Chapter 496 Notes
The court of Bailang State today is a little weird.
"One, two, three, four..."
One of the court officials began to count the number of Taoists in the hall out of boredom. When he counted four, he couldn't help but gasp.
The concentration of Taoists in this hall today is a bit too high.
The court officials in the front row were very nervous, staring straight ahead with wide eyes, because they were all important officials in the court who were highly valued and had to answer the king's questions at any time.
Especially for a new monarch who has just taken office, once his brain suddenly gets stuck, he likes to ask questions to ease his embarrassment.
The courtiers in the back row were much more relaxed. Some people said that they were not ambitious and their achievements were not as good as those in the front row, but they also had a lot of freedom. They could wander around, chat, fall in love, sleep, and even sneak out to go to the toilet during court hours without being discovered.
Next to the monarch, close to the steps, is the legendary seat of the gods. One can tell at a glance that the status is higher than that of anyone else in the hall, and it is a place that everyone envies.
At this time, there were three monks standing there.
The first one was tall, with a round head, and a pair of eyes with a bright light, like a bright lamp, which made people feel awe. It was Baoan, a disciple of Aurora Bodhisattva and the current Grand Master of Bailang Kingdom.
The second one was tall and slender, wearing a white and gold cassock, with thin eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and had a somewhat feminine appearance. Under the Buddha's light, he looked like a real Bodhi. It was the second state master of Bailang State, Baojie.
The third one was a strange man with a head as big as a bucket, a face like an ox, a pair of huge vertical pupils, golden flames flashing in his eyes, and a deep and majestic aura. It was the third national master of Bailang State, Baolilong, who was born from a true dragon.
In front of him, sitting on the dragon throne was a burly old man in a white dragon robe, with white eyebrows and beard, looking majestic without even getting angry. This man was Shi Long, the new king of Bailang State who had successfully ascended to the throne after a lot of ups and downs.
Because the Bailang Kingdom was originally from the White Wolf Clan of the Alpine Mountains, all the high officials and dignitaries were actually from the Shi Clan of the White Wolf Clan, so the Shilong ruling the country did not have much impact on the original power. Now, His Highness's court officials have almost retained most of the original people and horses, and there has not been any major changes with the new king taking office.
Except for the state religion.
The three new national teachers of the national religion were looking down at the former national teacher, Taoist Master Yonglin.
Yes, Taoist Priest Yonglin also appeared in the hall today.
He came with the Jinque Kingdom's envoys. The envoys were all wearing Taoist robes, which was quite eye-catching.
In addition to Taoist Priest Yonglin, there are also elderly Taoist priests, middle-aged single black Taoist priests, young handsome Taoist priests...
Taoist Master Yonglin came with the delegation this time, of course, for his own reasons. When he proposed to Shilong to fight him again, the new monarch rejected the suggestion without hesitation.
"Yonglin, are you dreaming?" Shilong sneered.
At the beginning, Taoist Yonglin was on good terms with the general and supported him. Thanks to the help of the three state masters, he won the battle and was able to secure his throne.
Now Yonglin suddenly jumped out and wanted to fight again, he naturally disagreed.
"Your Majesty..." Taoist Yonglin seemed to have expected his reaction and said calmly, "In the previous fight, I was willing to accept the defeat. Of course, I will not question your throne again. But this time, I want to fight with the three national masters for the position of national religion again."
"Oh?" Shi Long looked at the three state masters standing beside him, "Then they have to agree to your request."
After a while, the Grand Master slowly said, "Yonglin... Taoist Priest, since you want to fight, you should have prepared something worthy of our fight. If you come empty-handed, you'd better go back as soon as possible."
"Since I'm here, I'm naturally prepared." Taoist Priest Yonglin nodded. "Although you have taken the position of national teacher, you still don't have the most important thing to become a state religion, that is, people's hearts. Taoism has been operating in Bailang Country for many years and has a wide range of believers. Even if you are called a state religion, it is difficult to shake the most fundamental faith. This time... If I win, I will let Taoism return to the position of the state religion. If you win, then I can completely admit defeat and let my disciples go with you to spread the Dharma. By changing your ways, it can at least save you ten years of teaching the Dharma."
Hearing him say this, the three national masters looked at each other. The second national master looked at Taoist Yonglin first and nodded: "Okay."
When he spoke, he was obviously speaking on behalf of three people.
Taoist Priest Yonglin smiled faintly.
"Then it's settled..." Shi Long was about to make the final decision.
Just at this moment, Yu Qian'an stood up from behind.
"Wait, I want to raise the stakes." Yu Qian'an said, "If we win, you have to give us the star beads in your hands."
"Who are you?" The Grand Master frowned and asked, "When will it be your turn to speak?"
"The one who is going to fight with you this time is my disciple, so I naturally have the right to speak." Yu Qian'an raised his head, exuding the demeanor of a master, which made people dare not look down on him.
The Second State Master said, "Your identity doesn't matter. If you want to add the Star Bead as a prize, there must be a corresponding bet, otherwise why should we bet against you?"
"This..." Yu Qian'an pondered for a moment, glanced at Taoist Yonglin next to him, and patted his shoulder, "I'll bet the life of the former national master with you! I heard that you have been secretly hunting him and his disciples these days, and I believe you also regard him as a thorn in your side. If you lose this time, let Taoist Yonglin commit suicide to apologize!"
"Okay!" The Second National Master agreed without hesitation.
"Good, very straightforward." Yu Qian'an also smiled slightly, indicating that both parties reached a pleasant deal.
The two parties nodded to each other, expressing their recognition of each other's heroic spirit.
Only Taoist Priest Yonglin frowned, feeling that things were not simple.
"Hiss..." He was about to say something.
Then Wang Longqi jumped out and said, "Wait, I want to raise the bet too."
"Who are you?" The Grand Master looked at this guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes and felt very strange.
"The one who wants to fight you is my good brother." Wang Longqi puffed out his chest and said, "I want to add one more thing. If we win, you must allow me to take away the Heluo Princess Ji Yuhuan who is here to marry."
"You are so arrogant! What do you have to bet on that you dare to raise such a stake?" the Grand Master questioned.
Wang Longqi pondered for a moment, then patted Taoist Yonglin on the right shoulder, "I'm betting with you the lives of Taoist Yonglin's entire family. If we win, you let me take Princess Heluo away. If you win, I'll let you wipe out the roots and not even give him a chance to take revenge!"
"Okay." The Second National Master nodded in agreement again.
"It's really refreshing, haha." Wang Longqi also completed a pleasant transaction.
He also displayed the extraordinary heroism of a man of the world.
Only Taoist Priest Yonglin, who was sandwiched between the two, showed a strange expression and whispered, "You two?"
"What? You want more pounds?" Wang Longqi asked.
“…”
Do I have anything else to add? Should I put my ancestors' ashes on top? If he loses, I'll give him rice to eat? Taoist Yonglin said speechlessly: "I just want to ask if this is appropriate..."
Wang Longqi asked in surprise, "We have all taken such a big risk to help you regain the position of the state religion. You won't disagree with this little thing, right?"
"Ah Qi, you can't say that." Yu Qi'an advised: "Master Yonglin, don't worry, we are determined to win before we make this bet. After all... if you lose, you may just lose the lives of your whole family, but we will lose the reputation of our Deyun Temple!"
"hehe……"
Taoist Priest Yonglin uttered two sounds, not knowing whether he was laughing or crying, and for a moment he seemed to be unable to tell whether the person in front of him was an enemy or a friend.
"I am so grateful to have you two here to assist me. My ancestors are so blessed that they are so blessed that they can reach the heavens."
(End of this chapter)
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