Chapter 69 Gathering of All Parties

At the same time, many people were visiting Chang'an at this moment.

This included the Master and Disciple of Nestorianism and the Master and Disciple of the Jingming Sect, who had interacted with Jiang Chen at the very beginning.

Besides them, there were the ninth Disciple of the current leader of the Way of the Celestial Masters on Mount Longhu, as well as the elders of their sect.

Additionally, famous Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries from various regions had all sent people to come.

At this moment, a young monk followed an elderly monk into Chang'an City.

"Wow, Master, Chang'an is too prosperous, it's much more prosperous than our Guangzhou."

"Amitabha, all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and like lightning. Thus should one perceive them." The old monk merely admonished him with a single sentence.

The young monk immediately pressed his palms together and bowed to the old monk: "Yes, Master, I know I was wrong."

"Jianzhen, you are the most outstanding successor of our Vinaya School in this generation. Although you have experienced worldly affairs, you are still able to maintain a heart of innocence, which is rare and commendable. This time, the Saint has extended an invitation. If we are to expound the true meaning of Buddhism, we certainly cannot fall behind the Chan School."

"Master, why must we fight with the Chan School? We are all monks, can't we just get along well?"

Master Shi Daoan looked mournful and recited, "Amitabha, what a sin, what a sin."

"Jianzhen, you must remember, this is a conflict of the Dao. Our Vinaya School and the Chan School have different principles, so it is inevitable that we will be like water and fire, unable to coexist."

"Yes, Master, Jianzhen will remember." Although Jianzhen understood, deep down, he was unwilling to fight with others.

"This time, the banquet held by the Saint will not only feature the arrival of both the Vinaya School and Chan School, but there will also be Fellow Daoists from Mount Longhu, and even the direct Disciple of the Immortal Master of the Maoshan Sect will come."

"Although the conflict between Daoism and Buddhism has been long-standing, it has always been the Chan School fighting with the Daoist sects. Our Vinaya School does not get involved in such conflicts. If we can befriend the Maoshan Sect Disciple this time, it will be beneficial and harmless to our Vinaya School."

Master Shi Daoan continued to instruct Jianzhen. Jianzhen frowned slightly; he always felt that befriending others with such an agenda did not align with the true meaning of Buddhism, and besides...

"Master, I do not yet know what kind of person this Maoshan Sect Disciple is. If he is the type who acts recklessly and is full of evil, please forgive this Disciple for being unable to do so."

"Sigh." Master Shi Daoan sighed slightly. Although he wanted to strengthen the Vinaya School, he did not truly want to exploit his own Disciple.

Seeing that his Disciple was unwilling, he did not force him. Everything follows the law of karma.

On the other side, the Disciples of the Way of the Celestial Masters from Mount Longhu also entered Chang'an City through another gate.

"Gaoxian, the newly ordained Disciple of the Immortal Master of the Maoshan Sect will also come to Chang'an this time."

"The day he was ordained, he attracted the attention of the world and stole the limelight. Do you have the confidence to suppress his prestige?"

Zhang Huaiyi, a high-ranking priest of the Way of the Celestial Masters, asked.

"Junior Martial Uncle, rest assured. He is merely an ordinary person who has been ordained for less than a month. Even if his talent is high, how can he compare to my twenty years of bitter cultivation?" Zhang Gaoxian responded confidently.

Zhang Huaiyi also nodded in agreement, although this Disciple was the successor of his Revered Master, Zhang Ciyu, across generations.

Usually, he was proclaimed to the outside world as the ninth Disciple of the Revered Master, but in terms of seniority, he usually addressed the Revered Master's other Disciples as Junior Martial Uncle.

In terms of age, the Revered Master was even older than Grand Master Sima Chengzhen, but his cultivation was far inferior to Grand Master Sima Chengzhen. Now that he was over two hundred years old, his Lifespan was likely coming to an end.

Previously, he had not established the next leader of the Way of the Celestial Masters, until he accepted this ninth Disciple, who was Zhang Gaoxian, through the rites of a cross-generational successor.

The Revered Master poured more effort into the Junior Brother than all the other eight of them combined.

Of course, they had no resentment; regardless, Zhang Gaoxian was one of their own.

"Your cultivation progress is indeed remarkably fast; you have already reached the Late Stage of Mystic Light. I fear that in a few more years, you will be able to ascend to the Life Wheel."

At Zhang Gaoxian's age of under 30, having this level of cultivation was indeed very impressive.

"You are the youngest Disciple of our leader on Mount Longhu, and that Great True Lord Xuanyi is also the youngest Disciple of the Maoshan Sect leader. If you can suppress him, the Luck of our Mount Longhu will surely flourish from now on!"

Zhang Huaiyi had already imagined the prosperous state of Mount Longhu twenty years from now.

"This time, Your Majesty likely also implies this meaning." Zhang Huaiyi said again, meaningfully.

"Junior Martial Uncle, that can't be, why do you say that?" Zhang Gaoxian asked in surprise.

"Although the Saint and Princess Yuzhen both respect Grand Master Sima Chengzhen with the rites of a Disciple, the Maoshan Sect's influence has been too vast in recent years. There are even rumors in the mysterious world that Grand Master Sima Chengzhen is the self-evident State Preceptor of the Great Tang. Tell me, how could the Saint tolerate this?"

Zhang Gaoxian was full of confidence: "Junior Martial Uncle, please rest assured. If the Saint sets up a test, I will definitely take first place!"

"Indeed, in recent years, the Buddhist sect has weakened. Ever since Master Xuanzang failed to forcefully gather his Primordial Spirit and followed the Empress in passing away, the Buddhist sect has had no outstanding figures; they actually have to rely on three lamas to save face!"

"This time, our Mount Longhu is bound to shine brightly at this Mid-Autumn Feast!"

...

Jiang Chen and Princess Yuzhen walked to a quiet and elegant pavilion.

The surrounding servants had already dispersed, and the two sat on the floor.

Princess Yuzhen personally poured a cup of tea for Jiang Chen.

If it were an ordinary person, they would certainly be flattered, but Jiang Chen knew that Princess Yuzhen was a person who wore layers upon layers of masks, and her personality was ever-changing, so he naturally would not be influenced by her.

Princess Yuzhen parted her lips slightly and said softly: "Taste this. This is imperial tribute tea, produced in Yazhou, hailed by the locals as Immortal tea, said to allow one to perceive the Concept of an Immortal upon tasting it."

"Perceiving the Concept of an Immortal is nothing but a joke. Immortals are merely practitioners with a higher cultivation Realm. If the Heavenly Court were still around today, what would be difficult about my Revered Master achieving Ascension and becoming an Immortal Lord?"

Princess Yuzhen's composure almost broke; she smiled slightly, said nothing more, and just lowered her head to sip her tea.

Why does this Grand Master Sima Chengzhen only take in such blockheaded Disciples? I say a few pleasant words, can't you just play along? You have to undermine me.

Jiang Chen was sipping the tea; it tasted no different from the jasmine tea he usually drank. Could it be that Princess Yuzhen was reluctant to part with the tribute tea and was fobbing him off with a fake?

She was, after all, a princess of a nation; she shouldn't do something so tacky, right?

Just as he lowered his head to drink tea, he heard Princess Yuzhen's words again.

"Junior Brother, I wonder what congratulatory gift you have prepared for my Imperial Brother for this Mid-Autumn Feast?"

Jiang Chen raised his head, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.

"I have to present a gift?"

Princess Yuzhen showed "surprise."

"Could it be that Junior Brother has not prepared a congratulatory gift for my Imperial Brother?"

No one had told him before that he had to give a gift.

Jiang Chen said righteously: "How could I not? I have already prepared a congratulatory gift for Your Majesty."

It seems the Mirage Pearl he had just acquired would have to be given away.

The Mirage Pearl was quite useful, easily seeing through Princess Yuzhen's illusions.

Come to think of it, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang shouldn't mind if he gave half of it, right?

Jiang Chen thought to himself.