50 The Clash between the Empire And Tao Sec (1/2)

Chapter 50: The Clash between the Empire And Tao Sect

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

The citizens, who were kneeling in front of the sacrificial altar and who were piously worshiping, were still devout. The surrounding onlookers were making catcalls in unison. This scene was just like the situation that jugglers were performing in Scent Workshop, during which they showed something dangerous to appeal spectators' attention.

The ceremony praying for the rain to move had officially ended. The little Taoist boys were preparing to move the sacrificial altar and practice things into the Taoist temple, but the sky suddenly turned dark and at this moment the spring rain began to fall. Sangsang held her hands to open the big black umbrella, then lifting her small black face to take a complacent glance at Ning Que. Those in the crowd without umbrellas scattered quickly and hid under the eaves of houses on the street, watching and pointing at those several embarrassed Taoist boys. Their mocking and scoffing could be faintly heard…

Ning Que who witnessed this scene could not help but laugh. Suddenly he thought of one thing, and then again looked at the old rickety Taoist who was still in the rain. Ning Que's eyes were full of more shock than sympathy.

He believed his own eyes. The previous wooden swords and talisman papers were not tricks, and then they might only be... means of cultivation! To think with the knowledge taught by Lv Qingchen, even if the old Taoist had not entered the third state named No Doubts State of cultivation, he at least had been at the second state named Perception State for a long time!

Besides West-Hill, the Chang'an city probably had the most cultivators in the whole world. However he had never thought that he could meet a cultivator, while he was just hanging around with Sangsang, and the Taoist who was about to enter the real state was so pathetic to rely on these means to perform.

It was a pity that Taoist temple wanted to use this way to recruit believers. Master Haotian whom they worshiped could not help them out. That was true. Even those sages who were ever mentioned by Lv Qingchen and who had entered No Rules and Tianqi states could not summon wind and rain. Let alone the old Taoist without enough cultivation state.

Ning Que slightly frowned, watching the door of the Taoist temple gradually gathering. He was lost in thought.

Haotian Taoism, known as the only orthodox in the world, was respected in every country. The Taoist temple possessed countless fields and never paid taxes. Officers of different departments were honorable. When monarchs of such countries as the Great River Kingdom and the South Jin Kingdom ascended the thrones, they even needed blessings bestowed by the Great Divine Priest from Tao Sect of West-Hill to be recognized.

However, the onlookers' earlier ridicule and mockery could tell that the status of Haotian Taoism in Tang Empire could not be compared to those counterparts. Although the Priest of South Gate of Haotian Taoism had been appointed as the Master of Nation in Tang, the entire world knew that the relationship between South School of Haotian and West-Hill in which the main temple for offering sacrifice to Heaven of Haotian Taoism was located was always ambiguous. The rights to confer temple deans of each Taoist temple in Tang were all in the hands of His Majesty. West-Hill was completely unable to intervene.

And even rumors went that when Tang Empire was first established, Haotian Taoism was forbidden from preaching in the empire.

Speaking logically, the incredibly strong Haotian Taoism known as the world's first Orthodox and with hundreds of millions of believers, would not stand this pressure and humiliation. And actually they did not endure. Everyone believed that West-Hill Divine Kingdom was behind the attack of the Tang by 17 countries all those years ago.

Back then, the allied forces of 17 countries, which were reputed to have millions of soldiers, invaded the territory of Tang Empire, and they were directly and totally destroyed by cavalries of the empire that was as vigorous as the rising sun. And then, by taking advantage of this, armies of Tang Empire rode out of Yanggu Pass in waves and fought through numerous cities to conquer the whole world. After this grand battle, the so-called allied forces were disbanded like the melting snow. Tang Empire directly conquered three of the countries, and they now became the county named Hebei Province, which was squeezed the most heavily by Taizu (Founder of the Tang Dynasty) on his expedition to the north.

What was puzzling was that the West-Hill Divine Kingdom had stayed out of this magnificent battle, and the numerous hidden master-hands of Haotian Taoism never took the shot. Perhaps due to this reason, Tang Empire did not deliberately re-conquer Haotian Taoism in post-war forces re-division. It finally got the qualifications for preaching in Tang Empire.

After this battle, Tang Empire laid its own dominance in the world. Haotian Taoism still had most believers among the world. One was in the secularity while the other in religion. There was conflict within the sect. Since both sides did not have the confidence to defeat the opposite side, so they pretended the other did not exist, and gradually lost interest in attacking.