Chapter 148: Chapter 130: Absorbing the Buddhist Dao Fortune, Princess Consort Ning is Missing, Lu Yunqing’s Fury

The dharma talk ended, and everyone in the plaza began to disperse.

Hearing Jiang Shan’s voice, Lu Mingyuan turned, placed his palms together, and bowed.

“Amitabha Buddha. How may I help you, Master Jiang Shan?”

The man’s expression was perfectly serene, his eyes clear and pure, as if he could see right through anyone he looked at.

Even someone as confident as Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of unease.

’Has this white-robed Monk seen through my identity?’

“You seem to possess no Merit Power. Are you purely a Martial Artist?”

Jiang Shan asked with a smile.

As a rule, any Buddhist Cultivator who reached the Third Realm would possess Merit Power. Yet this monk before him, with his thick brows and large eyes, had not a shred of it. He only had a dense Qi and Blood Power, which was exceedingly rare.

“Indeed. I am the monk Fahai. The Buddhist teachings and the Buddha reside in my heart, so I see no reason why I cannot use my physical body to vanquish demons and defend the Dao.”

Lu Mingyuan, in his role as Monk Fahai, spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.

He had to show this White-clothed True Buddha some respect. To avoid exposing his real identity, he needed to reaffirm that he was a disciple of the Buddhist Family. “The principle you taught—of killing to protect life, of slaying karma rather than men—I find it incredibly profound. I gain new insights every time I contemplate it.”

“Well said, well said! Zen Master Fahai, that you can voice such an understanding shows you have truly taken it to heart. You are indeed an enlightened man.” A smile touched Jiang Shan’s face as a Red Gold Buddha Light occasionally flickered over him.

Within the Buddhist Sect, there were indeed a rare few Martial Monks who cultivated only Buddhist teachings and not Merit Power, seeking enlightenment through the body of a Martial Artist. Such people were a minority, but they did exist.

It was just like with pure Sword Cultivators.

Not all of them were Qi Cultivators from the Taoist Sect; some were Martial Artists who followed the path of the sword to enlightenment.

Among Confucian Cultivators, there were Gentlemen of the Confucian Temple who used a sword to reach the Middle Fifth Grade, and cyan-robed Confucian Scholars who used their fists to make a point.

On the path of a Cultivator, the most important thing was to find one’s own Dao. Regardless of the path taken, anyone had the potential to ascend to the Upper Three Grades.

The Lower Seven Realms were all about laying a foundation. The Middle Fifth Grade was about refining the heart, the Flesh Body, and the Primordial Spirit to their absolute limits. The Upper Three Grades were about proving one’s Dao and achieving Integration.

“I see that you have an affinity with the Buddha, Zen Master Fahai. Please, take this Buddha Bead for now.”

From his white sleeve, Jiang Shan produced a crystal-clear Buddha Bead and handed it to Lu Mingyuan.

Lu Mingyuan was slightly taken aback, murmuring, “This is…”

“This is the Mani Purifying Divine Pearl. It was a personal possession of the Seven Ancestors, who kept it with them at all times. Over the long years, it has gained the ability to purify one’s Heart Spirit, dispel demonic thoughts and inner barriers, and cleanse the killing-karma you carry, Zen Master Fahai.”

’A personal item of the Seven Ancestors?’

’Wouldn’t that make it an ancient Buddhist artifact?’

Lu Mingyuan was stunned.

While not on the same level as a Buddhist Sect’s Ancestral Artifact, such an ancient artifact was still an exceedingly precious treasure.

The highest category of Magical Treasures was Ancient Relics, which were often a nation’s foundational treasure, a Great Religious Relic, or something only possessed by the Ancient Sects. For example, the Immortal Artifacts of the Taoist Sect, the Ancestral Artifacts of Buddhism, and the ancient artifacts of the Confucian Temple were all incomparably precious—they were symbols representing the heritage of the Three Religions.

Lu Mingyuan had read ancient texts and had a general idea of what the Ancient Relics of the Three Religions were.

For example, the Taoist Sect had the Celestial Master Seal, which commanded thunder and destruction, the Peach Talisman, and the Daoist Hat, all left behind by the Ancestral Master of the Three Pristine Ones.

The Confucian Temple had its Four Marvels: the Chessboard, the Nine Diagrams, the Snow Scroll, and the Huai Qin. The Military Family had the Sword Array Tiger Talisman and the five Ancient Swords from the Sword Tomb. The Legalist Family had the Ink Ruler.

Leiyin Temple had the Buddha Seal of the Ancient Leiyin Buddha, and the Great Celestial Dragon Temple had its thousand-year-old Ancient Scripture Fragments.

In that context, this Mani Purifying Divine Pearl was also an extremely precious item among the Three Religions, its significance far outweighing its material value.

This bead was nothing to scoff at, comparable to a Magical Treasure nurtured within a Grotto Heaven.

It was a relic passed down from the Seven Ancestors.

’Could it be…’

Lu Mingyuan met Jiang Shan’s gaze.

The monk still wore a faint smile, his eyes gentle and warm.

Neither spoke, but there was a tacit understanding between them.

“As they say, life is suffering, and one can only save oneself. I hope, Zen Master Fahai, that you will not disappoint the Seven Ancestors, and that you will achieve Buddhahood through your own efforts.”

With those final words, Jiang Shan slowly departed.

At the same time, text materialized before Lu Mingyuan’s eyes.

[The Mani Purifying Divine Pearl contains Buddhist Dao Fortune and a Grotto Heaven within. It resonates with the Buddha’s Relics, unlocking the Buddhist Dao Fortune sealed inside.]

[Venerable Purple Destiny – Nine Orifices Exquisite, Refinement Level increased to 20%.]

[Upgraded to Zen Heart (Middle Level).]

[Zen Heart (Middle Level): Bodhi originally has no tree, the Bright Mirror Is Not A Platform. Since there was never anything, where did the dust come from? With a heart like a bright mirror, one need not fear Heart Demons. Worldly desires and mental hindrances cannot affect the Life Master. By clearing karmic obstacles, one can obtain Merit Power.]

“So that’s how it is. Jiang Shan had an ace up his sleeve.”

Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan finally understood the bead’s purpose. It was a key.

A key to unlock the Relic.

No wonder. In the days since he had fused with the Buddha’s Relics, he had only been able to absorb the Buddha Power within, not the Buddhist Dao Fortune.

He had been missing the Mani Purifying Divine Pearl.

Absorbing a portion of the Buddhist Dao Fortune fed back into his original body, causing Lu Mingyuan’s Cultivation to rise like a swelling tide as more Acupoints opened throughout his body.

His count rose from six thousand to seven thousand eight hundred and twenty-one Acupoints.

He was about to reach the theoretical maximum.

This maximum was the limit for a Middle Fifth-Grade Martial Artist’s Acupoints, specifically ten thousand. In theory, that was ten times the strength of an ordinary Sea-Viewing Realm Martial Artist, but it couldn’t really be calculated that way. No one knew for sure just how powerful the qualitative transformation from opening ten thousand Acupoints was; they could only make vague estimates.

Because the last person to break the record had reached exactly ten thousand Acupoints.

No one knew just how strong they became.

As he was now, Lu Mingyuan was already an invincible existence within the Sea-Viewing Realm.

Even a Dragon Gate Realm Martial Artist—who would have condensed the abundant Primordial Qi from their Dantian and Acupoints into a martial essence, differentiating their energy to possess worldly attributes and transforming it into the power of the Yin-Yang Five Elements—wouldn’t necessarily be able to defeat him. In fact, they would likely get thrashed.

To advance to the Dragon Gate Realm, a Martial Artist must “cross the Dragon Gate,” enduring a tempering by thunderclouds that causes their Primordial Qi to undergo a divine transformation, granting them the nascent ability to convert the Power of Heaven and Earth.

Lu Mingyuan’s consciousness returned to Fahai’s body, and he remembered the day’s important business.

Prince Jin’s Mansion had another capture mission, one that required many experts to be deployed.

Monk Fahai’s figure vanished from the plaza. He didn’t head for Prince Jin’s Mansion, but went straight to the entrance of the food market.

Prince Jin’s Mansion had recently established a new rule.

All Tributors from the Endless Pavilion were forbidden from approaching Prince Jin’s Mansion or using its gates, unless explicitly summoned.

Therefore, they could only meet outside to receive their assignments.

It was a security measure.

Lu Mingyuan observed the numerous Endless Pavilion experts lying in wait around the capital’s bustling food market. Some were disguised as butchers, others as noodle-stall vendors…

’I wonder who the target is today.’

’They’re going to such great lengths.’

…

A moment after Jiang Shan departed, a group of people appeared before him.

The one in the lead was a young man in cyan robes with a refined, noble air. He was walking toward Jiang Shan, followed by a large retinue.

“Ah, it is Prince Chongwen of Great Yan.”

Jiang Shan recognized him at a glance: Lu Yunqing, the Eighth Prince of Great Yan, also known as Prince Chongwen.

“I have long admired your great name, Saint Monk. I just listened to your dharma talk and benefited immensely. Lately, I’ve been troubled by a few questions and was hoping to ask for your guidance.”

Lu Yunqing said, his tone exceptionally polite.

He lacked the slightest hint of princely arrogance, which immediately left a favorable impression.

“Amitabha Buddha. Whatever questions you have, Your Highness, I will answer to the best of my ability,” Jiang Shan replied with the mantra, a faint smile on his lips.

“Over the last year, the number of Demon Fiends across Great Yan has risen sharply, and all have been thrown into prison. Among them were some benign Demons who had done no evil and lived quietly among the common folk. Yet they were lured out by the Three Academy Cultivators and killed, all for the purpose of garnering worship and reminding the world of the Three Religions’ power.”

“Saint Monk, do you believe this is right?”

Lu Yunqing asked, choosing his words carefully.

Jiang Shan didn’t answer directly, instead posing a question of his own. “Does Your Highness believe it is right?”

“If you had asked me this a year ago, I would have said it was wrong. But now, I believe it is correct.” Lu Yunqing’s gaze fell, and he sighed.

“Perhaps they had some malevolent tendencies, but not enough to be considered truly evil. Yet they couldn’t conceal their inherent nature to harm humans. All it took was for the Three Academy Cultivators to test and tempt them a little, and their true Demon Fiend nature was exposed. According to Great Yan Law, executing them is perfectly justified.”

“This world ultimately belongs to the Human Race. A human killing a Demon is no crime. A Demon harming a human is against the law. A Demon that eats a human must be executed.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shan smiled faintly. “Your Highness is not conflicted. You already have your own answer, so why listen to mine? Even if I were to speak with the eloquence of the heavens and give you the most perfect answer, it wouldn’t change your mind, would it?”

“I would still like to hear your answer, Saint Monk,”

Lu Yunqing said in earnest.

Jiang Shan bowed. “Your Highness’s Dao,” he said slowly, “has shifted. You’ve gone from watching Demons die tragically while you pondered what is good and whether one ought to kill, to being an executioner and proponent of killing them. For your future, this is a good thing. At the very least, it is a blessing for the people of Great Yan. To show concern for the Demons, on the other hand, would invite disaster.”

Ostensibly, they were discussing the matter of killing Demons, but both knew full well they were speaking of conflicts on an entirely different level.

Seeing that the white-robed Monk’s mastery of Buddhist Technique was profound and his power was great, Lu Yunqing extended an invitation. “Saint Monk, you are a master of Buddhist teachings and adept in the Ten Thousand Techniques. Why not enter my service at the Prince Mansion?”

Jiang Shan shook his head, politely declining. “Thank you for your kind offer, Your Highness, but I am merely a passerby in Great Yan, here only to spread the Dharma. It would be difficult for me to involve myself in the empire’s many tempests.”

“Very well. I have imposed on you.”

Lu Yunqing expressed his regret but was not discouraged.

He watched Jiang Shan’s departing figure.

The Sword-Carrier Slave at his side spoke up. “Jiang Shan is of the Seven Ancestors Lineage. Unless Your Highness becomes a patron of Buddhism, I fear it will be difficult to win his support.”

“It matters not. It was merely an attempt; success or failure changes nothing. Next, I just need to expose Prince Jin’s Mansion to the world and eliminate the forces backing my Second Brother. It doesn’t matter what the other princes do. With Sixth Brother and Third Brother on my side, this struggle for the throne should be over,” Lu Yunqing said, his expression serene.

He had discovered that the only way to end the conflict was to become the most ruthless of them all. This was the Dao that now guided his heart.

Suddenly, from behind the sedan chair, a Sword Cultivator flew in on his sword, approached, and reported:

“Your Highness, the Princess Consort is missing!”

“What?!”

Lu Yunqing’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately demanded:

“What happened?”

“Princess Consort Ning went out with several Royal Guards to procure supplies for the Prince Mansion. An entire afternoon has passed with no sign of them. I went to the food market, but they weren’t there either.”

Lu Yunqing’s face turned grim, his fingers clenching into a tight fist. “How careless. To make such a basic mistake!”

He immediately thought of someone, and his gaze turned sinister.

“Lu Guangjing…”

“Daring to offend the Military Saint… you’re really courting death. Don’t blame me for turning Prince Jin’s Mansion upside down.”

Seeing Prince Chongwen’s expression, everyone around him knew that this time, His Highness was truly enraged.

“Your Highness, are you going to ask the Military Saint to intervene?”

“Not just the Military Saint. I’m going to make Lu Guangjing understand the consequences of making an enemy of the Confucian Temple.”

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep