You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

After a lecture on Buddhist teachings, Bi Xiuxin's hair was disheveled, her pretty face flushed, and she leaned against Lu Zuo, trembling slightly with exhaustion.

"Well said."

Lu Zuo smiled faintly and stood up: "Go to the palace tonight and have a proper talk with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

.......

Since Yue Qing and the others left, Nantong has been filled with Lu Zuo's true core group.

Before leaving, he issued another decree, appointing Lu Zuo as the Prefect of Dongyang and in charge of Nantong County.

Therefore, the decree issued by Shen Luoyan and others ordering monks and nuns to return to secular life was also issued in Lu Zuo's name.

At this moment, in the main hall of Longquan Temple in Nantong County.

The sandalwood incense was strong, creating a stagnant atmosphere.

Dozens of Buddhist disciples from different temples and nunneries gathered here to discuss how to deal with the "destroy Buddhism" decree and how to deal with Lu Zuo!

Bang!

The hot-tempered monk Huiming slammed his hand on the table in front of him, making the teacups rattle loudly!

His eyes widened, bloodshot: "That brat Lu Zuo is clearly trying to destroy the foundation of my Buddhist sect!"

"Forcing them to return to secular life? Confiscating their temples? How are such actions any different from those of demons!"

"In my humble opinion, we should emulate the ancient hero Jing Ke and storm the prefect's residence to behead this scoundrel!"

"These traitors who destroy Buddhism deserve to be killed by everyone. To kill them is to act on behalf of Heaven, and their merit is immeasurable!"

Abbess Jingyun shook her head: "Assassinating someone trusted by a tyrannical emperor is the worst possible strategy."

"If it succeeds, all will be well; if it fails, everything will be over, and it will give others a handle to use against us."

"In my humble opinion, it would be better if we jointly petitioned the aristocratic families to put pressure on the imperial court."

"Simply explain the advantages and disadvantages, stating that this policy is contrary to the will of Heaven and undermines the foundation of the nation; how could a foolish ruler not be wary?"

"At that time, we might be able to force him to retract his order, or at least remove Lu Zuo from his post!"

Beside him, Master Xuyun of Xuanjing Temple chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, this method is excellent."

"Although the six great families in the court are devoted to Buddhism, they are ultimately too far away to solve their immediate problems."

"This humble monk believes that we should make two more preparations."

"First, they incited the people to protest in order to buy time."

"Secondly, we must transfer the donations raised by various temples over the years as soon as possible; they must not fall into the hands of that wicked Lu Zuo!"

Upon hearing this, the monk Jingya of Tingsong Temple nodded emphatically: "That's right!"

"How can we allow him to plunder the donations of devout men and women?"

"And those sacred sites of our Buddhist community, accumulated over generations, must never be given to those of lowly birth!"

"This son of Lu Zuo has issued such evil policies, destroyed temples and expelled monks, and seized temple property to enrich himself. His actions are perverse and outrageous."

"His heart was as wicked as a demon, and the sins he committed were countless and beyond description; there was no greater evil than this!"

"Those who defy human ethics and blaspheme the Three Jewels will surely fall into the Avici Hell after death, where they will suffer eternal torment as their bodies are burned by karmic fire and their tongues are plowed by iron plows!"

"us……"

……

The next day, early in the morning.

[Missed the morning court session; internal strength +6.]

[Enchanted by beautiful women, internal strength +3.]

[Colluding with the demonic path, Demonic Heart +5.]

[Excessive indulgence in lust, bonus reward: Cultivation +3299.]

[Digging your own grave, bonus reward: Charm skill +50.]

[Offending Buddhist teachings will result in an additional reward: +10 to Zen Enlightenment and +3000 to Cultivation.]

[Leading a rebellion, utterly absurd, Dao Enlightenment +2.]

[Reusing a wicked concubine can bring ruin to a country; calligraphy +10, painting +10, chess +10, musical instrument skills +10.]

Lu Zuo glanced at Bi Xiuxin, who had collapsed to the ground beside him and could barely get up, and thought to himself, "Desecration requires three thousand cultivation points."

"If the persecution of Buddhism were to begin in Nantong, how much of a reward would be given?"

"but……"

"Those monks and nuns in Nantong won't sit idly by; they'll definitely retaliate soon. We need to be wary of them transferring their assets."

Previously, Lu Zuo was unaware of how much money the Buddhist sect had.

But after seeing the scene of those scions of wealthy families donating money yesterday, I realized that I hadn't really paid attention to this great treasure trove all this time!

After thinking for a moment, he added his cultivation to "Soul Soaring Dragon" and returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He took out the child pendant of the Mother-Child Teleportation Pendant and slowly infused it with true essence.

As time slowly passed, the patterns on the teleportation pendant glowed with a faint blue light, like a flowing river of stars.

Lu Zuo's vision began to distort and elongate, the Hall of Mental Cultivation melted into colorful patches, and a clear sound like shattering glass brushed past his ears.

The feeling of weightlessness followed, but it only lasted for a moment before my feet were firmly on the ground.

bang bang bang...

He moved his fingers swiftly, pressing on several acupoints on his own body, and immediately heard a series of cracking sounds as if his joints were shifting.

The facial muscles also deformed, transforming into a completely different appearance.

Then, he swaggered out of the bedroom and into the backyard.

……

As dawn broke through, the thin mist lingered.

The backyard of the prefectural governor's mansion was already filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps.

Clerks carrying documents jogged across the bluestone path, while bailiffs with swords walked briskly under the eaves, their black boots crunching the dew on the grass.

Lu Zuo glanced around, then walked slowly through the flow of people.

But the yamen runners who brushed past him, the clerks who hurried by with their heads down, all seemed to be gently brushed aside by something invisible...

Some people subconsciously stepped aside, some glanced over his shoulder and looked into the distance, and some even touched his sleeve, yet they were completely unaware of Lu Zuo's presence.

This is the wonder of comprehending the inner workings of the universe.

Lu Zuo's energy and body have been integrated into the laws of heaven and earth, becoming one with all things.

As long as he releases his killing intent and fighting spirit, even a martial artist at the Third Realm will not be able to notice his presence without concentrating their mental perception.

Before long, Lu Zuo had already left the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw Chu Yunlong and Huang Ye walking side by side, heading into the distance, talking quietly as they went.

"His Majesty says he has a way to govern Nantong, but Jiankang is more than a thousand miles away!"

"Even at top speed, it would take ten days; if there were wind or rain, it could take more than half a month. His method..."

"What exactly is it?"

Huang Ye shook his head: "I don't know, His Majesty... um?"

The words were cut short before they could be finished.

Huang Ye's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment: "Your Majesty..."

She paused, then quickly changed her question, "Lord Lu, when did you arrive in Nantong?"

The secret of his disguise was known only to Huang Ye, Chu Yunlong, Lin Ruhai, the Yin-Yang Judge, the Soul-Snatching Ghost, and Su Yanzhi.

The others, including Shen Luoyan, Xie Guyan, and Wei Hanjiang, did not know.

Lu Zuo smiled faintly: "I just arrived."

"That……"

Huang Ye then asked, "Did you go back to Jiankang before?"

Lu Zuo chuckled: "If we don't return to Jiankang, how will we handle matters in the capital?"

Upon hearing his answer, the two of them froze on the spot, motionless.

Chu Yunlong, in particular, seemed to have been struck by lightning, his legs firmly planted on the bluestone slab.

Judging by the time, His Majesty should be having breakfast in the palace right now, and there is absolutely no way he could be on the streets of Nantong!

But then he appeared again...

Could it be that in one night, they traveled thousands of miles from Jiankang to Nantong?

Is this reasonable? Is this possible? Is this realistic?

But apart from this, Chu Yunlong couldn't think of any other reason and could only attribute it all to Lu Zuo's incredible strength!

perhaps……

His level of understanding is beyond my comprehension.

"Alright, stop standing there, take me to see the Prefect."

"what?"

"oh oh……"

The two men then realized what was happening and quickly stepped aside, gesturing for him to come this way: "Lord Lu, this way please."

……

Inside the prefectural governor's residence, in the council hall.

Shen Luoyan frowned slightly: "The decree has been issued for several days, but there has been no movement from any of the temples or monasteries."

"Not to mention returning to secular life, not even a single monk or nun has come to inquire. It seems..."

"The Buddhist sect is determined to fight us to the very end."

Zhu Yuyan leaned against the window, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Although the local aristocratic families of Nantong have been wiped out, the eight great families and many other prominent families in the world still have deep ties with Buddhism."

"Why would they even consider tiny Nantong a threat?"

Madam Cai nodded: "That's precisely the problem. The roots of Buddhism have long been embedded in the fabric of powerful families all over the world."

"While they remain outwardly inactive, their secret correspondence has likely already been sent to the major aristocratic families."

"Based on my understanding of them, they will not sit idly by and wait for their doom while they await the support of powerful families and the pressure from the imperial court."

"There are likely to be unusual changes in the assets of various temples in the near future..."

Squeak.....

The sound of the hall door being pushed open interrupted her words.

The group looked up and saw Chu Yunlong enter first, introducing himself directly:

"Prefect Shen, Imperial Preceptor, Lady Cai, and this is Lu Zuo, the Prefect of Dongyang appointed by His Majesty."

Is he Lu Zuo?

This name was familiar to all of them.

Many people have mentioned that His Majesty once used the alias Lu Zuo to travel incognito among the people.

Shen Luoyan and the others initially thought that Lu Zuo was Chen Shubao, and Chen Shubao was Lu Zuo.

It wasn't until the emperor appointed Lu Zuo as the governor of Dongyang that they realized these were two different people!

Lu Zuo's identity... should be the emperor's secret agent, the emperor's shadow.

Otherwise, why would she trust him so much?

The three women looked up and saw a tall, handsome young man with a composed demeanor. His eyebrows and facial features bore a resemblance to Chen Shubao.

Opening up a realm of heaven and earth within?

Of all those present, only Madam Cai, who was at the same cultivation level, could discern Lu Zuo's cultivation level.

After all, the vital energy that is integrated with the laws of the universe cannot be hidden no matter how hard one tries.

"Greetings, Prefect."

Lu Zuo's current identity is Shen Luoyan's immediate superior.

She hurriedly stepped down from the main seat, cupped her hands in greeting, and Zhu Yuyan and Madam Cai smiled and nodded in return.

After returning the greeting, Lu Zuo said, "This is my first time in office, and I still have much to say..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

"Why should the masters be forced to return to secular life?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zuo frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Go out and take a look."

The people in the hall immediately stood up, walked out of the council hall, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion.

.....

Outside the mansion gate, there was already a great deal of noise.

A huge crowd filled half the street, numbering in the hundreds.

From the crowd, a woman carrying a vegetable basket cried out in a shrill voice, "The monks in the temple are all living bodhisattvas!"

"On what right does your government have to demolish the temple?"

Another middle-aged man shouted, "The Buddha's teachings are supreme!"

"The masters hold revered positions; your evil policy of suppressing Buddhism will incur divine retribution!"

"The government wants to demolish the temple and commit evil deeds; we, the common people, will never allow it!"

"Yes or no!"

These words immediately caused an uproar at the scene.

"right!"

"This is a crime committed by the government; it's an atrocity!"

"Without temples, without Buddha's protection, who will we turn to when disaster strikes or illness strikes?"

"Are they looking for officials like you?!"

"Fellow villagers, we can't let them do this!"

"Protect the Dharma! We must protect the Dharma!"

The shouts grew louder and louder, many people had red eyes and were agitated, and some even tried to break through the human wall formed by the yamen runners.

Although Shen Luoyan, who prided herself on her talent and wisdom being second to none, did not say anything about the emperor's appointment of "Lu Zuo" as the chief official, she was somewhat dissatisfied in her heart.

She arrived at the door and, seeing this scene, glanced at Madam Cai and then at Lu Zuo.

Ha, let me see how you, someone so trusted by His Majesty, will handle this matter.