https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-40-Finally-Leaving-the-Novice-Village/12532694/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-42-You-re-Really-Too-Incompetent/12532696/
Chapter 41: The Benevolent Heavenly Mother, Saving All Beings
Chapter 41: The Benevolent Heavenly Mother, Saving All Beings
Li Xuan stood in the courtyard, having finally ventured into a bustling area since his transportation to this world. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder as he truly stepped into this new world for the first time.
Night fell.
The streets of the county town grew quieter as pedestrians dwindled, leaving the place in serene silence.
At this moment, within the Yunshan County office, the county magistrate, the county captain, and the chief clerk were gathered together with an unexpected addition—the beggar and the stallholder.
Seated in the main position was not the county magistrate, but an elderly man clad in coarse hemp cloth.
"We've found out who the wealthy newcomer is," the beggar reported with a strange expression. "It's Lord Xu Junhe's foolish son, along with his master."
"Xu Yan? That young man is his master? That's impossible!" The county magistrate exclaimed in surprise.
"In the past, the foolish son of Xu Junhe always sought out reclusive experts, and they were all old men with sharp eyes. This young man doesn't seem much older than him..." He couldn't quite understand what method the young man had used to convince Xu Yan to take him as a disciple.
The elderly man in hemp cloth, who was clearly the leader, spoke up: "Xu Junhe is stubborn and unyielding. He hoards immense wealth, showing no compassion for the people. Not only has he refused to join our Heavenly Mother Sect, but he also handed over our followers to the government.
"Now that his son is here, it is an opportunity for our sect to take advantage of.
"Later, we will use the principles of our sect to enlighten his master and sincerely invite him to join us."
The county magistrate nodded in agreement: "The Dharma Protector speaks with reason!"
The hemp-clad elder rose to his feet and said, "Everyone's eyes are on East River County. We must not fail in this grand plan. The trouble with Xu Junhe is about to reach our doorstep. If he softens his stance, we can save him."
"Rest assured, Dharma Protector. With Kou Junshi overseeing the situation in East River County, we are certain to succeed in taking over the county," the beggar replied with reverence.
"Mhm." The elder nodded. Kou Junshi was the brains behind the Heavenly Mother Sect, and with him in charge, there would be no room for error.
"Follow me to enlighten the master of Xu Yan. We shall invite him to join our sect!"
"Yes!"
The county magistrate and the others promptly followed the hemp-clad elder out of the county office.
...
In the courtyard, Xu Yan was cultivating while Li Xuan sat in a chair, holding a book he had asked someone to buy for him—a popular storybook in Qi.
He was curious as to why his foolish disciple, after reading these storybooks, became so convinced of the existence of an extremely powerful martial path in the world, to the point that he eagerly sought out masters to accept him as their disciple.
"The Heavenly Mother is merciful and saves all beings. Worship the Heavenly Mother, escape the sea of suffering, and be reborn into a life of wealth and nobility..."
The voices rang out on the quiet street, accompanied by the sound of bells and footsteps approaching from the end of the street.
"May the Heavenly Mother bless you!"
"May the Heavenly Mother bless you!"
Suddenly, from the neighboring houses and along the entire street, countless commoners opened their doors and prayed devoutly.
Ding!
The sound of metal hitting the ground kept ringing out.
Li Xuan could tell that it was the sound of copper coins being scattered on the ground.
"The Heavenly Mother goes on a tour, transforming sins and saving the virtuous. May there be no evil in the world..."
As the bell rang louder, drawing closer, Li Xuan wore a strange expression. Were they heading towards him?
No, they were heading towards Xu Yan.
At that moment, Xu Yan had stopped cultivating, his face twisted in displeasure.
"Disciple, what's going on?" Li Xuan asked.
"Master, they are the fanatics of the Heavenly Mother Sect," Xu Yan replied, a bit angrily.
"Heavenly Mother Sect?" Li Xuan was taken aback. Was it a heretical sect within Qi?
"Yes, Master. The Heavenly Mother Sect has been labeled by the court as an evil cult of demons and rebels. They have been suppressed time and again but never eradicated.
"It's not just in Qi, they've also been suppressed in Wu.
"The Heavenly Mother Sect has instigated several rebellions in the past, but none have succeeded. The last rebellion was twenty years ago. After being crushed, they have become much weaker and rarely propagate their doctrine publicly..."
The Heavenly Mother Sect was an ancient sect, dating back to the previous dynasty. Since the establishment of Qi, they had rebelled at least ten times.
The sect revered a so-called "Heavenly Mother," spreading the belief that worshipping her would free one from a sea of suffering and grant a prosperous rebirth.
And every time the sect stirred up trouble, there would be a group of fearless followers shouting that they wished to return to the embrace of the Heavenly Mother, escape the tribulations of the mortal world, and be reborn into wealth and nobility. Their fearless zeal had caused significant casualties among the Qi military forces on several occasions.
The sect always had a substantial number of followers, even in the face of strict prohibitions from the imperial court. This was especially true in areas stricken by famine and disasters, where the common folk tended to find solace in the teachings of the Heavenly Mother Sect.
"Those in the Heavenly Mother Sect like to rob the rich and then distribute the wealth to the poor, gaining their devotion," Xu Yan explained. "They have even raided government offices and opened the grain stores to feed the hungry."
"However, the sect has been dormant for almost two decades now. At least, I haven't heard of any public displays or proselytizing since I was born," he added, sounding perplexed.
Li Xuan was intrigued. This Heavenly Mother Sect seemed akin to a heretical sect, and since it was banned in Qi, it was marked for eradication. Why, then, were they parading through Yunshan County, openly preaching their doctrine? He suspected that the county might already be under the sect's covert control.
"It seems this Yunshan County is already under the influence of the Heavenly Mother Sect," Li Xuan remarked with a smile.
Xu Yan's expression froze as he suddenly realized something. "Does that mean my family's shop in Yunshan has also fallen under their control? Are my relatives now followers of the sect?"
"Master, they seem to be heading this way," Xu Yan said, hearing the approaching voices and the rhythmic jingling of bells.
"How dare they disturb my cultivation at this late hour after stealing my family's shop! I'll go and chase them away," Xu Yan huffed indignantly.
"No hurry," Li Xuan said with a chuckle. "Let them come. It'll be a bit of entertainment."
Having just emerged from his secluded mountain retreat, he was curious about these worldly matters.
"Yes, Master," Xu Yan replied, his tone respectful.
In his heart, he marveled, "Master's mindset is truly extraordinary. To treat this as entertainment—now that's the attitude of a superior man!"
The footsteps stopped outside the courtyard, and a voice rang out, accompanied by the rhythmic jingling of bells. "The Heavenly Mother is merciful and saves all beings. Contribute to her cause, and together we shall alleviate the suffering of the world."
The voice was powerful and resonant.
Li Xuan raised an eyebrow. The speaker was no ordinary person. Could this be a top-notch martial artist from the jianghu (martial arts world)
?
Indeed, as Xu Yan had said, they were weak. While they might seem powerful to ordinary people, to Li Xuan and Xu Yan, they were lacking.
Xu Yan furrowed his brows. "A top-notch martial artist from the jianghu? How does the Heavenly Mother Sect in Yunshan County have such a skilled member? Could this be their headquarters?"
Li Xuan was astonished. He had thought the speaker was a highly skilled martial artist, but to think he was at the pinnacle? The martial arts world of Qi seemed rather lacking in strength.
"A top-notch martial artist? And yet so weak!" Li Xuan exclaimed in disbelief.
"Master, they only possess mundane martial skills with limited power," Xu Yan explained. "A pinnacle martial artist has cultivated internal energy, and from the way he projected his voice, it seems he's using internal energy..."
"Internal energy?" Li Xuan was intrigued.
What was this internal energy, and why was it so weak?
"It's a kind of explosive force," Xu Yan elaborated. "Not very powerful, roughly equivalent to the early stages of bone tempering, I believe."
"Bone tempering?" Li Xuan echoed, not entirely sure what that meant.
(End of Chapter)
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