Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 591 Holy City Bodhisattva

Chapter 591 Holy City Bodhisattva

"Your Majesty, these cattle and sheep belong to their master; I have no right to make decisions..."

Bale kowtowed, his voice trembling slightly.

"Master?"

The wolf king's eyes held a hint of disdain. "Is your master more noble than me? I don't care who your master is. Give me some of these livestock, or I'll eat you too!"

Bala said in fear, "If Your Majesty wants to eat meat, you will eat me. These cattle and sheep are truly untouchable."

If too many of these cattle and sheep were to be missing, not only him, but all of them would be punished by the master's household, a punishment far worse than death.

Upon hearing this, the wolf king showed a hint of disgust. Such a lowly slave didn't have much meat on him; it would be hard for him to even gnaw on him.

The wolf king said coldly, "I'll give you one more chance. Produce enough cattle and sheep. Otherwise, my people will personally devour them, and the number of dead cattle and sheep will be far greater than this."

The wolf king paused, then looked at the girl kneeling not far away, "That girl, from now on, follow me and serve me!"

The wolf king had some impression of this shepherdess, and now that she had grown up, she was suitable to be his maid.

Upon hearing this, the young girl Pearl's pretty face changed, and her eyes revealed unease.

She had no desire to serve a wolf, even if it was some kind of mountain king who was rumored to have received enlightenment from a Bodhisattva.

Bala hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, she is merely a lowly shepherd, how could she be worthy to be Your Majesty's servant..."

Pearl was his daughter, and Bale didn't want to see his daughter sent to the jaws of wolves.

The wolf king's eyes flashed with ferocity. Had it been too docile in the past, allowing these shepherds to repeatedly defy it and refuse its commands?

In the blink of an eye, the wolf king took a step and flashed to Bale's side, wanting to teach this arrogant shepherd a lesson.

The wolf king raised its front paws, about to strike Bale.

However, its body and movements froze there, unable to move for a moment.

The wolf king was terrified, not knowing what had happened.

The next moment, the wolf king saw three figures appear before it. Although they showed no aura whatsoever, they inexplicably terrified it.

When the other wolves saw the approaching people, they bared their teeth warily and involuntarily backed away, a reaction stemming from their instinctive fear of danger.

The wolf king spoke in a hoarse voice: "Who are you? I am the mountain king appointed by the Great Virtuous Bodhisattva, and I am the Great Virtuous Bodhisattva's earthly messenger..."

The wolf king wasn't stupid; it already knew that the person before it possessed great magical power, capable of even subduing it, indicating extraordinary strength.

Therefore, the wolf king dared not delay and directly revealed his identity and background.

"Great Virtuous Bodhisattva?"

Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the wolf king.

Among these wolves, the wolf king does indeed possess a Buddhist aura, likely a mark left by a Buddhist practitioner.

Upon hearing Lu Zheng's tone, the Wolf King glared and said, "You don't even know the Great Virtuous Bodhisattva?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Is it a Bodhisattva residing in the Holy City? Tell me about this virtuous Bodhisattva, and how you became an envoy?"

The Wolf King dared not conceal anything and said, "In the Holy City there is a Golden Buddha Temple, where three Bodhisattvas reside, named Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Great Virtue. These three Bodhisattvas possess great supernatural powers, with abilities that can penetrate heaven and earth, summoning wind and rain, and moving mountains and overturning seas..."

The wolf king didn't actually know how capable those three were, but since everyone had heard such legends, it naturally had to praise them lavishly to intimidate the people in front of it.

However, it was clear that its words were not convincing.

Qingwan asked, "Did you personally witness those Bodhisattvas displaying their supernatural powers?"

"Uh, no..."

The wolf king whispered, "I've never been to the Holy City. I was originally the alpha of a pack of wolves in this area. One day, I met a person radiating golden light. He claimed to be a virtuous bodhisattva from the Holy City, and he enlightened me, teaching me many things." "The virtuous bodhisattva appointed me as the mountain king of this place, a messenger of the bodhisattva, and tasked me with patrolling this land and protecting this region..."

……

Qingwan frowned upon hearing this and said, "Protect one side? Didn't you just want to hurt these people?"

The wolf king couldn't help but say, "They are merely the lowest of slaves, born with a lowly fate. Even if I eat them, it will only be helping them enter the cycle of reincarnation..."

The wolf king felt he hadn't done anything wrong; his status was far superior to these lowly people.

Even if these shepherds were killed, no one would say anything, and these people would not dare to resist.

Qingwan glared at her and said, "Is this how that Bodhisattva taught you?"

The wolf king said in surprise, "What's the problem? They were lowly slaves to begin with, their lives are worthless."

None of the kneeling Bale and the others refuted this statement; it seemed that even they themselves agreed with it.

Lu Zheng said, "Among all living beings in the world, there may be those who are born insignificant, but none are born lowly. The idea of ​​a lowly fate is nothing more than a concept imposed by other people."

The wolf king quickly chimed in, "You're right..."

Now that his life was in someone else's hands, the wolf king naturally had to agree and dared not object.

Upon hearing this, the young girl Pearl couldn't help but look up at Lu Zheng. It was the first time she had heard someone say such a thing, yet she felt that these words were the true truth.

Qingwan then asked, "What's the story with that pilgrim?"

"Ah, what?"

The wolf king did not understand Qingwan's words.

Qing Wan said, "Is he really some kind of pilgrim who wants to go to the Holy City on a pilgrimage? Can he withstand the Holy City and have a chance to be enlightened by the Bodhisattva?"

"Well... there is such a saying."

The Wolf King quickly replied, "I don't know the specifics either. These pilgrims are like me, followers of the Holy City Bodhisattva..."

This is why the wolf king will not attack pilgrims.

Sometimes, if some pilgrims encounter some unruly wild beasts or demons on their journey, the wolf king might even lend a hand depending on the situation.

This is considered one of its duties after being enlightened and appointed as the Mountain King.

As for the life-or-death crises faced by the other commoners, it depends on the wolf king's mood, and any intervention will require payment and offerings.

After hearing the wolf king's account, Lu Zheng and his two companions gained a general understanding of the local situation.

The people here have a strict hierarchical system, divided into different classes.

The lowest class of people are slaves for life, with no chance of rising up. Their lives are worthless and they can be killed at will.

The noblest people here are the monks who practice Buddhism.

The local nobles and landowners would spend a lot of money to support monks and temples in order to ensure their safety, well-being, and rebirth in the Pure Land.

If someone were to gain entry into the Golden Buddha Temple in the holy city and serve on the left and right of the three Bodhisattvas, it would be an immense blessing accumulated over several lifetimes...

After some interrogation, Qingwan learned that this place was indeed not Wei territory, and there were no government officials or troops here.

There is a set of rules here to maintain social order.

(End of this chapter)