Chapter 419: Chapter 376, The Sudden Fox Demon
"Whoa~" A dragon’s roar suddenly resounded between heaven and earth, interrupting Li Er’s scripture reading.
Amid the dragon’s roar, a giant vine dragon approached rapidly from the east, with a beautiful woman standing on the dragon’s head, holding onto a dragon horn, her black hair fluttering in the wind.
The vine dragon circled above the Chen State Palace, its vines swirling like water plants.
Standing on the platform, Li Er looked up at the vine dragon in the sky, his heart jolted, thinking: How could it be her? Why has she come here?
Below, the monarchs and subjects of Chen Country, along with many civilians, were all in chaos, excitedly shouting, "A dragon, it’s a dragon!"
The vine dragon dived towards the crowd below, causing the nearby citizens to panic and scatter.
The dragon shone with dazzling green light, and within the green light, the vine dragon vanished, leaving behind a woman in pale green clothing. She stood before the platform, holding a staff that bore the shape of a dragon head, which was entwined with green vines.
Tu Shan Xi Yu lifted the vine-entwined dragon head staff and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Dan! Look, the dead branch you gave me, I’ve made it sprout?"
Li Er sat silently on the high platform.
Below, Bai Jin whispered, "Master, we are in trouble now!"
Beside them, Duo Bao frowned and said, "As a Saint, should our master really form ties in the Lower Realm? Bai Jin, you must stop that fox demon!"
Bai Jin rolled her eyes and retorted, "Why don’t you do it yourself?"
"I’m just a prisoner after all!"
"Coincidentally, I really don’t want to stop her either!"
From a high building in the distance, Xu Puti laughed loudly, "It’s chaos; Li Er’s Dao Heart is in disarray. How can he establish his teachings now with such confusion?"
Beside him, Ci Hang asked curiously, "Teacher, who is this lady?"
"Haha~ She is Li Er’s tribulation!"
Below, Tu Shan Xi Yu hurried toward the high platform and urged anxiously, "Brother Dan, please speak! I truly made the dead wood sprout, touched by my genuine teardrops, Heaven and Earth were moved."
Li Er’s heart trembled. Tears of true love, imagining how many tears she must have shed to attempt to nurture the dead wood; and such a thing typically can’t revive dead branches. Instantly, the image of a monk crossed his mind. Damn, it must be Xu Puti.
Below, Bai Jin watched Li Er expectantly, muttering, "Master, you can do it~ Nothing is more beautiful than the setting sun."
Duo Bao glanced at Bai Jin, thinking to himself, you indeed are no good, enjoying watching your master’s predicament.
Moments later, Li Er remained silent, his expression troubled. Below, the multitude from Chen Country whispered and pointed, and the situation seemed to be getting gloomier by the second.
On the high building, Xu Puti confidently smiled and said, "Li Er’s Dao Heart is unstable; he cannot continue his journey of preaching. If only another Heart Barrier could emerge, that would be even better."
Ci Hang admired and said, "Teacher, you truly hold wisdom like pearls."
Zun Ti laughed and replied, "Let’s just watch!"
At this moment, Bai Jin couldn’t help but sigh, "For one person, to lose one’s entire world, that’s truly admirable!"
On the platform, Li Er slightly trembled. For me, did she lose her entire world? His eyes flashed with determination, then he smiled and said, "Well then! Since you’ve moved Heaven and Earth, allowing the dead wood to meet spring, it is destiny that we meet in this life. You may come up."
At the high tower, Xu Puti’s smug expression froze, his eyes widened in shock. No way! Did Li Er just overcome his Heart Barrier so easily? Could he really be forming ties in the Lower Realm?
Ci Hang hastily asked, "Teacher, what do we do now?"
Zhunti slightly shook his head, lamenting, "Li Er truly lives up to his name. Still a master indeed! Since our plans failed, let’s leave~" Taking Ci Hang, he turned and walked downstairs, thinking they better leave quickly before Li Er begins his teaching, lest they get beaten up.
...
Below, Tu Shan Xi Yu, upon hearing the words, showed a joyful expression and hastened her steps, bounding three times to jump onto the platform, then sat down next to Li Er.
The two exchanged a smile, and Li Er continued his lecture: "Today, forsake kindness and embrace bravery; forsake frugality and embrace breadth; forsake following and lead; death is near. For kindness in battle brings victory, and in defense strength. Heavenly General saves those protected by kindness."
Beneath, the people of Chen Country gradually calmed down, closed their eyes, shook their heads slightly, as if enchanted or dreaming.
"...The Way of Heaven benefits without harming; the Way of the Saint acts without contention."
As the last phrase of the scripture lecture fell, each character manifested in the void and floated above Chen Country, eventually moving towards Li Er.
Li Er raised the scroll in his hand, all the characters entered into the scroll which then displayed three large characters "Tao Te Ching".
Li Er rose gracefully, looked up to the sky, and a mighty voice resounded between Heaven and Earth: "I, Li Er, today establish the Taoist sect, worship the Three Pure Ones, expound the Tao and reason for the beings of the Primordial World, I am the master of the Taoist."
Below, numerous citizens of Chen Country joyfully bowed and said: "Greetings, Taoist Master!"
Li Er turned to look at Tu Shan Xi Yu, smiled, and said, "Let’s go."
"Okay~" Tu Shan Xi Yu nodded repeatedly, a happy expression on her face, as she walked down with Li Er.
The lords and ministers of Chen Country immediately came out to receive them with much reverence and flattery.
...
Inside a plain courtyard in Chen Country, Tu Shan Xi Yu prepared a meal and warmly hosted Bai Jin and Duo Bao.
After dinner, Bai Jin and Li Er stood in the courtyard under the night sky.
Bai Jin quietly glanced at the busy figure inside the house and whispered, "Master, didn’t you say that the dead wood was dead and could never sprout new life?"
Taishang replied calmly, "Someone has re-infused it with vitality, intending to use it to scheme against me."
Bai Jin immediately exclaimed angrily, "Who dares to scheme against my Master? Disciple will go and take revenge for you."
"Xu Puti!"
"Ah~" Bai Jin suddenly fell silent; even though Xu Puti is mere mortal flesh, I, disciple, cannot handle him!
Li Er smiled lightly and said, "We should thank him, though. Otherwise, this matter would certainly have become a heart barrier for me, perhaps unable ever to be resolved across Infinite Calamities. Having made a choice, it rather feels like a relief now."
Bai Jin nodded and said, "Actually, I also think Aunt Xi Yu is quite nice."
Li Er changed the topic, squinting his eyes and said, "Nevertheless, to dare scheme against me, such a thing cannot go unreturned.
Bai Jin, what do you think if I convert Xu Puti into the Taoist sect?"
Bai Jin was stunned for a moment, incredulously saying, "Master, but that’s a Saint’s mortal body, how could you possibly convert him into the Taoist sect?"
Li Er laughed and said, "By employing schemes to sever his ties with the Buddha Sect and then adding those of our Taoist sect, it is not impossible! It would be even better if he willingly agrees."
Xu Puti willingly joining the Taoist sect? Master, are you joking?
After that, Bai Jin got excited again, thinking about converting Zhunti’s mortal body into Taoism, which would surely make Zhunti look humiliated. Rubbing his hands in eagerness, he said: "Master, is there somewhere disciple can contribute?"
Li Er replied, "No need for you to intervene, he has schemed against me, so I must personally settle it with him. You just take good care of your Master."
"What happened to my Master? Did he cause trouble again?"
"Your Master, although very wise and virtuous, is impulsive by nature.
Your Second Master has methods, but he’s equally obstinate.
I worry that they might have started fighting again, so you go and keep an eye on them for me."
"Yes!" Bai Jin respectfully answered and strode outside, disappearing into the night.