Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

In this turbid and evil world, pythons and sparrows reign supreme.

Below the royal family, there were also the five great families of the empire, also known as the five hegemons of the empire.

Among the five hegemonic empires, there are also three upper and two lower ones.

The top three families were originally the First Family, the Murong Family, and the Yuwen Family, while the bottom two families were the Fang Family and the Gong Family.

Later, the first family suffered a crushing defeat and fell to one of the two next lower families, while the Gong family took its place and became one of the top three families.

Now, because of the upcoming dragon ascension, representatives from the five imperial powers and the Python-Sparrow royal family have gathered at the Sword Tower, a truly once-in-a-millennium spectacle.

Gong Zhehua, Fang Jubei, Yuwen Tuo, Murong Yan, and Huangfu Yunlan, the five representatives of top forces, had no need to hide themselves. They swaggered along, surrounded by numerous guards and experts. No one would dare to covet the Dragon Bone Scripture in their possession.

At the same time, the five of them received an invitation from Zhou Qingfeng. The Plum Blossom Spy quietly delivered the Dragon Ascension invitation to their bedside. Each of them had their own thoughts, and after a little deliberation, they decided to go to the Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet and have some fun with Zhou Qingfeng, the fourth young master of the First Family.

The five of them were fearless. Even if Zhou Qingfeng had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to kill them. They just wanted to see what Zhou Qingfeng was up to. If they liked him, they would take the opportunity to befriend him. If they didn't like him, they would cause him some trouble. That would be quite interesting.

Huangfu Yunlan: "You killed Huangfu Yunzheng and still dare to invite this princess to a banquet? Zhou Silang, Zhou Silang, how dare you!"

Fang Jubei: "Tsk, interesting. I've heard of Zhou Silang's reputation before. I'd like to meet him if I have the chance. He seems like a good man."

Gong Zhehua: "Interesting. I smell money in this. There seems to be a business opportunity."

Yuwen Tuo: "Zhou Silang, the number one on the Heavenly Ranking, hehehe, I wonder who is stronger or weaker compared to me, the number one on the Golden List."

Murong Yan: "Those who participate in this Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet must be extraordinary. If I can take this opportunity to win over some heroes to serve me..."

On the other hand, besides the representatives of the other four hegemons of the empire and the representatives of the Python Sparrow Royal Family, the two giants of Buddhism and Taoism in the martial arts world also received the invitation to ascend to the dragon from Zhou Qingfeng. These two giants of Buddhism and Taoism are no ordinary people. Either one of them can command the wind and rain in the martial arts world.

The monk Wuliang and the Taoist Xuanzhen sat on a painted boat, sipping tea, chatting, playing Go, and enjoying the scenery along the two and a half sections of the riverbank.

The Taoist Master Xuanzhen said with a smile, "Monk, have you received Zhou Silang's invitation?"

The monk Wuliang smiled faintly: "Received."

Taoist Xuanzhen: "Are you planning to go?"

Monk Wuliang: "Yes, I went. Silang and I have been through life and death together once, so we are old friends who have met once before."

Xuanzhen Daoist asked, "Do you know what kind of person Zhou Silang is? What is his relationship with the siblings of First Red Leaf?"

Monk Wuliang: "What are you worried about?"

Xuanzhen Daoist: "I'm worried that if I go to the banquet, I'll suddenly vanish from the face of the earth."

The monk Wuliang asked in confusion, "Why? Is there some grudge between you?"

Xuanzhen Daoist: "No, but it's hard to say. It's complicated, and this matter shouldn't be spread around, as it would have a significant impact."

The monk Wuliang said, "I keep my mouth shut. If you hear me, I will never tell anyone else."

Xuanzhen Daoist: "First Red Leaf has a karmic entanglement with my junior uncle. It is said that my junior uncle abandoned First Red Leaf after starting a relationship with her. Now First Red Leaf is blocking our door demanding an explanation. My junior uncle is not showing his face, refusing to meet her or come down the mountain. It has been like this for many years. I don't know what the First family's attitude is. If I go to the banquet, I might get skinned alive by Zhou Silang."

The monk Wuliang chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Silang is a good person, an extremely good person. He's not the kind of cruel and tyrannical nobleman. Besides, you have the Jinshan Sect as your backer, so Silang won't cause you trouble for no reason. If your junior uncle and First Red Leaf really get together, then your Jinshan Sect and the First Family will be in-laws. It won't come to the point where he wants to kill you to vent his anger."

Xuanzhen Daoist was skeptical: "Are you trying to fool me? There are good people among the powerful? Let me tell you, monk, you are just too kind-hearted, too naive, and too trusting. You don't know how dangerous the world is. Zhou Silang must be two-faced. I don't believe that a good person can hold onto his high position."

The monk Wuliang said helplessly, "You think too badly of people. Human nature is inherently good. Don't think of everyone as so bad."

Xuanzhen Taoist: "You think too highly of people. Human nature is inherently evil. Without rules and order, people can destroy themselves, do you believe it?"

The monk Wuliang shook his head: "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Farewell."

After saying this, the monk Wuliang leaped ashore.

Xuanzhen Daoist stood up and reached out: "Hey hey hey~~~ You monk really have a bad temper, why did you run away while we were talking?"

The monk Wuliang strode forward, holding his staff, wandering aimlessly through the streets, letting everything follow its course.

Whether human nature is inherently evil or inherently good, he will follow his own way of helping and saving people.

Passing by a small stall, the monk Wuliang sensed something and turned to look at a middle-aged vendor sitting in front of the stall, seemingly dozing. He slowly walked forward, gently pinched the vendor's wrist, and realized that the man had been exhausted to death. He immediately took a step back, put his hands together, and said, "Amitabha..."

Then, the monk Wuliang, with a compassionate expression, reached out and stroked the top of the head, his lips moving slightly as he silently recited scriptures to help the deceased.

Passersby gradually gathered, put their hands together, faced the monk Wuliang, their expressions solemn and respectful, and prayed silently.

In this defiled and evil world, tormented by the eight sufferings, people's hearts are wicked, they do not cultivate the path of goodness, their views are incorrect, and wrong views increase, so all sentient beings are harmed.

Living in a bad world is never the fault of the world. Even in a bad world, people still have a heart that yearns for goodness. It's just that this goodness has been suppressed deep within by the corrupt environment and the evil thoughts in people's hearts. They dare not easily reveal it, otherwise they will become the prey of others.

They also wished to go to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss after death, to be free from the torment of the eight sufferings, and to never fall into the five turbidities of this evil world.

Therefore, their respect and admiration for the monk Wuliang's act of performing the ritual for the deceased came from the bottom of their hearts.

After all, who would care about the life or death of a lowly commoner on the street?

The monk Wuliang cared deeply about it.

His eyes were often moist with tears. He felt the suffering of the world as if it were his own. Every time he saw someone die in front of him and was powerless to do anything about it, he felt immense sorrow and bitterness. This pain made him feel inexplicably suffocated and heartbroken.

"What's going on? Make way! What are you all doing here!" The Night Patrol Officer, accompanied by five white-clad servants, came over. The onlookers, seeing that the officials had come, immediately made way and dared not block the way.

When the patrolling guards saw the scene, they said, "Monk, how did this person die?"

The monk Wuliang quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, held his staff in one hand, and bowed with the other: "This humble monk Wuliang was passing by when he discovered that the peddler had been dead for some time. He had been worked to death. I don't know how much exploitation he suffered in his life. I hope that the official can help him get justice."

Upon hearing this, the patrolman frowned and said, "He worked himself to death, not that he was murdered. Men, take him to the crematorium and report him as a natural death. I have important matters to attend to and do not have the energy to waste on a commoner."

The monk Wuliang clasped his hands together and said, "Sir, how can you close this case so hastily? The lives of ordinary people are also lives. You should enforce the law impartially, investigate who exploited him to death, arrest and prosecute them according to the law. Otherwise, where is justice, where is the principle of heaven, where is the law of the land?!"

The patrolman shoved him aside, saying, "Hey, get out of here! Stop babbling! If you say another word, I'll drag you back!"

The monk Wuliang looked angry and sighed to the sky: "This world shouldn't be like this. Very well, this humble monk will seek justice for you!"

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