Chapter 666: Chapter 301: Reward and Trade_3

Even if it does happen, and he becomes a tyrant in the future, that time would probably be hundreds of years later.

What would the Nine Provinces be like hundreds of years from now?

He estimated that there might not even be a single cultivator left, and even an Inborn Grandmaster in Jianghu might become a legend.

And at that time, as the only cultivator and Inborn Grandmaster, even if the whole world revolted, Lu Yuan had the confidence to suppress it by his own strength.

This was the self-confidence of a person with longevity, the self-confidence of a strong man.

As Lu Yuan was pondering on this, Jihui, who had been promised his favor, bowed again to thank him, “The old monk thanks the King. Rest assured, when the White Phoenix Temple arrives in Qianzhong County, we will devote ourselves to spreading Buddhism, educating the people, and stabilizing the area for Great Chu.”

Jihui also made his own response, which was only to preach and not to cause trouble.

“Hmm, with the saintly monk’s words, I feel at ease.”

Lu Yuan heard the meaning in the other’s words, nodded with satisfaction, and then looked at Jihui, falling into contemplation.

The placement of White Phoenix Temple was settled.

However, the placement of Jihui was still undecided.

After all, the other party was an Inborn Grandmaster and a country’s lord; it was impossible not to give him a suitable position.

After some thought, Lu Yuan came up with a position and said, “I wonder if the saintly monk knows that I previously established a position in the court called Guard of the Nation True Person. This position is ranked below the Grand General and the left and right ministers.

The Guard of the Nation, known as Huang Xuan, is a real immortal with profound skills, not inferior to the True Persons of the Immortal Sects like Ziyun Dao.

The saintly monk is an esteemed figure in Buddhism, with the strength of an Inborn Grandmaster, equally unparalleled in the world.

I want to appoint the saintly monk as the Guard of the Nation Dharma Master, on par with the Guard of the Nation True Person and stationed in Qianzhong County, overseeing military affairs, and defending the southwest for my Great Chu. What does the saintly monk think?”

The Guard of the Nation Dharma Master was Lu Yuan’s arrangement for Jihui.

Not only was it a high position, ranked below the Grand General, but it also had control over the military affairs of Qianzhong County and great power.

It can be said that he was given both name and power, with great honor and benefits.

Of course.

In Qianzhong County, where all the civil and military officials were from the true core of Chu, this so-called supervision of military affairs was just a formality.

The civil and military officials in Qianzhong County would not listen to Jihui, and their loyalty was to the Great Chu.

Jihui’s real purpose was to make use of his identity as an Inborn Grandmaster to help deter the local powers and repel foreign experts.

He probably knew this well.

As expected, upon hearing Lu Yuan’s arrangement, Jihui immediately understood and tactfully replied, “Thank you for your majesty’s grace. However, this old monk has always been proficient in Buddhism but has never learned the art of military affairs nor governance. I am afraid it will be difficult to handle the affairs of Qianzhong County.

I only have my martial arts that can be used to help the King deal with some enemies in Jianghu.

Assigning this position to me might cause trouble for Qianzhong’s local administration.”

Lu Yuan laughed and waved his hand, “No problem, the Dharma Master can just cultivate in the temple. When a strong enemy appears, just lend a hand. As for those mundane matters, the local civil and military officials will handle them by themselves and will not bother the Dharma Master.”

“If that’s the case, then the old monk has no objection.”

Jihui nodded, cooperating with Lu Yuan to finish this performance. However, afterward, a hint of difficulty appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan naturally realized that the other party’s pretentiousness was still in need of something else and felt a little confused.

Yet, considering how well Jihui had collaborated with him just now, he was willing to cooperate with Jihui once more and asked, “Is there anything else the Dharma Master needs?”

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Jihui sighed and said with a wry smile, “There is one more thing. As the King may have noticed, this old monk has been fighting against strong opponents several times while carrying serious injuries. I have used too many secret techniques and have consumed too much of my essence. My lifespan is short now.

Although I’m still alive now, I can’t survive for more than two years.

Even as the Guard of the Nation Dharma Master at this point, I cannot serve the King for long.

Therefore, before my death, I would like to make a deal with the King.”

When Jihui greeted Lu Yuan earlier, he had noticed that Lu Yuan’s eyes had been scrutinizing him. He was aware that he could not hide his condition from Lu Yuan.

Actually, he didn’t intend to conceal it.

As Lu Yuan had guessed, due to his continuous battles with strong enemies while carrying grave injuries and using too many secret techniques, Jihui’s remaining lifespan had been greatly reduced, with only two years left to live.

However, unlike Lu Yuan’s calculation, the lifespan he had left was not only two or three years, but five or six years.

The reason was simple.

The White Phoenix Temple, after all, was a sacred Buddhist site with a history of thousands of years, and countless secret methods and treasures had been accumulated in the temple over that time.

Among them was a Nirvana Turtle Breathing Method that could transform one’s life into Nirvana’s intent, entering a turtle’s breath state.

In this state, the practitioner would fall into a deep sleep without consciousness or sensation, not requiring food or drink, and all signs of life would decline to an extreme point, reducing the erosion of life-force to a minimum.

In this way, by using the Nirvana Turtle Breathing state, Jihui’s lifespan could be extended to five or six years.

Although such an extension required one to fall into a deep sleep, forsake the outside world, and virtually isolate oneself, it was akin to being imprisoned. The price was not too high.

Being able to guarantee the presence of an Inborn Grandmaster for a few more years was a small price to pay for the White Phoenix Temple.

Jihui had already dragged the White Phoenix Temple from Linhai County to Xichuan due to his own selfish desires, ultimately bringing it to the brink of destruction.

Now, in order to atone for his sins, he would use what remained of his life to protect the White Phoenix Temple for a little longer, barely making up for his mistakes.

However, that was not enough.

Merely living for two or three more years was far from enough time for the White Phoenix Temple.