Chapter 953: Chapter 71: Supernatural Powers Chapter 953: Chapter 71: Supernatural Powers Time passed by day by day.

Unknowingly, “Soul Seizing” had already been a matter of a month ago.

In this month, Jasmine did what the original Commandery Princess would have done, acting heroically, standing up for justice, and speaking out for the common people at the bottom of society.

However, the difference was that the original Commandery Princess was naive and romantic, believing her acts of chivalry could bring some hope, some positive change to the commoners, whereas Jasmine knew that without changing this filthy world, those people could not possibly find hope, much less witness any good changes.

The food that the original Commandery Princess had distributed to the commoners would have been seized right back.

No sooner had she eradicated a nest of bandits than a new group seamlessly took over, settling back into the bandit lair.

All changes were temporary, fleeting, prone to recoil.

After doing a good deed, the original Commandery Princess would pat her buttocks and leave, and those commoners who received her help would be subjected to even more cruel exploitation and suffocation.

Jasmine wouldn’t do such superficial measures.

If she were to do something, it had to be more thorough.

Fortunately, her mission was to infiltrate behind enemy lines to sabotage and, through a pincer move, overcome the remnants of Buddhism.

The more she could disrupt the situation, the greater the hope of accomplishing her mission.

Therefore, under the guise of acting heroically, Jasmine tried to build up an armed force loyal to her by spreading money, promulgating ideas, seeking like-minded souls, and through some forceful coercion.

Both the various war records of the Wizard civilization and the content Link mentioned in casual chats with her husband highlighted the importance of one principle:
The power of might comes from the barrel of a gun.

If one wishes to achieve something great, one must have sufficient power in their hands.

Otherwise, even the best principles won’t be heeded.

Of course, a month was still too short, and this endeavor was only budding, showing little tangible success so far.

However, there was an unexpected windfall in another matter.

Jasmine, through several layers of intermediaries and numerous facades, purchased a bookstore that came with its own printing workshop. She then employed some scholars who were discontent with their own lives and held deep resentments towards the Buddhist sect for its excessive exploitation. They half-sold, half-gave away pamphlets written according to Jasmine’s instructions.

The ones discourse on grand principles, such as self-reliance, freedom, and the sanctity of life and property… natural had neither impact nor feedback.

They didn’t even make a splash.

After all, life itself was already so hard; now they had to understand why it was so miserable. Comprehending it and then finding it hard to see any hope of overthrowing the towering mountains above them would only add to the bitterness!

On the other hand, a few pamphlets recounting the licentious stories and embarrassing moments of monks and nuns patronizing brothels suddenly became explosively popular.

Forget giving them away for free; even when the price was raised, many were willing to pay.

Thinking about her future endeavors that would require robust financial backing, Jasmine felt this was not an opportunity to miss.

She immediately instructed the scholars to set aside other projects and dedicate themselves to composing such salacious brochures, enticing the heartstrings of readers in whatever way possible.

The only requirement was to subtly incorporate one point: that all good things in the world, such as fine wines, delicious food, beautiful scenery, and gorgeous women, were exclusively enjoyed by those monks and nuns who did not participate in productive labor.

These scholars, being dissatisfied and disaffected, not to mention their discontent with the Buddhist Sect, had no reason to refuse Jasmine’s request.

They wrote with a fervent enthusiasm.

In the actual brothel, Elise had been quietly building her own power and also “educating” the other sixteen girls on the situation of their surroundings and the world they were in.

That day, the teaching of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting was completed.

For some reason, the Brothel Manager unexpectedly showed generosity, allowing the girls to finish their daily studies early.

Over the past month, Elise had established a supreme status in the hearts of the sixteen girls.

If she said “one,” none of the sixteen girls would say “two.”

If she moved east, none of the sixteen girls would go west.

Thus, after dinner, when Elise suggested they talk about their hometowns, the sixteen girls eagerly began to share their stories.

After all, they were but twelve or thirteen years old and had not received much education. They were naive and had no profound understanding of the concept of a hometown.

In the hearts of the sixteen girls, hometown meant the thatched cottage that was cold in winter and hot in summer, the inescapable poverty, the inexpressible suffering, the endless hunger.

Yet even so, there were many fond memories of home.

There was the loyal yellow dog guarding the gate, the old ox that worked hard without complaint, the grandparents with wrinkles crammed across their faces and missing front teeth but always with smiling eyes, the parents who always looked grim as if they had never-ending chores but never shortchanged their meals, the companions with whom they picked wheat ears in the fields and watched over the cattle and sheep on the hills…

These memories, whether good or bad, had been irrevocably left behind the moment they were sold into the brothel.

As they spoke, tears began to flow down their faces one after another.

Elise observed coldly for a while, allowing the girls time to vent their emotions, then she spoke indifferently, “You have left behind your worldly hometowns, so there is no need for sadness. Today, I will tell you about the Pure Land of rebirth, the True Void Homeland, the Pure World of White Lotus, the unbirthed parents.”

“Brother, I could not find any records related to Master Wusheng in the Sutra Pavilion.”

Within the White Horse Zen Institution, Link proactively approached Monk Chen with his inquiry, “Brother, do you know where I can learn about the life and sayings of Master Wusheng?”