"Oh my, if the Buddha-Dao were to become the foremost of the Three Thousand Great Daos, wouldn't that be even better? You Buddhists are all compassionate at heart. While spreading the Buddha's teachings, you'd vanquish demons, guard the Dao, and incidentally save all living beings in the process. That would be a blessing for all the countless souls across the myriad heavens and worlds!"
"Get lost!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk retorted irritably, "Are you deliberately mocking me, kid?"
"Hahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily, tilting his head back to down a cup of wine. He then added, "However, if your Western Paradise were to become the leader of the Great Dao and rule over Heaven and Earth, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. At the very least, it should be a tiny bit better than having the Immortal Dao dominate everything. Don't you think?"
"Scram, scram, scram!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk knew Gu Qingfeng was teasing him. Waving a hand dismissively, he said scornfully, "You're just having fun at my expense, aren't you, kid?"
"Oh, you finally noticed."
In his past, while Gu Qingfeng had roamed the world with no equal, he had few true friends. Da Xing the Mad Monk could barely be counted as one. Coupled with Gu Qingfeng's nostalgic nature, running into an old friend this time naturally filled him with joy. Spending a day like this, casually drinking, chatting, joking around, and trading barbs with an old companion, put him in an excellent mood.
In the distance.
Monk Bu’er stood properly and obediently at the foot of the Buddha statue. Earlier, he had been shaken until his seven orifices bled by Gu Qingfeng's shout, and he hadn't cleaned up—more accurately, he didn't dare to. He let the blood flow from his mouth, ears, and nose, his mind already completely blank.
Yes.
Blank.
When he realized that the terrifying, mysterious mortal before him was Gu Qingfeng, his mind went utterly vacant, his thoughts freezing solid.
Ten thousand years ago, when he had reincarnated into the mortal world, he had seen Gu Qingfeng, and not just once. Precisely because he had seen him, he understood all too well how terrifying Gu Qingfeng's existence was.
It wasn't just because Gu Qingfeng had once been the Red Fiend Monarch who shook the heavens by beheading immortals in the River and destroying immortal dynasties.
Nor was it just because Gu Qingfeng had once been the Nine Nethers Emperor who incinerated the Great Dao, trod upon Heaven and Earth, and roamed the Great Wastelands.
In the mortal world, Monk Bu’er had witnessed with his own eyes Gu Qingfeng snuffing out Heavenly Mandates as easily as crushing ants. He possessed forbidden legacies like the Myriad Beings' Floating Slaughter and All Phenomena Paying Homage, reaching the highest heavens and descending to the Yellow Springs, the Avici Uninterrupted Hell and the Evil Asura... He had bound the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata, intimidated the Five Wisdom Kings of the Buddha-Dao, annihilated the Great Radiance Purification of the Immortal Dao, frightened off the Three Thousand Great Daos. Even the incarnations of the Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother had been unable to do anything to him. Even more terrifying, Gu Qingfeng had nearly achieved Sagehood with his body of Original Sin, making him a figure that caused both the Three Thousand Great Daos and this very Heaven and Earth to tremble in fear. How could Monk Bu’er not be terrified?
Faced with such a fearsome Gu Qingfeng, Monk Bu’er's heart held nothing but fear, and more fear, with no other emotion remaining.
"Bu’er!"
"What are you standing there dazed for, kid? Get over here."
Da Xing the Mad Monk's voice rang out. Monk Bu’er's heart jolted. He looked up first at Da Xing the Mad Monk, then at Gu Qingfeng, before quickly lowering his head. He leaped up, landing on the head of the Buddha statue, and said tremblingly, "Master, you... have... have some instructions?"
"You brat! Where are your manners?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk scolded, "Do you know who this is?"
"I... I know!"
"If you know, then why are you just standing there? Hurry up and pay your respects!"
"Yes!"
Monk Bu’er didn't dare show the slightest neglect. He directly knelt on the ground and saluted, "Your humble servant Bu’er... pays homage to the Monarch. Oh no! Pays homage to the Nether Emperor."
"What Monarch or Nether Emperor? The Gu kid hasn't been a Monarch or a Nether Emperor for a long time now."
"Your humble servant Bu’er pays homage... pays homage to Senior Red Fiend."
"You brat! How can you be so dense? What 'Senior'? Call him Ancestor! The Great Ancestor Gu!"
"Your humble servant Bu’er pays homage... pays homage to the Great Ancestor Gu!"
"What's the matter? Are you unhappy about calling him Ancestor?"
Monk Bu’er, frightened, hurriedly explained, "No! Not at all! Your disciple is very willing!"
"Willing is good. Let me tell you, having the Gu kid as your ancestor is absolutely more than you deserve. In your past life, you were a demon. And the Gu kid not only once reigned as the Nine Nethers Emperor, but he also, damn it, was once the Lord of Demons. In your reincarnation, you became a Buddha. And the Gu kid comprehended our Buddha-Dao's Four Great Mental States, coming within a hair's breadth of achieving Sagehood. Even if we don't talk about demons or Buddhas, and just talk about humans, the Gu kid is also the progenitor of the human path, one who reaches the highest heavens and descends to the Yellow Springs. So? Calling him Ancestor once isn't a loss, is it?"
"No loss, no loss! Absolutely no loss!"
Observing the timid Monk Bu’er, who didn't dare to breathe too loudly here, and then looking at Da Xing the Mad Monk, Gu Qingfeng teased, "I say, Da Xing, when did you two hook up?"
"What do you mean 'hook up'? Your words always sound so awkward."
"How come I didn't know you had a disciple?"
"There are plenty of things you don't know, kid."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin and said, "However, I remember you saying you'd never take a disciple in this lifetime."
"You think I wanted to take this disciple?"
"What? Don't tell me someone forced him on you?"
"Hey! Don't mention it, this foolish disciple was indeed forced on me. Do you know who forced him on me?"
"Who?"
"Take a guess."
Da Xing the Mad Monk played coy, then added, "You definitely won't guess it, kid."
"I don't need to guess to know who it is."
"Who?"
"Genggu Wuming."
"Hey!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk was shocked. Staring at Gu Qingfeng, he asked, "How did you know? Don't tell me after comprehending the Great Illusion, you can see through all truth and falsehood, and even read what's in my mind?"
"Would something this trivial require the Great Illusion to discern truth from falsehood?"
"Then how did you know, kid?"
"Simple. After reincarnation, Bu’er is a Tribulation-Bearer. He also carries a Buddha Edict, which means he was already marked by the Buddha-Dao. If the Western Paradise had marked him, Bu’er would probably be enshrined as a Bodhisattva by now. So, the Buddha Edict on him wasn't bestowed by the Western Paradise. It's also unlikely to be from your Zen or Esoteric sects. If the Zen or Esoteric sects had bestowed a Buddha Edict upon him, he probably wouldn't be your disciple now, but your junior brother, or even your martial uncle isn't out of the question."
Gu Qingfeng sipped his wine unhurriedly as he analyzed, "That leaves only one possibility: the Buddha Edict on him was bestowed by you, old man. And you, old man, have never had much interest in such matters. You couldn't have discovered he was a Tribulation-Bearer. You must have received guidance from someone. And that person who guided you definitely said something about how important Tribulation-Bearers are to the Present-Ancient Cataclysm, and so on. Although your character isn't much to speak of, when it comes to the Present-Ancient Cataclysm, you wouldn't just stand by and do nothing."
Raising his cup to drink, Gu Qingfeng continued, "Looking across Heaven and Earth, there are only a handful qualified to guide you. Those you obey without question are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Most importantly, those who can truly make you submit are few and far between. Someone who speaks of karma and fate with every breath, and is concerned about the Present-Ancient Cataclysm—that can only be that little lady, Genggu Wuming."