"So, you think, it was Auroben's protection, and the merchants' infusion, that led to the degeneration of the sect's leadership?"

"yes."

Zhang added that he didn't think that Aroben and the merchants did this intentionally, but in any case, they were the ones who caused the fall of the Cthulhu Sect.

"Defiance...... Those who dare to stand up and resist are not all heroes. ”

In Zhang Baba's view, there are actually two kinds of people who uphold their beliefs or beliefs and openly stand up against the government.

"One will die, or at least suffer; One will not die and will not suffer. ”

When the price of perseverance is the need to face the blade, the prison and the penal colony, those who dare and can continue to resist must have true bravery and wisdom, such as the great waves of sand, and the killing of foreign people will help such people to purify the ranks and polish their strength; And when persistence comes at no cost, but in exchange for fame and money, such a team will sooner or later be flooded with speculators.

"I think you're talking about Taiping?"

"It's not just Taiping, it's not just Cthulhu."

Probably because he drank too much, Zhang's bare face was red and smelled of alcohol.

"Great real people, Taoism, Buddhism...... Who's not like that? ”

He muttered that he had been in the Daoist Sect for decades, and over the past few decades, he had seen many big names in the three sects, and as for the other thousands of sects, he had seen even more.

"It's all the same there...... The more upward, the fewer people who dare and are willing to be martyred...... People from the Shenxiao Sect...... And those who are in Yijiao, too. ”

If one day, Emperor Dazhong really has to announce that the Buddha is a false religion and wants to destroy the ban, Zhang Barefoot believes that Mingxin will definitely take off his monk's clothes and change his purple clothes as soon as possible, just like the current Tongyuan Shi Qiye Shenjun.

"But what if, Your Majesty announces other orders?"

Drinking until his eyes were blurred, Zhang asked Zhang Yuankong barefoot and said, if Emperor Dazhong announced that the Tao was a false religion, and the prohibition should be destroyed, and those who violated it would be exiled and killed, and by that day, how many people would be able to hold on to their beliefs on Longhu Mountain and even in the world?

"Over the years, Your Majesty has become more and more fond of Daomen, and our momentum has become louder and louder...... But, big man, I'm getting more and more afraid. ”

Because of the emperor's liking, the power of the Daomen is constantly expanding, and the number of believers is also increasing...... But, in Zhang Barefoot's eyes, these did not make him happy, but made him afraid.

"These believers are just like Lu Zhizhang and them...... Just like they are open-minded...... They have no faith, they come for the benefit and benefit, and if one day, His Majesty suddenly changes his mind, they will immediately change his mind. ”

has drunk to the point that he is almost unconscious, the corners of his mouth are constantly drooling, Zhang is barefoot and vigorously holding on to the table to prevent himself from lying down, and his dull eyes have long stopped looking at Zhang Yuankong, but staring at the desktop full of stains.

"But Da Zhenren, you know, what I think is the most ridiculous and funny thing, you know?"

In Wurong City, Taoism does not have many of its own followers to maintain, especially after outsourcing the business of incense to Mingxin, Zhang Barefoot is extremely leisurely. This kind of leisure also gives him a lot of time to think nonsense.

"As I said, I often fantasize that one day, His Majesty no longer likes Lin Lingsu, and he begins to declare that Buddha is the only destination worthy of following and believing, at that time, how many people on Longhu Mountain will stick to their hearts and not be moved by the threat of exile and killing?"

As a result, one day, Zhang Barefoot thought of something even more absurd.

"If, I mean if, Your Majesty, he didn't go that far, he still continued to believe in and like Lin Lingsu. If one day, His Majesty announced that Longhu Mountain was a false Dao and should be managed by Shenxiao, at that time, how many people on Longhu Mountain would stick to their original Dao heart? ”

Without waiting for Zhang Yuankong to speculate on the answer, Zhang waved his hand drunkenly barefoot and said, that answer is actually easy to understand, but it is also very absurd.

"If that day comes...... Up and down Dragon Tiger Mountain, they will unite and fight to the death with the Shenxiao Sect, right? ”

Zhang's barefoot judgment looked completely absurd, but he insisted on this point of view, and waved his arms wildly, completely unaware that alcohol had already begun to splash on Zhang Yuankong's face.

"Anyway, it's a ...... of the truth."

Unable to support it any longer, Zhang fell on the table with his bare feet, but was still muttering unconsciously.

"What matters is not belief or unbelief, but what you gain and what you lose......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking at Zhang Barefoot, who was drunk and unconscious, snorting like thunder, Zhang Yuankong calmly faced and stood up.

"Zhang Weng."

Surprisingly, Zhang Yuankong used a rather respectful salutation, and at the same time bent down towards Zhang's bare feet.

"I don't know if you're drunk or not. I don't know if you want to hear these words to me or to bring them to Master. ”

"Anyway, I heard it, and I remembered it."

"You can rest assured, though."

"There really comes a day, you will see that on Longhu Mountain, we also have people who put faith first and foremost."

Respectfully saluting again, Zhang Yuankong summoned the men and paid enough silver taels to let them take care of Zhang's bare feet. Then, he stood up and walked out.

It wasn't until he was about to walk out of the door that he stopped again, turned around, looked at Zhang's bare feet, who were still lying on the table like a dead dog--- or still twitching his ---, and whispered:

“…… There really comes a day, you will see that on our Longhu Mountain, there are also people who are willing to die for their faith. ”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Master, is this what you want me to see, what you want me to hear?) ）

Walking alone on the streets of Wurong, Zhang Yuankong's mind was always difficult to calm down.

Looking back, for this trip to Wurong, from the very beginning, Zhang Dian behaved very strangely, whether it was a joke-like help, or all kinds of trivial and meticulous advice, especially those detailed arrangements to the head, those about Liu Hong, Aroben, Pu Shougeng, Han Sha...... Until Zhang Barefoot's advice and arrangement, at the beginning, only the three brothers felt that this was the master's worry and meticulousness. It was only now, long after they had entered Wurong, and now that they had dealt with these people one by one, that Zhang Yuankong began to feel that Zhang Dian was far more familiar with the city of Wurong than he thought before.

(Master, he came to Wurong back then.) At that time, what did he see and what did he experience? ）

No, it's not just the experience, Zhang Yuankong suddenly realized so.

Just now, Zhang Yuankong suddenly reacted, the characters introduced by Zhang Dian, their experiences, and their personalities are almost exactly the same as what the three Zhang brothers have seen with their own eyes...... Very wrong!

(Master, he...... Keep your eyes on the city all the time! ）

But...... Why?

Thinking silently, Zhang Yuankong walked alone on the road without people, and after a long time, Fang suddenly became alert.

(Here, is there?) ）

Looking up and seeing the hillside and the trees forming an independent forest, Zhang Yuankong smiled dumbly, and suddenly had curiosity.

(From...... Then be safe! ）

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(It's just a normal banyan tree.) ）

Copying his hands, Zhang Yuankong stood under the banyan tree called the "Immortal Tree", but he just wanted to sneer.

(though...... That's right! ）

The diameter of the main trunk is more than three hugs, and the aerial roots that grow around it cover more than one acre, but even if it is twice as thick as it is, it is more than twice as much, in Zhang Yuankong's view, this is just an ordinary big tree.

(For the sake of this tree, Li Na did not hesitate to make a big move...... Why bother! ）

The first time he saw this "immortal tree" that was covered with countless lights by Jingjiao, but he didn't feel that this tree had any special value, Zhang Yuankong sneered, turned to leave, but met an unexpected old acquaintance.

"Zhang Zhenren?"

"Pope?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unexpectedly met Aroben, which began to make Zhang Yuankong vigilant, but soon, in the face of Aroben's affection and gentleness, he still put down his guard.

Zhang Zhenren...... There are some things I would like you to know. ”

Just like Zhang Yuanhe's judgment, Araben still didn't dare to put the future of Jingjiao on the Safuding and Na Na Na, although he only met Zhang Yuankong by chance, he still showed great joy, and began to try to show him the loyalty of Jingjiao to the emperor and to the whole of Great Xia at the first time.

"In short, Dazhenren, you understand, we Jingjiao have always been loyal to the monarch and patriotic ......"

Aloben was still rambling, but Zhang Yuankong suddenly felt tired--- if it was usual, he wouldn't be like this.

"Your Majesty...... Did it really unleash his majesty into the omnipresent corners? ”

Zhang Chijiao's sneer was admittedly extremely rude and extremely untimely, but there was nothing to do, Zhang Yuankong couldn't let himself not think about those malicious statements, and he couldn't let himself not compare those words with those people he knew.

"That's right, Great Master."

A little rude, Zhang Yuankong interrupted A Luokong's speech and asked him, there was a believer who had invited the fruit of the immortal tree, a person named Du Jixiang, did he know?

"Du Jixiang?"

After thinking for a long time, Aroben hesitated and stretched out his hand, pointed to a certain square area, and told Zhang Yuankong that he really couldn't remember who this was, but if it was a Xia believer, he would probably live in that direction.

"Oh, not necessarily......"

Recalling the "God Buddha and Bodhisattva" that Du Jixiang took out, Zhang Yuankong laughed in his heart, but did not explain, and only told Araben that he had met this person in Wuming.

"Anyway, it's a cause and effect......

Shaking his head, Zhang Yuankong said that since he suddenly thought of this matter, he should visit Du Jixiang's shop to see how this store will be run when the owner is destined to be unable to return here.

"Well, the real man is really kind-hearted."

Nodding with a smile, Aloben said goodbye to Zhang Yuankong, and then, Zhang Yuankong walked for a long time, but he couldn't find out Du Jixiang's whereabouts.

(Fallen here...... It's not something that can be measured by what I've seen before. ）

Walking through one shop after another, but there was no figure of the operator, it was easy to meet one or two shopkeepers who were still insisting, but they couldn't ask the answer of "who is Du Jixiang", and in the end, Zhang Yuankong had no choice but to withdraw from the square where the Xia merchants gathered.

…… It was getting late.

Watching the sun slowly set, Zhang Yuankong frowned, but he couldn't decide the direction of the next step.

(Today, there is no valuable information, so is it also considered "spying"?) ）

…… Then, Zhang Yuankong saw that the fire was burning.