Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1040 Quiet Change of Ownership
It would be best to pay money to avoid trouble and establish a secret "cooperative relationship" rather than completely becoming a follower of the White Lotus Sect.

Xu Xuan nodded. It's human nature; not everyone is as pragmatic and knows when to advance and retreat as the magistrate of Liang State.

His gaze calmly fell on Zheng Lian's somewhat ingratiating face, as if he were looking at a stubborn rock that was about to be sculpted but still held onto a sliver of hope.

so.
Did I whip you three times just to make you bow your head and cooperate?
Or do you really regard the White Lotus Sect as an ideal organization that saves people from suffering and forgives past grievances?

Even if it was true before, the current Byakuren of the North is not.

My journey north is to set things right and purify the religious atmosphere!

Of course, right now... we haven't started dialing yet, so it's still the opposite of what's being taught inside and outside the church.

The thought flashed through his mind and then transformed into a cold smile on his lips.

His face immediately darkened, all traces of feigned gentleness vanished, and his voice became frankly almost cruel:
"No face."

These four short words, like icicles striking the ground, resounded powerfully.

The atmosphere, which had just become somewhat lively due to his appearance, instantly turned as cold as the dead of winter. Zheng Lian's pupils shrank, and he could hardly believe his ears.

What a compassionate Dharma King! How could he speak like that?
That's so...so inconsiderate, so undignified, so impolite!

In his shock and anger, he only raged for a moment.

Because the Great Compassionate Dharma King gave him no chance to breathe or refute; his cold words, like a barrage of arrows, continued to rain down mercilessly:
"How do you think that literary gathering of talented scholars from both the north and south came about overnight?"

"How do you think the controversy over auspicious omens went from being mere rumors in the counties and prefectures to attracting the attention of the entire court and the public?"

"Where do you think that pressure from the court, that they want your head, comes from?"

"Where do you think that little eunuch in the palace changed his attitude so drastically?"

With each question, Zheng Lian's face grew paler. These questions were like heavy hammers, shattering his last bit of self-deceptive hope.

Finally, the Great Compassionate Dharma King leaned forward slightly, his face, shrouded in a halo, seemingly able to pierce through all pretense, staring directly into Zheng Lian's trembling soul, each word clear and distinct:

"It was all done by my White Lotus Sect."

"Tell me, do you think I can let you go?"

These words, each one colder and heavier than the last, chilled one to the bone, making one's blood seem to freeze.

Zheng Lian was then filled with anger, furious that the other party had indeed been secretly pushing him into a corner, inch by inch, and was not a compassionate savior at all.

Then came fear, fear of the terrifying extent of the other side's infiltration. The White Lotus Sect's influence was everywhere—in literary gatherings, public opinion, the imperial court, and the palace.

When did they weave such an invisible net?

A sense of despair washed over me again like a tidal wave.

He realized he was already a fish in the net, and the person who cast the net was standing right in front of him, coldly watching his struggle.

How terrifying!
Didn't they say that the White Lotus Sect's headquarters were destroyed thirty years ago and that it was no longer a threat?

How come in the past few years... it seems that its momentum has not only not declined, but has become even stronger, and its methods have been innovated. It even has a hint of being able to manipulate the world's trends by turning one's hand to make clouds and rain.

Just as my heart felt like it had sunk into an ice cave, the compassionate Dharma King, who had just been speaking coldly, suddenly changed his tone and adopted a compassionate and gentle one.

One moment it was the biting cold of winter, the next it felt like the warm sunshine of spring. This extreme contrast left Zheng Lian momentarily stunned.

"Lord Zheng, please do not hold any resentment."

"You're the one who dug the Yellow Springs, and you're also the one who opened the door to good fortune."

"Everything has a beginning; it is easy to do something at the beginning, but difficult to do something without a beginning."

"At the same time, this is both a hardship and an opportunity."

The figure in white spoke gently, as if guiding a lost friend.

"Think about it more carefully. Since we can mobilize the literary gathering to create momentum for you, we can also ensure that auspicious omens reach the ears of the Emperor; we can contact high-ranking officials in the court to speak on your behalf, and we can also influence the palace eunuchs to speak on your behalf..."

He paused slightly, his voice carrying a seductive power:

"Then...wouldn't it be a piece of cake to help you rise to the top?"

"On one hand, one can rise rapidly to prominence and bring glory to one's family; on the other hand, one can suffer disgrace and fall into the abyss."

"Lord Zheng, tell me, is this... such a difficult choice?"

Zheng Lian listened intently, his mind already tipped in turmoil.

Is it difficult to choose?

Actually... it's not difficult at all.

Faced with stark reality and the struggle for survival, those insignificant acts of persistence and fear seem utterly laughable.

But Xu Xuan, disguised as the Great Compassionate Dharma King, delivered the final blow; a seemingly casual remark resounded like a thunderclap in my ears:

"Besides, aren't there already too few White Lotus sect members in the court?"

Yes!

Zheng Lian suddenly realized!

Even the high-ranking officials in Luoyang have intricate connections with the White Lotus Sect. For a mere prefect to be so preoccupied with his innocence is nothing short of futile and foolish.

Furthermore, if powerful figures collude with sycophants, and I also collude with sycophants, then it's perfectly reasonable for me to travel with you gentlemen.

Once I understood this, the string in my heart that had been taut for over a month and was almost about to snap suddenly relaxed.

Ninety percent of the heavy burden weighing on my head vanished into thin air, replaced by an indescribable ease, even bringing a brief moment of emptiness and dizziness.

He involuntarily took a deep breath, feeling light and refreshed. No wonder the White Lotus Sect is so difficult to eradicate; if they used methods like this, who could withstand them?

Of course, before formally surrendering, the proper gestures must still be made.

Zheng Lianqiang suppressed the pounding in his heart, straightened his back a little, and forced a smile that was half-crying and half-laughing on his face. His tone was a mix of self-deprecation and probing:
"Heh... I never imagined that someone as mere prefect as Zheng would warrant such a grand undertaking and elaborate scheme from your esteemed sect. Such 'favor' makes me... quite 'honored'."

They deliberately paused slightly on the words "great favor" and "honor," attempting to preserve the last shred of their crumbling dignity.

Theoretically, the next step would be for the Dharma King to take the lead, affirm the other person's value, and then start praising them.

However, the Great Compassionate Dharma King, who was actually Xu Xuan, did not accept this hypocritical politeness. Instead, he explained his original intention so as not to let the other party die with regrets.

"We are doing this for the sake of the lives and property of 200,000 people in and around Xingyang City, and to save countless lives on both sides of the Yellow River from devastation."

"We had no choice but to take this risky and desperate measure."

"It is also to give Prefect Zheng a chance, a chance to give back to the people of Xingyang."

"That way, my life won't have been in vain."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Lian couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Sometimes, he really felt that the hypocrisy of the White Lotus Sect was remarkably similar to the high-sounding rhetoric of officialdom.

They appear glamorous on the outside, but are just as dark inside; no wonder they can mingle together.

Since they became aware of the White Lotus Sect, how many major incidents have they caused in the past few decades?

Which of these incidents wasn't filled with corpses and rivers of blood? When have they ever truly cared about human lives?
Now you say it's for the sake of the people's lives?

They only coveted my military power and position as a prefect under the emperor's nose, and the core information and resources I could access; that was their "value."

Of course, the other party's tone was also quite good; at least I was selling myself for a sacred cause, making my surrender more pleasant.

See? Sometimes, telling the truth makes people believe you even less.

Xu Xuan felt that he had a clear conscience.

This was followed by a brief "initiation" ceremony.

The prefect is burdened with the imperial court's fortune. Even if he voluntarily lowers his guard, ordinary magical imprints and soul restrictions are difficult to maintain for long and are easily washed away and worn down by the official aura.

Xu Xuan was too lazy to waste his energy on this "disposable tool" and go through complicated procedures, so he simply skipped those tedious steps and designed the most straightforward and effective way to cut off his escape route.

Paying a pledge of allegiance.

The target was quickly identified.

A junior eunuch, who had just left the prefect's residence and had received a "tribute" as was customary, was walking back to the post station with a smug look on his face.

When I reached a secluded riverbed, my foot slipped for some reason, and before I could even cry out, I plunged into the murky water with a "plop." After a few thrashings, I fell silent, as if I had been quietly wiped away by an invisible hand.

"Don't worry, we have our own arrangements among the eunuchs."

"Just a lowly eunuch who has done all sorts of bad things, insignificant."

The Great Compassionate Dharma King's voice remained calm, as if what had just happened was a trivial matter, displaying the demeanor of a villain.

Looking at the river surface that had returned to calm, Zheng Lian couldn't help but marvel once again at the terrifying infiltration and operational capabilities of these demons, whose methods were ruthless and decisive.

The eunuchs who represented imperial power could act on a whim, and they even used my hand to do it.

But then he thought of his current predicament, and the inescapable trap the other side had laid for him...

This is the kind of energy an organization that can accomplish great things should have.

Little did they know that the so-called sophisticated method was simply to ignore everything.

Once the Imperial Household Department discovers that the eunuch has not returned for a long time, they can easily investigate who was responsible.

Unaware of the truth, Zheng Lian was secretly delighted that the new organization he had joined was quite powerful. Without hesitation, he solemnly took out the bronze military tally wrapped in a brocade pouch from his bosom, and then took off the heavy official seal of the prefect from his waist, presenting it with both hands.

Since there is no other choice, what's the use of keeping these material possessions?

As long as he can get through this calamity, Zheng Lian will still be the ambitious and hardworking prefect of Xingyang.

Moreover, His Holiness the Dalai Lama personally promised it.

Within a year, he will surely rise rapidly in rank! Within three years, he is expected to reach the position of one of the Nine Ministers.

Going further up, we'll have to wait until after we overthrow that dog emperor.

Thinking of this, the last trace of resentment in my heart vanished, replaced by a sense of anticipation and ambition.

I don't even want to overthrow the Great Jin Dynasty. As for His Majesty, that old man already has signs of Mars guarding the heart, and with the secret efforts of our White Lotus Sect, he probably won't live for many more years. So, just having one of the Nine Ministers will suffice.

Joy in one's heart naturally needs to be expressed.

"The rest is up to His Holiness."

Xu Xuan glanced at the tokens and seals, which were imbued with the power of people's wishes, the dynasty's fortune, and various kinds of authority.
He gestured to Prefect Zheng to put the things away, so as not to bring the corrupt practices of officialdom into the church.

The seal and tiger tally are only effective when combined with your status as the new leader of Yuzhou. Of course, this is also one of the pieces of evidence against you, so how can you entrust them to outsiders?

Zheng Lian was a little embarrassed; his new boss didn't buy into the act of professing loyalty, which was a bit troublesome.

However, from this moment on, the defenses of Xingyang, the county troops, and all government secrets were under the control of Bai Lian.

Compared to Jianye three years ago, the handover this time was much more peaceful and composed.

The important town guarding Luoyang quietly changed hands in the dead of night.

(End of this chapter)