Wudang handed over the Taoist token to express his surrender, but for Jin Yiwei, this can only be said to be a mixed blessing.
First of all, although the Dao Sect Token can nominally command Taoist disciples all over the world, in fact, this power is barely usable in the hands of Wudang, but if it were replaced by another person, it would not be much better than a piece of paper.
Wudang was so powerful that it took several generations to manage it. After all the masters of other sects withered away, Qi Yunzi became the most respected master of the Taoist sect, and then he was barely able to command the Taoist sects below.
It is useless for the Jin Yiwei to get this token. No sect will obey their orders. Even with the power of the court, no Taoist disciple will choose to bow his head.
This is not because they are ignorant of current affairs, but because the power base of these Taoist sects comes from the Jianghu. Unless they can complete the class jump like the Yuwen family, once they abandon their roots, they will immediately become castles in the air and disappear in the blink of an eye.
The Taoist sect is different from the Yuwen family. If the imperial court is willing to accommodate these Taoist temples, then Taoism will not take root in the world.
Therefore, if this token is handed into the hands of Jin Yiwei, it can almost be called a useless thing.
But to say that it is really useless is not necessarily true. Wudang Fengshan shunned Jinyiwei, but he did not give the token to other Taoist sects, but gave it to Jinyiwei.
In this way, because no one is willing to obey Jinyiwei's orders, and at the same time, they cannot choose a second person who can lead the Taoist sect in the world, so the disintegration of the entire Taoist sect is already foreseeable.
Taoism is different from Buddhism introduced from foreign countries. As an ancient sect rooted in the local area, each of their inheritances and beliefs are different, so the alliance between them is very fragile, and the nature of Taoists yearns for freedom and does not like restraint. .
The existence of the Taoist Order forces the Taoists to unite due to the agreement made by their ancestors. Once this token loses its original effectiveness, it is conceivable that the Taoist sect, which has released its shackles, will never want to go back to the past. .
And this is the true sincerity that Qi Yunzi wants to give to Jin Yiwei. Only Wudang, who has lost his identity as the Taoist leader, can truly cross his name off the court's blacklist.
"Headmaster Qiyunzi, no, I do feel the sincerity of Headmaster Qiyunzi."
Lu Hanjiang accepted the token and promised to Yangzi: "If Wudang can quietly practice Taoism on the mountain in the future, even if the incense is more prosperous, I think the court will tolerate it."
Shang Yangzi's face was ashen and his eyes were lifeless. After hearing this, he just bowed his head to Lu Hanjiang and left.
Before leaving, Lu Hanjiang suddenly stopped the other party: "Master Shangyangzi, I have one more thing to say, please stay."
Shangyangzi stopped and turned around, only to hear Lu Hanjiang say: "I intend to write to Your Majesty to grant the title of Taoist great sage to the head of Qiyunzi who went first. I don't know what your thoughts are."
It is not uncommon for Taoist priests to be rewarded by the imperial court, but all of these persons who were rewarded were completely loyal to the imperial court.
Lu Hanjiang's words were impromptu. He wanted to see Shang Yangzi's attitude. Unfortunately, although the other party was heartbroken, he was still unwilling to lead the Wudang Sect on this path.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. My senior brother is just a villager, and Wudang is a small sect. I'm afraid I don't deserve such an honor." Shang Yangzi chose to decline the olive branch offered by Lu Hanjiang.
"Pity."
Lu Hanjiang shook his head and sighed: "In that case, I won't force anyone to do anything. However, my identity is a secret of the court, so I would like to ask Yangzi for a small favor. Don't tell me about my identity." Leak it out.”
Shang Yangzi took a deep look at Lu Hanjiang, and then said indifferently: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely keep this secret secret."
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Chief Taoist."
Lu Hanjiang stood with a smile on his face. After seeing off Shang Yangzi, he gave Yan Feng a look beside him. The latter understood, hung far behind him, and followed him back to Wudang Mountain.
If Shangyangzi could understand Qiyunzi's painstaking efforts, he would also understand the implication of Lu Hanjiang's words. In the world of martial arts, no matter whether it is a sect or an individual, what they rely on is nothing more than power and martial arts.
The two are so intertwined that they are almost inseparable. Now that Wudang has cut off his arms and handed over the Taoist order to seal the mountain and defend himself, the only thing left that can make the court and Jin Yiwei uneasy is martial arts.
From top to bottom in the entire Wudang Sect, except for the leader Qi Yunzi, Shang Yangzi is the most troublesome.
His swordsmanship is superb, and his internal strength is among the best in the world. Not counting Master Meng who faked his death. Unless Lu Hanjiang takes action himself, it will be difficult for the Jinyi Guards to find another person who can control the opponent reliably.
This point is naturally very taboo for Jin Yiwei. With such a unique master in Wudang, how can Jin Yiwei and the court feel at ease?
After Yan Feng followed Shang Yangzi back to Wudang Mountain, the huge Wudang sect was empty and lifeless. The great elder had already collected the bones of Qi Yunzi and the bodies of the disciples who died in the battle.
At this moment, he was sitting in front of the case, writing and leaving letters one after another. Half a day later, Shang Yangzi went down the mountain and sent out the letters to recall the Wudang disciples who were out. And he himself was sending out the letters. He returned to Wudang as soon as possible.
Shangyangzi came to the forum, sat on the stone bench, and stared down at the dead end. After a long time, he picked up a sunspot and filled it into the dead end.
All in vain.
Shang Yangzi stared at the chess game, lost in thought for a long time. He waited from noon until nightfall, and there was no second guest on the podium.
He stood up and looked at the rolling sea of clouds. After letting out a long sigh, he descended the mountain and returned to the Zixiao Hall. Yan Feng, a guard from Qianhu, leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. It seemed that neither of them could see the other, and they didn't say anything when they met each other. .
Yan Feng watched with cold eyes as Shang Yangzi entered the Zixiao Hall and pulled out the Heavenly Fierce Sword inserted into the ground. The pale sword slowly became stained with bright red, and a heart-wrenching chirping sound resounded throughout the hall.
Shang Yangzi stroked the sword lightly, his eyes as calm as water. He raised his head and looked at the half-broken statue of Zhenwu Emperor. He turned his hand and placed Tianxi across his neck. The sword edge moved slightly, and a trace of blood flashed from his neck.
Tick tock.
Blood slid down the blade of the sword. Shang Yangzi closed his eyes. His figure was like a pine tree, standing erect. Only the scarlet red continued to flow, slowly taking away the old Taoist priest's last consciousness.
After a long time, Yan Feng stepped into the hall, stretched out his hand to touch the tip of Shang Yangzi's nose, and only after confirming that there was no sound from him, did he turn around and leave.
After walking outside the main hall, Yan Feng turned around and looked at Shang Yangzi, who was still alive. His eyes moved slightly. He raised his hand slightly, clasped his fists towards the corpse, and strode away.
The next day, as Shang Yangzi urgently called his disciples back to the mountain, another piece of news came out that shocked the world.
According to rumors, the Xuantian leader returned to the world, the gate of Wudang Mountain was destroyed, the leader Qi Yunzi, and the great elder Shang Yangzi all died unexpectedly.
(End of chapter)
