Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 319 Buddhism (Seeking monthly votes)

Upon returning to Yunzhou, the first thing Gu Mo did was to have the musician set up a magic array to seal Wang Qingping's primordial spirit within it.

Because forging the Dragon Scale Blade is not something that can be done in a short time, and although Wang Qingping's primordial spirit had her consciousness erased by Gu Mo, it was still intact and could be rejected from the human world by the rules at any time, eventually disappearing into nothingness.

Gu Mo is currently using demonic energy to restrain it, so it won't be expelled from the mortal realm. However, he can't keep this unconscious primordial spirit with him forever. Once he leaves, the primordial spirit's instincts might react and cause trouble.

Therefore,
Gu Mo then trapped it in the magic array, both to ensure its safety and to prevent its primordial spirit from dissipating.

after that,

Gu Mo began to study the exquisite craftsmanship of the Heavenly Craftsmanship and familiarize himself with the characteristics of the Seven-Colored Peacock.

Gu Chudong, on the other hand, spent his days tinkering with the Gu family manor.

Time flew by and winter arrived.

After winter set in, something shocking happened in Yunzhou that revolted across the country.

The rebel was a martial arts master, a first-rate expert with a great reputation in Dongping County. He gathered over a thousand people to attack the county town and successfully killed the magistrate, proclaiming himself the King of Clouds.

but,

This "King of Clouds" did not cause any further trouble, because the Dongping County government urgently mobilized the county troops from two surrounding counties and wiped out this large-scale rebel army. The "King of Clouds" was captured alive by Yang Qingtong, the leader of the Dongping County Martial Arts Alliance, while he was on the run.

Although the matter was quickly quelled, its impact was extremely negative, even alarming the imperial court.

The situation in the Qian Kingdom is very bad. Although the front-line battlefield has gained some advantage after Emperor Qian personally led the expedition, the domestic economy is on the verge of collapse, and the survival pressure on ordinary people is increasing.

In this situation, the imperial court was most worried about domestic unrest while the front lines were still in full swing. Therefore, local governments were always paying attention to this matter, but unrest still occurred in the end.

There's always a fear of someone starting something new.

The "King Yun's" rebellion wasn't a huge event, but it was still very significant.

For a time, local officials were on high alert, seeing threats everywhere.

……

Linjiang City, the Gu Mansion.

Outside, snow was falling heavily. Chu Yuan, the inspector of the Six Doors of Linjiang City, held a cup of warm wine with a worried expression.

In previous years, drinking wine and chatting during the snowfall was an elegant affair, but this year was different. Chu Yuan looked at the falling snowflakes and felt no elegance at all, because what he saw beneath the snow were frozen bones.

"The cold in Jiang Kingdom has forced a halt to the fighting on the front lines," Chu Yuan said. "For the soldiers on the front lines, it's a chance to catch their breath, but for the people back home, this snow will be deadly. This winter will be tough!"

Gu Mo sighed.

This has always been the case throughout history; whenever there is war, it is always the ordinary people at the bottom of society who suffer the most.

"Brother Gu, when do you think this war will end?" Chu Yuan asked.

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid this war won't stop until the world is at peace. No matter whether Chu or Qian wins, the war won't stop because other countries won't sit idly by and give the victorious country time to recover. They will also join the battle. So, it will only stop when one country successfully defeats all the other countries and unifies the world."

After saying that, Gu Mo paused for a moment and said, "Instead of thinking about the front line, you should think about how to maintain the security of Linjiang County. The rebellion of the 'King Yun' in Dongping County may become the beginning. If a large-scale rebellion breaks out in the country, the front line will collapse on its own!"

Chu Yuan was silent for a while, then said, "This is also the problem that the officials in the court are most worried about. War is about lives and money. The front line is filled with lives, and the lives of the people in the rear are becoming more and more difficult."

Few people would risk the extermination of their entire family to rebel if they weren't starving. This snowfall became the final straw that broke the camel's back for some of the people, and with spies from the Chu Kingdom secretly instigating the uprising, a rebellion was inevitable.

"The events in Dongping County this time were orchestrated by several Chu spies. For now, as long as this snow doesn't last for months, it should be manageable. However, I'm worried about the future. The longer the situation drags on at the front, the weaker the people in the rear will become. If a natural disaster strikes, it could easily escalate into a wildfire, and then it would be uncontrollable!"

Gu Mo frowned and said, "This is gambling with the fate of the nation."

Chu Yuan said in a deep voice: "Actually, Chu is also gambling. Although Chu is slightly stronger than Qian in terms of economy, Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu is warlike and has opened up two fronts at the same time, which consumes far more resources than Qian."

If Chu were to encounter a major natural disaster, they too would not survive. Therefore, Brother Gu, your suggestion to gamble on the fate of the nation is actually quite reasonable. Although most factors lie on the front lines, the rear can also play a decisive role.”

Gu Mo took a sip of wine and said, "I wonder how Ji Wusuan is doing these days!"

Chu Yuan asked in confusion, "Ji Wusuan? That Ji Wusuan who is known in the martial arts world as the number one fortune teller?"

“That’s right,” Gu Mo said. “The emperor has assembled a team for him to search for the legendary dragon veins in the human world.”

Chu Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "Legend has it that whoever obtains the dragon vein of the mortal realm will possess the destiny of heaven? Isn't that just a legend?"

Gu Mo said, "It does exist, but whether it really has such a strong effect is unknown."

……

Jiang State, Pingnan City.

After the Emperor Qianlong personally led the expedition and the war ceased in winter, the temporary palace was set up here.

At this moment, Emperor Qianlong was reviewing memorials in his room when a guard outside the door reported, "Your Majesty, General Ye requests an audience."

"Xuan."

quickly,

Ye Jinglan, dressed in full battle armor, entered the study.

Emperor Qian immediately stood up and stopped Ye Jinglan from bowing. He pulled Ye Jinglan to sit down by the stove and asked, "My dear minister, you must have had a hard time inspecting the military camps these past few days."

Ye Jinglan quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all. I returned today specifically to report on military affairs..."

immediately,

Ye Jinglan then gave a brief account of the current situation in the military camp.

After listening, Emperor Qian's expression turned solemn. He said, "We lack firewood, clothes, and food. We really lack everything. However, Minister Ye, don't worry. I have already sent an imperial edict back to the country to have the Crown Prince procure military supplies. We only need to hold on for another half month."

Ye Jinglan nodded and said, "Actually, Your Majesty, the lack of military supplies is only a superficial problem. The most important thing is Tianma Pass. As long as we don't break through Tianma Pass, our army will be tied down here and will always face the dilemma of needing to constantly replenish our logistics. I suspect that the Chu Kingdom wants to wage a war of attrition to wear us down."

Emperor Qian frowned and remained silent for a while before suddenly raising his head to look at Ye Jinglan and saying, "Minister Ye, let's wait until spring. If Ji Wusuan still has no clues about the human dragon vein after spring, then I will implement the plan that uses me as bait."

"His Majesty……"

Emperor Qian waved his hand and said, "Minister Ye, if I talk about the dragon vein in the human world with others, they will think I have lost my mind. But you are different. You know that it is very likely to be real. If our Qian Kingdom obtains the dragon vein in the human world, it will be the mandate of heaven. If we cannot find it for a long time, it means that the mandate of heaven is not with us. Then, I must take a gamble. What is my life worth?"

Ye Jinglan remained silent for a long time before saying, "Since this matter was initiated by Brother Gu, I absolutely trust him. I wonder, how far has Ji Wusuan progressed?"

Emperor Qianlong said, "I don't know either. The last letter he sent was before I personally led the expedition. He had already led his men across the East China Sea to another ocean!"

……

Early December.

Gu Chudong finally finished renovating the Gu family manor, and then set off with Gu Mo to the State of Chu.

Gu Mo did not bring Hongyi on this trip because Hongyi was in seclusion.

Over the past few months, Gu Mo, Hongyi, and the musician spent a great deal of time discussing and combining the martial arts manuals from Penglai Island with Gu Mo's concept of physical ascension. Hongyi then found a path that could potentially lead to physical ascension.

The musician's talent was far inferior to that of the woman in red. Although Gu Mo used the same method of instruction, the musician simply couldn't grasp it. He was relegated to guarding the house, especially suppressing Wang Qingping's primordial spirit, lest it go awry if Gu Mo left. The shortest route from Linjiang City to Chu was to go to the northern desert, cross the desert, and enter Chu, following the route taken by Crown Prince Li Zhongqing when he escaped from Chu.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were moving very fast.

Although the brother and sister traveled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery along the way, they were essentially flying when they left. Therefore, they arrived at Tongzhou Nanling County, where the Great Bright Temple of Chu was located, in just ten days.

this day,
Gu Mo and Gu Chudong arrived at a market town.

The town was very lively, and Buddhist culture was very prevalent. Monks could be seen walking around everywhere. Even the shops on the street would hang Buddhist flags, and the stalls would display lustrous Bodhi seed strings, wooden plaques engraved with scriptures, and old women would be counting Buddhist chants softly while fiddling with prayer beads.

but,

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were already used to it. From the moment they arrived in Tongzhou, they could feel the strong Buddhist culture. The closer they got to Da Guangming Temple, the stronger the Buddhist atmosphere became.

This is a normal phenomenon. For example, in Luzhou, where Longhu Mountain is located in the Qian Kingdom, Taoist culture is very prosperous. From aristocratic families to ordinary people, everyone believes in Taoism. In contrast, Tongzhou in the Chu Kingdom is a Buddhist city.

The status of Da Guangming Temple in Buddhism is the same as that of Longhu Mountain in Taoism. Both are leading sects with a history of thousands of years, and their influence in the local area is stronger than that of the imperial court.

"Brother, where is Ye Chen?" Gu Chudong asked.

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "His previous letter only arranged to meet in this town. We haven't been able to communicate since we set off, so we don't know if he's arrived yet. But it doesn't matter. Let's walk around the town. If he's here, he'll definitely be able to find us."

Gu Mo had promised Ye Chen when they parted ways in the Northern Zhou Kingdom that he would contact Ye Chen when he came to the Chu Kingdom. So, after confirming the approximate departure time, Gu Mo sent a letter to Ye Chen. Ye Chen replied and arranged to meet in this market town to go to the Great Bright Temple together.

"Ye Chen always told me that he was very influential in Chu, and that he would make sure I had everything arranged for me after I arrived in Chu," Gu Chudong said. "I suppose he's not just bragging, is he? He's a famous figure in the martial arts world, the third best in Chu."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "It's hard to say about other things, but with his foundation and reputation, we should have no problem eating, drinking, and having fun in Chu..."

"Big brother!"

Before Gu Mo could finish speaking, a disheveled beggar with a dirty face suddenly jumped out from the side and blocked Gu Mo's way.

"This... beggar brother..."

To Gu Mo and Gu Chudong's puzzled expressions, the beggar lifted his hair, revealing himself to be Ye Chen.

"Waaaaah... Big brother... It's me! You've finally come! If you hadn't come, I would have died here!"

Ye Chen cried and sobbed, his voice filled with sorrow.

Gu Chudong asked blankly, "Ye Chen, your family... went bankrupt?"

"No," Ye Chen said, "Oh, Miss Gu, how could I possibly go bankrupt? Money is the last thing I need, okay?"

Gu Chudong looked Ye Chen up and down, full of doubt, and said, "I really can't tell."

"Sigh," Ye Chen sighed sadly, "I'm in this situation because I've been forced into it!" As he spoke, Ye Chen looked around and whispered, "Come on, big brother, Sister Gu, come with me."

Subsequently,

Ye Chen then took Gu Mo and Gu Chudong to a mountain outside the town.

He eagerly dug a roast chicken wrapped in lotus leaves out of a pile of mud, his mouth watering uncontrollably. He reluctantly tore off two chicken legs and handed them to Gu Mo and Gu Chudong, saying, "Eat up, big brother, little sister!"

Gu Chudong asked doubtfully, "Ye Chen, is this chicken... raised on rare and precious herbs?"

"No, it's just a regular chicken," Ye Chen said.

"With that pained expression on your face, you're not really bankrupt and can't even afford chicken anymore, are you?" Gu Chudong said. "If you really are bankrupt, just say so, so I can prepare and hide my wallet better!"

Ye Chen: "..."

Gu Mo smiled and said, "Alright, enough joking around. Ye Chen, what exactly happened?"

Ye Chen sighed and said, "I rushed to this town to wait for you after making an appointment with you, but I never expected that the people of Nanling County have become so fanatical about Buddhism that no one is allowed to eat meat."

While eating roast chicken, Ye Chen said, "Eating meat in Nanling County now is like breaking a law; you'd get beaten to death by the local people."

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "Isn't that a bit much? You believe in Buddhism, but you're not a monk. Besides, even monks wouldn't forbid others from eating meat, would they?"

Ye Chen said, "That's right. But, that's how crazy Nanling County is now. Not only do all the households eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, but they also don't allow others to eat meat. This applies to everyone from the government officials to ordinary people. Moreover, you absolutely cannot say anything bad about Buddhism, otherwise you will definitely incur public wrath."

Brother, as you know, I can't live without meat. I can't go a meal without it. Do you think I'll go crazy here? I arranged to meet you here, but the nearest market town is dozens of miles away. It seems like you can still eat meat there, at least when I came.

I was worried that I would run too far away to eat meat and miss you, so I had to stay in this town. In order to eat meat, I had to pretend to be a beggar. Otherwise, if people recognized me, Ye Chen, as a petty thief, wouldn't I be laughed to death by my fellow martial arts practitioners? In order to save face and to eat meat, I had no choice but to pretend to be like this.

Every time I tried to steal a chicken, I'd get beaten up. Money wouldn't help; the local people simply wouldn't allow killing. If anyone shouted, the whole mob would attack!

Saying,

Ye Chen swallowed hard, then handed the chicken leg to Gu Mo, saying, "Big brother, have some. You're going to the Great Bright Temple now, and the closer we get to the Great Bright Temple, the less chance we'll have to eat meat!"

Gu Mo frowned and asked in confusion, "Has Nanling County always been like this?"

Ye Chen shook his head and said, "No, although Buddhist culture has always been prevalent in Nanling County, at most there are many Buddhists and a lot of Buddhist temples, but it's not that crazy."

The issue in Nanling County now is not whether to believe or not, but faith. Everyone has a fanatical faith in the Great Bright Temple and in Buddhism. I feel that if the Great Bright Temple were to rebel and raise its voice, the people and officials of Nanling County would follow suit without hesitation.

I'd heard from many friends in the martial arts world that the Great Bright Temple was expanding rapidly and might trigger a major conflict. I hadn't paid much attention then, but now it seems it's more than just a conflict; if we're not careful, it could even lead to a change of dynasty.

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "Is the Chu court not going to intervene?"

Ye Chen said, "It's strange, with such a big change in Nanling County, the imperial court seems to have no reaction at all. Moreover, not only the imperial court, but there were also some rumors in the martial arts world at first, but gradually there was no movement."

Logically speaking, when the Great Bright Temple first made its moves, some people in the martial arts world became alert. Now that it has almost taken control of the entire Nanling County, it should have caused an even bigger stir in the martial arts world. However, no one has mentioned it.

If I hadn't come here myself, I wouldn't have realized that Nanling County has become like this!

Gu Mo asked, "When did it start?"

"Last year... in the second half of the year!" Ye Chen said.

"Brother," Gu Chudong said, "Are there any unusual things about those people? Are they being controlled by some kind of mental magic?"

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "If it were controlled by mental magic, I would have noticed it. Besides, what kind of person's mental magic is powerful enough to control an entire prefecture?"

"Pure brainwashing?" Gu Chudong asked in surprise.

Gu Mo nodded and said, "It seems so at the moment."

"What is the Great Bright Temple trying to do?" Gu Chudong asked.

“We can only ask Master Liansheng,” Gu Mo said. “Based on my understanding of Master Liansheng, he shouldn’t do this for personal gain.”

“It shouldn’t be,” Ye Chen said. “Aside from inciting the people to believe in Buddhism and the Great Bright Temple, I haven’t found anything else unusual. The people are no different from usual, except for the rule that they are not allowed to eat meat.”

The Great Bright Temple did not take the opportunity to plunder the people; instead, it opened its granaries to distribute large amounts of grain to relieve them. Especially this year, with the imperial court levying exorbitant taxes for war and this year of heavy snow, many people in Nanling County survived thanks to the Great Bright Temple's relief efforts.

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "Then let's go ask."

Immediately, Ye Chen finished eating the chicken, then ran into the woods to change his clothes. Afterward, the three of them headed towards the Great Bright Temple.

(End of this chapter)