Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 26 Rebirth in the Pure Land

The Li family's old house.

Xu Xuan suppressed the pounding in his heart and began to pay homage to his senior from Jintian Academy.

Although they didn't interact much, they knew the other person wasn't a bad person.

Only those who lack exceptional talent and ability, yet possess certain principles and integrity, will find themselves unable to secure a place in the government for many years.

Therefore, they offered a sincere prayer, and since they were representing the academy, they also included a memorial address.

Holding a stick of incense, he slowly opened his mouth.

"In the thirty-fifth year of the Wenhe era of the Great Jin Dynasty, your foolish younger brother Xu Hanwen, with a heavy heart, respectfully sent his messenger with pure wine and humble offerings to offer before the spirit of his deceased friend, Li Jun."

In the past, I, Xu Hanwen, had a close relationship with Li Junzi. I was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, riding high on my success. I was determined to serve in the imperial court, and it was the prime of my life.

As soon as Xu Xuan began, an invisible wave began to spread from him, and the nearest old master Li began to wail loudly.

I recalled the triumphant state of my son after he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar; I was quite proud of myself back then.

In a moment of drunken recklessness, he dragged his child to the ancestral hall to make a solemn vow, burdening Jun'er with excessive ambition.

If I had taught him the principles of harmony and conformity back then, perhaps... perhaps...
"In the thirty-fifth year of the Wenhe era, I was engrossed in studying the scriptures in Nanshan. Occasionally, I would recall the friendship I had shared with Jintian Academy, and so I would occasionally descend the mountain to visit friends. However, fate was unkind, and news of Mr. Li's exile and death arrived."

Xu Xuan recounts that when he was teaching on Nanshan Mountain, he often reminisced about his friendship with Young Master Li and his classmates, and that he would go down the mountain to visit friends during the ten-day break. This is not untrue.

They had a good relationship with each other, and Young Master Li had even hired a pleasure boat.

"Upon hearing the news, I was struck dumb, overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down my face, and cried out in anguish, 'Alas, Mr. Li! You are truly dead! I will never see you again in this lifetime.'"

Upon hearing this, the entire Li family was filled with deafening cries.

It wasn't some moving quote, just a lament of the sadness of a death.

However, as cultivators, the infectious power inherent in their souls has already spread through the bond of sorrow.

Looking back, I know and have become friends with Mr. Li.

The old lady was already slumped in her chair from crying, while Master Li was pounding on the wall and wailing, "My son, my son!"

The sorrow in my heart was stirred up and began to fluctuate violently, then spilled outwards.

"Today, I, Xu Hanwen, have prepared three sticks of incense to offer as a sacrifice to the spirit of Mr. Li. May his spirit in heaven find peace. I know that life and death are predestined, but the sorrow in my heart is beyond words. May the gods of heaven and earth bless my friend, so that his soul may be liberated and reborn in the Pure Land."

May you be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
As he finished speaking, the golden light, along with the incense in his hand, slowly drifted towards the coffin.

The soft, slow-moving smoke transformed into a sharp dagger, slashing at the black ghostly energy swirling above and blasting it away.

This wasn't some kind of cultivation technique; it was simply that Xu Xuan wanted to do it, and he did it.

His senior brother asked him to look after the academy, and since Qiantang is located near the academy, he naturally had to take care of it.

After Xu Xuan finished reading the eulogy, everyone in the Li family stopped crying and began wiping away their tears.

"Huh?" "Eh?" "I feel..."

Those who had cried at the scene immediately felt that the suppressed sadness they had been experiencing had been greatly relieved, and they no longer felt any tightness in their chests.

The sunlight outside shone on my body, bringing warmth back into my body.

The previous chill had completely disappeared, and even the mourning hall seemed much emptier.

When a person passes away, Taoist priests and monks are asked to chant scriptures, recite mantras, and offer prayers in the hope of helping the deceased eliminate karmic obstacles, accumulate good karma, and guide their soul towards a better reincarnation.

For the living, such rituals also serve as a spiritual refuge and comfort, helping to alleviate grief and accept the impermanence of life.

As a rare person who cultivates and enters the Tao, and also a lay disciple of the Pure Land School, a memorial text in this world can naturally achieve a better effect.

Even ordinary noble families could not find a sutra reciter more skilled than Xu Xuan.

Of course, I can't control things like reincarnation.

Xu Xuan did not believe that chanting scriptures could eliminate someone else's karmic obstacles. Not only did he not believe it, he even thought that even if it were true, it would be wrong.

This might also be the reason why his Buddhist practice made no progress. The maid helped the somewhat exhausted old lady leave, leaving Master Li and Xu Xuan behind.

"Hanwen, thank you very much."

The anger and grief in his mind poured out with his tears, and the old master's reason returned.

He realized how absurd it was that he had written to Xu Xuan and asked him to find Professor Sheng.

He immediately bowed.

Xu Xuan did not move aside, because the academy had indeed made a decision regarding Master Li's matter.

"Let's go to the county government office; there's no time to lose."

"I'll explain the details on the way."

After regaining his senses, Master Li clearly understood his own position and tacitly accepted the other party's dominance.

Without saying a word, he followed Xu Xuan onto the carriage and headed straight for the county government office.

It was only after the details were pieced together on the bus that the unusual nature of the matter became clear.

Five days ago, nearby villagers discovered the scene and immediately reported it to the authorities. Magistrate Song was greatly shocked and immediately supervised the investigation at the yamen, dispatching the county constable and yamen runners to the scene.

After on-site investigation and examination by the coroner, it was discovered that the convoy was attacked at midnight, and the entire convoy was quickly killed, with all their belongings stolen.

Their style of doing things is extremely cruel and unscrupulous.

The only discordant element is the absence of a young child from the Li family.

"It doesn't seem like the work of bandits."

This sentence was bought by Master Li from the county magistrate.

The whole matter has now been sealed off by the county.

In theory, such cases are practically unsolved here, and no faction would dare to step forward and claim the death of a scholar.

Therefore, those bandit strongholds that had not been dealt with before were now facing a major purge.

Xu Xuan pondered.

This case is abnormal, extremely abnormal. Even for the sake of the year-end "merits and demerits assessment," it shouldn't have been closed so hastily.

The prefect sent people to supervise, but the county magistrate gave up the investigation after only five days. Was he really not afraid of the power of the inspector to investigate and prosecute cases and to record wrongful convictions?
Upon arriving at the county government office, Xu Xuan and Master Li, after being informed, went directly to the second hall at the back to meet the county's magistrate.

Magistrate Song was over fifty years old, dressed in fine, noble clothes, and his hair was meticulously combed.

He does have the appearance of a handsome older man, but the blisters on the corners of his mouth make him look much older.

Moreover, he has long lost the scholarly air he had when he was in school, and now only has the air of power and authority of an official.

Qiantang is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, and a great deal of money was spent to get it transferred here.

All this is so that they can perform well after taking office and strive to receive the rewards they deserve in a dignified manner.

As a result, we've run into such a major case, so performance reviews are out of the question.

No matter how strong your connections are, the death of a scholar cannot be concealed.

Moreover, there are some secrets in this case that are not convenient to discuss openly.

From arresting suspects to obtaining confessions and filing case files, every step must be rigorously examined.

After all, if the case cannot be closed before the inspector arrives, he might lose his official position, as there are many people eyeing the position of magistrate of Qiantang County.

Even if he manages to keep his post, he might end up being exiled to a place like Guobei County, so it would be better for him to resign and leave.

He also had a splitting headache.

This wasn't the first time Master Li had come looking for them, but what could he do?

(End of this chapter)