The interior of the ancient bell was a very small space.
An old monk sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, hands clasped together, expression serene, eyes closed. Not a trace of vitality remained on his body; it seemed he had already passed into nirvana.
Not far away, there was another monk—a young monk, to be precise, or more accurately, a monk with a perfectly round, fat body. He sat on the floor wearing a greasy kasaya, two large hammers hanging from his waist. In one hand, he held a roasted pig's head, taking bite after bite, while in the other, he flipped through a tattered sutra, muttering words under his breath.
"Hmm, the Lesser Prajna Sutra... this thing doesn't look all that impressive..." Perhaps sensing something amiss, the bald monk suddenly looked up. When he saw Gu Qingfeng, his expression froze, then turned to shock. He immediately stood up, clutching the sutra, eyes wide as he stared at Gu Qingfeng, his breathing becoming rapid.
Opposite him, Gu Qingfeng looked with interest at the old monk who had passed into nirvana, then glanced at the fat monk.
Earlier, when he discovered this temple and learned that the old monk possessed the Lesser Prajna Sutra, he had already guessed that the old monk must be waiting for the so-called destined one.
Karma was something the Buddhist school had concocted, and Buddhists were the most particular about karma and destined connections.
What surprised him, however, was that this destined one turned out to be this fat monk.
Gu Qingfeng remembered this monk—seemed to be called Bu'er—who also carried a Buddhist Edict.
The Three Thousand Great Daos all had their edicts.
The Immortal Dao had Immortal Edicts.
The Demonic Dao had Demon Edicts.
The Buddhist Dao naturally had Buddhist Edicts.
Immortal Edicts served the Immortal Dao; Demon Edicts served the Demonic Dao.
Possessing an edict essentially meant one was an incarnation of the Great Dao, also known as a Venerable of the Great Dao. Forget ordinary cultivators—even immortals and demons had to bow in reverence.
Of course.
That was how it was for ordinary cultivators.
For Gu Qingfeng, he simply wouldn't give it a second thought.
"You...
Oh, no!
You...
Young Master, you...
How did you get here..." Monk Bu'er was extremely nervous at this moment, no longer caring about eating the pig's head meat, just tightly clutching the sutra in his hands, looking both shocked and terrified.
Although he still didn't know exactly who Gu Qingfeng was.
That, however, was no longer important.
He had personally witnessed Gu Qingfeng take action before, and had even seen Gu Qingfeng obliterate someone with an Immortal Edict. That wasn't important either. What mattered was that he knew the person before him adhered to the sinister rule of Three Lives, Three Deaths, and Three Annihilations. Those who followed such a rule were either guilty or evil, and they were always guilty or evil on a grand scale.
"Passing by, so I came to take a look."
Gu Qingfeng asked casually, "Are you the destined one the old monk was waiting for?"
"This...
You could say so."
Monk Bu'er didn't dare meet Gu Qingfeng's eyes, lowering his head as he asked warily, "Young Master, you...
You, venerable one, couldn't possibly have come for the Lesser Prajna Sutra, could you?"
"Not exactly."
Gu Qingfeng smiled. "But I am somewhat interested."
The Lesser Prajna Sutra was a rather famous Buddhist scripture. It was said that comprehending it could open one's mind to great wisdom. Gu Qingfeng was certainly interested, and his interest was not small.
"This..." Monk Bu'er's face fell as if about to cry, pleading, "Young Master, this humble monk knows he is no match for you. If you were to seize it by force, this humble monk would have no way to resist. But...
Young Master, you also know that this humble monk carries a Buddhist Edict. If I were to lose the Lesser Prajna Sutra, I'm afraid I'd face a disaster every three steps, a calamity every six steps, and a tribulation every nine steps..."
"You're quite humble."
To be chosen by the Buddha as a bearer of a Buddhist Edict was itself an extremely complex matter. Moreover, this Monk Bu'er had been chosen as a Buddhist Edict bearer after reincarnating. The intricacies involved were likely profound and deep.
As for what Monk Bu'er said about a disaster every three steps, a calamity every six steps, and a tribulation every nine steps—while somewhat exaggerated, it wasn't far from the truth. However, it wasn't directed at Monk Bu'er himself, but rather a form of karma.
In other words, the Lesser Prajna Sutra was no ordinary scripture, and naturally, it wasn't something just anyone could comprehend. If one lacked a connection to Buddhism and forced comprehension, they might truly trigger such terrifying karma as a disaster every three steps and a tribulation every nine steps.
"Young Master, how about this...
This humble monk will lend it to you to look at for a while. You, venerable one, can examine it first. In a few days, you can return it to this humble monk, alright?"
As he spoke, Monk Bu'er directly pulled out the sutra and handed it over.
Gu Qingfeng didn't refuse, taking the scripture with a smile. "You trust me?
Aren't you afraid I won't return it?"
"I am afraid, but what choice do I have?"
Monk Bu'er was certainly afraid, but what could he do about it?
Fight?
It wasn't that he lacked the ability; he simply didn't have the courage.
Gu Qingfeng had already made clear his interest in the Lesser Prajna Sutra. This was the only thing he could do.
Gu Qingfeng didn't flip through the Lesser Prajna Sutra. This thing couldn't be comprehended in a short while. In comparison, he was also very interested in the demonic entity sealed by the Bagua Weiyang Seal.
Upon inquiry, Monk Bu'er shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"Is that so..." Gu Qingfeng took out a wine gourd, poured himself a cup, took a gentle sip, and asked with a smile, "You really don't know?"
*Thump.*
Monk Bu'er lowered his head, his heart involuntarily skipping a beat. After a moment, he stammered, "This humble monk is only following the orders of the Buddhist Edict to take charge of the Lesser Prajna Sutra. As for other matters, this humble monk...
This humble monk really isn't too clear."
"'Not too clear' means you still know something."
The moment Gu Qingfeng saw Monk Bu'er here, he knew things weren't that simple. If Monk Bu'er were just an ordinary Buddhist Edict bearer, he wouldn't have asked this question. The key was that this monk had been investigating matters related to Yun Nishang.
Perhaps feeling uncomfortable under Gu Qingfeng's gaze, Monk Bu'er mumbled to himself, wanting to say something but hesitating. He looked up several times, only to lower his head again; opened his mouth several times, only to stop.
Gu Qingfeng didn't press further, just waited quietly.
Time passed bit by bit. Monk Bu'er grew increasingly uneasy. The quieter Gu Qingfeng was, the more apprehensive he felt. That sense of silence made his hair stand on end, a fear that arose from the depths of his soul.
"Young Master, this humble monk is just a runner for the Buddhist Edict, and a sinner at that. As for the matters of the Buddhist Edict, this humble monk really isn't too clear. The Buddhist Edict ordered this humble monk to investigate the karma of a few individuals. 'Investigate' is the word, but this humble monk doesn't have the capability—I can only observe. As for why the Buddhist Edict wants this humble monk to investigate them, I truly don't know."
"Whose karma are you investigating?"
"The first is Yun Nishang...
The second is the demoness sealed here, Man Tu Fan."
Man Tu Fan?
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng murmured the name. It was unfamiliar, the first time he had heard it. He asked, "How much do you know about this Man Tu Fan?"
"Young Master, to be honest with you, this humble monk only learned the demoness's name from this old monk. I had never heard the name Man Tu Fan before."
"What did this old monk say?"
"The old monk didn't say much either. He seemed rather confused himself. He only said that five thousand years ago, he was ordered to come suppress the demoness Man Tu Fan. As for when Man Tu Fan was suppressed here, or for what reason she was suppressed here, the old monk passed away before he could speak..."