Chapter 309: Chapter 264 Perilous Situation
Still too young.
Faith Cultivation Cardinal sipped his tea, savoring the sweet taste as it rolled across his tongue, completely unconcerned with the anxious expressions on Yu Feiyu and Shangguan Yangyao’s faces as they left.
Nowadays, the youth of Taihao Mountain always made a fuss over small matters, treating the Academic Palace and Natural Science as formidable enemies. Whenever Natural Science made a breakthrough, they acted as if the sky were falling.
A thousand years ago, scholars observed the heavens and noticed a star had vanished, refuting Taihao Mountain’s ancient texts about the unchanging nature of the stars.
Four hundred years ago, ships from Sui Country returned from the deepest parts of the Endless Sea. They refuted Taihao Mountain’s claim that "the Endless Sea is an insurmountable barrier set for humanity."
Two hundred years ago, Doctor Su Zi of the Academic Palace, with his great Cultivation, crossed tens of thousands of feet of Gang Wind. He brought back the phrase "nothing lies beyond the heavens," overturning the long-held belief in the Pure Land.
To some, each new discovery was a grave crisis for Taihao Mountain. But in a thousand years, has Taihao Mountain’s status ever truly been shaken?
Households still offered Tribute to the Heavenly Bell, and every town and city worshiped the Haotian Bell. The number of Haotian Taoist Temples still far exceeded the total number of all other religious monasteries combined.
Natural Science was not the flame that would destroy Taihao Mountain. On the contrary, as the leader of Taihao Mountain’s scriptural compilation, Faith Cultivation Cardinal had recognized something very early on: only complacency would destroy Taihao Mountain.
If we could demolish Yu Country in one fell swoop, eradicate the Academic Palace, and burn all Natural Science texts, using great terror to deter everyone under heaven from thinking or exploring, then, of course, Taihao Mountain’s eternal peace could be preserved.
It’s just not possible, though.
Faith Cultivation Cardinal muttered to himself, lifting his cup and gazing into the crystal-clear, amber-colored tea.
The Haotian faith was born in an era when gods and humans coexisted, a time when Alien beings roamed free and countless demons plagued the land. Humans cowered in villages and towns, fearful of darkness and the unknown. Each night, they lived with the fear of not seeing the morning light.
It was the prophets of Taihao Mountain who spread the faith throughout the land. People embraced and followed the doctrines of the Haotian Sect, built Haotian Temples, and offered Tribute to the Haotian Bell. Step by step, they drove out the demons and monsters, confining them to the barbaric forests and mountains.
Taihao Mountain was originally established to shepherd the people for Haotian, to protect Haotian’s believers. However, as time passed, some grew accustomed to their high positions and craved power. They began to treat the shepherding responsibility bestowed by Haotian as their own inherent right.
Rather than fearing Natural Science as a threat to Taihao Mountain, they instinctively feared it as a threat to their own authority. They feared Taihao Mountain losing its prestige, feared falling from power, feared their descendants being unable to rely on Taihao Mountain.
If the younger generation unconsciously adopted such thinking in this strange atmosphere, it was somewhat excusable. But some elders of Taihao Mountain, including Faith Cultivation Cardinal’s own colleagues and subordinates—they too had climbed to their current positions by stepping on others in fierce competition. They should understand the subtle difference between "shepherding for Haotian" and "shepherding in Haotian’s name," yet they remained so stubborn, so conservative, so... hypocritical.
They lack the ability to change the status quo and the courage to face the truth.
The people of Taihao Mountain also used clocks, ate grain grown with the Academic Palace’s agricultural techniques, and wore fine silks woven with Academic Palace technology.
Just as history had proven countless times, medicine to cure malaria won’t change Taihao Mountain’s position. The true threat to the Haotian faith lies not in Yu Country, nor in the Academic Palace, but within Taihao Mountain itself.
Faith Cultivation Cardinal casually pondered these forbidden topics. Even a single sentence of what he had just thought, if spoken aloud, could unleash a bloody storm within Taihao Mountain.
Having risen from the son of a humble pastoral farmer to the rank of cardinal, he firmly believed Haotian had chosen him, bestowing upon him a great mission guided by fate.
But it wasn’t enough.
To bring about change, he had to ascend beyond the rank of cardinal to the position of Head of the Sect.
The Head of the Sect... what on earth is he thinking...
Faith Cultivation Cardinal reminisced about that man, whose age was impenetrable and Cultivation inscrutable, unconsciously furrowing his brows.
CRACK.
The teacup on the table shattered inexplicably, interrupting Faith Cultivation Cardinal’s thoughts. He looked down at the trembling porcelain fragments. This was Nanzhou White Porcelain, the type he favored most. Crafted from the finest clay powder, its walls were exceedingly thin and adorned with beautiful crazing; such cups occasionally shattered on their own.
Faith Cultivation Cardinal instinctively wanted to use Divine Arts to obliterate the shattered porcelain into ash. But as he raised his hand, a thought struck him, and he found himself performing the Divination Technique he had learned as an apprentice many years ago.
Marsh over Water, signifying Entrapment. Danger?
Faith Cultivation Cardinal looked at the result of the divination, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Chang’an City was the greatest fortress city under heaven, filled with countless Prohibitions and Arrays. Guarded by both the garrison and the Academic Palace, it couldn’t be safer. And he himself was a top-tier Cultivator of the Candle Cloud Realm.
Does this ominous trigram refer to me, someone close to me, or perhaps Chang’an City, or even Taihao Mountain?
————
DONG! DONG! DONG—
With the tolling of the Haotian Bell, the afternoon classes at the Academic Palace came to an end.
Li Ang packed up the national history textbook and notes on his desk; catching up on three months of classes in such a short period was a real headache. National history was an incredibly text-heavy subject, and Dr. Wang Wenlun, a Great Scholar from Yu Country who taught the course, never allowed students to cut corners.
Looks like I’ll have to take it home and burn the midnight oil to catch up.
Li Ang sighed. Since returning to Chang’an, he hadn’t had many nights of peaceful sleep. If this keeps up, I’ll have to visit the agricultural doctor and see if I can get some special herbs to aid sleep and improve its efficiency.
"Risheng! Let’s go!"
Li Wei rolled up his books in a flash, slapped Li Ang on the shoulder, and dashed towards the classroom door. "The arena competition is about to start!"
"Is there such a hurry?"
Li Ang shook his head helplessly. Only students of the Rain Listening and Cloud Patrol Realms could participate in the arena competition. Li Wei and his friends weren’t even qualified to sign up; they were just going to watch the excitement.
"We’ll have no seats if we’re late."
Yang Yu also packed up his textbooks and hurried toward the door. The Academic Palace had no such thing as saving seats with earmuffs; at the Martial Arts Arena, it was first come, first served.
It wasn’t just the two of them; the whole supervision building echoed with the sound of hurried footsteps. Even Dou Chi and his group on the other side of the classroom hastily packed their textbooks and rushed out, flocking around Pei Jing.
"See you tomorrow, Dr. Wen Lun."
Pei Jing politely bid farewell to Dr. Wang Wenlun. Before leaving, he deliberately glanced at Li Ang and gave him a slight nod.
"Hmm?"
Puzzled, Li Ang listened as Yang Yu, beside him, explained with a smirk, "Pei Jing is in the Rain Listening Realm now. Among the Zaiqian third-year students, he’s second only to He Fanshuang. He signed up for the arena competition. He’s telling you to hurry up with your Cultivation so you don’t tarnish the reputation of the top three from the Zaiqian third year at the Academic Palace."
You’re reading way too much into a single glance.
Li Ang smiled and shook his head. After witnessing the Suzhou Water Poison, such youthful squabbles seem so petty. "He’s in the Rain Listening Realm too, huh? That’s pretty fast," he remarked. "Let’s go as well."