Chapter 128 Red Lotus Helmsman
"Who are you two?" One of the men stepped out from the crowd and stared at Zhao Yushu with a bit of fear in his eyes. He was also a cultivator, but he was a cultivator of the first level. The cultivation level of the man and woman in front of him was beyond his comprehension.
"I saw the grain being distributed in the city, so I came over to take a look, wondering if there was any way I could help." Zhao Yushu had a pleasant expression on his face, but he was actually a little shocked. In this world, cultivators, no matter their rank, are superior to ordinary people, so they should never end up as refugees.
Unless he is a member of the Red Lotus Sect like those three.
"Thank you, sir. We are fine. If there is nothing else, please go back. Don't dirty your clothes."
"But I just want to take another look. What should I do?" Zhao Yushu refused to give in. He wanted to see to what extent the Red Lotus Cult had managed this place, and whether they were truly as dedicated to the people as Fang Sanniang.
"Young master, do you really want to go against us?" The monk made a silent gesture, and several men immediately dispersed and left. Most likely, he was sending someone to leave.
"If there's a commotion, the government troops will come here to investigate. Are you sure you can stop us quietly?" Zhao Yushu released his spiritual power, and it was so rich that it was astonishing.
"A guest is a guest, please come over." A peaceful but long voice came from far away. It didn't sound loud, but it startled Zhao Yushu. This skill was different from simply using spiritual power to amplify the sound. He could make the sound as loud as thunder, but he couldn't make it as soft as a stream without losing its strength.
He is a master!
Zhao Yushu and Lan Ling looked at each other. The cultivator in front of them sneered, turned sideways and made a gesture of invitation, and the men immediately made way for him.
Zhao Yushu took the lead and followed the monk.
This shack is slightly larger than usual, but not too large. Outside the shack is the carriage that Zhao Yushu had just seen.
Zhao Yushu lowered his head and went in, ready to cover his nose, but unexpectedly found that there was not much odor, not much different from outside, and the whole shack was relatively clean. The straw looked like it had been dried in the sun, without water stains or mold, and there was even a small window in the shack to let the sunlight in.
An old man in a red robe was sitting cross-legged on straw. Next to him was a small table with a clay kettle on it and nothing else.
Four people were standing beside the old man, filling the small room in an instant. Zhao Yushu knew all four of them, three of whom were Fang Sanniang and her group.
"Brother Gao, I didn't expect to see you here. I hope you are well since we last met in Longmen." Zhao Yushu bowed to the last person and smiled sincerely.
This person was none other than the chubby businessman Gao Xu. In the incident of the ghost and Buddha, Gao Xu, Bujie and Lao Zhao worked together to solve the mystery of the ghost and Buddha, for which Bujie paid the price of half his life.
"Brother Zhao, it's been over a month since we last met, but it feels like just yesterday." Gao Xu stepped forward and held Zhao Yushu's hand, unable to help but sigh.
"So you are all friends. The room is small and there is no place to sit. You young people are in good health, so just stand. I am an old man with loose bones, so I have the nerve to sit down." The old man spoke with a smile, and Zhao Yushu hurriedly said that he dared not.
"Who is this?" The old man turned his gaze to Lan Ling.
"I am the daughter of Magistrate Lan, Lan Ling, a sixth-rank Zhaowu lieutenant of the imperial court. If you are inconvenienced, I can go out and take shelter for a while." Lan Ling clasped her fists and explained her identity clearly and neatly. Immediately, the four people behind the old man showed surprised and alert expressions.
"Hahahaha, the girl is quick-witted and outspoken, and is truly a heroine. She almost makes me, an old man, look like a villain. Well, I am the leader of the Nanyang branch of the Red Lotus Cult. If Governor Ruolan is interested, you can take my head at any time!"
"Master!" Fang Sanniang was very anxious. The old man raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "I thought that one day, Governor Lan would find this place directly, but I didn't expect that the younger generation would overtake the older generation. In the future, it will be you young people who rule the world. Miss Lan, Mr. Zhao, if you don't have anything urgent, just chat with me."
"It is better to obey orders than to be respectful!"
The room was narrow and not a good place to chat, but no one thought there was a problem and no one wanted to leave.
"Brother Gao, is he also a member of the Red Lotus sect?" Zhao Yushu was the first to ask the question.
"Not really, but I received a lot of help from the Red Lotus when I was traveling around the country doing business. Now that Nanyang has something going on, I came here to do my best."
Fang Sanniang immediately responded, "The three of us were able to leave the city safely thanks to Brother Gao's secret help. The delivery of the food cart yesterday was also due to Brother Gao's contribution."
Gao Xu smiled and said it was not worth mentioning.
"I have something to ask you," Lan Ling said from the side, "What is the purpose of the Red Lotus Sect coming here?"
The old man smiled and said, "Excuse me, young lady, do you know anything about the Red Lotus Sect?"
Lan Ling shook her head: "These are just rumors, they can't be taken seriously."
The old man was very satisfied with this answer. Not using hearsay information for debate is the basis of communication. After all, what every doctor feared most in his previous life was: x degree didn’t say that.
"The Red Lotus Sect is strictly based on Buddhist philosophy. We worship Maitreya Buddha, just like the Buddhists, but we also mix in some Taoist teachings. We follow the habit of not killing or drinking alcohol, and we firmly believe that as long as everyone helps each other, there will be peace in the world."
Zhao Yushu touched his chin and said that the teachings of the White Lotus Sect in his previous life were similar to those of the White Lotus Sect. The rise of the White Lotus Sect in his previous life was in the Southern Song Dynasty, but almost every time it became famous in history, it was closely related to an uprising. The so-called non-killing only remained in the teachings.
Lan Ling nodded: "So you came here to help these disaster victims?"
"nature."
Lan Ling shook her head: "I have read the court reports. The civil unrest in various parts of Jiangnan is all due to the shadow of your Red Lotus Sect."
The old man's smile faded. "Miss Lan, I am seventy-two years old this year, and I am not far from death. If I wanted worldly power or wealth, I could have obtained it decades ago with my cultivation. I didn't have to wait until today."
No one responded because everyone knew he was going to say something else.
"In the past few decades, I have traveled all over the country, almost all of the Tang Dynasty. I have heard of civil riots in various places, and I have witnessed them dozens of times with my own eyes. Miss Lan, I have lived for decades longer than you and have seen more. In my opinion, these civil riots all have only one reason. Do you know what it is?"
Lan Ling shook her head, and the old man turned his gaze to Zhao Yushu: "Does Mr. Zhao know?"
Zhao Yushu sighed: "I can't survive."
"Hahaha, after Sanniang came back, she told me that Master Zhao's words and actions were not like those of an ordinary person. After listening to her today, I know what Sanniang said was true. Master Zhao was right. As long as the people of our Great Tang have a bite to eat, they will not leave their homes, let alone raise the banner of rebellion. It's not that wherever there is civil unrest, there is the Red Lotus Sect, but wherever the people can't survive, there is the Red Lotus Sect!"
Lan Ling's face turned pale and she subconsciously took a step back. Zhao Yushu held her hand and realized that Lan Ling's hand was already extremely cold.