In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 234 Enjoying the Ultimate Bliss

"The wise king took pity on the people and thus bestowed talismans!"

Seeing that Chen Dao remained silent, the person facing Chen Dao said again, "Young brother, please rest assured, this talisman can cure all diseases simply by carrying it with you."

Chen Dao nodded noncommittally and did not take the talisman offered to him: "I am not sick, I do not need the talisman."

After saying that, Chen Dao led Chen Cheng away from the place.

The person who first noticed Chen Dao stared intently in the direction Chen Dao had left, and after a moment, turned and walked into the temple.

Inside the dimly lit temple, where there were no statues of gods, a slender man stood with his back to the three people.

Seemingly noticing the three entering, the man spoke without turning his head: "Well? Is the Sun family willing to sponsor my teaching?"

"Greetings, Master of Incense."

The three knelt down and then stood up to reply, "We have already negotiated with the Sun family, but they are not willing to sponsor our sect."

"Is it?"

The man slowly turned around. His face was ordinary, and the clothes on his chest were also embroidered with a lotus flower.

"The Sun family really doesn't know what's good for them."

The man said in a calm yet firm tone, "Since he is unwilling to pay, then we will go and collect it ourselves!"

…………

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Li Qingyun's residence.

When Chen and Dao returned, dinner had already been prepared in advance.

The dinner was noticeably better than the daytime meal. In addition to scrambled eggs and soup, there was an extra dish of stewed pork, which Li Qingyun must have specially instructed the steward, Xiang Lao, to buy.

"Young friend Chen is back? Please have a seat."

Li Qingyun smiled and invited Chen Dao and Chen Cheng to sit down, and then they began to eat.

Chen Dao picked up a piece of pork and took a bite, only to find that it didn't taste very good. Back when he first transmigrated, this pork would definitely have been a rare delicacy for Chen Dao, since it was quite oily.

But nowadays, meat is no longer a scarce commodity for Chen Dao. In addition, because the pork has relatively little seasoning, it tastes a bit fishy, ​​so overall it's not very tasty.

Of course, Chen Dao wasn't a picky eater, so he didn't comment on the taste of the pork. He just ate while tentatively asking, "Magistrate Li, have you ever heard of a sect that likes to embroider lotus flower patterns on the chest of their clothing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyun and Xu Zhiwen exchanged a glance and exclaimed in unison, "The White Lotus Sect!"

White Lotus Sect?

Chen Dao was stunned!

He was very familiar with this name. Of course, not the original owner of the body was familiar with it, but the soul within him that came from Earth was familiar with it!

The White Lotus Sect, a religion that frequently appears in Chinese history, has accomplished many great things throughout history, and even... their presence was hidden behind many rebellions.

Chen Dao never expected that even after transmigrating to the alien world of Xia Kingdom, he would still hear the name of this sect.

"Did you meet any members of the White Lotus Sect today, young friend Chen?"

Xu Zhiwen looked at Chen Dao and asked.

"It should be."

Chen Dao nodded and said, "I saw three strange people wearing lotus-patterned robes outside a temple in the county. They must be the White Lotus Sect followers that Magistrate Xu mentioned."

"That's right, the lotus pattern embroidered on the chest of the garment is the symbol of the White Lotus Sect! White Lotus Sect followers have actually appeared in Ding'an County!"

Li Qingyun muttered to himself, his expression sorrowful.

Noticing Li Qingyun's expression, Chen Dao asked, "Magistrate Li seems somewhat worried about the White Lotus Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyun smiled wryly and said, "Young friend, you may not know this, but the White Lotus Sect is no ordinary sect!"

Immediately, Li Qingyun began to slowly recount the background of the White Lotus Sect: "The specific origin of the White Lotus Sect is unknown! Its earliest period of activity was over a thousand years ago!"

Thousands of years?!

Chen Dao's face showed surprise. The Xia Kingdom's history was less than three hundred years, while the White Lotus Sect had existed for over a thousand years, which meant...

The White Lotus Sect existed for several times longer than the Xia Kingdom.

"Yes, the White Lotus Sect has existed for over a thousand years."

Xu Zhiwen said from the side, "This religion worships the Ming King, and its leader claims to be the reincarnation of the Ming King, calling himself the Little Ming King."

"The doctrines of this religion are not complicated; on the contrary, they are quite lenient. They do not prohibit eating meat or getting married, and they claim that as long as people sincerely believe in the Bright King, they can go to their Pure Land home in the next life and enjoy ultimate bliss!"

"It is precisely because its doctrines are easy to understand that the White Lotus Sect spread so widely among the poor. You may not be aware of this because you are from Qingzhou, but in the three southern states where the White Lotus Sect is active, there are countless people who believe in it!"

Chen Dao nodded subconsciously. The White Lotus Sect's doctrines were so simple that there would naturally be many people willing to believe in it. After all, the White Lotus Sect's doctrines did not impose any restrictions on the people. As long as they believed in the Bright King, they would have the opportunity to enter the Void Homeland after death. Since they would not lose anything by simply believing in the Bright King, why not do it?

"The White Lotus Sect is most adept at bestowing favors upon the poor and needy."

Xu Zhiwen continued, "They would distribute talismans or talisman water to poor people, claiming they could cure all diseases. Occasionally, they would also give some food to people who couldn't afford to eat. As a result, many people trusted the White Lotus Sect very much, and its followers were spread throughout the entire Xia Kingdom."

Despite its large number of followers, the White Lotus Sect was not a sect recognized by the imperial court; on the contrary, it was regarded as a heretical cult!

"Cult?"

Chen Dao was taken aback, and couldn't help but ask, "Why is that?"

"Because the White Lotus Sect is not a peaceful sect!"

Xu Zhiwen said in a deep voice, "Before the Xia Kingdom was the Zhou Kingdom. During the Zhou Kingdom's rule, the White Lotus Sect had rebellions more than once, and even..."

Xu Zhiwen paused for a moment, then continued, "According to some rumors, the founding emperor of the Xia Kingdom received funding from the White Lotus Sect at the beginning of his uprising. However, after seizing power, the emperor abandoned the White Lotus Sect, ruthlessly eliminating it and labeling it a heretical sect!"

"Because of the Emperor Taizu's crackdown, the high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect went into hiding and gradually disappeared from people's sight."

"But with the passing of the founding emperor, the White Lotus Sect began to resurface!"

"Of course, the imperial court has always spared no effort in cracking down on the White Lotus Sect, but..."

Xu Zhiwen shook his head: "The White Lotus Sect is like weeds on the grassland, with extremely tenacious vitality. Not only did it not become extinct under the crackdown of the imperial court, but it grew stronger and stronger, giving the imperial court a real headache."

Chen Dao chuckled. He knew without a doubt that the White Lotus Sect, a sect that preyed on the poor, would not be wiped out. It was a simple reason: in a feudal society like Xia Kingdom, the poor needed spiritual sustenance, and the White Lotus Sect's doctrines perfectly met their spiritual needs!

Meat consumption is permitted, marriage is allowed, and there is no need to adhere to strict rules and regulations...

Without any constraints, one can find solace for the soul and even have the chance to enjoy bliss in the Pure Land in the next life...

The doctrines of the White Lotus Sect couldn't be more suitable for the poor people of Xia Kingdom, not to mention...

The White Lotus Sect also frequently bestows favors upon the people, so it would be strange if the people didn't believe in it.