Chapter 292: Meeting Without Prior Acquaintance
Above the altar of the Western Divine Mountain, flowing light surged. After a moment, Jing Yan and Yu Liu’s eyes brightened as they saw a young man in a jade crown step out from the radiance. His expression was somewhat cold, but when his gaze fell upon the two girls, it stirred a secret shyness in their hearts.
“Young Master Xu, Star Lord Qiao ordered us four sisters to assist you in eliminating the new Human Sovereign. Yao Hua and Qing Ying have already gone ahead to the Loulan Golden Palace to gather information on him.”
Yu Liu spoke softly: “Young Master, shall we go now to meet up with them…”
Xu Sheng Hua nodded lightly and said, “Let’s finish this matter quickly. I still need to return to the Upper Firmament. This mortal world, with its endless disturbances, is no place to linger.”
Jing Yan smiled and said, “Young Master, this mortal realm does have some extraordinary individuals who should not be underestimated. The Human Sovereign has been an enemy of the Upper Firmament for so many years—he won’t be easy to eliminate.”
Xu Sheng Hua, dressed in spotless white robes, walked down the mountain and said, “This world does have its wonders. Little Jade Capital, Great Thunderclap Monastery, the Daoist Sect, the Heavenly Sage Sect—these so-called sacred lands of the Central Lands also harbor some masters, no weaker than those in the West. I do not underestimate them, nor do I underestimate the Human Sovereign. I also wish to see the places in this world that make those beings cautious. But the mortal realm does not suit my nature. So, I’ll go early and return early.”
The two girls quickly followed him.
“Since I’ve come down, I should visit these sacred lands of the Central Lands.”
Xu Sheng Hua said, “I want to see how far their divine powers and techniques have progressed. Also, the reforms in Yankang Kingdom are in full swing and worth observing. My master, Lord Yu, was ordered to bring calamity upon Yankang but was wounded by the so-called sage who appears once every five hundred years. I am very curious to see what this sage looks like.”
The two girls exchanged glances, a hint of worry in their eyes.
In Hezhou City, an official hurriedly reported, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince learned that Lord Qin was out of danger and has already departed ahead to handle affairs in other prefectures.”
Ling Yu Xiu asked, “Which prefecture did he go to?”
The official replied, “His Highness originally went to Sizhou, but he left some time ago. As for which prefecture he is in now, this official does not know.”
Qin Mu nodded and said, “I’ll have the disciples of our sect gather information. We should soon know where they are.”
They rested briefly in Hezhou, eating something to fill their stomachs. Not long after, a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect in Hezhou reported, “His Highness has arrived in Quzhou.”
Qin Mu unfolded a map of Yankang, glanced at it, and said, “Then the Crown Prince’s next destination will be Ningzhou, next to Quzhou. He’s moving quite fast.”
Ling Yu Shu had first gone south to Jiangling, then followed the Golden River westward, likely to manage water conservancy along the way.
Although Ling Yu Shu lacked the bold, sweeping vision of Emperor Yan Feng, he was skilled in handling water conservancy and transportation across various regions. With help from the Ministry of Works, he moved quickly. Moreover, unlike the former Crown Prince Ling Yu Xia, he did not cling to power—a point that reassured Emperor Yan Feng.
With Fan Yun Xiao’s assistance, Ling Yu Shu’s pace was even faster. By the time Qin Mu and the two girls caught up with him, over half a month had passed. Ling Yu Shu had long left Ningzhou and arrived in Fangzhou in the west.
Fangzhou was not far from the Great Thunderclap Monastery—just over a thousand li west of it.
Upon reaching Fangzhou, Ling Yu Xiu finally saw her brother. Her eyes reddened; clearly, Ling Yu Shu had been working hard these days and had grown much thinner.
Ling Yu Shu quietly asked her, “That beast Qin didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
Ling Yu Xiu blushed with both shame and anger, puffing her cheeks and saying, “Brother, where is your mind wandering? Saintess Xiang is still here!”
Ling Yu Shu gave a dry laugh: “I’m just worried about your safety! That beast…”
Ling Yu Xiu shot him a glare: “He is the Sacred Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He killed the previous Crown Prince so you could take his place. If you keep calling him a beast, be careful—he might hear you and kill you too, making me the Crown Prince instead.”
Ling Yu Shu said awkwardly, “Not even married yet, and you’re already guarding your food, even snapping at your brother. By the way, ahead is the Great Thunderclap Monastery. I’ve ordered the confiscation of their lands for the state. Since we’re so close, we need to be careful. These past few days, monks have been coming to beg alms from me.”
Ling Yu Xiu’s eyes flickered: “They want to reclaim those lands?”
Ling Yu Shu nodded: “The Great Thunderclap Monastery’s lands are the best fertile fields nearby. They rebelled and tried to kill Father to install a new emperor. I only took their lands—I didn’t slaughter them outright. Now they keep coming to beg alms, hmph… I came here to manage water conservancy and people’s livelihoods. In other places, I finish and leave, but here, I’m forced to linger.”
As they spoke, a voice rang out from outside: “This humble monk comes to beg alms!”
Ling Yu Shu smiled wryly and walked out. Qin Mu followed. They saw a gaunt, sallow-faced monk sitting there, holding a demon-subduing bowl. Several soldiers tried to move him but couldn’t budge him.
“This humble monk only begs for one bowl of soil. I implore the Crown Prince to grant it,” the monk said, lowering his eyes as the Crown Prince appeared.
“That bowl of yours is the former Tathagata’s demon-subduing bowl from the Great Thunderclap Monastery, isn’t it?”
Ling Yu Shu sneered: “In any other sect, it would be a supreme treasure. One bowl of soil—if you set it down, it would probably cover the entire territory of your Great Thunderclap Monastery, hundreds of li. Monk, you’re no ordinary monk, or you wouldn’t be carrying such a sect-guarding treasure.”
The monk was about to speak when he suddenly saw Qin Mu. His brows lifted: “Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect!”
Qin Mu smiled in acknowledgment. The monk’s expression darkened. In the battle at the Imperial City Altar, the Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Daoist Sect had suffered heavy losses, with nearly half of their top experts killed by the Heavenly Demon Sect. Many high-level monks and elders at the Divine Bridge realm had perished, leaving them severely weakened.
If not for that, Ling Yu Shu wouldn’t have dared to reclaim the monastery’s lands.
The sallow-faced monk said nothing more and hurried away.
Ling Yu Shu looked at Qin Mu and said quietly, “That monk left without begging for alms. He’s probably gone to call for others to cause trouble for you. Be careful.”
Qin Mu shook his head: “Don’t worry. The Tathagata won’t pay him any attention.”
The sallow-faced monk sped like the wind back to the Great Thunderclap Monastery. When he reached the Golden Summit, he saw a solemn scene. All the abbots of the various halls had gathered there, some with sorrowful expressions. Qiong Fu Zi and others were also present as observers.
The old Tathagata was presiding over a grand ceremony. He removed his kasaya, took off his straw sandals, and shed all the treasures on his body, looking completely unburdened.
The old monk Jing Ming stood behind him, silent.
“This…”
The sallow-faced monk’s heart shook violently. The old Tathagata turned to look at him, smiled, and said, “Junior Brother Nan Ye, my time is near. I am now resigning the position of Tathagata, free and unburdened. I plan to travel and quietly await the Great Enlightenment and Great Nirvana. After I achieve Great Enlightenment, Jing Ming will bring my physical body back, so this shell of mine can continue to guard the Great Thunderclap Monastery and spread the Dharma.”
The sallow-faced monk felt a deep sorrow but did not show it. He said, “The Tathagata is a state of being. It cannot be pushed away or resigned from.”
The old Tathagata smiled and said, “What I resign from is the World-Honored One of the Great Thunderclap Monastery.”
The sallow-faced monk, Nan Ye, asked, “Who will succeed as Tathagata?”
The old Tathagata pointed to the seat of the World-Honored One and said with a smile, “Whoever is the Tathagata will sit in this seat. If one is not the Tathagata, they cannot hold this seat. Rest assured, someone will become the Tathagata. My Dao-companion has come to find me. I’m off!”
Nan Ye wanted to ask more, but the old Tathagata stepped forward and descended the mountain.
Nan Ye was stunned, looking at the seat of the World-Honored One.
At the foot of the mountain, an old and a young Daoist were walking and had stopped to rest at the mountain gate.
“Dao Lord, Dao Child.” The old Tathagata and Jing Ming came forward to greet them.
Lin Xuan Dao Child and the old Dao Lord quickly rose to return the greeting. The old Dao Lord smiled and said, “Are you free now?”
The old Tathagata nodded with a smile: “Free now. Let’s go.”
The two leaders of the great orthodox sacred lands exchanged smiles and said in unison, “You’ve grown old too!”
The old Dao Lord sighed and said, “I want to visit Little Jade Capital. I hear there are immortals there, carefree and unrestrained—truly enlightened beings.”
The old Tathagata said, “I want to go to the Great Ruins first.”
The old Dao Lord glanced at him: “Though you’re no longer the World-Honored One, you still can’t let go of the Great Thunderclap Monastery.”
“And you’re any different?”
The old Tathagata smiled and said, “Since you’ve resigned as Dao Lord, why bring the young Dao Child along? Isn’t it to guide and nurture him before you ascend to immortality?”
The old Dao Lord sighed and said, “Let’s go to the Great Ruins first.”
The four of them entered the Great Ruins.
Not long after they left, a young man arrived at the mountain gate with four young women. The girls wore robes of different colors, carrying or holding jade vases, a zither, a sword, a pipa, and other items. They said to the welcoming monk at the gate, “Xu Sheng Hua of the Upper Firmament has come to visit the Tathagata.”
“The Upper Firmament?”
The welcoming monk’s heart trembled. He hurried up the mountain to report. When he reached the summit, Nan Ye and the other monks’ faces changed color, and they were all flustered: “Someone from the Upper Firmament—what do we do? The Tathagata’s seat is vacant now. Who is qualified to receive such a distinguished guest from the Upper Firmament?”
“Don’t panic.”
Nan Ye said, “First, invite this Young Master Xu up. Wait—let’s go down to greet him. We must not be lacking in courtesy!”
The monks hurried down the mountain. At the foot, they saw a young man and four beauties standing at the gate, all extraordinary. Nan Ye stepped forward and said, “Amitabha…”
“You are not the Tathagata?”
Xu Sheng Hua’s gaze was like lightning, landing on his face. He shook his head and said, “The Tathagata does not need to chant the Buddha’s name. Where is the Tathagata?”
“This…”
Nan Ye said, “The World-Honored One has just abdicated. The Great Thunderclap Monastery currently has no Tathagata…”
Xu Sheng Hua turned and walked away. The four women quickly followed, leaving the monks behind. The green-robed Yu Liu asked, “Young Master, why not enter the Great Thunderclap Monastery?”
Xu Sheng Hua shook his head: “The old Tathagata abdicated without appointing a new one. This shows he believes none of the monks on the mountain are worthy to be Tathagata, so he simply left. Since the Tathagata himself is dissatisfied with the monks here, why should I bother to see their skills?”
Qing Ying laughed and said, “So the young master looks down on them. Young Master, we visited the Loulan Golden Palace and saw their shaman, but there was no one worth meeting. Their Great Lord was nothing special, avoiding you out of fear before even fighting. And now the Great Thunderclap Monastery has no one worth seeing. Should we go to the Daoist Sect?”
Xu Sheng Hua nodded: “The Daoist Sect has the Fourteen Dao Swords. My master said the Dao Sword is extraordinary, so it is certainly worth seeing.”
They arrived at Fangzhou, near the upper reaches of the Golden River, and found a boat to sail downstream. On the river, they saw a young man measuring the depth of the water.
The young man used his primal qi as a ruler. With a wave of his hand, strands of qi energy plunged straight into the river. He then reported the depths at various points, while an official beside him recorded them with a brush.
Xu Sheng Hua stopped the boat, stood silently, and watched the young man.
The young man seemed to sense something and looked back at him. He broke into a bright smile, revealing eight white teeth, which instantly made people feel warmly disposed toward him.
Xu Sheng Hua felt his own mood infected by this and returned the smile.
The four girls beside him, seeing his smile, felt their hearts melt.
“The young master actually smiled!”
Xu Sheng Hua bowed to the young man in the river and said, “Senior Brother, would you care to come aboard for a brief chat?”
“Senior Brother, wait a moment. Let me finish with the hydrology.”
Xu Sheng Hua waited a while. The young man finished his work on the river’s hydrology and boarded the boat. The two exchanged greetings and sat down.
—The update tomorrow may be interrupted. I’m giving advance notice. After arriving in Hokkaido, Zhai Zhu will focus on writing, but I truly cannot guarantee tomorrow’s update.
Read the full chapter at: