"Master." Seeing Fan Qinghui spit blood, the female disciple of the Temple of Compassion immediately called out in concern. Over the years, she had never seen Fan Qinghui's expression look so grim.
"I'm fine. Yang Guang, Yang Guang." Fan Qinghui raised her hand to stop the disciple from approaching. Her face twisted as she repeatedly muttered Yang Guang's name under her breath. Her distorted expression frightened the disciple, who involuntarily took a step back.
"Immediately notify Shi Feixuan and have her return to the mountain at once. Also, contact Ning Daoqi, Master Liaokong, and the Four Great Holy Monks as quickly as possible."
Fan Qinghui, after all, was Fan Qinghui. After taking several deep breaths, she finally suppressed her emotions and issued a series of commands.
Yang Guang's move to cut off their support was too significant, so significant that Fan Qinghui could no longer make decisions alone. Although the Temple of Compassion led the "Choosing the Emperor" plan, it was clear that the entire Buddhist sect was implicated in such a major undertaking.
If the matter were minor, the Temple of Compassion could handle it based on the situation. But now, this matter concerned the survival of the Buddhist sect. If not handled properly, the Buddhist sect might not be completely destroyed, but the losses would certainly exceed those during Emperor Wu of Liang's reign.
"Master." Shi Feixuan, who was being mentioned by Fan Qinghui, looked at the latest intelligence in her hands, her expression filled with confusion. Before this, Shi Feixuan had naturally trusted her sect completely. But the bloody data left her at a complete loss.
Compared to Fan Qinghui, Liaokong, and other old foxes, Shi Feixuan was still too young. The Temple of Compassion had educated her to take the world as her responsibility, and Shi Feixuan had always adhered to this principle. In the original story, after returning to the mountain and claiming to go into seclusion, she broke her promise when she discovered that Kou Zhong and Song Que had taken half of the country. She even went to the Duzun Fort in Shu, ready to fight Kou Zhong if necessary.
At that time, she firmly believed she was on the side of justice. But now, Shi Feixuan could no longer be so sure. The Temple of Compassion's collusion with Goguryeo and the accusation of being traitors to the nation had dealt a heavy blow to her.
If these were just baseless accusations, Shi Feixuan wouldn't be so affected. Unfortunately, Daniel Davis wasn't playing a game that could be easily exposed. He was playing a blatant strategy. After discovering that Yang Guang could take the blame, Daniel Davis revealed all his previous plans to Yang Guang.
Moreover, these plans were interlocking, designed to ensure that the Temple of Compassion and the Pure Land Sect had no chance of recovery.
It could be said that in the current struggle between the Temple of Compassion and the Demon Sect, the Temple of Compassion had already lost. In terms of martial arts, Shi Feixuan was slightly stronger than Wanwan, but not by much. If they were to fight, it would be a close match.
But now, Shi Feixuan's state of mind was affected, which would significantly impact her strength. In contrast, Wanwan could now righteously mock Shi Feixuan, much like how pirates in the world of One Piece could openly curse the Marines. This psychological advantage had already placed Wanwan in an unbeatable position.
For top-tier grandmasters and great grandmasters, the state of mind greatly influenced their cultivation. Why did Ryan suffer a mental breakdown? It was because his state of mind was affected.
"I never expected Ning Daoqi to be that kind of person. I used to admire him so much, but now I realize he's a traitor, a complete scoundrel."
"Hey, keep your voice down. Don't let those Buddhist followers hear you, or you'll be in trouble."
In a tavern in a certain town, a martial artist was drinking and loudly cursing, while someone nearby quickly reminded him to lower his voice.
"What's there to fear? If he dares to do it, why can't I say it? If he has the guts, let him come and kill me. I'll be a hero again in eighteen years."
"Could this be a setup? I don't think Ning Daoqi is that kind of person." Someone else spoke up in defense of Ning Daoqi.
"Not that kind of person? How laughable. If he's not, why didn't he confront Fu Cailin during the campaign against Goguryeo? They must have been in cahoots."
Ning Daoqi's failure to confront Fu Cailin during the Goguryeo campaign was the biggest stain on his reputation, one he could never wash away. For ordinary martial artists, they wouldn't think too deeply about it. As the top grandmaster of the Central Plains, confronting Fu Cailin was his responsibility and duty.
If Daniel Davis hadn't exposed so many scandals, these ordinary martial artists wouldn't have considered such things. But Daniel Davis had appeared.
"Exactly. According to the latest news from Yangzhou, Ning Daoqi, in order to maintain his position as the top grandmaster, actually conspired with the Temple of Compassion to poison Dittany, causing Ryan to lose his chance to advance to the grandmaster level. That's how he kept his position." Another person in the tavern spoke up.
"Really? The Temple of Compassion is too ruthless." Someone immediately asked.
"This is normal. For their 'Choosing the Emperor' plan, they couldn't allow Ryan to become a grandmaster. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been three campaigns against Goguryeo, and their plan would have failed."
"Do you think their 'Choosing the Emperor' plan is that simple? Their real goal is to have the Buddhist sect rise above imperial authority. The appointment and removal of emperors must be approved by them. Do you know about India? It's said that the Buddhist sect there can replace emperors at will. They call it the 'Buddhist Kingdom on Earth.'"
"India? I heard the Buddhist sect originated there. They really are wolves in sheep's clothing." The people in the tavern were eagerly discussing the latest hot topic.
In this era, entertainment was scarce. A topic that the entire world was discussing had become the hottest issue of the time.
"I just came from Baling. It's said that the Baling Gang is supported by them. The Baling Gang was formed to amass wealth for them." Another person spoke up.
"Really?" someone immediately asked.
"Of course. I saw it with my own eyes. Master Wei Zhuang personally rescued a large number of abducted children and women from several temples. Those places were nothing but dens of vice."
Wei Zhuang was another shadow clone of Daniel Davis, primarily responsible for dismantling the Baling Gang and rescuing those who had been abducted. Not wanting to think too hard about names, Daniel Davis simply used the name Wei Zhuang from Guiguzi.
"Nonsense. These are just lies spread by that tyrant Yang Guang to slander Ning Daoqi and the others. How can you all believe this?" At that moment, a young voice suddenly interrupted the conversation.
The sudden voice silenced the lively discussion, and everyone turned to look at the speaker. It was a young man in his twenties, with a middle-aged man standing behind him. The middle-aged man's expression changed as soon as the young man spoke, but it was too late to stop him.
"Kid, you should go to Yangzhou and see for yourself. It's said that the square there is filled with wealth and treasures collected from the temples, along with a large number of land deeds."
"Everyone, my apologies. Today's food and drinks are on me. The young man doesn't know any better. Farewell." Before the young man could retort, the middle-aged man quickly stopped him, left a gold ingot on the table, and hurriedly dragged the young man away.
"Uncle, why did you stop me?" the young man asked in confusion as they left the tavern.
"Shut up. Do you want to get yourself killed?" The middle-aged man glared at him sternly. "We're not going to Luoyang anymore. We're going back now."
Similar discussions were spreading throughout the Central Plains. Naturally, there were also people like the young man who spoke in defense of Ning Daoqi and the Temple of Compassion, but most of these encounters ended in violence.
The widespread dissemination of these topics was partly due to deliberate efforts. After witnessing the wealth of the Buddhist sect, too many people were tempted.
After all, Yangzhou was a prime example. Originally unable to defend itself, Yangzhou had managed to repel the allied forces of Du Fuwei and others with its vast wealth, preserving the city.
The Sui army's previous incompetence wasn't due to a lack of strength but rather low morale. But now, things were different, especially since the defenders of Yangzhou were the Sui imperial guards.
"Shimin, do you have any explanation?"
In the Li Clan, Li Yuan stared intently at Li Shimin, who stood below. The events in Yangzhou had quickly reached the Li Clan. Upon discovering that Li Shimin was involved in the Buddhist sect's "Choosing the Emperor" plan, Li Yuan was initially pleased, as it suggested that the Li Clan would eventually unify the world.
However, Li Yuan soon realized the problem, especially after Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji came to see him together. If Li Shimin was the true chosen emperor, where did that leave Li Jiancheng? Not to mention Li Yuan himself. Even if the Sui Dynasty were overthrown and a new dynasty established, Li Yuan should be the one to become emperor.
"Father, this must be Yang Guang's scheme, his final resistance." After a moment of silence, Li Shimin spoke.
"Regardless of whether it's a scheme or not, did you know about this 'Choosing the Emperor' plan or not?" Li Yuan pressed.
"I did not," Li Shimin replied slowly.
The "Choosing the Emperor" plan was something that could be discussed privately, but with Yang Guang exposing it, Li Shimin dared not admit any knowledge of it.
"Is that so? Very well, you may leave." Li Yuan nodded noncommittally and dismissed Li Shimin.
"Father, Second Brother is clearly lying." After Li Shimin left, Li Jiancheng quickly spoke up.
"Enough. He is your younger brother. You should trust him. Shimin's words make sense. We must not let this disrupt our plans. You may both leave." Li Yuan didn't let Li Jiancheng continue, waving him and Li Yuanji away.
"Brother." After Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji left, two other men stepped forward and bowed to Li Yuan.
"Enough. I already know what's going on. By the way, bring me detailed information on Shimin's Tiance Mansion." Li Yuan stopped his brothers from speaking further.
Daniel Davis's original plan was to have the Li Clan deal with Li Shimin internally. If Li Shimin were sidelined, no matter how talented he was, he would have no opportunity to display his abilities, much like Han Xin in the Qin Dynasty timeline, who would never earn the title of "Military Genius."
However, Daniel Davis had overlooked one thing: Li Yuan's personality. Li Yuan was a man who valued family ties deeply. In the original story, even after Yang Xuyan committed grave mistakes, Li Yuan never punished him, let alone his own son, Li Shimin.
Of course, Li Yuan wasn't entirely without suspicion toward Li Shimin. Unable to act directly against Li Shimin, he instead targeted his Tiance Mansion.
"Elder Brother, something has happened." In the Song Family's mountain city, within the Grinding Sword Hall, Song Que, who had been meditating, opened his eyes upon hearing his younger brother's words.
"From your expression, it must be something significant. What is it? Has Yang Guang died?" Song Que asked calmly.
"No, Elder Brother. You should see this for yourself." Song Zhi handed a document to Song Que.
As Song Que flipped through the document, the atmosphere in the Grinding Sword Hall grew tense. Song Zhi was the Song Family's strategist, at least outwardly. In truth, the true strategist of the Song Family was Song Que himself. Song Que was both wise and brave, a tactician and a strategist.
From the original story, Song Que's timely support for Kou Zhong demonstrated his exceptional foresight.
Although Song Zhi wasn't as capable as Song Que, he was still far more competent than most. Moreover, he was extremely meticulous in his work. The intelligence he provided to Song Que included detailed annotations, distinguishing between rumors and firsthand accounts from Song Family members in Yangzhou.
Yang Guang's actions in Yangzhou, while spreading across the world, had inevitably been embellished with speculative additions.
"Governor of Luoyang? Interesting. Where is that self-proclaimed Taoist Heavenly Sect member, Daniel Davis, now?" After closing the document, Song Que immediately asked.
As the deeds of Ning Daoqi, the Temple of Compassion, and others spread across the world, Daniel Davis, the newly appointed Governor of Luoyang, naturally caught the attention of many, including the Buddhist sect. However, the Buddhist sect was currently too preoccupied to deal with him.
"Unknown. After leaving Yangzhou, no one has seen him." The Song Family had long placed agents in Luoyang, including a small gang.
"Find him. I want to meet him."
"Yes." Song Zhi looked at Song Que in shock. Since returning to the Song Family's mountain city twenty years ago to become its leader, Song Que had rarely left Lingnan. Even when someone piqued his interest, they would come to see him, much like Kou Zhong's initial meeting with Song Que.
But now, Song Que was planning to leave the mountain city himself. Although Song Zhi wanted to ask why, Song Que's authority within the Song Family prevented him from doing so.
"Then, Elder Brother, how should we handle these matters?"
"First, investigate the situation in Lingnan. As for how to proceed, we'll decide after I meet him."
"Yes."
"Regardless, Yang Guang must die. He has completely lost his mind."
The Temple of Compassion, the Pure Land Sect, Ning Daoqi, and the Four Great Holy Monks quickly reached a consensus. Other matters could be set aside for now. Yang Guang had to be dealt with first before anything else could be considered.
Under normal circumstances, the Temple of Compassion and its allies would not consider this path. After all, Yang Guang was the emperor of the Central Plains. No matter how much he deserved to die, some people couldn't take action against him. But now, the situation was different. Every day Yang Guang lived, the Buddhist sect's reputation suffered.
Relying on Du Fuwei or even Yuwen Huaji to kill Yang Guang was no longer feasible. Given the current situation in Yangzhou, it was impossible.
"Ning Daoqi, I truly hope you come personally this time." In the imperial palace in Yangzhou, Yang Guang looked at a capsule in his palm, a cold smile on his face.
(End of Chapter)
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