# 288. The Deal Five Centuries Ago
"What is the matter?"
A distant and ethereal voice echoed in Xu Qi'an's ears. He saw a dense fog, swirling and shifting, and as he passed through it, a dilapidated temple emerged. Sitting cross-legged at the entrance was the handsome monk Shenshu.
"Master, it's nothing much... I just witnessed a big scene and thought I'd come to share it with you," Xu Qi'an said earnestly.
"Don't call my name in your heart when you're in front of masters of the Buddhist sect," Shenshu warned.
"Understood, Master. I won’t hold you back."
Xu Qi'an recounted the events that had unfolded in the night sky over the capital and marvelled, "The Jianzheng's technique for concealing the secrets of heaven is truly impressive."
"As a Rank One, it’s naturally impressive," Shenshu replied warmly. "However, it may be due to my fragmented memory, but I don't recall anything about the Arcanist system."
*Well... that’s understandable. The Arcanist system only appeared after Shenshu had been sealed for a century.*
Xu Qi'an said, "Master, a few days ago, I probed the monk from the Western Regions and gained some understanding of your identity."
Shenshu's gentle face turned solemn as he focused intently on Xu Qi'an. "What did you find?"
Xu Qi'an replied, "The monks of the Buddhist sect say that you are a traitor, and because they couldn't kill you, they sealed you instead."
"A traitor of the Buddhist sect…"
Shenshu murmured the words to himself, his expression slowly changing, a mixture of sadness and anger flickering deep in his eyes.
The fog in this hidden world trembled, flowing like a raging river.
"You’ve done well. I've remembered some things," Shenshu said after a long pause, his emotions settling.
What memories? Could you share them with me, Master? Xu Qi'an thought silently.
As soon as the thought arose, the fog before his eyes closed, obscuring the dilapidated temple and the monk Shenshu. Then, the entire world began to fade.
The scenery shifted, and the furnishings of the room came into view as Xu Qi'an returned from Shenshu's mysterious world.
*That old aunt has some connection with me. I’ll ask Daoist Jinlian about it later. Otherwise, it’s going to nag at me like a bone stuck in my throat…*
*The Buddhist delegation, I don't know when they’ll leave. I should keep a low profile during this time. Master Du'e is stronger than I anticipated.*
*My mental strength has reached a peak. I can probably attempt a breakthrough, but after witnessing the profound mystery of the Buddhist Vajra Palace, I find myself looking down on the martial artists’ Bronze Skin and Iron Bones…*
*Master Shenshu’s memory is incomplete, and he doesn’t know this technique. Hengyuan’s not a lucky child; there’s no way he’ll learn such profound skills.*
Lying in bed, Xu Qi'an’s thoughts wandered. Suddenly, a familiar pang flickered in his heart.
As he reached under his pillow to retrieve a fragment of the Earth Book, he sat up, lit the oil lamp, and settled at the table to check the messages.
【ONE: Daoist, what rank is Master Du'e, the leader of the Western Regions delegation?】
It was rare for the lurking maniac, Number One, to send a message proactively.
【NINE: Du'e is a Rank Two Arhat, with the Executioner *phala*[^1].】
A Rank Two Arhat—just as I suspected… but what is the Executioner phala? Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, confirming that there was no record of "phala" in the archives of the Nightwatcher’s constabulary.
【FOUR: The so-called phala are a concept in Buddhism. Arhats have three great phala: Execution of evil, Non-returning, and the grand Arahat, with the Grand Arahat being the highest. 'Execution' and 'Non-returning' are considered equal.】
*I see... Though I don’t fully understand, it sounds quite powerful!* Xu Qi'an slowly nodded.
After the explanation, Number Four added, 【However, I felt that the second Dharma aspect that appeared tonight was outrageously powerful.】
The first Dharma Aspect was formed by Du'e’s Executioner Phala, representing his own power. The second Dharma Aspect’s aura was even grander and more imposing.
【NINE: That was the Wrathful Vajra Aspect, one of the nine great Dharma Aspects of Buddhism.】
【FOUR: No wonder, so it was a Bodhisattva’s intervention.】
*A Bodhisattva—a Rank One Bodhisattva?!* Xu Qi'an gasped and instinctively looked around, a chill running down his spine, feeling like a thief hearing police sirens.
If a Rank One had come to the capital, Xu Qi'an thought his situation had just become much more precarious.
*Stay calm, stay calm. Every system has its own unique strengths. Concealing the secrets of heaven is an Arcanist’s specialty. I must trust in the Jianzheng’s power...* He could only comfort himself this way.
At that moment, Li Miaozhen chimed in, sending a message: 【What are you all talking about? What do you mean by Dharma Aspects appearing tonight?】
Number One usually clashed with Number Two, and Number Four avoided her because of the conflict between Heaven and Man. Daoist Jinlian had yet to respond, so the conversation fell silent for a while. Finally, Number Six, Hengyuan, sent a message to explain:
【The Buddhist delegation arrived in the capital, causing a bit of a stir. Tonight, Dharma Aspects appeared over the city.】
A few seconds later, Li Miaozhen sent another message: 【Are they here for the Sangpo case?】
The sealed object beneath Sangpo involved the Buddhist sect, something Number Three had previously revealed to the Heaven and Earth Society. Thinking of Xu Qi'an’s death, she felt a pang of sadness.
【SIX: Yes.】
Li Miaozhen sighed, sending a message: 【The Buddhist sect is indeed powerful, worthy of being the greatest religion in Jiuzhou.】
*So the Buddhist sect is the greatest force in Jiuzhou… I hadn’t thought of it that way before. I should go to the constabulary tomorrow to check the records.*
【FOUR: Li Miaozhen, why haven’t you reached the capital yet?】
【TWO: Heh, isn’t it better for you to live a few more days?】
*Hey, hey, miss, speak more kindly—lead with virtue!* Xu Qi'an silently mocked.
【TWO: I chose to travel by land to the capital, and along the way, I’ve been ridding the world of corruption, slaying a few corrupt officials and local tyrants.】
No one in the Earth Book group chat replied for a while. Then Daoist Jinlian chimed in: 【By the way, how has Number Five been doing lately?】
There was no response from Number Five.
【TWO: Daoist, you should message her privately. I think that girl has run into trouble again.】
Daoist Jinlian sighed and replied: 【Alright.】
Number Five's adventures could probably fill a book titled _The Adventures of Number Five_ or _Number Five’s Bizarre Journey_... Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an’s lips curved into a slight smile.
After sleeping soundly until morning, Xu Qi'an mounted his little mare and headed to the Nightwatcher’s constabulary.
He went directly to the archives and arrived at the "Bing" section of the archives. He instructed the clerk managing the records, "Bring me all the documents related to the Buddhist sect."
"And while you're at it, fetch me a cup of tea," he added.
The amount of information related to the Buddhist sect was vast, stacking higher than a person on the table. After filtering through them, Xu Qi'an eliminated the strange anecdotes and "legends" and focused on regionally relevant books such as _Geography of the Nine Provinces_ and _Geography of the Western Regions_.
About an hour later, he found what he was looking for.
"As expected, in terms of land area, the Buddhist sect ranks first in Jiuzhou. The entire Western Region is filled with Buddhist kingdoms, and its territory is twice the size of the Great Feng, three times the size of the Northern Provinces, and three to five times the size of the Northeastern Provinces.
"Of course, the Western Region is vast but sparsely populated and not fertile land. And, if we include the Southern Marches and the hundred-thousand mountains that were once the territory of the Wanyao Kingdom, the Buddhist sect's 'empire' would be terrifying."
Next, he asked the clerk to bring him paper, ink, and brushes, and he began writing keywords like "Sangpo," "State Religion," and "Eradicate Buddhism" on a piece of Xuan paper.
He recalled a piece of history Daoist Jinlian had shared with him about the founding emperor.
Back then, to overthrow the decaying dynasty in the Central Plains, the founding emperor of the Great Feng borrowed troops from the Northeastern Church of the Warlock God, with the price being that the church would become the state religion.
According to records in _Geography of the Western Regions_, Buddhism was also the state religion.
“Judging by the information Princess Huaiqing and I have uncovered, 400 years ago, Buddhism was spreading like wildfire across the Central Plains, clearly on the path to becoming the state religion. However, Confucianism was in its 'With all due respect, everyone here is trash' peak phase at the time.
“They directly pushed for the eradication of Buddhism, and despite the momentum, Buddhism did not overreact but instead withdrew from the Central Plains. I have two theories here: One, Confucianism was indeed so powerful back then that it could not be challenged. Two, the Buddhist sect didn't dare directly confront the Great Feng because they still relied on the empire to seal Shenshu.
"If Confucianism hadn't declined, and considering the strength of the Confucianists and the Sitianjian, Great Feng would undoubtedly be the strongest in all Jiuzhou."
Xu Qi'an used his Qi to destroy the paper and left the archives, heading straight to the Tower of Noble Spirit.
After receiving permission to enter, he ascended to the seventh floor. In the tea room, he didn't hear Wei Yuan's voice, so he habitually looked toward the balcony, and sure enough, he saw Wei Yuan there.
The eunuch with whitening temples, hair dishevelled, was lying on a reclining chair, dressed in an azure robe, leisurely basking in the sun.
"Did you kneel last night?" the eunuch laughed.
"Not even a twitch in my legs," Xu Qi'an scoffed.
"Come over and give my head a rub," Wei Yuan beckoned.
Xu Qi'an glanced around, confirmed that Nangong Qianrou wasn't present, and confidently approached. Like a possessed master masseur, he began massaging the acupoints on Wei Yuan's head.
"The unsealing of the sealed artefact under Sangpo was Great Feng's fault, however one puts it. The Buddhist high monks were just throwing a tantrum; there's no need to worry," Wei Yuan comforted him.
*He thinks I'm here because of last night's events... Duke Wei, you think I'm at the first layer, but I'm actually on the eighteenth! Not only do I know a Bodhisattva intervened last night, but I also know the whereabouts of Shenshu...* Xu Qi'an cut to the chase and asked:
"Why did the Great Feng help the Buddhist sect seal an evil entity?"
By now, he was already Wei Yuan's confidant, and many secrets that couldn't be publicly discussed could be shared freely.
"Did you discover something?" Wei Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"When I was investigating the Sangpo case, I stumbled upon a piece of history. Five hundred years ago, the crown prince was playing in Sangpo, fell into the water, and later developed hysteria, eventually passing away.
"Also, five hundred years ago, Emperor Wuzong seized the throne. Five hundred years ago, the Buddhist sect from the Western Regions suddenly began proselytizing in the Central Plains, and within a century, Buddhist temples flourished everywhere. Then, a century later, Confucianism pushed for the eradication of Buddhism.
"The formation beneath Sangbo is engraved with Buddhist scripture. Based on these clues, I speculate that the evil entity was sealed five hundred years ago, right?"
Wei Yuan pondered for a long time before slowly nodding. “Indeed, the thing sealed beneath Sangbo is tied to a transaction between the Buddhist sect and Emperor Wuzong.
"At that time, Emperor Wuzong was a brilliant strategist with numerous skilled generals under his command. However, when it came to seizing the throne, there was one obstacle he could never bypass. And that obstacle could have caused his grand ambitions to vanish into thin air."
A figure flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind: *the first Jianzheng!*
“The first Jianzheng of the Sitianjian, a first-rank arcanist. As long as the Jianzheng was there, no one could shake the imperial throne as long as the dynasty's fate remained intact. Facing such an unbeatable and immovable obstacle, Emperor Wuzong chose to ally with the Buddhist sect of the Western Regions.
"That marked the beginning of the alliance between the Buddhist sect and Great Feng. The Buddhist sect helped Emperor Wuzong kill the first Jianzheng, and in return, Emperor Wu allowed Buddhism to spread in the Central Plains and agreed to seal the evil entity for them. The current Jianzheng, having coldly watched from the sidelines as Sangpo lake was blown up, is as good as having torn up said deal"
*Fuck!*
*So that's what happened! I always wondered—if Emperor Wuzong succeeded in seizing the throne, what happened to the first Jianzheng...? It turns out that the Buddhist sect was involved back then. With the presence of a Buddha, someone beyond the mortal ranks, it's reasonable that they could kill a peak arcanist like Jianzheng.*
*Wait, then what role does the current Jianzheng play in all this?*
As these thoughts swirled, Xu Qi'an began to tremble slightly, feeling a twinge of regret for asking Wei Yuan in the first place.
"The Jianzheng, why... why did he allow the evil entity to escape...?" After a long hesitation, Xu Qi'an finally asked the burning question.
Because this question was likely tied to his own fate.
The Jianzheng knew about the plot of the Wanyao Kingdom's remnants, yet he chose to turn a blind eye; Jianzheng knew that Shenshu's severed arm had been attached to him, yet he chose to ignore it; Jianzheng had even secretly helped him!
*What is the Jianzheng's goal, and what is he scheming?*
*Isn't he afraid of the Buddha coming after him with furious divine retribution?*
Wei Yuan chuckled. "Who knows?"
He closed his eyes, enjoying the massage from his loyal subordinate, and said, “At this morning's court session, Master Du'e proposed a competition and debate with the Jianzheng, wagering the Disk Heavenly Secrets and Diamond Sutra. He hopes His Majesty will agree.
"His Majesty has sent word to the Sitianjian, and Jianzheng has agreed. In the afternoon, there will be an imperial decree announcing it to the entire capital. We'll have some excitement to look forward to."
For some reason, Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. A sense of unease crept in, and he asked cautiously:
"How will they compete?"
Wei Yuan shook his head. "We'll find out today."
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[^1]: (sanskrit) lit. [fruit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phala). The fruit or fruition of one’s actions.