I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

It's like bringing up the very thing you shouldn't have said. Jiangnan Han officials were brought down by that wave of sorcery cases, and even though nearly thirty years have passed, Chen Shoutin is still trembling with fear.

"Weren't there piles of heads falling on you back then? Actually, all of this was orchestrated by the real evil cult—the Five Mountains Holy Cult. It's okay if you don't know the Five Mountains Holy Cult, but you must know the White Lotus Cult and the Heaven and Earth Society, right? Yes, the Five Mountains Holy Cult is the headquarters of the White Lotus Cult and the Heaven and Earth Society. Their true identities are actually just branches of the Five Mountains Holy Cult. And the composition of the Five Mountains Holy Cult is even more complex. It not only includes monks and Taoists, but they also call themselves Fangshi (masters of magic)."

Li Lin patted Chen Shoutin on the shoulder, who was already somewhat malfunctioning.

"These sorcerers gathered in Jiangnan at the time because they were ordered by their leader to surround and kill the rebellious White Lotus sect members. For reasons that are inconvenient to tell you, this war ultimately led to the complete incorporation of the White Lotus sect into the Five Sacred Mountains sect. However, the White Lotus sect leader at the time did not intend to sit idly by and wait for his demise, so he sacrificed the lives of all his followers to summon the gods they worshipped..."

"—Maitreya Buddha will descend to earth in the future."

"And then what happened?" someone asked impatiently.

His words jolted those around him awake, and they blushed with embarrassment. They had all unconsciously become engrossed in listening.

This is much more interesting than the stories told by storytellers in teahouses.

Li Lin put his arm around Chen Shouting's shoulder and turned in another direction: "When Maitreya Buddha descended to earth, the remaining White Lotus followers transformed into invincible martial arts masters. However, the young leader of the Five Mountains Holy Sect was not afraid of these masters; she wanted to challenge the deity worshipped by the White Lotus Sect. After that battle, when Maitreya Buddha was born, he passed away, and his authority was taken over by the leader of the Five Mountains Holy Sect. From then on, the Five Mountains Holy Sect completely absorbed the White Lotus Sect, and the leader of these sorcerers was also called the White Lotus King, regarded as the world-honored one who saved humanity."

Chen Shouting thought to himself, "Where did this madman come from? Why is he spouting such outrageous things?" However, after seeing the Feng Mansion collapsed into millions of pieces of dust, the Guangzhou Tongzhi wisely shut his mouth.

Offending Emperor Qianlong wouldn't kill him immediately, but offending Master Li in front of him would mean a quick and painless death.

Completely bewildered, Chen Shoutin hesitated before speaking, "So you want to..."

Li Lin patted Chen Shoutin on the back with great joy: "How did you know I was going to purge the court of corrupt officials?"

Chen Shouting's vision went black. He grabbed Li Lin's wrist with a sorrowful expression: "You, you're not serious, are you...? Do you mean that so-called cult leader is right next to the Emperor?"

Li Lin thought to himself, "How would I know?" But he was a master at pretending to know what he didn't: "That goes without saying! She's in Qianlong's harem right now."

Chen Shouting looked utterly horrified, but then he remembered that he had nothing to do with Emperor Qianlong's harem, and his expression gradually calmed down.

"But what does this have to do with me, a mere fifth-rank official?" Chen Shoutin was completely puzzled, a bitter smile on his face. "How could I possibly have the authority to approach the inner palace?"

"Of course you don't have that authority, but what about 'auspicious omens'?"

Li Lin released his grip, took out a yellow jade thumb ring from his pocket, put it on, and walked straight to the Beidi Temple not far away.

Seeing him set off, everyone followed. Chen Shoutin wanted to leave, but somehow he followed Li Lin and ended up at the front of the crowd.

The old temple keeper, dressed in white robes with centipede buttons, had never seen so many people before, and was even more surprised when he saw Li Lin.

Over the years, the emperor has favored Lamaism and suppressed Buddhism and Taoism among the Han people. Even the ancient temples of Mount Wutai, which have a history of thousands of years, have had to grovel before the emperor's lackeys in order to survive, and the Taoist community has suffered even more.

In this situation, Taoist priests could no longer be called hermits or hermits; to put it nicely, they were called wanderers, but to put it bluntly, they were beggars who went around begging for food.

How can a beggar dress well?

If a Taoist priest like the old temple keeper has a temple and a mountain gate, he doesn't have to suffer the hardship of wandering. However, since he is rich, he is also coveted by others.

Officials from all walks of life and powerful outlaws, who wouldn't covet this fortune?

However, Li Lin's attire was so convincing that he looked like a celestial being who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

Li Lin nodded to the old temple keeper, then pushed up his crown. A thick golden-purple cloud of light emerged from his collar, cuffs, and soles of his shoes, and a rich fragrance of hawthorn blossoms filled the air. The onlookers were mesmerized, as if they could see the twilight descending heavily in the sky.

Amidst the horrified gazes of everyone, a figure emerged from the golden-purple clouds, merging with the imposing white-faced Zhenwu on the high platform.

Then, after a strange heat wave, the golden face of Zhenwu Beidi suddenly transformed into the appearance of Li Lin!

"Oh my! It's Grandpa Beidi! Grandpa Beidi has descended to the mortal realm!"

Without saying a word, the old temple keeper kowtowed.

Then, led by Sister-in-law Zhong and Beggar Zhang, a large number of people knelt down devoutly and kowtowed to Li Lin's golden statue.

Young Master Feng collapsed to the ground, his heart pounding with fear. All traces of his sinister thoughts vanished – the True Martial Northern Emperor was eliminating demons and evil, and their Feng family was the target of his cleansing. This was a sin condemned by all!

Having offended Heaven, there is nowhere to pray!

Even Chen Shoutin was so shocked that he could hardly contain himself: Could it really be that the True Martial Northern Emperor descended to earth to punish evil and eliminate wickedness?

The thought had barely formed when the golden-purple cloud seemed to come alive, gathering and converging like a ribbon around the shoulders and back of the heads of the people below the stage.

A pair of white jade-like antlers extended from the figure's forehead, curving slightly backward, while the lowered pupils were filled with deep purple, like a slender door waiting to be opened.

Li Lin patted Chen Shoutin, who was so stunned he couldn't think straight, and pointed to the white deer antlers on his head: "In the sixtieth year of Qianlong's reign, a white deer king appeared in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, draped in golden and purple clouds, truly an omen of longevity."

"I suppose Emperor Qianlong, after sitting on the throne for sixty years, wouldn't refuse such an auspicious omen?"

Chen Shoutin took a deep breath; he completely abandoned any further thought.

How can mortals fathom the intentions of immortals?

Who would have thought that there really are gods in this world?

"Please speak," Chen Shouting said humbly, lowering his eyes and bowing to Li Lin.

"On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month this year, Emperor Qianlong will hold an unprecedented Double Ninth Festival court assembly to announce matters concerning his abdication." Li Lin leaned close to Chen Shouting's ear and spoke in detail about the Mandate of Heaven. "It's July now, so you can start preparing."

"Submit the memorial and prepare to go to the capital."

433 The fire that burned eight hundred li of Mount Heng

Li Lin and Chen Shoutin, the Assistant Magistrate of Guangdong, are going to Beijing.

This news caused a stir among the powerful figures in the underworld and the surrounding areas.

Of course, it wasn't just these chivalrous heroes who were shaken—the scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, and even the officials on both sides, who would dare not be respectful to Li Lin, who had deer antlers growing on his head and was draped in clouds?

During the grand court assembly held in the sixtieth year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, which was an exception, various places presented tributes of auspicious omens that were rarely seen, such as phoenixes with five-colored patterns on their backs, turtles with the Hetu and Luoshu on their backs, and ears of wheat with five-colored grains... These things were everywhere, but who could compare to a genuine deity?

This emperor, who ruled the Forbidden City for sixty years and called himself the "Perfect Old Man" for his civil and military achievements, personally destroyed the alchemy room left by Emperor Yongzheng in the Yuanmingyuan Garden in his youth and drove out those alchemists who only advocated alchemy and immortality from the city... But when Qianlong himself grew old, he couldn't help but recall that afternoon when his father took him to the Yuanmingyuan Garden.

The longer Hongli lived, the more he feared death itself and the more he longed for someone to acknowledge his achievements. Wise emperors throughout history have fallen into this vicious cycle, like a net woven by fate.

Meanwhile, in the carriage of the Guangzhou Tongzhi, Chen Shoutin, who was sitting opposite Li Lin, seemed somewhat uneasy. Over this period of time, he had long given up the idea of ​​escaping from Li Lin's side. However, no matter how he looked at Li Lin, he did not seem to be there to properly celebrate the birthday of Emperor Qianlong.

A banquet had already been set up outside the carriage, attended by scholars and licentiates from Guangdong Prefecture. Each of them put on a show of flattery and composed several poems in the seven-character quatrain style, "Sending the Immortal White Deer to the Capital," while their eyes kept glancing inside the carriage.

However, neither Li Lin nor Chen Shoutin had any intention of going down.

When the carriage was on the road, and the cups and plates were in disarray, Chen Shoutin suddenly gave a bitter smile, shook his head and sighed: "The scholars of Guangdong Prefecture probably look at me as if I were a dead man."

Emperor Qianlong detested officials who associated with Taoist priests and sorcerers, even more so than during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. During Kangxi's reign, the Taoist Zhu Fangdan was known as a master of divination, with thousands of followers. High-ranking officials and nobles revered him like a god, but he was still beheaded by an imperial edict.

Chen Shouting's guess was correct, but those subtle glances were quickly obscured by the dust rising from the road, leaving only the receding shadow of the horse caravan.

......

Under normal circumstances, it would take an ordinary family about three months to travel from Guangdong Prefecture to Beijing by horse-drawn carriage, two months by official road, and about twenty days by waterway.

It was the first day of the eighth lunar month when Li Lin and Chen Shouting's carriage arrived at Mount Heng in the south.

"I need to study in Hengshan for a while. Wait here." Li Lin adjusted his tall hat, nodded slightly to Chen Shouting, and stepped down from the carriage.

Before Chen Shouting could react, he saw that there was no one in front of him anymore.

The Guangzhou magistrate gave a bitter smile. On the surface, he seemed to be in charge of everything, but in reality, he had long since become a puppet who had no control over his own destiny.

"My lord...?" a servant whispered outside the carriage.

"Let's go to the post station and wait there," Chen Shoutin waved his hand.

......

Mount Heng in Hunan and Hubei provinces is considered a wealthy place. However, unlike Foshan Town, which started out as a commercial center, Hengyang relies entirely on pilgrims who come to the mountain to burn incense every year.

Especially on the first day of the eighth lunar month, the day the Holy Emperor of Mount Heng attained enlightenment, Hengyang becomes a gathering place for pilgrims from the four provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui.

Such grand pilgrimage ceremonies last for three months without stopping, and the temple fairs and markets around Hengshan Mountain are always bustling with people. There is a saying among the people of Hengyang: "If you don't farm at the foot of Hengshan Mountain, you can eat for three years in just eight months," which is a vivid portrayal of the grandeur of the Hengshan Mountain ceremonies.

There are many pilgrims' routes to the mountain, but the most important one is the mountain path behind the Nanyue Grand Temple. It winds its way up from the Guanyin Hall behind Baoxin Ridge, along Xianglu Peak and Baosheng Temple, and then straight up to Xiyun Nunnery. Along the way, there are more than two hundred temples, including Danxia, ​​Tiefo, Xiangnan, Gaotai, and Shangfeng, as well as monasteries and Zen temples that reap the benefits of incense offerings.

Especially around Zhurong Peak, among the nineteen surrounding peaks, there is a temple every five miles and a nunnery every three miles. The pilgrims' chants echo the sounds of bells, chimes, and chanting in the temples, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

However, Li Lin did not follow the most crowded mountain path to climb the steps. Instead, he took the path to the west, passed Yunju Temple, climbed Ruiying Peak and Nantai Temple, and then circled around Zhurong Peak from the Sutra Repository.

[Impact: The trembling heat]

[The influence of second-order casting phases!]

The possibility of sparks flying is clear.

Everywhere you look, there are dense atmospheres and casting phases and heart phases. Li Lin casually picked some up and stuffed them into his dark green desktop.

Pilgrims carrying gray cloth bags to offer incense and worship along the way, upon seeing Li Lin with pure white deer antlers, shrouded in golden-purple clouds, and dressed in a blue Taoist robe, all couldn't help but kneel down. Regardless of Li Lin's attire, they chanted "Bodhisattva" and "Celestial Venerable" incessantly, kowtowing without a care. When they lifted their heads, they could no longer see any trace of Li Lin.

【Belief】

You've been through this place for a week.

[Sexual Form: Lamp, Heart]

[Sexual aspect: Opportunity. Unrealized potential.]

[Characteristics: Weakness. When used properly, anything can be a weapon.]

Abstract brushstrokes swiftly sketched translucent cards on the dark green tabletop. Against a pale blue background, white flames rose between the fingers of a pair of clasped hands.

With the emergence of [faith], the shackles on Li Lin's body broke rapidly, and he walked several kilometers away in one step.

Those believers who knelt and kowtowed, but could not see Li Lin when they looked up, immediately chanted the Buddhist mantra with even greater devotion.

Beneath Li Lin, a white deer draped in golden-purple clouds appeared from the wind, gently lifting his body. The man and the deer rode the wind, gradually rising and flying up to the peaks of Hengshan Mountain in Nanyue.

It reaches the highest heavens above and overlooks the lowest point of the earth below.