Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 143 "On the Love of Lotus"! [I love the lotus for its purity, rising from the mud unsullied]! Three thousand traitors were annihilated!

"boom--!"

Xue Chonghu slashed down with his sword, the blade flashing like thunder, instantly turning dozens of traitorous scholars into a bloody mist!
However, the black mist surged, and more shadowy figures roared and pounced, clinging to the naval battle formation like a malignant tumor!
"That's too late!"

Xue Chonghu's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulged. His sword strikes became increasingly ferocious. However, with each step forward, the rebels piled up their flesh and blood, dragging the battle into a quagmire of fighting!

"Li Shouyi! Can your literary formations get any faster?!"

Li Shouyi's face was ashen, and the scroll of the Spring and Autumn Annals in his hand flew. The battle formation was like a dragon coiling around, but for every inch it advanced, there were rebels who fearlessly crashed into the formation, sacrificing their lives to block it!

"No! These traitors... they're not afraid of death at all! It will take at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before we can break through!"

He gritted his teeth and growled, blood seeping from his fingertips, and the gold lettering on the pages dimmed—the traitorous race was corrupting the battle formation with its decadent literary style, actually eroding his talent!
"Can Jiang Xingzhou withstand the burning of an incense stick?!"

Xue Chonghu's heart was burning with anxiety, his eyes fixed on the churning black mist.

From the depths of the black mist, the faint clang of swords could be heard!

But each sound seemed to be swallowed up by something invisible, growing weaker and weaker...

Black mist and foul air surged, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts.

Filthy words, obscene language, altered classic texts, and the roars of treacherous madmen transformed into countless twisted ghostly figures, tearing at Jiang Xingzhou on his lone boat!

The treasured artifact, "The Bloodstained First Book of the Grand Scholar of Mingzhou," possesses such terrifying power that anyone below the rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) will rot upon contact with it!

Even the demon soldiers and generals dared not approach the swirling, filthy black mist that stretched for miles around.

"Ah……"

Jiang Xingzhou stood on the light boat, his robes fluttering in the wind, yet his expression remained calm.

If you want to expose the filthy literary treasures of these rebellious intellectuals, nothing beats Zhou Dunyi's famous essay, "On the Love of Lotus"!
His brushstrokes were as sharp as swords, each character as beautiful as a lotus, blooming amidst the turbid world—

"On the Love of Lotus"

[Among the flowers of land and water, many are lovely.]

As the brush fell, a burst of green light gushed forth, flowing like a clear spring, carving out a pure land in the black mist!
"boom--!!!"

In an instant,
Within a radius of several dozen feet around him, heaven and earth resonated!

Countless exotic flowers and herbs bloomed from the void and took root on the light boat. The surrounding lake surface was shimmering with the shadows of the flowers and radiant light!

The peach blossoms are in full bloom, and talent is like a sword, cutting through filth!

The winter plum blossoms brave the snow, their spirit as firm as iron, shattering falsehoods!

The orchid is elegant and refined, its literary spirit as pure as jade, cleansing away the turbid currents!

Green bamboo soars into the clouds, its spirit as sharp as a knife, cleaving through the black mist!
The crabapple blossoms weep blood, loyalty burns like fire, extinguishing the treacherous words of the rebellious!

Reeds are as resilient as silk, with a vitality that extends endlessly and never ceases to thrive!

The phoenix is ​​drawn to the parasol tree, its clear and melodious sound dispelling all lewd and evil noises!

Moss grows green on the steps, revealing profound truths in the smallest details, purifying filth inch by inch!
Thousands of exotic flowers and rare herbs bloom in profusion! Red flowers and green leaves, buds and blossoms, their brilliance as dazzling as a cascading galaxy!

"Wow——!"

The black mist crumbled upon contact, receding dozens of feet like a tide!

Jiang Xingzhou stood amidst a sea of ​​flowers, pen in hand as if wielding a sword, his gaze clear and cold as frost, focused intently on the article he was writing.

"this……!"

Zhao Zilu's pupils constricted sharply, and his expression changed drastically!

Within a radius of several dozen feet around Jiang Xingzhou, flowers and plants bloomed in competition, and his energy flowed like a rainbow, actually carving out a pure land in the black mist!
"Damn it! He can actually cultivate so many plants and spiritual flowers?!"

These flowers are no ordinary things.
Instead, it is the essence of talent gathered through literary arts. Each plant contains the righteous energy of heaven and earth, the power of life, and the power of spiritual herbs. At this moment, they form a flower world, firmly blocking the filth and black mist from the outside!
However, the churning black mist possessed extraordinary power!
"laugh--!"

The foul air coiled around him like a venomous snake.

The flowers of talent surrounding Jiang Xingzhou were tainted with black energy. Their petals quickly dimmed, their leaves withered and curled, and one after another they withered and fell!
The flower realm is collapsing inch by inch, and the black mist is closing in once again!

"Hahaha!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Zilu burst into laughter, his eyes full of mockery. "Jiang Xingzhou, your writing is nothing special!"

Even my Grand Secretary's [Mingzhou] masterpiece couldn't withstand it, yet he dares to call himself the number one talent in Jiangnan?!

He raised his hand and waved it, and a corrupt book appeared in the black mist. As the pages turned, the filthy words materialized and pressed down on Jiang Xingzhou like a tidal wave!

"[Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty loved chrysanthemums alone]"

Jiang Xingzhou ignored his mockery and, with a stroke of his pen, produced ink that shone like flames!

"boom!"

A giant golden chrysanthemum suddenly bloomed in the void, its petals spinning like golden blades, and its yellow light pouring down like the blazing sun. Wherever it shone, filthy ghosts howled mournfully, melting away in an instant like snow meeting fire!
"laugh--!"

The black mist ignited upon contact, burning a huge hole in it!

"[Since the Tang Dynasty, people have greatly loved peonies!]"

A stroke of the pen, like a sword, slashed down, and colorful light shot into the sky!

A magnificent peony phantom rose from beneath Jiang Xingzhou's feet, its petals unfolding layer by layer, its rich fragrance materializing and sweeping out like waves!

"Boom——!"

The black mist and the fragrant light collided, and it was like boiling oil being poured onto snow; both disintegrated inch by inch!

"puff--!"

Zhao Zilu's face turned deathly pale, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of foul blood, which splattered onto the corrupted artifact in his hand!

Crush him!

He roared ferociously, his blood seeping into the pages of the book, and the black mist surged again, like a monstrous wave, crashing madly down on the golden chrysanthemum and the peony!
"Chichichichi——!"

The black mist collided violently with the light of chrysanthemums and peonies, burning out blinding smoke. The entire lake area, spanning several miles, was twisted and trembled in the flames!
Zhao Zilu was horrified.

He barely managed to draw with Jiang Xingzhou.

"Palace Master, I can't hold on any longer! ...Quickly send someone to help me!"

Zhao Zilu's face was deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The corrupted artifact in his hand trembled violently, and the filthy words on the pages began to crack!
The golden chrysanthemum was still burning in the black mist, and the fragrant light of the peony forced him to retreat step by step. If this continued, the first treasure of [Mingzhou] in his hand would be forced back!

Indeed, this is a literary treasure of a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy!
But that was someone else's literary treasure—unintentionally altered by the traitorous Zhong Fei, becoming a tainted blood literary treasure, and then given to him to use!

He couldn't even unleash a fraction of the power of this tainted blood artifact!

How could anyone possibly rival Jiang Xingzhou's personally penned poems and essays of the [Mingzhou] caliber?

"waste!"

Fei Wuxin suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with a cold light like a knife, and shouted angrily: "You hold the first literary treasure of Mingzhou, which is the title of Grand Scholar of the Hall of Fame, yet you can't even defeat a mere scholar?"
What use are you to me?!

At this moment, he is leading three thousand traitorous scholars, using the black mist as a barrier, to desperately resist the fierce attack of the twenty thousand naval troops led by Xue Chonghu and Li Shouyi!

Swords flash and warships clash!

The clash between literary energy and evil magic exploded, creating a sky full of blood mist!
If it weren't for his personal presence as a Hanlin scholar, the defensive line composed of three thousand rebellious scholars would have collapsed long ago!

"You hold on for me, crush Jiang Xingzhou!"

Fei Wuxin roared fiercely, his body surrounded by surging black mist that transformed into hundreds of chains, tightly binding the charging warship!
"Kill! Break through the black mist and rescue Jiang Xingzhou!"

Xue Chonghu roared, his warships charged forward, blades slashed, and black mist tore through!

Li Shouyi further stirred up his literary energy, and his righteous spirit, like a rainbow piercing the sun, wrapped around his flying sword and directly approached Fei Wuxin!

"boom--!"

Unable to face their combined attack, Fei turned to defend himself and had no time to look after Zhao Zilu!
The 50,000 Taihu Lake demon army was already at a disadvantage, and when it faced a head-on confrontation with the 100,000-strong Jiangnan navy, its forces were stretched thin at every turn.

How could he possibly withdraw his troops to reinforce Zhao Zilu?

"Damn it!"

Seeing that there was no hope of getting help, Zhao Zilu had no choice but to fight Jiang Xingzhou head-on.

"I refuse to believe that with my rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) and the precious manuscript of the first scholar, stained with the blood of a Grand Secretary, I cannot corrupt you, a mere Xiucai (a low-ranking scholar)!"

He gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the corrupted Wenbao!
"Boom——!"

The black mist suddenly boiled and surged out like a raging tide, once again suppressing the brilliance of the golden chrysanthemum and peony!
Jiang Xingzhou's light boat was instantly submerged in the billowing, filthy black mist, and wrapped up in a ball!
"[I especially love the lotus, which rises from the mud unsullied—]"

Jiang Xingzhou used his fingers as a pen, writing swiftly. His voice was not loud, but it was like the morning bell and evening drum, each word striking the heavens and the earth!
"boom--!"

The moment the pen touched the paper, a blue light poured down like a galaxy, and the entire black mist was violently shaken by this one sentence, as if it were being torn apart by an invisible hand!

"Wow!"

Beneath the small boat, the water's surface suddenly split open!

A huge blue lotus was born from the black filth—rising from the mud unsullied!
The lotus leaves unfurled!
Like a piece of jade spread out, it instantly covered several miles of water!
Lotus flowers are blooming!
Its petals are as clear as glass, and its lotus heart is filled with golden light. It is frantically devouring all the surrounding black mist, transforming the filth and evil energy into its pure talent!

The denser the black fog, the faster it grows! — The filthy silt is its most fertile fertilizer!
"How can this be?!"

Zhao Zilu's eyes were bloodshot as he watched helplessly as the black mist he had poured all his energy into not only failed to corrupt the green lotus, but instead—became its fertilizer!
He was completely stunned and retreated in terror!

He had never seen anything like it before, that could absorb the foul blood and black energy of the precious artifact!
"No!"

A nameless fear arose in Zhao Zilu's heart!
"[Clear and pure, yet not seductive]"

Jiang Xingzhou's brushstrokes flow like dragons and snakes, his ink staining the vast sky!

Each word fell like a thunderclap, condensing into dazzling golden light in the void, illuminating several miles!

"boom--!"

The roots of the green lotus suddenly grew rapidly, like thousands of glass dragons breaking through the water, deeply penetrating the core of the black mist, and frantically devouring the filth and evil energy!

The lotus stem is completely transparent, revealing ancient sages' inscriptions, and its righteous spirit is like an inverted celestial river, washing away all the filth in the world!
"[Straight and upright, without any extraneous details!]"

A blue lotus stands tall, reaching towards the sky!

A hundred-foot lotus platform radiates boundless light, its lotus leaves covering the sky and blocking out the sun.

The entire area of ​​black mist, stretching for miles, was completely enveloped in the Pure and Crystal Realm!

The corrupt literary treasure in Zhao Zilu's hand—the Bloodstained Imperial Scholar's Treasure—made a "whooshing" sound. The writhing and struggling filthy characters emitted a shrill scream, turning into wisps of black smoke, which were then swallowed by the lotus root!

"[Its fragrance spreads far and wide, its purity deepens; it stands tall and clean!]"

The sound of boats sailing on the river shook the heavens, and the blue lotus bloomed in response! The fragrance of the lotus solidified into a tangible form, transforming into golden ripples that spread out in layers.

Wherever it passed, the black mist was like snow meeting boiling water.

"[It is to be admired from afar, but not to be trifled with!]"

As the last word was uttered, the green lotus trembled violently!

A burst of golden light erupted from the center of the lotus platform, like the rising sun, illuminating countless flowers in Taihu Lake!
"[I say that the chrysanthemum is the flower of the recluse—]"

The suppressed golden chrysanthemum suddenly bloomed, its petals transforming into countless golden blades, and its hidden energy condensed into an invisible sword array, completely surrounding Zhao Zilu!

"[The peony, the flower of wealth and nobility—]"

The magnificent peony phantom reappeared, its fragrance rich and deep, spreading towards the battlefield of Taihu Lake!
"The lotus is the flower of the gentleman!"

The three flowers resonate, and the heavens and earth tremble!
"[Alas!
A love for chrysanthemums is rarely heard of after Tao Yuanming.

Who shares my love for the lotus?
The love for peonies is indeed widespread!

The fragrance of peonies cleansed the battlefield of Taihu Lake.

The naval soldiers felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, and the wounds that had been corroded by the black mist began to heal!
A hundred-foot-tall blue lotus stands proudly between heaven and earth.

On the lotus platform,

Jiang Xingzhou, dressed in white, looked as pure as snow.

The light boat beneath his feet shimmered with a faint blue light.
The black mist that had just been swallowed was transformed into the purest talent, condensing a light boat into a budding blue lotus boat!

—No more, no filth or black energy could get within a hundred feet of him.

The entire battlefield fell silent!
"This is impossible!"

Fei Wuxin turned around in shock, his pupils shrinking sharply.

I see,

In the darkest part of the filthy black mist, a giant blue lotus was born.

The billowing, foul black mist, like silt, was being completely absorbed by a giant blue lotus radiating azure light.

The lotus leaves, spreading rapidly, absorbed the foul black air and quickly expanded over the surface of Taihu Lake for miles.

The roots of that towering blue lotus have spread for dozens of miles, each tendril like a crystal jade chain, swallowing up all the surrounding filthy black energy!
The black mist was replaced by a hazy blue light!
If this continues, the vast Taihu Lake will be transformed into a single lotus pond!

Many rebellious intellectuals, when bathed in the hazy blue light, emitted foul-smelling black smoke from their bodies, their flesh hissing and crackling!
"what--!"

Those dozens of traitorous scholars who came into contact with the hazy blue light immediately screamed in agony, thick black blood gushing from their seven orifices.

From within the withered chest cavity, a cracking sound could be heard—that was the filthy literary heart being nourished by the green lotus!
next moment--

Originally rebellious intellectuals, they suddenly awoke from their daze, their faces filled with grief, indignation, and shame.

"The lotus rises from the mud, yet remains unstained!"

An elderly man with white hair, a member of a different race, suddenly looked up. His cloudy eyes gradually became clear, and two lines of bloody tears streamed down his face.

"Pfft!"

The old man suddenly clutched his chest, and a green lotus seed burst forth from his heart cavity!

root!

germination!

Long leaves!

flowering!
The lotus stem coiled around the broken veins, crushing all the remaining black energy.

"This is true literary spirit."
I have finally attained enlightenment!
This is the true essence of literature!

The old man trembled as he picked up the blue lotus, his withered face revealing a look of surprise.

When the lotus petals fully bloomed, a blue lotus flower suddenly appeared in his heart—a gentleman's literary heart reshaped by "On the Love of Lotus"!

"Even the purest waters cannot corrupt her!"

More rebellious intellectuals began to roar, their backs cracking as their literary minds blossomed, and the filth and darkness within them were instantly purified into glistening dewdrops!

"Pfft!"

Within their hearts, a blue lotus blossomed, breaking free from its shell.

One after another, rebellious intellectuals, amidst the carnage, simultaneously plunged into the lake with a "plop."

A series of blue lights burst from their chest cavities, and their bodies turned to ashes.

One by one, blue lotuses burst forth from their hearts, their roots plunging into the filthy mud, while their stems devoutly worshipped the hundred-foot-tall main lotus where Jiang Xingzhou was!

The surface of Taihu Lake transformed into blooming blue lotuses!
Zhao Zilu was stunned.

He looked down at his chest.

"Pfft!"

Amidst a filthy, black mist and weeds, a green lotus seed sprouted, bursting forth from his chest and swiftly absorbing all the filth within him, purifying his body.

His mind gradually cleared.

His cloudy eyes suddenly cleared.

Memories flood back like a tidal wave—

During his years of diligent study, he also cherished the teachings of sages and saints.

Later, due to the clashes between literature and morality, they gradually lost their original intentions;
Ultimately, driven by hatred, he fell into the ranks of the rebellious and became a henchman of the Heartless Palace... living in a daze, lost and confused—he has come to this point today.

"When did I fall so low... to become such an ugly creature?"
Why did I become a rebellious scholar in the Heartless Palace?!

Zhao Zilu gave a bitter laugh, his eyes cracked, and tears of blood rolled down his cheeks.

This was not what he wanted!
"All of this is finally over!"

it's over!"

From this day forward, he will no longer be a reborn descendant, returning to the world to nurture a pure and flawless lotus with his own defiled body!
The lotus swayed gently, its fragrance permeating his lungs and cleansing his decaying soul.

Those memories and twisted obsessions eroded by the black mist melted away like ice and snow.

"boom--!"

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips touching the lotus petals, his skin peeling away inch by inch, turning into ashes.

The lotus fully bloomed, and Zhao Zilu's body shattered like a terracotta figurine, while his soul transformed into a wisp of pure energy that flowed into the lotus's heart.

Heaven and earth are cleared!
"Boom--!"

The heavens and earth trembled, and the filthy black mist completely collapsed!
A hazy blue light shone brightly, casting a vast expanse of light!
The three thousand rebellious literati defense line, illuminated by the hazy blue light of "On the Love of Lotus,"

Thousands of blue lotuses burst forth from their hearts!

The black mist within their bodies was drawn out by the roots of the green lotus, and their filthy literary hearts crumbled inch by inch, collapsing completely!
"Why, after a lifetime of studying the classics, have I become a traitor? No, I have failed my ancestors!"

"Enough. My sins are too great; only death can atone for my sins to the world!"

Some knelt and wept, some roared to the heavens, but in the end—

"Crack!"

They fell like raindrops, turning into mud.

Three thousand rebellious intellectuals were completely wiped out!
Above Taihu Lake, the black mist was completely swallowed by the blue lotus, and the blue waves rippled. Three thousand purifying blue lotuses, blooming with blue light, grew from their filthy and decaying bodies, creating an endless sea of ​​lotuses.

"No!"

Fei Wuxin screamed in agony.

He spent countless years of his life creating the renowned Wuxin Palace and personally cultivating three thousand rebellious scholars!

Surprisingly, they were all slaughtered and purified into blue lotuses by Jiang Xingzhou's [Mingzhou] "On the Love of Lotus".

But right now, he can no longer care about the Wuxin Palace and the three thousand rebellious scholars who were almost completely wiped out!

Too busy to even take care of themselves!

The black aura surrounding him was also being devoured!

Jiang Xingzhou's "On the Love of Lotus" has entered his literary mind.

It seemed that a green lotus seed was sprouting in his heart, absorbing the filth and black energy in his body as nourishment, and was about to break out of its shell.

"not good!"

Fei Wuxin trembled all over, her face contorted.

make a prompt decision!

His five fingers, like hooks, plunged fiercely into his own chest!
"Pfft!"

Flesh and blood tore apart, black blood splattered!

He actually dug out a sprouting green lotus seed from his heart—the lotus seed's roots were wriggling like living things, and had already deeply penetrated his rebellious heart!

"You think a mere green lotus can save me?!"

Hanlin scholar Fei Wuxin grinned maliciously, thick black blood gushing from his palm and enveloping the lotus seed.

The lotus seed struggled, its roots piercing through the scabs, but he forcibly suppressed it with the evil power of a Hanlin scholar!

He bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which condensed into nine talismans in the air, wrapping around the lotus seed layer by layer.

The lotus seed's green light gradually dimmed, and it was eventually compressed into a green lotus seed, unable to move, and was thrown into Taihu Lake!
"Whoosh-!"

Suddenly, he transformed into a streak of blood-red light and fled northward through the sky!
Jiang Xingzhou's "On the Love of Lotus"!
Specializes in defeating rebellious intellectuals!

"The purity of the lotus can cleanse the world of its impurities."

"The roots of a lotus planted deep cannot be removed overnight."

Even though he was a Hanlin scholar and a traitor, he couldn't resist the fact that "On the Love of Lotus" took root and sprouted in his traitorous mind, absorbing his filth and darkness.

Once it sprouts and takes root, it will surely die!
He must flee this place and return to Wuxin Palace to heal his wounds, lest he be invaded again by "On the Love of Lotus" and have his heart blossom with lotus!

Wherever he went, the lotus flowers on the lake withered and the lotus leaves turned to ash—corroded by the filth and blood on his body!

(End of this chapter)