Chapter 77

Lin Nanjie thought that the Lotus Sect was doing illegal things under the guise of a sect.

But I didn’t expect there would be so many believers.

Of course, it is also possible that he is here to get the eggs...

The group followed the messenger into the cave, which was a natural cave.

Lin Nanjie and his companions followed the Lotus Sect envoy into the cave. When they saw the scene inside, they were immediately amazed.

This cave looked ordinary from the outside, with only a medium-sized entrance. The entrance was hidden by trees, and if there weren't so many people around today, Lin Nanjie wouldn't have noticed it.

However, after entering, I found a different world.

The cave was very deep, and the dark tunnel extended inward like the intestines of a huge creature, winding and extending to the deep and far darkness. There were many forks along the way. Lin Nan looked at the forked caves. There was no fire inside, like a pitch-black black hole, and no one knew where it led to.

If there is no one to lead the way, it is very easy to get lost, let alone find the core of the Lotus Sect.

【This is a really good place. 】

[If you hide weapons here, no one will be able to find them. ]

This reminded Li Chenghuan. He glanced at the messenger leading the way in front, and seeing that the messenger did not notice them, he glanced at Bai Zhang.

"What's going on?"

He sensed something was wrong when Bai Zhang dressed up as a charlatan doctor. Lin's father was only suffering from a minor illness, but Bai Zhang exaggerated it into an incurable disease. Not to mention the non-existent Qianjin vine, even Lin Nanjie could see that he was acting.

Bai Zhang chuckled softly.

He knew that he couldn't hide this disguise from the Emperor, but he didn't expect that even Eunuch Xiaolin couldn't be fooled. Was his disguise so unsuccessful?

Bai Zhang lowered his voice and whispered, "I went to Qianzhou Prefecture with Lord Fang and Lord Wang before and found that there were indeed unusual movements. The Qianzhou Prefecture garrison had close contacts with the Lotus Sect, so we came to investigate."

Lin Nanjie also came over and didn't react after listening to Bai Zhang's words.

I thought to myself: [You didn’t tell the truth? ]

Li Chenghuan glanced at Bai Zhang and asked, "Why did you come to the Lin family?"

Bai Zhang coughed softly and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Besides that, we also discovered that the Lin family and the Lotus Sect also have a relationship."

Lin Nanjie and Li Chengqian were not surprised by this.

It's not difficult to guess that Baizhang laid such an obvious bait just to see the Lin family's next move. As expected, Lin Yonghui took the bait and eagerly sent Lin Nanji to Qingwu Mountain.

[It seems that the jade pendant on me has a great origin. Even the people of the Lotus Sect want to get it. Alas, the man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing the jade pendant. It seems that the original body and the Lin family have no relationship. ]

Li Cheng-chi agrees.

But Lin Nanjie didn't speculate any further.

Bai Zhang stopped talking at that point. Even if he didn't say it, Li Chengqian would know. Since the Lotus Sect had abnormal dealings with the garrison troops, and Lin Nanjie had mentioned the rebellion in the southwest before, I'm afraid this matter is not that simple.

Li Chengqian glanced at Bai Zhang warningly.

Bo Zhang understood immediately and avoided the question.

He was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Lin Nanqi had a great deal of importance in the emperor's heart. It was obviously not a whim. Bai Zhang frowned slightly and shook the dust whisk in his hand in annoyance.

The sky wants rain, and the mother wants family.

The emperor took a liking to the young eunuch.

As a subject, should he turn a blind eye or a blind eye?

Lin Nanjie didn't know that in just a few moments, Li Chenghuan and Bai Zhang had exchanged so many thoughts and were still looking around at the winding cave.

[Hey, this cave is guarded, it looks unusual. ]

Li Chenghuan followed Lin Nanjie's gaze and saw a cave next to it. The cave was locked with an iron fence. In front of the iron fence stood two strong young men who looked very difficult to deal with.

[The Lotus Cult mines minerals and refines weapons, so they might be hiding here.]

Li Chenghuan signaled to Bai Zhang with his eyes, and Bai Zhang noticed it and nodded almost imperceptibly.

After walking for about an incense stick of time, we finally arrived at a spacious cave. It was quite spacious and could accommodate hundreds of people. It was surrounded by stone walls. The most surprising thing was that a ray of light shone through the cave, pouring down from the opening dozens of meters above and landing on the throne at the head, as if it was a holy light.

There were sounds of shock from the crowd.

"It is indeed a miracle. This is the advent of a miracle!"

"The Lotus Sect will surely save the people of the world and let us live a good life!"

"Holy Light! Holy Light!"

Just as the crowd was excited, a tall figure suddenly walked out from the darkness, followed by two rows of people who looked like messengers.

The crowd suddenly became quiet, with all eyes focused on the leader.

Lin Nanzhen stretched his neck to look towards the leader of the Lotus Sect, wanting to see what he looked like.

The Lotus Sect Leader was tall, wearing a black robe embroidered with strange patterns, and a fur cloak of the same color. Not only that, he also wore a black mask on his face, covering the upper half of his face, revealing his chin and a pair of unfathomable eyes.

Lin Nanjie was surprised: [Although it’s not as hot in this cave as it is down the mountain, it’s not necessary to dress like this, right?]

The leader of the Lotus Sect sat on a wide chair in the center of light, and the believers who had received eggs also sat cross-legged on the ground as arranged by the messenger.

Beside the leader stood the left and right guardians. The left guardian said, "Thank you all for coming. Since you are here, you are followers of the Lotus Sect and you can listen to the leader's teachings!"

The people below bowed down and paid homage.

"Listen carefully!"

The black-skinned leader finally spoke: "Before we begin, I would like to ask you, do you believe in heaven or earth?"

The people below looked at each other in bewilderment.

Should we believe in heaven or earth? What is the point of asking this?

Fang Wenjue, who was in the corner, was still arguing with Wang Hui. Hearing this, he looked around and saw that no one was talking, so he said, "I believe in God!"

Heaven refers to the Son of Heaven, the emperor of Da Qi.

It was Li Chengqian, who was four or five meters away on his left.

Your Majesty, look at how loyal he is.

He believes in the Emperor!

Wang Hui stared at Fang Wenjue with his eyes wide open in disbelief. This old man actually didn't even miss this opportunity to flatter.

Not willing to be left behind: "I also believe in Heaven! Heaven is the ultimate place of all things in the universe, and it is the place where the destiny of all things is!"

Seeing someone take the lead, the other people talked about it in a flurry, some talking about the sky, some talking about the earth.

The black-robed leader frowned and raised his hand: "It's all wrong! Very wrong!"

The people underground suddenly fell silent.

The leader's deep voice spread to all directions of the cave:

"Trust in God, the sky is gloomy and uncertain, and its mood is unpredictable! Under natural disasters, people are like ants!"

Lin Nanjie: [Oh wow! ]

【Refute in front of the dog emperor! 】

【Hahahahahaha, Lord Fang and Lord Wang's faces turned green.】

Lin Nanjie quietly looked at Li Chenghuan's expression and saw that Li Chenghuan had a blank expression on his face and raised his hand to hold his head.

Lin Nanjie had no choice but to lower his head obediently, but he listened attentively with his ears.

Fang Wenjue and Wang Hui's faces were filled with fear and anger. Both of them were officials who entered the government through imperial examinations and held high positions. Besides, the Emperor was still here, so how could they allow this crappy leader to talk nonsense!

Fang Wenjue: "No, no, no! This is inappropriate! Absolutely inappropriate!!!"

As he spoke, he looked at Li Chenghuan crazily.

"Heaven is a symbol of majesty, a symbol of the emperor, and a symbol of Daqi! As citizens of Daqi, what else can we believe in if not Heaven?"

Wang Hui quickly followed up: "You are right, Heaven is the eternal and unchanging belief!"

The leader was deeply distressed, raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the armrest of the chair: "When the emperor is angry, the people suffer! The current emperor is an anomaly!"

Wang Hui had never heard such horrifying remarks before, and he didn't even care about his upbringing. He immediately shouted, "Bullshit!"

Lin Nanjie was so shocked that he didn't recover for a long time.

[Lord Wang Hui...did you swear just now? ]

[My goodness, this is so fresh and refined, it matches the temperament of Lord Wang. ]

The leader of the Lotus Sect did not expect that there would be such a stubborn person. He dared to talk back on the spot, and veins on his forehead were faintly exposed. Seeing this, the left protector's face turned pale and stepped forward: "Since you are not here to listen to the leader's teachings, this is not the place for you to come!"

The believers on both sides immediately surrounded the people, holding weapons in their hands, creating a cold atmosphere.

The others suddenly stopped talking and the situation became tense for a while.

At this time, a clear and distinct voice rang out: "The leader's question is very insightful. It makes me suddenly enlightened."

Fang Wenjue and Wang Hui saw that it was Lin Nanjie who was speaking. Li Chengqian beside them nodded and immediately said, "Yes, yes, the leader is right. We shouldn't have contradicted him just now."

The leader of the Lotus Sect then raised his hand, signaling the left protector to come back.

Lin Nanqi and the left protector looked at each other and saw him whisper a few words into the ear of the Lotus Sect Leader, and then the Sect Leader looked towards him.

The leader's eyes under the mask looked straight at Lin Nanjie, and he couldn't help but feel surprised. Lin Yonghui's younger brother actually looked extraordinary, and he could be found at a glance among a crowd. Thinking of what the superiors had told him, the leader smiled slightly: "My little friend, you just said that you suddenly realized something, I wonder what you realized?"

Lin Nanjie felt that Li Chengqian beside him was slightly stiff.

【Huh? The dog emperor is worried about me.】

Lin Nanjie glanced at Li Chenghuan with a soothing look in his eyes and stood up: "What the leader said just now is so reasonable! We ordinary people rely on heaven and earth for our livelihood. If we rely on heaven, the sky will collapse, and if we rely on earth, the earth will sink. So the leader's advice just now is a wake-up call. Heaven and earth are both unreliable!"

The leader's eyes lit up, and he almost wanted to make him his confidant: "Well said, well said! This young man is teachable!"

Fang Wenjue and Wang Hui looked at each other in bewilderment. This kid Lin Nanjie actually started chatting with that bullshit leader.

Lin Nanjie asked again: "Master, you are right, but these are just some superficial opinions."

After hearing this, the leader of the Lotus Sect felt relieved: "Do you have any other opinions?"

Lin Nanjie smiled slightly, walked to the center, looked at everyone, and took a deep breath.

【Eliminate □□, break the pyramid scheme, start with me! 】

"It's useless to rely on the heavens and the earth. The people of Quanzhou have a hard life. The soil is poor and the mountains and forests are full of miasma. The harvest is poor every year. And we have to pay heavy taxes year after year. If not, how could those two old men fight over a bag of eggs?"

Fang Wenjue and Wang Hui immediately wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

There is no need to mention them now.

I overacted. It's embarrassing now when I think back on it.

The leader of the Lotus Sect raised his eyebrows, his eyes showing surprise. The third son of the Lin family was so young, how could anyone guess what he was going to say? The third son of the Lin family had already said all these words, what would he say next?

The people below listened with extraordinary concentration. Lin Nanjie's words hit them right where they were. If they hadn't been desperate, why would they have climbed such a long mountain road for a few eggs?

"You're right, little brother. If the land wasn't producing well and the taxes were getting more severe every year, why would we come here?"

"That's right. If nothing works for us, we won't be able to survive!"

"Please show us a clear way!"

Even Fang Wenjue and Wang Hui were stunned. They had not had time to understand all this. But it was not right. The court had already exempted several miscellaneous taxes in the southwest. Why was it that the taxes were getting heavier year by year?

Lin Nanjie knew the plot, so he naturally knew it.

【When a country prospers, the people suffer. When a country perishes, the people suffer.】

[The rebels have a deep connection with the southwest. On the one hand, they secretly build weapons and raise soldiers. On the other hand, they collude with the government to collect many harsh taxes from the people, which are getting heavier every year. By this means, they can hoard grain and silver, and increase the hatred of the people towards the court. When they start a rebellion, they can get hundreds of people to respond.]

Li Chenghuan's expression gradually became serious, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

It’s indeed a good method.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Through such a vicious method, he can not only obtain money, food, and military forces, but also win the hearts of the people. Even he has to admire him.

If it weren't for Lin Nanjie, he wouldn't have thought of this at this time.

Under everyone's eager gaze, Lin Nanjie slowly said, "I've heard that the leader of the Lotus Sect has a heart to help the world and the people, and can even heal the dead. Isn't he more powerful than God? To be honest, we came to Qingwu Mountain this time to ask the leader to heal my father."

The leader raised his chin, quite complacently: "Of course. If I treat your father's illness, it will be cured."

Lin Nanjie said sincerely, "The leader is kind-hearted. If anyone can be the savior of the people of Qianzhou, it must be the leader."

The leader's expression under the mask was slightly moved: "I didn't expect you to trust me so much. I will definitely live up to your expectations and save the people of Qianzhou from the dire situation!"

There was an immediate burst of applause from the audience.

Lin Nanqi's eyes flashed with cunning: "Just your words are enough! If the leader can protect the people of Qianzhou from the harm of excessive taxes, I will be the first to convert!"

The people underground were in an uproar: "Count me in!"

"Count me in, too!"

"If I could really do that, my whole family would convert!"

"This is tens of thousands of times better than getting an egg!"

The leader was instantly stuck.

Wha…what?

Do we also want to exempt from excessive taxes and fees?

Otherwise he would have no way to get money!

The leader of the Lotus Sect was carried up, and the people below were more excited than one. He held the armrest of the chair, his lips turned down, and he was secretly angry, feeling that he had been fooled. This kind of thing, even if a Bodhisattva came, he couldn't do it.

The leader of the Lotus Sect looked at the left and right Dharma Protectors and saw the eager look in the eyes of the right Dharma Protector. He couldn't help but hold his forehead and said, "This young friend...what you said makes sense. Our sect protects the people of one side. Since you want to convert to our sect, our sect will naturally bless you and make you worry-free for the rest of your life."

Who knows, someone else will stand up.

Li Chenghuan stood out from the crowd, crossed his arms and looked at the leader of the Lotus Sect: "Is it possible that the Lotus Sect, as the sacred sect of Qingwu Mountain, is unable to solve the urgent needs of the people?"

The leader had not expected that people would challenge him one after another today, and he felt embarrassed for a moment, but looking at the followers below, he could not just turn his face away, so he could only say: "Of course, but this matter is not something that can be accomplished in a day..."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "If you can't solve it within seven days, you might as well let him be the leader."

Li Chengqian pointed a finger from a distance, right at Lin Nanjie.

Lin Nanqi's eyes widened.

【……】

[Then I will definitely be the leader.]