Infinite Professions

Chapter 430: Chapter 221: Reincarnation

In May of the 25th year of Yuanping, the Governor of Yangzhou, Xu Qing, presented a memorial to the Emperor, alleging that the Deputy Governor of Jinyang Prefecture, Li Mubai, is using his forces to assert his own influence, imprisoning and harming the newly-appointed Prefect and Jinyang officials, overstepping rites and laws, worshiping the Evil God, among other eight major crimes, and requesting imperial orders to punish him.

In June, the imperial decree reached the State Mansion, commanding King Liang, Xiao Ye, to lead Yangzhou’s military forces, to eradicate the rebels and redeem the crimes with merit.

King Liang accepted the command, mobilizing thirty thousand state soldiers along the Weishui River, directly targeting Qinghe, and issued a "Proclamation Against the Rebels" to inform the people of Jinyang.

In the same month, Li Mubai, Deputy Governor of Jinyang, wrote a report accusing Xu Qing, Governor of Yangzhou, Prefect of Jinyang, Cui Shao, and King Liang, Xiao Ye, of overstepping authority and violating the law, killing civilians and endangering lives, issuing false imperial decrees among other ten major crimes, appointing Song Jian, County Captain of Qinghe County, as general, and mobilizing ten thousand government soldiers at Qinghe to meet the enemy, also issuing "Proclamation Against the Rebels" to the State Mansion.

...

Thus, it was mid-July.

Anping County, Divine Judgment Temple.

Though the "Proclamation Against the Rebels" had brought considerable alarm, it could not prevent the Divine Judgment festival from proceeding.

After three months of planning, everything was ready, and millions of devotees gathered, centering around the Divine Judgment Temple to hold the festival, expanding to more than a dozen surrounding counties, an unprecedented grand occasion, a celebration throughout the land.

Meanwhile, at the Daoist Qingping Temple and Buddhist Donglian Temple, festivals were also being held.

"Grand Celestial Sacrifice!"

Inside Qingping Temple, Qingxuan, dressed in a high-level magic robe, frowned at the rare spectacle.

After detecting the Divine Judgment Temple’s scheme three months ago, they immediately launched countermeasures.

There were two countermeasures: one was reporting to the State Mansion, mobilizing the Hidden Dragon to suppress, and the other was holding their own Grand Celestial Sacrifice and Waterway Dharma Assembly to counter the Divine Judgment festival.

But such grand festival rituals cannot be easily organized; each requires a vast amount of human and material resources, and must be solely funded, not taxed on the common people, otherwise, before incense fire forms, karmic force arrives first.

As exoteric institutions of the Daoist and Buddhist Schools in Jinyang Land, Qingping Temple and Donglian Temple, with deep foundations, could sustain the festival’s consumption, yet being caught unprepared due to the sudden circumstances and overshadowed by the Divine Judgment festival, which preempted them, made it difficult to compete.

In such rituals, material consumption is secondary; the key is people.

After all, the essence of a festival is to gather incense fire and wish power; no matter how grandly you stage it, it’s meaningless without support.

Now, with the Divine Judgment festival, Grand Celestial Sacrifice, and Waterway Dharma Assembly all being held simultaneously, how should Jinyang’s people choose?

There’s no doubt that most will lean towards the Divine Judgment festival.

For over the years, the incense of the Divine Judgment Temple has flourished the most, making the Divine Judgment festival even more prominent, eventually replacing the year-end as the most important celebration in the hearts of Jinyang’s people.

In comparison, Qingping Temple’s Grand Celestial Sacrifice and Donglian Temple’s Waterway Assembly, though influential, still pale in comparison to the Divine Judgment festival.

In this three-way competition, the Divine Judgment festival is undoubtedly the people’s first choice.

This undoubtedly places Qingping Temple and Donglian Temple in a disadvantageous position.

Both institutions are helpless in this regard, as faith cannot be forced directly; minds are unpredictable, and coercion might breed hatred instead of faith, resulting in karmic grievances rather than incense blessings.

So now, they can only watch as the Divine Judgment festival accumulates power.

As for the Hidden Dragon...

With a territory spanning tens of thousands of miles, although Jinling and Jinyang have the Weishui River Canal’s advantage, transporting soldiers and horses takes time, and currently, the Hidden Dragon and thirty thousand state soldiers are still traveling along the Weishui; the earliest they can arrive is by the end of the month.

Without the arrival of the Hidden Dragon’s blade, they are reluctant to act, as the Prefect of Jinyang is still present; being the Master of the Divine Dao in Jinyang, without his statement, neither Qingping Temple nor Donglian Temple dares to intervene.

After all, despite how Song Xiang may act, he still bears the title of Assessor Magistrate of Jinyang Prefecture’s Punishment Department.

At this point, the stance of the Prefect of Jinyang is quite clear; his remaining motion is due to preserving final dignity and prudently considering the overall situation.

Therefore...

"We have major arrangements for major situations, and minor arrangements for minor situations!"

"Though the incense fire remains inferior, our united effort from the Daoist and Buddhist Schools can still somewhat curb him. As long as he cannot immediately achieve Fourth Grade status, this move is bound to fail!"

"Even if he employs extraordinary means to achieve Fourth Grade instantly, our two schools will restrain him in the Underworld, while the Hidden Dragon sweeps away his foundation in the Mortal World, demolishing his temple, cutting off his roots, also achieving the result of ’removing the firewood from under the pot.’"

"Then, how can he resist the combined strength of our two sects and the might of the Hidden Dragon?"

Qingxuan organized his thoughts, eventually calming his mind.

It must be said, the opposing party’s grand festival indeed pressured them significantly.

But that’s all there is to it!

Though the festival’s ritual is potent, fundamentally it relies on substance.

Just like three years ago, during the Great Chen Court’s grand heavenly ritual in the Northern Lands; while it was crucial in eliminating the Drought Demon King, without several Third-Rank Great Gods bearing it, the ritual’s power could not be fully realized.

The current situation is similar; regardless of how well the Divine Judgment festival is conducted, it can’t change Song Xiang’s status as merely a Sixth-Grade Deity.

Restricted by rank, even with the festival’s enhancement, it can hardly overcome fate.

At least, not with a festival in Jinyang Prefecture.

Thus...

As time flew, finally August arrived.

King Liang, Xiao Ye, led thirty thousand state soldiers downstream from Jinling along the Weishui River, reaching the Qinghe Pass of Jinyang.

Qinghe County, Huangshan Pass.

Song Jian, County Captain of Qinghe County, led ten thousand government soldiers along with eight thousand Song Clan disciples, splitting them to guard Qinghe County and Huangshan Pass, blocking the Qinghe River route and preventing vessels from passing, making it difficult for Xiao Ye’s army to directly strike Jinyang.

Eventually, Xiao Ye divided his forces into two paths: one attacking Huangshan Pass, and the other standoff at Qinghe Port, forming a confrontation.

At the same time, in Anping County, Divine Judgment Temple.

On August 1st, as the birth anniversary arrived, celebrations commenced.

In front of Divine Judgment Temple, on the blue steps, Song Wen leaned on a cane, yet moved without delay, exuding an impression of agility.

Behind him were a group of elderly, with snow-white hair but still spirited, numbering over a thousand upon cursory glance, known in recent years as the renowned "Centenarian Elders" of Jinyang!

Over a thousand elderly, all centenarians, still energetic, accompanied him to the temple, taking the lead in offering incense.

Holding the incense fire, he entered the hall, gazing at the extremely familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar statue of the Divine Judge, Song Wen couldn’t help but recall the past.

"When Little Huang Village was first established, everything was in disarray, relying entirely on the Land God above for protection, allowing the fields to yield harvests and the livestock to thrive. Now the village head, Song Wen, leads all villagers of Little Huang Village in sincerely worshiping the Land God, Song Xiang, Lord Boyu, to bless Little Huang Village with years of favorable weather and freedom from illness and disasters..."

The Little Huang Village of those years, the Land God of those years.

Today’s Jinyang Prefecture, today’s Judge God.

Same yet different, changed yet unchanged.

Life and death, honor and disgrace, are already tightly bound.

When one flourishes, all flourish; when one suffers, all suffer!

Song Wen’s gaze sharpened, he bent his body in a solemn bow, devoutly offering worship, just like the past.

Behind him, a thousand elders did the same, many of whom had come from Little Huang Village, still remembering the grand land sacrifice of the past.

This journey, from nothing to something, through countless hardships and trials, how could it achieve today’s success?

Reflecting on the past, faith grows stronger.

And on the other side...

Qingping Temple, Donglian Temple.

The Grand Celestial Sacrifice, the Waterway Assembly, the forty-nine days of ceremonial rites, now reach Merit Perfection.

All that remains is the final activation moment!

Suddenly...

"Rumble!"

The wind and clouds suddenly changed, lightning and thunder roared.

A mass of disaster clouds descended, covering Jinyang from above, with the Prefecture City at the center being the most intense.

The disaster clouds engulfed the skies, blocking the sun, an ominous aura that chills the heart, and increasingly connects recent changes with the previously widespread "Proclamation Against the Rebels," involuntarily causing doubt and even fear.

The living in the mortal world feel this way, but the Divine Beings in the Underworld feel it even more intensely, looking at the vast shadow of clouds, the subordinate gods of the City God are filled with unease.

"This is?"

"Governor..."

"Is it really to be so?"

Some noticed the clues, unable to suppress a cry of sorrow.

But this cannot alter the grand trend, with a flash of golden light, the Jinyang Dojo, the City God Realm, suddenly converge towards the center, further influencing all directions, causing the Dao Field Realms of all subordinate gods within Jinyang Prefecture to tremble, then crumble, transforming into streams of golden light, heading for the Jinyang Prefecture City.

"Ah!!"

"The Divine Seal!?"

"Governor?"

"Why!"

In an instant, all across Jinyang, countless Divine Beings cried out in sorrow as their Divine Power was taken away by the Divine Seal, immediately falling from the divine altar, turning into Yin Souls of mere white forms.

Within the Jinyang Prefecture Government Office, in a study, Lu Ji sat alone, his face showing a bitter smile, then calmness, raising his wine cup, sighing softly: "Governor, safe travels!"

Amidst the words, the Divine Seal flew out, taking away all his Divine Power, causing this Jinyang Prefecture Civil Judge, an honored fifth-grade True God, to immediately fall from the divine altar.

It’s not just him; within the Prefecture Government Office, all subordinate gods of the City God faced the same fate, with Military Judge Zhou Bo roaring furiously: "How could you...ah!"

No matter the rage or the tragedy, it’s useless. Streams of golden light, square seals, converging like rivers, all absorbed into the center of the Prefecture Government Office.

Then...

"Boom!!"

A streak of golden light pierced through the sky, into the vast disaster clouds, reaching the mystical realms of heaven and earth.

Divine Beings reincarnate!

Great Gods and True Gods, with a single character difference, bear great distinction.

Third-rank Great Gods, the trend of reincarnation often quietly nurtures all things, rarely exhibiting such grandeur, because third-rank Great Gods have profound foundations, needing not to pour everything into reincarnation, able to retain positions and subordinates, Dao Field and Magic Realm for future accrued benefits.

But Zhou Qian, the Jinyang Prefecture City God, is merely a fourth-rank True God, lacking accumulation and depth, desiring to reincarnate into the mortal world to contest for merits. He must stake everything.

Thus, leaving nothing behind, all Divine Power reclaimed, the momentum undisguised, everything invested into reincarnation, to contend for great worldly merits.

Thus...

"Zhou Qian Daoist friend has reincarnated!"

Within Qingping Temple, the Grand Celestial Sacrifice, has finally succeeded.

Amid the endless incense fire, a gentle voice suddenly echoed, right after seeing Daoist Venerable Gods, setting up magical chariots riding clouds.

On the other side, Donglian Temple.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

The Waterway Dharma Assembly has also reached perfection.

Countless devout followers suddenly seemed to hear the sound of Buddha’s name, then witnessed Buddha light flashing, transforming into blooming lotus flowers, each lotus became an image of Buddha, dozens of Buddhas appearing as if arriving at the Western Paradise.

Then the lotus pedestal ascended to the sky, the Buddhas sat upon the lotuses and departed, not lingering at the assembly place.

Simultaneously, within Jinyang Prefecture, in various counties and places, numerous Daoist Temples, Buddhist Temples, and Temples, not originally subordinated to the City God, now radiated lights, beginning to seize control of towns and counties, mountains and rivers, to aid their masters in vying for the great authority over Jinyang Land and Heaven and Earth.

The cosmic battle among Yin Spirits thus began.

While in the mortal world, the various parties were also stirring restlessly!