Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 212 The Dongting Demon Clan are Friends
Several elderly professors recalled their youth, one saying that he once made a name for himself by inviting eighteen scholars to join his literary gathering at Bailu.

The one who said that back in the Chu region, he used his zither to lure the young master of the underworld into his dream, and was overjoyed to see the beauty.

Some people even told many strange and wondrous tales, such as the ten witches of Ling Mountain and the emergence of the Qilin from the water.
Xu Xuan listened with constant amazement, "Are you all school teachers?"

The Classic of Mountains and Seas was probably written by people like you.

The memories of old folks are like piggy banks; a shake always yields exquisite coins.

As for whether the memories are real or not, they are always beautiful, especially those from a long time ago.

"Things have been a bit unsettled lately."

Professor Sheng's expression was somewhat serious. Everyone else had been boasting, but he and Professor Taishi had remained silent.

This former Vice Minister of Justice was very sensitive to issues of public security.

So the academy's leaders pulled themselves out of their beautiful yet false memories and began to discuss the recent situation.

Although they were all retired officials, their understanding of the situation was no less than that of the court officials, after all, their disciples and acquaintances were spread throughout the entire Great Jin Dynasty.

Study abroad is something I naturally aspire to, but safety is also a concern.

Yu Gong, his expression unchanged, said, "The appearance of the White Lotus in Jiangnan will naturally cause unrest, and there's also some instability in the river."

“You people always say to keep your distance, but now those things are practically jumping ashore.”

"I don't know what they were thinking, pretending not to see it and they really wouldn't see it?!"

"A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings, while a family that accumulates evil deeds will surely have abundant calamities."

His tone was harsh, and his anger wasn't directed at anyone present.

Everyone knows this guy is acting crazy and won't say a word.

Just because this old man said he wouldn't die doesn't mean others won't die.

It took quite a while for things to calm down.

"Ahem, let's not talk about those unpleasant things."

"However, the Jiangnan region will become even more turbulent in the future, so scholars who wish to travel should gather together for their trips."

Yu Gong is an upright person and someone who can sense the crisis. He decisively chose to cultivate another group of pillars of society before the situation deteriorated further.

Traveling together for study is simply a matter of bringing a few more people, which is nothing to him.

Although everyone had their own disagreements and grievances regarding his academic achievements, they were exceptionally convinced of his abilities when it came to martial prowess.

The general direction is still inclined to go there. If outstanding students can be selected to study in Jiangnan, they can broaden their horizons and witness the hardships of the people, which can help them to rectify their minds.

This is a major event involving many issues, and we cannot act on it as easily as we did at Baoan Hall. The professors need to discuss it.

For example, when selecting candidates, what constitutes excellence and suitability, and what makes someone stand out at Bailu Academy?

Who are the professors and instructors he's following? Which old man's health allows him to go through all that trouble?

Should the academy provide this money for students from poor families who lack financial support?

Every single one of them is a problem.

After the professors left, Yu Gong saw a little fox trying to run away in a hurry and stopped it.

"Instructor Xu, everyone says you are skilled in military strategy. I ask you, do you have a solution to the situation in Jiangnan?"

It can be considered a brainstorming session; there are some things that even he would worry about.

Xu Hanwen is meticulous and audacious; perhaps he has something new to offer.

Xu Xuan thought to himself, "You've come to the right person. He doesn't know how the chaos in Jiangnan ended, but he knows exactly how it started."

Guo Bei ignited the conflict, which continued in Tonglu, and war broke out along the waterways of Jiangnan.

These are all good deeds done by Baoantang.

But since you've asked, I'll take this opportunity to find out some information.

"Is it about the White Lotus and demons in the neighboring county?"

The news of the water demon has spread; anyone who isn't blind can see such a huge alligator dragon standing there.

The matter of demons was originally a hidden secret, but now it is a semi-public existence, and it cannot be hidden from those with some knowledge.

Yu Gong didn't hide anything. Xu Hanwen started his career in Qiantang by capturing and killing demons, so he must have considerable experience.

"Tonglu itself isn't the big problem; the problem lies in the rampant evil forces in Jiangnan, including the possibility of unleashing the real White Lotus." "It would be hateful if this land of fish and rice were to be engulfed in war."

Xu Xuan felt a pang of sympathy after hearing this. The Great Treasure Dharma King had done a great deal of harm, and the White Lotus Sect was extremely wicked.

So he came up with his own solution.

"The first is to attack the enemy, then the second is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the army, and the third is to attack the city."

"Rectify officialdom, dredge waterways, restore people's livelihood, and educate people's morality. Use this overwhelming open conspiracy to reject the White Lotus uprising."

I'm speechless. You're not some innocent scholar who just spouts slogans, so why are you pretending to be an innocent little rabbit?

If the best course of action could be taken, the north would have been pacified long ago.

Do you really think that he only throws tantrums and beats up his fellow courtiers? It's just that the emperor, who's into cultivating immortality, doesn't care about anything else.

His biggest conflict with the emperor stemmed from his saying: "Its rise was sudden, and its decline was swift."

When faced with problems, Yu the Great and Tang of Shang were able to reflect and punish themselves, which led to their rapid rise to power; while Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang were tyrannical and cruel, only capable of punishing others, which led to their swift and sudden downfall.
These words are extremely harsh. According to the theory of the interaction between Heaven and Man, this Emperor Jin could almost be classified as a tyrant like Jie or Zhou.

This is no longer within the scope of what a subject should say.

That's why he resigned and left; if he hadn't left, a single spark could have set the capital ablaze.

After all, if a ruler treats his ministers like brothers, then the ministers will treat the ruler like their own heart; if a ruler treats his ministers like dogs and horses, then the ministers will treat the ruler like a fellow countryman; if a ruler treats his ministers like dirt and weeds, then the ministers will treat the ruler like an enemy.

The Confucian knight-errant who reads Mencius is just that fierce and powerful.

Mr. Xu coughed twice. "Didn't we talk about political correctness earlier?"

The main course is coming up next.

"The middle strategy is to cut off the possibility of cooperation between the White Lotus and the outside world, such as the water monsters that are scattered throughout the rivers of Jiangnan!"
"After much thought, the other party has a notorious reputation and is hated by everyone, and the water demon is no less so. It is now causing trouble all over the major rivers, and there may be someone behind it."

"Even if we're not 80 or 90% sure, there's still a 70 or 80% chance."

"This is something we must be careful about."

Mr. Xu spoke with sincerity and reason.

Five more points of doubt were added later.

This guy is starting to increase the strength of the Dongting Water Demon. We can't rely on the three giants of Baoan Hall to fight, or they'll become the three vanguards of Baoan Hall.
He's not some kind of supreme expert; if he encounters someone powerful, he'll have to ask Miss Bai for help.

If we could get Commander Zuo's men to clean up the river, pull all the turtles ashore, bleed them, and dry them in the sun, and divide all the big fish among themselves, the crabs would be useless, as not many people eat them these days.

In short, we'll go through this whole process: first clip their wings, then strike straight at their heart.

Xu's main task of suppressing the demonic threat became much easier, and he was adept at using the method of leveraging external forces.

Yu Gong was also somewhat tempted.

Indeed, regardless of whether they are innocent or not, it's still possible to take down a wave of those demons who don't know their place.

"Ahem, I have already resigned from my post, so I can only try to get to the bottom of this indirectly."

"Besides, if it has nothing to do with the White Lotus, it will be difficult to mobilize the army."

Finally, Yu Gong left with the students who had come to pay homage to the emperor, completely satisfied.

Xu Xuan then began to interrogate the Black Crocodile.

It's time to force the Dongting aquatic creatures to assume the status of a key strategic partner of the White Lotus.

His good friend and comrade-in-arms, personally recognized by His Father.

In the land of calamity.

Mr. Xu had a warm smile on his face and waved his hand to dismiss the catfish spirit and the young monks.

They removed the half-dead alligator from its chains.

"Oh dear, who did this?"

The alligator was both terrified and furious. "It was you who did this!"

It's unbelievable that such a seemingly learned person harbors so many sins.

Another major demon has emerged from the Pure Land School!
　Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! May your family be reunited.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)