Chapter 359 - 297: Begin

Li Jing sat in his chair, eyes closed in deep thought, his expression shifting unpredictably.

After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp look flashing in them, and said in a heavy voice, "It’s time to make a decision."

Li Jing waved over a Heavenly General and said sternly, "Tell those two good-for-nothing sons of mine to either come back to the Heavenly Court now or stop calling me their father."

The Heavenly General looked at Li Jing with surprise and hesitated, "Marshal, are you referring to the two young masters?"

"What young masters? If those two scourges don’t come back, I have no sons!" Li Jing said with considerable anger.

"Yes, I shall follow your orders!" The Heavenly General, seeing that his own marshal was serious, did not say anything further and turned to leave.

It was then that Nezha suddenly called out, "Father!"

"Say no more, the current situation no longer allows us to hedge our bets. We must show the Emperor our determination," Li Jing said softly.

Nezha looked at his father before him, feeling as if his figure overlapped with that of many years prior, and he chose to remain silent.

Meanwhile, in the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, the Jade Emperor was quietly listening to the Divine Exorcist Great Saint’s account, his hand supporting his forehead.

"This Heavenly King Li is quite decisive, starting to cut ties at this time," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint said with a smile.

"It’s an old family problem, even becoming an Immortal doesn’t change that. In reality, I don’t care whether his sons are in the Buddhist Sect or not, as long as they are loyal to me," the Jade Emperor said, chuckling softly.

"But our Heavenly King is extremely cautious, separating from his own sons so quickly."

"He’s been too influenced by the Mortal World, but this is good too; when the time comes, he can devote himself fully to serving me," the Jade Emperor spoke solemnly.

"Have you arranged everything concerning the Mortal World?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, everything is under control, this time I will definitely make the Buddhist Sect fail in their scheme and suffer for it," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint said with great confidence.

"Oh! Then I will wait and watch a good show."

In Chang’an City, an old eunuch was carrying a lantern, walking swiftly through the palace, his pace fast yet light; his footsteps were barely audible in the stillness of the night, and the dim light cast long shadows against the palace walls.

The old eunuch arrived at a hidden door, gently opened it, and outside stood a monk with a kind face, who appeared to be quite old, his long white eyebrows nearly touching his shoulders.

"Master Jue Ming, please come in quickly, the Emperor has been waiting for a long time," the old eunuch whispered.

"Amitabha Buddha, causing the Emperor to wait so long is my sin!" Jue Ming said, his hands pressed together, speaking softly.

His voice was very soothing to the ear, feeling very comforting to those who heard it; even the old eunuch, who had grown somewhat sensitive due to his physical impairments, felt a sense of spring warmth, but he gained newfound respect for this recently famous monk.

This one has skills.

Accompanied by Jue Ming, the eunuch made his way through the Imperial City. The patrolling Imperial guards displayed great respect towards the old eunuch and did not hinder their passage.

Soon, a majestic hall came into view. The old eunuch led Jue Ming to the entrance of the palace where the lights shone brightly.

"Your Majesty, Master Jue Ming has arrived," the eunuch’s voice was gentle, yet in the silent surroundings, it seemed somewhat piercing.

"Let the Master enter," an authoritative voice came from inside the palace, tinged with a hint of fatigue.

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch gently pushed open the palace doors and escorted Jue Ming into the hall at a slow pace. They saw a figure seated within the hall, surrounded by lit candles. The flickering flames cast a divine and solemn aura upon him.

"Monk Jue Ming pays respects to Your Majesty," said Monk Jue Ming appropriately, bowing to the man in the dragon robe.

"Inviting the Master into the palace late at night, I deeply regret the inconvenience," the Emperor said.

Your Majesty is too kind. It is a great honor for the Buddhist Sect to be held in such regard by Your Majesty, and it is my privilege to expound the Buddhist Law for you," Jue Ming responded adeptly, and the words brought a smile to the grave face of the sovereign.

The old monk soon began to expound the scriptures and Buddhist Law to the Emperor. One had to admit that the old monk was a gifted speaker, immensely knowledgeable about the Buddhist Law as well as deeply understanding of other schools of thought. His words flowed like a river, and with his keen insight into the human heart, it didn’t take long for him to win the Emperor’s wholehearted approval.

"Listening to the Master is better than ten years of study. It’s my fortune to have you resolve my doubts," the Emperor said.

After their conversation, Jue Ming was respectfully escorted out of the Imperial Palace. When he returned to the temple, he saw a young monk already seated in the hall.

"How did it go?" the young monk asked in a low voice, with a sense of superiority in his tone.

"The Emperor is greatly interested in the Buddhist Law. With subtle influence over time, he will surely turn his heart towards the Buddhist Sect," Jue Ming replied confidently. He was sure that it was possible, although it might take a considerable amount of time.

"It’s not enough; we can’t wait any longer," the young monk said, opening his eyes wide, his words carrying the clangor of horse and sword.

"Next time you preach, try using the Way of Enlightenment," he suggested.

"That’s too risky. After all, the Sovereign of the Eastern Land is protected by fate. If detected, it would be a disaster for the Buddhist Sect," Jue Ming said with a frown, feeling that the Arhat from Mount Ling was underestimating the prowess of the Sovereign of the Eastern Land.

"It’s necessary. The Heavenly Court has just been through a rebellion and is currently weak. If we don’t seize this opportunity, once the Heavenly Court recovers, do you think they will sit idly by as we establish an Earthly Buddhist Kingdom?"

"Our only option is to cut through the chaos swiftly. We must convert the Emperor to the Buddhist Sect as soon as possible, allowing the Buddha Kingdom to descend. Only then can we seize the initiative," the young Arhat stated decisively.

"But..." Jue Ming began, only to be interrupted by the Arhat.

"This is our only chance; it is also where our virtuous deeds will come to fruition. You must not shirk this responsibility. Rest assured, the Arhat Bodhisattvas from Mount Ling will all rush to Dongsheng Shenzhou. With our presence, nothing will go awry."

"Amitabha Buddha, if that is the case, I can only try my best. I just hope everything goes smoothly; otherwise, we will be the sinners of the Buddhist Sect," Jue Ming said with a sigh. In the eyes of the Arhat before him, he saw the blazing flame of ambition.

The bounds of their Bodhisattva positions on Mount Ling had caused these Arhats and Bodhisattvas to wait too long. They were unwilling to wait any longer. Now seemed the perfect opportunity. If they could control Dongsheng Shenzhou, they could claim a share of the spoils.

But would things turn out as they expected? As these monks confidently prepared for the arrival of the Buddhist Kingdom, little did they know that a pair of eyes was watching everything unfold.