On the third day, Sage Ruler Yao Guang’s grand procession departed the main gate of the Great Chu imperial palace. Passing through the four main streets—Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Azure Dragon, and Black Tortoise—they arrived at the platform erected for her sermon.
The platform, though a temporary structure built entirely of wood, was lavishly decorated, its golden hues and intricate carvings radiating splendor. Atop the platform stood a golden lotus bed, a spirit treasure borrowed from the imperial treasury, serving as Yao Guang’s seat during the sermon.
“Elder Sister,” Han Yue said, walking beside Yao Guang as they ascended the platform. “Xiang Chong informed me that he issued a decree three days ago, ordering all women within Peng City to purify themselves and fast before attending your sermon.”
“Excellent,” Yao Guang replied with a genuine smile gracing her perpetually benevolent face.
“Also…” Han Yue hesitated.
Eager to please the Pure Land, Xiang Chong had been diligently supplying information, entrusting it to Han Yue to pass on to Yao Guang. Han Yue understood his desire to curry favor with the Supreme Sage Ruler, but the information he provided was all related to Fan Li.
“Also what?” Yao Guang asked.
Han Yue’s cheeks flushed with shame. ‘Why am I hesitating? I can’t deceive Elder Sister. Besides, she promised to maintain a peaceful relationship with Fan Li.’
Steeling herself, she replied, “Over the past three days, the Fan Clan Trading Company has been incredibly active. They’ve been working day and night, mass-producing something called ‘body wash’ and distributing it for free to all the women in Peng City.”
“Oh?” Yao Guang feigned curiosity. “What is this ‘body wash’?”
“It’s a cleansing product, similar to soap, but in liquid form,” Han Yue explained. “Using it leaves the skin incredibly smooth and fragrant, as if imbuing the body with a natural perfume…”
Her voice trailed off as she noticed Yao Guang studying her with a peculiar expression. The Supreme Sage Ruler even leaned closer, sniffing the air.
“Sister, what is that fragrance you’re wearing?” she asked.
“Me?” Han Yue blushed. “Today, with Elder Sister delivering the sermon on the Holy Yin Scripture, I purified myself and burned incense. Fan Li happened to send over a jar of milk-scented body wash, so I decided to try it.”
“I see,” Yao Guang replied, taking her seat on the golden lotus bed.
Body wash… Yao Guang had also received a jar, delivered to the imperial palace by Fan Li’s servants. She had examined it closely. It was a simple blend of cleansing ingredients and various fragrances, concocted using a method she couldn’t quite comprehend. However, it contained no spiritual energy, a mere mundane item.
Initially, Yao Guang had worried that the body wash was Fan Li’s countermeasure to her plan of using the sermons to attract followers.
Could such a mundane product truly sway the hearts of women seeking to break free from their shackles and embrace a life of freedom?
“For mortal women, the Pure Land is paradise.”
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Around the platform, three thousand seats had been arranged. Women of status and influence from Peng City had been invited to attend. Ordinary women could listen to the sermon from their homes, though they wouldn’t be blessed with a view of the Sage Ruler’s divine visage.
“It’s about to begin.”
Fan Li was standing at the railing of the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion looking at the platform in the distance. Beside him stood Lu Fubao. Lu Chunqiu was nowhere in sight.
“In the beginning, there was Yin and Yang. Yin came first, therefore Yin is superior to Yang. Yin is the origin of all things, thus Heaven is also Mother…”
Yao Guang’s opening words laid out the essence of the Holy Yin Scripture. Heaven and Earth, Yin reigned supreme.
Seated alone on the golden lotus bed, atop the towering platform, she recited the scripture. As her words echoed through the air, a celestial phenomenon unfolded. Petals of spiritual energy, like a gentle spring rain, descended upon the land.
Yao Guang radiated compassion and serenity, she looked every bit the benevolent bodhisattva. Her voice, amplified by the heavens, reached every corner of Peng City, even extending beyond the city walls to encompass the entire Great Chu kingdom.
The three thousand women seated before the platform, Peng City’s elite, wept openly. Their hearts were stirred by Yao Guang’s words. Many, overcome with emotion, prostrated themselves on the ground, like devout worshippers seeking salvation.
“Truly worthy of Elder Sister.” Han Yue’s heart was filled with admiration.
This scene mirrored the ones she had witnessed in Wei, Han, and Wu. It wasn't surprising. Her elder sister, after all, was the Supreme Sage Ruler of the Brahma Sound Pure Land. Among the countless women in the mortal world, who could compare to Yao Guang’s beauty and grace?
Within the Dragon God Palace in Peng City, Wu Gang spoke in a flat tone. "Master, Yao Guang is indeed skilled in manipulating hearts."
With her profound cultivation, Wu Gang was immune to such enchantments. Her foundation was solid, her heart as unyielding as iron. But what about those with weaker cultivation, or no cultivation at all?
Fan Li’s true body spoke up, “Someone will challenge her soon enough. I need to focus on my cultivation.”
With that, he and his three clones closed their eyes, immersing themselves in meditation.
Back at the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion, Fan Li’s clone observed Lu Fubao beside him. She had turned pale, her knees trembling, resisting the urge to kneel before the distant platform.
He had made a miscalculation. He hadn't anticipated that Yao Guang's sermon, besides painting a rosy picture of a future free from societal constraints, would also possess such a powerful mind-altering effect.
Was this some form of magical attack? It seemed a bit unfair.
Fan Li considered summoning Wu Gang. The Dragon God Palace should be safe. He could have Wu Gang bring Lu Fubao there, shielding her from Yao Guang’s mesmerizing voice.
“Awoo~!” A cute, innocent sound broke the spell. It was Tuan Tuan.
The little divine beast, sensing Lu Fubao’s distress, didn’t burrow into Fan Li’s embrace as usual. Instead, it leaped onto her shoulder.
“Awooooooo~!” It let out a long, drawn-out howl.
Strangely, the little divine beast’s cry formed a visible golden barrier, thin as a cicada’s wing, yet it blocked Yao Guang’s enchanting voice.
Lu Fubao, shielded within the barrier, was safe, like a chick tucked inside an eggshell.
Her trembling ceased, and the pain in her expression faded, replaced by a lingering fatigue, as if she had just endured a strenuous workout.
“How do you feel now?” Fan Li asked.
“I… I’m much better,” Lu Fubao replied, managing a weak smile. She glared at the distant platform. “Hmph! Enchanting voice? I will develop a defensive formation to counter it. I won’t be fooled by you again!”
Fan Li chuckled. He was genuinely impressed. Usually, a clever woman was compared to Zhuge Liang, the legendary strategist. But Lu Fubao was no mere strategist; she was a scientist!
She embraced the principle that "experiment is the sole criterion for testing truth." She had experienced Yao Guang’s technique firsthand so that she could devise a countermeasure. Her dedication to research was reminiscent of Marie Curie herself.
“The Great Dao is about seeking truth and reality. What does superiority or inferiority have to do with it?”
Suddenly, a voice, as clear and resonant as Yao Guang's own, boomed through the air.
Outside the platform, an old scholar, dressed in green robes, hovered in mid-air, clutching a book.
"Sage Ruler, your teachings are flawed. This Marquis, though lacking in ability, shall challenge your Dao, seeking to correct the falsehoods and reveal the truth. The Dao knows no hierarchy, no right or wrong, no noble or base, no external appearances. Therefore, the Dao also knows no Yin or Yang, no male or female, no superior or inferior!"