Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 478 - 429: House of Fire

Chapter 478: Chapter 429: House of Fire
"As the Academic Palace is fond of saying, power corresponds to responsibility."
The old monk said, "The Academic Palace receives offerings from the entire Yu Country, hence Academic Palace Disciples must contribute their intelligence and talents for the benefit of Yu Country.
"On the other hand, the Yu Kingdom’s Court collects taxes from the common people but fails to protect the latter.
"While high officials grow fat and rich, the poor commoners still live in hardship and peril."
Jianquan glanced at the Xingzhou citizens on the streets and said indifferently, "Many Sects and Demon Sects claim to offer their followers happiness—a happiness built on deception, exploitation, and the misfortune of others.
"But I am different. The Six Paths Reincarnation Technique offers true liberation to the desperate—liberation from the Abyss Hell.
"If you try to stop me, consider first on what grounds?
"The Yu Kingdom’s Court doesn’t care about these people, seeing them as no more than pigs and dogs to be mistreated and fooled at will.
"Scholars are not concerned about these people, lost as they are in the romantic trifles of their own little worlds.
"Now I have found a new path to save these people who are abandoned, trampled upon, and exploited by Yu Country. As an Academic Palace Disciple, should you really stand up and block me? Should you tell these people to obey the rules, to meekly go back and continue their lives where they can’t see the light of day?"
Jianquan was, after all, an eminent monk with profound skill in doctrinal debate, leaving Sui Yi unable to refute him.
"..."
Li Ang fell silent. He knew that, to some extent, what Jianquan said was true. Many officials in the Yu Kingdom’s Court, deep down, did regard the common people as mere animals to be exploited, deceived, fooled, and sacrificed for personal gain.
Li Ang’s own morals made it impossible for him to scold the common people with words like, ’Better to starve quietly than to make a futile stand like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.’
He took a deep breath, cleared his thoughts, and said solemnly, "But you must give people the right to choose.
"Among the eight hundred thousand people of Xingzhou City, many are quite content with their current lives and do not wish to become reincarnators.
"Forcibly taking their souls and claiming to deliver them—is that not also a form of oppression?
"Secondly, you cannot prove that the Six Paths Reincarnation Technique truly offers enlightenment and liberation as you claim, allowing people to enter a state of eternal peace and joy."
This was the crux of the issue. Jianquan’s plan was like a black box.
It was impossible to know from the outside what was happening inside or what state it was in.
Perhaps souls really could be enlightened and liberated within it. Or perhaps it was no better than the real world, or even worse—like a desolate void.
People die like a lamp going out.
Since Jianquan could not prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the Six Paths Reincarnation Technique, he naturally couldn’t convince Li Ang.
Besides, even if the Six Paths Reincarnation Technique were proven viable, Yu Country, the Academic Palace, and even Taihao Mountain would never agree to it.
Imagine if the Six Paths Illusion Realm were truly blissful; all the people of the world would flock to it. No one would want to live their lives properly. Everyone would yearn to discard their physical bodies prematurely to enter the Six Paths Illusion Realm and enjoy its tranquility.
This would destroy the very foundations of civilization, an outcome no country or sect could tolerate.
"I indeed cannot prove it."
Jianquan shook his head, formed a Dharma Seal with his hands, and said calmly, "So, the question goes back to the beginning."
...
The atmosphere grew oppressive once more. Li Ang silently clenched the Mind Threads connected to the ground. Sui Yi gripped his sword hilt, his shoulder-length hair seeming on the verge of igniting.
TAP, TAP, TAP—
The footsteps that had been echoing until now gradually ceased as the Xingzhou people gathered.
Smiles adorned all their faces, their expressions rapt as they listened to the ethereal Buddha sounds emanating from the Shadow Demon.
"Apologies," Jianquan suddenly said.
Li Ang frowned. "Apologies for what?"
"This is very important to me; I cannot risk the plan failing."
Jianquan stated calmly, "I didn’t know if you would ultimately detonate the talisman, so I decided to act first."
Before he finished speaking, Li Ang had already sensed something was amiss.
The surrounding scene dissolved like scattering sand. Sui Yi beside him, and even the Xingzhou commoners on the streets, all turned into drifting sand.
Only Jianquan remained in his vision, along with an immensely vast, empty white space.
An Illusion Realm.
Li Ang’s heart sank. Unbeknownst to him, Jianquan had pulled him into an Illusion Realm.
When had he been ensnared? Was it when Jianquan formed the Dharma Seal just now, or even earlier?
Before he could recall in detail, magnificent Glazed Treasure Temples rose one after another in Jianquan’s direction. The sky filled with brilliant Buddha Light, and layers of lotuses bloomed on the ground. Myriad Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats drifted by on auspicious clouds, and Buddha sounds, like great bells, vibrated Li Ang’s eardrums.
This was the Illusion Realm Jianquan had constructed.
"Actually, I had countless opportunities today to kill you."
Jianquan, standing on the Lotus Platform, said calmly, "You are still too weak. Even after three years at the Academic Palace, and even carrying several exotic treasures, you cannot bring forth their full power.
"But I didn’t. I still thought about persuading you.
"After all, you are renowned throughout the land as the Little Medicine King God, having genuinely performed countless good deeds for the common people—far nobler than those corpulent and self-indulgent types."
"So, I benefited from my own reputation again?"
Li Ang scratched his head.
This really is an Illusion Realm,
he thought.
My Ten Thousand Spirit Book isn’t responding.
"You could say that."
Jianquan nodded. "Now, I offer you two choices. First, stay here quietly until I complete the Six Paths Reincarnation Technique. Then, I will let you and your Senior Sister leave unharmed."
"And the second choice?"
"Second, become the final candidate for the Human Path."
Jianquan’s tone remained calm, as if discussing a trivial matter.
Li Ang was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "Deep down, I believe there’s some truth in what you say. The world is like a burning house; all beings suffer. To ensure happiness for everyone is an almost impossible task."
Jianquan seemed to know what Li Ang was about to say and prompted, "But?"
"But people need to save themselves, and people can save themselves.
"Just a few decades ago, for a woman, giving birth was like walking through the Ghost Gate. There was a high probability that newborns would die from disease; even children of the Royal Family were not spared.
"Now, with advanced midwifery techniques and various medications, such partings between life and death have significantly decreased.
"In the past, to leave one’s home for a journey might take months, or even half a year, with the constant danger of being robbed or killed by bandits on the road.
"But now, one can travel hundreds of miles to a destination in just a few hours via Spiritual Energy Locomotive.
"You’ve also seen the benefits the Academic Palace’s technology brings to the common people. Yu Country will continue to grow stronger and more prosperous, and its citizens will no longer have to struggle on the brink of poverty. Tragedies like Ran Wu’s will become increasingly rare.
"Perhaps one day, everyone will be able to afford medical care, receive an education, and have housing. The elderly will be cared for, the young will be educated, the poor will be supported, and those in difficulty will be aided—achieving a world of great harmony.
"All of this is happening in the real world, without needing to resort to an Illusion Realm."
Li Ang didn’t believe in any so-called Haotian, Gods and Buddhas, or Illusion Realms. He believed that to create human happiness, humanity must, and could only, rely on itself.
"Is that so?"
After listening, Jianquan shook his head gently and said warmly, "As you say, the technologies invented by the Academic Palace might improve the lower limits of the Yu Country’s citizens’ living conditions, but I doubt whether the users of that technology can maintain their original noble intentions."