dare you...

Only Huo Gang's eyes suddenly shone like stars!
"Your Majesty!" Lin Xiaosu bowed. "Your Majesty is known for your benevolence. Even though this villain is extremely wicked, it is difficult to execute him. Therefore, I have acted recklessly and executed him without authorization! I beg Your Majesty to severely punish me for my disobedience!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent, as quiet as night.

No one expected that this young man would act so decisively.

No one expected him to be so audacious.

His Majesty was present, as were three eminent monks who had attained the highest level of spiritual attainment.

He seized upon the focal point of the argument and, surprisingly, killed him outright.

This killing was extremely sudden.

This killing was executed with exceptional skill.

By the time the three eminent monks realized something was wrong, they had already completely lost their chance to intervene.

Now that I've made up my mind, the matter is settled.

"Minister Li..." His Majesty stood up, pointing at Lin Xiaosu: "How dare you be so presumptuous?"

His fingers trembled slightly, indicating his extreme anger.

Lin Xiaosu knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, I am young and inexperienced, and easily impulsive. When I thought of the tragic state of the people of the Great Wilderness caused by this traitor colluding with the Heart Pavilion, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

His Majesty sighed deeply: "Imperial Edict!"

"exist!"

"Inspector Li Chengnian has made a mistake due to impulsiveness; he is hereby punished with a year's salary!"

"...Yes, Your Majesty!"

Everyone in the hall wore stern faces and looked extremely serious, but deep down they were probably thinking, "Your Majesty, aren't you going a bit overboard with this act?"
A one-year penalty?
You can't even bear to punish Feng more severely? How about you punish him for ten years?
The three eminent monks all closed their eyes.

Finally, Master Zhiding in the middle slowly opened his eyes: "Lord Li, are you not afraid of falling into the eighteenth level of hell for treating human life so lightly?"

"Amitabha!" Lin Xiaosu said to him, "As the Buddhist saying goes, if I don't go to hell, who will?"

This was Lin Xiaosu's first response to the three eminent Buddhist monks, and she used standard Buddhist terminology.

The three high monks were nearly driven mad by their familiar tone. You accused him of disregarding human life, and he readily admitted it, going even further: he was willing to go to hell!

What can you do about it?
That's cheating!

"Amitabha!" Master Xuanfeng clasped his hands together: "Lord Li, aren't you afraid of ruining your own path with your actions today?"

"Thank you for your concern, Master. My path will not be blocked!"

"Can't be broken?" Master Xuanfeng narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lin Xiaosu said, “I know that it is difficult for a young and impetuous person to walk the path of worldly affairs, but so what? When I really have nowhere else to go, I will just find a temple, a razor, and enter the Buddhist gate. This is what it means to lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot! Master Xuanfeng, at that time, you should also welcome me, a person full of sins, to join the Buddhist gate, right?”

Master Xuanfeng stopped breathing.

The seventh prince was halfway through his laugh when he saw his father's expression and quickly stopped.

Master Miaoyu slowly withdrew her gaze from the sky: "Your Majesty, there are still more than two hundred monks in Tunyun Temple. Do you also wish to hand them over to this Lord Li for his disposal?"

The topic then shifted.

For just one reason, Xuan Kong has disappeared.

Arguing further would only escalate the conflict on the spot and would be pointless.

What she wanted was the entire community of Tunyun Temple.

His Majesty had actually been planning this for a long time.

Three eminent monks have come from afar; their intentions are surely not good. They cannot return empty-handed.

Now that the most troublesome Xuan Kong has been resolved, it seems we can do the remaining monks a favor.

However, among these people are many experts from the Heart Pavilion and even the Heart Gate. If they are released and leave the Great Wilderness, that would be fine. But if they stay in the Great Wilderness and continue to occupy the Swallowing Cloud Temple, which is very close to the capital, then that will be a problem in the future...

Therefore, whether or not to release these people has once again become a new problem.

Lin Xiaosu stepped forward: "Your Majesty! I believe the ringleader has been executed, and the subordinates may be released!"

Upon hearing this, the three high-ranking monks lowered their guard from their high alert state...

Taking a step back and settling for second best might be the only option available at the moment.

However, Lin Xiaosu's next words were: "However, those who use force to break the law must have their cultivation abolished according to national law!"

"No!" Master Miaoyu's expression suddenly changed.

Lin Xiaosu coldly said, "Master, don't forget that Buddhism is a place for comprehending Buddhist teachings. Whether one has cultivation or not makes no difference in comprehending Buddhist teachings. What is your intention in keeping their cultivation? To continue serving as lackeys of the Heart Pavilion, so that you can take whatever you want from all living beings?"

The nun was speechless for a moment.

The only truth that Buddhism tells the world is that Buddhism is about comprehending Buddhist teachings. The level of one's Buddhist practice has absolutely nothing to do with physical strength or cultivation. Buddhism is about reason, not fighting. Therefore, whether this physical body has cultivation or not is completely meaningless.

From this perspective, it's difficult to refute Lin Xiaosu's claim to abolish the cultivation of Buddhist disciples from a Buddhist perspective.

boom!
Huo Gang soared to great heights!
Next, we arrive at a prison and step down!
With that kick, golden snakes darted about!

Countless golden snakes slithered into the prison cell, and the dantian of the two hundred monks imprisoned inside was completely destroyed!
The power of that kick was terrifying.

The power of this kick was enough to make even the three eminent monks tremble with fear.

Huo Gang, returning in the air, reported: "Your Majesty, the monks who committed the crime have all had their cultivation abolished and can no longer act as accomplices to the wicked or violate the law by force. I believe they should be released!"

His Majesty let out a long sigh: "Very well! These three eminent monks have traveled thousands of miles just to rescue the monks of this temple. I am deeply grateful for their great virtue and will grant them leniency. The monks of Tunyun Temple are hereby released!"

"By imperial decree!" the person outside the hall replied.

His Majesty's gaze shifted to the three eminent monks: "Masters, is this acceptable?"

The three looked at each other, then chanted in unison, "Amitabha!"

As soon as the Buddhist chant ended, the three monks broke through the air...

As the three monks soared into the sky, His Majesty saw them off with a smile.

When the three monks had completely disappeared, His Majesty's expression slowly turned solemn, and his gaze shifted to the people in the hall: "My beloved ministers, how should we view today's events?"

The Seventh Prince stepped forward: "Father, I believe that sects using martial arts to break the law and place themselves above the law must not be allowed to continue!"

Song Lifu said, “Your Highness is right. As an official in the Ministry of Justice, I feel this most keenly. Every day, in every prefecture and state, practitioners break the law with their martial arts, and the resulting heinous incidents are increasing day by day. The billions of people in the Great Wilderness live in constant fear. If the court does not take strong measures to deal with this, I fear that the prestige of the dynasty will be completely destroyed.”

His Majesty's gaze slowly shifted to the right.

On the right is the Right Physician, Li Heping: "What is your opinion, Minister Li?"

Li Heping stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that sects and imperial laws are at odds, as is the case in all countries. Our dynasty may take the example of the Chu Kingdom and send great Confucian scholars into the major sects to promote etiquette and laws, and to inspire these uncivilized people. Once the world is assimilated and the people are united, our dynasty's prestige will surely spread throughout the land and be admired by all."

Song Lifu said, "Lord Li's theory of inspiration has been around for many years, and what has been the result? From the ever-increasing backlog of cases in the Ministry of Justice to today's coercion in the palace and wanton behavior! What benefit has this kind of inspiration brought other than making the sects act recklessly?"

Li Heping's face darkened: "Lord Song's consistent argument is that anyone who violates the law should be killed! But what has been the result? All officials at all levels in Qingyun Prefecture were beheaded, creating the biggest official tragedy since the founding of the dynasty. Isn't this the result of your stubbornness back then?"

Song Lifu's face was dark and gloomy.

The Qingyun massacre—whenever this tragedy is mentioned, he finds it difficult to suppress his anger.

Was I wrong about the Qingyun massacre?

The disciples of the Azure Water Sect committed murder in the city and abducted women. When the constables tried to arrest them, they were killed in retaliation. The constables then mobilized the state troops to surround the mountain. The other side was already somewhat intimidated and intended to hand over the perpetrators. However, a minister in the court advised the Crown Prince to withdraw the troops.

This withdrawal made the other side incredibly arrogant.

The situation escalated, ultimately leading to the complete annihilation of the Biyue Sect within the Qingyun officialdom.

Is this the fault of him, a representative of the hardliners? Or is it the fault of you compromisers?

His Majesty was also aware of this matter. Upon hearing about the Qingyun tragedy and seeing the bulging veins on Song Lifu's forehead, he knew that what followed would be a court debate that he was already thoroughly fed up with. He quickly raised his hand and said, "Minister Li, why don't you also give your opinion?"

Lin Xiaosu bowed to His Majesty: "Your Majesty, I came to the palace today specifically for this matter."

"Oh? You came for this?" His Majesty was slightly surprised, but then it suddenly occurred to him.

Today, he has come to request an audience.

He did not summon himself.

The reason for requesting an audience was actually this?
"Your Majesty, I have been granted the position of Inspector by Your Majesty's grace. My basic duty is to inspect all the sects in the land. Therefore, I have been paying attention to the major sects these days. I have discovered that the major sects are using force to break the law, oppressing the local people, and causing harm to the court and the people. This has reached the point of threatening the imperial authority and the law." Lin Xiaosu said, "Therefore, I have come to the palace to ask Your Majesty if you are aware of this matter."

His Majesty's expression had just softened when it turned grim again.

This problem has existed for a long time; it's a chronic issue that has plagued generations. How could I not know about it? I just don't know what to do...

The Seventh Prince said, "Who in the world doesn't know about this matter? However, the matter of the Dharma Sect is of great importance, and the debate in the court never ends."

Lin Xiaosu frowned: "Within the Great Wilderness, regardless of status or position, anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with according to the Great Wilderness Criminal Law. Is there any room for debate on this matter?"

The seventh prince did not answer, but turned his gaze to the Right Grand Physician.

Right Grand Physician Li Heping spoke up: "Lord Li is new to officialdom and does not know the whole picture. Therefore, he does not have a deep understanding of the complexity of sects. There are 860 sects in the Great Wilderness. If you act rashly and offend the sects, it will at least cause turmoil and unrest among the people, and at worst, it will cause a storm in the world. Is this something that can be done with youthful impulsiveness?"

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Lord Li!" Lin Xiaosu bowed deeply. "However, there is still one thing I don't understand, and I hope you can clear it up for me as well."

"Please speak, Lord Li!"

Lin Xiaosu said, "When the founding emperor established the dynasty, there were more than three thousand sects in the Great Wilderness. The situation was ten thousand times more complicated than it is now. Why didn't this situation occur back then?"

The Seventh Prince was greatly shocked.

This matter...

Can I ask?
Everyone present was well aware that when Emperor Taizu established the dynasty, the chaos within the imperial clans was far more severe than it is today.

But why can't it cause any big waves?
Why were all the sects so obedient at the beginning of the dynasty?
For one reason only, the Great Ancestor brought out a fierce and bloodthirsty dragon cavalry from the Great Wilderness.

The Iron-Blooded Dragon Cavalry, numbering in the millions, are ruthless and merciless, and anyone who defies the dynasty in the slightest will be killed without mercy!

This killing lasted for a full seventy years!

More than two thousand of the three thousand sects were wiped out.

The slaughter nearly severed the cultivation path in the Great Wilderness.

The remaining sects came to the palace trembling with fear, knelt down to submit, and signed the imperial edict, thus beginning the thousands-year-old imperial territory of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.

This is no longer the early years of Emperor Taizu's reign.

Nowadays, there are no million dragon riders.

Without the powerful tool to suppress the sects, the dynasty could only reason with them, which led to its current passive situation.

This is a fig leaf.

This is something that even emperors cannot bear to lose face.

Every emperor wants to be praised for surpassing the past and would never want to admit his current decline. Isn't your question a slap in the face to Father?
Li Heping said, “Lord Li, you may not know this, but in the early years of the founding emperor, a million dragon cavalry could pacify the world. But now, the Great Wilderness is surrounded by enemies on all four sides, and the border war situation is far more complicated than it was back then. There are simply not enough troops to pacify the internal sects.”

Lin Xiaosu turned to face His Majesty: "Your Majesty, I humbly request permission!"

His Majesty lowered his gaze: "What decree does Minister Li wish to request?"

Lin Xiaosu said, "Your Majesty, I wish to inspect eighty-one cases in Jiangnan, clear up the backlog of cases in the Ministry of Justice, so as to appease the people's concerns and rectify the conduct of the court!"

Everyone in the hall was greatly surprised.

Huo Gang's eyes shone brightly.

What an enormous undertaking it is to clear up the backlog of cases in the Ministry of Justice!

How magnificent and powerful it is to uphold the spirit of the imperial court!
These are all just appearances; the real core lies in his intention to take action against the eighty-one sects of Jiangnan!
The elimination of long-standing cases will inevitably lead to a direct conflict with the sects.

That's his attitude.

In terms of attitude, he was completely in sync with Song Lifu and the Seventh Prince.

However, his attitude was not just about court debates; he took concrete actions!

Why do I like this kid more and more the more I look at him?
His Majesty took a deep breath: "Clearing up the backlog of cases in the Ministry of Justice is a beneficial move for the court and the people, but do you know how dangerous this journey is?"

"Your Majesty, I am well aware of the perilous situation, but as a member of the imperial court, I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's great favor. How could I not repay it?" Lin Xiaosu said.

"I am greatly pleased by your loyalty, my dear minister. Now tell me, what kind of assistance do you require?"

"One 'Zhen'-level team is enough for Zhentian Pavilion!"

"A town-level official?" His Majesty frowned slightly.

Zhentian Pavilion is a special force of the imperial dynasty, encompassing all kinds of people, including cultivators, experts in various esoteric arts, and even scholars. It is equivalent to the special forces of this dynasty.

It seems omnipotent, but in reality, its strength is not particularly formidable.

In particular, all this kid wanted was a Zhen-level team from Zhentian Pavilion.

It's a town-level administrative unit with only 3,000 employees.

You dare to challenge the eighty-one sects in Jiangnan with a mere three thousand men? (End of Chapter)