"Dragon Lord Jiupancha King... taking the dragon as his title... the lord of all dragons? Is such an arrogant title befitting of a Buddhist?"
Zhang Tianshi's tone was akin to a warning, but Emperor Wanli only cared about this person's title. After all, since the Han Dynasty, emperors had often been associated with dragons. Although some dynasties had not used the dragon as an exclusive euphemism for the emperor, over a thousand years, the emperor being equivalent to the true dragon's destiny had almost become a "setting" in this world.
Of course, the dragon was merely a metaphorical symbol. Emperors did not prefer to be descendants of dragons; rather, they wished to become a celestial being themselves or to create a celestial being to serve as their origin. The imperial legends of the Song Dynasty claimed that celestial kings descended to the mortal realm, while the Ming Dynasty emperors were believed to be reincarnations of Zhenwu. Clearly, compared to mythical beasts like dragons, celestial beings of a higher order were more easily accepted by the populace.
"Jiupancha is actually a type of Buddhist ghost."
"Your Majesty should not dwell too much on this title of Dragon Lord. Otherwise, comparing yourself to Buddhist ghosts would be beneath the dignity of the Son of Heaven."
Zhang Tianshi attempted to correct Emperor Wanli's train of thought and pull his mind out of its runaway storm of ideas, guiding it back onto the right track.
Now was not the time to quibble over what title the other party used. Even if they called themselves "Your Grandfather," you...
Never mind, Emperor Jiajing was still fleeing for his life in the inner world. It wasn't so easy to be the current emperor's grandfather.
"Buddhist ghost?"
Emperor Wanli's thoughts finally stopped wandering, but he still asked:
"Buddha is Buddha, and ghost is ghost. What do you mean by Buddhist ghost?"
"I know of immortals and Buddhas, but those are two separate terms. Are you saying that Buddhist ghost is one term?"
Zhang Tianshi: "Indeed, it is one term."
"This person is extraordinary... It is said that when Bianliang City was breached in the Song Dynasty, this person had a hand in it, and it was a form of revenge."
Zhang Tianshi spoke of ancient secrets. Of course, his knowledge was not detailed. Longhu Mountain had experienced a thousand years of wind and rain, and in the midst of dynastic changes, there were often many secrets. Successive Celestial Masters occasionally encountered them, observed them, and recorded them.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the inner world fiercely competed for the Great Dao of the dynasty. Triggered by the brief suppression of the other three forces by the Shenxiao Dao Yuanmiao Great Sage, the Dragon Lord of Buddhism laid a curse, prophesying that Bianliang would be destroyed by war within a year!
"And in this conflict between Buddhism and Daoism, it seemed that Buddhism failed, laying down a great curse, while Daoism achieved a short-term victory. However, the Fangshi also had their own intentions and intervened. The Six Lords of Luofeng seized the opportunity and opened the gates of Bianjing..."
"Opened Bianjing? Is this about the Six Jia Heavenly Soldiers? Was it because the Song court could no longer benefit them, so they immediately chose the Jin Kingdom to the north?"
Emperor Wanli stroked his beard, his brows furrowed into a knot, and he felt overwhelmed: "The disputes among immortals are so casual. If a country's monarch can be sold off, then who would be willing to strive for these people in the inner world?"
"This is too lacking in benevolence and righteousness."
Zhang Tianshi chuckled: "Benevolence and righteousness are Confucian concepts. The Fangshi are inherently independent of the Three Teachings, originating in the Spring and Autumn period and flourishing in the Warring States. Where would they have benevolence and righteousness? These are not things they adhere to themselves!"
It was impossible to discuss benevolence and righteousness with the Fangshi. The only exchange possible with them was profit. If they saw a profit to be made, they would help you. If you had no dealings with them or even affected them, they would move to eliminate you.
"But you said that the current Fangshi are all from the lineage of Dongfang Shuo. Dongfang Shuo was also a Han Chinese. Doesn't he understand propriety and righteousness?"
Emperor Wanli asked.
"If there were true propriety and righteousness, they would not be manipulating the right and wrong, the ups and downs of the outer world within the inner world."
Zhang Tianshi replied thus.
Emperor Wanli cursed: "An old man who does not die is a thief... Oh, Tianshi, I am not scolding you. In fact, you are quite young and not an old thief, at most a young thief."
Seeing Zhang Tianshi's slightly changing expression, Emperor Wanli immediately clarified that he was not scolding him.
After all, compared to those immortals in the inner world, you, Old Zhang, couldn't even be called Old Zhang; you were at most Little Zhang.
"...Wait, there's still one more?"
Emperor Wanli suddenly remembered. Did Daoism win and Buddhism lose, and the Fangshi turn their coats faster than flipping a book? What about the Confucianists?
"In the south."
"Oh. I see!"
After receiving the Tianshi's simple reply, Emperor Wanli suddenly became enlightened.
So they were prepared. Compared to the Fangshi, this was much more benevolent.
"Then the Confucianists are still manageable. At least they sold off the current monarch but still preserved the orthodoxy of the dynasty. Although they retreated south and sought peace, they are much more moral than what the Fangshi did."
"At least they didn't immediately help the enemy."
Zhang Tianshi chuckled: "Open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against! You, Emperor, chose four families to use for your own purposes. Daoism won and was overjoyed, Buddhism lost and was furious, Fangshi were indifferent and turned their backs mercilessly, but Confucianism is precisely the most dangerous. How can you say they are manageable?"
"The other three sides are being chosen by the emperor, but only Confucianism is choosing the emperor."
Emperor Wanli awoke as if from a dream and involuntarily shivered at that moment.
A barking dog does not bite; the foulest fart often makes no sound; a venomous snake is silent before it attacks; the mountain wind is also still before a hungry tiger pounces.
"Then, can the Fangshi be trusted now?"
"As long as Xu Fu is alive, the Fangshi can still be trusted. As long as we do not trust others in this process."
Zhang Tianshi said: "I have consulted some secret texts from Longhu Mountain in the past and found that the Daoist lineage of the outer world is not very important to the cultivators of the inner world. Therefore, I, representing the Daoist sect, can still talk and laugh with the Fangshi, and get along well with them. This is precisely why."
"Of course, the important forces of my Longhu Mountain are in the outer world. The inner world only has the Tianshi Dao, not Longhu Mountain. This is also a huge difference."
"What difference is this?"
Emperor Wanli asked, confused.
Zhang Tianshi explained:
"The Tianshi does not enter the inner world."
"All the Celestial Masters throughout the ages have achieved ascension in the outer world. After dedicating their lives to studying the Dao of Immortality, they ascend to heaven. Their wishes and magical powers are all injected into the divine tablet of the Ancestral Celestial Master. If they do not achieve ascension, then upon reaching the end of their lifespan, they will also dissipate their magical powers and wishes, returning to the divine position of the Ancestral Celestial Master."
"The Tianshi Dao is the sect founded by the Celestial Master, and where the Celestial Master is, that is Longhu Mountain!"
"Now, if we cooperate with the Fangshi, we cannot cooperate with Buddhism, nor with Daoism, nor with Confucianism... that is, we must distance ourselves from those of the Three Teachings."
Zhang Tianshi said this, while also thinking that there was nothing good to get close to among the scholars of the Three Teachings nowadays. Even such places as Maoshan, one of the Three Mountains, had become mere tools for the celestial beings dispatched from the Changsheng Heavenly Palace in the inner world. Buddhism was even more so. Even the Changchun Temple near the imperial palace, and the emperor's own mother, were manifestations of Buddhist cultivators from the inner world. Most of the scholars of the Three Teachings in the outer world were destined to become manifestations, avatars, or traces of the immortals from the inner world.
In comparison, the inheritance of the Fangshi had almost vanished in the outer world, which was rather reassuring. And these people hated Xu Fu to the bone. It was unclear where such immense hatred came from. They were separated by three or four or five generations, yet it was as if he had stolen their foundation.
Could it be that Xu Fu's existence made the foundation of the Fangshi Dao unstable? Therefore, they wanted to kill him to reclaim some "power"?
This was Zhang Tianshi's guess, but without any basis. He then thought of Ji Xiang, and secretly mused, wondering if his senior brother could obtain some special intelligence through this channel after the brief end of the Korean War.
How could one sleep soundly with neighbors? Xu Fu's existence was the greatest threat and deterrent to the Central Plains. This invasion of Korea was a strong proof of his wolfish ambition. How could he, a ghost from two thousand years ago, contend with a living immortal like himself?
"The meaning of 'Buddhist Ghost Jiupancha King' itself is a ghost spirit under the command of the Southern Virudhaka Heavenly King, said to be able to perform various transformations, derive the harm of the five senses, devour human essence and blood, travel as fast as the wind, reside in forests and wilds, and control the ghosts of all regions, hence the title 'King.' In the 'Avatamsaka Sutra,' such ghosts are also called Great Strength Ghost Kings."
"The leader among them, titled the king of ghosts and spirits, is also a guardian heavenly king in Buddhism, called 'Piruole'."
"The Buddhist ghost descending to the mortal realm, coming from the inner world, is likely related to the matter of the Heavenly Net King. However, it also has connections with the Southern Daoist magic. Its true purpose is difficult to ascertain. Someone needs to go and investigate."
Zhang Tianshi said this, and Emperor Wanli again thought of Ji Xiang, so he said: "Why not let the True Monarch of the North Pole go..."
"The Korean War has just ended, and you want him to cross the sea to the south? Your Majesty, immortals are not mobilized like this."
Zhang Tianshi shook his head, thinking to himself that you treat gods and immortals like military generals, patching up leaks wherever they appear. It's like Li Rusong. Seeing that he was useful, he first suppressed the rebellion of the Ningxia Mongol tribes, then fought in Korea for several years, and upon his return, he was immediately appointed as the Grand Commander of Liaodong. Before he could even settle in, the Tatars from the north invaded the border, so he went north to defend against the Tatars. This person is not made of iron; doing this will eventually lead to trouble.
Zhang Tianshi recalled Li Rusong.
Then he found that he could not remember what this person looked like.
The last time they met was the last time.
The current situation in the Great Ming is not too good. There are foreign forces causing trouble in the north, southwest, and northeast, with demons dancing wildly, putting immense pressure on the internal affairs. At the same time, there are various internal traitors selling off interests. Fortunately, the people have been living relatively well in recent years, otherwise, if there were a major rebellion, the country would truly be doomed.
"Your Majesty, within the Great Ming, there are no less than eight people with the might of true immortals, including myself."
"However, only myself and the True Monarch of the North Pole can be dispatched by the court. The others do not obey the court's orders. Does Your Majesty have any brilliant plan to force them to obey?"
"One of them is even causing trouble in Qiantang, creating a demonic mountain, attempting to manipulate the demonic tribulation of ascension. He is also one of the ancient immortals descended from the inner world. Does Your Majesty have any method to eliminate him?"
"Although the Jingzhen Divine Sword is peerless, its sword light can destroy immortal forms and sever spiritual traces with a single flash, but Your Majesty himself has no cultivation. In front of a true immortal, aren't you like a child holding gold in a bustling market? Is there any way to remain unharmed?"
These words alerted Emperor Wanli, and he couldn't help but frown deeply.
Zhang Tianshi had mentioned several times that there were several immortals within the Great Ming, but the inability to mobilize them was meaningless; rather, they were a hidden danger.
Perhaps recruit them?
Go, recruit a bird's peace!
They don't care about your recruitment!
Some of them have even established connections with the Great Immortals at the Heavenly Heart level of the inner world. And the outer and inner worlds will merge in twenty years. At this time, following a bloated dynasty that has been established for over two hundred years is not worthwhile.
It would be better to shatter this dynasty in twenty years and then absorb the national destiny. If one is ambitious, they might even try to ascend to that "True Realm of the Heavenly Dao"!
"No... method. If they truly cause trouble, it is a great disaster. But if I were to eliminate them, I have no good way."
"The artifacts of immortals and gods have been lost in many dynasties. The ones remaining now are not as many as those in the land of the Japanese... "
With thousands of years of constant wars in the Central Plains, how many divine artifacts or immortal scriptures have been lost or shattered?
Without a supreme and recognized leader, without a place to preserve them, fighting with immortal and divine artifacts, and then perishing together... with the rise and fall of sects, how many cultivators have turned into white bones over the millennia?
"Is there truly no way to restrain this Buddhist ghost? Am I just going to watch him cause chaos in the south?"
"This Great Ming empire, if it doesn't break in the hands of King Lu, will it break in the hands of this Buddhist ghost and the magic sect?"
Zhang Tianshi said to Emperor Wanli: .oγg
"Although there is no solution for now, there is a strategy of using a tiger to swallow a wolf."
"Does Your Majesty know... Zhou Sheng?"
——————
"Oh? You want me to go south and fight the Buddhists? That's not good!"
"Sun Tianshi, this is unreasonable. How can I, a regent, possibly fight against a descending Buddha of Buddhism? What has happened to you, Changsheng Heavenly Palace? Who has slandered you to make you ask me to do such a suicidal thing?"
A mist of black qi permeated the air. At the entrance of a White Lotus Church, everyone inside had been slaughtered. Zhou Sheng stood among the corpses with a child named Shen Kui. It was Shen Kui who killed the people of the White Lotus Church; Zhou Sheng had not made a move.
"King Lu is dead, and the White Lotus Church is now a leaderless swarm of insects... You speak of King Lu's 'princely fortune'? Who knows where he put it. I went to his mansion, but it was all sealed off. How could I dare to search openly? I can only kill the White Lotus cultists to make a living, after all, these guys were with King Lu for a while and have a bit of royal aura."
"It's not easy for a snake to transform into a dragon. I cannot go to the Forbidden City, and I dare not go to Fengyang for now, so I can only find isolated princes or members of the imperial family to kill, accumulating little by little... I also wanted to slaughter Wudang Mountain before, but I didn't expect there to be hidden dragons and crouching tigers inside... As soon as I got close, I sensed that there was a true immortal inside."
A white shadow appeared amidst the black qi, conversing with Zhou Sheng.
"The Five-Turn Immortal Pill was not eaten by him for nothing. This time, the Buddhist ghost descends to the mortal realm, it must be to split the territory of the Ming Dynasty. He will definitely be looking for a 'dragon son.' You go and kill him, and seize the fortune of that dragon son."
"The Southern Daoist magic cannot make much of a splash. The Buddhist ghost's descent to the mortal realm was due to someone making great efforts for him, and he himself paid a great price. He does not have the combat power of an ascended immortal, only the body of an immortal Buddha. Since I am letting you go, I naturally have a way for you to kill him!"