The stolen magic is a bit magical

These three thousand people are not three thousand experts. Most of them are only at the Sky-Gazing level. The leader can barely be considered an expert, but he is only at the Body Enlightenment level. Even if the Heaven-Suppressing Pavilion provides you with the highest level of special assistance, you will only be three or five at the Rule Enlightenment level.

Such power is insufficient to contend with a medium-sized sect, let alone the eighty-one sects.

Among these eighty-one sects, there are some large sects with Dao-Mastering Realm experts; one of them can overwhelm your three thousand-strong battle team.

His Majesty's inner thought was that this kid intended to borrow Huo Gang again.

If he wanted to be even wilder, he might even borrow a Hidden Dragon Guard.

However, none of those were the case; he only wanted one Zhen-level team from Zhentian Pavilion.

"A mere town-level sect..." His Majesty pondered, "You, my dear minister, have no way to suppress eighty-one sects."

"Your Majesty, I believe that those from sects who dare to disregard imperial authority and laws are only a minority. In most cases, I conduct inspections as an inspector and do not expect to directly engage them in battle."

His Majesty nodded gently: "My dear minister, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes!"

His Majesty sighed deeply: "If every official in the court were like you, how fortunate would the country be?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Song Lifu and the Seventh Prince exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes.

Meanwhile, the Right Physician, Li Heping, had a face full of dark lines.

His Majesty's words are likely a new weathervane for the court.

From this moment on, the attitude towards sects will become increasingly tough, and ministers will have to align themselves with this stance.

Otherwise, the peaceful ministers might become negative examples in His Majesty's mind. This Li Chengnian is tough on the imperial clan. His Majesty said that if all the officials in the court were like him, the country would be fortunate.

Conversely, wouldn't it be a misfortune for the court to have someone like him?

This wind direction is terrifying.

Things are changing too fast.

"Imperial Edict!"

"exist!"

"Issue my decree!" His Majesty slowly stood up: "Li Chengnian, a fifth-rank inspector, is commendable for his loyalty and bravery. He is hereby promoted to fourth-rank chief inspector!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lin Xiaosu knelt down to receive his new official robes and seal...

Ten minutes later, Lin Xiaosu changed out of his fifth-rank court robe, which he had only worn for three days and hadn't even had time to wash, and put on a brand-new fourth-rank court robe. Like a smug customer, he descended the steps of the Golden Hall and arrived outside the palace gate.

A light rain was falling. Qingying stared at the young adult with her beautiful willow-leaf eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

The carriage clattered along, turning from Jinlong Road onto Zhuque Road, and arrived at the gate of the Li residence.

"Master, return to the manor..." the doorman shouted, but his voice suddenly stopped, he choked on his breath, because he too had seen a ghost.

Next came the butler.

Upon seeing Lin Xiaosu's official robes, the steward exclaimed in surprise, "Master...Master, you're already a fourth-rank official?"

"Yes, His Majesty is so kind as to promote me two ranks!" Lin Xiaosu said. "Steward, give everyone in the manor two coins as a reward to celebrate!"

boom!
The entire Li residence was in an uproar.

Inside the red pavilion, a fine drizzle fell like gauze.

Lin Xiaosu stopped in front of the pavilion and sighed softly: "The world's flavors have become as thin as gauze over the years, and now I am a horseman in the capital... I will name this pavilion!"

With a slight lift of his finger, a sword aura shot out.

Chi!
With a flash of sword light, three ancient characters appeared on the red pavilion plaque: Thin Veil Pavilion.

Qingying stared blankly at all of this, her eyes filled with fascination.

Reciting poetry on the spot was a common practice of this superior. Qingying had seen it many times and was never moved. Li Chengnian thought that Qingying was just an ordinary servant and had no idea about her background. Qingying came from an official family and a family of scholars. Her father was a great Confucian scholar of the time and rose to the position of prime minister. How profound was her family's learning!

From a young age, Qingying was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

She is by no means someone who doesn't know how to appreciate things.

She knew that her boss enjoyed literature and was indeed quite accomplished in poetry, but not to the point of being admired by many.

However, her perception has completely changed now.

Since entering officialdom, this superior has only recited poetry twice.

The first poem was written this morning: "Poetry and books on the pillow are best enjoyed in leisure, and the scenery in front of the door is most beautiful after the rain."

She savored it all morning, finding it increasingly delightful.

Having just left the palace, two more lines came to mind: "The tastes of the world have grown thin as gauze over the years, and now I ride a horse to the capital."

Are these two lines good?
That struck right into her heart.

With her father gone and her family in decline, who in the world could understand the bitterness of human relationships as thin as gauze more deeply than she did?
Now, horsemen travel to the capital.

The desolate capital is bustling and prosperous, but isn't she just a guest here?
What about him?

Why do some people have such feelings?
He is a rising star in the officialdom, so highly regarded by His Majesty. Shouldn't he be full of vigor and high spirits at this moment? Why is he able to compose such exquisite verses filled with endless vicissitudes?

correct……

Listening to him recite poetry and seeing him unleash such exquisite sword energy almost made her mind wander.

Now that she thought of his rising star in the officialdom, her mind immediately returned to normal.

"Sir, you've really been promoted! Two ranks!"

"I told you before I left, but you didn't believe me, did you?" Lin Xiaosu smiled.

"This...who can believe this? I still feel like I'm dreaming." Qingying said, "My lord, what...why is this happening?"

"Before revealing the truth, please allow me to boast a little. This is what I call taking precautions and proceeding step by step!" Lin Xiaosu said, "I entered the palace today to request His Majesty's decree to subdue the Great Wilderness sects on behalf of the dynasty!"

"Subdue the Great Wilderness Sects?" Qingying's expression changed drastically.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "The power of the Great Wilderness sects has seriously affected the imperial authority and laws, which has caused His Majesty a great headache. Therefore, I am very certain that as long as I make this request, His Majesty will agree immediately without hesitation, not even for a second... well, not even for a breath!"

Qingying let out a soft breath: "That's for sure! Not just His Majesty, but emperors of all dynasties, as long as someone is willing to stand up and resolve the issue of imperial power and the power of sects, the emperor will be overjoyed. How could he not agree? My lord... how can you be so sure that His Majesty will promote you? And by exactly two ranks?"

This was something she couldn't understand, even when she was freezing cold.

The emperor's promotion of ministers was often based on his mood, so promotions were largely accidental.

No one can accurately predict the timing or extent of a promotion.

But he managed to control it perfectly.

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "Do you know what level of treatment the leaders of the major sects enjoy in the imperial court's etiquette for entertaining guests?"

Qingying frowned slightly: "Sect leaders enjoy rank-based treatment? No, they're not imperial officials, what kind of treatment could they enjoy? There's just a customary rule that when a sect leader comes out of seclusion, he can sit face-to-face with a prefectural governor to discuss important matters."

“That’s right, that’s the treatment!” Lin Xiaosu said, “It is customary for the sect leader to sit side by side with the prefect. The prefect is a fourth-rank official, which is why His Majesty promoted me to the fourth rank!”

Qingying's eyes lit up: "Does His Majesty hope that when you enter the sect, you can sit side by side with the sect leader, without being troubled by your status?"

"You finally understand?"

The warbler's beak opened slightly...

I completely understand!

The answer to the question she couldn't understand was hidden in this conventional etiquette.

Lin Xiaosu was able to accurately predict that he would enter the palace today and be promoted two ranks, not because she had received prior information, but because she accurately grasped His Majesty's mindset.

He offered to put pressure on the sects, how could His Majesty not be delighted? You must know that His Majesty has just escaped from the sects' trap, and his hatred for the sects is like a raging river.

He was naturally pleased that someone stepped forward to set rules for the sect.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare to do that, because setting rules for a sect is basically courting death.

Only a genius like Lord Li would dare to take this step.

Once this step was taken, His Majesty had laid out the entire path for him.

In terms of imperial etiquette, the head of a major clan was equivalent to a fourth-rank prefect.

I can't possibly allow an official of less than the fourth rank to come to your mountain and have to pay his respects to the clan leader. Where is the demeanor of an inspector? Therefore, we must promote him.

How high should it be?
They also cannot be higher than the sect leader, as that would make the sect leader feel the oppression of imperial power and thus rebel.

Only when officials of the same rank engage in equal conversation can a good atmosphere for dialogue be established.

Therefore, Lin Xiaosu predicted in advance that he would be promoted two ranks today.

When the final results came out, his judgment was absolutely correct.

Qingying's emotions at that moment swirled through her mind three thousand six hundred times...

My lord, my lord, your wisdom is like the sun in the sky. How did you manage to disguise yourself as the former Li Chengnian and maintain a mid-level position in the Heart Pavilion for so long?

Your talent is something that a single person can not fully contain.

clothes!
I’m totally convinced!

The clothes are in bold and black!

With these thoughts in mind, looking at the newly named "Gauze Pavilion" again, she seemed to see another side of him through the words "gauze".

chiffon?

"The affairs of the world are as thin as gauze!"

Is this his boundless ambition? In his eyes, everything in the world is but a thin veil!
He viewed people as if they were being viewed from behind a veil.

This gauze pavilion is the window through which he observed the world with his discerning eyes and wisely determined the fate of the land.
"Master, His Highness has arrived!"

The butler rushed over.

Qingying's boundless thoughts immediately returned from the distant horizon where the path to her origin was no longer visible, and she abruptly stood up straight.

Lin Xiaosu came out of the pavilion to greet him in the light rain.

The seventh prince, Hong Yun, strolled in through the rain.

Beside him, a woman held an umbrella for him.

This woman possesses both stunning beauty and a touch of heroic spirit.

"Welcome, Your Highness!" Lin Xiaosu bowed slightly, and the butler held an umbrella for him.

"Lord Li, shall we continue our conversation at the Red Pavilion?"

"Your Highness, please!"

Two umbrellas, two groups of people, one in front and one behind, entered the Red Pavilion.

No, from today onwards, it should be called the Thin Gauze Pavilion.

Lin Xiaosu's gaze pierced through the rain and mist ahead, sweeping over the beauty beside the Seventh Prince, and she was secretly alarmed.

This woman appears to be normal.

However, when the rain and mist reached her, they changed in a very strange way.

From the perspective of the Heavenly Dao, there was an extremely mysterious convergence of energy around her.

This woman's cultivation level is extraordinary!

The cultivation level that could move Lin Xiaosu was definitely not ordinary. Enlightenment God was not worthy of his attention, so the one that could move him was at least Enlightenment Rules!

How could such a down-on-his-luck prince have a master of martial arts by his side?
Moreover, judging from their demeanor, the intimacy between the two is extraordinary.

The three entered the pavilion, where a woman was bowing and waiting. This woman was, of course, Qingying.

When other guests enter the mansion, Qingying might avoid them, but His Highness is different. His Highness also knows that Qingying is the daughter of the former prime minister and a capable assistant on their same warship.

"Lord Li, please introduce her!" the Seventh Prince said. "This is my concubine, named Fufeng."

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Lin Xiaosu bowed.

Fu Feng smiled and returned the greeting: "Lord Li, please don't do this. I am a woman of the martial world, and I met the prince on the battlefield. I am not used to official etiquette. How about you call me 'Miss'?"

"Excellent!" the Seventh Prince laughed. "Fufeng has been in my household for several years, but he has never been willing to travel with me. Today, he insisted on coming to my household to see you, this rising star in the officialdom, only after hearing that Lord Li has skillfully helped me out of trouble many times. Let's all relax today."

"Your Highness flatters me. How could I be a rising star in officialdom? It is all thanks to Your Highness's patronage and His Majesty's favor!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Your Highness, Miss, please take a seat!"

Qingying served tea and stood behind Lin Xiaosu.

The Seventh Prince picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Lord Li, I am here today to attend to an unfinished matter."

"Unfinished business?" Lin Xiaosu was slightly taken aback.

“An hour ago, the three eminent monks left the palace, but they haven’t gone far. They’ve started another incident!”

What did they do?

"They set up an altar at the North Gate and performed Buddhist rituals to pray for Xuan Kong's soul!"

Lin Xiaosu's expression darkened slightly: "These bald thieves are truly unscrupulous!"

"That's right. Father Emperor was furious, but he couldn't do anything about it. After all, these three bald thieves were just performing a ritual for the dead. The dynasty had no reason to interfere, whether it was moral, legal, or ethical. However, the number of believers was growing, and the cause of Xuan Kong's death was being spread by word of mouth among the people, completely distorting the story. If we let them perform the ritual for seven days, something terrible might happen."

Lin Xiaosu slowly raised her gaze and quietly looked at the Liuxiang River outside.

The seventh prince held a teacup in his hand and quietly looked at him.

Outside the pavilion, a light breeze and drizzle fell, but in his heart, a turmoil raged.

Recently, he has experienced the biggest change in his life, from a prince who was extremely down on his luck to a prince who his father gradually relied on. His mother has also been promoted to the rank of concubine.

The whole world can see the rise of this prince.

He knew all too well that it was all because of the person in front of him.

It was this person who rescued him step by step from the mire of death, and helped him accomplish the impossible time and time again.

He therefore developed a blind trust in the person in front of him.

I believe that no matter how difficult the situation, you can always find the answer in him.

So what about today?
Is there an answer?

The three Buddhist masters, Xuanfeng, Zhiding, and Miaoyu, are determined to make the dynasty pay a heavy price for Xuankong's death.

Their cultivation level is undoubtedly superb, but in terms of cultivation, the dynasty is not afraid of them. If they resort to force, things will be easier to resolve.

But they don't resort to force.

They're taking a softer approach.

Performing rituals for Buddhist and Taoist practitioners.

Given their status within Buddhism, they could easily gather millions of believers.

They don't need to give instructions to believers; they just need to set the pace.

If the rhythm is set, believers will naturally harbor resentment towards the dynasty.

Which dynasty could accept such a thing happening in the capital?
Which emperor wouldn't be furious if he saw this?

However, there's nothing you can do about it!
Send troops to encircle and suppress them?

That's adding fuel to the fire!
The only people you can kill are the people under your own rule. Which of these three eminent monks can kill them?

If you can't kill them, any military action you take will be a mistake!
If we don't resort to force, then we can only reason with them.

Their Dharma altar is there, and they are all great Buddhist masters. How can you debate with the Buddhist community?
No one can argue with them.

You can only watch helplessly as they gather millions of people there, stripping away the dynasty's benevolence and justice bit by bit...

This undermines the foundation of the dynasty.

This was a countermeasure taken by three eminent monks in response to what happened in the Golden Hall.

Who says that a high-ranking monk has no desire for revenge?
Lin Xiaosu slowly turned her gaze back, a smile appearing on her face: "Your Highness, how about we go and admire it?"

"appreciate?"

"Indeed, three eminent Buddhist masters setting up an altar to discuss Buddhism—what a grand event! Since we've stumbled upon it, we should definitely go and see!"

"Then... let's go?"

Lin Xiaosu said, "It's probably already completely blocked over there, so we don't need the car. Let's use the air-breaking technique!"

As the light of the royal seal shone, the four of them rolled up together, traversing half of the capital city, and landed on the shore of Liuxiang Lake.

Liuxiang Lake, a lake in the northern part of Beijing, boasts beautiful scenery, which is especially evocative in this misty rain.

This lake is the Royal Lake.

Because it is the water source for the entire capital city.

The lake waters nourish the capital city through the Liuxiang River, which flows through the city.

Restaurants are scattered along the lakeside.

Brothels were everywhere.

With its bluestone base, red walls, and green tiles, it is exceptionally enchanting.

To the due north, shrouded in mist and clouds, a tall pavilion rises from the ground; that is the Zhen Tian Pavilion, famous throughout the capital.

Zhentian Pavilion, ancient and weathered.

But the design is strange.

The giant pavilion below is no different from any other pavilion, but its top is flat, as if it had been sliced ​​off by a sword.

People in the capital say that the pavilion was built in this way only because it is located on a mountain and is too tall. If the pavilion were fully built, its spire would cover the main hall of the imperial palace.

That would be considered disobedient, so the pavilion was left without a roof, indicating that even though this Zhentian Pavilion possessed the power to suppress the heavens, it was still a pavilion subordinate to the imperial dynasty.

This explanation sounded plausible, and everyone believed it.

However, Lin Xiaosu discovered a secret within the Xuan Kong Yuan Shen he had just acquired, which made him realize how ironic the matter was.

This pavilion looks as if its roof was sliced ​​off with a single sword stroke, but in fact, it's not just "like"...

It was the pavilion whose roof was sliced ​​off by a single sword!

The person who cut off the roof of the pavilion comes from Cangyuan!
This sword strike was not a strike by the dynasty to defend its own dignity.

On the contrary, it was Cangyuan's sword that warned the dynasty!
This secret is probably unknown even to the Seventh Prince, but Lin Xiaosu knows it.

Speaking of this, I must mention the incident that just happened: Lin Xiaosu's other brilliant move in resolutely killing Xuan Kong Yuan Shen.

This ingenious method involved him personally destroying Xuan Kong's primordial spirit and refining the fragments of that spirit.

By refining the primordial spirit, one can obtain some secrets within the other party's primordial spirit.

Xuan Kong is a high-ranking member of the Heart Gate; how terrifying are some of the secrets within his primordial spirit?
Under normal circumstances, it would be almost impossible for Lin Xiaosu to obtain the memories of a master of this level, but he did it today.

This refining process means that resources will come rolling in while you sit at home.

Deciphering each fragment of the primordial spirit brings new insights.

One of the many secrets was that his primordial spirit grew at a visible rate.

The two primordial spirits in the sea of ​​consciousness are gradually taking on Lin Xiaosu's clear characteristics. What does this mean? It means that a direction that Hua Miaoyi once mentioned is becoming a reality.

What did you say?

The Heavenly Primordial Spirit is a blessing for cultivators, but it also has flaws. The biggest flaw is that this primordial spirit is not something you cultivate yourself, and it may leave you at any time.

The only solution is to strengthen one's own primordial spirit and refine the primordial spirit of the Heavenly Dao for one's own use.

He is refining the primordial spirit of the Xuan Kong Dao realm, and his own primordial spirit is being strengthened at a rapid pace. Although it has not yet truly become his own, given time, he will surely succeed!
far away...

Back to reality!

The reality is that on the banks of the Liuxiang River, in front of the Zhentian Pavilion, three bald men are causing trouble!
Moreover, this action caused quite a stir.

The mysteries of Buddhism are infinite.

Master Xuanfeng opened his mouth to chant sutras, and golden lotuses truly spewed from his mouth, forming a Buddhist altar beneath him.

The altar was slowly raised in this way.

The same applies to the other two.

The only difference is that the golden lotus that comes out of his mouth is somewhat different from his golden lotus.

Xuanfeng's golden lotus, with its bright color, was reflected in the lake as his Buddhist altar rose, creating the outline of the golden lotus.

The golden lotus of wisdom was deep in color, and behind him, a huge golden lotus appeared in the void.

The nun Jinlian appeared even more delicate, yet the delicate threads of her hair enveloped her entire body. As the Buddhist altar rose, she resembled a true golden statue of Buddha or Taoism.

The chanting of Buddhist scriptures and the flowing light of Buddhist scriptures transformed the entire world into a Buddhist temple.

Below, the car stopped.

The person stopped.

The sounds of music and dance in brothels are long gone.

Countless courtesans gathered before the window, their faces losing their former radiance and replaced by solemnity.

What kind of atmosphere could make these courtesans look solemn?

Believers knelt down in droves.

Hundreds, thousands, thousands!
Their backgrounds were diverse: peddlers, ladies of high society, scholars, and warriors. Dozens of officials had arrived, and the initial tension on their faces had subtly faded, replaced by relaxation. Lin Xiaosu glanced at them and her heart skipped a beat. If these officials were to kneel down on one knee, things would get interesting…

"...The grand halls are like this, the magnificent pavilions are like this, the mountains and rivers are like this, the marketplace is like this, people are like this, nothing is more true than this..."

Master Xuanfeng's Buddhist chants possess a magical power that quietly dispels all unease.

The Seventh Prince leaned close to Lin Xiaosu's ear: "Lord Li, this is the Buddhist scripture 'Thus Spoke Zangetta'!"

Lin Xiaosu nodded!

On the other side, a gentle female voice sighed: "...to deliver from suffering, to ...

This is the Buddhist scripture "The Three Perfections Sutra".

The Master Zhiding in the middle is reciting the Buddhist scripture "Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra": "The Buddha said: What does the wise do? To do is to do, to do is not to do; not doing evil is doing good. It is not as good as the mundane world, which is all just the mundane world; it is not as good as the Western Paradise, which is all just the Western Paradise..."

"'Thus it is' means acceptance, 'to save others' means transcendence, 'great wisdom' means non-action..." The Seventh Prince sighed softly, "Judging from the scriptures they recited, it seemed that they accepted Xuan Kong's death and had no intention of doing anything evil. However, what they did was precisely evil!"

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "Evil deeds disguised as kindness? Fine, I'll challenge them!"

"How...do you intend to challenge me?"

“It’s just discussing scriptures, right? It’s not like only they can do that!” Lin Xiaosu said.

He took a step forward, heading towards the location of the three eminent monks.

This step filled the Seventh Prince with trepidation.

What is this going to do?
A treatise on scriptures?

You want to discuss scriptures with three eminent monks?
Do you want to hear what you're saying? (End of Chapter)