Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 891 Demons and Monsters First
The others exchanged bewildered glances, an awkward silence hanging in the air, especially among the high-ranking officials and nobles.

The whole day's commotion had created an atmosphere of fear and unease, with several elderly ministers feeling both alarmed and angry, but mostly terrified. One of them nearly fainted on the spot, only managing to stay awake thanks to the ginseng slices he carried with him.

Ultimately, everyone is afraid.

Those at the highest levels are all aware that they are far from innocent in terms of morality and law.

If that "Red-Clothed Great Shaman" were to descend again, no one would escape the reckoning.

Are you suggesting that they should squeeze forward, put on a smiling face, and say something like, "Hero, spare my life! You hit the emperor, so don't hit me anymore"—that kind of cliché line from a classic novel?
The people in Luoyang have never experienced the baptism of "dry humor" that treats the horrors of life and death as jokes.

But things have come to this point, the act of being a frightened bird is over, the empty city strategy has been performed, and there has to be an explanation.

The most urgent task at hand is to immediately and immediately put forward a scapegoat of sufficient weight to take the blame for the emperor’s thunderous rage, which has nowhere else to go but can never be directed at himself.

Especially the chilling metaphor behind this incident: "The dead Zhuge Liang scared away the living Zhongda."

It is also the most popular, yet most politically incorrect, short story template among the common people.

Finally, on their way to the secret audience, the three officials, all with white hair and beards, whispered among themselves and met urgently. In their haste, they came up with the most "appropriate" reason that would allow all parties to step down.

One of the senior officials spoke first in a low voice, his tone resolute: "Perhaps it was... the work of that White Lotus Holy Mother."

The other person immediately understood, lowering his voice even further, yet sounding even more certain: "No, there's no need to 'perhaps,' it's just that the White Lotus demons haven't given up their desire to destroy our dynasty and are secretly causing trouble!"

Inside the secret chamber, the still-shaken Emperor Jin heard this conclusion, his eyes flickered a few times, and then he nodded deeply, as if he had found the only reasonable explanation and agreed wholeheartedly.

He straightened his slightly wrinkled dragon robe, tried to straighten his back, and finally had the courage to push open the black iron door that had kept him isolated all day, and stepped back into the public eye.

Soon the imperial decree was issued, announcing to the world: The remnants of the White Lotus Sect plotted to disrupt the Great Nuo ceremony and disturb the Emperor's presence; their intentions were despicable! However, His Majesty is blessed with great fortune, and the court responded effectively; the evil men's conspiracy has been completely thwarted!
As if finding an outlet for their pent-up emotions, the entire court's writers sprang into action, launching a massive campaign to exaggerate the "White Lotus Threat Theory."

First of all, Luoyang is a city teeming with powerful and influential people, and these are precisely the people who hate the White Lotus Sect the most.

In the past, the White Lotus Sect swept across half of the country, shaking the foundations of the nation and directly infringing upon their core interests.

Criticizing the White Lotus sect is an absolutely safe and politically correct choice that can quickly build consensus and shift the focus.

Secondly, with the year-end performance evaluations for officials approaching, last year's achievements were truly disappointing.

Apart from Yangzhou, which was indirectly controlled by the Baoan Hall and enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, the other prefectures suffered from constant natural disasters and man-made calamities, resulting in displaced people and a sharp decline in tax revenue.

These messy accounts cannot be completely covered up even with the most skillful use of euphemisms. In particular, the great flood that struck Jingzhou in the autumn, affecting several counties and submerging countless fertile fields and houses, is known throughout the country, and they are just looking for someone to take the blame!

Now look what happened! It was all caused by the White Lotus Sect secretly sabotaging water conservancy projects and inciting disaster victims!
Finally, the imperial court also needed a common and ferocious external enemy to divert attention from increasingly acute internal contradictions.

The small, insignificant kingdoms outside the Nine Provinces could only show awe and pay tribute to the Great Jin Dynasty, which was of such a large size. Although the tribes under the Eternal Heaven in the north were restless, they had not yet launched a large-scale invasion, so it was not appropriate to make a big fuss about it.

Since that's the case, let's start by taking down the enemies from within!
The White Lotus Sect, this "old friend" that can't be killed or broken, is naturally the best target.

In a short time, all sorts of meticulously crafted proclamations against the rebels, internal rectification and investigation documents, and scapegoating documents flew to various prefectures and counties like snowflakes.

The officialdom in Luoyang at the end of the year was unusually "carnival-like," with heated debates and written battles even more intense than the grand New Year's Day court assembly.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, as Xu Xuan was packing his luggage and pondering which route to take to head north, he was so angry when he saw the imperial court's statement that his hands trembled. What did it mean that the White Lotus Holy Mother's conspiracy had been thwarted just like last year?
What kind of government or makeshift organization are you?
You say it doesn't matter if you're a saint, but I don't like hearing that 'last year was just as frustrating'.

What enraged him even more was what followed: the imperial court used this incident as a pretext to declare that the folk worship of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors was "not in accordance with the rites and could easily generate evil spirits," and ordered that all prefectures and counties must henceforth have such worships uniformly presided over by the government, and strictly prohibit private worship!
"Heh...heh..." Xu Xuan laughed in anger, his fingertips almost piercing the paper. "Even this last bit of hope, this ancient reverence, you're going to interfere with it? You want to lock the hearts of all people firmly into your cage?"

He instantly understood the key.

The Yu Steps, the Nuo Mask, and the techniques that evoke the aura of the Kingly Way are indeed too distinctive.

The following year, someone took the opportunity to intimidate them, causing the emperor in the deep palace and the officials in the court to be in extreme fear. They would be like frightened venomous snakes, capable of anything.

The most instinctive choice is to eliminate any potential threat to their absolute authority.

"Hmph!" A cold snort rang out, like ice shattering.

"This wicked and incompetent ruler has no desire to cultivate himself and establish virtue to protect the world. Instead, he disregards morality and deceives me for no reason. He is utterly despicable. The Sima clan broke their oath at the Luo River, destroyed the Wei dynasty, and ruled the world. They have enjoyed the country for over a hundred years, but their fate is sealed. If they are not punished, my divine inspiration will not be seen."

It then summoned several butterflies that flew away.

Just then, a clear yet languid voice came from outside the door, accompanied by a faint mist: "Xu Xuan!"

Before the words were even finished, a figure in green gracefully entered. It was none other than Little Green King, who held the titles of Water Lord of both Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake. She held up a newly compiled intelligence report from Bao'an Hall, her golden eyes gleaming with the light of finally understanding the situation. Upon seeing her, she exclaimed, "So, after all this time, it really wasn't you who did it!"

Because they've only been in the industry for three years, people only use the "pure lotus" label when they're doing bad things.

And such a cool move as slapping the emperor's face certainly wouldn't be done under the guise of "white lotus".

She felt she understood Xu Xuan very well in this respect.

Xu Xuan sighed, "It's good that you believe it."

The blame that fell from the sky has finally been partially removed by their old partner.

Then Xiaoqing asked, "Do you think it's Changmei? He's the smartest of our enemies."

Xu Xuan said it was impossible.

"If Longbrow makes another move, it will surely be with absolute certainty. With one strike, it will be earth-shattering, aiming to utterly destroy us. It will definitely not be this kind of petty skirmish just to scare people and confuse them."

It was the pride and cunning of a master and a ruthless tyrant.

After a moment's hesitation, he instructed, "Let's put this matter aside for now. You manage things well in Jiangnan and keep a close eye on the family business. I'll head north first to scout the way. Luoyang is a dangerous place, so we need to proceed with caution."

"Perhaps at a critical moment, we'll have to rely on Little Green King to lead his people to our rescue."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing's golden eyes lit up instantly; there was no question she didn't understand.
She slammed her hand on the table, exclaiming with boundless confidence, "Don't worry! Just go ahead and be bold! If it really comes to the point of overturning the table, I will definitely pull my sister along and gather an army to help you!"

The two smiled at each other, their tacit understanding evident without words.

As expected of the golden duo who initially ventured side by side and made the word "justice" so versatile, their thoughts were instantly in sync, without even the slightest bit of embarrassment.

Of course, Xiaoqing also had some bold plans in her mind that she had never spoken of.

Xu Xuan's journey north presented her with the perfect opportunity to make her mark in Jiangnan and solidify her reputation as "Little Green King".

Since the incident in Xin'an County, she has reflected deeply on her actions. Now, both her own strength and the power under her command are sufficient to support her in forging her own path.

"We can't just hide behind you forever, or be nothing more than henchmen." She thought to herself, a sharp and confident glint in her eyes. "We must truly stand shoulder to shoulder, so that the whole world knows that Baoan Hall has two leaders, neither of whom can be missing!"

The two chatted idly for a while when suddenly a strange wind swirled outside the courtyard, creating an eerie atmosphere. Occasionally, a pure Buddhist light would shine through. The three elements intertwined without conflict, instead creating a strange harmony.

Immediately, three figures appeared as summoned, landing silently in the courtyard.

One is the ace agent Gui Da, another is the underworld special envoy Qi Licha, and the third is the monk Bai Zhu from Jinshan Temple.

The three men moved in unison, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Hall Master Xu and Hall Master Qing."

Xu Xuan's gaze swept over the peculiar combination of demon, ghost, and Buddha before him. His expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "The three of you shall listen to my secret decree."

"The heavens are shrouded in darkness, the righteous are waning and the demons are rising. The Sima clan of Luoyang is shrouded in gloom, and the dragon vein is unstable. This clearly indicates that the country is about to perish, and all sorts of monsters will emerge. Dragons, snakes, and wild beasts from all directions will also take the opportunity to rise up, and the mountains and rivers may be changed. This is the will of heaven and the destiny of the nation, which cannot be stopped by human power."

"You are to conceal your demonic forms and Buddhist practices, hiding in remote mountains and temples, bustling cities, and even the borders between the underworld and the netherworld, to gather information widely, from the movements of the imperial court to strange tales among the common people, leaving nothing out. When I travel north to the capital, you will be my eyes and ears, assisting me in achieving my great task. Remember, you are only to gather information, not to act rashly, and even more so, not to harm any living beings. Those who violate this rule will not be spared."

"When the time comes for your success, you will be rewarded handsomely. You will be freed from the suffering of unorthodox paths and attain enlightenment, thus transcending the cycle of reincarnation."

Having given his instructions, the three men, all shrewd and astute, knew the weight of his words and bowed again, saying, "We will obey the Hall Master's decree!"

All three vanished like a gentle breeze, disappearing without a trace, as if they had never existed.

Just as the courtyard had returned to quiet, another person slowly walked in.

The newcomer was dressed in a faded Taoist robe and held a whisk; he was none other than Master Mao.

Xu Xuan looked at him, the solemnity on his face fading and replaced by a touch of emotion. He raised his hand to gesture for the other to sit down: "Daoist, this Jiangnan region, though a secluded corner, has become prosperous and thriving after years of development. Its spiritual and beautiful atmosphere is growing stronger every day, making it even more unforgettable."

He changed the subject, turning his gaze northward, his tone becoming more somber: "However, since last year, the northern lands have been plagued by natural disasters and wars, and are still in a state of chaos, with diseases rampant, people suffering, and resentment accumulating, which may lead to a great plague or demon. That is the place we should truly go."

Xu Xuan's voice became firm, carrying a dual sense of responsibility as a healer and a pioneer: "Jiangnan is temporarily at peace, so we... should move to a bigger place to 'treat the disease'."

(End of this chapter)