Mutated Tao

“Is something wrong with the White Lotus Sect?” Chun Xiaoman was confused. Wasn’t everything fine?

Gao Zhijian glanced at her but said nothing. Instead, the Khan spoke up. “Stop beating around the bush and tell it to her straight. Saintess, when we fought against the Dharma Sect in the past, your sect definitely sacrificed a lot of men and money to fight against them. We are grateful for that, but we must keep one thing clear—don’t you think the White Lotus Sect has stepped over the boundaries?”

A low voice growled, “It’s not just in Qing Qiu, but also Si Qi, Hou Shu, Nan Ping, and the Liang Kingdom. Even An Xi to the east! The White Lotus Sect is everywhere and shows no signs of stopping its expansion. Doesn’t that mean that you will ultimately engulf our land?”

Bai Lingmiao heard their words and knew why they had summoned her. She lightly pinched the back of her hand, and her heart fluttered. Another body extended out from the back, but this second body had a red cloth covering her head.

The Second Deity chuckled. “Are you worried that the White Lotus Sect has a lot of people? Didn’t you say it would be better if more people joined us? Are you trying to kill us off now that the Dharma Sect has fallen? Have you considered the price you would have to pay to fight us? Don’t try to push us too far. The Dharma Sect could revolt, and so can we. In fact, the White Lotus Sect might do better than the Dharma Sect.”

“Impudent!”

The atmosphere in the hall became tense. Bai Lingmiao played the good cop and stopped the Second Deity. “Don’t say that. Since they invited us here, they want to discuss it with us. We are all friends here. There’s no need to burn any bridges here. We even worked together to fight against the Dharma Sect.”

All five Emperors sighed and looked better after Bai Lingmiao said that.

The atmosphere mellowed, and Gao Zhijian immediately gave Bai Lingmiao a way to step down. “Senior Bai, we called you today to see if there’s a plan to solve this. It’s not just because the White Lotus Sect has a lot of devotees, but also because they are spreading and recruiting like crazy. If we do nothing, I fear the White Lotus Sect will take over the entire world.”

“I think that that would be fine. Everyone would become brothers and sisters in this world. There wouldn’t be any war, and everyone would be equal,” Chun Xiaoman said.

When the other Emperors revealed a hint of anger, Gao Zhijian frowned. “I summoned the White Lotus Sect Saintess. Why is this black-haired girl here? Guards, show her out!”

Chun Xiaoman was shocked when she looked at Gao Zhijian. It was as if she didn’t know him.

The eunuchs carried Chun Xiaoman and tossed her outside. Only then did the Second Deity speak to all five Emperors. “Fine, I know what you’re talking about. What do you want us to do, then?”

Gao Zhijian sighed. “The nation is in tatters, and there are a lot of places that require fixing. The people cannot handle another war. Senior Bai, you need to consider where we stand. What I want is for the palace to issue certifications. Only those with them can join the White Lotus Sect, just like what we did with the Righteous Monastery. This way, we can satisfy both sides. The White Lotus Sect members can be granted official statuses and identifications, and we can effectively monitor and control the sect’s expansion.”

“A win-win on both sides? I don’t think so. If we did that, the palace would control who can join the White Lotus Sect. Who’s the Saintess—you or me?”

“This is non-negotiable!” The Emperor of Si Qi was adamant. “If you don’t comply, we will do it the old way!”

Everyone tensed up again when they heard that. Everyone knew what the old way meant.

“Are you threatening me? Hahahah! You must feel strong! I fear that even if you gathered everyone in Si Qi, you would still have fewer people than the White Lotus Sect. Do you think we are afraid of you? I wonder why are you feeling so haughty now? I didn't see that side of you when you were bound by someone in the mud!”

The Emperor of Si Qi stood up straight and waved his sleeves. “Hmph! The Emperors are the leaders of all life. We are the ones who brought prosperity to the world! I am the son of the Dragon who carries the fate of the world! Did I ask you to save me last time? Why don’t you leave me alone and let this world lose another division!”

The Second Deity scoffed at him. “Is this how the Emperor of Si Qi acts? Fighting against a little girl?”

“Come on, stop fighting! We can talk it out.” Gao Zhijian and Bai Lingmiao intervened to calm both sides.

After Bai Lingmiao tested the waters with Gao Zhijian about several solutions, she decided to delay the matter a bit. “I need to talk to the elders of my sect since this is very important. We will give you an answer soon.”

After testing both the roundabout and direct route, Bai Lingmiao had a good grasp of the bottom line. Now, she just needed to figure out a way.

“Alright, I must implore Senior Bai to let me know soon.”

Gao Zhijian gulped down his wine when he looked at Bai Lingmiao leaving the hall.

“Liang Kingdom Emperor, do you think she will agree?” the Khan asked.

Gao Zhijian gradually clenched his fists. “It doesn’t matter. What’s more important is the answer of the Heavenly Mater.”

He didn’t want to fight against the White Lotus Sect when they had just dealt with the Dharma Sect. The more dangerous the situation was, the faster the sects would grow.

“The White Lotus Sect is expanding too fast. We need to act now. Even the Antrabhara Temple got in contact with her.”

Gao Zhijian frowned and thought of a solution: “Divide and conquer. While the White Lotus Sect is scary as a massive entity, we won't have to worry about it anymore if we manage to separate it into ten different sects.”

“Do you have a plan to do so? This is not something a regular person could do.”

The four Emperors and Gao Zhijian looked at the Imperial Preceptor, who walked out from the darkness. “We have the Sitting Oblivion Dao.”

Gao Zhijian remembered what the contents of the Emperor’s Art[1] were—it emphasized the duality of things, where each thing had good and bad aspects. Whether something was good or bad depended on how it was used.

“Fine, let’s just stop this today. Dismissed.” The moment Gao Zhijian spoke, the other four Emperors disappeared without a trace.

They had never been in the Liang Kingdom. They were nothing but illusions.

Gao Zhijian stared at Xuan Pin floating up from the ground. “I don't know if you are more like Li Sui or the Chief nowadays. I fear that I might not be using you anymore since we know each other.”

Xuan Pin shook her head. “Lord, please be at ease. I think you’re doing the right thing, and I won’t stop you. Also, this is good news for my mother. This was never her responsibility, and she shouldn’t have to shoulder it. It would be good if someone could take on her mantle.”

“Really? Do you think she won’t hate you for pulling her down from her throne?”

“This was your doing. Even if she were to hold a grudge, she would hold it against you. It has nothing to do with me.”

Gao Zhijian looked at her calmly. “You should know that you won’t be able to stand on the sidelines all the time. Since you are the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau, you will eventually have to clash with her.”

“I will await for that moment. Until then, I will try my best to avoid it.”

1. A book detailing what an Emperor should do ☜

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