I changed the world.

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From a ritual perspective, after Emperor Huanzong, the mainstream faith of successive imperial families was Xuanmen (Taoist monasticism). It should be said that due to the foreign invasion following the Jia Shen Incident, the status of Xuanmen within the empire was further elevated. As for today, before Zhang Jing arrived in this world, within Xuanmen, the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Danding Mountain enjoyed the same salary as a Duke of the State, theoretically making him the most powerful figure in Xuanmen. Theoretically, the status of Yunxiao Mountain in Dinghai was slightly lower than that of Danding Mountain, with its abbot enjoying the salary of a Marquis. The status of Chunyang Palace on Yuhua Mountain was slightly lower than that of Yunxiao Mountain, with its abbot enjoying the salary of an Earl—at least at the level of the Religious Affairs Bureau.

According to the Da Zhao ritual system, a Zhenren who enjoys an imperial title has a status equivalent to a marquis in terms of ritual.

However, in reality, because the former abbot of Yunxiao Palace, Xiao Daoguang, was of a very high seniority and was too old, he used his personal prestige to elevate the status of Yunxiao Temple. Therefore, in public, if Xiao Daoguang and Zhang Sicheng, the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion, appeared at the same time, their statuses would be equal and there would be no distinction between them.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 902 What Virtue and Ability Did He Possess?

After Xiao Daoguang's death, theoretically, Li Jingxin's status should have returned to its original normal level. Even if he succeeded as the abbot of Yunxiao Temple, his status would still be slightly lower than that of the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion. However, in reality, due to Zhang Jing's intrusion, the religious landscape of this world underwent tremendous changes.

Due to a series of recent events, the influence of Yunxiao Temple at the official and even imperial levels has greatly increased, even surpassing the level during Xiao Daoguang's lifetime. At least at the highest levels of the empire, no one dares to view Yunxiao Temple, a major Xuanmen sect with a history of two thousand years, merely from the perspective of a religious school. As a result, not only was the deceased Xiao Daoguang given the additional title of "Master Ciji" on top of his original title of Zhenren (True Person), but Li Jingxin himself also received the title of Huguo Tongxuan Hongde Zhenren (True Person Who Protects the Nation, Understands the Profound, and Promotes Virtue). In this way, he has effectively surpassed the Celestial Master's Mansion and become the so-called number one figure in Xuanmen.

Therefore, under the current circumstances, it was something An Zhengquan dared not even imagine that he would need Master Li to open the mountain gates wide and personally come out to greet him.

"I am truly unworthy of Master Li's gracious welcome, I am truly unworthy..." An Zhengquan hurried a few steps to Li Jingxin, and preemptively cupped his hands to bow deeply. As the saying goes, "If someone shows me an inch of respect, I will show them ten feet of respect," and at this moment, An Zhengquan couldn't allow anyone to feel he had been impolite...

Unexpectedly, Master Li moved with light and agile steps, and without any apparent speed, he had already reached An Zhengquan in the blink of an eye, and with a flick of his sleeve, he had already helped him up.

An Zhengquan felt as if he had knelt on a ball of extremely resilient cotton, and he could not bring himself to kneel down no matter what.

"Mr. An, you're too kind. There's no need for such a grand gesture..." Li Jingxin smiled warmly and stepped forward to help An Zhengquan up, seemingly without any effort. In fact, most of the people around didn't even notice this scene.

"I have long admired Mr. An, but we have never had the chance to meet. Today I finally meet you..." Li Jingxin held An Zhengquan's hand and never let go. He smiled and patted the hand on the hand.

"I am truly thrilled and flattered that Master Li thinks so highly of me..." Just that simple gesture of helping him up had already made An Zhengquan realize that this old man was indeed a man of substance, a man of great reputation. However, being a seasoned businessman, he grasped Li Jingxin's hand with sincerity: "Yunxiao Temple, the orthodox sect of Xuanmen, the Daoist temple of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, I have long admired it, but in the past, I have been too busy with work to make the trip. Today, my wish has finally come true. And to see your venerable countenance is truly a great honor!"

"Mr. An, a business tycoon, it is truly an honor for our humble abode to have you grace us with your presence..." Li Jingxin shook An Zhengquan's hand and began to introduce the several red-robed Taoist priests beside him. He pointed to a middle-aged Taoist priest with a square face and said, "Please introduce Mr. An, this is my junior brother Jingyuan, who is also the abbot of this temple. In a few days, I will pass on the position to my junior brother..."

"My senior brother, the abbot, has been talking about Mr. An since the day before yesterday. Today, I'm finally able to meet him. I've long heard that Mr. An built his vast empire from scratch, a true business miracle. Meeting him today is even more impressive than hearing about him..." Zhou Jingyuan, having previously served as Xiao Daoguang's disciple, was already accustomed to the formalities of welcoming and seeing off guests. In particular, Li Jingxin had specifically discussed this matter with him beforehand, even hinting at some things. Therefore, he naturally wouldn't let the conversation become awkward and maintained a warm and enthusiastic demeanor.

"So it's Master Jingyuan, my apologies for not recognizing you..." An Zhengquan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that not only would Master Li come out to greet him personally, but he would also bring out the next abbot to greet him. This was indeed a great honor!

As the introductions continued, he realized that the people around him were high-ranking officials such as the temple's chief steward and lecturer, as well as senior elders of the temple...

"I am truly unworthy of the honor of being greeted by such esteemed monks. I am deeply ashamed and unworthy of such hospitality..." An Zheng was already considering that Yunxiao Temple's courteous gesture suggested they must have something in mind... However, even considering the great respect Abbot Li had shown, he might have to offer some additional business benefits...

In An Zhengquan's mind, Abbot Li, knowing Qianluo was in trouble, not only didn't try to take advantage of him but also lowered himself to greet him, giving him ample face. Therefore, An Zhengquan had to accept this favor. Although he didn't know what the renowned Abbot Li was thinking, he couldn't believe it was purely out of "hospitality." After all, how many noble families and dignitaries longed to see this man but couldn't?

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, An Zhengquan introduced the senior executives who had accompanied him to Li Jingxin. Naturally, the executives all adopted an extremely respectful attitude.

While the group exchanged pleasantries, further away, many pilgrims craned their necks, stood on tiptoe, and some even perched on rocks, all watching the direction in which the group was exchanging greetings. Many were discussing An Zhengquan's identity; by this point, anyone could see that Abbot Li's elaborate entourage was there to welcome this group.

At this point, some people had even raised their phones, turned on the video recording function, and started filming. After all, this is an era of thriving social media, and it has almost become a habit for many people to post a video on social media when something big happens.

Meanwhile, a large number of disciples of Yunxiao Temple were also scattered around. However, these disciples only advised some worshippers not to get too close and guided them to enter the temple from the side to offer incense. As for other things, such as taking pictures, they did not stop them at all.

In fact, both Li Jingxin and An Zhengquan had noticed people around them filming with their phones, but neither of them said much. The truth is, today's scene was meant for certain people. From Li Jingxin's perspective, Yunxiao Temple's true stance wasn't something that needed to be released through certain channels after reaching an agreement with An Zhengquan.

Contrary to the perceptions of some insiders, and even An Zhengquan himself, Li Jingxin wasn't actually overly concerned with the small details of Qianluo's investment in Southern Bank. He was indifferent to the amount of money involved in the business transaction. What he valued more were the underlying factors, such as… personal connections.

Human relationships are invisible and intangible, yet in crucial moments and certain situations, they are far more useful than naked money.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 903 Offering Help in Times of Need

In particular, there are the personal relationships within the sect of the Grand Master's Uncle.

However, favors are like that—it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow—and they are not something he can obtain simply by wishing for them. Li Jingxin has always held the view that the contributions Yunxiao has made to Kunlun are far from sufficient to repay the help Kunlun has given to Yunxiao.

This is why he immediately offered his own solution after learning about Qianluo Group's predicament. It wasn't because of the so-called business tycoon in front of him, but because of the man's daughter, his own second martial uncle.

In particular, given Li Jingxin's life experience, how could he not see that whenever he went to his grandmaster's cave to listen to lectures, he was almost always inseparable from his second grandmaster. Not to mention that his second grandmaster was a celestial being incarnate, and the two were a perfect match in terms of looks and talent, anyone with a brain could see the affection in their eyes and brows.

What caught his attention even more was that his grandmaster uncle, Zhang Taihe, never uttered a word about it. He couldn't believe that his grandmaster uncle, with his discerning eye, wouldn't have noticed. So, the only explanation was that even his grandmaster uncle had tacitly agreed...

In this way, if we could do that favor for our second martial uncle now, we would not only befriend him but also indirectly befriend our eldest martial uncle. We would be so happy we could laugh in our sleep...

In fact, in Li Jingxin's mind, although they were all a generation higher than him in terms of seniority, the status of his eldest uncle and the other senior uncles was completely different in his eyes.

With his age and experience, he has long since outgrown judging people based on their clothing, seniority, reputation, or other external factors. He is now able to see the true nature beneath those empty titles.

In his view, although the other senior uncles were of a higher generation than him, their actual entry into the sect was only slightly earlier. Even though their cultivation levels were higher than his, that was mainly due to their youth, vigorous blood and energy, and the fact that they were not burdened by worldly affairs and could spend more time cultivating every day.

However, the Grand Master Liu Bo's cultivation level is quite different from that of the other Grand Master Liu Bo. This is why the Grand Master Uncle can trust the Grand Master Liu Bo to pass on his skills on behalf of his master. He can't even understand how far the Grand Master Liu Bo's cultivation level has reached.

Even when he thought of his senior uncle, he couldn't help but recall the video he had once seen, sent from the Religious Affairs Bureau, showing that immovable, majestic figure in the cosmos. To say that he possessed extraordinary supernatural powers and boundless magical abilities would be no exaggeration.

Therefore, the importance of the second senior uncle in Li Jingxin's heart is far higher than that of the other two senior uncles, and this is far more than just a matter of being a little higher in seniority.

That's why, this time when An Zhengquan went up the mountain, he insisted that the older Wu Qin personally greet him, even ignoring the potential negative impact on the mountain. He wanted to give An Zhengquan face; at this sensitive time, his greeting was already part of his attitude…

Even what to talk about or how to talk about it is not as important or straightforward as this attitude.

This is truly a timely help!

After the initial pleasantries were over, Li Jingxin smiled, turned around, and gestured for them to enter: "Come, Mr. An, please follow me through the main gate. I'll show you around Yunxiao Temple first." From the moment they met until now, Li Jingxin had been holding onto An Zhengquan's arm tightly.

“My courtesy name is Boyue. You may simply address me by my courtesy name,” An Zhengquan said hastily upon hearing this.

"Hahaha, very well, then I shall accept your invitation, Mr. Boyue. Come... please!"

Afterwards, Li Jingxin personally acted as the guide, leading An Zhengquan and his group through the central gate of the mountain, passing by the flagpoles, bell and drum towers, and the Lingguan Hall, visiting each hall one by one as they walked inwards...

Li Jingxin lived in this temple for decades and even served as its abbot. He knew every plant and tree in Yunxiao Temple like the back of his hand and could explain them with great familiarity and wit.

Because the group was accompanied by many high-ranking members and disciples of the temple, and An Zhengquan himself brought his own entourage and bodyguards, it was quite a grand affair, attracting crowds wherever they went.

Yunxiao Temple did not try to persuade the onlookers to leave; as long as they did not get too close, they were allowed to watch and even take pictures.

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“Mr. Boyue, look, this golden plaque above our heads was personally inscribed by Emperor Huanzong when he visited the palace.” In front of the Sanqing Hall, Li Jingxin pointed to the huge golden plaque hanging above the hall and said with a smile, “Taichu Chanjiao” (太初阐教) was written on it.

Along the way, the group had seen too many inscriptions by famous people, but Emperor Huanzong, who had restored the Chinese civilization, was naturally different in everyone's eyes. An Zhengquan couldn't help but take a serious look and sighed, "The brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, truly fine calligraphy!"

The group continued walking inside and entered the Sanqing Hall. In the center of the hall, on the Wannian Platform, were three huge and solemn golden seated statues, which were the three Great Heavenly Venerables of the Xuanmen of this world. The one in the center was the Supreme Great Heavenly Venerable, and the others on the two sides were the Profound Origin Great Heavenly Venerable and the Pure Subtle Great Heavenly Venerable.

Li Jingxin approached the main hall and first respectfully bowed to the three seated statues. Then he turned to An Zhengquan and the others and introduced them: "These three seated statues of the Three Pure Ones enshrined in our temple are over 400 years old and are currently the largest wooden Three Pure Ones seated statues in the country."

“A hundred years ago, it was renovated because the lacquer peeled off. The temple specially found an old lacquer craftsman with the same skills as back then to ensure that the restoration was as good as the original.” As Li Jingxin spoke, he came to the huge seated statue in the center and introduced it to An Zhengquan: “Mr. Boyue, please look. My Yunxiao Mountain is the Taoist temple of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable. The one in the center is the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, the one on the left is the Xuanyuan Heavenly Venerable, and the one on the right is the Qingwei Heavenly Venerable.”

An Zhengquan straightened his clothes and said solemnly, "My whole family has always worshipped the Heavenly Venerable. Today, we have come to the Heavenly Venerable's temple, so we must pay our respects."

As he spoke, Su Yunlai, who was standing beside him, took out three incense sticks and offered them to him, as had been prepared beforehand. Several executives following An Zhengquan also accepted the incense sticks offered by Su Yunlai. Then, An Zhengquan stood at the front, with the others behind him, all holding the incense with their left hand on the outside and their right hand on the inside, raising both hands to chest level, with the tips of the incense sticks at eyebrow level. They lowered their eyes and silently prayed for a moment before bowing in greeting.

After the ceremony, a Taoist priest stepped forward, took the incense sticks, and inserted them into the incense burner.

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Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 904 Drinking Together

At this very moment, a video has already been quietly released on Youle, China's largest short video platform.

"A possible eyewitness account: An Zhengquan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qianluo Group, and his entourage appeared at Dinghai Yunxiao Temple, where the temple opened its gates to welcome them."

The video showed the main gate of Yunxiao Temple opening, with numerous Taoist priests lined up, surrounding Li Jingxin and several other high-ranking Taoist priests in the center. Li Jingxin then greeted An Zhengquan, and after exchanging pleasantries for a while, they walked into the temple.

Because the video was of good quality, even someone who knew nothing about Li Jingxin could see that the purple-robed Taoist priest had a warm smile on his face from beginning to end.

Although the video account that posted the video wasn't a very famous influencer, with only a few hundred followers, it wouldn't have been seen by many people initially. However, because news about the "Qianluo Group" has recently become a hot topic in public opinion, the video likely triggered certain keywords or recommendation mechanisms, and was quickly recommended to a group of people who were interested in related news or the Qianluo Group and Yunxiao Temple.

Therefore, about half an hour later, some self-media outlets began to actively forward and spread this information...

Of course, at this moment, neither the Yunxiao Temple nor An Zhengquan and others were aware of this.

After visiting the Sanqing Hall, Li Jingxin led An Zhengquan and his entourage to the Patriarch Hall, thus completing their tour of the main buildings of Yunxiao Temple. Afterwards, at Li Jingxin's suggestion, Zhou Jingyuan led several of An Zhengquan's attendants to the Stele Forest on the back mountain, where numerous calligraphic works left by famous figures and scholars at Yunxiao Temple were on display, making it a very worthwhile place to visit.

He then invited An Zhengquan to his Ershuzhai tea house: "Is it good that the spring tea harvest is in full swing this year? I have received some local specialty Zisun Huangya tea. Although it is not well-known, its taste is no less than that of famous teas outside. It has a unique flavor. Mr. Bo, why don't you come and taste it together?"

An Zhengquan knew in his heart that drinking tea was just a pretext, and that they were definitely going to talk about serious business. So he naturally did not refuse and followed the host.

Li Jingxin's study is located on a high ground behind the main building complex of Yunxiao Temple. It is a place where tourists are prohibited from entering. The study is surrounded by a large number of ancient and lush trees, and there is a small square in front of it. From here, you can see buildings such as the Sanqing Hall in the distance.

Li Jingxin usually handles worldly affairs and meditates here.

After entering the study, the two sat down at a tea table. The water in the iron kettle next to them was already boiling, which was obviously prepared in advance. Li Jingxin dismissed his disciples, took a teacup, and personally poured tea for An Zhengquan.

"How could I allow Master Li to do it? It would be too much of an honor for me..." An Zhengquan quickly stood up and politely declined. Li Jingxin naturally refused, and after repeated requests, An Zhengquan finally sat down again, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and praised it repeatedly: "Delicate and smooth, with a fruity aroma and a sweet aftertaste. Master Li's tea is indeed a celestial treasure!"

"You flatter me, you flatter me. If you like them, please take some back with you later," Li Jingxin said with a smile and a wave of his hand.

"Then I'll have to accept it. Be sure to bring some with you later," An Zhengquan said with a smile.

Then she sighed and said, "I'm not afraid to admit it, but when Huiling told me that she had taken a master from the Xuanmen sect, I was worried that she was young and ignorant and had entered a heretical path. It wasn't until she told me that her master was from the Yunxiao sect that I felt at ease."

Listening from the side, Li Jingxin suppressed the urge to retort and smiled, "If we're talking about the path of cultivation, among all the mystical sects in the world, there's none more orthodox than your daughter's sect..."

An Zhengquan was unaware that Li Jingxin was referring to something else, and assumed that he was talking about his own Yunxiao lineage, so he nodded and said, "The direct descendant of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable of Yunxiao Temple is naturally the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen, and deserves it without question."

"Speaking of which, we really have to thank you, Master, for Huiling's matter!" An Zhengquan said, rising up and bowing respectfully.

“Mr. Boyue, what do you mean by this…” Li Jingxin quickly got up and helped the other party up.

“Back then, my child was terminally ill. We went to many hospitals, but nothing worked. We used the best medicine, but it could only alleviate her symptoms. But watching my own flesh and blood die day by day…sigh…it was never a good feeling for a parent…” An Zhengquan sighed after sitting down again. “I originally thought of stopping her from continuing her studies and finding a beautiful place to recuperate, maybe that would help…sigh…but my child is so stubborn. She insisted on continuing her studies like a normal person. There was no other way but to let her stay in school. But her mother and I always felt…”

"But unexpectedly, she came back that day saying that her illness was cured!" An Zhengquan said, his face showing a mixture of reminiscence, emotion, and joy...

“At first I thought she had made a mistake, but after a series of examinations at the hospital, it turned out she really was cured! Later I found out that she had become a follower of the Celestial Venerable and even had a Taoist master…” An Zhengquan sighed, “However, she never said what this teacher’s name was, and we didn’t want to ask too much. We thought that as long as our daughter was well, that was all that mattered…”

“It wasn’t until a few days ago, when the group encountered some public opinion issues, that she told us that the teacher she had been studying under was actually a high-ranking master from Yunxiao Mountain!” An Zhengquan looked at Li Jingxin with gratitude: “Therefore, no matter what, I must personally thank Master Li. The Yunxiao lineage has truly been a great benefactor to the An family!”

Li Jingxin was unaware of An Huiling's previous situation. Only after hearing An Zhengquan's words did he realize that such a past event existed. However, with his experience, he immediately discerned the underlying meaning in An Zhengquan's words of thanks. While the gratitude was sincere, An Zhengquan was also hinting at making concessions for future business cooperation.