37: Pen and sword are sharp edges, law and reason are the blade.

Ten days after the official document was issued, the first plenary meeting of the "Yuntai Mountain Eco-Cultural Tourism Zone Development and Construction Leading Group" was held in the executive conference room of the county government.

The meeting lasted from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon.

On the projection screen, frames of renderings flashed by: a glass-walled visitor center, a spiraling sightseeing cableway, a brightly lit "Dao Culture Experience Hall"... each image was marked with investment estimates and return cycles.

The Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau held a laser pointer, speaking with great emotion: "...We have calculated that as long as Li Muchen is willing to cooperate, with his current status as an 'internet celebrity Daoist,' he can bring at least three million in direct traffic value to the scenic area every year. If he can regularly hold health lectures and prayer ceremonies, this number could even double."

"What if he doesn't cooperate?" the Vice County Magistrate in charge of Political and Legal Affairs asked, tapping on the table.

The conference room went silent for a moment.

The Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau took over the conversation: "According to Article 23 of the 'Regulations on Religious Affairs,' religious activity sites should establish and improve management systems for personnel, finance, and safety. If the personnel residing at the temple do not cooperate with management, the Daoist Association has the right to propose adjustment suggestions."

He paused and added: "The land nature of Qingfeng Temple is collective construction land, and the buildings are historical religious real estate. Legally speaking, Daoist Master Li only has the right of use, not the right of ownership."

"Then what are we waiting for?" The representative of the development company was a lean middle-aged man named Mr. Qian, who spoke with a Jiangsu-Zhejiang accent. "Follow the procedures. Use diplomacy before force—send him a written notice and set a deadline for rectification. If he doesn't cooperate by the deadline, replace whoever needs to be replaced and take back the management rights that need to be taken back."

"Mr. Qian makes it sound easy," United Front Work Department Minister Zhou Mingde said with a bitter smile. "That person is no ordinary Daoist. Last time I went up the mountain, I took Daoist Master Liu with me, and he didn't buy into that at all."

"No matter how powerful he is, he's still a Daoist," the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee tapped his cigarette ash. "We live in a society ruled by law now. As long as the procedures are legal, can he still oppose the law?"

The County Magistrate had been silent, but now he finally spoke: "Old Zhou, you take the lead. Form a task force with the Religious Affairs Bureau, the Bureau of Justice, and Legal Advisors. Within three days, come up with a complete set of legal procedure plans. Remember, the procedures must be legal and impeccable."

He looked around at everyone, his tone gradually darkening: "The development of Yuntai Mountain is the county's number one project this year; it can only succeed, not fail. If certain individuals truly fail to see the big picture... then we will handle it according to the law."

After the meeting adjourned, Zhou Mingde caught up with the Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau in the corridor: "Old Wu, about this matter... I always feel uneasy in my heart."

The Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau patted his shoulder: "Minister Zhou, you're overthinking it. We're acting according to the law; he's just a Daoist, what kind of waves can he possibly make? Besides, if we really get serious, the paperwork for his temple isn't even complete—has the fire safety inspection been done? Is there a safety assessment report? What about the hygiene permit?"

The two looked at each other, both seeing something tacitly understood in the other's eyes.

Three days later, a "Notice Ordering Rectification of Safety Hazards at Qingfeng Temple Within a Specified Time Limit" was jointly issued by the County Religious Affairs Bureau, the Fire Brigade, and the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau.

The document listed seven "safety hazards":

1. The architectural structure of the Main Hall is aging, posing a risk of collapse;

2. Lack of fire safety facilities, with no fire extinguishers provided;

3. Aging electrical wiring with illegal and messy connections;

4. Evacuation passages are blocked by debris;

5. No food safety management measures (referring to the tea provided to pilgrims);

6. No hygiene and epidemic prevention plan;

7. No safety inspection system established.

The rectification was ordered to be completed within fifteen days. If it was not rectified or failed to meet standards by the deadline, "further measures would be taken according to the law."

The day the document was delivered was a cloudy and rainy day.

Two young cadres from the Religious Affairs Bureau climbed the slippery mountain path under umbrellas and personally handed the document to Li Muchen.

"Daoist Master Li, this is an official document. Please sign for it." The young man in the lead was very polite, but his tone allowed no refusal.

Li Muchen took the document, glanced at it, and his expression remained calm: "Thank you both for your trouble."

He didn't sign it, nor did he ask any questions. He simply placed the document on the altar and continued to interpret fortune sticks for the pilgrims.

The two cadres stood frozen on the spot, unsure whether to leave or stay. Finally, they went back down the mountain dejectedly and reported to their superiors: "He won't sign, and he won't take a stance."

Another three days passed, and the second document was delivered.

This time it was the "Notice on Launching a Special Action for the Standardized Management of Religious Activity Sites," requiring all religious sites in the county to undergo "Four Standardizations": standardized personnel management, standardized financial management, standardized activity management, and standardized safety management.

Attached was a "Qualification Review Form for Personnel Residing at Religious Activity Sites," which required Li Muchen to fill in more than twenty items including his personal resume, Daoist education background, and health status, and to attach copies of his ID card, Daoist certificate, and health certificate.

"This is to get to the bottom of things," the town's Legal Advisor analyzed for Zhou Mingde over the phone. "As long as he fills out the form, it's equivalent to recognizing the Daoist Association's management rights. If he doesn't fill it out, it's a refusal to cooperate with management, and we can initiate the next step of the procedure."

"He definitely won't fill it out," Zhou Mingde said.

Sure enough, the form sat on the altar for three days, and Li Muchen didn't even look at it.

On the fourth day, the third document arrived.

This was a "Notice on Convening a Coordination Meeting Regarding the Management and Ownership of Qingfeng Temple," jointly issued by the County Daoist Association, the Religious Affairs Bureau, and the Yuntai Town Government. The meeting was scheduled to be held in five days in the conference room of the County Daoist Association, requiring Li Muchen to "attend on time" and "bring relevant property rights certification documents."

There was a line of small print at the bottom of the notice: "Failure to attend without a valid reason will be regarded as a voluntary waiver of the right to make statements and defenses."

This time, the ones delivering the document were the Town Party Committee Deputy Secretary and the Deputy Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau—the lineup had been upgraded.

Li Muchen took the notice and glanced at the date: "Fu Sheng Wu Liang. If I am free at that time, this humble Daoist shall naturally go."

These words were vague—was he going or not? He didn't say for sure.

The Deputy Secretary wanted to say more, but Li Muchen had already turned and walked toward the ancient cypress tree, where several pilgrims were waiting for him.

The two looked at each other and had no choice but to go down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, the public opinion battlefield was also opened simultaneously.

Several posts suddenly popped up on local forums:

"Revealing the Business Secrets Behind the Internet Celebrity Daoist: A Bottle of Well Water Sells for Fifty, Earning Millions a Year is Not a Dream"

"Is it Pure Cultivation or Land Grabbing? Uncovering the 'Mysterious' Background of Qingfeng Temple"

"Moral Kidnapping? Why Should a Daoist Hinder the Development of the Entire County?"

The posts were written very skillfully, not mentioning Li Muchen's saving of people, but only talking about the well water charges and tourist tips, implying he was using religion to amass wealth. The comment section was soon occupied by internet trolls, unanimously accusing him of being "greedy" and "hindering development."

When Zhao Xiaowen saw the posts, she was so angry she threw her mouse in her room. She immediately wrote an article to refute them, posting the original footage she had filmed to prove that Li Muchen had never actively charged fees. But her post was quickly buried, and her account even received a warning via private message: "Little girl, don't meddle in things that aren't your business."

What chilled her heart even more was the attitude of the villagers.

That day, she went to the small shop to buy things and heard several villagers discussing:

"If you ask me, the Abbot should also back down. The government has already issued documents; can he still hold out?"

"Exactly. I didn't think so before, but thinking about it now, that well water really should be charged for—why give it to outsiders for free?"

"I heard from Widow Wang that the Abbot has gold bars hidden under his bed..."

Zhao Xiaowen couldn't take it anymore and rushed in: "What nonsense are you talking about! When has Daoist Master Li ever taken money? Last year when Zhao Xiaoshan was injured, it was the Abbot who saved him!"

The villagers dispersed sheepishly.

Zhao Xiaowen stood there, her whole body feeling cold.

In the face of interests, people's hearts changed too quickly.

Up on the mountain, Li Muchen seemed completely unaware of these sharp articles and public opinion offensives.

He still performed his morning and evening lessons, swept the grounds, and received guests every day. It was just that on the altar in the guest hall, those three documents were piling higher and higher, like a small mountain of paper.

This evening, after the last batch of pilgrims went down the mountain, Zhao Desheng secretly slipped up the mountain.

The old man carried a basket of eggs and hesitated outside the hall for a long time before daring to enter.

"Abbot..." his voice trembled, "Down the mountain... the rumors down the mountain are very nasty. They say... they say you're going to be arrested."

Li Muchen was wiping a statue. Hearing this, he turned his head and smiled slightly: "Layman Zhao, rumors stop at the wise."

"But those documents..."

"They are but a few pieces of paper." Li Muchen put down the rag, walked to the altar, and lightly brushed those official documents with his fingers. "They want to use rules to frame the temple and clauses to define cultivation. Yet they do not know..."

He raised his hand, palm upward.

There was no wind in the hall, but those documents suddenly rustled, and the pages turned automatically. The "Rectification Notice" on the very top floated up, suspended in mid-air.

Zhao Desheng's eyes widened.

He saw the printed words on the paper actually begin to slowly fade and blur, as if being erased by an invisible eraser. In just a few breaths, the entire sheet of paper became completely blank, with only the bright red official seal still stamped there.

Then, even the official seal gradually faded away.

The blank paper drifted down, and Li Muchen reached out to catch it.

"Look," he handed the blank paper to Zhao Desheng, "Rules are set by people, so they can be erased by people. But the Dao..."

He pointed to the ancient cypress tree outside the hall, the distant mountains, and the flowing clouds in the twilight: "It is there, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither arising nor ceasing."

Zhao Desheng held that blank piece of paper, his hands shaking.

"Go back, Layman Zhao." Li Muchen patted his shoulder. "Tell them that I will go to that meeting in five days. Tell them to invite all the people they should invite and prepare all the words they should say."

He paused, his voice calm yet every word like a hammer:

"Since they want to talk about rules, then this humble Daoist will accompany them and have a good talk about the rules of heaven and earth."

When Zhao Desheng went down the mountain, it was already pitch black.

He looked back, and the temple on the mountain peak was just a speck of dim yellow lamplight in the night.

That lamplight was weak yet steady in the heavy darkness, as if it would never go out.

The old man suddenly remembered Li Muchen's last words—"the rules of heaven and earth."

He didn't understand what the rules of heaven and earth were.

But he knew that some people and some things could not be framed by a few pieces of paper or a few regulations.

Just like that mountain, that temple, and that person.

They have been there for thousands of years.

Unchanged by wind and rain, unharmed by pens and blades.

The mountain wind blew, bringing the clamor from the distant town—there, people were still discussing development, investment, and dividends.

But on the mountain, there was only a single lamp like a bean, silent as antiquity.

Zhao Desheng tightened his coat and quickened his pace.

Five days later, in the county town.

That meeting was destined not to be peaceful.