The Three Teachings Converge into One: The Path of the Mortal and the Saintly is the Same

Poetry:

Five years of spring breeze spread good karma, and the lamp of the heart illuminates thousands of mountains and rivers.

Who knew that a treacherous wind would rise in this chaotic world, secretly harboring demonic calamities that would wreak havoc upon the universe?

"It's not just me who's had a tough time," Lin Wanqing said with a shake of her head and a faint smile.

"Lingxi returned from Yunnan last month and has lost even more weight."

Medical conditions were poor in the villages nestled in the mountains, so she built medical facilities in three counties.

The branch of the "Mental and Physical Health Center" has trained more than 200 rural doctors.

But I was so tired that I fell asleep on the high-speed train back and missed my stop.

"Lingyue resolved a ten-year-long folk religious dispute in Ganliang Prefecture."

They were besieged by radical believers for two whole days and two nights.

They survived until the city garrison was able to rescue them, relying on a pot of water and half a piece of dry food.

They didn't mention it at all after they returned; Chi Ying only found out about it from an internal report.

"As for Chi Ying..." Lin Wanqing paused.

"The 'Great Xia Strategic Culture' course she taught at the Zhenguo Martial Arts Academy..."

It has been listed as a "key research topic" by the Eagle Federation Empire Think Tank.

An infiltrated foreign spy was secretly recording her lessons, but she caught him on the spot and questioned him personally.

During the inquiry, she wrote analysis reports during the day and stayed up late at night to help you organize them.

Travel notes from five years ago —

She said, "Your experiences and observations are valuable information for dealing with future crises."

Su Qingxuan felt warm and touched.

During these five years, he traveled extensively, promoting education and civilization, and almost traversed the entire land of Great Xia.

The four women always revolved around him, busying themselves with various tasks and each showcasing their talents.

Sow the seeds of "moral civilization" in every corner.

Mingde Academy has expanded from its initial location in Longjing to 36 locations across the mainland, with over one million students.

These students came from all walks of life, with some monks reflecting on the "use of power for good."

Some public officials have rediscovered their "original aspiration to serve the people," while some teachers are exploring ways to "cultivate morality and nurture talents."

Countless ordinary people have found solace here.

The "Mental and Physical Health Center" has benefited millions of people.

Xiao Lingxi integrated the theory of spiritual meridian guidance with the method of mindfulness cultivation, creating the unique "body-mind harmony" system.

This significantly reduces the incidence of chronic illnesses caused by emotional distress.

Last year, the World Medical Alliance came to inspect the system and decided to make it into a series.

"The outstanding contribution of Daxia wisdom to the treatment of contemporary heart diseases".

Xiao Lingyue's "Spiritual Stations" have covered 30% of urban communities across the country.

From minor neighborhood disputes to major group conflicts, those wearing "spiritual shelters"

The volunteers wearing armbands are always the first to arrive, with compassion in their hearts for healing the meridians.

By employing the principles of moderation and harmony, and by seeking natural balance, hundreds of disputes have been resolved over the past five years.

This prevented hundreds of serious incidents.

Meanwhile, Chi Ying promoted the "Great Xia Strategic Culture" course at the Martial Academy.

Make the young generals understand: weapons are instruments of violence, and even sages use them only as a last resort.

True strength is not about militarism, but about "subduing the enemy without fighting."

Last year, during military exercises in the Canglan Sea, a neighboring country provoked a conflict. A captain who had attended the Red Tassel Training Course...

Reciting "The Art of War: The Art of War" - Chapter 1: Planning an Attack - on the radio channel.

The opposing commander remained silent for a long time before finally ordering a retreat.

The captain later said:

When I recited the passage, "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities,"

I heard a sigh come from the other end of the channel.

These are all tangible "fruits".

"Oh, right, look at this." Lin Wanqing pulled out a report from under the podium.

"The global viewership data for 'Qingxuan Tan' last month was over one billion, and the cumulative total has exceeded ten billion."

Simultaneous updates on Yunguang Film News, Wanxiang Video Network, and Qiandanmu Network.

It has subtitles in twelve languages, including Sáximan, Spanish, Gaulish, and Bosnian.

Yesterday, Yunguang sent a letter of intent to cooperate, wanting to buy out the exclusive broadcasting rights, and asking for this price.

She held up three fingers.

"Three hundred thousand?"

"Three million, eagle throwing money around."

Su Qingxuan was speechless.

This weekly cultural interview program initially aired late at night on Longjing Cultural Radio.

Later, it was edited and uploaded online by viewers, and unexpectedly went viral.

In the program, he didn't preach any grand principles; he simply used the most plain language.

Understanding how the Three Classical Schools can be applied to modern life:

How to handle interpersonal conflicts using the "Doctrine of the Mean"

How to deal with anxiety using "meditation"

How to manage a family with "benevolence"...

One viewer commented: "After listening to Mr. Su's lectures on the Analects..."

I finally understood that "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" is not about moral blackmail, but about putting yourself in others' shoes.

Now, every day before I leave work, I think:

If I were a subordinate, how would I want my boss to treat me?

Then I was less critical of them.

Some people said, "I am a patient suffering from depression and have been in the 'Mental and Physical Health Center' for three months."

Dr. Hsiao taught me to "observe my breath," and Teacher Lin led me in reading Zhuangzi.

I can sleep now, and I even went back to my hometown last week.

I cooked a meal for my parents. I've owed them this meal for twenty years.

Lin Wanqing collected all these messages, bound them into a book, and titled it "A Collection of Glimmers of Light".

She said, "Every thought of doing good is a glimmer of light in the darkness."

Many small lights can illuminate a long night.

"Oh, by the way, Chi Ying called this afternoon." Lin Wanqing glanced at her watch.

She said the commander of the "Candle Dragon" Demon Suppression Camp is coming back tomorrow and wants to meet with you.

In addition, Lingxi and Lingyue are on their way back and should be arriving soon.

The classroom door was pushed open as soon as the words were spoken.

Xiao Lingxi came in looking travel-worn, still wearing her white coat.

Her face showed signs of fatigue from the long journey, but her eyes were bright and sparkling.

"Young master! There's a village in Yunnan where the villagers use the 'farming and studying as a family tradition' method you taught them."

They haven't had a single dispute in three years, and they even spontaneously formed a "mutual aid association."

When the elderly need medical treatment or children need to go to school, the whole village helps each other.

I've written the case study into a report, take a look...

She handed over a stack of handwritten manuscripts; the handwriting was somewhat messy, clearly written in haste on the way.

Su Qingxuan took it, but before he could examine it closely, Xiao Lingyue arrived.

She was dressed in plain-colored practice clothes, holding a string of beads in her hand, with a lingering worry between her brows.

"Young master, I encountered a strange thing when I was in Ganliang Prefecture."

Her voice was very soft, "There is a family that has been practicing the Xuanxue lineage for three generations."

I recite the calming mantra every day, and I have always been kind and devout.

But last month, the old man in that family suddenly lost his mind, howling every night.

He said something underground was calling to him.

When I went to see him, the old man was curled up in the corner, drawing lotus flowers on the wall with his blood…

Su Qingxuan and Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Blood Lotus, this is the symbol of the "Black Lotus Society".

"Where is the old man now?"

"He passed away three days ago." Xiao Lingyue closed her eyes.

"Before he died, he had a moment of lucidity, suddenly became clear-headed, and took my hand, saying:"

Tell Mr. Su that the drums of Kunlun Ruins have sounded, and the soul of the Qinling Mountains has been lost.

"The next one is... is..." He died before he could finish speaking.

The classroom fell silent.

Outside the window, the autumn wind blows through the sycamore trees, the leaves rustling as if countless people are whispering to each other.

After a long silence, Su Qingxuan spoke: "Lingxi, have any of the 'soul separation syndrome' patients you've been tracking and treating over the years shown any unusual behavior recently?"

Xiao Lingxi's face turned pale: "Yes, that Huang Jin, he suddenly died last week."

The autopsy results indicated cardiac arrest, but I detected a substance in his blood...

An unprecedented, foreign toxin. Even stranger, he kept repeating the same sentence before he died.

"What did you say?"

"They're hungry, they need to eat."

Xiao Lingxi took out a test report from her medical kit:

"This is the molecular formula of the toxin. I asked a friend at the Daxia Science and Technology Research Institute to do the analysis."

The conclusion is that this toxin can trigger the fear center in the human brain.

This induces a large amount of stress in the host under extreme fear.

And the toxins themselves... feed on this scent.

In other words, it makes the host scare itself.

Then it consumes the energy generated by fear.

Su Qingxuan took the report and looked at the intricate patterns.

But the image of the distorted face of the castle's demon servant flashed into my mind.

The monster, who had lived for hundreds of years, laughed maniacally before turning to ashes:

"Fear is the sweetest nourishment in the world, and humanity... is an inexhaustible source!"

"What are they feeding them?" Lin Wanqing's voice trembled.

"Using human fear, resentment, greed..."

"Feed the Demon Lord." Su Qingxuan closed the report and looked out the window at the deep night.

"And war is the biggest breeding ground for these negative emotions."

Just then, Su Qingxuan's phone vibrated.

It was an encrypted message sent by Chi Ying:

"Urgent! Armed conflict broke out on the eastern border of the Northern Rin Federation three hours ago."

The city-state of Uhuan has claimed to have been attacked by terrorists and has deployed three additional battalions to the border.

The Eagle Federation Empire announced the activation of the "Mutual Defense Covenant," prompting the Eastern Continent to express "serious concern."

An emergency meeting of the Council of Nations is being held, but... three of the five major ruling nations are absent.

"Young master, it's about to begin."

At the end of the message, a video of Tianxing was attached.

The photo shows a small border town of the Northern Rin Federation reduced to ruins, with thick smoke billowing from it.

Above the thick smoke, in the air almost imperceptible to the naked eye, there was a faint...

A twisted, gray-black column of air rose from the ruins, piercing the sky.

The shape of that column of air was exactly like—a black lotus flower.

.........

Golova, a border town in the eastern part of the Northern Rin Federation.

Three months ago, this was a quiet border town.

The residents make a living through animal husbandry and border trade.

In the center of town stands the Holy Light Chapel, its bell tower spire gleaming in the sunlight.

Every Sunday, the bells can be heard throughout the entire valley.

Today, only half of the church remains as a ruin.

The bell tower collapsed, and the bronze bell shattered into pieces, mixed among the rubble.

Alyosha squatted in front of the ruins of the chapel, digging through the bricks with trembling hands.

His sixteen-year-old daughter, Lyuba, said three days ago that she was going to church with her classmates, but she hasn't come back since.

He searched through the ruins for three days, only finding Lyuba's schoolbag.

There's also a white bow hair clip—

That was a gift he bought for Lyuba's sixteenth birthday, which he drove fifty kilometers to the county town to buy.

"Lyuba...Lyuba..." Alyosha's voice was hoarse beyond recognition.

The roar of the Xuanjia chariot could be heard in the distance.

A convoy of camouflaged armored vehicles rolled through the streets, their turrets adorned with yellow and blue flags.

That was the flag of the city-state of Uhuan.

The tanks were followed by infantry guards, their guns pointed at every remaining door and window.

"All residents, assemble at the town square immediately! Repeat, assemble at the town square immediately!"

The loudspeaker broadcasts in Uhu and Northern Rin languages ​​alternately.

Alyosha stood up blankly, picked up his daughter's schoolbag, and walked unsteadily towards the square.

On the way, he saw his neighbor Uncle Ivan lying by the fence, with burn marks on his chest;

I saw Maria, the grocer's wife, huddled on her doorstep, holding her three-year-old grandson in her arms.

Both of them fell silent amidst the gunfire.

Hundreds of people, mostly the elderly, women, and children, had gathered in the square.

Young adults either lost their lives or were taken away.

At the front of the crowd stood a man dressed in the uniform of a military officer from the city-state of Wuhuan.

He was in his forties, with a hooked nose, deep-set eyes, and a look in his eyes that seemed to regard people as livestock.

"I am Colonel Andreyev." He held the microphone, his voice icy.

"Terrorists were hiding in the town of Golova and attacked our army patrol."

This resulted in the deaths of seventeen soldiers.

In accordance with the Wartime Special Control Law, it is hereby announced that:

First, all men aged 16 to 60 will undergo screening.

Second, a curfew is in effect throughout the town, and people are strictly prohibited from going out after sunset;

Third, all grain and medicine were collected and distributed uniformly.

A commotion arose in the crowd. An elderly woman with white hair stepped forward, her body trembling.

"Sir, my son is not a terrorist, he's a carpenter, he..."

"Bang!"

The gunshot interrupted the old woman's words; she froze, then slowly fell backward.

Colonel Andreyev blew away the gunpowder smoke from his gun, his face expressionless.

"Those who disobey military orders shall be executed on the spot."

Dead silence! Even the child's cries were tightly muffled by the mother.

Alyosha lowered his head and gripped his daughter's schoolbag tightly.

There was a photo in a hidden compartment of the backpack—

This photo was taken by Lyuba last summer in the birch forest outside town, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Sunlight dappled her shoulders.

Her smile was so sweet.

And now, she may be somewhere beneath these ruins, her body slowly growing cold.

"No..." Alyosha growled, "No..."

Colonel Andreyev glanced at him and gestured to his adjutant.

Two soldiers stepped forward to drag Alyosha away.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

The ground began to shake.

It wasn't artillery fire, nor an earthquake, but a rhythmic, muffled drumming sound.

The sound came from deep underground, thump, thump, thump... Each sound made my heart clench.

In the center of the square, the abandoned fountain suddenly gushed out black water.

It wasn't sewage; it was a viscous, foul-smelling black liquid.

Like thick ink, yet it glows with an eerie dark red under the moonlight.

"What the hell is this...?" Colonel Andreyev frowned.

The black water surged and overflowed the square, flowing towards the crowd.

Wherever it passed, the cement ground hissed and emitted white smoke.

A child, in a panic, retreated to the edge of the black water; white smoke rose from the moment the sole of his boot touched the liquid.

The child cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Retreat! Everyone retreat!" Colonel Andreyev ordered.

The soldiers raised their guns and fired at the black water; the bullets entered the black water.

It only splashed up a few waves, having no effect whatsoever.

The black water, as if enraged, surged even faster.

The crowd began to scream, push, and run.

However, soldiers guarded all four sides of the square, pointing their guns at them, and they were not allowed to leave.

Alyosha stood still, staring blankly as the black water rose to his feet.

White smoke rose from the edge of his boots, and a burning pain shot through him, but he felt nothing.

He just stared at the fountain nozzle, where the black water was "climbing" upwards and condensing into shape.

One, two, three... nine distorted human figures "stood up" from the black water.

They have heads and limbs, but no facial features, and their bodies are covered in black mucus.

They staggered toward the crowd, leaving charred footprints on the ground with each step.

The one at the very front reached out and grabbed a fleeing woman.

"Fire!" Colonel Andreyev roared.

Gunfire erupted, bullets piercing through the human figures, creating holes in them.

But the hole was instantly filled with black water.

They seemed to feel no pain and continued forward.

A soldier, unable to dodge in time, was grabbed by the ankle and dragged into the depths of the black water.

The screams quickly subsided, and only a few wisps of murky foam floated on the surface of the liquid.

"A demon...this is a demon..." an old man knelt down and prayed.

Colonel Andreyev turned pale and pulled out a grenade, which he threw over.

With a loud "boom," a human-shaped object was blown apart, but the fragments wriggled.

They then coalesced into two smaller humanoid shapes.

Despair spread through the crowd, but Alyosha smiled.

He held his daughter's schoolbag, looked at the nine human figures, and whispered:

"You...you're here to punish them, aren't you?"

It is:

Education and culture have served the people for years, but alas, the flames of calamity shattered peace.

Blood stains the borderlands, black lotuses appear, and the world is thrown into turmoil as demonic forces grow stronger.