"You..." The old monk in front of Daniel Davis was nearly choked with anger by his words. This was something they often said to others, but now it was being thrown back at them.
"Why are you so angry? You should be grateful that your lives can help me achieve Buddhahood. This is not an opportunity that ordinary people have. Don't you Buddhists always talk about karma? Didn't you say that the Sui soldiers who died here were repaying their sins from past lives? Now it's your turn to repay your sins." Looking at the old monk, whose face was red with anger and on the verge of spitting blood, Daniel Davis's shadow clone, disguised as Duan Lang, remained calm.
Originally, this shadow clone was supposed to head to Shu, to Chengdu and the Great Stone Temple, to deal with the arrangements made by Ci Hang Jing Zhai. This was the clone's main mission. However, since there was no urgency, Duan Lang spent a few days in Chengdu without rushing to act. After investigating some matters, he headed to the border between the Sui Dynasty and Goguryeo.
Generally, the borders of any country are chaotic and lawless, even in modern times. Drug traffickers, smugglers, and illegal immigrants are rampant.
In the world of Twin Dragons, with the existence of martial arts, the chaos is even greater. The border areas are essentially lawless zones, a paradise for criminals. Over the years, this has given rise to a town similar to the legendary "Borderland," ruled by various gangs.
These gangs are mostly formed by people of the same nationality or ethnicity, such as Turks, Shiwei, Tiele, Tuyuhun, and Goguryeoans.
However, perhaps due to Emperor Yang Guang's three failed campaigns against Goguryeo, the status of the Central Plains people here is not as low as it is at the border between the Central Plains and the Turks. Even though Yang Guang's campaigns resulted in heavy losses, Goguryeo also suffered greatly. If it weren't for Fu Cailin's presence, Goguryeo might have already descended into warlordism like the Central Plains.
Even so, a certain man with five swords on his back has almost become independent in Goguryeo, largely ignoring the orders of the Goguryeo king. If it weren't for Fu Cailin supporting the king, this man might have already killed him.
Similarly, the situation with the Turks is much the same. Without Bi Xuan's presence, the Eastern and Western Turks would have long been at each other's throats. Even within the Eastern Turks, Jieli and Tuli would have likely turned against each other.
Small countries have their advantages. Looking at the Central Plains, Ning Daoqi doesn't have the same influence as Fu Cailin and Bi Xuan. Although many people respect him, it's just that—respect. Ning Daoqi can't openly participate in the struggle for power. His cooperation with Ci Hang Jing Zhai is limited to providing support; he can't openly stand with them like Fu Cailin and Bi Xuan.
For Duan Lang, his initial purpose in coming to the border wasn't primarily to target the Buddhist sects. If he wanted to deal with Ci Hang Jing Zhai, it would be easier to do so in the Central Plains. He came to the border mainly to pay respects to the millions of soldiers who had sacrificed their lives here. He also took many photos, planning to build a memorial for them after unifying the country.
Compared to those who died in the internal conflicts of the Central Plains, these soldiers were more deserving of respect. Without their sacrifices, there would be no peace in the Central Plains. As for the Confucian scholars who constantly preach about propriety, benevolence, and virtue, if anyone dared to spout such nonsense in front of him in the future, he would immediately send them to guard the border. Let them try to "enlighten" the enemy. If they couldn't, they shouldn't come back alive.
However, after spending some time at the border and hearing certain rumors, combined with his investigations, Duan Lang couldn't hold back any longer. He destroyed over a dozen luxurious temples at the border and wiped out nearly ten smuggling syndicates controlled by noble families.
It must be said that the Buddhist sects in this era are indeed very powerful, not just in the Central Plains but also in Goguryeo, the Turks, and other regions. The key is that they are very united. Didn't Shi Feixuan stay in a temple in the frontier when she went to hunt down Shi Zhixuan?
If it were just this, Duan Lang wouldn't have acted so harshly. The key was that through his investigations, he found that some of these temples were involved in smuggling. The border was chaotic, but why were so many people still drawn to it? It was because the profits were enormous.
The smuggling included everything: weapons, grain, salt, silk, and more. The profits were nearly a hundred times what they would be in the Central Plains.
Smuggling in this era was incredibly lucrative. Didn't the Twin Dragons immediately think of smuggling salt after leaving the mountains? And that was just salt.
Those involved in smuggling weren't just the noble families of the Central Plains; some were also from the Buddhist sects. Using temples for smuggling made it even more secretive.
These smugglers who dealt with foreign tribes were despicable. Look at the end of the Ming Dynasty. If it weren't for these traitors, there wouldn't have been a foreign invasion.
If it were just this, Duan Lang would have been angry but wouldn't have acted so harshly. The key was that he discovered they were trafficking people, mostly women, with one temple serving as a transit point.
This was something Duan Lang couldn't tolerate. In this era, human traffickers weren't just limited to the Baling Gang; they were just the largest. Just like in "One Piece," where Doflamingo wasn't the only one involved in human trafficking, many other forces were also involved.
With the Buddhist sects so powerful, it was inevitable that some would try to leverage their influence. Some temples weren't real temples at all but dens of thieves.
Even Shi Zhixuan could hide in a temple under a false identity. Others could do the same, as there was no one checking for credentials in this era.
Not just the Buddhist sects, but even the Daoist sects had similar issues. Some Daoist temples were actually fronts for the Demon Sect. Among the Demon Sect's two factions and six paths, there was the True Transmission Dao, which split into the Daoist Ancestor True Transmission and the Lao Jun Temple.
After Duan Lang unleashed his full strength, the situation in the border town changed dramatically in just a few days. Since Duan Lang had decided to act, he also took the opportunity to eliminate some troublesome figures. The leaders of the foreign gangs and the bandits who had been ravaging the area were all dealt with.
"Well, it seems I can't become a Buddha even if I put down the sword now. Maybe I haven't killed enough. How many more like you do I need to kill to become a Buddha?" Seeing the old monk completely speechless, Duan Lang sneered and swung the Fire Lin Sword. A blazing sword qi pierced through the monk's forehead.
"The Buddhist sects of this era probably can't answer this question, unless they have someone like Zhang Liang." The saying "put down the sword and become a Buddha" is a logical problem, much like the Sophists' "a white horse is not a horse."
"This place is settled for now. The plan over there has also started. It's time to head to Chengdu and deal with them."
Standing on a rocky outcrop, Duan Lang watched as a dozen or so burly men in green quickly rushed into the temple to loot its treasures. He nodded slightly.
These men were from the Central Plains gang in the border town, the only gang he hadn't touched. In fact, he had even cooperated with them to some extent. Some of the intelligence he had gathered came from this gang, as they were the local power.
The composition of this gang can be traced back to Emperor Yang Guang's three campaigns against Goguryeo. Many of its members were Sui soldiers who had survived the battles and stayed behind, along with their descendants.
"Luoyang, finally we're here."
Riding the black divine dragon, Daniel Davis and Sulia quickly arrived above Luoyang. Looking down at the city crisscrossed by waterways, Daniel Davis felt a surge of pride.
Luoyang, situated on the south bank of the Yellow River, shielded by the Mang Mountains to the north, connected to the Luo River to the south, facing the Hulao Pass to the east, and responding to the Hangu Pass to the west, was surrounded by mountains and blessed with fertile plains. The Yi, Luo, Chan, and Jian rivers flowed through it, making it both strategically important and beautifully scenic.
In some ways, Luoyang was similar to Chang'an, with four passes surrounding it. The only difference was that Luoyang's passes weren't as tightly guarded as Chang'an's, and one could bypass them by taking mountain paths. This made Luoyang's strategic position slightly inferior to Chang'an's.
However, Luoyang had advantages that Chang'an lacked, such as its well-developed transportation network, especially after the construction of the Grand Canal, which made Luoyang's commerce even more prosperous.
"Young Master, shall we enter now?" Sulia, looking down at the city of Luoyang, asked softly.
"We'll visit the Dugu Clan tonight and officially enter the city tomorrow." As the future governor of Luoyang, Daniel Davis couldn't just enter the city without any fanfare. He needed to be welcomed by Wang Shichong and others. Of course, before that, he needed to subdue the Dugu Clan to fully control Luoyang.
"Understood. Ning Daoqi and the others are probably still searching for you." Sulia smiled as she mentioned Ning Daoqi. With Ning Daoqi's reputation diminished, Sulia could now casually mention and even mock him.
"Young Master, how do you plan to deal with Ning Daoqi?" Sulia then asked curiously. From Daniel Davis's actions, it was clear he wouldn't let Ning Daoqi go, but how exactly he would handle him was unknown.
"Of course, he'll be publicly executed as a traitor to the nation. Only then can we deter certain people." Daniel Davis spoke expressionlessly. The public execution of a grandmaster would undoubtedly have a massive impact.
Sulia was startled by Daniel Davis's words but didn't comment further.
"The Dugu Clan has recently gathered many experts at their estate, but some, like Dugu Ce, have been sent to Chang'an."
In a modest inn within Luoyang, Sulia quickly gathered recent intelligence on Luoyang from the Demon Sect. As the eastern capital of the Sui Dynasty, Luoyang had a significant Demon Sect presence.
The largest gang in Luoyang, the Luoyang Gang, had close ties to the Demon Sect. Unlike Chang'an, which had two gangs and two sects, Luoyang was dominated by the Luoyang Gang, with only a few smaller gangs. However, these smaller gangs often had powerful backers, such as the Song Clan, which supported one of them.
---
"The Dugu Clan is quite cunning. By doing this, even if something happens, they won't be completely wiped out." Given the connections between the four great clans, Li Yuan would have to protect the Dugu Clan to some extent. After all, he had marital ties with the Dugu Clan.
The Dugu Clan had always maintained its unique status through marital alliances. Coupled with their lack of ambition to seize power, no one wanted to make an enemy of such a powerful clan.
"I've already informed my master. She should be here soon." Since the Yin Kuai Sect had pledged allegiance to Daniel Davis, it was time to demonstrate their value. Subduing the Dugu Clan was a perfect opportunity.
"I understand. Any other news?"
"Ci Hang Jing Zhai, Ning Daoqi, Liaokong of Jing Nian Chan Yuan, and the Four Holy Monks have issued statements claiming that Emperor Yang Guang slandered them. They deny any plan to 'select the emperor on behalf of heaven' and say they only want to contribute to peace. Also, many temples have started providing relief to refugees displaced by the war."
Sulia slowly relayed the recent actions of Ci Hang Jing Zhai, and Daniel Davis had to admit that their response was impressive. Even if he were in Ci Hang Jing Zhai's position, constrained by the era and knowledge, he wouldn't have a better way to handle the situation.
"Fan Qinghui and the others are quite clever, but they seem to have forgotten one thing: not every order can be perfectly executed."
If it were that simple, Emperor Yang Guang wouldn't have failed. The Buddhist temples, having been greedy for so long, would find it akin to cutting flesh to part with their wealth to aid the people, even if it was just a drop in the bucket.
As the saying goes, "It's not the god-like opponent you should fear, but the pig-like teammate."
"Keep an eye on this, but remember, don't do anything unnecessary. You know what I mean." There were many ways to undermine Ci Hang Jing Zhai's efforts, but some methods were too despicable, and Daniel Davis wouldn't resort to them.
For example, poisoning or similar tactics were nothing new. Even in modern times, such methods are often used in corporate rivalries.
His modern beverage company had once been falsely accused of containing toxic substances, leading to many cases of poisoning and even deaths.
"Understood. Also, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling have been making waves recently. The two of them teamed up to kill Ren Shaoming of the Iron Cavalry Society." Ren Shaoming was originally a collaborator of the Demon Sect, and the sect had even placed agents as his bodyguards. However, after pledging allegiance to Daniel Davis, the Yin Kuai Sect withdrew its support from other forces. Compared to Daniel Davis, who possessed a divine dragon, the others stood no chance.
As for Fu Gongyou and Lin Shihong, due to their connections with the Yin Kuai Sect and internal conflicts within the Demon Sect, it was impossible to get them to surrender for now.
And to be blunt, Fu Gongyou might be willing, but Lin Shihong might not be so eager to follow the Yin Kuai Sect's orders anymore. After all, he was now a major warlord in his own right.
If the Demon Sect supported him, that would be one thing, but asking him to hand over his power and influence was another matter entirely.
In a way, the Twin Dragons' assassination of Ren Shaoming was somewhat related to Daniel Davis. After Daniel Davis told them about the foreign tribes causing trouble in the Central Plains, aside from Goguryeo, which might have been a sensitive topic due to Fu Junyu, the two were more than willing to act.
It was after learning Ren Shaoming's true identity that they decided to take action. This battle instantly made them famous. In the martial world, the quickest way to gain fame was to kill a well-known figure. Ren Shaoming was the leader of the Iron Cavalry Society, one of the eight major gangs and ten societies.
There were many legends about him, such as how he once fought Song Que over territory and, though defeated, was still honored for his bravery, as he had never lost to anyone else besides Song Que.
To Daniel Davis, this was clearly an exaggeration. If Song Que had truly fought him, Ren Shaoming wouldn't have survived. It was more likely that he had fought Song Zhi.
Of course, it could also be like Kakuzu's claim of throwing a kunai at the First Hokage from eight hundred miles away, allowing him to boast that he had once fought the First Hokage.
(End of Chapter)
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