"Qinghong will succeed soon?"
Li Yuanjiao felt a surge of quiet delight upon hearing this though he maintained a composed exterior, merely nodding as he said softly, "Master Monk, please return with me."
While Kongheng was quite talkative in front of Li Wushao, he only nodded in Li Yuanjiao's presence, rising to join him. Together, they ascended into the air, riding the wind back along the path Li Yuanjiao had come.
The journey was silent. Kongheng, surrounded by a golden glow, held his monk staff which emitted a mana light, giving him an ethereal appearance.
Li Yuanjiao shot him a glance and inquired, "Now that you've made a breakthrough, what are your future plans?"
Kongheng lowered his head slightly and replied, "If your esteemed family has any requests, I will do my utmost to fulfill them. Otherwise, I will continue cultivating peacefully at Moongaze Lake."
Upon reaching the peak, Kongheng excused himself and settled down to meditate, while Li Yuanjiao stood contemplatively in the forest instead of resuming his cultivation in seclusion.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, an urgent call came from outside the formation—it was Kongheng's voice ringing with eagerness.
"I wish to see Benefactor Yuanjiao! Please open the formation!"
When the monk descended before Li Yuanjiao, he pleaded, "Senior! I can't possibly let Xijun suffer because of me! It's my fault that I was focused solely on the secrets of my cultivation secrets and refused to disclose much... Now that I have succeeded, I must express my gratitude to your esteemed family for their support."
Kongheng spoke at length, defending Li Xijun. Li Yuanjiao merely glanced at him and remained silent. Having been with the Li Family for over a decade, Kongheng's character was well-regarded by all.
Although Li Yuanjiao was not fond of Buddhist cultivators, he recognized that the strength of such a skilled individual should not be wasted.
After hearing all this, perhaps he can really be an asset to our family...
"This is my family's affair, Master Monk. Do not trouble yourself with it. Once I have finished punishing him, he will be released," Li Yuanjiao stated simply and decisively.
Kongheng shook his head and was about to interject when Li Yuanjiao asked, "You are a Master Monk who cultivates authentic technique from Liao River Temple; what makes you different from typical Buddhist cultivators from Zhao State? I'm guessing your current strength is no lesser than a standard Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, right?"
Kongheng responded with a shake of his head, "Benefactor does not practice Buddhism; it's very complicated. I can't fully explain it, but I can only say that it is comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm of the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao. However, compared to the seven Buddhist Dao of the north, it falls a bit short."
Li Yuanjiao, having once encountered the ancient immortal cultivator Wang Xun from the Wang Family, had assumed ancient Buddhist cultivators would be much stronger.
"You're saying that ancient techniques are not as effective as today's techniques?" he asked in surprise.
"Indeed."
Kongheng sighed deeply, then explained, "Master Monk and Maha of Buddhism Dao correspond to the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion Realm. Master Monk practices internal cultivation techniques, seeking clarity and insight... However, today's Buddhist cultivators in Zhao State have taken a shortcut.
"Master Monk doesn't cultivate but venerates Maha and Dharma Master, reciting their names daily to borrow divine abilities and share Metallic Essence for constructing a giant statue, which aids in their cultivation. Hence, their strength is considerable, surpassing that of the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators."
Li Yuanjiao listened intently to this seldom-shared insight. Kongheng continued, "This path bypasses self-cultivation, resulting in the creation of the Merciful One—pretty much a stronger version of Master Monk. But without any divine abilities, Merciful Ones are thus weaker against the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators!"
"Conversely, the Mahas, less constrained by the Heavenly Dao and able to reincarnate freely from life to life, turn what was once a perilous existence into a stable one, and are stronger than Purple Mansion Realm cultivators."
"I see!" Li Yuanjiao exclaimed, his long-standing confusion about the strength of these Buddhist cultivators finally cleared. His expression soon relaxed as Kongheng sighed deeply.
"Because those Master Monks from Zhao State derive their power from Mahas, their methods are particularly mystical. They can beguile and ensnare their targets, performing all manners of deceptions. Both monk soldiers and commoners are brainwashed and controlled by these Master Monks, who themselves are under the control of the Mahas' influences. Everyone in Zhao State obeyed readily; none dared to act out or express their discontent.
"The Master Monk commands from above and below, and the people comply joyfully; acts of violence are seen as justified, even cannibalism is welcomed, with elders eagerly awaiting their turn, and children wishing only to grow up faster to reach this so-called ultimate bliss..."
Tears welled in Kongheng's eyes as he whispered quietly, "Such a world... and all Master Monks call it the Buddhist State On Earth ."
Kongheng looked rather lost as he murmured, "The Buddhist ancestors once envisioned a utopia—a world free from evil and sorrow, without killing or strife. They've achieved it and the people of Zhao State live in happiness and joy every day."
At these words, Li Yuanjiao felt a suffocating sense of foreboding and asked in a deep voice, "Then... What about the Emperor of Zhao State?"
"Those Jie people..." Kongheng lowered his head and continued, "A thousand years ago, the Jie people invaded the state with formidable power, blessed by heavenly fate and bearing the emperor's visage, aspiring to reign for generations. Zhao Zhaowu Emperor Fu Qiyan [1], who had been suppressing Buddhism forcefully, died suddenly overnight. His descendants lasted only a hundred years before falling under Maha's sway."
"After offering up the Metallic Essence and welcoming Maha to the capital, the current Emperor of Zhao State behaves like a mere slave... kneeling and worshiping the Maha!"
Li Yuanjiao then murmured in silence, "No wonder it is said that Zhao State will never be successful... and that the Emperor will die achieving nothing. His mind is not his own; how could he possibly ever achieve greatness?"
Kongheng sighed softly.
"Forgive me for losing my composure, Benefactor. My Dao lineage originates from the north, and though Zhao State's Buddhism conflicts with ours, I have always grieved for Zhao State."
"Who can say who is right or wrong? Night after night, people under my Liao River Temple's rule flee and smuggle themselves into Zhao State. Some even accused my temple of being an evil sect," he said sadly.
Kongheng paused, as though he was at the peak of his emotion. Li Yuanjiao asked a few more probing questions, then waved his hand and dismissed him.
Kongheng was a reasonable monk. Although he wished to continue appealing for Li Xijun, he ultimately sighed softly and remarked guiltily, "Xijun has indeed suffered because of me."
With that, he rode away on the wind, leaving Li Yuanjiao standing alone with his hand resting on the Qingche Sword.
"Second Uncle!"
While Li Yuanjiao was lost in thought, Li Ximing approached, riding the wind from behind him. He cupped his fist and bowed respectfully before saying, "Congratulations on your achievement in cultivation, Second Uncle! May you achieve the Purple Mansion Realm soon!"
This was his first time meeting Li Yuanjiao after he emerged from seclusion. Li Ximing had come to pay his respects, his tone earnest as he continued, "I believe Xijun has his reasons for what he has done..."
"Sixth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm... not bad."
Without responding to his remark, Li Yuanjiao assessed Li Ximing's cultivation with a hint of satisfaction and continued, "It seems you're not far from breaking through to the seventh heavenly layer. You should be ready to attempt establishing your foundation by the age of thirty."
Li Ximing shared everything about his cultivation journey, both significant and minor. Li Yuanjiao listened intently, then pressed him on with a question, his tone thick with incredulity and disbelief.
"You're saying that... bedroom activities can aid in cultivation?!"
Li Ximing, visibly embarrassed, nodded. Li Yuanjiao, however, was not one to gloss over such details. He pulled out a jade slip from his storage pouch, studied it intently, and finally said in a deep voice, "It seems there is some truth to this! While I'm not familiar with which Metallic Essence is used in the Golden Palace Radiant Origin Manual , it is related to the Radiant Yang, so it makes sense."
With a nod, he dismissed the topic.
"I understand now... you may go."
Watching Li Ximing depart, Li Yuanjiao picked up a small letter on the desk. It had arrived early that morning from the Azure Pond Sect. Li Xizhi had always been reliable and managed to extract much information within the sect.
" Blood Sun Fruit. "
Li Yuanjiao had never heard of this spirit medicine before, so he had to dispatch his men to gather more information about it. As for acquiring it, it seemed likely that a deeper expedition into Mount Yue would be necessary.
"I shall cultivate in seclusion first and address this matter when Qinghong returns after her breakthrough!" he decided.
1. Emperor's name is Fu Qiyan, Zhao Zhaowu Emperor is his posthumous title. ☜