Chapter 170: The Temple

Li Qi, though indecisive during the consideration phase, became very decisive once his decision was made.

Over a hundred thousand lives couldn't afford any delay. The sooner he went and came back, the better; speed was of the essence.

Therefore, after feeding Old Horse simply and bidding farewell to Shen Shuibei, he swiftly set off for Guangyang City.

Li Qi had been to Guangyang City before, but only stayed briefly to replenish supplies. It was about fifteen hundred li away from this place.

Given the average physical quality of people in this world and considering that a large group would definitely drag down travel time, it would take around ten days to cover fifteen hundred li.

Walking more than a hundred li a day was honestly quite impressive; this was possible because everyone practiced cultivation techniques, even farmers, which allowed them to maintain such marching speeds.

However, things were less troublesome for Li Qi. After practicing Bugue Song, Old Horse could now travel two thousand li a day, reaching Guangyang City in just five hours. A round trip, including traveling day and night, took no more than ten hours.

Since he could return the next day, there was no need to be overly meticulous.

Li Qi packed up his belongings and rode off.

There wasn't anything particularly eventful along the way since his cultivation level wasn't shallow; ordinary demons or bandits wouldn't dare to provoke him.

His destination was Guangyang City.

Guangyang City, one of the state cities in Hundred Forests (Bai Lin) country, similar in size to Lǐ Prefecture's city, where the governor resided, commanding the entire state while also overseeing the defense matters of the border town.

The salaries and provisions for the troops stationed at the border were managed by the governor of Guangyang, with the Sīmǎ handling specific execution and arrangements.

Racing like lightning, accompanied by thunderous shadows, the true dragon bloodline within Old Horse, enhanced by Bugue Song, left sparks and flashes in its wake, tearing through the sky with auspicious clouds and azure lightning.

While it looked incredibly cool, it actually indicated a lack of skill.

A true dragon moving through the skies would have clouds following without leaving any trace, making its movements completely undetectable.

Old Horse, on the other hand, seemed eager for others to know his whereabouts, which was considered rather crude.

Without stopping, and arriving safely, he reached Guangyang City after five hours.

By then, it was already dark, late into the night.

Under normal circumstances, Li Qi would rest for the night before visiting, but given the matter involved hundreds of thousands of lives, he couldn't afford to wait.

Large cities like Guangyang did not allow people to fly in, so Li Qi landed directly, leading Old Horse, walking briskly towards the Sīmǎ's residence.

The position of Military Sīmǎ commanded the soldiers of an entire state, their vehicles, horses, and military equipment, distinguishing among six types of cavalry and armaments.

In reality, they served as the supreme commander of the troops in a state, managing troop movements, logistics, and having personnel authority, capable of promoting talents independently.

This role wielded immense power and prestige, second only to the governor as a military leader of the state and one of the Three High Officials.

The Three High Officials referred to Sīmǎ, Sītú, and Sīkōng.

"Si" essentially meant "in charge of", and the character following it represented the specific responsibilities of the official position.

Sīmǎ handled military logistics, supply, personnel mobilization, external conquests, and internal defense.

Sītú was responsible for land mapping and population counts within the state, compiling educational texts, distributing official positions, taxation, finance, serving as the core of the regular official system with the ability to supervise and recommend local officials, and formulating and implementing policies concerning public welfare.

Sīkōng was in charge of infrastructure, agricultural land allocation, road construction, water conservancy maintenance, urban planning, and industrial technology reserves—all falling under the jurisdiction of Sīkōng.

These three collectively known as the Three High Officials reported directly to the governor, being the pinnacle of power in the state aside from the governor.

As far as Li Qi knew, apart from the Sītú who held the position due to exceptional intelligence and talent despite being at the eighth rank, the other two were seventh-rank cultivators.

Visiting a seventh-rank strong individual, especially a high-ranking official, late at night required proper etiquette from Li Qi; he couldn't just show up unannounced.

He needed to bring some gifts.

Choosing gifts required some thought.

Gifts too expensive were beyond Li Qi's means, and he didn't have the money.

But he couldn't just give something casually either, as it might cause embarrassment or even get him thrown out.

On the way, Li Qi pondered and decided to gather some "Gǔzhōng" outside the city, pound it into curtains, and then find a tailor in the city to weave them for several dozen coins.

Wood cotton cloth soap curtains, known as "Gǔzhōng". Wood cotton fabric was thicker than silk, providing greater warmth. Its use in palaces symbolized the virtue of frugality.

This item had a story behind it: "The emperor used Gǔzhōng, all to promote frugality. Even palaces upheld such frugality, thus common families should also practice thrift!"

With this gift prepared, along with some flattery—"a smiling face won't be struck"—he believed he would likely have no problem requesting a signature upon his visit.

Having considered everything, all that remained was the visit itself.

Li Qi led his horse to the Sīmǎ's residence.

Guangyang City's nightlife was quite vibrant. Despite the late hour, the whole city was brightly lit, with taverns lining the streets. People strolled leisurely into the city, enjoying the scenery, cooking fish and bamboo shoots, drinking freely, and chatting merrily.

However, while some enjoyed themselves, others worked hard.

All sorts of vendors carried goods into the city on their shoulders or in their hands.

Guangyang City had a population of one million, with daily consumption being incalculable. Naturally, countless people were needed to handle the daily transportation and moving of supplies. Street vendors and various shops also distributed goods through retail.

Li Qi passed by an unusual sight: a wealthy family had erected a giant pillar at their entrance, with awnings on it to provide shade and shelter from rain for passersby. There was also a water-gathering talisman that continuously condensed water into streams, providing free drinking water for those beneath the pillar.

The pillar stood twenty zhang tall, inscribed with "Zhang Family's Blissful Land," adorned with carvings of bats numbering in the tens of thousands. Thus, passersby referred to this place as "Myriad Blessings Converge," where the wealthy family accumulated virtue and prayed for blessings.

However, when Li Qi passed by, there were hundreds of beggars crowded under the pillar, densely packed, emitting a foul stench as they fought over the water and sought shelter from wind and rain. The scene bore no resemblance to the intended blessing, having turned into a den for beggars.

Li Qi found it strange that Guangyang City had so many beggars, so he asked the nearby street vendors.

While frying snacks, one vendor replied with a smile, "Recently, countless refugees have been retreating from the border town. Some found means to survive, while others couldn't work and thus gathered here."

"Countless refugees? What happened at the border town?" Li Qi asked curiously.

The vendor, apparently talkative, responded, "Sir, you jest. We're just street vendors; how could we know what happened at the border town? All we heard is that the soldiers withdrew, bringing back many refugees. Things are better now, but half a month ago, the city and its outskirts were swarming with people. Now, only beggars remain, along with some new girls at Yichun Pavilion. If you're single, sir, you might want to check it out—the prices are quite low."

"Let's not talk about that. Give me two skewers of tofu, two of cabbage, and a tiger-striped egg. Oh, and some chicken feet too. By the way, if such a significant event occurred, why hasn't the Sīmǎ's office issued any announcements?" Li Qi asked while ordering his food.

"What announcement would the Sīmǎ issue? These days, the Sīmǎ has been visiting Tianning Temple nonstop, possibly neglecting official duties," the vendor said cheerfully.

"How do you know all this?" Li Qi was greatly surprised. He merely asked casually about official announcements, yet this vendor knew so much?

"When I was a boatman, living at the bottom of society, I rarely knew these things. Even seeing a notice or two was rare," Li Qi thought.

"Ah, are you new to Guangyang? You don't need to ask around; everyone knows the Sīmǎ believes deeply in Buddhism and practically lives at Tianning Temple," the vendor said while frying tofu for Li Qi.

Suddenly, Li Qi frowned.

Wait, Buddhism? Tianning Temple?

Buddhist temples? This was unheard of.

Having lived in this world for so long, he almost forgot about Buddhism. Books mentioned an incomparable Buddha land far to the west, but since it was distant, Li Qi considered it mere stories.

Now, within the territory of Wu Deity Mountain, a state city's Military Sīmǎ believed in Buddhism, and temples were established here. This was extraordinary.

"Sir, you seem unfamiliar with this. I hadn't heard of temples or Buddhism either, but they say it's similar to our common witch doctors, capable of healing and praying for blessings. Since they don't cause trouble and often distribute alms, even I've benefited from their generosity," the vendor chattered happily.

He added, "I reckon they're like Taoists, outsiders who are more approachable than the gloomy mountain-dwelling Taoists. Buddhist monks are always kind and smiling, offering free healing and blessings."

While chatting, Li Qi learned about Tianning Temple. According to the vendor, it arrived roughly ten years ago.

Initially, a group of thin monks came, claiming to be ascetics tasked with spreading the Buddha's teachings across the realm. Among the four to five hundred monks, only one stayed behind while the rest quickly left.

Their mission to spread the teachings was arduous, so they only stationed an ascetic where they felt 'destined,' leaving one monk to propagate Buddhism here.

This monk, named Chan Zhi, didn't start preaching immediately. Instead, he wandered around 'begging'—essentially asking for charity. People gave him food due to his emaciated appearance, and in return, he offered handwritten sutras or recited scriptures for blessings.

His demeanor was likable; unlike ordinary beggars, he exuded a calm and gentle aura despite his gaunt appearance, with eyes still soft as water.

One day, a household that had given alms encountered a calamity—a malevolent ghost invaded their home, intending to take lives and consume essence. However, upon entering, the house emitted golden light accompanied by chanting, which overwhelmed the ghost, causing it to wail and lose its power.

When local demon hunters arrived, they were astonished, and news spread.

Everyone in Guangyang City learned that Monk Chan Zhi possessed genuine abilities, offering protection and blessings to those who provided him with meals.

Chan Zhi explained that his name was a dharma title, not his real name, and he shouldn't be called a monk but rather a cleric. But the public didn't care; they knew he had real abilities and invited him to lavish feasts.

Afterward, Chan Zhi disappeared for six months, reappearing before a poor family, continuing to 'beg' for leftover food.

Despite their own poverty, the family kindly shared their meal with Chan Zhi, who, after eating, recited scriptures and left a page of writing.

This page later sold for twenty thousand coins, bringing prosperity to the buyer's family. They realized they had met Chan Zhi.

Chan Zhi visited again the next day, requesting a piece of wood from their roof. Having just profited, the family gladly complied.

Chan Zhi collected wood from various households over several years, eventually building a temple on a barren hill.

This temple was called Tianning Temple.