Catching Monsters

Chapter 560 The Battle of Orthodoxy
In a meditation room at Tianqing Temple, Xuandaozi was serving tea to two visiting celestial masters.

Xuan Daozi now has a rosy complexion and a completely different temperament than before. During this time, he has been cultivating diligently in the temple and has finally broken through to the third-grade Celestial Master realm.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Xuandaozi, on reaching the Celestial Master realm." Lingguzi accepted the tea offered by the other party and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, it is a great blessing for our Daoist sect that you have reached the Celestial Master realm."

"We should have come to offer our congratulations much earlier."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi smiled faintly and said calmly, "You two are too kind. You are merely at the Celestial Master realm, which you have already achieved. I just wonder what brings you here today?"

The relationship between the three Taoist temples was, while not exactly one of mutual destruction, certainly one of irreconcilable conflict.

They are in competition with each other.

The fact that these two came together surprised Xuan Daozi greatly.

Upon hearing Xuan Daozi's question, the two exchanged a glance, and Ling Guzi spoke up, "Fellow Daoist, have you heard about the Sanqing Temple recently?"

"The matter of the Sanqing Temple?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

It wasn't an act of pretense; he genuinely didn't know. After becoming a Celestial Master, his state of mind had changed, and he had been focusing his mind and spirit within the temple, knowing very little about what was happening in the outside world.

Ling Gu Zi slowly recounted in detail what had recently happened at the Sanqing Temple.

After finishing his explanation, Ling Gu Zi frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist should know the seriousness of this matter. This has already involved a struggle between the Daoist lineages. I know that you and that kid Jiang Yun had quite a relationship before."

"But now, the orthodox tradition of Taoism is threatened. If we let Jiang Yun's so-called heretical sects seize our orthodox tradition, even if we die, what face will we have to face the Taoist Ancestor and the elders of Taoism?"

Xuan Daozi remained silent for a while, then suddenly took out a copy of the Tao Te Ching from his robes and said, "Have either of you read this book?"

"This is?"

Xuan Daozi calmly said, "I had previously visited the Sanqing Temple, where the young Taoist priests were very hospitable and gave it to me as a gift."

"If you two are willing to study the Daoist teachings in the Tao Te Ching, you can gain a great deal from them. The Three Pure Ones Daoist teachings that Jiang Yun mentioned are not the heretical or unorthodox teachings we understand, but a profound and vast Daoist teaching."

"Furthermore, many aspects of our Taoist school are similar to those of the Three Pure Ones' Taoist practices."

"maybe……"

At this point, Xuan Daozi stopped talking, finding it difficult to continue.

At first, he suspected that the Three Pure Ones' Taoist practices might have evolved from the Taoist practices of the Daoist Venerable lineage.

After all, the two have many similarities.

However, upon closer examination, it was discovered that the core of the Three Pure Ones' Taoist teachings is even more profound and vast.

This is something that Jiang Yun could not possibly research; at the very least, it would require a great sage or virtuous person to accomplish.

In fact, he even suspected that his own Taoist patriarch, Daozun, might have also practiced the methods of the Three Pure Ones.

Of course, this was an extremely treasonous conjecture, and Xuan Daozi dared not continue speaking when he got to this point.

To avoid being angrily rebuked by these two Taoist masters.

In fact, it was after he devoted himself to studying this Tao Te Ching that he was able to successfully break through to the Celestial Master realm.

"Maybe what?" Ling Gu Zi asked, frowning.

Xuan Daozi shook his head slightly and said slowly, "It's alright. In short, I don't think the Three Pure Ones Daoist method is any kind of heretical or unorthodox practice."

“Fellow Daoists, we all know very well that the Daoist sect is in decline because our predecessors made grave mistakes.”

"As you two have said, isn't it a good thing that His Majesty can turn a blind eye to Jiang Yun and allow him to develop his Daoist sect?"

"We're all Taoists after all, why hurt each other?"

Qingyangzi casually slammed the Tao Te Ching that Xuandaozi had handed him to the ground, angrily rebuking, "Xuandaozi, have you become confused by reading the scriptures written by Jiang Yun?"

"This is a struggle over the orthodoxy. Should we let it develop? In that case, we might end up being seen as heretics."

"How can you do this to the Dao Venerable? Do you dare to say those words in front of the Dao Venerable's statue?"

Xuan Daozi made the Zi-Wu Mudra with his hands: "What I just said was entirely from the bottom of my heart. This Three Pure Ones Daoist method is neither a heretical sect nor a deviant path."

"If you two insist on going your own way, there is nothing I can do to change your minds. You should take care of yourselves."

After saying that, Xuan Daozi raised his hand and filled the teacups in their hands, signaling them to leave.

Qingyangzi and Lingguzi exchanged a glance and then walked out of Tianqing Temple.

Upon arriving at Qingfeng Temple across the street, Qingyangzi asked in a deep voice, "How much silver can you offer?"

Ling Gu Zi estimated: "At most, we can squeeze out 20,000 taels of silver."

“Alright.” Qingyangzi said in a deep voice, “Our Qingfeng Temple has accumulated so much wealth over the years, it wasn’t for nothing.”

"If we can't develop, then Sanqing Temple shouldn't expect to have an easy time either."

...The next morning, Jiang Yun got up early; he'd been quite energetic lately.

Working for the Embroidered Uniform Guard was their job.

Promotion and wealth are just a side effect, after all, he is now in a high position and has been granted titles and honors.

How high does one have to be to be considered a high-ranking official? I'm quite satisfied with my current position.

Developing the Taoist sect is what Jiang Yun truly enjoys and is willing to do.

Xu Suwen had already prepared breakfast. At the table, she couldn't help but jokingly say to Jiang Qiaoqiao, "Look at your brother. He's been leaving early and coming home late every day lately, and he can't stop smiling."

“She’s always running to the Taoist temple, Jiang Yun. I’m telling you, why didn’t you let Qiaoqiao become a Taoist priest? Instead, you sent her to the academy to study and learn to read.”

Jiang Yun lowered her head and drank her porridge, then looked up and said, "Qiaoqiao can't read, she can't understand the scriptures..."

Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Jiang Qiaoqiao stomped on Jiang Yun's foot angrily and said, "I don't like being a Taoist priest either. My teacher said that I am quite suited to Confucianism and Taoism, and he will soon teach me how to cultivate."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun smiled and nodded, then said to Xu Suwen, "Suwen, go to the academy tomorrow and give Qiaoqiao's teacher a gift."

Xu Suwen rolled her eyes at Jiang Yun and said, "Have you forgotten who Qiaoqiao's teacher is? It's the great Confucian scholar Fang Tingzhi."

“He has absolutely no interest in money.”

Jiang Yun paused for a moment: "He has family, and family members always like money, right? Give him more; it's never a bad thing to give more gifts."

"When I have some free time later, I will personally visit Master Fang."

Xu Suwen then said, "By the way, Senior Qu Wushang recently moved back. Was it because we didn't treat him well?"

Jiang Yun shook his head. After returning, he went to the East Garrison Command and saw Qu Wushang on duty. He explained, "Senior Qu's injuries have almost healed, so he returned to the East Garrison Command to be on duty. He drinks every day, which is quite carefree and enjoyable."

Just as the family was talking, Yun Pingchuan strode in, followed by Wen Chen.

Wen Chen's expression turned grim: "Master, something bad has happened."

"What's wrong?" Jiang Yun frowned when she saw his expression.

Wen Chen hurriedly said, "The house next to our Sanqing Temple was bought yesterday. Just now, before dawn, craftsmen came and started building a Taoist temple, which seems to be a branch of Qingfeng Temple."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Perhaps the Taoists of Qingfeng Temple have seen us repairing many Sanqing Temples recently and think that the imperial court has relaxed its restrictions on Taoism?"

Wen Chen said anxiously, "If it were just this matter, I wouldn't be in such a hurry. Of the hundreds of Taoists studying in our temple, more than thirty wrote their resignation letters this morning, saying they wanted to leave the Sanqing Temple."

"I had to grab someone and plead with them until they agreed to tell the truth."

"Qingfeng Temple secretly contacted their families and persuaded them to become Taoist priests at Sanqing Temple, offering to double their monthly salary on top of what we provide."

"It's only early morning, and thirty people are already leaving. If it's evening, I'm afraid not many of the hundred people will be able to stay."

Upon hearing this, Yun Pingchuan frowned and said, "These guys, the master's Taoist temple already pays them quite well, yet they have no sense of propriety."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiaoqiao could understand, after all, she came from a poor family: "It's not their fault. They came to become Taoist priests to make money. If they are paid twice as much, it is only right that they leave."

Jiang Yun gave Jiang Qiaoqiao an approving look, then shook her head and said, "Qiaoqiao, you can't just look at things like that."

"Can Qingfeng Temple really afford to pay them such high salaries if they try to leave now?"

"They are just scholars who couldn't even pass the county-level imperial examination. They have no Taoist cultivation whatsoever, yet their salaries are higher than those of the Taoist priests at Qingfeng Temple."

"They can only keep this money for a month or two at most before Qingfeng Temple kicks them out."

"Uncle Yun wasn't wrong when he said they lacked discernment." Jiang Yun closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "Wen Chen, what are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Chen said, "Let's take the Embroidered Uniform Guards to Qingfeng Temple and attack it."

"At worst, we'll make a big fuss about it."

"Even if this matter reaches His Majesty, will he side with the Embroidered Uniform Guard or with Qingfeng Temple?"

Jiang Yun laughed and said calmly, "So you little brat, how stupid is this method? If we go and fight them, won't we just be in the wrong?"

“We must be reasonable in everything we do. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is His Majesty’s private army. How can I use my position to settle personal scores?”

Wen Chen was slightly taken aback, not expecting his master to have such a strong sense of principle.

Then Jiang Yun's expression turned cold, and he slowly said, "Go back to the Eastern Garrison Command and have Qi Da handle it. First, pick someone from the list of death row inmates in the Capital Prefecture. The crime should preferably be related to treason."

"No matter what method Zidane uses, this death row inmate who is accused of treason must be connected with Qingfeng Temple."

After speaking, a determined look flashed in Jiang Yun's eyes.

Jiang Yun was well aware that this matter had already involved a struggle over the orthodox tradition.

Throughout history, both in China and abroad, the struggle for the orthodox tradition has always been a life-or-death struggle.

(End of this chapter)