As a highly attained monk, and one revered by the world as a Living Buddha, Da Xing the Mad Monk had never practiced medicine to save the world, nor had he ever worked to liberate all sentient beings.
Not only that, he went everywhere swindling food and drink, deceiving and cheating. Even if he used the title of Living Buddha to do the work of a demon, that was fine.
Everyone could tolerate that, and wouldn't say anything.
What they couldn't tolerate was that Da Xing the Mad Monk had actually brought the Nine Nethers Emperor into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole.
This was like leading a wolf into the house, bringing a bloodthirsty, murderous demon king into a world of defenseless mortals.
You are the Living Buddha of the Buddhist Path!
Protecting the multitudes of the Heaven-Earth Great Dao is both your duty and your obligation.
Taking ten thousand steps back, even if you don't protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao, you damn well shouldn't harm it either!
This was precisely the fundamental reason everyone despised and hated Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Moreover.
Those who hated him weren't just the experts who wanted to protect the Heaven-Earth Great Dao; those who coveted the True Lord of Original Sin also hated him intensely.
After all, many believed that the Nine Nethers Emperor was the True Lord of Original Sin recorded in the Book of Fate.
If he entered, he would undoubtedly be the most powerful competitor. Those experts coveting the True Lord of Original Sin might have toiled for most of their lives only to end up preparing the bridal chamber for the Nine Nethers Emperor.
"I've heard..." A strange smile hung on Miao Rulai's lips as his eyes, which seemed to contain both water and fire, yin and yang, fixed on Da Xing the Mad Monk. He asked softly, "That you brought the Nine Nethers Emperor into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole?"
Da Xing, who had originally intended to lecture and scold Miao Rulai, was immediately taken aback upon hearing this. He asked in shock and suspicion, "How the hell do you know about this, kid?"
"Heh!"
Miao Rulai smiled faintly. "So it's true. The Nine Nethers Emperor has indeed entered."
"Miao Rulai, how exactly do you know about this, kid?"
"The news of you bringing the Nine Nethers Emperor into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole is already known to everyone. Who doesn't know?"
"What!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk was utterly shocked, stammering, "This old monk...
This old monk tricked young Gu into coming in!
No!
The fact that I brought him in... has...
Has it damn well become common knowledge?"
Miao Rulai smiled without answering.
Da Xing the Mad Monk stood there dumbfounded, his face alternating between green and white. Inside, his heart was churning like a tempestuous sea.
Ever since he had tricked Gu Qingfeng into entering the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, Da Xing had not regretted it for a single moment. The matter had now become a sickness of his heart, an inescapable shadow, a yin-yang nightmare that tormented him relentlessly.
He couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought. How could the news of him tricking Gu Qingfeng in have spread so widely?
Who spread it?
Da Xing's thoughts raced like lightning as he considered carefully.
The only one who seemed to know he had brought Gu Qingfeng in was that fellow Mo Wentian.
Based on his understanding of Mo Wentian, Mo would absolutely not leak this matter.
If it wasn't Mo Wentian, then who could it be?
Bodhisattva Shuiyue?
Or the Five Freaks of Black Mountain?
Da Xing pondered. Bodhisattva Shuiyue was his junior sister, who had always kept aloof from worldly affairs and couldn't even be bothered with the future fate of the Heaven-Earth Great Dao. The only reason she entered the Desolate Ancient Black Hole was to save her senior brother, the White-Browed Sacred Monk.
Therefore, Bodhisattva Shuiyue also couldn't have spread the news.
As for the Five Freaks of Black Mountain, Da Xing dismissed them without even thinking. Each of the Five Freaks was not right in the head. Leaving aside whether they would spread the news, even if they did, no one would necessarily believe them.
Could it be the Witch Matriarch?
Da Xing also felt that was unlikely.
Aside from those few people who knew he had brought Gu Qingfeng in, it seemed no one else knew.
Gu Qingfeng himself certainly wouldn't have spread it.
Then who could it be?
Wait!
Could it be the Timeless Nameless?
That woman should also know he brought Gu Qingfeng in, but the problem was, the Timeless Nameless had no reason to spread this news far and wide, did she?
Suddenly.
Da Xing remembered someone.
A woman.
A woman who gave him headaches and whom he deeply feared.
None other than the sole master of the Langya Sacred Land in all the heavens and myriad realms, the one who possessed the peerless imperial mandate of Immortal and Demon—Cang Yan.
It's that madwoman Cang Yan!
It must be this woman who spread the news that I brought Gu Qingfeng in.
It must be!
This kind of thing was something Mo Wentian wouldn't do, Bodhisattva Shuiyue wouldn't do, and neither the Witch Matriarch nor the Timeless Nameless would do. But Cang Yan absolutely would.
Da Xing clearly remembered meeting Cang Yan not long ago. At that time, Cang Yan warned him to leave the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, even threatening to send him into the cycle of reincarnation with the Reincarnation Cauldron if he didn't leave.
Damn it!
That madwoman Cang Yan must have guessed he hadn't left the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, so she deliberately spread the news that he brought Gu Qingfeng in, making it known to everyone.
This madwoman is too despicable, too sinister, too vicious, too shameless!
Da Xing's heart burned with hatred!
He was so angry his teeth itched!
He wished he could rush out right now and settle accounts with Cang Yan!
Originally, after bringing Gu Qingfeng into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole, Da Xing had already regretted it enough to want to stab himself.
What he feared was that if Gu Qingfeng truly slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos and ascended as the True Lord of Original Sin, he would be the true accomplice, the chief culprit in the massacre of the Three Thousand Great Daos.
Da Xing had initially felt somewhat relieved, relieved that only a few people knew he had brought Gu Qingfeng in.
That way, even if Gu Qingfeng ultimately did slaughter the Three Thousand Great Daos, he could still make a clean escape, at least without having to shoulder this black cauldron of blame.
What he never expected was that now, damn it all, it had become common knowledge.
Now almost everyone knew that Gu Qingfeng was brought in by him. In other words, this black cauldron of blame, he would have to shoulder whether he wanted to or not. There was no shaking it off.
Damn it!
That mad-demon woman Cang Yan is dead set on making this old monk shoulder the black cauldron for slaughtering the Three Thousand Great Daos!
No!
Da Xing thought it over and over, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't swallow this anger. He was practically about to die from rage.
He must go settle accounts with Cang Yan!
But the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces were vast and boundless. Where would he even find Cang Yan?
He didn't even know if Cang Yan was currently within the Desolate Ancient Nine Palaces.
Suddenly!
Da Xing saw Demon Emperor Blood River and rushed over immediately, asking, "Xuehe, tell me, where is your wife right now?"
Demon Emperor Blood River stared at him, questioning, "My wife?"
"It's that mad... Cang Yan! Where is she now?"
Knowing that Demon Emperor Blood River and Cang Yan were a couple, Da Xing didn't dare call Cang Yan a madwoman to Demon Emperor Blood River's face.
Demon Emperor Blood River shook his head. "I don't know."
"She's your wife. How could you not know where she is?"
Demon Emperor Blood River shook his head again. He truly didn't know. He asked, "Why are you looking for her?"
"Your wife... she... she damn well... has ruined me!"
"How did she ruin you?"
"She... I..." Da Xing was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to answer Demon Emperor Blood River's question.
After all, this matter couldn't be explained in a sentence or two. Moreover, even if he could explain it clearly, Da Xing wasn't foolish enough to ask Demon Emperor Blood River to help him deal with Cang Yan.
Back then, for Cang Yan's sake, Xuehe had fallen into demonhood with a single thought, staining the Great Wilderness with rivers of blood, daring to defy the heavenly mandate and oppose the heavens and earth.
Asking him to deal with Cang Yan would be no different from seeking death.
Sure enough.
As soon as Da Xing finished speaking, Demon Emperor Blood River opened his mouth and said, "If you wish to settle accounts with her, there's no need to go. You can deal directly with me. Her affairs are my affairs. If she harmed you, it is as if I harmed you. Settling accounts with her is settling accounts with me."