Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: Chapter 286: Request to Join the Buddha Land_2

Chapter 620: Chapter 286: Request to Join the Buddha Land_2

What used to be a fleeting dream in the past has now turned into a bloody reality, exposing the cruelest scene in the world.

Whenever Hui An thought about this, his heart felt immense pain.

He regretted countless times the ambitious and spirited figure he was back then, who wholeheartedly supported the Sage King to move west, to build a Buddhist kingdom in the Western Region.

Now the White Phoenix Temple’s catastrophe, Xichuan’s catastrophe, were all his own sins.

Hui An couldn’t help but shed tears.

Seeing this, his junior brother Hui Ming, who had the same experience, could not help but comfort him: “Senior Brother, our temple’s unanimous decision to move west to Xichuan is not just your own mistake.”

Moreover, our fellow disciples in the temple also lost their lives to atone for past mistakes and face this catastrophe.”

Now that we have survived this great disaster by chance, our thoughts should only be about how to make up for this catastrophe, help the remaining disciples to live, and carry on the heritage of the White Phoenix Temple.

Moreover, there are still fifty to sixty thousand believers in the Buddhist kingdom, who trust and follow us. We also need to find a way of life for them.”

Now that the Buddhist kingdom cannot protect them, we must find someone stronger to do so.”

Isn’t this exactly why we came to Qianzhong County in Chu State?”

As Hui Ming spoke, his gaze couldn’t help but look outside the carriage.

At this time, the convoy had passed through the suburbs and entered a small town along the official road.

The small town was not very big, with a population of only a few hundred households. However, the town’s only street had over a dozen scattered shops that had already reopened.

People were walking on the street, wearing familiar Da Yue attire, no, it should be called Chu attire now.”

Ever since Xichuan was established, the common people all began to follow Buddhism, and men and women changed into monk attire. Thus the Chu attire became rare to see.”

Now, seeing the familiar scene again after several years, it evoked even more emotion.”

Some children on the road were running and playing in the rain. Looking at their facial features and skin color, they were slightly different from Chu people, but they could be recognized as having Yi blood.”

However, these Yi children had now changed into Chu attire, and even their hair was braided like Chu children.”

To Hui Ming’s eyes, besides their spoken language which differed from the official language passed down in Chu State, they were no different from Chu people.”

With time, even these differences would gradually assimilate.

At that time, there would be no more Yi people here, only Chu people.”

Seeing this scene, Hui Ming’s eyes became somewhat dazed.

How long has Chu State been ruling here?

If we count it from the time the troops were dispatched in the fifty-fourth year, it has not even been a year and a half.”

In less than a year and a half, they had transformed this completely unfamiliar, and vastly different land of the barbarians into what it is now.”

Not only had they soothed the wounds of several years of ongoing war, restored local production and construction, made the people feel at ease to farm, and enabled merchants and travelers to trade.”

But also, when it comes to assimilating the Yi people, it was done so thoroughly and cleanly, leaving no chance.”

Compared to that, they themselves.”

‘Maybe we really shouldn’t have supported the move westward and interfere with the secular affairs.’

Hui Ming shook his head, and a bitter smile surfaced on his face, similar to his senior brother Hui An’s.”

The convoy continued to move forward, and the sound of the carriage wheels rolling on the muddy ground echoed.

However, the two people inside the carriage no longer spoke, closing their eyes and meditating silently, not knowing what they were thinking about.”

…

Stone City, the palace.

After Lu Yuan completed dealing with the accumulated paperwork and administrative affairs of the past few days, he put down the pen in his hand and let the officials waiting nearby to take them and quickly send them to the various departments for review and execution before he finally stood up and stretched lazily.

Although he had only dealt with administrative affairs for a short two hours, as a Grandmaster and cultivator, sitting at the writing desk for two hours had not caused him much physical fatigue.

But while his body may not have been tired, his spirit certainly was.”

Handling administrative affairs was quite mentally exhausting, requiring consideration of various aspects, studying the interests of all parties, and then making various trade-offs and compromises based on his own interests.”

As the ruler of Chu State, Lu Yuan knew full well that his decisions and policies would affect the lives and fortunes of millions of people.”

Therefore, every time he handled administrative affairs, he was cautious and conscientious.”

“That’s why sometimes I really envy those incompetent emperors who don’t have to deal with anything and only care about their own pleasures. Even if millions of their subjects die below their rule, they don’t care at all.

Although that kind of life is good, the soul that comes from another world in me can’t be so ruthless after all.”

These people of the world provide me with Qi luck and taxes, and as their father, it is only natural that I should protect them.”

Maybe this is the last thing I can hold onto in these troubled times.”

Lu Yuan walked out of the hall and came to the outer gallery. The winter rain was cold, and the fine raindrops fell on the roof tiles, making a crisp sound.

Listening to the sound of nature, the frustration accumulated during administration was swept away.”

Cultivators need to understand the will of Heaven and follow nature. Even a martial artist has to perceive Heaven and Earth in order to cultivate themselves.”

As someone who had achieved minor success in both immortal and martial paths, Lu Yuan now stood here, his body and mind already in harmony with the surrounding nature, merging as one.