Chapter 259: The Oxcart
West of Bazhou City, for a hundred li, the atmosphere was one of grim slaughter, as if the very air had solidified. Elderly Daoist priests and old monks, their primal energies churning around them, condensed behind them into majestic divine beings, their might swallowing mountains and rivers.
The Daoist Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple had long and ancient lineages, even older than the Heavenly Demon Sect. To these two great sacred lands, the Heavenly Demon Sect was still a relatively young sect.
From the divine beings formed by the primal energies behind these old Daoists and monks, one could see deities that had appeared throughout the long river of history: some with three heads and four arms, some with tortoise shells and fly-whisks, some wearing headdresses and with leopard tails, some as Vajra Yakshas—a multitude of sacred forms.
As for Poor Master, Tian Zhenjun, and the others, it was a different scene. Their traditions were not as ancient as the Daoist Sect or the Great Thunderclap Temple, but they were still immensely powerful. The deities manifesting behind them were sometimes great Confucian sages, sometimes a woman holding a golden insect in her hand, sometimes a god of poverty clad in a robe of a hundred patches.
The auras of the various first-rank officials of the court behind Emperor Yanfeng were also distinct. Behind Grand General of the Celestial Strategy, Qin Jian, also known as Qin Baoyue, there was no deity, but a pair of maces—two golden, eight-sided maces, gleaming brightly and spinning continuously. He was a man of the battlefield, not cultivating gods or Buddhas, but treating his weapons as his gods, responsible for conquest and slaughter.
The deity behind Grand Commandant Monk Yuankong was not a Buddha either, but an ascetic monk, wrapped in chains, holding a precept knife in a fighting posture, resembling his own appearance.
Behind King of Mount Tai, Ling Xuhua, were nine coiled dragons surrounding Mount Tai, using the mountain as an altar, with the nine dragons making offerings. He was in charge of the sacrifices of the Yankang Kingdom.
Minister of Works Wei Pingbo was in charge of Yankang’s water conservancy. The primal energy behind him did not form a deity, but a long river and a great dam made of earth, wood, and water construction. He took water conservancy as his god.
Minister of Revenue Xiu Leqing was a female official in charge of the national treasury and the world’s finances. The deity formed by her primal energy was not a god either, but a string of large Feng Coins twisted together like a great serpent or python. She took currency as her god.
Senior Minister Su Yunzhi was also a female official, able to establish her own office, with a rank equivalent to the Three Dukes. She was a civil honorary official, but held the highest ministerial rank, in charge of the Grand Academies and elementary schools across the land. The primal energy behind her did not form a deity either, but a scroll and a ruler.
Behind General-in-Chief of the Cavalry, Quan Dingwu, was a blazing steed, with a deity bathed in war flames riding it. The deity had eight arms, holding a saber, shield, spear, lance, sword, and halberd, and four faces looking in all directions, with flames shooting from its eyes like beams of light. The four faces within the flames were all his own.
From this, one could see the difference between the sect master-level experts of the court and those of the martial world sects. The Daoist Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple revered gods and Buddhas, and the deities behind them were gods and Buddhas. But the experts of the court took their respective duties as their gods, turning their official responsibilities into their own deities, each with their own duties and strengths.
Even Monk Yuankong, who came from the Buddhist tradition, saw himself as an ascetic monk cultivating in battle, and did not manifest the posture of a great Buddha.
A long-eared monk’s expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice: “The National Teacher’s reforms have produced these heretics who disrespect ghosts and gods! They don’t even revere gods and Buddhas, but instead revere these miscellaneous things!”
General-in-Chief of the Cavalry Quan Dingwu pointed at the long-eared monk and sneered: “Learn in order to apply, unite knowledge and action. Long-Ear Monk, your cultivation is too shallow. You won’t escape death.”
“A lifetime of bitter cultivation—how could it compare to comprehending gods and Buddhas?”
Emperor Yanfeng said leisurely: “It’s all one’s own ability. Relying on gods and Buddhas is the true heresy. They do their duty well, and by raising their duty to the realm of gods and Buddhas, then they themselves are gods and Buddhas!”
The old Daoist priests of the Daoist Sect lowered their brows. The old Sect Leader shook his head and said: “Raising one’s duty to the realm of gods? If they become gods like that, wouldn’t they still have to work for ordinary people? This is again the doctrine of the Heavenly Demon Sect! It’s nothing more than serving the daily needs of the people. Emperor, you have been too deeply influenced by the National Teacher, too deeply influenced by the Heavenly Demon Sect.”
Emperor Yanfeng smiled slightly: “If I were to go to the Heavenly Demon Sect, I might be able to become their Sect Leader.”
“Since it’s the demonic path, there’s no need for further words.”
The old Daoist priests each adjusted the swords behind their backs. Someone said in a low voice: “Kill.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the killing intent soared into the sky, and the biting wind became unbearably piercing. Just then, an old man pulling an oxcart came creaking along.
Everyone withdrew their killing intent and stood silently, eyes watching their noses, noses watching their hearts, not making a sound.
Seeing the sky full of gods and Buddhas, the old man was terrified, and the ox was also trembling, its four legs shaking, unable to pull the cart. Angered, the old man mustered his courage and lashed the ox a few times. Only then did the ox exert itself, slowly pulling the cart out of this place of trouble.
By the time the old man and the oxcart were far away, the battle was about to erupt!
Just as these experts at the Divine Bridge realm were about to make their move, suddenly the creaking of wheels was heard again. Another oxcart came along, pulled by an old man leading an ox. Seeing the crowd, the old man’s legs trembled, and he shivered, barely managing to get the oxcart away.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to strike when the creaking of wheels was heard once more. An old Daoist priest could not help but grow angry: “In this freezing weather, with disasters and calamities everywhere, where are all these oxcarts coming from?”
Everyone’s hearts tightened. Indeed, there were disasters everywhere now, and cattle and livestock had all been eaten. How could three oxcarts have appeared in such a short time, and all of them passing through this very spot?
This oxcart carried an old couple: a white-haired old woman and a man who was not quite old. Everyone waited quietly for the oxcart to pass.
But the oxcart stopped. The ox showed no fear of the terrifying scene before it. The old man and woman on the cart jumped down, and as if performing a magic trick, they spread out a piece of cloth, gave it a light shake, and then pulled the cloth away. Suddenly, more than a dozen oddly shaped people appeared on the small oxcart, filling it to the brim, almost spilling out.
“The Left and Right Protector Envoys of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the twelve Guardian Elders, and two Heavenly Kings.”
The Sect Leader looked down, his expression somewhat helpless: “I only saw an oxcart, two people, and an ox. I didn’t expect sixteen people to pop out. The Heavenly Demon Sect plays a good trick.”
Left Protector Envoy Kong Lingxian looked up and chuckled: “We martial artists like to play tricks to earn a living, begging for tips from the audience. Don’t laugh at us, you local lords.”
Right Protector Envoy Xue Bi’e said with a smile: “Old bald donkeys, old Daoists. When the Sect Leader went home for the New Year, he told us to follow the Emperor. If the Emperor is in trouble, we old-timers in the sect can’t just ignore it. If the Sect Leader comes back for the New Year and blames us, we wouldn’t be able to bear the punishment.”
The twelve Guardian Elders and the two Heavenly Kings jumped down from the cart. Heavenly King Shi and Heavenly King Yu stretched their bodies, greeted everyone in a circle, and said apologetically: “You are all lofty figures. We humble old folks pay our respects. The Sect Leader handed the Emperor over to us alive and well. If you kill him, and we give the Sect Leader a dead Emperor, he will be furious, and we will have no choice but to die to atone for our crime.”
Gate of Beggars Sect Leader Qi Dayou shouted in a loud voice: “Heretics! The court is colluding with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Fellow Daoists of the Great Thunderclap Temple, just go ahead and vanquish the demons and eliminate the evil!”
“Kill!”
A violent shout rang out, followed by thunder shaking the heavens. The battle erupted, and in an instant, violent air currents surged in all directions, flattening entire stretches of forests!
This battle was even fiercer than the National Teacher’s campaign to suppress the rebellion. Although there were many sect master-level experts in that campaign, they were still a notch below the sect master-level experts of the three great sacred lands. And with the court being equivalent to another sacred land, the clash of the strongest from four great sacred lands showed its immense power!
But this time, the sect master-level experts of the Great Thunderclap Temple and the Daoist Sect had almost all come out in full force, while only half of the experts from the court and the Heavenly Demon Sect had arrived. With the Sect Leader and the Tathagata, the situation was not optimistic.
As soon as the battle began, someone fell.
The long-eared monk directly sought out Quan Dingwu. The two Divine Bridge experts fully opened all their divine hideaways, fighting until the heavens cracked and the earth split. The long-eared monk was the head of the Arhat Hall of the Great Thunderclap Temple, with profound Buddhist teachings and mastery of the Battle Victory Method.
But Quan Dingwu was the General-in-Chief of the Cavalry, a man who had spent his life in warfare and slaughter, destroying countries and sects, risking life and limb. In the early days, when the Grand Academy was first established, the Yankang National Teacher gathered the world’s top experts to study Dao techniques and divine powers, and Quan Dingwu was among them. He could be considered one of the most top-tier experts of Yankang.
The Battle Victory Method clashed with the Method of Slaughter. At the first collision, a sea of blood surged into the sky, and raging war flames burned atop the blood sea. This vision seemed almost real, formed from Quan Dingwu’s killing intent.
A great Buddha stood on the blood sea, and before the Buddha was the long-eared monk. Compared to the majestic Buddha, he seemed much smaller. From within the sea of blood and fire, a figure roared and charged towards him. It was Quan Dingwu, with a horse trampling war flames behind him. The figure on the horse was like a demon god of slaughter, ferocious and terrifying, extremely vicious!
“Heretic, not cultivating true Buddha, you deserve to die!”
The long-eared monk’s body radiated golden light. He crossed his arms and chanted Buddhist true words, simultaneously executing two hand seals. The seals were exquisitely subtle, aimed at Quan Dingwu’s vital points!
Unexpectedly, Quan Dingwu did not dodge at all, allowing the two Battle Victory strikes to hit him. Arms sprouted from Quan Dingwu’s armpits, formed from primal energy, holding a saber, shield, spear, lance, sword, and halberd. The saber slashed, the shield bashed, the spear thrust, the lance pierced, the sword wiped, and the halberd hooked. They severed the long-eared monk’s arms, the shield bash shattered his skull, the spear pierced his chest and lifted him up, the lance emerged from his back, the sword’s light wiped across his throat, and the long halberd hooked his body!
Behind them, the god of slaughter met the great Buddha. They collided with a boom, and the sea of fire and blood churned, swirling around the two like a great whirlpool.
“You didn’t dodge…” The long-eared monk, suspended in mid-air on the long halberd, said hoarsely.
A large shield smashed down from above, crushing him to pieces.
“In battle, killing takes one or two moves. Why dodge? Battle is the art of killing. If I were to duel with you in techniques, wouldn’t I be using my weakness against your strength?”
Quan Dingwu spat out a mouthful of blood. The two seals from the long-eared monk had nearly shattered his internal organs, and his ribs and shoulder blades were also broken into pieces. He gasped in pain from the cold air.
Suddenly, a golden, shining palm pressed down. With a thunderous roar, it slapped him deep into the ground. Another monk charged, his hands forming an embrace, and an eighteen-layer heavenly pagoda crashed down. Within the pagoda were countless gods and Buddhas, crushing Quan Dingwu until his bones broke and his sinews snapped.
“Chan Master Yuankong, you are also a man of our Buddhist faith. Why have you taken the demonic path and become a hound of the court?”
The head of the Dharma Propagation Hall of the Great Thunderclap Temple, Abbess Hongyin, blocked Grand Commandant Monk Yuankong and advised: “You should wake up! Don’t go further down the wrong path! If you continue, you will never achieve the true fruit!”
Monk Yuankong opened his eyes wide and shouted: “What is the true fruit? With a Buddha in your heart, you will never achieve the true fruit. His Majesty ordered me to oversee the military’s laws and regulations. I have turned the iron laws into chains binding me. When I break these shackles, I will immediately attain the true fruit!”
Abbess Hongyin was furious, brandishing her fly-whisk and attacking: “You are stained with evil karma! I will remove it for you!”
The great battle erupted. The old Daoist priests of the Daoist Sect sacrificed their swords, and in an instant, the sky was filled with sword light. It was the sword techniques from the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword, extremely powerful and sharp, truly worthy of being the number one sword art of the Daoist Sect!
“Form the formation! Exterminate the demons!” an old Daoist shouted.
“Set up the formation! Refine these Daoist donkeys to death!”
Xue Bi’e shouted sharply. The two Heavenly Kings and the twelve Guardian Elders formed a great formation, meeting these old Daoists. They were all old acquaintances and old rivals, having fought countless times, and were very familiar with each other’s methods.
On the other side, the Grand General of the Celestial Strategy, the Senior Minister, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Revenue, the King of Mount Tai, and others were blocked by the experts of the Great Thunderclap Temple. The Great Thunderclap Temple had a numerical advantage, surrounding them and fighting. However, they bypassed Emperor Yanfeng.
Emperor Yanfeng turned his head and saw Poor Master, Qi Dayou, Tian Zhenjun, and others approaching, while the Tathagata and the Sect Leader stood with one holding an alms bowl and the other pressing a sword.
The Tathagata said gently: “Master, fellow Daoists, go and assist the others. Leave this place to the old monk and the old Daoist.”
Poor Master and the others acknowledged and immediately joined the fray.
The Tathagata looked at Emperor Yanfeng and said: “Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness.”
Emperor Yanfeng’s body trembled, and dragon qi surged across the sky, swallowing the Dipper and Ox constellations. A dragon’s roar came from the sky, and true dragons appeared and disappeared in the clouds, revealing their heads and claws. A huge dragon head lowered, staring at the Tathagata.
The Sect Leader approached, wiped his Dao sword, and the sword light filled the sky, driving back the true dragon. He praised: “Your Majesty is almost able to turn the false into the true and become a true god. It’s a pity that the Divine Bridge is broken, and there is no hope for a lifetime. This old Daoist is incompetent. The fourteenth move of the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword, I have only mastered half of it. Now, I will use this incomplete chapter to test Your Majesty’s Virtue.”
The Tathagata’s golden alms bowl flew up, casting a golden light downward. Within the golden light were the twenty heavens of gods and Buddhas, with the Great Brahma Heaven at the top, its aura majestic. The Tathagata laughed: “I will use the highest realm of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra to test Your Majesty’s Nine Dragons Imperial Art.”