Wen Lingjiao was speechless for a moment, and listened quietly to Lin Shuhan continue to say: "As far as I know, the leader of Tianzun Sect is inherited by the Wen family, and it has been three or four hundred years. What is the difference between this and the Central Plains Dynasty? According to the teachings of your sect, shouldn't the position of leader be occupied by the capable? Are the descendants of the Wen family from generation to generation the top talents in the sect?"
Wen Lingjiao was such a smart person, with extraordinary eloquence. She had never lost in a debate on the meaning of scriptures with others before, and even if she was occasionally at a disadvantage, she could always find a way to refute it with a plausible argument.
However, Lin Shuhan's analysis today was not only reasonable, but also profound, leaving Wen Lingjiao unable to think of a word of rebuttal.
So the three of them looked at each other in silence, only hearing the whistling sea breeze, which brought a slight fishy smell.
The three of them were silent for a long time, and Qiu Yizi finally sighed: "I have also read the teachings of Tianzun Sect several times, and I just feel that some of them are absurd, but I have never seen them as thoroughly as you explain, sir." This broke the deathly silence.
Lin Shuhan pursed his lips, unfolded his folding fan, and shook it vigorously a few times: "This is just what I occasionally learned. If Lord Qiu and Miss Wen can feel something after listening to it, it won't be a waste of my words."
After saying that, Lin Shuhan turned his head and looked at Wen Lingjiao, with a frighteningly cold light in his eyes.
Wen Lingjiao has been exposed to the teachings of the Tianzun Sect since she was a child. Although she knows that what Lin Shuhan just said is almost reasonable, it is not easy for her to give up the faith she has believed in for nearly twenty years so easily.
Wen Lingjiao's face darkened, and she said, "Mr. Lin is indeed well-versed in both Chinese and foreign cultures, and is well-versed in both ancient and modern times. I can't win the debate with you today, how about we learn from each other later?"
Of course, Lin Shuhan had guessed that Wen Lingjiao had been convinced by him to some extent. He also knew that the Saintess of the Tianzun Sect in front of him was arrogant and proud, and it was impossible for her to admit her mistakes in person. So he smiled generously and said, "Okay! If Lin has any more experience, he will also ask for advice from the young lady."
Qiu Yizhi was happy to hear that the two of them were no longer as tense as before, so he said, "Well, we have already seen the terrain of Baoqing Temple and discussed the doctrines of Tianzun Sect. I believe everyone must be hungry and thirsty. Why don't I treat you and let you go into the city for a meal?"
After saying this, Qiu Yizi didn't wait for everyone's agreement and ordered them to head towards Mingzhou City.
In the following three days, although Qiu Yizi and his companions were afraid of exposing their identities and dared not go to the vicinity of Baoqing Temple for actual reconnaissance, they recalled and analyzed the terrain there in detail countless times, prepared for many possible situations, and took various countermeasures.
So finally it was the Double Ninth Festival on September 15th.
According to the time agreed upon by Fei Lian half a month ago, Qiu Yizi was not in a hurry to go out that day. He waited until the sun set and the moon was above the willows before he, Wen Lingjiao and Lin Shuhan, each rode on a mule or horse to Baoqing Temple. However, Yuchi Jiming, He'er and the eight personal soldiers brought by Qiu Yizi had already set out and were ready to meet them at their designated locations.
Qiu Yizi had walked the road leading to Baoqing Temple once, so it didn't take much effort to reach the fork in the river where Yongjiang River flows into the sea. From a distance, he could see that there seemed to be people moving around the Baoqing Temple, which was far from being as lifeless as he had seen before.
When Qiu Yizi saw this, he secretly exchanged a glance with Lin Shuhan and Wen Lingjiao, then rode his horse forward again.
Not long after they walked, a few tall and strong men suddenly jumped out from behind the rocks, blocked Qiu Yizhi and the other two, and shouted, "Who are you? There is the sea ahead, there is no place to go, why don't you turn back quickly!"
If it were any other time, Qiu Yizi would have definitely made some jokes with these people who blocked his way, but now that he had the Emperor with him, he dared not slack off at all, so he immediately bowed and said, "I guess these people are also brothers from the Holy Church, right? I recently heard that the altar master is holding a grand ceremony here, and I am planning to go there to join in the fun. I hope you brothers can help me!"
The big men looked at each other, and suddenly they started to chant: "Listen carefully with all your heart, you will be enlightened, you will be a man of great merit, and you will be born in the world—"
This is a term used in the Tianzun Sect. Qiu Yizi had seen it in some scripture and had a vague impression of it but couldn't remember it at the moment.
Just as he was scratching his head, he heard Wen Lingjiao answering gently: "That person said the wonderful Dharma, and all of us were satisfied, just like drinking nectar when thirsty, and quickly reached the path of liberation."
Qiu Yizi was overjoyed when he heard this: Wen Lingjiao is the Saint of the Tianzun Sect, a person who keeps her word. How could she not be able to figure out a few secret codes
The big man on the other side nodded and said, "The Omniscient One, the Two-footed One, has no equal in the world of gods and humans. The Ten-power World-honored One is extremely rare, the supreme and most excellent field of merit—"
Wen Lingjiao smiled slightly after hearing this, and without thinking, she continued, "Those who make offerings will be born in heaven, and will be liberated and dwell in Nirvana in the future. I bow to the supreme great diligence, and bow to the compassionate great teacher."
(The above are all taken from the Maitreya Sutra. The White Lotus Sect and others all believe in Maitreya, so this sutra is quoted.)
The two big men nodded, put on a friendlier expression, and asked Qiu Yizhi: "So you are really my disciple of the Holy Church! But I don't know who this person is..."
Seeing that they had relaxed their guard, Qiu Yizi said, "This is my future wife. I'm not afraid of you two brothers laughing at me. I've been spoiled by my father since I was a child. I've been in a few private schools but I can't recognize a few words. But my future wife is very smart and can remember every word of the holy scriptures."
While listening to Qiu Yizi's introduction, the big men looked at Wen Lingjiao's face. Before Wen Lingjiao went out today, she asked He'er to put on a seductive makeup for her. Although she lacked her usual pure and refined temperament, she still had her own unique charm. Therefore, once these big men's eyes touched Wen Lingjiao, they could not move away.
Seeing how lecherous they all looked, Qiu Yizi couldn't help but cough lightly, and deliberately raised his voice and said, "I was introduced by Senior Brother Fei Lianfei. Could you please let us in to see the face of the altar master?" As he spoke, he counted the number of the big men, took out a few pieces of silver from his sleeve and distributed them to them.
The men took the silver and smiled brightly. One of them said, "So it was Brother Fei who introduced you here! I also heard that Brother Fei found a brother with a very strong faith in Shanyin County. I heard his last name is Xu. So it must be you."
Qiu Yizi nodded and said, "It is me, Xu Jia. Since Senior Brother Fei has already greeted you, please let me in immediately. I am very eager to meet the leader of the altar and cannot wait any longer!"
The man replied, "No problem, no problem. But we need to take a boat to get into the temple, and the horses you have here can't make it."
Qiu Yizi was sitting on his horse and saw a few small wooden boats parked on the river bank in the distance. He quickly dismounted and said, "Of course." After that, he asked Wen Lingjiao and Lin Shuhan to dismount as well and told them to go towards the ferry.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, he was stopped by a big man who said, "Brother Xu, your wife is well versed in the sutras, so it is natural for her to enter the Dharma Assembly. However, it is not easy for this gentleman to enter, right?"
Qiu Yizhi had expected this, so he winked at Lin Shuhan and said with a smile: "This is my master. He is tired of reading sage books and wants to see the world..."
The most annoying thing for the Tianzun Sect in recruiting followers is scholars who can distinguish right from wrong. When the man heard that Lin Shuhan was a legal advisor, he was about to refuse.
However, before the man could say "no", Qiu Yizi said, "It seems that Mr. Lin has no chance to join the Holy Church. There is nothing we can do about it. So please wait here and help us look after these horses."
After saying that, Qiu Yizi, without even turning her head, walked slowly towards the boat with Wen Lingjiao.
The boatman was an old man. Qiu Yizi saw that his dark face was full of wrinkles and his exposed skin was covered with a greasy layer of sweat, which glowed white in the moonlight.
Qiu Yizi chatted with him for a few words and found out that he was just a nearby boatman who was invited temporarily and was not a believer of Tianzun Sect. So Qiu Yizi took out a piece of silver and rewarded the old boatman. Then, he got off the ferry amidst his gratitude and came to the gate of Baoqing Temple.
Seen from outside, the Baoqing Temple still looked dilapidated - the bricks on the ground in front of the temple were all broken and full of potholes; the tiles on the roof were incomplete and looked scattered and mottled; even the window paper had not been pasted on in time - but there were many people walking in and out inside and outside, and it looked very busy.
Qiu Yizi knew that he was here for an undercover investigation, so he didn't dare to approach anyone casually for fear of exposing himself. He just looked into the temple through the tattered window. As expected, he saw a large porcelain vat in the not very spacious main hall of Baoqing Temple. A big fire was lit in the vat, and countless people were kneeling down in front of the fire. It was the scene of Tianzun's prayer.
When Qiu Yizhi was concentrating on observing the movements in the temple, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder from behind and called out, "Junior Brother Xu, you're here!"
Qiu Yizi was startled for a moment, but thought that the person who called him "Junior Brother Xu" must be the one named Fei Lian who was in front of "Liaochen Palace" at that time.
So Qiu Yizi slowly turned around and saw that the person standing behind him was indeed Fei Lian. A smile immediately appeared on his face: "It turns out that Senior Brother Fei is here. You scared me!"
Fei Lian had gained a lot of benefits from Qiu Yizi before, so seeing him was like seeing a mountain of gold. He said, "I thought Junior Brother Xu was a real person. How come he hasn't arrived yet at this time? You were thinking about crossing the river to welcome Junior Brother! I didn't expect that Junior Brother has already come." His tone was very enthusiastic.
Qiu Yizi also laughed and said, "This is all thanks to Senior Brother Fei's name! When I came here just now, I was stopped by two senior brothers in the sect. They refused to let me in. But as soon as I said Senior Brother Fei's name, those senior brothers immediately sent me in politely."
Qiu Yizi's flattery was just right, and Fei Lian was very happy to hear it. He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "To be honest with Junior Brother Xu, I am also a person who has a say in front of the altar master. If you want to meet the altar master alone and listen to his teachings, it is not completely impossible..."
Qiu Yizi heard the sound of gold and silver colliding in Fei Lian's words, so he deliberately kept it a secret: "I didn't expect Brother Fei to have such a good eye. It would be a great honor for me to see the master of the altar in person. I understand what you mean, you just want some respect..."
Fei Lian heard Qiu Yizhi's words, which were blunt but straightforward, and said, "What do you think of me, Junior Brother? In our Holy Religion, it is important to contribute money and effort. Since Junior Brother Xu has a lot of wealth, it is only natural for him to donate a little more money to support the spread of our Holy Religion!"
"Okay, okay." Qiu Yizi smiled, "Unfortunately, I left all my gold and silver with my wife when I came out this time. I'll go discuss it with her."
When he saw Fei Lian nodded, he turned around and whispered in Wen Lingjiao's ear: "Miss Wen, you heard what I just said. Do you want to meet this altar master alone?" (To be continued)