Chapter 167: 121: Ferry Crossing_2
Translator: 549690339
After three days of debate, the outcome was unknown.
All that was known was he left one temple for another, and within the span of three months, he had visited every major Buddhist temple in the capital.
In the end, the power of Buddhism was unified under him; the high monks from the temples regarded him as their leader and went to all the major Taoist temples to debate on the doctrines and scriptures.
This debate went on for three months; in nine doctrinal debates between Buddhism and Taoism, Master Duxing alone defeated three True Monarchs, and the Buddhist Sect triumphed over Taoism, achieving a complete victory.
Afterwards, Master Duxing entered the palace representing Buddhism, assisted the young Emperor in removing powerful ministers, executing traitorous courtiers, reorganizing the court hierarchy, and revitalizing the nation’s vigor.
After helping Emperor Xian Zong regain control of the court, Master Duxing, now conferred the title “Holy Monk,” led high monks from the Buddhist temples and Buddhists from all directions on a tour around the world, subjugating demons and evil spirits that were causing chaos everywhere.
The world was thereby purified!
Emperor Xian Zong also implemented new policies with strong support from Buddhism, reorganized the land, and ultimately achieved a great revival.
It can be said that without Holy Monk Duxing, there would be no Emperor Xian Zong, esteemed for his great talent and strategy, and divine martial prowess.
Yet, a few years ago, Holy Monk Duxing, who had led Buddhism and supported the Emperor, suddenly announced he was entering seclusion and disappeared without a trace.
Without Holy Monk Duxing, the once wise and divine martial Emperor Xian Zong began to govern recklessly, issuing one foolish edict after another, causing the situation to deteriorate rapidly and the recently restored empire to fall back into turmoil.
Even within Buddhism itself, sects began to divide and demolish each other over doctrinal disagreements and competition for incense offerings.
Even Master Wuhua was driven out of the capital along with him.
If anyone could still save the day, it would undoubtedly be Holy Monk Duxing.
But where was Holy Monk Duxing?
Liang Xiao didn’t know.
He had asked many people, including Master Wuhua, a fellow high monk of Buddhism.
But even Wuhua claimed to have no knowledge of it.
This filled Liang Xiao with despair.
How he wished for Holy Monk Duxing to return and counsel his father, the Emperor, who was losing his mind and verging on madness, or perhaps join him in supporting the restoration of the empire as he once supported his father.
He vowed he could do it even better.
However, however…
“Holy Monk Duxing, where exactly did you go?”
Liang Xiao shook his head, glancing outside.
But as soon as he glanced out, he was stunned.
Outside the carriage, on both sides of the road, was a dazzling golden light.
Ears of rice, golden ears of rice.
Both sides of the road were lined with fields, and the planted rice had matured, with the golden ears weighed down by their own fullness, creating a golden ocean that dazzled Liang Xiao’s eyes.
He didn’t know how to describe it.
For someone like him who had grown up in the depths of the palace, such a scene of farming was extremely rare.
Let alone…
“Stop!”
Liang Xiao snapped out of his reverie and hurriedly called the carriage to a halt.
Turning to Wuhua, he saw that the latter was also staring out of the window, frowning slightly at the contiguous golden rice fields.
“Master, come, let’s go down and take a look!”
The coachman stopped, and Liang Xiao called out before stepping out of the carriage.
Seeing this, Wuhua, without a word, followed him into the fields.
“Master, look at this rice!”
Liang Xiao, excitedly reaching out to pluck an ear of rice with golden color and full grains, peeled the husk and placed several rounded, plump grains of rice, resembling white jade, in his palm before popping them into his mouth to chew.
“This rice…”
“Is no ordinary rice!”
“The essence and nutrients inside are obviously much higher than those of normal rice!”
“And this yield, I have read extensively, and seen much about agriculture, normal rice yields at most one or two hundred catties per acre.”
“How much does this yield per acre, a thousand catties, or two thousand catties?”
“Is this the Method of Cultural Qi Farming?”
“No, no, no, the Method of Cultural Qi Farming has been practiced by predecessors, and even in years of great disaster, Great Scholars have sacrificed their lives and spent their entire Cultivation to hasten the maturation of crops, but the increased yield was not significant, how did he achieve this?”
“Could he have made some special innovations?”
Clinging to the ear of rice, Liang Xiao was both shocked and thrilled, swinging between fear and anger, looking somewhat deranged.
Wuhua, upon witnessing this, remained silent as he was equally astonished.
Just then…
“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?”
A shout came, startling both men, who turned to see an old farmer rushing towards them with a hoe on his shoulder.
The old farmer, eyeing Liang Xiao standing in the field holding an ear of rice, flew into a rage: “Oh, so you dare to steal, come with me to the officials!”
With that, he moved towards Liang Xiao, intent on grabbing him.
“How dare you!”
Liang Xiao stood still, but the nearby coachman bellowed a warning and sent his palm flying towards the old farmer.
The farmer, not accustomed to such a scene, saw the blow coming and braced for impact.
“Amitabha!”
At the critical moment, a Buddhist chant sounded, and golden light flowed, dissipating the coachman’s palm strike into nothingness.
It was Wuhua who had acted.
“You must not act rashly!”
Liang Xiao also awoke in shock and immediately halted the coachman.
However, the old farmer, startled, fell onto his backside, looking at the three men with a mix of fright and anger: “You, you still dare to hit people?”
“Esteemed elder, we…”
Liang Xiao, assuming the dignity of a prince, was about to explain.
But the old farmer didn’t wait to listen, yelling out loud.
“Help! Someone is stealing!”
“Who, who’s stealing?”
With that shout, a crowd of farmers converged from all around, encircling them.
“This…”
Seeing this, Liang Xiao truly realized what was meant by ‘sly villagers in a poor and harsh environment’!
Just as he was thinking of how to extricate himself.
“What’s going on?”
A group of people approached on horseback, entering the scene, turning out to be several young men and women in strong attire, carrying swords.
“It’s the patrolling students!”
“You’ve arrived just in time!”
“They were stealing!”
“And they hit someone!”
A chorus of farmers started speaking all at once.
“Enough!”
The leading youth silenced the crowd and then approached Liang Xiao and his companions: “What is all this about?”
Liang Xiao sized him up and asked with a bow: “May I ask who you are…?”
“We are the patrolling students on duty from Guo Bei Academy.”
The youth’s expression remained unchanged: “And who might you be?”
“Guo Bei Academy?”
“Patrolling students on duty?”
Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow and then said: “We are merchants from afar who came here, and upon seeing the rice in these fields so full and plump, we were overjoyed and acted without thinking. It was not intentional, and we are willing to compensate this elder for his losses.”
With that, he ordered the coachman to bring out a silver ingot.
The youth looked at him, then at the old farmer, took the silver ingot, pinched off a small piece with two fingers, and handed it to the old farmer before returning the larger part of the ingot to Liang Xiao.
“Within North City county, the law is as firm as iron—one is one, two is two. Considering your unintentional actions, and as it’s your first offense without causing injury, we will let this matter pass. Should there be a next time, you will be punished.”
“Alright, disperse now.”
With that, he turned to disperse the crowd.
Liang Xiao looked at the silver ingot in his hand, which had been broken off at the corner, his expression odd, eyebrows tightly furrowed.
Elsewhere, Wuhua, without a word, fixed his gaze on the side of the official road, also frowning slightly.
“Let’s go!”
The group did not linger, mounting their horses, ready to leave.
Seeing this, Liang Xiao quickly called out, “Wait!”
The few turned back; “What else is there?”
Liang Xiao asked: “Could you tell me the way to Guo Bei Academy?”
“Guo Bei Academy?”
The group looked at him: “That’s where you are.”
“This is it?”
Liang Xiao was surprised, not understanding.
The youth on horseback explained: “The whole of North City county falls within the academy’s bounds—there are nine main campuses, twenty-four branch campuses, as well as thirty-six middle schools, seventy-two elementary schools, numerous fields and houses for students, dining halls, training grounds… all these are part of Guo Bei Academy. Didn’t anyone tell you this when you arrived?”
Liang Xiao was silent for a moment, then finally said: “Then may I ask where I can find Master Li Liuxian?”
“The headmaster is teaching at the main campus today. Here is a map and the academy’s rules. You look like you can read, so find your own way there. We must continue our patrolling duties!”
The group tossed a booklet to Liang Xiao and then turned their horses and galloped away.
After the group departed, there were also sounds of horse hooves and the clash of soldier’s armor in the void as if an invisible troop had also departed.
“Master, this…”
Liang Xiao, holding the booklet, turned to look at Wuhua, somewhat at a loss.
Wuhua paid him no heed, still looking in the direction where the group had disappeared, his brow deeply furrowed, unable to relax.
