Chapter 585: The Gods Deny the Path

Chapter 585: God does not provide a way

The snow grew heavier, and the arguments echoing over the Kurong Golden Temple continued unabated.

The scene was still that of a golden and magnificent Buddhist temple, with a long table on either side where tensions ran high, saliva flew, and the same words were repeated endlessly, making it impossible to reach a clear conclusion.

Both the officials and the monks were well aware of this, each claiming the superiority of their own doctrine: you assert the majesty of your laws, while I proclaim the profundity of my Buddhist teachings.

They were talking past each other, yet the scene was strangely lively.

Meanwhile, Liu Jin Xun, the chief inspector of the frontier sent by the court, was leisurely reading a book in a temporary residence outside Kurong City.

A reclining chair, a book, the scent of tea, and snow dancing outside the window.

Liu Jin Xun lived a calm and composed life, but someone was restless and could no longer contain their anxiety.

Zhang Siyuan entered with a stern face and plopped down in the middle of the books.

"What’s wrong with you, Yizheng?"

Liu Jin Xun looked at the young scholar who had been silent since entering the room, and, knowing what he was thinking, rolled up the ancient book in his hand.

"Sir, we’ve been staying at the Kurong Golden Temple for almost a month now. How long do we have to wait?"

Zhang Siyuan was deeply frustrated by the current pointless negotiations.

In his view, the Sangyan Sacred Mountain was already within reach. Whether it was to capture or kill, the Sangyan Buddha Lord Linga would naturally give an answer once they reached the mountain.

There was no need to continue wasting time with these frontier monks here.

If we continue to drag our feet like this, when will we be able to complete the task assigned by the court?

Moreover, Zhang Siyuan was more worried that if the inspection ultimately ended with a major issue being reduced to a minor one, or a minor issue being reduced to nothing, then the court’s authority would become a joke.

Liu Jin Xun joked, "It’s only been a month, and you’re already losing your patience, Yizheng?"

"I don’t understand what we are waiting for."

Zhang Siyuan frowned and said coldly, "The current attitude of the Sangyan Temple is clear: they cannot accept us entering the deep mountains of Sangyan, and Linga will never come down to accept an investigation. Since we cannot reach an agreement, there is no need to continue talking. Kindness and gentleness will not bring gratitude, so we should use thunderous means!"

"So your idea is to forcibly enter the Sangyan Sacred Mountain to wage war and ask for punishment?" Liu Jin Xun asked in return.

"That's right."

Zhang Siyuan said bluntly, "With our current manpower, a strong attack on the Sangyan Sacred Mountain is somewhat difficult. Therefore, I ask the magistrate to report to the cabinet and recruit at least one master of the 'shooting' and 'riding' arts from each first-class clan, with a rank of fourth degree or above, to enter the frontier and destroy the Sangyan Temple!"

Liu Jin Xun said softly, "The masters of 'shooting' and 'riding' arts that you speak of, Yizheng, are the treasures that each clan relies on for survival. Do you think they will be willing to give them up?"

"Eat the lord's food, worry about the lord's affairs. If you do not obey the court's orders, then..."

Zhang Siyuan's face showed a hint of killing intent, but the cold words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back into his stomach.

Because he also knew that this was impossible.

"Not everyone is like you, who still considers their official robes as a matter of importance. In some people's eyes, the current court is just a business arena for grabbing benefits and a ladder for climbing up the promotion hierarchy, nothing more."

"Or, to say something presumptuous, if there were no requirements of the Confucian ritual, the Ming Empire would probably have disappeared long ago."

Liu Jin Xun sighed and looked at Zhang Siyuan, who had a dark face, and asked softly, "Have you read the court report issued by the cabinet a few days ago, Yizheng? What do you think?" "I've read it."

Zhang Siyuan did not speak rashly, but instead collected his frustration and respectfully bowed to Liu Jin Xun in a disciple's manner.

"Your subordinate has limited knowledge, and I ask the magistrate to enlighten me."

Seeing that he had adjusted his mindset so quickly, Liu Jin Xun couldn't help but show admiration in his eyes.

As the only son of Zhang Fengyue, the chief minister of the Ming Imperial Cabinet and the leader of the new Donglin Party of Confucian scholars, Zhang Siyuan could have been unstoppable throughout the empire.

If he insisted on taking action against the Sangyan Temple, even Liu Jin Xun would have to accept it and do nothing.

But since entering the frontier, Zhang Siyuan had always adhered to his role as a subordinate, being law-abiding and disciplined.

The other party had endured until today to express their dissatisfaction, and had not done anything outrageous in private.

In Liu Jin Xun's opinion, this was already very difficult to achieve.

"From the content of the court report and the information I have, the entire Taoist order is now in chaos."

Liu Jin Xun raised his hand and rolled up his sleeves, sitting up from the reclining chair.

"Once there were two ancestral Taoist temples, one has perished and disappeared in history, and the other has declined and become a delicacy for many people. A lack of leadership is the source of chaos, and for other Taoist forces besides Longhushan, this is the best time to settle past grudges."

Liu Jin Xun smiled slightly, "Moreover, the Zhang family of Longhushan holds an invaluable treasure for all the new Taoist orders, so the old and weak carrying heavy gold are naturally bound to become the target of many arrows."

"You mean the 'Jiazi Tianxian'?" Zhang Siyuan seemed to be thinking.

"That's right."

Liu Jin Xun nodded, "Back then, Zhang Xijue, who was the 'Zhang Tianshi' of Longhushan, closed himself in to study the Tao and created the 'Huangliang' technique for the new Taoist order, which could change the times. He almost single-handedly helped the new Taoist order win the 'new-old struggle' and established the status of Longhushan as a Taoist ancestral temple."

"Of course, the idea of studying the Tao is just for show. If there really were a Tao, then we Confucian scholars would have no need to exist."

Liu Jin Xun laughed and pretended to get up.

Zhang Siyuan quickly stepped forward to support him, and the two of them walked out of the room.

At this moment, there was already heavy snow everywhere outside the door, with both distant and nearby mountains covered in white.

"Even now, many people still don't know where Zhang Xijue got the 'Huangliang' from, but it's undeniable that he is the first person in the Taoist order in a hundred years to have achieved this."

Zhang Siyuan stretched his hand out from the eaves, opened his palm, and caught the falling snowflakes, raising the corner of his mouth.

"If it weren't for the emergence of 'Huangliang', perhaps the empire would not have been plagued by chaos."

Liu Jin Xun shook his head, "Judging the past from the present, we cannot ignore the background at that time. For all the factions at that time, 'Huangliang' was a hope and was bound to happen."

"Why?" Zhang Siyuan looked confused.

He wasn't deliberately pretending to be confused to flatter Liu Jin Xun, but he really didn't know the secrets of this past event.

In the eyes of outsiders, as the son of Zhang Fengyue, he should have known everything about the various factions.

But only Zhang Siyuan himself knew that he and his father, who was revered as a mountain and a god, were extremely distant and indifferent.

Ordinary father-son affection was lacking, let alone talking about such things.

"Because Zhang Xijue claimed that the Tao gave him not only 'Huangliang', but also a mandate from heaven."

Liu Jin Xun's expression became solemn, "The mandate of heaven said that the completion of Huangliang would mark the beginning of the decline of the Wu sect." "Such nonsense, who would believe it?" Zhang Siyuan sneered.

"The Wu sect scoffed at this, thinking it was just another poor trick to manipulate faith. But Zhang Xijue dared to say such things, which they saw as a naked challenge, so they naturally launched a fierce attack on the new Taoist order. It's also regrettable that if it weren't for Wudang blocking the way, the new Taoist order would have lost many people."

At this point, Liu Jin Xun sighed.

"The world has suffered from the rule of the Wu sect for a long time. If there were really a way to end the rule of the Wu sect, even if it were an illusion, many people would be unable to resist participating."

Liu Jin Xun laughed, "Moreover, this 'Zhang Tianshi' was truly remarkable, not only inviting various factions to participate, but also winning over some of the Mo sect people who had always followed the Wu sect's footsteps and shouted slogans. Such a hand is truly admirable."

"So."

Zhang Siyuan asked, "Are you telling me this to remind me that the current situation is unstable and not easy to act upon?"

Liu Jin Xun shook his head.

"I want to tell Yizheng that if there really is a Tao in the world, it is just human interests. The current chaos in the Taoist order stems from this, and the situation we face now is the same."

Zhang Siyuan silently withdrew his hand, his face expressionless, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"The six temples of the Buddhist sect are evenly divided between the Han and the frontier, and they rise and fall together. But now the Han Buddhist sect is watching us take action against the frontier, what do you think their true intentions are?"

The words of Fan Zhenxu were shrouded in ambiguity, his stance erratic—oscillating between feigned submission and sudden assertiveness. He oscillated between offering a stone dropped into a well and sending coal into the flames, all while exuding the unmistakable aura of a greedy opportunist. Could it be that he truly succumbed to the smoke of the sage? Then who would be next to take his place?

Sage Temple’s stance from the very beginning was resolute, yet even now, he refused to lower his guard. What was his purpose? Or perhaps he was waiting for something?

Liu Chen, peering over, asked softly, “Do you think these matters have answers in your heart?”

“I… I don’t know,” Liu said, his voice tight.

If the first minister’s sole aim was to dismantle Sage Temple and make room for the power of Lu Liang, then today he wouldn’t be here—he would be the one being dismantled. Now it’s his turn.

“Patience, young man,” Liu cautioned, “waiting is the only way to shape the outcome. One step at a time.”

Liu Chen nodded, his words hanging in the air like a challenge.

We were waiting for the other side to move. The slightest shift would reveal his true nature, and we would seize the moment to push him into isolation. Let his downfall become a symbol for all. This is the art of strategy.

Liu Chen stood, his gaze distant. “The matter is settled. Let us finish what we started.”

Fan Zhenxu’s eyes narrowed. “Have you heard the recent developments in the new Eastern Lin faction?”

“Not much,” Liu replied, his tone unyielding. “But I sense something is shifting. The old order is crumbling.”

“Indeed,” Fan murmured, his mind already calculating the next move.

He glanced at the young scholar, who stood silently beside him. The weight of expectation pressed upon him—what would he say?

“Perhaps I should not interfere now,” Liu said quietly. “If I don’t stir this storm, who will?”

“Perhaps the aged ones will lose their strength,” he added, his voice low. “But change is inevitable.”

Liu Chen’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Then let us see what the winds bring.”

And with that, the two men moved forward, their fates intertwined in the shifting tides of power.