"Does the True Man wish to travel in haste, perhaps to quell the rebellion in Bozhou?"
"The imperial court has been busy lately. The south has pacified the Zhufa Cult, the north has reclaimed old Tang territories, the east has seen Japanese daimyo surrender, the southwest has the Bozhou rebellion, the northwest has Tantric activities. I hear the court is also actively recruiting those skilled in water combat..."
"Is the intention towards Luzon?"
The priests at the Catholic church were not ill-informed. In fact, with Matteo Ricci as the current bishop of this region, they had access to much firsthand information unavailable to the common folk.
They could grasp most of the Ming court's movements. However, even if they spied on this intelligence, it was of little use to them. After all, the gap in national strength was still present. Western fleets at this time, even with all their efforts, could not directly confront the Ming Dynasty.
Although times had changed, the gap had not widened significantly. Even after acquiring a large amount of Western technology, Ming firearms were also undergoing innovation.
Therefore, they could only ally with other forces that were beneficial to them.
"You gentlemen know quite a lot. This humble Taoist is indeed going to Bozhou. As for the matter of Luzon, how would I, a mere cultivator, know? These are matters of state and military importance, not something a cultivator like myself can be privy to."
Ji Xiang spoke casually, yet his mind was clear, knowing precisely why these priests were inquiring about these matters.
Luzon, the Old Port Pacification Commission of the Ming Dynasty, had been abandoned for over a century. It had now become the super base camp for the Franks in the Far East. From this base camp, they continuously dispatched missionaries and colonizers to regions like the Ming Dynasty, Japan, Joseon, and Annan. There were likely many warships and cannons there now.
The Franks did not wish to relinquish this lucrative territory back to the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty were to forcefully demand it, these priests would likely secretly relay messages to them, preparing them for battle.
In coastal battles, the Ming, Joseon, and Japan each had their strengths. However, in large-scale oceanic warfare, the Franks, who were skilled in long-distance navigation, held a clear advantage.
According to the records in the Ming Maritime Annals, the Franks possessed a special type of warship. During oceanic battles, their cannons would fire in unison, their projectiles raining down like a storm, making them invincible. These were known as "Centipede Ships."
Now, after decades of maritime trade, several prefectures and counties in the South China Sea region, where the Dharma Cult held sway, possessed a large quantity of firearms and cannons. In addition to those imported from the Franks, more were produced privately. Since the South China Sea was the first region to engage in combat with the Franks, they later obtained the methods for producing these cannons.
Therefore, while the Frankish cannons might be difficult to replicate elsewhere, in the South China Sea, even small, unregistered workshops could easily imitate them without pressure, and their power was not inferior.
"Reverend Fathers, you are not planning to gather this information to gauge the court's attitude, and if it's unfavorable, prepare for battle, are you? Surely, you wouldn't do that?"
"Even if you were to obtain such information and transmit it to the Franks in Luzon, do you yourselves expect to survive here?"
Ji Xiang laid bare his thoughts while simultaneously warning the priests not to pry into matters, lest their heads be severed. Although Matteo Ricci was deeply trusted by the Emperor, he likely couldn't protect them all.
The priests were momentarily startled, many avoiding eye contact. Of course, the younger priests were more naive and earnestly declared they would never do such a thing. They had come to preach with good intentions. In their words, they made strenuous efforts to excuse the Franks in Luzon.
"Even the Franks come from different countries. The Ming's designation for us is too general. We are priests of the Lord. Although we come from different nations, under the protection of the Lord's halo, we have relatively detached ourselves from our original affiliations and belong solely to the Holy See."
Father Diogo de Pantoja said this with sincere words. This young priest even added:
"Bishop Ricci has translated many scriptures of Christ the Lord, allowing more people to understand our religion. Now, I also intend to follow his example, translating the geographical features and inherent cultures of some Western countries into books, so that the people here can understand them."
Matteo Ricci had presented the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu, which indeed marked many countries, translated into Chinese. However, it had only been over a year, and the map had not yet been widely distributed. After all, the printing factory had exploded previously, and the Ming people found it troublesome to distinguish between various Western barbarians, still uniformly referring to them as Franks.
Besides the famous red-haired barbarians, the flying Dutchmen had their unique characteristics, likely due to their frequent attire in red and their entirely red eyebrows and beards, making them easily memorable. This distinguished them from the Franks.
Before Ji Xiang departed, the priests jointly wrote a letter of recommendation for him. After all, Ji Xiang could conjure holy light, a matter of this magnitude they took very seriously. They hoped Ji Xiang would further understand Catholicism at St. Paul's College, which they referred to as "further studies."
"At St. Paul's College, there are many orphans from the Middle Kingdom who have received the Lord's baptism. If the True Man visits, he will surely bring them good and positive influence. This is a living testimony. The Lord's glory not only protects believers; as long as one understands the Lord's scriptures and possesses devout faith, even infidels will be protected by the Lord."
"This is the Lord's universal love."
Father Diogo de Pantoja insisted on this explanation, while Ji Xiang seized upon the most crucial point in his words:
"Orphans from the Middle Kingdom?"
"Yes, at St. Paul's Church, there are many homeless orphans who have been adopted by our missionaries and are studying at the college."
Ji Xiang's brows furrowed slightly.
It sounded like an act of charity.
However, combined with previous covert investigations into St. Paul's College...
"Alright, I hope the power of God can protect these children as they grow up safely."
"The Lord be with you." Father Diogo de Pantoja made the sign of the cross in front of him.
.......
Southwest of the land, Bozhou.
The Yangshen avatar of Celestial Master Zhang descended here. There were many ruined villages in the mountains and wilderness. Yang Yinglong's rebellion had caused great turmoil, plundering numerous people into his own "capital."
"Senior Brother said there was interference from the Heavenly Heart realm here..."
"I don't sense any immortal aura."
The Celestial Master saw Yang Yinglong's army appearing in the distance, and among them were cultivators. The Celestial Master's avatar, with its piercing gaze, saw one of the cultivators drawing out a person's three souls. Immediately, he pointed a finger.
A bolt of lightning struck from the sky, turning hundreds of soldiers into charcoal, causing great slaughter!
The cultivators all turned their heads. Upon seeing the Celestial Master's avatar, not only did they not flee, but one of them even laughed and flew up, brandishing a dark banner with azure patterns.
"You know a bit of lightning magic and want to act on behalf of heaven? Where did this little cultivator come from, daring to meddle in my affairs!"
"Soul Slaying!"
Several streams of black energy were released from the dark banner, transforming into dark clouds that enveloped the Celestial Master's avatar!
The cultivator who flew forward was a congenital being, dressed in vermilion robes and white sashes, appearing majestic as if an ancient deity had descended. He approached the black energy, laughing madly:
"The Five Pecks of Rice Sect's Soul-Slaying Banner! With a turn of the black energy, the three souls are gone, and the seven spirits vanish, leaving only an empty shell. The three souls are collected within the banner. Even if the current Celestial Master were here, he would stumble! Hahahaha!"
"Opposing us is..."
Before he could finish speaking.
A large hand emerged from the black energy, seizing the cultivator's skull, followed by a burst of lightning from the palm!
"Five Pecks of Rice Sect?"
"Insulting the ancestors of the Taoist path, and daring to cause trouble in the ancestral land of Taoism?"
The cultivator's head exploded from the lightning. The Celestial Master's avatar tore through the black energy, seized the Soul-Slaying Banner, his eyes wide. Thunderclouds churned in the sky, accompanied by rumbling thunder and lightning!
The surrounding mountains trembled violently. The previously cheerful cultivators in vermilion robes immediately changed their expressions.
"Even the Celestial Master would stumble here?"
"Then this humble Taoist shall let you ignorant rats witness the Celestial Master's methods!"
The Celestial Master's avatar chanted, and the clouds in the sky suddenly turned a fiery red! m..oΓg
The wind and clouds changed color!
The lightning seemed to come alive, its electric light covering the sky and descending upon the earth. A faint electric light appeared above each of the cultivators, as if locking onto them!
"Crimson clouds of the Dan Heaven, shaking the universe. Ascending to capture demonic energy, descending to slay evil forces..."
"Lightning flashes and glitters, winds blow without pause. Through true transformation, we greet the Emperor!"
"Hurry, as the law commands!"
The Supreme Three Caverns Divine Incantation, the Flying Lightning Divine Incantation!
Instantly, for a hundred miles, the sky was covered by red clouds, with lightning and thunder!
After a full half-hour of bombardment, there were no more cultivators in vermilion robes present. The people whose souls had been drawn out, under the Celestial Master's protection, did not die, but having lost their heavenly souls among the three souls, they appeared dazed and foolish.
Whether it was the heavenly soul or the earthly soul, losing either would have a certain impact on one's life and spirit. The earthly soul had the least impact. The heavenly soul governed a person's subconscious. When the soul rested, the heavenly soul managed the body. If the heavenly soul was lost, a person would be exhausted, appearing dispirited, foolish, and dull.
However, what concerned the Celestial Master's avatar even more were the attire of these vermilion-robed cultivators, their methods, and their self-proclaimed title...
The Five Pecks of Rice Sect, was it not the predecessor of the Celestial Master's Way?
But their vermilion robes and white headscarves were not a style associated with any existing figures or groups in the history of the Celestial Master's Way.
As for the Soul-Slaying Banner, the Celestial Master's avatar was not overly concerned. He had seen many soul-collecting artifacts before; this was nothing unusual. Even the Yin Mountain Sect within the Dharma Cult possessed numerous treasures for capturing souls.
The sky gradually darkened.
In the mountains and wilderness of Shu, patches of thick mist began to appear. Within the mist, many ghostly figures floated, and each of these figures held a Soul-Slaying Banner.
These ghostly figures surrounded three massive, king-like black shadows wearing crowns. The remaining ghostly figures shouted their titles, which, if the Celestial Master had heard them, would have undoubtedly caused him to be astonished.
They were the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official – the Three Great Officials.
"Ghost scribes carry the missives of the Three Officials, recording the names of individuals and stating their sins. Three copies are made: one is offered to Heaven, placed on the mountain; one is buried in the earth; one is sunk in the water."
A golden humanoid phantom reached out and wiped the air in front of it. The surrounding mist and the natural world of the mountains and wilderness were all annihilated.
All of that was a vision of the future.
"In the Ghost City, what Zhang Xiu left behind is not just the missives of the Three Officials... When Yang Yinglong unearths that colossal monument..."
"The bones and the Primordial Venerable Seat, left behind by the Jade Purity cultivators, will be mine."
"Then..."
This golden figure suddenly waved its hand in another direction.
"Celestial Master of the mortal realm, you did not come to investigate the unrest here."
"It is because of your arrival that this unrest has occurred."
"And you were injured by these cultivators a long time ago."
With these words, the cause and effect were reversed.
The Celestial Master's avatar maintained an expression of astonishment as it twisted and vanished from the present world, becoming a part of history, etched into the minds of everyone who recalled this event.
Meanwhile, at Longhu Mountain, far south of the great river, a violent tremor occurred. Simultaneously, the Celestial Master in Shuntian Prefecture suddenly coughed up a mouthful of vital blood, his eyes wide, incredulously feeling his cultivation declining.
"A Heavenly Heart realm being has altered causality!"