FWF Chapter 2596 The Three Pure Ones Appear, the Four Saints Discuss the Dao
Chapter 2596 The Three Pure Ones Appear, the Four Saints Discuss the Dao
Chapter 2596 The Three Pure Ones Appear, the Four Sages Discuss the Dao
"Report!" the guard's urgent voice rang out.
"Your Majesty, a scout from the front ridge has sent word that the Qian Army... the Qian Army has sent an envoy to pay respects at the camp!"
"An envoy?" A hot-tempered general suddenly stood up, his hair and beard bristling.
"General Tu's body is barely cold, and they still want to persuade us to surrender? We might as well kill them and offer them as a sacrifice to the flag!"
"Wait a minute," another more composed general urged him, "In war, envoys are not to be killed. Let's see what they have to say before making any decisions."
Xiao Ping'an raised his hand to quell the restlessness of the generals around him, and then asked, "Who goes there?"
The guard's Adam's apple bobbed, and he replied with a hint of disbelief, "It's...it's one of the commanders of the Qian Army, Jiang Shang, Jiang Ziya!"
Upon hearing this answer, the Xuan Army erupted in an uproar!
Jiang Ziya? The one who, in just four short years, managed to restore order to the Great Qian Dynasty and pulled it back from the brink of collapse?
He dared to venture into such a dangerous place, to the enemy camp where they could perish together at any moment.
A flicker of shock crossed Xiao Ping'an's eyes, quickly turning into a deeper solemnity. He felt a complex mix of hatred and reverence for this person.
"Take him to the front ridge camp." As he spoke, Xiao Ping'an led his generals toward the front ridge.
The defense zone of Wild Wolf Ridge is divided into two major defense zones: the front ridge and the back ridge. The front ridge faces Jiang Ziya's troops, while the back ridge faces Jiang Ren's troops.
When Xiao Ping'an returned to Qianling, Jiang Ziya entered the Qianling camp under the "protection" of a group of Xuan Army soldiers.
Jiang Ziya, dressed in a simple blue robe and holding an ordinary bamboo staff, walked slowly into the murderous central command tent. All the generals in the army looked at him, and most of them were filled with murderous intent.
The fact that Da Xuan has reached this point is not entirely due to Jiang Ziya alone, but he certainly deserves half the credit.
Jiang Ziya, however, seemed oblivious to this. His hair and beard were all white, his face was thin and gaunt, his eyes were peaceful and deep, and his steps were unhurried, as if he had stepped into an ordinary mountain hut rather than a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.
He first bowed deeply to Xiao Ping'an, who was on the command post, according to the etiquette of a feudal lord: "Jiang Shang of the Great Qian greets the Mysterious Venerable."
Jiang Ziya was courteous and respectful, but he did not address Xiao Ping'an as emperor. From the perspective of the court, he could not call a traitor in his eyes emperor.
Immediately, Jiang Ziya turned to the Tongtian Sect Leader, who was standing silently with his eyes closed in the main tent, straightened his clothes, and performed a more solemn Taoist kowtow.
"Disciple Jiang Shang greets Master Tongtian."
The Tongtian Sect Leader finally opened his eyes slowly, his gaze devoid of warmth. He spoke in a cold voice, "Jiang Shang, you wantonly slaughtered my Jie Sect disciples, intending to destroy my Jie Sect's lineage. And now you dare to come here? Do you think that just because you're from the Yuxu Sect, I won't kill you?"
A chilling killing intent instantly filled the entire tent, the temperature plummeted, and even the generals with weaker cultivation felt their breathing become labored.
This time is different from the last time. Last time, Tongtian could barely be explained by being invited to help out. The other party was isolated overseas and had a special identity. In addition, given the situation in Daqian at the time, they were unwilling to really take him seriously.
This time, however, Tongtian clearly sided directly with Xiao Ping'an, leaving no room for compromise whatsoever.
Tongtian is the leader of the Jie Sect. His presence here is tantamount to representing the entire Jie Sect.
The Three Pure Ones are among the few who can directly represent an entire religious sect; the rest, whether the two from Confucianism or the two from Buddhism, do not have this qualification.
Mahayana Buddhism does not have only one leader; either of the two leaders can only represent half of it at most.
Moreover, Zhunti is now planning to establish a flagship Mahayana Buddhist temple in the Han Dynasty. A new temple, which can represent Mahayana Buddhism just like the Great Thunder Temple, has already been established in the Han Dynasty, creating a situation that rivals the Great Thunder Temple.
Under these circumstances, Da Wu would naturally not do anything to Da Lei Yin Temple, as it was still useful to them. This is why Jie Yin had remained obediently at Da Lei Yin Temple. How could he possibly openly oppose Da Wu, just like Zhun Ti, when he had spent decades rebuilding his stronghold? Wouldn't that be inviting their annihilation?
As for the academies and the lecture halls of sages, they were not places where Gu Qingzhu and Confucius spoke for themselves, let alone representing the entire Confucian school. They were simply places where their prestige and influence were high enough.
Gu Qingzhu was not the head of the academy, let alone the head of Confucianism, as was Confucius.
Confucius, in particular, did not have the same prestige and influence as Gu Qingzhu. To put it bluntly, Confucius's theories were not as popular with the rulers as Gu Qingzhu's.
Ke Tongtian, this one is the true leader of the Jie Sect.
Under these circumstances, the Great Qian Dynasty would be even less likely to hold back. When Tongtian sided with Xiao Ping'an, the two sides would only become enemies.
Therefore, the Great Qian Dynasty directly classified the Jie Sect as a heretical sect. As long as a Jie Sect disciple was not on the side of the court, or was not a Jie Sect disciple who had reformed, he was considered a traitor by the Great Qian Dynasty.
The Jiejiao sects, including Luofu Cave on Mount Emei and Sanxian Island, located in the Daqian Dynasty, were wiped out by the imperial army within just two months.
Although the higher-ups all fled temporarily, most of the ordinary disciples of the Jie Sect were imprisoned, and countless others were even annihilated on the spot.
Despite facing Tongtian's overwhelming pressure, which could terrify ordinary people, Jiang Ziya remained calm.
He straightened up, took out a letter sealed with a jade disc from his bosom, and presented it with both hands: "Uncle, please calm down. This is a letter from my eldest uncle, who instructed me to present it to you in person. My eldest uncle has now met with my master Yuqing and the Confucian scholar Mr. Kong to invite you to discuss the Dao."
"Moreover, as a member of the imperial family of the Great Qian Dynasty, I should prioritize national affairs in my actions. How can I let personal matters interfere with public duties?"
In fact, of the three, only Confucius was invited by Jiang Ziya.
He knew his own master well; Yuanshi would be very happy to watch the Jie Sect's lineage decline or even perish.
The struggle for religious authority has always been brutal, especially when the ideologies of the two sects are directly and thoroughly opposed.
However, if it were truly a matter of taking Tongtian's life, then Yuanshi would basically not cooperate.
As for Taiqing, he was indifferent to most things, but this was precisely the matter that he cared about.
To put it bluntly, Yuanshi and Taiqing appear to be there to attack people, but in reality, they are there to rescue people and give everyone a way out.
The three thousand disciples of the Confucian school have already arrived, and Tongtian's injuries have not fully recovered. If the Confucian school members join forces and act ruthlessly, they may have a real chance to keep him here permanently.
Furthermore, no matter how powerful Tongtian is, he cannot defeat hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
The Tongtian Sect Leader's gaze fell on the Taiqing letter. The coldness in his eyes softened slightly, but the chill remained. After a moment of silence, he let out a cold snort, and the letter flew into his sleeve without any wind.
"Since Senior Brother Taiqing has invited me, I will go. But what is your purpose in coming to this military camp today?"
The Three Pure Ones still had some sense of propriety. No matter what Jiang Ziya did, he had already shown him the proper etiquette, so Jiang Ziya had no reason to lash out.
Not to mention, Jiang Ziya is here today as an envoy, and just because of that, he can't easily take action.
Of course, if Jiang Ziya were as reckless as Bixiao among the Three Immortals and dared to directly confront Yuanshi, then Tongtian would definitely not mind simply slapping Jiang Ziya to death.
Jiang Ziya bowed to Tongtian again, then turned to Xiao Ping'an: "Shang, there is also a matter that I need to discuss with Xuanzun alone. It concerns the future of all living beings in the Great Xuan. I hope Xuanzun will grant my request."
The generals inside the tent immediately stirred: "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
"This scoundrel is cunning and treacherous; he must be plotting something!"