The Time Has Come

Although Wu Wang asked Yun Li if it had any ideas, he did not hold any hope in his heart.

Yun Li was so naive that it was even clumsy at keeping up appearances; facing such a situation, how could it possibly have a good solution?

Mortal affairs should be resolved by mortals, while cultivator problems are solved by us, Yun Li said in a light, airy tone. Right now, those standing outside the door are people with no cultivation, and those kneeling inside the temple are also people with no cultivation. We cannot make a move, but does that mean those who are kneeling cannot make a move either?

Hearing this, Wu Wang's expression shifted in surprise, and he finally looked at Yun Li properly.

Yun Li looked at the commoners below and continued:

The Buddhist sect has vast blessings. It wouldn't be too much to spend some natural treasures to give the suffering commoners a drink to improve their physiques, right? And it wouldn't be too much to forge some hoes and other iron tools to distribute to the commoners for farming, right? As for whether they use the hoes to till the land, or to dig up something they shouldn't...

I think that is not something we cultivators, who are separated from mortals, can manage.

Wu Wang fell silent in thought for a moment before saying:

In essence, this is the immortal sects interfering in mortal dynasties. The clear laws of heaven are watching from above; it is not something we can deny just by speaking against our true intentions.

Yun Li chuckled softly, its tone a bit strange, as if trying to imitate someone else's way of speaking:

If you do this with the desire to promote Hinayana Buddhism, it is naturally the immortal sect interfering with the mortal world. But if your true intention right now is simply to act as a Buddhist cultivator and give these bitterly pleading commoners a way to survive, I think it shouldn't count, right?

Besides, if you want to accomplish something, how could you not pay any price at all? If such a good thing really fell from the sky, would you, fellow Daoist, truly dare to accept it?

Fellow Daoist, you must understand one phrase: a clay Buddha statue is supreme in the temple, but once it falls into the water, it becomes nothing but a puddle of mud.

Whether the world sees mud or a Buddha depends entirely on how you choose to act today.

Wu Wang stared intently at Yun Li:

Fellow Daoist, who taught you these words? Was it Sect Master Chu? Does he know about the current situation?

Yun Li looked at Wu Wang's extremely serious expression. Although these words were indeed taught by the Sect Master and Eldest Senior Sister, that didn't stop it from acting profoundly cool right now.

In an extremely leisurely tone, it shook its head slightly and said:

Does that matter? Since I provided you with an idea, I naturally hope this matter succeeds. What matters now is how you, fellow Daoist, will actually do it.

After saying that, Yun Li turned and sauntered away.

Wu Wang watched Yun Li's retreating figure. Within his steady gaze, it was unknown exactly what kind of thoughts were brewing.

Xuanwu Kingdom's capital.

Li Yingling sat in the main seat of the side hall as news continuously poured in from all over.

Chen Baiqing was in charge of helping Li Yingling filter and process the information.

Lin Luoyu was assisting Li Junzi with the final sorting and wrapping up of the books.

As for Cui Hao, he was assigned a separate task by Li Yingling to continue writing nursery rhymes.

Naturally, the nursery rhymes he was to continue writing were not meant to slander Li Junzi, but to praise him.

However many slandering nursery rhymes Cui Hao had written, he had to write that many praising ones.

At the same time, the literacy nursery rhymes Cui Hao had proposed were also very meaningful, so he was told to handle that as well, with the quantity matching the aforementioned rhymes.

As for the quality, if Li Yingling judged that he was just making up the numbers with shoddy work, then what awaited Cui Hao would naturally be the Eldest Senior Sister's special kind of supervision.

Everyone had things to keep them busy.

Only Li Xingtian sat to the side, watching Li Yingling and Chen Baiqing handle affairs.

Naturally, Li Xingtian could handle those matters too, but he couldn't do it as fast as Li Yingling and Chen Baiqing, nor could he do it as well.

He wasn't good at these things to begin with, so there was no need to force his presence.

Li Xingtian also understood that professional matters should be left to professionals.

He picked up the tea brewed by Little Baiqing, took a gentle sip, and looked leisurely out the door.

Perhaps because he was usually so honest and dependable, no one came to tease him during this moment of leisure.

Although he knew the situation in the outer world changed by the day and countless people were swept up in it, right now, he had a quiet moment all to himself.

Even though Li Xingtian didn't handle specific tasks, he would still carefully understand the situation, so as not to drag others down due to ignorance when something actually required his attention.

When out on a mission, Li Xingtian would never forget the basic ethics he should possess.

In the direction of the Cangwu Kingdom, Wu Wang eventually gave that little push, but many memorable great reforms often stem from a seemingly unintentional push.

In the vast wilderness, a single spark is enough to start a prairie fire.

The thousand-year entrenchment of the noble clans was naturally built upon the lower classes.

A thousand years of anger, under intentional guidance, ignited and surged upward.

The injustices suffered by generations of ancestors over a millennium were now completely turned into fuel.

The noble clans suffered indescribable repercussions; the Cangwu Kingdom had even deployed its army to suppress the situation.

Whether they were defined as rebels now seemed to depend only on whether blades would actually cross at the very end.

The noble clans naturally pressured the monarch of the Cangwu Kingdom, demanding the suppression of these greedy, insubordinate rioters.

But those insubordinate rioters held high the banner of Hinayana Buddhism, calling themselves Buddhist believers, brandishing the sign of the Great Thunderclap Temple, holding a hoe in one hand and embracing a simple clay Bodhisattva in the other even if this clay Bodhisattva didn't even look human.

They were dressed in rags, and their only weapons were hoes and sickles that could hardly be called weapons.

No one knew if the Buddhist sect would truly have no reaction if such a group of people were massacred.

No one knew if slaughtering such a group would cause Hinayana Buddhism to completely spread in all directions.

But if they backed down, the noble clans would have to bear all the fury.

At this moment, in the eyes of these noble clans, Li Junzi was not even worth a single hair compared to the promotion of Hinayana Buddhism.

Li Junzi promoted new policies, but those who could truly understand them would only be a minority among these noble clans. However, these people upholding Hinayana Buddhism were literally digging up their graves and severing their roots.

The Cangwu Kingdom served as a precedent.

The Xuanwu Kingdom no longer held its previous dismissive attitude toward Hinayana Buddhism, but treated it as a formidable enemy.

They spared no effort in putting stumbling blocks in the way of the promotion of Hinayana Buddhism, and had even begged and pleaded with many Daoist immortal sects for help.

The noble clans of the Xuanwu Kingdom could only endure for now, pinching their noses and accepting many matters regarding the offering of land and tribute.

These noble clans were also watching to see how the matter of Hinayana Buddhism in the Cangwu Kingdom would ultimately settle.

If the noble clans withstood the pressure and forced a victory, then Hinayana Buddhism would naturally lose its deterrence.

But if the noble clans lost, it would require much deeper reflection.

The promotion of Hinayana Buddhism, something that initially seemed just like the spread of a faith, had now completely changed its appearance.

Those noble clans did not cultivate immortality, so perhaps they couldn't see it clearly.

But Li Xingtian saw it distinctly.

Once the matter began, Wu Wang, this Buddhist Son at the Body Integration Realm, had already lost the option to give up, regardless of where the situation headed.

At the very least, Wu Wang would not let the current Buddhist sect lose on the premise that the believers had put their faith in Buddhism, even if the faith of these believers wasn't pure.

Especially when all of this was set in motion by Wu Wang himself.

Li Xingtian remembered what his master had said.

Sunk costs will completely drown a person.

Even if one could simply turn and walk away, they would still plunge into it with reckless abandon.

Li Xingtian shook his head helplessly.

In a certain sense, his Master was truly terrifying beyond comprehension.

Sitting in the seat of honor, Li Yingling suddenly spoke:

"The time has come."