"This cloud is big enough, but not big enough. This cloud and snow over the Yan Kingdom feels more like a warning."
In the West at Mount Sumeru, the Golden Summit Great Thunder Temple, the towering mountain stood high, with the golden summit situated above the clouds. The Old Buddha looked out over the entire Yan Kingdom, seeing the sun shining brilliantly, illuminating the sea of clouds with extraordinary brightness.
"In the long history of our Great Thunder Temple, we have also witnessed this kind of celestial attack."
Beneath the Old Buddha, numerous Bodhisattvas, Venerables, and Arhats stood in formation. Only the Old Buddha spoke: "That celestial attack was even grander than this one, with heavy snow and dark clouds, making the people suffer, resulting in consecutive natural disasters, killing countless people. Venerable Suffering, go retrieve the Scroll of Sorrowful Emperor from the empty era in the sutra library, turn to page one thousand three hundred and sixty-seven."
A frowning monk rose and left. After a moment, this Venerable Suffering returned with the thick scroll, turned to the page the Old Buddha had mentioned, and read: "Empty Era, Sorrowful Emperor's six thousand four hundred and twentieth year, celestial phenomena changed, snow fell for thirty days, clouds locked eight hundred thousand li, blocking out the sun. Corpses lay scattered across the fields, bandits rose everywhere, the Sorrowful Emperor commanded the gods and dragon kings to eliminate them. Sorrowful Emperor's six thousand four hundred and thirtieth year, fire meteors fell from the sky, star rain came like a tide, volcanoes erupted, tens of thousands of volcanoes, the earth shook, the ground split into thousand-zhang ravens and ten thousand channels, rivers dried up. The sea emptied. Then the next year, the sun disappeared, the sun and moon lost their light..."
Behind the Old Buddha, the Poor Scholar and others were shocked, blurting out: "Buddha, this is..."
"The Great Ruins."
The Old Buddha turned to look behind Mount Sumeru at that vast and boundless wilderness, saying: "This scroll records the final history of the divine kingdom within the Great Ruins. The heavy snow and dark clouds are just the initial warning. However, this warning came earlier than I imagined, many years earlier, and much lighter. It seems the actions of the Yan Kingdom have alerted those above."
The Poor Scholar, Lord Tianzhen, and others' minds buzzed, murmuring: "The Great Ruins..."
"If the Emperor wishes to quell this disaster, he must immediately stop reforms, issue a self-blaming edict, apologize to heaven, and apologize to the common people."
The Old Buddha's gaze was deep, saying: "Otherwise, this snow disaster is just the beginning. After this, there will be even more terrifying celestial phenomena. That celestial phenomena will not just be snow and clouds, but star rain, volcanoes, rivers and lakes drying up, seas evaporating, the sun and moon completely disappearing. This is heavenly punishment. Heaven's wrath, yet it must be borne by the common people. That's somewhat excessive..."
"Reporting to Buddha, the Crown Prince of the Yan Kingdom has sent an envoy requesting an audience."
The Old Buddha was slightly stunned, then smiled: "This Highness has come to find this old monk after all. Please have him come up."
"Respectfully following the decree."
The Old Buddha smiled at the monks around him: "The Crown Prince is quite extraordinary. Perhaps he will be the world's savior. The Emperor insists on his own way, but the Crown Prince will not be like this. His envoy is worth meeting."
Daoism, Mount Yuxu of Kunlun.
This place was called the Yuxu Cave Heaven, as if it were a world unto itself. The mountain was like spring all year round, like a divine immortal sanctuary, no less impressive than Mount Sumeru.
"Clouds locking the Yan Kingdom is just a light, insignificant warning, much milder than the warning of the Great Ruins' destruction."
The Old Dao Master said to the many Daoist cultivators at an unhurried pace: "The Yan Kingdom's State Preceptor's reforms, our Daoism opposes him, not for private gain, but for the Dao. This reform has already broken many rules and principles, destined to fail. It's a pity the Yan Kingdom's State Preceptor's vision is too shallow, not knowing what kind of ending the great terror that comes after will bring."
His gaze was deep, but his aura was calm as he slowly said: "Back then, when the Yan Kingdom's State Preceptor was still young, he came to Daoism to see me. I saw his extraordinariness and had high hopes for him, so I allowed him to see our Daoism's foundational classic, hoping he would achieve something in the future. As for sectarian prejudice, I put it behind me. Such talent should naturally have sectarian prejudice abandoned and be carefully cultivated. Later he became the State Preceptor, my hopes for him turned to disappointment. Why? The Dao follows nature."
The many Daoist masters listened quietly.
"The so-called 'Dao follows nature' means the Dao comes from nature. We Daoist cultivators can call wind and summon rain, but we don't change the wind and rain, which is not changing nature, not changing the great Dao. I actually have no prejudice against the Heavenly Demon Sect. On the contrary, I quite appreciate some of their practices and actions. But our paths are different. Why?"
The Dao Master shook his head: "The Dao comes from nature, but the Heavenly Demon Sect wants to use the Dao to change nature. This is the greatest difference between our Daoism and the Heavenly Demon Sect, and also why the Heavenly Demon Sect is called demonic."
The many Daoists of the Daoism were all slightly shaken in their hearts. Danyang Zi said: "I see disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect using rain-making techniques to bring rain during droughts and charging farmers money. Others use drilling spells to create wells in the ground, solving drinking water problems. Still others use true fire to smelt minerals, extract mystic gold, and make farming tools to sell. And demonic sect disciples have farmers pay them to hunt demon beasts. The Heavenly Demon Sect indeed violates the Dao following nature, changing nature."
The Dao Master said: "Using Daoist magical powers for the people's daily use is changing nature, destroying nature. Changing and destroying nature is changing the great Dao, destroying the great Dao. The Heavenly Demon Sect's doctrine is wrong, and can only develop into the demonic path. Plus a line in their doctrine's general outline: 'Act according to your nature, purely following nature'—this is indulging your desires, doing whatever you want. If this isn't demonic, what is?"
He sighed: "The State Preceptor has been too deeply influenced by the Heavenly Demon Sect, using the Heavenly Demon Sect's philosophy to govern the world and the country. So the disasters the Great Ruins experienced before will also appear in the Yan Kingdom. This is heavenly punishment, heavenly tribulation, the tribulation sent by heaven. Having said that, the common people are innocent."
The Dao Master's tone softened: "You may descend the mountain. The heavenly punishment brought by the Emperor and the State Preceptor should not be borne by the world's people. Go help those common people trapped in suffering, save as many as you can. As you travel and save people, find some youths with good foundations to continue our Daoism's lineage."
"Respectfully following the decree."
One by one, the Daoist masters descended the mountain.
The Dao Master looked at the clouds shrouding the Yan Kingdom's sky and sighed: "This region's people shouldn't have to bear this... If the State Preceptor and the Emperor remain stubborn, our Daoism will have no choice but to enter the world."
Qin Mu contacted the left and right Dharma Protectors, transmitting the Sect Leader's decree: "You will help the Emperor with disaster relief, collect the dark clouds in the sky, then have our sect's disciples go south to help the farmers铲除 frozen crops and replant crops. This snow disaster will kill many people. Do your best, save as many as you can. Also, tell our sect's disciples to be careful. In years of disaster, there will surely be trouble. The world won't be peaceful."
"Accepting the decree."
The Left Dharma Protector Ning Daochi hesitated for a moment: "Holy Sect Leader, with what identity do we help the Emperor? If the Emperor bestows official positions, do we accept or not?"
Qin Mu pondered for a moment: "With personal identity, using the full power of the Holy Sect, do your best. If the Emperor bestows official positions, accept them. The Emperor can tolerate the State Preceptor, and can also tolerate us. The Yan Kingdom is the Heavenly Holy Sect. Don't be suspicious."
He paused, continuing: "Now the world is unstable, and those with magical powers are used to being above others. Making them serve the common people like our Heavenly Holy Sect does, doing things for common people, they won't be willing. The State Preceptor once said he killed a batch of purists, but couldn't kill them all, killed one batch and another appeared. I thought the State Preceptor was joking, but now it seems it's true."
Qin Mu looked up at the dark clouds in the sky and said with a smile: "This snow disaster and this cloud are creating a disaster that could destroy the country, yet they're still thinking about whether it's demonic or not, not thinking about helping the common people. Probably because they're used to being above others, thinking that doing things for ordinary people inferior to them is a humiliation, is demonic."
He shook his head: "There are quite a few such people, and there are extremists who might take advantage of the chaos to rebel or target our Heavenly Holy Sect. You must be careful!"
"Rest assured, Sect Leader. Our Holy Sect has stood to this day without being destroyed by the so-called righteous path, not without reason!"
The two Dharma Protectors bowed and each departed.
Qin Mu composed himself, then looked up again at the dark clouds shrouding the Yan Kingdom, shook his head, and returned to the Imperial Academy. Fox Spirit, Dragon Qilin, and the All-Heaven Demon King were already waiting on the boat.
Qin Mu said: "This time we're returning to the village. We'll buy some New Year goods along the way. Xianglong City probably won't have New Year goods. This year, the Yan Kingdom's situation is also worrying. I估计 Xianglong City will have fewer merchants."
The All-Heaven Demon King raised his head to examine the sky, chuckling: "Your world is going to suffer. This heavy snow and this cloud probably cover the entire Yan Kingdom, right?"
Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he politely asked: "Does the Demon King have any insights?"
"Kneel down and lick my toes, and I'll tell you!" The All-Heaven Demon King said arrogantly.
Qin Mu gave Fox Spirit a look. Fox Spirit opened the mechanism on the chest of the eight-armed divine statue, sat inside, and controlled the All-Heaven Demon King to kneel, extending his tongue to lick Qin Mu's shoe.
The All-Heaven Demon King quickly shouted: "Demons can be killed but not humiliated! Stop, stop... I'll say it, I'll say it."
Qin Mu raised his hand.
Fox Spirit stopped controlling him. The All-Heaven Demon King quickly jumped up, spat several times, and dared not be presumptuous anymore.
These days, Fox Spirit had been clever and quirky, making him completely submissive. The All-Heaven Demon King, based on the idea that a good demon doesn't suffer immediate losses, had no choice but to cooperate with this fox demon.