Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 123: Maitreya's Troubles

Gong Chaoqun simply could not find any reason not to accept this great “gift.”

This “gift” would not only reduce his massive headache, but from a professional standpoint, it was also a great excuse to close the case while satisfying both the imperial court and the public. The story neatly fit together, and it was the type of narrative that would be readily accepted by the masses.

As for the overall situation, while it might not have a significant impact on the entire Maitreya Cult, at least the situation in Yangzhou would be brought under control for the most part. Gong Chaoqun feared that, if they continued not doing anything, he might just wake up one day to find Yangzhou filled with believers of the Maitreya Cult. He worried that even his own head might end up as a sacrifice if that were to happen.

However, the corrupt magistrate’s connections with the Maitreya Cult had made it incredibly difficult for Gong Chaoqun and the Demon Suppression Bureau to investigate their activities. He had long wanted to kick that troublemaker of a magistrate to death.

Additionally, from a patriotic perspective, killing the barbarians was a righteous act.

No matter how he looked at it, this situation was perfect. It was even so perfect that Gong Chaoqun was tempted to give the real culprit a kiss for carrying out the crime so meticulously.

As for finding the real culprit, I won’t even need to worry myself over that anymore. I’ll just leave it to Zhao Changhe.

Seeing that Gong Chaoqun was clearly unable to refuse this “gift,” Zhao Changhe smiled and said nothing more. After all, anyone would have made the same choice in his situation.

He actually had another thought in mind, something he did not say aloud because he knew it would not make a difference even if he did: Have you ever thought about why the real culprit is being so considerate? What benefit do they gain from this elaborate scheme? Why are they going to such lengths just to commit murder without getting caught? Even if they did not set things up this way, it would still be challenging to figure out who they are.

Gong Chaoqun, being an experienced member of the serious crimes division, could not possibly have overlooked these things. However, given the clear benefits of the given situation, he simply chose not to worry about it too much.

Yue Hongling did not have a better plan either. Whether it was dealing with the Maitreya Cult or those from the northern barbarian tribes, she found both equally appealing. As for finding the real culprit, she could just help Zhao Changhe with his investigations afterward. She finally said, “I recently discovered the Maitreya Cult’s stronghold. It’s located ten li to the east of the city at the White Lotus Temple.”

“So it really is there! I’ve long suspected it, but the magistrate went to great lengths to cover it up,” Gong Chaoqun exclaimed. “Today, we’ll uproot the Maitreya Cult in Yangzhou!”

*

The case of the magistrate’s assassination was solved within the hour.

The magistrate’s concubine was identified as a celestial maiden of the Maitreya Cult by the Demon Suppression Bureau. Under interrogation, she confessed to using the secret arts of the Maitreya Cult to control the magistrate and drain his true essence.

She also revealed that, under her influence and guidance, the magistrate had intentionally acted in various ways that resulted in the destruction of many households. Eventually, he had been taken in by the Maitreya Cult to strengthen their ranks.

Through all kinds of exploitation, they had managed to enrich not only the magistrate himself, but the Maitreya Cult as well.

Of course, none of these things was an invention. Everything was true.

Even those who had once forsaken their lives as courtesans to join the Maitreya Cult, like Ruyan, were drawn into this unfolding drama.

As soon as the news broke out, Yangzhou was in an uproar, and countless followers of the Maitreya Cult were left dumbfounded. Even Ruyan, who had been entertaining guests in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion when she heard the news, was in shock.

Of course, while this was the news that had spread, the magistrate’s concubine had actually revealed even more shocking information.

She also confessed to noticing signs that the magistrate was breaking free from their control. When the Maitreya Cult got word of this, they grew to harbor malicious intentions and conspired with the northern barbarians, led by Chi Li, to assassinate the magistrate in his own residence.

While this narrative had logical gaps that required further consideration, it was seamlessly intertwined with the genuine information that no one could question. Gong Chaoqun was going to provide additional details when reporting to the imperial court.

For now, their immediate task was to convince the military commander.

Despite the long-standing laxity from the prosperity of the city, the military had actually not been infiltrated too deeply by the Maitreya Cult. This was actually a crucial factor that had prevented the cult from staging an outright rebellion thus far.

No matter how weak an army was, it was still an army. Just having a large number of people was very useful.

The Maitreya Cult had not yet formed a military organization, and they were still operating mainly as a secret society within random households. When the military began a massive citywide crackdown on followers of the Maitreya Cult, the cult was caught off guard, with little resistance to offer.

Even with all that going on, there was still some spare manpower, and hundreds of powerful bows and crossbows were distributed among them. Then, with the support of over a hundred elite personnel of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Zhao Changhe, Yue Hongling, and a few others, they headed straight for the White Lotus Temple, located ten li to the east of the city.

Fa Yuan was feeling a little restless in the temple today.

He was aware of the assassination of the magistrate, as well as the fact that the city was now under strict lockdown. However, the Demon Suppression Bureau had taken exceptionally extensive measures to keep information within the city, causing the outside world to still be unaware of the details of the assassination. Naturally, he had no way of knowing that the magistrate had died right before the door of their cult’s celestial maiden.

In Fa Yuan’s mind, this was certainly not the work of their Maitreya Cult. It was inconceivable that they would evacuate everyone just because of this incident. Instead, he was more concerned about the possibility of the magistrate’s celestial maiden being discovered by the Demon Suppression Bureau. He was contemplating how to rescue her without drawing too much attention.

There were many other officials in the city who were followers of their Maitreya Cult. With their help, it would be relatively easy to safely rescue the innocent celestial maiden.

In Fa Yuan’s view, assassinating the magistrate was an incredibly foolish move. Their Maitreya Cult had invested a considerable amount of effort into pulling the magistrate to their side, and now, that effort was wasted. He had not even been useful for a few years and he was already dead.

Fa Yuan could not help but start wondering just how much time and effort they would need to take hold of the next magistrate that the imperial court sent to preside over Yangzhou.

If the cult leader had already initiated his plans, then Fa Yuan would not have minded the magistrate’s death. In that case, he could just raise his hands and command the followers to take control of the city. However, since their leader had yet to act, he was in a difficult position. He could not decide whether to advance or retreat.

Chi Li sat nearby, observing Fa Yuan’s restless pacing. He said coldly, “You should just take my suggestion. Abbot, now is the time to act. You should immediately move to either occupy Yangzhou or evacuate.”

Yes, it was Chi Li.

As it turned out, the Maitreya Cult really was collaborating with the northern barbarians. Chi Li indeed feared trouble after getting injured, but he did not hide in the magistrate’s residence. Rather, he sought shelter in the White Lotus Temple.

Fa Yuan shook his head. “Your Khan has yet to dispatch his troops, and our cult leader has yet to say anything. How can I act out on my own in Yangzhou?”

“Then you should evacuate. Your celestial maiden is trapped in the magistrate’s residence. The Demon Suppression Bureau is not to be underestimated. You should not even hope that you can rescue her. If you care to listen to me, I’m telling you to prepare for the worst. She has likely been discovered by the Demon Suppression Bureau and they have her now.”

“Even if they find out that she’s a celestial maiden of the Maitreya Cult, that should not be enough cause for us to immediately evacuate, right?”

In fact, Chi Li also did not believe the people of the Central Plains to be that ruthless. He did not think that they would simply disregard the real culprit and directly pin the blame for the assassination on him and the Maitreya Cult. In his mind, this incident had absolutely nothing to do with him. In addition, the magistrate was, in fact, someone from his side, so he was actually quite angered by the man’s death.

However, the keen instincts he had developed through years of life and death experiences made him feel uneasy about the situation. He could not pinpoint the exact reason, but he had a strong sense that he had to act now or something horrible awaited him.

Seeing that Fa Yuan was unconvinced, Chi Li knew that he could not be persuaded, so he directly stood up and said, “Then we shall be on our way.”

Fa Yuan was puzzled, “Why?”

Chi Li shook his head, “It’s just my intuition. I’m getting a feeling as if I were being stalked by a pack of wolves on the Grasslands. I’m getting goosebumps all over. If you believe me, then leave. Otherwise, we will just leave by ourselves. I can’t say anything to convince you, anyway.”

After saying that, he quickly left together with Batu and the others.

Just moments after they left, sounds of battle erupted outside. Hundreds of archers armed with powerful bows and crossbows surrounded the White Lotus Temple. The elite personnel of the Demon Suppression Bureau stormed into the temple, with Gong Chaoqun at the forefront, kicking open the temple gates and shouting, “Zhang Banfo, come out and face your death!”