Chapter 729 - 730: A Restless Heart

Chapter 729: Chapter 730: A Restless Heart

After Wu Wang finished his earnest promise, the matter had to be settled before anyone could feel grateful.

He immediately followed up by asking:

"I wonder how Fellow Daoist Li plans to handle this? And which fellow daoist have you invited?"

With Yun Li’s lesson still fresh, it was always better to be cautious about everything.

Even though the current situation felt like it had already hit rock bottom, what if it could get even worse?

"I’ve invited a Grand Scholar." Li Yingling looked at Wu Wang with a hint of disdain. "Given the current situation, forcefully suppressing either side is not a good idea. The only way to truly settle this is to have both sides make concessions and find a middle ground."

Wu Wang listened carefully and found it somewhat reasonable, so he pressed further:

"Please elaborate, Fellow Daoist."

Li Yingling naturally took Chen Baiqing with her to a nearby chair, sat down first, and then continued:

"Naturally, it’s a new policy—a new policy from top to bottom, one that everyone can see, and one that makes both sides feel they’ve gained something."

"The policy is called the Academy. In short, it means releasing all the knowledge monopolized by the great families to the public. The great families will need to contribute to this, and in exchange, they will avoid being purged."

"As for your Small Vehicle Buddhist believers, they will need to spread ideas—naturally, not your Buddhist ideas."

"But rather, to make them think: even if the great families are overthrown now, won’t new great families emerge in the future?"

"And at the same time, propagate the idea that even if they overthrow the great families, and the people among them become the new great families, how can they be sure they won’t be overthrown again?"

"Is there a good way to let the great families take turns, so that everyone can become a great family?"

"Only when interests affect them personally will people truly think."

"So, the Academy New Policy preserves the existence of the great families, but also leaves open the opportunity for others to become great families."

"And you also need to tell the great families that their foundations are inherently deep. If they’re afraid they can’t even keep up with mud-legged peasants who can barely afford to eat, then the great families probably won’t last much longer either."

"This process will be slow and leave room for adjustment. Even if it fails, it will merely be a discarded proposal. At the very least, it won’t continue to fan the flames and make the situation even more embarrassing."

"What do you think, Buddhist Son?"

Wu Wang listened carefully and memorized every word. This plan actually seemed to have some merit. According to Li Yingling, even if it failed, it wouldn’t further escalate the conflict.

It seemed like a matter with no risk and only benefits.

However, Wu Wang did not agree immediately:

"Fellow Daoist Li, could you allow me some time to think it over carefully?"

At this, Li Yingling leisurely stood up, turned, and walked toward the door:

"Think however you like. During this time, I and the reinforcements I brought will stay within Miaoyuan Temple. But you should understand that time waits for no one. If a real catastrophe breaks out, don’t even think about dragging me and my master into it."

"That’s all I have to say. Think carefully."

The timing had been carefully chosen by Li Yingling. The time left for Wu Wang was already extremely limited—he had very little time to gather information about the so-called new policy and its initial developments.

Even if Wu Wang found out, it wouldn’t matter much. It would simply be smoother if he carried it out without any lingering reservations.

With that, Li Yingling left with Chen Baiqing.

The hall was once again left with only moonlight and Wu Wang, who had fallen back into deep thought.

Although many fellow Buddhists had accompanied Wu Wang here.

Those companions were of varied backgrounds—some were Karma Buddhas, others were Secular Buddhas.

While they were here to assist with affairs, supervising and obtaining accurate information were also their additional tasks.

Wu Wang did not dare to genuinely discuss potential plans or strategies with them, lest the Honored Buddha be put in a difficult position later.

Raising his gaze, Wu Wang looked at the bright moonlight.

The moon was infinitely pure and bright, yet at this moment, it seemed unable to illuminate the confusion and anguish in Wu Wang’s heart.

The moon had shifted across most of the sky.

Wu Wang’s gaze shifted once more, and he saw Chen Baiqing, who had been following behind Li Yingling, walking back alone.

"My answer won’t come that quickly," Wu Wang said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Chen Baiqing stood several meters away from Wu Wang and spoke calmly:

"Your helpless expression is already your answer. You have no choice left. The Buddhist Sect is powerful, but it is also isolated and cannot seek external aid."

"Things have reached this point now. The risks far outweigh the benefits. The Buddhist Sect will only assess the situation clearly and cut you off to prevent greater damage, rather than bet everything on you—a Buddhist Son who has managed to make things this much of a mess. So you should understand that you have no backup left."

"Right now, agreeing is the only thing you can do."

Wu Wang exhaled heavily, and the calm expression he had been trying to maintain turned into a bitter smile:

"You’re even harder to deal with than your eldest senior sister, and your words are even sharper."

Chen Baiqing ignored this remark and simply continued asking on her own:

"So, the key question is—do you really intend to follow my senior sister’s idea?"

Wu Wang paused at her words, understanding the implication behind them. After a moment of silence, he tentatively asked:

"Is there a problem with my senior sister’s idea?"

"Of course there is. For example, the timing is wrong, and it won’t be easy to pull off," Chen Baiqing said calmly. "Most critically, after this matter, the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings will be tantamount to a failure."

"My senior sister’s idea can only put out the fire—it cannot save the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings, and it cannot save what you’re trying to accomplish."

"You should also understand that for you, the failure of the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings’ promotion is an unacceptable loss."

Wu Wang silently looked at Chen Baiqing standing before him.

The moonlight shone on Chen Baiqing’s expressionless face. Those calm eyes, like moonlight itself, made one instinctively feel a sense of resistance.

Wu Wang took a deep breath and finally spoke:

"So, do you have a new method?"

"Only a lotus born from hell can bloom endlessly," Chen Baiqing said slowly. "Since the failure of promoting the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings is already unacceptable, then you should be even more reckless, rather than failing on both ends and leaving all the difficult problems for the Honored Buddha."

"Your vision has been constrained. If you could stop fixating on the mess in front of you and instead focus on what you truly want to accomplish, you would find that it’s not actually that difficult."

"No matter how many people die, it doesn’t actually conflict with your goal of promoting the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings. What you should do is grasp the key point."

"The great families believe in Buddhism merely as a casual pursuit of peace of mind. But the masses are not like that—especially when the Buddhist Sect can truly bring them hope."

"The masses, originally scattered like sand, can be united by a single phrase: the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings."

"If you are willing to bear karma, if you are willing to bear sin."

"Then besides my eldest senior sister’s idea, there is actually a broader path to walk. At the very least, you won’t leave the difficult problems for the Honored Buddha."

"You and I are both cultivators. Treating all things equally is something Heaven should do. To us, the masses are merely ants."

Wu Wang’s heart grew even heavier. He didn’t dare to dwell on Chen Baiqing’s words, which struck directly at his soul, and instead asked in return:

"Why do you and your senior sister give two different accounts? What exactly is your master’s thinking?"

Chen Baiqing raised her head slightly, her eyes cold and emotionless:

"Master is soft-hearted. She would rather let things fall apart than see the masses suffer."

"But everything comes at a cost. If this matter fails, the impact on Master will be far greater than the impact on your Honored Buddha."

"I am not soft-hearted. So I will tell you the timing that can make this succeed."

"And the purpose of telling you is that I will not do this dirty work myself."

"I will remain Master’s obedient disciple, and you will be the loyal Buddhist Son who solved a major problem for the Honored Buddha."

"This matter will naturally cost you and affect you. But everything will be worth it."

"Didn’t your Buddhists say... ’If I do not enter hell, who will’?"

"It suits you perfectly right now."

Chen Baiqing paused, then looked at the bright moon and spoke slowly:

"Tonight’s moon is very suitable for thinking. You now have two plans to consider."

"Buddhist Son Wu Wang..."

"You need to understand one thing. Sometimes, when doing things, you only need to follow the voice of your heart."

Chen Baiqing’s calm expression finally changed. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly in a faint, dismissive smile. Then she turned and left.

The moonlight remained.

Wu Wang beneath the moonlight remained.

Only that heart had finally become extraordinarily restless.

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