Chapter 198 — The Cult's Prestige
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Daoquan Zhenren said, "You have done well. Once there were very few alchemists in the world; now they are as numerous as the hairs of an ox, and even the tower ships are furnished with alchemists and medicine boys. Plague can no longer run rampant. But the physicians the Grand Academy has turned out these years are all mediocrities—not one of them can be called a divine physician. For this, you cannot escape the blame."
"It seems you and I truly walk different paths."
Imperial Teacher Jingping looked toward another and said, "The Director of the Grand Executive Secretariat—the honorable Ma Lianshan."
"I dare not accept such address."
Ma Lianshan said gravely, "Imperial Teacher Jingping, my office was raised up by you, but I too have a sect. I am by origin of the Zhongnan Mountain lineage, and what I cultivate is the Nanming Wuli Sword Scripture."
Imperial Teacher Jingping said, "I asked His Majesty to appoint you Director of the Secretariat and to oversee the Secretariat because you are upright and unyielding, fair and selfless, and a fine hand at leading troops besides. I had thought you would cast aside the prejudices of sect. That you have become a rebel grieves me deeply. As Director of the Secretariat you were a good official, and the people have always spoken most highly of you."
Ma Lianshan shook his head. "Am I the only good official to have turned traitor? Imperial Teacher Jingping should reflect upon his own measures."
Imperial Teacher Jingping said woodenly, "The old and the rotten must be abolished. When the hearts of men are old and rotten, how shall they be abolished? Only by revolution. If the lives of the rotten are not taken, the world can scarcely know peace. You are a good man, but you stand athwart my path."
He looked toward the others and said, "Qi Dayou, Sect Master Qi of the Beggar Sect, of the Hundred Poverty Mystic Art; Luo Xinghe, Sect Master Luo of the Star Net Sect, of the Star Net Mystic Art. Chan Master Zhikong of Daxiong Temple, of the Four True Word Seals of Formation, Abiding, Decay, and Emptiness; Abbess Hongfa of Great Putuo Temple, of the Bodhi Art of Preaching the Dharma for the Benefit of Beings; Abbess Huiyin of Jiayin Temple of the South Sea, of the Vajra Unconquerable Art. And Dharma King Xuankong, once sovereign of Xuankong Kingdom; Duan Yan, King of Nanliang; and Nunuhu'er, King of Xifan. And these three elders of an old era besides."
His gaze came to rest upon two old men and an old woman, and he said, "The three of you come from an old era, and are advanced in years. By now you must be seven or eight hundred years old, no? Once one has lived past eight hundred, one reaches the years allotted by heaven. How many years of life remain to the three of you?"
The short, thin, dark old man laughed and said, "This old man is an idle wanderer of the hills and wilds; folk call me Wanderer Li. I have sixteen years of life left in me. In truth I am no mere wanderer—the petty kingdom Imperial Teacher Jingping destroyed, Chuyun Kingdom, was a realm founded by this old man."
"This old woman is Tian Zhenjun."
The old woman grinned and said, "I am fond of raising a few insects. Imperial Teacher Jingping has surely seen them already. Fort Master Yu of Sanqi Fort is my son."
The plump, portly old man said, "This old man has no such lofty origins as they do. This old man is the Poor Master. Do not be fooled by how fat I am—I grew fat from poverty. Our school is called the Art of Exhausting Principle: the poorer one is, the more justified one becomes."
"The Poor Master jests."
Imperial Teacher Jingping said gravely, "To exhaust principle so as to extend one's knowledge; to turn inward so as to practice the truth; to investigate things and exhaust principle; to study things and extend knowledge—I do understand these principles. Since you are a Master, why do you oppose me?"