38: Debate in the main hall, a battle of wits with the scholars

Five days later, morning.

The meeting room of the County Daoist Association was located on the third floor of an old-fashioned office building. A long mahogany table could seat over twenty people. It was not yet nine o'clock in the morning, but everyone had arrived.

On one side of the long table sat the government representatives: Zhou Mingde in the center, flanked by the Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau, the Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, the Deputy Director of the Judicial Bureau, a Legal Advisor, and a recorder. Opposite them was the Daoist Association side: President Liu in the center, with several Old Daoist Masters seated on either side. Two seats at the far end were intentionally left empty—they were reserved for Li Muchen and the village representative.

The atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

Zhou Mingde checked his watch: exactly nine o'clock.

The doorway was empty.

"Wait a little longer," President Liu said, slowly taking a sip of tea.

At 9:05 AM, footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The door opened, and Li Muchen stepped inside.

He wasn't wearing his moon-white Daoist robe today, but a set of blue cloth Daoist clothes that had been washed until they were pale. He looked as simple as an ordinary wandering Daoist priest. Yet, when he stepped into the meeting room, everyone instinctively sat up straighter.

It was an invisible aura—not of majesty or oppression, but a kind of presence as calm as a deep abyss, causing the noisy meeting room to fall silent instantly.

Zhao Desheng followed behind him. The old man had clearly never experienced such a scene, and he didn't even know where to put his hands and feet.

"My apologies, the mountain path is difficult to travel, so I am a few minutes late." Li Muchen performed a Daoist salute, his voice calm.

"No matter, no matter." Zhou Mingde stood up to welcome him, a beaming smile on his face. "Daoist Master Li, please take a seat."

Li Muchen sat at the end of the table. Zhao Desheng sat next to him, not daring to lift his head.

The meeting began.

Zhou Mingde gave the opening speech first. He spoke for twenty minutes, ranging from national religious policies to the overall situation of local development, and from cultural Legacy to poverty alleviation. Finally, he got to the point:

"...Therefore, the county has decided to develop Yuntai Mountain. This is a great thing that benefits the country and the people. As a core cultural resource, Qingfeng Temple should naturally be integrated into the overall development. We invited Daoist Master Li today because we want to hear your thoughts so we can discuss a plan that satisfies both parties."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Muchen.

The eyes of everyone in the room focused on him.

Li Muchen looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone before landing on Zhou Mingde's face. "Minister Zhou, this humble Daoist received the documents. The rectification notice, the qualification audit, and today's meeting are all for the sake of the word 'standardization'."

He paused. "This humble Daoist only asks one thing—is this standardization for the sake of protecting the Dao, or for development?"

The question went straight to the core.

Zhou Mingde's smile remained unchanged. "Daoist Master Li, protecting the Dao and development are not contradictory. Standardized management is to allow the temple to pass on its Legacy better, and development is to allow more people to understand Daoist culture..."

"Then please standardize the development first," Li Muchen interrupted him. "Within thirty miles of Yuntai Mountain, there are 173 ancient trees, 42 types of rare herbs, and seven ancient paths over a century old. If you want to develop, please first make a public announcement: will these trees be preserved? Will these herbs be kept? Will these ancient paths be repaired?"

His tone was calm, yet every word was clear. "If it is for development, you destroy mountains, fell trees, and build roads and bridges—is this standardization? If it is to protect the Dao, where peace and quiet are the foundation and the Dao follows nature, then why is there a need for cable cars crossing the sky and crowds of tourists?"

The meeting room was silent.

The Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau couldn't help but speak up: "Daoist Master Li, development always requires some trade-offs..."

"Trade-offs?" Li Muchen looked at him. "What is gained is economic benefit, and what is discarded is a century of peace. For this trade-off, have you asked the mountains, the trees, or the Ancestral Masters of past generations?"

The Deputy Director of the Judicial Bureau pushed up his glasses. "Daoist Master Li, legally speaking, the land resources of Yuntai Mountain belong to the state, and development follows legal procedures..."

"Beyond legal principles, there are still heavenly principles." Li Muchen looked at him. "The 'Dao De Jing' says: 'Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.' If development violates nature, it is against heavenly principles. For those who go against heavenly principles, even if they have ten thousand laws, how long can they be protected?"

These words were too heavy.

The Legal Advisor's face darkened. "Daoist Master Li, are you questioning the laws of the country?"

"This humble Daoist would not dare." Li Muchen shook his head slightly. "I am merely reminding you all: laws are set by men and can be revised or changed; the Dao is set by Heaven and remains eternal. Today you use the law to suppress the Dao, but when the Heavenly Dao Reincarnation comes in the future, what will you do then?"

The temperature in the meeting room dropped sharply.

President Liu suddenly coughed lightly, breaking the deadlock. "Daoist Master Li, what you say is reasonable. But there is a practical problem at hand—the people at the foot of the mountain need to eat. You may keep your peace, but have you ever thought about those fellow villagers who hope to escape poverty?"

These words struck a vital point.

Everyone's gaze focused once more.

Li Muchen was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Does President Liu know why Qingfeng Temple has been able to survive for a hundred years?"

Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Because it coexists with the mountain and helps the people. When the temple is in trouble, the villagers help; when there is a disaster in the village, the temple provides relief. This is symbiosis, not mutual harm."

He looked at Zhao Desheng. "Layman Zhao, when the village flooded last year and the temple's well water overflowed, did this humble Daoist ever charge a single cent?"

Zhao Desheng suddenly looked up, his eyes turning red. "No... No!"

"In the past half year, when villagers came to the temple for medical treatment and medicine, did this humble Daoist ever charge a consultation fee?"

"No! None at all!" Zhao Desheng's voice choked. "The Abbot even often subsidizes the cost of the medicine..."

Li Muchen withdrew his gaze and looked at President Liu. "This is the duty of the temple and the villagers—to watch over and help each other, each fulfilling their own responsibilities. It is not like today, where in the name of development, an act of kidnapping is carried out: using the villagers' livelihoods to force the temple to submit; using the temple's peace to exchange for development dividends."

He stood up, his blue cloth Daoist clothes moving despite the lack of wind.

"If it is truly for the people, please repair the village roads, build the schoolhouses, and manage the illnesses of the elderly. Do not turn a century-old place of quiet cultivation into a cash cow, and then call it 'bringing wealth to the region'!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it made the meeting room hum.

Zhou Mingde's face turned ashen, and he suddenly slammed the table. "Li Muchen! You are openly defying the government's decision!"

"What this humble Daoist defies is not the government." Li Muchen looked directly at him. "It is the heart of certain people who use public office for private gain and seek quick success and instant benefits!"

"You..." Zhou Mingde was so angry his fingers trembled.

"Minister Zhou, please calm down." President Liu smoothed things over again and turned to Li Muchen, his tone earnest. "Daoist Master Li, what you say is reasonable. But the general trend is such that an individual ultimately cannot go against the tide. Why not each take a step back—the temple will still be presided over by you, but it will be included in the unified management of the scenic area. You can take an advisory position and enjoy the benefits. This way, the temple can be preserved and the people can benefit. Isn't that a win-win?"

The Old Daoist's words were beautiful, but in reality, they were still forcing him to compromise.

Li Muchen looked at President Liu and suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, yet it carried a deep sense of pity. "President Liu, you have cultivated the Dao for sixty years. Do you still remember why you entered the Dao in the first place?"

President Liu was taken aback.

"If it were for fame and fortune, why not enter the secular world and do business? If it were for power, why not enter politics and become an official?" Li Muchen's voice grew deeper. "Since you have entered the gates of the Dao, you should maintain peace and quiet. Today you advise me to compromise. If everyone in the Daoist sect compromises in the future, will this Dao still be cultivated? Will this Dharma still be passed on?"

President Liu opened his mouth but was left speechless.

The meeting room fell into a dead silence.

Only the wall clock ticked away.

After a long time, Li Muchen turned to face everyone, speaking word by word.

"As for today's meeting, this humble Daoist already understands your intentions. If you are determined to proceed with the development, I cannot stop you. But every blade of grass, every tree, every brick, and every tile of Qingfeng Temple is tied to the lineage of the Dao. If anyone dares to touch them..."

He paused, his gaze like lightning.

"...then please step over this humble Daoist, step over this century-old temple, and step over the mountain soul and ley lines of this Yuntai Mountain."

After saying this, he performed a salute. "May the blessings be limitless. Farewell."

He actually didn't wait for the meeting to end and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Zhao Desheng hurriedly stood up to follow.

In the meeting room, over twenty people looked at each other in dismay, and no one dared to stop him.

In the hallway, the sound of footsteps grew distant.

Zhou Mingde's face was ashen. He grabbed his teacup, wanting to smash it, but forced himself to hold back.

"Too arrogant!" The Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau slammed the table and stood up. "A Daoist priest, arrogant beyond limits!"

"Young people are full of vigor," President Liu sighed. "What a pity for such Daoist talent."

The Legal Advisor pushed up his glasses. "Minister Zhou, since communication has been ineffective, we can only follow the procedures. I suggest immediately launching the 'Rectification and Acceptance Procedure for Safety Hazards in Religious Venues'. If he does not cooperate, we will take measures according to the law."

Zhou Mingde took a deep breath and looked out the window.

Downstairs, Li Muchen and Zhao Desheng were walking out of the courtyard. The back of the blue cloth Daoist clothes was as straight as a pine tree in the sunlight.

"Then... let's follow the procedures." He withdrew his gaze, his voice cold. "Notify all departments to proceed according to the original plan. I want to see how long he can hold out."

After the meeting adjourned, everyone left one after another.

President Liu was the last to stand up and walk to the window.

Downstairs was already empty, with only sunlight all over the ground, dazzling the eyes.

The Old Daoist looked at the empty street and murmured to himself.

"A Dao Heart as firm as iron—is it a blessing or a curse..."

The wind blew, swirling a few fallen leaves.

The leaves spun in the air, drifting and wandering, not knowing where they would land.

On the way back to the mountain, Zhao Desheng remained silent the whole way.

When they were almost at the foot of the mountain, he finally couldn't help but say, "Abbot, today... you've offended them all."

Li Muchen didn't stop his pace. "If I didn't offend them, would they have stopped?"

"No." The old man smiled bitterly. "But this way... there's even less of a way out."

"A way out?" Li Muchen stopped and turned to look toward the mountain peak.

The temple was faintly visible in the clouds and mist.

"Layman Zhao, do you know why the temple was built on the mountain peak?"

Zhao Desheng shook his head.

"Because there is no way back on the mountain peak." Li Muchen's voice was distant. "A cliff in front and an abyss behind; only by moving forward with one heart can one reach the top. Cultivation is like this, and protecting the Dao is also like this."

He turned and continued up the mountain.

"Since there is no way back, then there is no need to retreat. Let them come, let the wind and rain come."

"I want to see if the pens and knives of this secular world can cut through the Dao in the mountains."

The mountain wind rose suddenly, blowing the blue cloth Daoist clothes.

That back on the steep mountain path moved step by step, as steady as a mountain.