The spacious hall seemed a bit quiet.
Lu Yuan sat on the throne for a while, meditating quietly. It wasn't until there was a slight sound of footsteps coming from far away outside that he came back to his senses.
"Old monk Ji Hui, pay homage to the king."
An old monk wearing yellow robes and a bright red cassock entered the hall and immediately saluted Lu Yuan respectfully.
Lu Yuan looked over.
But he saw that the holy monk Ji Hui in front of him was not much older than when they met nine years ago.
His eyebrows are gray, his face is wrinkled, and his figure is much stooped. He looks like an old man who will die after taking two steps.
Although the old monk in front of me is indeed an old man, he is a hundred and one years old.
But at this age, for a Xiantian Grandmaster with a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years, he is far from his twilight years and is still only in his prime.
Theoretically speaking, Ji Hui still has forty-nine years to live.
But for such a person who still had a lot of time to spend, Lu Yuan noticed a trace of death in him.
'Is it because I dragged my seriously injured body several times to forcefully use secret techniques to fight against the innate master, so I lost a lot of life? '
Lu Yuan couldn't help but think secretly in his heart.
As early as last year, Ji Hui was besieged in Jianchuan Kingdom. When he led his army to break out, he was attacked by King Yongchang of Nanzhao Kingdom and was seriously injured.
Later, he finally escaped back to Xichuan, and faced the danger of Nanzhao's army pressing in. He had to drag his seriously wounded body to fight against Zhao Changqing.
First, he stayed with Zhao Changqing in Panshi Fucheng for several months. Later, after the city fell, he fled to Nanchong Fucheng, rested here for several months, and barely got a breather.
But after April of this year, before Ji Hui could recover from his injuries, Zhao Changqing led his troops to kill him again, and he had to go into battle with his injuries.
Although relying on some secret techniques, even if the Xiantian Grandmaster is seriously injured, he is not unable to exert his powerful strength to fight against the enemy.
But these secret techniques, without exception, require a heavy price to pay, and these prices are often the source of life, or the essence, of the innate master.
The importance of these things can be understood just by hearing the terms.
This is also true.
After consuming too much of the source of life and energy, the innate master's body will be extremely depleted, causing rapid aging and consuming a large amount of life span.
This is what Ji Hui is like at this time.
Even his current situation is more serious than Lu Yuan imagined.
'Originally I thought that even if this old monk spent a lot of life, it would only last for ten or twenty years at most, and he still had twenty or thirty years left to live.
But looking at the current situation, let alone twenty or thirty years, whether this old monk can live for two or three years is still a question. '
Lu Yuan watched Ji Hui's condition for a while and couldn't help but feel disappointed.
An innate grandmaster who could only be used for two or three years was of greatly reduced value to the Chu State.
It has changed from the original long-term nuclear deterrence to short-term nuclear deterrence.
But even so, an innate grandmaster who can only live for two or three years is still of great value and can play many roles.
Therefore, Lu Yuan adjusted his mentality and quickly put away his disappointment. A smile appeared on his face, he raised his hand and said, "The holy monk is exempt from the ritual."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ji Hui straightened up after hearing the permission.
At the same time, taking the opportunity to stand up, he also looked at this old friend in front of him, especially looking at the other person's young face, and he felt a sudden emotion in his heart.
I remember that when I met King Chu, he still had the same face as he does now, no, he was even younger now.
And the vibrant vitality in the other party's body shows that the other party is so young and still has a lot of time to waste.
In contrast, now that the old age has spread all over me, I am like a piece of mud and rotten wood under the morning sun, so unbearable and ugly.
Thinking again of Dachu, which is rising like the rising sun, and Baifeng Temple, where most of the disciples have been killed or injured and have become a bereaved dog.
The profound contrast between the two made Ji Hui secretly sad, and her heart became more and more painful.
"This time the holy monk is willing to surrender his land and merge the Xichuan Kingdom into Dachu. This benevolent and righteous act makes Gu Ge admire him endlessly."
Although the Xichuan Kingdom offered by Ji Hui ended up with only half of the territory, even this little territory could only be defended with the help of the Chu Kingdom.
But no matter what, Ji Huiming's identity on the surface is still the same as that of Da Chu, the former King of Xichuan canonized by Yue.
Theoretically, their status is equal.
The political and representative significance of such a character choosing to surrender to the Chu State is simply inestimable.
Proper use of publicity will undoubtedly raise Chu's international reputation and status to a higher level.
Moreover, properly handling the surrender of the Xichuan Kingdom will also set an example for the Chu Kingdom to annex other small countries in the future, making it easier for those small countries to give up their resistance.
With these two points alone, Chu State cannot treat Ji Hui and Baifeng Si badly, and must give each other a proper arrangement.
Lu Yuan looked at Ji Hui's old face and said thoughtfully: "Such a great contribution must not go unrewarded. Previously, I told Hui'an that Baifeng Temple could be moved to Longyu Mountain in Central Guizhou County.
Central Guizhou is a newly developed land, and most of the people in the territory have foreign names. They do not obey the king's customs, and they believe in strange gods and are extremely barbaric.
Baifeng Temple is a holy sect of Buddhism and has always led people to do good. If we can go to this county, we will definitely make everyone here do good, Buddhism will flourish, and the place will be peaceful. "
He made his own terms.
The entire Qianzhong County can be handed over to Baifeng Temple, that is, Buddhism, in terms of belief.
This benefit is not small.
After all, what Baifeng Temple originally wanted was to be able to expand its power to a county like other Xiantian sects, so that it would be consistent with its own status in the world.
But because the situation in Linhai County is too special, those Linhai aristocratic families are all powerful, no less powerful than Baifeng Temple, and they have been married for generations and have become a family.
Squeezed among them, Hakuhoji cannot expand his power no matter how capable he is.
They can only squeeze into a small corner and survive under various pressures.
It is precisely because of this difficult living environment that they have to find ways to break through and find a glimmer of hope elsewhere.
This is also the reason why Baifeng Temple agreed to the request of the Yue Kingdom and followed the Northern Expedition to the Zhou Kingdom.
The purpose is to obtain the half-county land promised by the Yue Kingdom so that he can build his own Buddhist kingdom, so that the power of Baifeng Temple can be strengthened and developed.
However, this result...
After a head-on attack by Nanzhao's army, a tragic defeat and a large number of casualties completely awakened this Buddhist holy land and made them soberly aware.
Fighting for hegemony in the world is a game that not everyone can play.
It is precisely for this reason that after awakening, Bai Fengji chose to find Chu State, wanting to go back to the original path, find a big country to rely on, and transform himself from a country into a martial arts sect.
For this reason, Ji Hui did not hesitate to spend a lot of his life, resolutely carried out Lu Yuan's orders, held off the Nanzhao army in Nanchong Mansion, and invested his own price.
Now, it's time for Lu Yuan to fulfill his promise and repay the other party.
The belief of the entire Qianzhong County, this wish that Baifeng Temple had always dreamed of, was Lu Yuan's reward.
However, although he gave the entire Qianzhong County faith, he was not at a loss.
As soon as he came to Qianzhong County, it was just like what Lu Yuan said before.
Even after immigration, most of the population within the territory is still dominated by barbarians and does not belong to the royal people.
In the face of these ferocious barbarians, relying solely on force to suppress them is still somewhat insufficient.
If Buddhist disciples can come to spread the faith, resolve the hostility in their hearts, and make these barbarians obedient, this will definitely be a good thing for the local stability of Qianzhong County and the rule of Dachu here.
Moreover, replacing the Chili belief with local ethnic characteristics with the widespread belief of Buddhism, and replacing their Chili god with Buddha will undoubtedly further disintegrate the culture of these Chili people and make them more quickly conquered by Chu. National assimilation.
These are the cultural benefits of faith.
In terms of local security, the relocation of Baifeng Temple will also be of great benefit.
Although they suffered heavy losses from the Nanzhao army, most of the disciples of Baifeng Temple were killed or injured.
But the previous Baifeng Temple was an innately powerful sect, and later it controlled half of a county and a country, mastered a large amount of resources, and its own strength was further strengthened.
For such a behemoth, even after heavy losses, its remaining strength is extremely impressive.
Just like the remaining disciples of Baifeng Temple, although there are only more than 200 people left, they have survived the disasters of previous wars. These two hundred people are undoubtedly elites.
This is also true.
Most of those who survived were third-rate masters, there were more than thirty second-rate masters, and there were seven first-rate masters, plus Ji Hui, the innate master.
This kind of strength is still far stronger than those ordinary first-class martial arts in the world.
Even without Ji Hui, Baifeng Temple is still a top-notch sect in the world, comparable to the Five Poison Sect that did not rebel during the Qianyue period.
Such a powerful force, placed in Qianzhong County, will undoubtedly be able to deal a heavy blow to the local Yi masters and assist the Chu State in governing the place.
After all, Baifeng Temple, which is determined to promote Buddhism, is inherently at odds with the Yi people who believe in the god Chi Li.
If Baifeng Temple wants to spread its faith, the first thing it has to face is the rebellion of those barbarians who are dissatisfied with the Chu State and want to cause trouble in secret.
Chu State and Baifeng Temple have overlapping interests in this regard, and they can work together to maintain local security and combat those rebellious Yi masters.
So to sum up, compared with the benefits obtained by Chu State, giving up those illusory beliefs to Baifeng Temple is actually nothing.
During the Qian Yue period, there were five Xiantian sects in the local area. But the entire country of Great Violence is still extremely stable, and no major Xiantian faction has been seen jumping out to cause trouble.
Although the current strength of Chu State is not as good as that of Qian Yue.
But correspondingly, there are not that many Xiantian sects in Chu State, and there is only one Baifeng Temple so far.
The contrast in strength between the two is even greater than the contrast between Qian Yue and Jiang Hu, Li Jian, and they are not afraid of a Bai Feng Temple causing trouble at all.
And to put it bluntly.
With Chu State's current booming development trend, as long as the local people can survive, who will follow a group of monks to rebel when they have enough to eat and nothing to do?
If a large number of people and monks really rebelled, it would undoubtedly mean that there was something wrong with the rule of the Chu State. At that time, just like Qianyue, it was indeed time to perish.
Lu Yuan was very open-minded about this point.
Because he doesn't worry about this problem at all.
As an immortal with unlimited lifespan, Lu Yuan has this confidence. As long as he is still alive, there will be no such thing as a cowardly king, corrupt officials, and the end of the dynasty in the Chu Kingdom.
Even if it happens, he will become a faint king in the future, but by that time, it must be hundreds of years later.
Kyushu hundreds of years later?
It is estimated that not even a cultivator of immortality can exist anymore, and even the innate master may have become a legend in the world.
At that time, as the only immortal cultivator and innate master, Lu Yuan had the confidence to suppress it even if the whole world rebelled.
This is the self-confidence that belongs to the immortal, the self-confidence that belongs to the strong.
Just as Lu Yuan was thinking about this, the following received the promised wisdom and bowed and thanked him again: "The old monk thanked the king. Don't worry, the king. After Baifeng Temple arrives in Qianzhong County, it will wholeheartedly spread Buddhism, educate the people, and help the people." A place where Da Chu can settle down.”
Ji Hui also gave his own response, that is, he would only preach and never cause trouble.
"Well, with the words of the holy monk, I can rest assured."
Lu Yuan heard the meaning of the other party's words, nodded with satisfaction, and then looked at the other party again, lost in thought.
The settlement issue of Baifeng Temple has been solved.
However, the issue of Jihui's placement has not yet been decided.
No matter how you say that the other party is also an innate master and a king, it is unjustifiable to deny him a proper status.
After thinking for a while, Lu Yuan thought of a position, so he said: "I don't know if the holy monk knows that Gu Xian set up a position in the court, called the real protector of the country. This position is the first rank, second only to the general in the court. and left and right phases.
The protector of the country, named Huang Xuan, is a true master of the immortal sect. He is good at using magic and is no less good than the immortal sects such as Ziyundao.
The holy monk is a great Buddhist sect, his strength has reached the level of an innate master, and he is also the best in the world.
I want to use the holy monk as the protector of the country, the same rank as the protector of the country, and use it to sit directly in Qianzhong County, take charge of military and political affairs, and protect the southwest for our great Chu. What does the holy monk think? "
Protector of the country, this is the arrangement Lu Yuan gave Ji Hui.
Not only does he have a very high status, ranking first-class, but the governor of Qianzhong County has important military and political affairs and has great power.
It can be said that if you ask for a name, you will be given a name, if you ask for power, you will be given power. The treatment and honor are extremely high.
Of course.
In Qianzhong County, where the civil and military officials are all direct relatives of the Chu State, this so-called governor's military and political affairs are just talk.
It is impossible for the civil and military officials in Qianzhong County to listen to Ji Hui. Their allegiance is to Da Chu.
Ji Hui's real role is to use his identity as an innate master as a thug to help intimidate Xiao Xiao in Qianzhong County while fending off external masters.
Thinking about this, the other party also knows this in his heart.
Sure enough, after hearing Lu Yuan's arrangement, Ji Hui immediately understood and replied wisely: "Thank you for your grace. It's just that the old monk has always practiced Buddhism intensively and has never learned the skills of military affairs and administration. He may have difficulty handling important affairs in central Guizhou." .
Only his martial arts skills are passable, and he can deal with some powerful enemies in the world for the king.
If you entrust me with this responsibility, I might miss the place in central Guizhou. "
After hearing this, Lu Yuan laughed loudly, waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter, Master just cleans up the temple, and when encountering strong enemies, just take some action. As for those common things, local civil and military officials will deal with them on their own and will not bother the Master." of."
"If this is the case, then the old monk will have no objection."
Ji Hui nodded and cooperated with Lu Yuan to finish the scene. But after that, there was a hint of embarrassment on his face.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan naturally saw that the other party was so pretentious. He definitely had other needs, and a little doubt arose in his heart.
However, thinking that the other party had just cooperated with him, he was happy to cooperate with the other party once, so he asked: "Does the mage have other things?"
Hearing this, Ji Hui sighed and said with a wry smile: "But there is one thing. I think the king has noticed that the old monk had suffered serious injuries and fought several powerful enemies. He had used too many secret techniques, and his original It has been consumed too much, and its lifespan is numbered.
Although he is still alive today, he will not live for more than two years.
Even if he serves as the protector of the country at this time, he will not be able to serve the king for long.
So the old monk had the courage to make a deal with the king before he died. "
When they first met and bowed, Ji Hui noticed the way Lu Yuan looked at him, and she also knew that she couldn't hide her condition.
In fact, he had no intention of hiding it.
Just as Lu Yuan had guessed, because he had been seriously injured in battles with powerful enemies and used too many secret techniques, his life span had been greatly reduced and he could not live for two years.
But Yu Luyuan's estimate was different. His remaining life span was not just two or three years, but five or six years.
The reason is also very simple.
After all, Baifeng Temple is a Buddhist holy land that has been passed down for thousands of years. Over these thousands of years, the temple has accumulated countless secrets and treasures.
Among them is the Nirvana Turtle Breathing Method, which can transform one's own life into the meaning of Nirvana and enter a state of turtle breathing.
In this state, the practitioner will fall into a deep sleep, during which he will be unconscious and will not drink or eat. The signs of life in his body will decline to the extreme, and the loss of vitality will also drop to the extreme.
In this way, relying on this state of Nirvana, Ji Hui's life span can be extended to five or six years.
Although the cost of this method of extending life span is that the whole person falls into a deep sleep, completely abandoning the outside world, and closing himself off in disguise, which is equivalent to going to jail.
But to be able to guarantee an innate master for Bai Feng Temple for a few more years, these small costs are nothing.
Ji Hui had already dragged Baifeng Temple from Linhai County to Xichuan because of his selfish greed, and finally dragged it to the point where it is now almost destroyed.
Now, in order to repay his sins, he used his last life to protect Bai Feng for a while, which could be regarded as barely making up for his mistakes.
But this is not enough.
Living for two or three more years is simply not enough time for Hakuhoji.
