Chapter 41: Heavenly Mother's Mercy

Li Xuan stood in the courtyard, for the first time in a bustling place with a sense of wonderment. After all this time, it was today that he stepped into this world. Nightfall came. The streets of the county town grew quieter as the flow of pedestrians gradually fell into silence. At this moment, inside the Yunshan County government, the county magistrate, deputy magistrate, and head clerk were all gathered together, surprisingly, even the beggar and a stall owner were also present. The one sitting in the main seat was not the county magistrate, but an old man dressed in coarse linen clothes. “We’ve found out that the rich man who entered the city is Xu Junhe’s foolish son, along with his master.” The beggar said with a strange expression. “Xu Yan? That young man is his master? That’s impossible!” The county magistrate’s face was filled with surprise. “In the past, the mentors that Xu Junhe’s idiot son found were all wise old men. This young man is only a few years older…” He didn’t quite understand what methods the young man had used to fool Xu Yan into becoming his disciple. The elderly man in linen robes sitting at the head of the table spoke, “Xu Junhe is stubborn and foolish. He possesses enormous wealth, yet he shows no mercy to the common people. Not only did he refuse to join our Heavenly Mother Cult, but he even had our followers captured and sent to the government. “His son being here serves our Cult’s purpose. “Later, we shall use the righteousness of our Cult to influence his disciple and persuade him to sincerely join our Cult.” The county magistrate nodded, “The protector speaks wisely!” The elderly man in linen robes stood up, “We are all focused on Donghe County. We cannot afford any mistakes this time. The trouble with Xu Junhe is coming soon. If he softens his stance, we can save him.” “Rest assured, protector, Strategist Kou is in charge in Donghe County, and he is certain to seize control of the county successfully.” The beggar said with a look of admiration on his face. “Hmm!” The man in the linen robe nodded. Strategist Kou is the think tank of the Heavenly Mother Cult, and his presence ensures everything is foolproof. “Come with me to influence Xu Yan’s young apprentice’s master to join our Cult!” “Yes!” The county magistrate and others closely followed the old man in linen robes out of the county office. Xu Yan was practicing in the courtyard, while Li Xuan was sitting in a chair, holding a book. This was a popular storybook from the Qi country that he had bought. He was curious why his foolish disciple, Xu Yan, after reading the storybook, firmly believed that there was an incredibly powerful martial arts world and searched everywhere for a master to teach him. “Blessed by the Heavenly Mother, savior of all, pray to the Heavenly Mother to escape from suffering, to be wealthy in the next life…” The sound rang out in the silent street, along with the sound of a bell and footsteps coming from the end of the street. “May the Heavenly Mother protect us!” “May the Heavenly Mother protect us!” Suddenly, doors on both sides of the street opened, and many devout citizens began to pray. Ding! The sound of metal falling echoed incessantly. Li Xuan, listening, could confirm that this was the sound of copper coins scattering on the ground. “The Heavenly Mother is touring and transforming sinners, rescuing the good, and eradicating all evil in the world…” The bell sounded closer, and the bell rang clearly. Li Xuan wore a strange look, were they aiming at him? No! They were after Xu Yan. At this moment, Xu Yan had already stopped his practice, a look of displeasure on his face. “Apprentice, what is happening?” Li Xuan asked. “Master, they’re charlatans from the Heavenly Mother Cult.” Xu Yan said, a bit angrily. “Heavenly Mother Cult?” Li Xuan was startled. Was it an evil cult within the realm of Qi Country? “Yes, Master. The Heavenly Mother Cult is regarded as a rebellious and evil cult by the imperial court, and has been surrounded and suppressed, but it cannot be wiped out. “It’s not just Qi Country, it’s the same case in Wu Country too. They’ve been continually hunted down.” “The Heavenly Mother Sect stirred up several rebellions, none of which succeeded. The last rebellion was twenty years ago. After being crushed, they’ve become weaker and have almost stopped openly preaching their doctrines…” The Heavenly Mother Sect is an ancient sect, dating back to the previous dynasty. Since the establishment of Qi Country, they rebelled no less than ten times. They’re a thorn in the eye and flesh of the Qi Country court, but despite multiple crackdowns, they’ve never been entirely wiped out. Every once in a while, they rise again. The same happened in Wu Country. The Heavenly Mother Sect worships the so-called “Heavenly Mother”. It’s widely spread that worshiping the Heavenly Mother can help one escape suffering and enjoy immense wealth in the afterlife. Each time the Heavenly Mother Sect caused trouble, there would be a group of fearlessly faithful followers, asserting that they would return to the embrace of the Heavenly Mother, escape the pain of the mortal world, and enjoy wealth and honor in their next life! They were undaunted by death, causing significant damage to the armies of Qi Country several times. The followers of the Heavenly Mother Sect were never few, even when the court tried to crack down on the sect, especially in places plagued by famine and disaster. The people there tended to believe more in the Heavenly Mother Sect. “Members of the Heavenly Mother Sect like to seize wealth from others, and then distribute it to the impoverished, gaining their faith in the process.” “They have even robbed government officials and distributed food from their granaries.” “However, the Heavenly Mother Sect has been silent for nearly twenty years. At least since I was born, I have never heard of them parading openly, spreading their doctrines.” Xu Yan spoke in confusion. Li Xuan was surprised. The Heavenly Mother Sect seemed to echo the White Lotus Sect, and since it was strictly forbidden by Qi Country, it was a target to be wiped out. Why were they openly parading and preaching their doctrines in Yunshan County? Perhaps Yunshan County has already been covertly taken over by the Heavenly Mother Sect. The people in the county were either followers or members of the sect. “It seems Yunshan County has already been taken over by the Heavenly Mother Sect.” Li Xuan said with a smile. Xu Yan was taken aback, suddenly realizing something. “My family’s shop in Yunsha has been taken over by the Heavenly Mother Sect? Has it become part of the sect?” “Master, they seem to be coming this way.” Listening to the sound gradually getting closer, it was directed at them. “How dare they seize my family’s shop and disturb my cultivation late at night. I’m going to deal with them right now.” Xu Yan said angrily. “Don’t rush. Let them come. It’s quite entertaining.” Li Xuan laughed. Just out of the mountain cave, he was quite interested in these outside matters. “Yes, Master!” Xu Yan respectfully agreed. He sighed, thinking, “Master’s mindset is so unique. Is he playing with the world? This is the demeanor of a true master!” Footsteps stopped outside the courtyard. The bell’s sound rhythmically swayed. A voice came. “The Heavenly Mother is merciful and brings relief to all creatures. Would any of you benevolent souls like to contribute to the cause?” The voice was magnificent and carried far without dissipating. Li Xuan raised an eyebrow. The person who spoke was not ordinary. Could this be a leading expert in the martial world? Just as Xu Yan said, they were too weak! For him and Xu Yan, the speaker was weak, but for ordinary people, he was a formidable expert. Xu Yan frowned, saying, “A prime martial artist? Why does the Heavenly Mother Sect in Yunshan County have such a martial artist? Could this be their stronghold?” Li Xuan was astonished. He thought the speaker was a leading martial artist, but he turned out to be a prime one. The level of martial strength in Qi Country’s martial world was way too low. “This is a prime martial artist? So weak!” Li Xuan said helplessly. “Master, their martial arts are merely mortal. Their strength is limited. A prime martial artist is someone who has cultivated inner strength. Judging from his voice, it emanates from his inner strength…” Xu Yan explained. “Inner strength?” Li Xuan was a bit curious. What was this inner strength all about? Why was it so weak? “It’s a kind of explosive force whose power is not that strong. Roughly equivalent to the beginner stage of bone training? Like the initial stage of iron bone?” Xu Yan replied, sounding somewhat uncertain..