Chapter 431

437. Chapter 437 Pure Land

Guanglin Prefecture.

As the Guanglin Prince's cherished pearl, the princess with mixed reputation's marriage-seeking date draws near, the prefecture city and its surroundings become thoroughly lively.

However, this liveliness is that of the nobility, of the aristocratic families, of the Buddhist temples, of the monks, of all those 'nobles' who stand above people.

The lower-class commoners have nothing.

Instead, they must pay an extremely high price for this liveliness.

The roads around Guanglin Prefecture must be repaired, the city gates and walls cleaned, the inner roads kept spotless, lanterns hung and decorations strung, and everyone must be joyful.

The nobles naturally need not do these things themselves; they need only give an order.

Those who do these things have always been the peasants.

These peasants daily hope for the nobles' charity, to gain a few mouthfuls of food to feed themselves and their families, and thus should devote everything to the nobles!

So, do the peasants who repair the nobles' roads, clean the city gates, walls, and inner roads receive any wages?

Wages?

Being given a few meals is already a grace from the nobles.

"Has it always been like this?"

A carriage bearing the Prince's Manor plaque drove over the spotless, lantern‑adorned road; Mo Li sat in the carriage and softly asked the maid Guoer, who once ran to the mountain summit.

"It has always been this way, Princess."

Maid Guoer knew that the princess she served was again stirring with sympathy and a chivalrous heart, and she hurriedly advised, "It has always been this way, Princess; there's nothing wrong with it."

"How so? Why isn't it bad?"

Mo Li stared at Guoer and asked seriously, "After working, one should get paid; why is it not bad to receive no money?"

Guoer bit her lip, took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and then said, "Money—if you have the life to earn it, you also need the life to spend it."

Mo Li fell silent upon hearing this.

"Body Snatch" has been going on for almost two months.

Following the former princess's habits, Mo Li has done many things, visited many places, seen many people and objects, and her understanding of this world and of the remnant Buddhist civilization has deepened further.

At first, she could not understand why the Buddhist civilization, already shattered to the point of barely surviving, still maintained such high‑pressure and gloomy rule internally.

Know that although the wizard civilization conquers the heavens, subduing world after world with force or gentleness, it never oppresses its own people as cruelly as the Buddhist civilization does.

The worlds conquered by the wizard civilization, if they have anything worthwhile, are actively absorbed by it and then heavily developed.

Resource‑type worlds mainly produce resources, exchanging them here with the wizard civilization for higher‑order civil knowledge;

If resources are scarce but the world possesses biological and occupational diversity, it produces servant legions to trade for a chance to advance to a higher civilization.

Although the wizard civilization is no spotless white lotus, it certainly does not engage in the naked exploitation and oppression that the Buddhist remnant does.

Clearly, from the civilizations' basic nature, sorcerers should be the cold-blooded, cruel ones, while Buddhists should be the compassionate, merciful ones!

Having integrated the original princess's memories, after this period of actual investigation and reflection, plus today's stimulus, Mo Li finally understood.

Without exploitation and oppression, not letting the lower-class masses live in a sea of suffering, how to stimulate the lower-class masses' yearning for salvation and transcendence to the other shore, how to let the lower-class masses again Buddha?

Without exploitation and oppression, feeding a batch of so-called nobles, letting these nobles directly face the exploited and oppressed lower-class masses, how to show the Buddha's lofty supremacy, great compassion and mercy?

The Buddha is compassionate, unable to bear seeing the world's filth.

Then we can simply not look, right?

Thinking of this, Mo Li cracked a smile, her eyes full of ridicule.

She lifted a corner of the curtain, glanced through the gap at the three great suns in the sky, and had nothing to say.

Yet the more Mo Li acted this way, the more the maid Guo'er felt terrified.

She really feared that the princess would do something like run away from home on the eve of the spouse-selection, causing the prince to lose face before all the nobles.

Fortunately, the carriage smoothly entered the prince's manor, and the princess sat calmly, seeming not to reject the spouse-selection.

This also made the maid Guo'er feel strange, and even more fearful.

Could the princess be planning something big?

Amid the maid Guo'er's complex gaze, Mo Li slowly got off the carriage, returned to her residence, and closed herself off for cultivation.

On the road from White Horse Chan Monastery to Guanglin Prince's manor.

Lin Ke walked side by side with Liaochen monk, and together with them heading to Guanglin Prefecture were also several representatives dispatched from other halls of White Horse Chan Monastery.

These monks, regardless of being fat or thin, tall or short, share one common trait: they are young and childless.

Yes, childless.

Many senior monks and venerables of White Horse Chan Monastery each have their own descendants.

"Junior brother, do you have confidence?"

As they walked, Liaochen monk bumped Lin Ke's shoulder, raised his eyebrows mischievously and asked, "I've heard the princess is a great beauty, and since childhood she's cultivated, her physique is tough yet supple, hehe..."

Lin Ke kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, walking calmly, and calmly replied, "Senior brother, have you also cultivated the Joy Chan?"

Whether it's White Horse Chan Monastery or other Buddhist temples, regardless of which Buddhist school they study, the vast majority of monks must cultivate Joy Chan.

It's not because the monks like cultivating Joy Chan, but because cultivating Joy Chan makes it easier to comprehend the true principles of Buddhism.

However, Yuanzhi monk, the chief of the reception hall at White Horse Chan Monastery, is an exception; although he has offspring, he has not cultivated Joy Chan, yet his Buddhist Dharma is equally profound.

The original Liaofan monk, influenced by his master, likewise did not cultivate Joy Chan, so his cultivation realm has always ranked in the lower-middle tier of White Horse Chan Monastery.

Only this time, when Lin Ke 'seized the body', did he finally usher in his moment of glory.

Upon hearing this, Liaochen monk's brows and eyes instantly drooped, and he muttered, "I actually want to cultivate it, but my master won't allow it."

Saying this, Liaochen monk looked at Lin Ke and asked in a low voice, "Junior brother, do you know why our master won't let us also cultivate Joy Chan? All the other fellow monks in the monastery have cultivated it."

Lin Ke followed Liaochen monk's gaze, looked into his eyes, confirmed that he was genuinely seeking advice rather than probing something, and then replied, "Senior brother, are we cultivating Buddhism, or worshipping the Buddha?"

"Cultivating Buddhism? Worshipping the Buddha?"

Monk Liaochen repeated those two words, furrowed his brow and began to think deeply.

What does cultivating Buddhism mean?

What does worshipping the Buddha mean?

What's the difference between the two?

If there is a difference, what does that difference have to do with whether one practices Happy Zen?

Questions kept arising in Monk Liaochen's mind.

Lin Ke ignored the monk lost in thought and calmly went on his way.

Instead, several representatives from other halls nearby let out a few scoffs.

"Just because you've mastered a few supernatural powers, do you really think your Buddhist doctrine is profound?"

"The abbot practices Happy Zen; what are you, master and disciple, trying to show off by not practicing it?"

"They don't know how vast heaven and earth are."

"Let's hurry and not walk with such people, lest we tarnish the Buddhist doctrine."

The discussion followed right after the scoffing.

Lin Ke paid no attention, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Airuis also paid no attention to the girls' and women's complaints and grievances, as if she hadn't heard anything.

Worldly affairs have always been easy to imagine, easy to say, but hard to do.

Before going down the mountain, the women thought to use the skills they had honed in the brothel—reading expressions and captivating hearts—to grab whoever they could; the result……

It cannot be said there was no gain; it can only be said they hit a stone wall head-on.

Not to mention letting them go up the mountain; they weren't even given a chance to listen to the women's ideas.

Either they kept their distance, or they shut the door tightly, or they reported to the authorities, or they reported to the nearby temples……

If not for the half-month of land reclamation labor, Airuis, using some means, infused the girls and women with some magical power and technique seeds, which could be invoked at any time to cast spells and flee.

It's likely that out of the sixteen girls and twenty-three women, more than half would be lost.

Rather than now returning in a sorry state.

Seeing Airuis's indifferent demeanor, the girls' and women's complaints and grievances gradually lowered and then faded away.

"Have you finished speaking?"

Airuis stood up, looked down at the girls and women, and said indifferently, "Change your clothes, remove your jewelry, wipe off your makeup, put on the work clothes from earlier, and go down the mountain. Remember, first do good deeds to lower their guard, then engage in idle chatter to draw out their sorrows, let them speak of the suffering they have endured for years, and then guide the source of that suffering toward the temples, monks, and Buddhist doctrine. Do you understand?"

The girls listened, somewhat confused.

The women, on the other hand, understood immediately.

This is much like their old method of making those patrons spend money—first stir the other's emotions.

"Understood."

Upon thinking that, the women instantly reverted to their lively, chirping selves and replied in unison.

After a brief rest, the experienced women led the girls down the mountain again.

Along the way, the women imparted their experience to the girls.

Having spent some time in the brothel, even if they themselves did not take clients, through constant exposure they could no longer find male-female relations strange.

After hearing the women's sharing, the sixteen girls showed no change in their faces, no blushing, and each seriously considered how to apply this set of methods.

Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their mind to it.

Having a goal, having suffered setbacks, and having found an effective method, this time the girls and women are no longer like last time, hitting walls everywhere.

Although still no one is willing to give up everything and join them in Liangshan, many people are now willing to listen to them promote their ideas.

In just a few days, seven or eight lotus societies were established in various villages.

The lotus society's purpose is extremely simple: mutual aid.

First, villagers who join the lotus society each contribute five dou of rice as membership fee;

Second, after joining the lotus society, for any matter they can seek help from fellow members;

Finally, after joining the lotus society, for any matter they can seek help from the lotus society.

Many villagers have doubts about the first point.

After all, these days everyone's food is barely enough to eat; taking out five dou of rice is no different from taking out half of one's possessions.

When the girls and women encounter this situation, they patiently explain.

These five dou of rice, once taken out, are not gone forever from one's home, nor will the lotus society squander them wastefully.

The reason joining requires contributing five dou of rice is that the lotus society wants to establish a reserve granary as a safety net.

When a member's family encounters trouble—such as flood or illness—and urgently needs grain or money, the lotus society can promptly provide assistance.

The words may be rough, but the reasoning is sound.

People eat grains and legumes; who can guarantee they'll never have a headache or fever in their lifetime?

Is exchanging five dou of rice for security worth it or not?

Some think it's worth it; others think it's not.

Those who think it's worth it join the lotus society; those who think it's not either watch from the sidelines or look on coldly.

Until one day a lotus society member's family lost their plow ox to illness and could not plow in time; they turned to the lotus society, which without hesitation called on idle members to come and lend a hand.

Many people's view of the lotus society changed instantly.

When there's trouble, this is real help.

Those who have joined the lotus society walk outside with their backs straighter, feeling they have plenty of face.

Those who have not joined the lotus society: some eagerly ask to join, some have quietly changed their view, and others have other thoughts.

For example, reporting…

Ai Ruisi stood on the peak of Liangshan, overlooking everything happening below.

As the Lotus Society was established and expanded, as more and more people joined the Lotus Society, and as the idea of 'No parents, vacuum homeland' was spread and accepted on a growing scale, Ai Ruisi's strength swelled dramatically.

Even with the core of a sixth-level sage, it is somewhat hard to control, and can only be forcibly restrained.

People's emotions are like a spring; if suppressed for too long, they will rebound.

o￠o

Once it rebounds, it is easy to lose control.

Ai Ruisi did not want to lose control, so she needed an outlet.

Thus, upon discovering that someone wanted to report the Lotus Society, Ai Ruisi did not try to stop them; instead, she looked forward to the report succeeding.

First, she needed a battle to vent;

Second, without blood and fire, the girls and women cannot be tempered, and the Lotus Society cannot find a firm footing;

Third, without suffering one or several blows, the numbness of the lower-class commoners will not be easily shaken.

"No parents, vacuum homeland?"

When the guest monk of Ciren Temple received the report, saying that dozens of nearby villages had sprouted an organization spreading evil ideas—the Lotus Society—he did not ignore it, but promptly reported the matter to the abbot.

One or two villages sprouting the same organization could still be understood as spontaneous by the populace.

When dozens of villages simultaneously sprout the same organization, it cannot be taken lightly.

The abbot of Ciren Temple was an old monk with white beard and hair; upon hearing the idea of 'No parents, vacuum homeland,' his expression changed instantly.

He paid no heed to the guest monk's surprise, went straight back to the abbot's meditation room, and began rummaging through a pile of old books.

After the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, the abbot finally found a yellowed scripture at the bottom of a wooden box.

The characters on the cover were worn, but one could still barely make out the three words 'Five Part Canon'.

The abbot's hands trembled as he held the yellowed scripture, his lips murmuring, he whispered to himself: 'Buddha's sin! Buddha's sin! Buddha's sin!'

After a long while, the abbot calmed his mind, preparing to report to other temples the appearance of Buddha's sin traces within Ciren Temple's jurisdiction.

Just then, a clear, cold voice sounded behind the abbot.

"What do you intend to do?"

As the words fell, without waiting for the abbot's answer, a wisp of dark flame mixed with countless resentments ignited from the sole of his foot.

In an instant, the abbot of Ciren Temple was burned to ash, and the 'Five Part Canon' in his hand vanished without a trace.

On the peak of Liangshan, Ai Ruisi held the yellowed scroll, her gaze deep and distant.