Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1007 Light-Speed ​​Surrender

"Zen Master...you truly have excellent methods!"

Despite repeatedly reminding himself to be calm and composed, Huiren did not act like a country monk who had never seen the world, spending his days marveling at and praising this eminent monk from the south.

But sometimes, after witnessing such a dramatic and silent operation, he really felt compelled to express his admiration.
Just a few days ago, Hui Ren was a highly respected abbot of a famous temple in Liang State.

Even within the Zen school, based on his cultivation and the achievement of managing Linji Temple so well, he could barely be considered 'young and promising'.

He believed that he could explain profound teachings in a simple and easy-to-understand way; he could evoke the power of vows when performing rituals to ward off disasters and pray for blessings; he was also sharp-tongued and quick-witted when debating scriptures with others; even his body was a combination of natural superhuman strength and the golden body of an Arhat cultivated through arduous practice, making him impervious to ordinary demons.

The results of it?
Encountering this unexpected calamity, the temple was thrown into chaos by the aftermath of divine punishment, and the safety of the disciples hung by a thread. Although they knew that the root cause might lie in the Liang Prince's mansion, they felt a deep sense of powerlessness, a feeling of being unable to do anything and having no idea where to start.

This is not a problem unique to him.

In fact, few practitioners in the spiritual community are willing or dare to easily confront high-ranking officials and nobles who are protected by human ethics, especially a powerful prince.

First, their social circles and goals didn't overlap much. Second, they were wary of each other; the cultivators were wary of the imperial power, fortune, and army, while the powerful and wealthy were wary of the cultivators' unorthodox methods. Third, and most importantly, the rich humanistic fortune had a natural isolating and weakening effect on many magical arts and supernatural powers.

Therefore, despite possessing great strength and Buddhist teachings, he couldn't even think of an effective way to fight back against someone like King Liang who was secretly plotting against him.

But what about Zen Master Fahai?

When they move, it's with overwhelming force! They completely disregard all rules and regulations, acting with brute force, precision, and ruthlessness.

He appeared calm and collected, and spent most of his time at Linji Temple without traveling far, yet he had already grasped the key points while chatting and laughing, taking pulses and observing qi.

Then, with a little manipulation, the illusion and reality were combined, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

By seeing through the fog and accurately striking the weakness, they triggered the most swift response from the direction of Luoyang.

In a few swift moves, they dismantled the enemy's greatest reliance.

This forced the usually patient and shrewd Prince Liang to obey the imperial decree to leave his residence and go to the capital to "attend classes."

This is no longer a simple breakthrough, but almost an overturning of the chessboard!

"As expected, the imperial court is most concerned about the White Lotus Rebellion." Huiren couldn't help but sigh again, feeling that he had grasped the key to the problem. The Zen master used this as a pretext, and sure enough, his attack was effective!
Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan glanced at Hui Ren with considerable surprise.

What the monk said...

As things stand, what truly touched the emperor's nerves and led to Prince Liang being summoned to the capital was clearly the matter of "secretly refining longevity elixirs," and had nothing to do with the White Lotus Rebellion...

Suddenly, he thought of himself.

Yes, in a sense, Huiren is right.

Looking at Hui Ren's sincere admiration, he couldn't help but feel amused and moved.

"You monk... your perspective on things is indeed... your Buddhist heart is clear and pure, pointing directly to the source."

Calculating the time, from the moment Xu Xuan stepped into the territory of Liang, to the day he found the key clue to the Shang ancestor's fire calendar, and then to the day King Liang was summoned to Luoyang by imperial edict to "study," it was only a short ten days.

During these ten days, most of the time was spent on the journey of delivering messages and exchanging imperial edicts.

The time that truly belonged to Xu Xuan to break the deadlock was but a fleeting moment.

Now that the King of Liang has temporarily left, the invisible pressure hanging over Suiyang City has been greatly reduced.

The "Justice Squad," which had been suppressed by the Prince's Mansion and had been unable to exert its power, finally gained valuable room to maneuver.

So, the goal is clear.

How can we persuade the still heavily guarded Liang Prince's Mansion to "open its arms" and welcome in-depth investigation, whether willingly or unwillingly?

After all, forcing their way in is absolutely impossible.

Hui Ren's gaze involuntarily fell once again on the seemingly omnipotent Zen Master Fa Hai beside him, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Master, we have only just begun to understand the circumstances surrounding the divine punishment we incurred. We would appreciate your guidance on how to proceed with the investigation."

Xu Xuan's gaze was also fixed on the layout of the magnificent mansion in the distance, his brows furrowed slightly.

It was not just the residence of a prince; it was more like a heavily armed war fortress.

During my last brief glimpse under the guise of a medical consultation, I had already glimpsed the hidden magic arrays, the spirit objects being suppressed, and the enigmatic, powerful figures scattered throughout the key points.

Not to mention the surrounding armies that could rush to the rescue at any time, and the all-encompassing, inviolable aura of human destiny that enveloped the entire palace.

Beneath the luxurious pavilions and towers lies a cold and hard defensive core.

As for Huiren's suggestion to continue unraveling the mystery and searching for the specific reasons for the divine punishment... in his view, that was perhaps a bit too naive.

When King Liang had already made no attempt to conceal his ruthlessness, the positions of both sides became completely clear: they were enemies to the death.

At this point, it's no longer meaningful to dwell on "why he triggered divine punishment" or "what the specific mechanism of divine punishment is."

Once you've completely defeated your opponent, if you still have some free time, you can slowly explore the reasons behind it, and maybe even enjoy the "spectacular" moment when your opponent cries and begs for mercy on their knees.

If he didn't have time, he would have to rush to the capital to take the imperial examination after dealing with the Liang Prince's affairs, so he wouldn't have time to worry about any 'why' or 'why'.

For Xu Xuan, efficiency is key.

Having figured this out, he no longer hesitated and immediately began the second round of planning and probing against the Liang Prince's Mansion.

The sword strikes are the same, but last time it was a distant attack, using the opponent's force against them to force King Liang away from his stronghold. This time, the sword's edge will strike directly at King Liang's residence!

As for how to spread the news, it certainly can no longer be through rumors from official channels, nor is it appropriate to use the Buddhist network of Master Huiren.

This time, we really have to resort to some "white lotus" tactics.

Do you all remember that magistrate of Ji County?

He was the "extraordinary man" who had already been convicted by the court, escorted to the capital, and tacitly pushed forward by the entire court to single-handedly shoulder the responsibility for the astonishing phenomenon of "appearing day and night" in Pei State.

By a twist of fate, the magistrate confessed to the "Great Compassionate Dharma King," mentioning that he had a close friend who held an important position in the Liang Kingdom and had committed many extremely serious crimes, the details of which were truly shocking.

"Now, it's time to bring these inspiring stories back to the light of day."

That night, in Yu County, a subordinate county of the Liang State. During the reign of Yu the Great, Shang Jun, the son of Emperor Shun, was enfeoffed here, and the area was historically known as "Youyu". When Shao Kang revived the Xia Dynasty, he also fled to Luncheng, west of Yu City, where he used this place as a base to accumulate strength and eventually achieve the great restoration.

Located in the heart of the Huanghuai Plain, this area is flat and open, with waterways such as the Huiji River and Qiulonggou running through it like veins, nourishing this ancient land.

Historically, it bears the imprint of ancient sage kings and the rise and fall of dynasties; geographically, it is located in a strategic position in the Central Plains, suitable for both land and water transport.

Upon reaching the northern border, one realizes what the core area of ​​Chinese civilization truly is—every inch of land seems to bear the imprint of kings and generals, and echoes with the sounds of history.

Tonight, another exciting and secretive story related to "kings and nobles" will quietly unfold on this ancient land.

Arriving here late at night, Xu Xuan's goal was naturally to "have a chat" with this magistrate of Yu County.

As a well-mannered schoolteacher, he sent a visiting card to the county government office during the day to avoid making the other party too alarmed and losing face by suddenly visiting late at night.

Of course, this visiting card did not begin with pleasantries; instead, it directly recounted a short story:

"Twenty-seven years ago, three scholars on their way to the capital for the imperial examinations passed through the outskirts of Taiyuan. Under the moonlight, they swore an oath to serve as officials in the same court and to help the country. However, two of them, driven by greed, sought to seize their companion's heirloom jade pendant and travel expenses. In a deserted temple, they struck their companion on the back of the head with an inkstone and dumped his body in a dry well..."

The story is written concisely, yet it clearly explains the time, place, relationships between characters, and methods of the crime.

After reading the letter of greeting alone in his study, the magistrate of Yu County had an incredibly complex expression, turning from red to pale, and breaking out in a cold sweat.

He feigned composure, then found a pretext to summon three trusted subordinates who knew many of his secrets into his inner room, where he personally supervised their deaths by beating them to death!

They were trying to silence them and cover up any potential witnesses who might know the truth.

At the same time, his mind was in turmoil, and he was thinking rapidly: "Who on earth! Who revealed our secrets?! We've been put in such a passive position!"

"Could it be... that 'old friend'?"

He recalled another scholar from the story.

"But didn't he... just commit a huge crime on his own turf and have been arrested and taken to the capital? Is he in dire straits? Could it be that he wanted to drag me down with him before he died?"

After pondering for a long time, I came up with no result.

Finally, he made up his mind and decided to stay up all night. He took several highly skilled guards he had hired at great expense, lit the lamps in the inner courtyard of his mansion, and sat upright, waiting for the other party to "arrive in."

"What's meant to be will be! I'd like to see which deity is behind this! If you have the guts, come on!"

He just finished speaking.

"Plop! Plop! Plop..."

The several burly guards beside him, with bulging temples, couldn't even utter a sound before collapsing to the ground as if struck by an invisible force, falling silent on the spot!

Immediately afterwards, the bluestone ground beneath them surged like water, silently swallowing the corpses before returning to its flat state, leaving not a trace of blood.

Before the magistrate could recover from this horrifying scene, a soft and holy white light quietly spread out, enveloping the entire flower hall.

An indescribable peace and tranquility, as if freed from all constraints, permeated the air, completely washing away the chill and resentment brought about by the momentary killing.

In this interplay of utter stillness and eerie holiness, a gentle voice rang out:

"Don't be afraid, I am the Great Compassionate Dharma King of the White Lotus Sect."

When Xu Xuan appeared with the compassionate and dignified appearance of the "Great Compassionate Dharma King," he didn't forget to give a gentle self-introduction.

However, this self-introduction, coupled with the scene of burying someone for purification that had just occurred while chatting and laughing, made the whole scene... a little less heartwarming.

The magistrate of Yu County was immediately in a bad mood.

I felt a chill run from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head, and my limbs were ice cold.

She's acting like a hypocrite!

And he's a big shot like the Dharma King!

He is still the White Lotus Dharma King who holds deadly evidence of his murder and robbery committed 27 years ago!
"I'm finished..." The thought exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.

Career, family, life... everything seemed to reach its end at this moment.

A storm raged through his mind, flashing countless thoughts of struggle, begging for mercy, and even fighting to the death. But in the face of absolute power and leverage, all these thoughts seemed so pale and powerless.

Finally, his shoulders slumped, his head drooped completely, as if all the bones had been removed, and with a thud, he knelt down, his head touching the ground, and said in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty! I beg you... I beg you to spare my life! If you will show mercy, I will do whatever you say! I... no, I am willing to serve you like a dog!"

Xu Xuan: "..."

For a moment, I was speechless.

I... I just introduced myself, and before I even said anything threatening, I've already... been recruited?

Is it because the White Lotus Sect has such a terrible reputation in the North, or is it because you are... too "pragmatic" and too "self-loving"?

But this is good, it saves a lot of trouble.

The series of coercive and enticing tactics that were originally prepared can be put aside for now.

He directly assigned the task in the compassionate yet dignified tone of the "Great Compassionate Dharma King":

"Get up. I am not here to take your life, but only to ask you to do a few small things."

"For example, spread rumors that the Jin emperor summoned the princes to the capital, but in reality he harbored evil intentions and planned to lure and kill the princes. The Prince of Liang is going there and he may never return. His fate is more likely to be grim."

"Of course, short stories like 'King Liang used human lives to refine evil pills, incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people,' 'King Liang's collusion with the White Lotus Sect was exposed, and the evidence was conclusive,' and 'King Liang... here you can freely make up 108 pieces of dirt,' are also included to make them vivid and widely disseminated."

After hearing this, the kneeling magistrate of Yu County was first stunned, and then... he visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

That's it? !
At first, he thought the other party wanted him to assassinate a prince or incite a rebellion, something that would result in the extermination of his entire family. But it turns out... they were just spreading rumors and launching a media attack.

Although slandering princes and the imperial court is a serious crime, as long as it is done discreetly, there will be no direct conflict. If handled properly, it may be possible to get away with it and still have a chance to survive.

It now seems that the White Lotus Sect wanted to destroy the Liang King, and I just happened to be in Liang Kingdom, holding a low-ranking official position with no powerful background to rely on. Unfortunately, I also had some fatal flaws exposed, which is why I was chosen to become a pawn in their hands to spread rumors.

(End of this chapter)