Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 608 - 278. The Long-Awaited Down Down Signing (Two-in-One Chapter)_3
Master Sangjie nodded, lost in thought, and stayed silent.
Master Longjia showed some regret, "Although the south was desolate, its people were ignorant, it was not necessarily a bad place. But now with the sudden involvement of the Jiuli people returning to the mortal world, the situation immediately became more complicated."
Master Sangjie spoke calmly, "That’s right, the Earth Sea was shrouded in mystery, even Sumi over there had no detailed information. Now that the Jiuli had returned to the mortal world, greater caution was needed in dealing with the matter."
In other words, it was better to let the Great Tang Dynasty or some other party go dig around first.
The Xumi Vajra Sect had now descended upon the Great Tang Western Regions, and it was hard to say whether the timing was good or bad.
The Mortal Tao Country involved the legendary Heavenly Court.
Over in the Southern Wildernes, Jiuli too had made their return.
Looking from the unfavorable side, whether it was the Jiuli Grand Shaman or those trying to rebuild a Taoist Nation with Heavenly Court officials in the mortal world, both were mortal enemies of Western Region Buddhism.
With the Great Tang Imperial Family, Western Region Buddhism could still slowly infiltrate.
But the Mortal Tao Country, the Jiuli Grand Shaman, and Confucian Eminent Learning, fundamentally, their intentions conflicted directly with those of Western Region Buddhism, making them truly bitter foes to one another.
However, things must be viewed from two sides.
*It was exactly this kind of tangled situation that allowed Western Region Buddhism, upon rising, not to become the obvious target of everyone right away.*
*They had both the time and space to carry out the established strategy, first infiltrating the Great Tang with softer methods.*
*From one perspective, if things just kept dragging on like this, maybe that was not such a bad thing...* Sangjie thought inwardly.
*Whether things succeeded depended on more than just methods. Strength mattered too.*
*And opportunity.*
"So, right now we should not rush into reckless action, and with the other sects, we must maintain appearances publicly, but quietly push them to compete with each other to find out their strengths and weaknesses."
Master Sangjie, "But it did not mean we should act timidly and do nothing. Besides continuing to cultivate our friendship with the Great Tang court, there was one place we could start handling first."
The Abbot Suoyang exchanged glances with Master Longjia, both immediately understood, "White Lotus Sect?"
The Great Void Temple had taken a heavy hit, and rumors said Abbot Yuanmie had been forced to lead his ragtag group into retreat overseas.
*Their whereabouts now were extremely bizarre and unfathomable. Western Region Buddhism could hardly gain anything from them.*
But another Buddhist heretic group, though also long hidden below the surface, now had a much bigger target on their back and left far more traces.
"Correct, White Lotus Sect."
Master Sangjie said, "Just received news from the division, members of White Lotus Sect were spotted in the Southern Wildernes. I plan to go check it out myself, hoping to catch more leads."
The White Lotus Sect was officially named as traitors by the Great Tang Imperial Court in public notices.
Even among traitors, it was hard to say that White Lotus Sect had much common ground with the Yellow Sky Sect, Great Void Temple, or the likes of the Mortal Tao Country.
And as far as Western Region Buddhism was concerned, the White Lotus Sect were heretics all the same.
Cracking down on White Lotus fit their own interests, and aligned with those of the Great Tang officials, with few other external supporters for the White Lotus right now, making them—undoubtedly—the most suitable target for Western Region Buddhism. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"Suoyang, you should return to the temple and report about our journey north. Longjia, come south with me." Master Sangjie said.
Abbot Suoyang and Master Longjia had no objection to this.
Master Sangjie looked a touch more serious and added, "Though the Great Tang Zen Sect is weak for now, do not underestimate them. Currently, Spiritual Energy is surging wildly in the mortal world. The parties shifting, changes are unpredictable..."
Abbot Suoyang and Master Longjia heard this, and a slight chill ran through their hearts.
The Xumi Vajra Sect had been back for quite a while, Vajra Temple had returned to its former streams, and with firsthand experience and more information, they knew many things once thought myth were in fact real.
Sumi had proved so.
The Saha World and Avici as well.
............
Cangzhou.
The former Jinzhou Ye Clan, having departed their ancestral home, relocated the whole clan here to rebuilt their foundation.
The ancestral hall above ground had quickly been erected anew.
But reconnecting the cultural pulse, truly laying down roots, was not something a mere few years, or even a dozen years, could complete.
The newborn Cangzhou Ye Clan still needed the accumulation of time.
While storms had raged across the Great Tang, bringing endless changes, the Cangzhou Ye Clan had remained low-key in recent years, quietly resting and conserving strength.
Inside the ancestral grounds, Ye Wei—who now held the position of clan chief—sat at the seat of honor.
The special circumstances of the place and time made him feel he held no real power, but rather as if treading on thin ice.
His son Ye Feishan, mature beyond his years, had in recent times assisted his grandfather and father in managing clan affairs, growing steadier with each passing year.
"Chen Yi already set out overseas," Ye Feishan reported.
Ye Wei nodded, "News of the so-called Mortal Tao Country must continue to be closely watched."
Ye Feishan promised, "Yes, father."
It was thanks to the Celestial Master Mansion that the Ye clan had been forced to relocate from Jinzhou to Cangzhou.
*But with the Mortal Tao Country appearing in the world, the threat level in the minds of Ye Clan members immediately shot up.*
The founding of a Taoist Nation in the mortal realm posed a threat to the Great Tang Dynasty, but even more seriously, it threatened the standing of Confucian Studies as the dominant mainstream learning of the day.
"Down in the Southern Wildernes, it had now been confirmed that the Jiuli people were up to something new, even bolder than before," Ye Feishan said.
Ye Wei nodded, ordering, "Go to Youzhou to see your grandfather and report everything."
Although Ye Wei handled day-to-day clan matters, for major events like this, it was still necessary to seek input from the old clan patriarch, Ye Moquan.
Ye Feishan bid farewell to his father, left Cangzhou, and headed north for Youzhou without delay.
The old patriarch Ye Moquan had been in seclusion in Youzhou, recuperating at Prince Zhao’s Mansion ever since that fateful battle years ago.
These days, he looked heathy enough—no longer showing any of the weakness from that old fight.
Ye Feishan finished reporting all the news, and Ye Moquan did not reply at once.
