Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"boom!"

No one could see Qingwei make a move; they only saw the man fly backward and crash heavily to the ground.

The woman weeping on the ground, seeing the man injured, cried out, "Husband!"

That appearance was truly pitiful to behold.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Oh no! The Taoist priest is hitting someone! The Taoist priest is hitting someone!"

The crowd that had been gathered outside the Xuandao Temple could no longer tolerate it, considering that the temple had only been newly built a few years ago.

The man, however, had been a neighbor of everyone for decades. He was honest and kind, and wouldn't tolerate being bullied by others, since they were all fellow villagers.

Incited by those with ulterior motives, several hot-blooded men rushed forward, and soon the scene was in chaos. None of the Taoists had learned any magic, except for Taoist Qingwei.

Although Qingwei wanted to take action, the menacing aura in the imperial city seemed to have been premeditated. If she attacked, they would arrive soon!

That person holds a high position in the palace. This action seems to be targeting the Xuandao Temple. If someone finds a handle against them, they could take the opportunity to drive them away, and the Xuandao Temple's reputation would be completely ruined.

All the efforts of the past years will be reduced to ashes. In short, it is not advisable for the people of Xuandao Temple to resort to violence.

Qingwei shouted, "Go and report to the authorities immediately!"

Now the only option is to have the government officials come and hopefully they can stop the angry crowd.

Rumble!

A series of noises came from all directions. Except for Master Qingwei, all the Taoist priests in the Xuandao Temple were beaten. Finally, the soldiers arrived late and took everyone into custody.

Even if Master Qingwei is not included, if he wants to spread his teachings, he must take into account the laws of the Tang Dynasty.

The next day, most of the troublemakers were released, but the Taoist priests were not, and they did not learn the whole story.

In addition, someone confessed to seducing another man's wife, and as a result, the people of Xuandao Temple were beaten for nothing, and even the entire temple was despised by the people of Nancheng.

In the main hall of Xuandao Temple, several elderly Taoist priests sat together. Cang Gu complained, "Senior Brother Qingwei, why has Xuandao Temple become like this after we've been gone for only a few days?"

After saying this, the other four of the Five Elders of Shu Mountain all looked at Abbot Qingwei.

These people are Cang Gu, Jing Ming, You Xuan, and He Yang. They are fellow disciples of Qing Wei. This time, they brought a branch of the Shu Mountain sect to the Tang Dynasty to pass on their lineage.

Unexpectedly, years of hard work were all for naught.

Hearing his fellow disciples' complaints, Qingwei shouted angrily, "It was that demoness from the demonic sect who ruined me!"

After saying that, he looked towards Chang'an City. He thought about it carefully and concluded that someone was definitely vying for the Xuandao Temple.

Everyone was shocked to hear this. They had no connection whatsoever with the one in the palace, so why would he want to harm them? However, upon closer reflection, they realized that the struggles between different lineages throughout history had always been quite mysterious.

Qingwei, Canggu, Jingming, Youxuan, and Heyang were merely disciples of a branch of the Shu Mountain sect, so naturally they were not very clear about the details.

Jingming pondered for a moment and said, "If she is ruthless, then don't blame us for being unjust. Let's join forces with the Buddhist sect and take action against the demonic sect."

Having said that, he had made up his mind. This time, the people were spreading the word about the Tang Dynasty, and they absolutely could not afford to fail. They were also very clear about the division of power here.

A few years ago, Buddhism was very powerful, but since Wu Zetian became empress, its influence has been suppressed, and now the demonic sect is the only dominant force.

But even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. These few people were confident that they were no less capable than others, but they had too few disciples who were not of great use, so they could only seek help from the Buddhist community.

Once the Demonic Sect is defeated, the Tang Dynasty will be under their control.

"En!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. It was time to seek help from Buddhist practitioners; they had no choice but to rely on their assistance.

Ever since the incident of a Taoist priest stealing another man's wife occurred at the Xuandao Temple, the entire temple has been despised by the people.

In the following days, numerous thefts occurred at the Xuandao Temple, and even the government came knocking on the door.

Although the Five Elders of Shu Mountain and others possessed remarkable magical powers and were honored guests of high-ranking officials and nobles in Chang'an, even His Majesty had personally issued an edict to suppress the Xuandao Temple, so who would dare to speak up for them?

That was just asking for trouble. In the end, Xuandao Temple was forced to close down in just a few days.

The people in Xuandao Temple have all left, and very few people have followed them.

Those people originally joined Xuandao Temple because they thought it was a good place, but now that so many things have happened, who would want to associate with them anymore?

In short, in just a few days, the people of Xuandao Temple became universally hated. Under such circumstances, how could they not run away!

Under Wu Zetian's suppression, Xuandao Temple no longer had a foothold in the capital.

Chapter 202 Return to Cihang

Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up as he looked at the memorial in his hand. It stated that the Xuandao Temple had collapsed, and that the matter had been brought to the attention of a branch of the Shushan Sect, which had attempted to expand its territory. Now, however, the sect had been overthrown.

Ha ha!

Li Xiuyuan did not hide his good mood. You should know that he had long regarded the Tang Dynasty as his own private property. The people from the Shu Mountain Sect came to preach, which was to say that they were trying to undermine him.

Li Xiuyuan would not let this go easily. With his memories of the future, he could easily ruin their reputation, ensuring that no one would join the Xuandao Temple in the future.

Qingwei and his group had no choice but to retreat, but it seems they won't give up so easily and will eventually have to fight.

Li Xiuyuan was already prepared and was just waiting for them to arrive!

"Brother Li, you seem to be in such a good mood. Why don't you come with us for a trip outside the city this time?"

Zi Xuan walked over with a smile. Ever since the last incident, she had been quite jealous, but under Li Xiuyuan's coaxing, she finally surrendered.

The group of women were as close as sisters. The main reason was that the other women were easy to get along with. Although Zixuan had a strong constitution, she couldn't withstand Li Xiuyuan's intense physical exertion and needed two more sisters.

Seeing Shi Qingxuan, Zixuan, and the others looking so excited, Li Xiuyuan didn't want to spoil their fun, so he replied, "Okay!"

With that, he led a few people out of the city for sightseeing.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that Li Xiuyuan's world-destroying black lotus allowed several people to retain a wisp of their souls, so that even if an accident occurred in the future, they could be resurrected from it.

On this day, several days had passed since the Xuandao Temple closed down, and the people of the Shushan Sect seemed to have disappeared. Li Xiuyuan thought that he should also go and see Shi Feixuan and Shang Xiufang of Cihang Jingzhai.

Zhongnan Mountain, Emperor's Peak.

Emperor's Peak is surrounded by mountains, with peaks upon peaks, lush forests, and countless exotic flowers and herbs. At the foot of the mountain stands a stone plaque inscribed with: "My home is in this mountain, where the clouds are deep and I know not where."

"Cihang Jingzhai!"

Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up as he stood alone outside the mountain gate, hands behind his back. Decades later, he returned, but everything had changed.

The former leader of Cihang Jingzhai, Fen Qinghui, was killed by him during the war between the righteous and the demonic. Now, Shi Feixuan is in charge.

Li Xiuyuan was circulating the Great Sun Tathagata Sutra, originally intending to convey a message to Shi Feixuan through the visualization of Shakyamuni Buddha.

However, Shi Feixuan was in seclusion, so Li Xiuyuan did not disturb her. Instead, he asked Shang Xiufang to come out and greet him.

Indeed, it was Shang Xiufang. This woman was a famous courtesan who traveled the world during the Tang Dynasty, but in reality, she was a pawn of Cihang Jingzhai.

Since Li Xiuyuan left, she has returned to Cihang Jingzhai again. He was not surprised by this, as he had deduced her origins years ago, and his guess was pretty much correct.

After returning to Cihang Jingzhai, Shang Xiufang did not reveal her information to anyone.

A short while later, a loud rumbling sound rang out!

The main building of Cihang Jingzhai was rumbling.

At the entrance, a series of maroon wooden doors with lotus-patterned door knockers opened, and Shang Xiufang appeared before Li Xiuyuan.

Decades have passed, yet time has left no trace on her face.

But she appeared before Li Xiuyuan like a fairy from a dream, a deep and mysterious being descended to earth.

Upon seeing Shang Xiufang again, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but compare her to Wanwan and Shi Qingxuan.

Shang Xiufang evokes both the elegant and ethereal beauty of the former and the hazy, mysterious beauty of the latter, creating a unique charm that is in no way inferior to either of them.

What is most captivating about her, besides her slender and well-proportioned figure and graceful demeanor, is...

What's even more captivating are her mesmerizing eyes, with their melancholic expression and a shy, gentle smile that no man could resist.

Shang Xiufang looked surprised. She had never imagined that the Demon Lord was actually the Dragon-Subduing Venerable. Only now did she realize this.

Shang Xiufang looked over with a resentful expression and said, "Your Excellency's presence is an honor. I have failed to greet you properly and hope you will forgive me!"

After saying this, her eyes looked like those of a wronged woman who had been abandoned, which truly made me feel sorry for her.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's lips curled up and he chuckled, "Xiufang, so you're planning to make me stand outside, aren't you!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward, preparing to enter Cihang Jingzhai.

Upon hearing this, Shang Xiufang grunted. Finally, under her guidance, she entered the Cihang Jingzhai. Because she had practiced the Supreme Heavenly Demon True Scripture, her cultivation had also entered the Nascent Soul realm.

Although she can't compare to Wanwan and Shi Feixuan, she's not far off.

Li Xiuyuan entered the gate and found himself in a huge plaza. Behind it was the main hall, Cihang Hall, and in the forest was a library tower containing various books. There was also a rain-viewing pavilion on the back mountain.

There is a vast tea garden in Cihang Jingzhai, with a huge rock four zhang high in the middle, and a stone cave with an iron gate at the foot of the rock.

Over the decades, the scenery here has remained unchanged, and when Li Xiuyuan returned, it gave him a sense of familiarity.

Shang Xiufang's position in Cihang Jingzhai was not weak; apart from Shi Feixuan, no one could match her, after all, her superb cultivation was unmatched.

Along the way, Li Xiuyuan encountered some disciples who were still practicing with their hair intact. The two entered a meditation room, and Shang Xiufang threw herself into Li Xiuyuan's arms with a hint of reproach. She complained, "Hmph, you bad man, it's been so long and you haven't come to see me."

After saying that, her face turned bright red with embarrassment.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly and said, "Hehe, that's why I'm here."

As he spoke, he stroked Shang Xiufang's black hair, and a faint fragrance of lilies wafted from her body.

Upon hearing this, Shang Xiufang sighed softly, "It's been more than ten years since you came. If it weren't for the cultivation techniques you gave me, I'm afraid I would have aged and lost my beauty long ago."