Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 924 is more like the Way of Peace.
Fu Qingfeng took out several carefully folded sheets of paper from her sleeve and handed them over: "I found the Taoist's questions and my father's answers at the time to be strange, so I tried my best to remember some of them and wrote them down here."

"At the age of 960, the world will surely be plagued by disasters, with floods and droughts following one another, wars breaking out, epidemics spreading, and death piling up."

"Through meditation on the Golden Elixir, one can attain true enlightenment and become a righteous person, thus achieving peace and longevity by avoiding worldly affairs."

"The Great Way cherishes life and prioritizes saving all beings; the Heavenly Venerable opens the door to calamity and delivers people from suffering."

Ning Caichen took the papers and read aloud the recorded dialogue.

At first glance, these statements are not particularly shocking; they are simply common Taoist prophecies about the end times and calamities.

Taoism has its own system of explanation for the operation of the universe. It believes that the cycle of Yin and Yang in the universe will cause large-scale natural disasters and social unrest every certain period due to a serious imbalance of Yin and Yang.

Droughts, floods, wars, and plagues can lead to countless deaths and widespread suffering.

Its core idea is to attribute these catastrophes to the periodic collapse of natural laws, while implicitly regarding the decline of human morality as the underlying cause of the catastrophes.

This is the origin of the calamity.

In this apocalyptic scenario, Taoist masters will emerge to save humanity and deliver salvation to the world.

Individuals can restore their unity with the "Dao" through methods such as cultivating the Golden Elixir Dao and focusing on the One, thus becoming a chosen "people" and avoiding calamities, prolonging their lives.

This theory emphasizes achieving spiritual sublimation through introspection and contemplation of divine images, reflecting Taoism's unique salvation logic that closely integrates individual physical cultivation with the reconstruction of cosmic order.

Such remarks may seem "reactionary" and easily lead to speculation.

In reality, almost every denomination of any size has a similar eschatological or salvationist view.

After all, only by depicting enough suffering and disaster can the preciousness of redemption and the "purity" of faith be highlighted.

The Pure Land school also has similar content, but Xu Xuan never took it seriously, only treating it as amusement.

The White Lotus sect talked about these things extensively, and the Holy Father was overjoyed.

Will he tell everyone that he has seen 2012?

However, when Ning Caichen turned to the next few pages and saw the subsequent debate between Fu Tianchou and the Taoist priest, his brows gradually furrowed, and he keenly sensed that something was amiss.

"The Later Sage Emperor led the people, and peace returned from the void, so they served the Later Sage Emperor..."

Ning Caichen paused slightly when he read this sentence.

The word "race" alone is subtle enough, but this sentence reveals an extraordinary meaning.

This is clearly a prophecy that a divine being named "Golden Palace Holy Emperor" will descend upon the world, leading the chosen "people" and ushering in a new "world of peace".

In this theory, the destruction of the end times and the rebirth of the new world are an inevitable cycle.

As the savior, the "peaceful world" under the rule of this "Emperor" not only signifies the restoration of cosmic order, but also represents the ultimate society of absolute fairness and tranquility in the Taoist ideal.

This already carries a hint of "rebellion" that is unacceptable to the current dynasty.

Upon closer examination, it bears some resemblance to the White Lotus Sect, but it also carries a stronger sense of a humanistic, righteous society.

Could it be the Way of Peace?
Today, many scholars who bury themselves in their studies have forgotten how terrifying this Taoist sect is. Only by learning practical knowledge from Xu Xuan can they understand it.

Moreover, the teacher's perception of this Taoist sect seemed quite good; it's just a pity that the Great Teacher had already done his best.

Ultimately, Heaven refused to allow it, and sent down a multitude of stars to contend for supremacy.

He swept across half the world, but in the end, he was merely the one who drew back the curtain.

Upon reading this, Ning Caichen, Ji Rui, and Zao, who were standing next to him, all felt that this Taoist priest was no ordinary wanderer and that there must be some kind of conspiracy behind him.

Because who would say these things to a stubborn old man with a Confucian background for no reason?

This is clearly a deliberate attempt to provoke Fu Tianchou!

As expected, Fu Tianchou immediately exploded upon hearing such remarks and engaged in a heated debate with the Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest was not annoyed. Instead, he took the opportunity to suggest that empty arguments were pointless and invited Fu Tianchou to go to the sacred mountain outside the city the next day to "discuss the Tao".

That's right, that mountain is called the Sacred Mountain.

Located in the northeast of Wuhu County, it consists of five peaks: Shenshan, Chizhushan, Daxiaohuolushan, and Ma'anshan. Many myths and legends are associated with the mountains, and the land is blessed with spiritual energy, making it a well-known sacred place in the area.

The next day, Fu Tianchou, along with several followers and servants, confidently went up the mountain, intending to teach this Taoist who was spreading heresy a lesson and show him what true Confucianism was all about.

Then… Fu Tianchou disappeared on the mountain. Fu Qingfeng and her sister, along with all their servants and guards, searched the mountain tirelessly for a day and a night, turning over almost every inch of vegetation, but found no trace of a struggle.

He found no clues left by his father, and it was as if the mountains had swallowed him up out of thin air.

In theory, officials appointed by the imperial court are protected by the dynasty's fortune, and ordinary demons and evil spirits cannot get close to them, let alone directly harm them.

But... even the reigning emperor was publicly "slapped in the face" in Luoyang a couple of years ago.
This matter had already spread throughout the officialdom of the Nine Provinces through various clandestine channels, becoming a secret known to everyone but not dared to speak openly. As a result, the reliability of the officials' protection by luck was greatly reduced.

These days, any bizarre or strange things that happen seem... no longer bizarre.

In despair and anxiety, Fu Qingfeng made the most decisive decision. She immediately set off, rushing all the way from Wuhu back to Qiantang, and found the person she could think of who was most likely to solve this "bizarre" incident: Ning Caichen.

The three of them exchanged a glance, and a thought simultaneously arose in their minds: This matter is definitely not simple; it's strange!
The entire Jiangnan region had already been "plowed" countless times by Baoantang.

Even if the local demons and monsters weren't dragged out and publicly executed, they should have deeply understood the survival rule of "keeping a low profile" and would never dare to openly target a retired high-ranking official like this.

Therefore, that Taoist priest was most likely an "outsider from the north" who didn't know the rules!
Good heavens! They haven't even paid their respects to the local bullies in Jiangnan, yet they dare to stir up trouble on our turf?

What if you waited until the old man crossed the Yangtze River and reached the north bank before making your move?
Don't they even respect this basic "industry rule"?

Driven by a desire to maintain the "harmonious and stable order" of the Jiangnan region and a strong sense of curiosity, Sanqi immediately decided to set off to explore the sacred mountain in Wuhu!
Although the three of them were not orthodox cultivators, if they were placed in ancient times, their strange and unusual abilities and destinies would certainly qualify them as "extraordinary people" who could be listed high on the Investiture of the Gods.

With their current combined strength and endless stream of "unconventional" moves, as long as they don't unfortunately encounter a super big shot like Master Xu or an ancient figure like Wuzhiqi, they can basically walk sideways and make their way through everything.

They wanted to see which ignorant upstart dared to challenge them!

Strategically, they held their opponent in utter contempt, but tactically, they dared not be careless in the slightest.

On the way, the three continued to communicate and analyze the specific situation.

“I’ve met Old Man Fu. He’s incredibly arrogant, with a stubborn and righteous air about him, and he’s also protected by the remaining imperial fortune of a retired official. For an ordinary mountain Taoist, let alone trapping him, it would be difficult to even get close to him,” Ning Caichen calmly analyzed.

"So since the other party dares to be such a formidable opponent, they must have some real skills and are not someone to be trifled with." A clear light shone in Zao's eyes.

"I'm afraid this can't be solved by ordinary illusions or force." Ji Rui said with concern, but his heart was full of eager impulse.

The three men took out their equipment and prepared to start fighting.

Ning Caichen took out several specially made strings that shimmered with a faint light from his bag and carefully wrapped them around his wrist.

Zao silently placed a very simple and ancient longsword, with a hilt that resembled an eye and a scabbard that was dark gold, within easy reach.

Ji Rui, on the other hand, was exuding a strong aura at this moment, his eyes so fierce they were almost tangible, a stark contrast to his usual carefree rich young master demeanor.

"What... happened to him?" Even though Fu Qingfeng was worried about his father's safety, he was startled by Ji Rui's sudden change and couldn't help but ask Ning Caichen in a low voice.

She met Ji Rui when she visited Mr. Zhuge Wolong in the dungeon of Donghai County. At that time, he was a playboy with a witty way of speaking, a lively eye, and even a bit of a flirtatious air.

Why is your aura so somber today? It's as if you've undergone some great change and completely "sealed your heart and buried your love."
Ning Caichen looked embarrassed; it was really difficult to explain this to outsiders.

He could only reply vaguely in a low voice, "Uh... I have a hidden illness and cannot say more. Please forgive me, Miss Fu."

Upon reaching the foot of the sacred mountain, Ji Rui took the lead, clearing the way with an almost tangible, fierce killing intent.

They had an attitude of being invincible and fearless.

Sensing this terrifying aura, the birds and beasts in the mountains tucked their tails between their legs and fled far away, as if they had encountered a natural enemy.

They soon arrived at the foggy place mentioned by the Fu family guards.

It was a seemingly ordinary grove of trees located halfway up the mountain. The miasma was thin here, and the ground was covered with messy footprints left by previous searchers.

It looked like an ordinary missing person scene.

However, Sanqi's senses simultaneously detected something amiss.

Zao frowned slightly, his keen spiritual senses detecting extremely faint, intertwined evil and righteous energies remaining in the area, as if a brief collision had taken place.

Ning Caichen listened intently and heard faint, buzzing voices carried on the wind, as if they were veiled by countless layers of gauze, like a distant, bustling market.

The cold-blooded killer-like Young Master Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A flicker of extreme confusion flashed in those fierce eyes...

This place... this lingering aura... why does it feel so familiar to him?
(End of this chapter)