The Blade-Wielding Legend-Chapter 1223 - 641: The Chaos of Luoyang

"The Vairocana Buddha is damaged, he volunteered to repair it..."

"The Buddha's patterns, all are elaborately engraved with sutras, I'm afraid it's been tampered with..."

Master Kuzhu quickly explained the situation, anxiously saying, "It is said that back in the day, the Demon Flood Dragon at Yique caused chaos, flooding the Divine Capital with river water. Emperor Tang ordered the 'Three Great Sages of Kaiyuan' to bless the Great Buddha to suppress the Demon Flood Dragon. Later, Chen Shoujing released the Demon Flood Dragon, and the old monk thought the restriction had long been destroyed."

"But hearing Squad Leader Pei say there is a 'Soul Collecting Ship' on Yi River, it should be related to this matter. That demon has lived in the temple for years, I'm afraid he will attack the monks and laypeople in the temple, the humble monk must return now..."

The old monk hadn't had the chance to leave when he saw Lady Pei's subordinates rush in, faces full of panic.

"Chaos, chaos!"

"Maitreya Sect is causing trouble inside Luoyang City, they've burned down the government office!"

......

Dusk hung heavy, a restless atmosphere permeated the streets and alleys of Luoyang.

"Mile descends to the world, fortune comes from within!"

Hundreds of men in coarse linen shouted loudly in front of the City God Temple.

They waved yellow paper talismans in their hands, more citizens gathered towards them.

"This is it, the City God suppresses our fortune!"

"Withering livelihood in Luoyang, it's because of this thing causing trouble!"

"Smash it, then we can be freed!"

In the crowd, a man with a pointed chin suddenly raised a stone and smashed it fiercely at the temple gate.

"Bang!"

The previously chipped and peeling wooden door was immediately dented.

Though it didn't open, it was like a signal.

All around, the populace picked up stones and hurled them.

Bam, bam, bam!

In no time, the fallen stones rained down, the wooden door was quickly dented all over.

All citizens, regardless of age or gender, had nothing on their faces but hatred and a fervent zeal.

Over the years, the prosperity of Luoyang City has worsened.

There's the sway of the era, since the sea was opened, the court's focus is entirely on the coast...

Natural disasters occurred, a major epidemic ten years ago, followed by Yellow River flooding, three years of drought, and now strange celestial phenomena...

Man-made calamities, the Luoyang King is a useless drunkard, harming the people with skill, various city forces extorting...

In short, everyone's heart is filled with resentment.

The laws of the Great Xuan Dynasty are severe, Luoyang's officials are tyrannical, normally enough to suppress this resentment.

But suppressing doesn't mean it's gone.

Once it erupts, it's no less than the Yellow River breaching.

Colluding with the Maitreya Sect is a serious crime.

But when life crushes them, the people become heedless.

In fact, those gathered are not many from the Maitreya Sect, far fewer than the Guanzhong turmoil ten years ago.

Mostly, they're ordinary people venting along.

Soon, the City God Temple's gate was smashed open.

What perplexed them was the deathly silence inside the temple.

The Daoists who were usually there had already left, the hall doors wide open, inside was the corpse of the temple priest, already cold.

This situation seemed odd, no matter how you looked.

However, the crowd couldn't care less, rushing in to vandalize and burn.

The towering City God and Judge statues were overturned and shattered.

Canopies, yellow talismans, and red cloth were all set ablaze.

Copper incense burners and ritual vessels used for tribute were snatched in a frenzy.

Amid the chaos, no one noticed.

On the beam in the main hall was a Victory Coin covered in stained blood...

Inside the shattered statue were filthy substances like rotten mud, white maggots surging within...

All black soul jars used for offering community order soldiers were tied with grass ropes and white talismans, smashed by the rioters. Black gas seemed to spurt, penetrating nearby people, coupled with the copper vessel plundering, the frenzied crowd even started fighting each other...

...

The chaos at the City God Temple was just one corner.

Outside the East City's Hanjia Granary, typically heavily guarded, the warehouse door was now broken open by rioters.

Grain sacks were torn to shreds, millet mixed with muddy water spread over the green brick ground.

Maitreya Sect followers held torches aloft and shouted:

"The official granary is hoarding food, starving corpses lie everywhere! Rob it, these bastards!"

"Rob!"

Seeing the full granary, the eyes of the populace turned red, surging forward.

"You... what are you doing?"

The grain official trembled as he stepped up to stop them.

Thud!

Barely taking two steps, a Maitreya Sect follower with a fierce expression stepped forward and stabbed him to death.

However, the people didn't bother to notice.

They yanked open the sacks, only to find rubble and dust below.

Only a layer of grain on top as a trick.

"Damn it, the grain has been stolen!"

"No wonder during the disaster they wouldn't open the granary!"

Discovering this, the populace grew even angrier.

No one saw that the Maitreya Sect followers who just murdered, had eyes full of ridicule...

...

In South City, Anle Nest, Du Family Mansion.

As a wealthy household in Luoyang, the Du Family naturally had high walls and large courtyards.

They even spent heavily to hire Protectors from Guazi Gate.

Yet at this moment, the Du Family had its vermilion doors ajar, smoke billowing from the rooftop.

Blood flowed out the door cracks, marked with bloody footprints.

Inside the courtyard, wails and cries tore through the air.

Master Du, a knife in his chest, lay slumped in the Taishi Chair, watching helplessly as his concubine was dragged inside by "house servants."

The attackers were clearly the beggars who previously helped haul night soil for his household...

...

In the city center, next to the Drum Tower, was the Luoyang Government Office.

The Injustice Bell at the entrance had been smashed with a hole, and the whole government office was engulfed in flames.

Amongst the public servants, many were skilled fighters.

However, chefs mingled inside received orders to dose everyone with laxatives.

They all suddenly had diarrhea, having no strength to resist.

The noble government officials were hacked to death.

The Luoyang Prefect, unable to escape in time, was hung from the beam.

With a long tongue lolling, his corpse charred by the flames.

West Guan Street's grain stores and market were in chaos, fiery light soared.

Outside Ying'en Gate in the city's north, soldiers gathered at the post station's entrance, fighting with a group of black-clothed masters.