Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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There were no chairs in the temple, only roughly made blankets, so Ronan and his group sat on them. Soon, several monks brought over several plates of fruit and placed them in front of Ronan and his group as a treat. Looking at them, they saw that they were just sliced ​​papaya, green apples, and some kind of egg-sized fruit that they didn't recognize.

Papayas aren't sweet, and green apples are even more sour. I asked around and found out that passion fruit is also sour.

It can only be said that most fruits in this era are like this: not sweet, or even very sour. Any slightly better ones can become tributes, which is completely different from the various fruits in Ronan's original timeline that have been continuously cultivated and improved.

Ronan and his group didn't particularly like these three fruits; they preferred the dates they bought in Suleiman.

Rabelais seemed to enjoy it, and while eating, he talked about his life.

After transplanting his eyes to his granddaughter Camille, his strength was greatly reduced, dropping from the seventh rank to the fifth rank. Since the strength of a mutated mage largely depends on the mutated organs, his actual strength was weaker than that of an average fifth rank mage. Furthermore, he was blind, so in a real fight, he would only have the combat power of a fourth rank mage.

He decisively left the Kingdom of Fas, not only because he was involved in the rebellion, but also because he had many enemies. His vow was to punish evil and promote good, to help the weak and punish the strong. In his early years, he was either killing people or on his way to killing people. He was already in his thirties and his cultivation level was not high. It was not until he was over forty that he began to make rapid progress. This was not only because of his accumulation of experience, but also because he killed several villains in his mind who were above his level.

In fact, by his standards, there are very few mages in the entire Western Continent who shouldn't have been killed.

After his strength plummeted, he traveled eastward and began his wanderings. He was blind and loved to meddle in other people's business, and he killed quite a few people along the way. Most of these people were not strong, and almost none of them were above the third rank.

That's normal. Those above the third rank are all carnivores, and few of them would directly commit evil. Moreover, mages are cultured people who generally pay attention to manners. Just like what Liu Menglong said during our previous conversation, in Seris, the truly wicked people are not so-and-so lords or gentlemen, but at least so-and-so great benefactors.

“However, even so, I almost died several times…” Rabelais said, his expression and tone very calm, showing no sign of recalling the perilous past.

Magicians are all intellectuals, and intellectuals are often treacherous and ruthless, especially when they intend to kill their opponents.

After briefly recounting that past, Rabelais smiled and said, "But killing is useless."

“Killing is useful,” Dinia retorted. “Killing is the greatest justice for those they have killed.”

"Have you never killed anyone?" Rabelais retorted.

“Yes,” Dinia replied without hesitation, showing not a trace of regret.

As someone who had participated in wars and was once a prime minister, how many people had she directly or indirectly killed? Were there no good people among them, no innocent ones? Impossible, but so what?

Ronan couldn't help but chuckle to himself. This was the most unique aspect of Dinya's character: she never considered whether killing someone would be a problem, whether directly or indirectly. She wouldn't claim to be righteous just because she killed a "bad guy," nor would she comfort herself that it was a necessary sacrifice just because she killed a "good guy."

“When I was in the orphanage, I ate very well, but there was a famine in some places. At that time, the teachers said that if we ate one less bite, maybe one person could survive. But we were more valuable than those people, so they starved to death while we ate meat. I don’t agree with that. I just felt that there were some things I wanted, so I pursued them, that’s all.”

Dinia said.

Despite being interrupted and rebuked, Rabelais remained unperturbed, merely smiling slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Ronan coughed twice, "Didi, why are you arguing with him? He's a monk; he's a professional at debating these things. Believe me, in ten minutes you'll start questioning your existence."

“Exactly, exactly, why bother with all that reasoning? It’s so boring,” Ambrina said from the side.

The couple worked together seamlessly, leaving Rabelais in a difficult position. It could only be said that the former Lady of the Crimson Sea was quite insightful, while Ronan and Ambrina were truly stubborn rocks, impossible to cross.

"Then let's get down to business," Rabelais said, changing the subject. "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

"You didn't know?" Ronan was slightly surprised.

"Why would I know?" Rabelais asked, puzzled. "It should be you who know."

Ronan frowned, a look of doubt on his face, and asked, "Then how did you recover, and even surpass your former self?"

"After killing so many people, I became increasingly lost. Later, I went to Seris and wandered for a long time until one day, I met my master. He was a young monk in his forties who was begging for food. I could tell that he was at the fourth level. Actually, I had seen monks in Seris, but I had never seen one like him. I asked him why, and he said there was no reason. The temple was poor and there was no food, so he came out to beg for food. If someone was willing to tease him, it would be best if they added some lard and meat to his food. If not, that would be fine too."

"Later, I followed him in my spiritual practice."

"After several years, I have returned to the seventh rank."

“Two years ago, he was exhausted and on the verge of death while trying to save a foreign Taoist priest. The priest gave me an address, saying that the chance to save my master’s life was here. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it,” Rabelais said. He now had the ability to see through anything unusual, but he couldn’t find anything unusual about this temple.

"A foreign Taoist priest?" Ronan asked.

Rabelais spoke slowly and deliberately, “You know him, he is Her Majesty Ambrina’s second uncle, the leader of the Purple Robes. However, the Purple Robes organization has now been disbanded, and he is no longer a magician. He no longer uses his old name, but instead uses the Taoist name Jingxin Daoren.”

Ronan gave a disdainful sneer. Calm the mind? He's gone mad and needs someone to risk their life to save him, yet he deliberately brought his benefactor to this place. What kind of calming is this?

"He has a Taoist name, do you also have a Buddhist name?" Ronan asked.

"This humble monk is Mingxuan," Rabelais said, revealing his Buddhist name.

Ronan laughed and said, "The affairs of the mortal world cannot be resolved by becoming a monk."

Chapter 718 Karma and Retribution: Kill Gods and Buddhas Who Stand in Their Way

Rabelais, now known by his Buddhist name Mingxuan, did not refute this. “Cause and effect, karma and retribution, are predetermined. If you can save Master’s life, I will naturally do my best to help you with the rest of the journey.”

"Do you know where we're going?" Ronan asked curiously.

“I know, and I don’t know,” Rabelais replied. “I know you’re going to a place that holds some great secrets about this world, but I don’t know exactly where it is or what’s inside. Very few people know that there are secret alternate dimensions in this world, but they’re not a minority. However, most of these people don’t have any clues at all. Take the Haidi people, for example. For hundreds of years, it’s not that no one in the country has tried to explore it, but the Haidi people themselves didn’t know anything about it and could only give up. Finally, more than twenty years ago, you and she were the first to go in.”

"You guys have quite the plan."

Ronan said with a hint of disdain.

Ambrina's second uncle, now known as Jingxin, and the former leader of the purple-clad men, definitely hoped that Rabelais would get his hands on the secrets here, and that Ronan would then get his hands on the secrets of Seris, so that he could reap the rewards in the end.

He likely relied on this "cake" to gain Seris's acceptance and to teach him Seris's cultivation method. As for why he would abandon his own magician cultivation, Ronan was unsure, but one could guess that it was probably because his body, as a magician, could never achieve immortality, so he had to abandon it and then switch to Seris's cultivation method.

As for Rabelais, whether he offered his help or not was another matter entirely.

I want to be the oriole that catches the bird, and the fisherman that catches the fish, but do I have the ability to do so?

“I have no such intention,” Rabelais explained, his tone not forceful. He didn’t expect Ronan to believe him, but he had to explain what needed to be explained.

"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's get to the point." Ronan didn't intend to continue this topic. Regardless of whether Rabelais intended to play the victim, at least until Ronan and his group reached a conclusion with Ambrina's second uncle and the Seres people who had been fooled by his promises, he remained neutral.

Ronan, on the other hand, is most adept at turning neutrals into his own people.

Kate Pierre shrugged. "As for the entrance, there's only one riddle: it's not about objects, it's about people. To be honest, I looked all around and didn't find anything."

It's not about things, it's about people? Upon hearing this, Rabelais was struck dumb, his entire being suddenly plunged into a meditative state, and a few seconds later, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"So that's how it is," Rabelais realized.

No wonder. He'd been here for a year, seen everything and everyone, and found nothing amiss. Yet the entrance lay within people. What was the explanation? Eliminating all possibilities, the remaining one, no matter how impossible, was the truth. And the truth was the solution within himself.

From the moment he arrived, the entrance was upon him, and he looked at everything except himself, nor could he look at himself.

“I see,” Ronan said, quickly realizing the answer. “This entrance is really strange; it can actually be used for teleportation.”

After Ronan said that, Kate also thought of it, "Tch, Nigan is always so secretive, he likes to do these kinds of stunts."

It can be transferred to people, but Rabelais couldn't find it until now. Now that he understands, the answer is clear.

Nigan was the advanced AI robot from another world who chose the site of the interdimensional portal in India. He died long ago in a duel with Lo, who chose Seris. Lo won, but died less than two years later.

Now, there is another possible survivor in Seris, named Wen Jin.

“Now it’s up to you,” Rabelais said. He could see that everything was unusual, except for himself. He was certain that the opportunity lay with him, but he still couldn’t find it, so he had to let Ronan and the others find it.

Kate tried to sense it; "It's on his back."

Rabelais pulled down his monk's robe, revealing a muscular upper body. Ronan walked behind him, and a passage of text suddenly appeared on Rabelais's back—it was the Heart Sutra, and it was a translation that Ronan had read before.

This world has Buddhism, and it has also spread to Seris. The main ideas and the essence of the scriptures are similar, but some details are different. Moreover, the Heart Sutra that Ronan saw in the original timeline was translated by Tang Sanzang. This world does not have the Tang Dynasty, so naturally there is no Tang Sanzang, and therefore there is no such scripture as the one Ronan is seeing now. Therefore, this scripture was created by the means left behind by that artificial intelligence robot.

Ronan read it aloud once, then tried to touch the floating text.

However, nothing happened.

"That's strange, there's no response." Kate Pelle murmured, not understanding why Ronan, with such high authority, wouldn't respond.

“Yes, it’s far away from here,” Rabelais said. “It seems that what I have isn’t a door, but an opening mechanism. The door is far away.” Others can’t sense it, but his key can.

Ronan stood up. "Then, let's go."

“The exact location is in another temple,” Rabelais added. “It might cause some trouble.”

According to his location, Buddhism briefly flourished in this area between 2,000 and 1,800 years ago, and this large area within a few kilometers belonged to a single Buddhist temple. However, now, only the Bafang Temple, a small temple occupying only two acres of land, has a single prayer hall and a stupa. The rest of the area belongs to Hindu temples.

Ronan laughed. "There's an old saying in Seris: 'If a god gets in your way, you'll be killed; if a Buddha gets in your way, you'll be killed.'"

With their group, plus Rabelais, two seventh-tier beings, and Ronan and Kate, who are considered sixth-tier, their strength was such that, despite India's considerable supernatural power, they could still roam freely.

Rabelais clasped his hands together and sighed, "Alas, one should be lenient when one can."

"What if others don't make things convenient for me?" Ronan asked.

“Let them be saved,” Rabelais replied succinctly.

"Haha, you've really grasped the essence of Seresian Buddhism!" Ronan laughed heartily.

Zhao Yingqi was increasingly speechless. She felt that the Chinese culture that she was so proud of was being repeatedly ruined by these foreign devils, but she was powerless to say anything because she had lived in France since she was seven years old and hadn't received much formal education. She didn't know what Chinese culture was really like, and it certainly wasn't as Ronan and this bald foreign devil described it.

"Let's go," Dinia called out, and walked in front.

The group, including Rabelais, left the Eight Directions Temple and headed towards the temple that, in Rabelais's eyes, was shining with golden light.

The distance of nearly two kilometers was covered in just a few minutes, even though the group didn't rush and simply walked.

The temple is quite majestic and magnificent, surrounded by a stone wall, resembling a small castle. Inside and around it are countless buildings of all sizes, only a small section of which can be seen from behind the wall. The main body of the temple is a huge trapezoidal stone building tens of meters high, with three towers. The entire exterior is painted bright yellow, gleaming in the sunlight. From afar, you can see the dense, thousands of reliefs of gods on its surface, representing the countless deities of Hinduism, so intricate and ornate that it is exaggerated.

"arrive."

Chapter 719 Caste, Cultivation Method, This is Possible

In India, the oldest and most hereditary form of summoning magicians are considered to be able to communicate with the gods, and they are the core of the Brahmin caste.

Among the Brahmin caste, those who truly hold the priestly position must be magicians, but magicians are not necessarily Brahmins.

However, they are definitely not untouchables. Those who possess extraordinary power among the fourth class of Shudras and untouchables will automatically be promoted one level. It is impossible to become a Brahmin, but there is a chance to become a Kshatriya by performing meritorious service and becoming a son-in-law.

Kshatriyas were nobles; in primitive society, nobles were essentially military nobles.

The extraordinary power used by the Kshatriyas in India was elemental magic a very long time ago. However, with thousands of years of continuous Kshatriya activities, it has evolved into a kind of combined magic, which is more specialized and more brutal than the combined magic of Suleiman. Simply put, it uses elements as the basic power, but does not become a simple elemental mage. Instead, it uses faith to build a divine oath.

The combined magic of West and Central Asia, represented by Suleiman, is either divine magic or a form of mutation, or one of the two.

Seris's cultivation method combines both divine arts and supernatural transformations.

India, on the other hand, is characterized by alienation, and a rather severe form of alienation that can lead to inhumanity.

Actually, upon closer examination, this change is quite normal. Elemental magic is a type of magic that particularly requires rational thinking. In its current state, anyone with weak mathematical skills will find it difficult to reach a high level. In comparison, while the Heavenly Oath is crude and risky, it is simpler, requiring less formal education and less emphasis on rational thinking. India, on the other hand, used to have a strong mathematical foundation, but after being heavily influenced by printing, its mathematical prowess has declined.

But at this moment, what Ronan and his group saw at the entrance to the temple walls was not any of those, but several women.

A woman with extraordinary power, but not yet in her rightful place.

In India, women with extraordinary powers usually work in temples, and Ronan and his companions had already seen quite a few of them.

The only surprising thing is that I've been in India for a month now and haven't seen a single woman with supernatural powers at the official level. All I've seen so far are women who are only at the level of a novice magician.

This is clearly a deliberate act by the supernatural power class throughout India, prohibiting women from learning supernatural powers.

This is ridiculous. Extraordinary power is combat power. Does it matter whether someone is male or female? With enough resources, one more person means one more unit of combat power.

The Western Continent is harsh on female talents because resources are limited. A man can impregnate many women in a short period of time and quickly build a family, while a woman can only give birth to one child at a time, which takes about half a year. Therefore, resources are allocated to men as much as possible.

Even so, there are still many female superhumans in the Western Continent; roughly one in five superhumans is a woman.

India has such a large population and better resources than any country in the western continent, yet it refuses to give women more resources. Isn't this self-destructive?

It's no wonder that we've been attacked every now and then for thousands of years.

Of course, it can also be said that this approach brings stability, and this system can assimilate invaders. Whoever comes will have to continue with the same approach, at most making minor adjustments.

Upon arriving at the entrance, the group encountered the gatekeepers, two women wearing headscarves, tight-fitting long shirts, loose wrap skirts, straw pointed shoes, and curved knives at their waists.

Rabelais went up to them and lied, saying that the group was preparing to enter for worship.

"Understood, I will report it, but outside women are not allowed to enter."

That's how the woman guarding the gate answered.

"You're crazy, aren't you a woman?" Ambrina cursed, but the other person couldn't understand her at all.

"Forget it, Annie, there's no need to cause unnecessary conflict," Ronan quickly reassured her.

On this issue, Isabelle and Ambrina were of the same mind, but not entirely. She muttered, "The women here are really something else. They won't let us learn, but can't they find a way? Steal, rob, cheat, use their bodies to exchange for it, get the cultivation method for extraordinary power, and then unite other women to rebel. Even if they end up dead, so what? The seed of resistance will be planted, and one day it will bear fruit."

Ronan stroked his chin thoughtfully, "I suddenly had an idea. The printing activity that's already in the plan can be used to make use of the women here. We can teach them cultivation methods and get them involved in a rebellion."

"Ronan, you're such a bastard, all you do is cheat women," Isabel couldn't help but curse.

Ronan was speechless. "Isha, you're the one who said Indian women should find ways to resist."

“Resistance is not being a lackey of the colonizers; that is treason,” Isabel said.

“Nonsense, this is called bringing advanced civilization into backwardness, this is saving the country,” Ronan retorted.

Isabel scoffed, "If you were born in a backward country, you would definitely be a traitor."

“No, Ronan will first be a good patriot, because that’s how he can get a good price,” Ambrina added.

Dinia couldn't help but join in, "Not only that, he'll also work hard to make the country look better before selling it, which will be worth more."

“I love my country and I make it better, so why would I sell out my country? The country is mine now,” Ronan retorted helplessly.