Qing Yao

Chapter 398 The Holy Lord Brings Peace to the World

News of the fall of Heishan Village and Xie Hongwu's surrender to the Qing Dynasty quickly reached Wulongling.

The main hall of the village was in a mess, with broken porcelain shards and overturned tables and chairs scattered all over the floor.

Enraged by his brother's betrayal, Xie Hongyi, the leader of the salt bandits, stood in front of the tiger-skin chair with a livid face, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the several subordinates kneeling before him.

These people were those who had fled back from Heiyan Village because they were unwilling to follow Xie Hongwu in surrendering to the Qing Dynasty.

"You ungrateful coward, worse than a pig or a dog!"

Yang Biao, the second-in-command, paced back and forth in the hall like an enraged black bear. A perfectly intact pear wood chair was in his way, and he kicked it so hard that it shattered into pieces.

Ignoring the pain, he looked directly at Xie Hongyi, gritting his teeth and saying, "Marshal, Xie Lao Er disregarded brotherhood and sold the village to the Qing demons. Please order troops to reclaim Black Rock and capture this traitor Xie Lao Er to be burned alive!"

Having said that, before Xie Hongyi could speak, he turned to the group of leaders in the hall and shouted, "Is there any general who will come with me?"

"General" was a title bestowed by Xie Hongyi upon his subordinates, modeled after the Heavenly Mandate Army. Below the General was the General, below the General was the Junior General, below the Junior General was the Junior General, and below the Junior General were the Civil and Military Heads.

Xie Hongyi himself proclaimed himself marshal, and Yang Biao, the second-in-command, became the leader of the sect.

Unlike the White Lotus sect's traditional incense masters, chiefs, and lotus disciples, its organizational structure is closer to that of the military, making it relatively easier to command.

Currently, there are about two thousand salt bandits entrenched in Wulong Ridge. They have been organized into eight divisions by Xie Hongyi and are known as the "Eight Divisions of Heavenly Dragon Soldiers".

"I go!"

"I go!"

Several generals appointed by Xie Hongyi stepped forward without hesitation. Like Xie and Yang, they were all devout followers of the White Lotus Sect and longed for its doctrines and the Maitreya world it depicted.

Wulong Ridge had been Xie Hongyi's salt-trading den and base for more than 20 years, and it was also the foundation of his business. The salt bandits in the ridge were not only desperate criminals, but also deeply involved with the White Lotus Sect. Fanatical believers accounted for almost two-thirds of them. This was completely different from the salt merchants under Xie Hongwu who still maintained a clear mind and only wanted to make a fortune by trading salt.

This is precisely why Zhao An's psychological manipulation of Black Rock was effective.

For the White Lotus fanatics of Wulongling, burning Xie Hongwu, who betrayed his brother, was secondary; the important thing was to reclaim the Black Rock stronghold, because there was no natural defense between Black Rock and Wulongling. If the Qing army used Black Rock stronghold as a "stepping stone," they could directly march on Wulongling.

Whether the Qing army launched a strong attack or continued the siege, the bandits of Wulong Ridge had no way to survive.

"Take back Black Rock and kill Xie Hongwu!"

"Traitor! Three cuts and six holes are too lenient on him!"

"Marshal, give the order! This humble general will be the first to lead the troops into Black Rock, chop Xie Hongwu and that corrupt official surnamed Zhao up and offer them as a sacrifice to the flag!"

"Yes, let's fight the Qing demons! Even if we lose our heads, we'll still be heroes in eighteen years. Our brothers from Wulong Ridge are not those spineless cowards from Black Rock!"

"."

Incited by Yang Biao, the roars, curses, and clanging of weapons against the stone floor from the generals, junior officers, and soldiers mingled together, almost overturning the Hall of Righteousness.

However, Xie Hongyi remained clear-headed. He knew that Heishan Village was easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the Qing army would surely strengthen its defenses at this time. A reckless attack would be counterproductive.

And could he really set his own younger brother on fire?
However, all his subordinate generals were clamoring to retake Black Rock, and even his closest "comrade-in-arms" Yang Biao was eager to fight, which made it difficult for him to make a decision.

Just as they were hesitating, a voice, not loud but possessing a strange, ethereal, penetrating power, came from outside the hall, as if magically piercing everyone's eardrums. "Eternal Mother, True Emptiness Homeland!"

A Taoist priest, with a withered face and a sharp glint in his eyes, holding a whisk, slowly stepped into the hall, surrounded by a dozen young men and women dressed in plain white Taoist robes.

Upon seeing the Taoist priest, the group of salt bandits, including Xie and Yang, unanimously raised their hands in a lotus-pinching gesture and respectfully said, "Greetings, Master!"

This so-called "True Man" was actually the "introducer" who helped Xie and Yang join the White Lotus Sect. No one knows his real name; within the sect, he is known as True Man Liu.

It is said that the leader of the sect treated Master Liu with great courtesy, regarding him as an honored guest.

This Master Liu truly possessed the demeanor of a reclusive sage; his mere appearance silenced the clamor in the hall.

"I already know about Hongwu's matter. Traitors are indeed hateful and deserving of the wrath of both gods and men. However, all things in the mortal world are predetermined. I think the calamity before us may be a test sent down by the Eternal Mother to cleanse the dust and temper the true gold."

Master Liu's voice was extremely soft and feminine, but strangely, everyone who heard it became incredibly calm.

"Please have a seat, sir!"

Xie Hongyi willingly relinquished his tiger-skin chair, but Master Liu refused to sit. He casually tossed his whisk aside and continued speaking slowly in his melodious voice: "The Red Sun Calamity has ended, the White Sun shall rise! The Qing demons are barbarians from beyond the Great Wall who have usurped our Chinese divine artifacts and committed perverse acts that have angered both Heaven and the people. Their fate is already as fragile as a candle in the wind. You all become agitated at the sight of a minor calamity. How can you welcome the arrival of the Bright King and restore our Han lands?"

Upon hearing this, even the most hot-tempered Yang Biao felt deeply ashamed.

A general named Zeng Shaohong hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Master, you may not know this, but with Black Rock in the hands of the Qing demons, Wulong Ridge is bound to face a difficult situation. If we don't reclaim Black Rock, I fear Wulong Ridge will be destroyed soon."

Before they could finish speaking, Master Liu swept his whisk aside and said calmly, "Don't worry unnecessarily. Do you know what secrets I've gleaned from observing the celestial phenomena day and night?"

"Heavenly secrets?"

Everyone was stunned, wondering what the secret of heaven Master Liu was talking about, and they were all curious.

"Please enlighten me, Master!"

Yang Biao bowed and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his face full of piety.

"Please enlighten me, Master!"

Xie Hongyi also clasped his hands in greeting, his eyes full of expectation.

Master Liu nodded slightly, his withered fingers lightly stroking his whisk, and his voice was deep and resonant like the echo of an ancient well: "I have been observing the stars for seven nights and have seen the Purple Star dim and the evil star offending its master. This is an omen of the Emperor Star swaying. So I burned incense and bathed, and exhausted my mind to deduce the 'Tui Bei Tu'. Finally, at the hour of Yin yesterday, I glimpsed a trace of heavenly secrets."

At this point, the master deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over the curious faces of the crowd. His Taoist robes fluttered without wind, and his face was filled with an ethereal quality that transcended worldly affairs.

The bandits were all terrified and filled with awe upon seeing this.

"Heavenly secrets should not be revealed to mortals, but I see that your will is not firm, and I fear I will fail the great trust placed in me by the Eternal Mother. Today, I will risk shortening my lifespan to reveal these heavenly secrets to you. I hope that you can strengthen your resolve, sweep away the demons, and build my true homeland, Amitabha Buddha!"

After speaking, Master Liu suddenly raised his head to the sky and uttered a peculiar tone that sounded like chanting: "The prophecy says: The holy ruler brings peace to the world, the sun and moon shine with new glory. A carpenter's square hangs on the wood, and all rivers return to the king!"

The dozen or so young men and women dressed in plain white Taoist robes appeared as if dancing around the real person, forming a giant lotus flower.

Incredibly sacred.

(End of this chapter)