What Shenshu said struck the four beyond-mortal experts like a bolt from the heavens.
Xu Qi’an and the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox’s faces changed dramatically, their eyes wide open. Their demeanour as beyond-mortal experts was completely shattered.
Even the unmovable Arhat Du’e, whose heart was usually as still as an ancient well, lost his composure at this moment. He raised his head and looked at Shenshu as if staring at a lunatic.
“The Buddha…”
Al-Asura murmured. If one looked closely, they would notice that his pupils had lost their focus.
Clearly, he had been stunned silly by this “heavenly tribulation” just like the other three.
If Shenshu is the Buddha, then who is the Buddha? Who is the Asura King? What is the relationship between the Buddha and the Asura King?
“No, that’s not possible, that’s not possible…”
The silver-haired enchantress shook her head, muttering, “Shenshu can’t be the Buddha, he can’t be. There must be some mistake somewhere.”
Though the situation was somewhat inappropriate, Xu Qi’an still wanted to say:
Your Highness, you seem like a pitiful woman who has just discovered that her boyfriend is actually her long-lost brother.
Of course, that analogy didn’t quite fit here.
It should be: Shock! The one who killed my mother is actually my father!
Or: Shock! The main villain is actually my father!
Hmm? The main villain is actually my father?! Xu Qi’an’s face gradually stiffened…
“Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha…”
Master Du’e pressed his palms together, continually chanting the Buddha’s name, his lips moving rapidly, his words coming out in a rush, as if only this could calm the stormy emotions in his heart.
“The Great Samsara Dharma Aspect reveals past and present lives. Master Shenshu remembered fragments of his previous life, but it was blurred. And because his obsession was too deep, he was desperate to complete himself, which led to his rampage and loss of control.”
Xu Qi’an’s voice was clear as he said, “Samantabhadra Bodhisattva seems to understand Master Shenshu very well. I suppose he also knows his true identity.”
Arhat Du’e’s chanting paused for a moment, becoming sluggish.
Al-Asura’s expression also grew slightly stiff.
After a moment of reflection, Xu Qi’an asked, “Master Shenshu, what else do you remember?”
Shenshu sat cross-legged, pressed one palm together, and spoke with a tone that was confused but calm:
“I… I don’t remember…”
I think I understand now why Shenshu’s head was personally sealed by the Buddha… Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred. The complete set of memories was most likely inside the head.
At this moment, he heard the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox take a deep breath, calming her emotions, and then fix her gaze on al-Asura, asking:
“When did the Asura race come into being?”
Al-Asura replied without hesitation:
“We have existed since the time of the gods and demons. Within the Asura race, there is a legend that we are the ancestors of the human clans of the Western Regions. Those weaker members of the clan who were driven out became scattered throughout the Western Regions and evolved into the humans there.
“But in the legends of the humans of the Western Regions, the Asura race are humans with divine and demonic blood. In ancient times, for survival, the humans of the Western Regions sought protection from powerful gods and demons, sending their beautiful women to mate with them, and so gave birth to the Asura.”
The silver-haired enchantress looked somewhat disappointed and fell silent.
From the perspective of evolution, the legend of the human clans of the Western Regions made more sense. Of course, in a world without reproductive isolation, evolution itself was untenable…
So, did Your Highness think the Buddha was the Asura King, and the Asura race originated from the Buddha? Still, even though the Asura race had existed since ancient times, it didn’t contradict the possibility that the Buddha and the Asura King were the same person… Xu Qi’an did not speak.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox looked at Master Du’e and asked coldly:
“Master Du’e, have you ever seen the Buddha?”
Arhat Du’e was silent.
Things as they are, it’s obvious that both Her Higness and al-Asura had been dealt a grievous shock and had lost their fighting spirit. There would be no battle tonight… Xu Qi’an’s clear voice rang out:
“Master Du’e, the events of tonight and what Samantabhadra Bodhisattva did, all of this you have seen with your own eyes. You should know by now that Master Shenshu would not lie.
“If he is truly the Buddha, then this isn’t a matter that the word ‘confidential’ even begins to describe. What happened to the Buddha? Why would Shenshu be the Buddha? During the extermination of the Yao five hundred years ago, what role did the Buddha play?
“Samantabhadra Bodhisattva knew of this, does that mean the other bodhisattvas also know? Could this be connected to Dharmapara Bodhisattva’s disappearance? And why was it hidden from you and al-Asura? Are you not curious about all of this?”
Du’e’s face showed hesitation, and after a while, he spoke slowly:
“This is a matter of the Buddhist Sect, of the utmost importance. I shall return and seek the truth myself.”
Xu Qi’an pressed further:
“How can you be sure Samantabhadra Bodhisattva will tell you!”
…Du’e was silent for a moment, then sighed:
“You have convinced me.”
He paused for a moment, then continued in a deep tone:
“We attained our phala one thousand three hundred years ago. The Buddha preached once every sixty years, therefore, I have only seen the Buddha once. After that, the Buddha never appeared again. The bodhisattvas said that the world’s karma was heavy and that the Buddha, with his supreme phala, calmed the world’s karmic fire and thus entered into slumber.”
So, you all tried to take me back to the Western Regions to become the Buddha Son, and it was actually to help the Buddha calm the karmic fire… Xu Qi’an didn’t just not believe it, he even lampooned at them in his mind.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox suddenly turned her head and looked at the boy with rosy lips and white teeth:
“You said before, the Buddha was sealed by the Confucian Sage.”
Xu Qi’an nodded:
“The timing fits.”
Through Arhat Du’e, they had confirmed the matter of the Confucian Sage sealing the Buddha. Cloud Deer Academy had a history of one thousand two hundred years and was founded by the Confucian Sage’s chief disciple, while the Sage himself lived only eighty-two years.
This meant the Buddha was sealed around one thousand two hundred years ago.
Du’e attained his phala a thousand three hundred years ago, saw the Buddha once within sixty years, and after that the Buddha “withdrew from the world.”
“The Confucian Sage sealed the Buddha?!”
Arhat Du’e was slightly astonished, staring fixedly at Xu Qi’an:
“What do you mean by that?”
Xu Qi’an thought for a moment and then revealed to Arhat Du’e what Zhao Shou had told him.
As things stood, it was beneficial for both sides to exchange information.
Arhat Du’e murmured:
“If so, then who was it that subdued Shenshu five hundred years ago?”
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox pondered for a while, then turned her head to look at the seven- or eight-year-old boy:
“What’s your view?”
Regarding the matter of Shenshu and the Buddha, she knew Xu Qi’an was privy to a lot of insider information and was secretly investigating. When it came to solving mysteries, the Nine-tailed Fox placed great trust in Xu Qi’an.
Al-Asura and Arhat Du’e of course knew Xu Qi’an’s reputation as well, and immediately looked over when they heard her question.
Xu Qi’an did not reply right away. He thought for a long time, then said:
“Before that, could you tell me how to get rid of the corrosion of the Great Samsara Dharma Aspect?”
At the moment, he was just a primary school pupil dressed in grown-up clothes, about as tall as the Taiping Sabre.
Arhat Du’e examined him and said:
“With your level, you should be able to shake it off by yourself in two days.”
Will I revert all the way to an embryo in two days… Xu Qi’an felt a touch of worry but was not panicked. Though he had physically regressed and his strength had been significantly weakened, he was still within the beyond-mortal tier.
He didn’t feel his blood and Qi drying up. For a beyond-mortal martial artist, as long as the Qi and blood were still vigorous, it was not a big problem.
“If we clarify a few questions, we can unravel the secrets of Shenshu and the Buddha.” Xu Qi’an used his childlike, clear voice to say:
“The Confucian Sage sealed the Buddha more than a thousand years ago. Five hundred years ago, the Buddha subdued Shenshu and slew the Queen of the Wanyao Kingdom. So, how did the Buddha act through the seal? That’s the first question.
“Shenshu claims to be the Buddha, but he is also an Asura. So what is the relationship between the Asura King and the Buddha? That’s the second question.
“The third question: When did Shenshu first appear?”
Du’e and the others fell silent, pondering these three questions.
“Five hundred years ago, the Buddha did take action. I saw the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect.” Arhat Du’e said slowly.
He then added:
“The Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect is unique to the Buddha and is the foremost of the nine great Dharma Aspects.”
At this point, al-Asura suddenly spoke up:
“That year, I didn’t last until the Buddha made his move. I was killed by the Lord of the Wanyao Kingdom. Unless you witnessed the Buddha’s appearance with your own eyes, you cannot be certain that the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect belonged to the Buddha.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Shenshu, who was sitting in silent contemplation.
This figure who claimed to be the “Buddha” must have been present at the time, who could say he couldn’t unleash the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Aspect?
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox shook her head:
“There must have been a beyond-rank expert participating back then. Otherwise, who could have sealed Shenshu?”
Xu Qi’an gave his final summary:
“Very well, what we can confirm for now is that a beyond-rank expert took action that day, and the Buddha is a candidate. Next is the second question, what is the relationship between the Asura King and the Buddha?”
The Nine-tailed Fox and Xu Qi’an looked towards al-Asura.
The ugly yet heroic heir of the Asura King pondered for a moment, then said:
“I have never seen him. The Asura King was suppressed by the Buddha in Ananda since I was very young. There is a legend among our people that the Buddha wanted to teach the scriptures to the Asura race, but the Asura King refused, so they challenged each other to a duel.
“He never returned after that. Later, the Buddha personally descended upon the Asura race, and the people converted to Buddhism.
“But some refused to surrender, so they fled their homeland and fought against Buddhism for several centuries. I grew up during that time, replacing my father and becoming the mightiest warrior of the Asura.
“Until I encountered Agaruka Bodhisattva, who defeated me. From then on, I comprehended Buddhist teachings, entered into religious life, and became detached from the world.”
As he spoke, he respectfully pressed his palms together and bowed his head, chanting, “Amitabha.”
So the Asura King and Shenshu are not the same person… Xu Qi’an stroked his chin, looked at Arhat Du’e, and asked:
“When did Shenshu first appear?”
Arhat Du’e paused for a moment to recall, then said,
“About over seven hundred years ago, he was originally a Warrior Monk, with unparalleled talent. He achieved the Vajra Dharma Aspect. After that, he turned to cultivate as a Zen Master, and made a great aspiration, to have the Yao clan of the Southern Marches convert to Buddhism.
“Since then, he left Ananda and disappeared. After that, there came the Extermination of the Yao.
“Now it seems, his original identity was false, he was the Asura King.”
The identity of the Buddha was best left unmentioned for now, but it was certain that he was indeed the Asura King, as there could be no mistake about the Asura divine blood in his body.
Xu Qi’an analysed, saying,
“The Buddha suppressed the Asura King first, and then the Confucian Sage sealed the Buddha. Around three hundred years after this, a Warrior Monk appeared, who was actually the Asura King. His great aspiration was to lead the Yao of the Southern Marches to Buddhism.
“But for some reason, the Yao clan did not convert to Buddhism, and instead ended up fighting the Buddhists with mutual destruction as the result. The Asura King also betrayed the Buddhists and was therefore sealed by Buddha. Five hundred years later, today, the Asura King claims to be Buddha himself.
“There are too many cryptic points and contradictions in all this, but if we overturn one of the so-called established facts, everything might reverse.”
al-Asura looked at him,
“How so?”
Xu Qi’an looked back at al-Asura,
“You have never seen the Asura King, nor have any of us. So who can guarantee that Shenshu really is the Asura King?”
Arhat Du’e’s white eyebrows twitched violently.
Al-Asura’s face was stunned.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox fell into deep thought.
Xu Qi’an continued, “If it was the Buddha who, wanting to break free from his seal, refined the Asura King’s blood and rebuilt himself a new body, then started cultivating afresh. As for the aspiration, perhaps it was only a pretext.
“What the Buddha really wanted was the fortune of the Yao from the Southern Marches, which would help him break free from the seal of the Confucian Sage.”
As soon as he finished, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox shook her head,
“The Buddhist Sect’s aim has already been achieved, if it was as you say, then Shenshu would have already returned and become Buddha.”
Xu Qi’an grinned,
“What if the Buddha in Ananda is actually someone else?”
With this simple sentence, the hair of the three beyond-mortal experts stood on end, and their hearts were startled.
If that were the case, Shenshu’s claim to be Buddha had a perfect explanation.
In the Extermination of the Yao fifty years ago, the true Buddha fell together with the Wanyao Kingdom, and the current Buddha in Ananda was an impostor using the Buddha’s name.
Xu Qi’an added,
“This would also explain why Shenshu’s aspiration was originally to redeem the southern Yao, but ended up as the Extermination of the Yao. This was not the Buddha’s true intention, but rather the result of someone manipulating things from the shadows.
“In those years, Shenshu opposed the Buddhists because he was resisting that existence. To verify this guess, we need to know what triggered the Extermination of the Yao.”
Everyone looked to Arhat Du’e, but he only shook his head slightly.
Even a second-rank Arhat did not know, which undoubtedly increased the likelihood of Xu Qi’an’s speculation.
“The second possibility, Shenshu and Buddha are one and the same person. More than seven hundred years ago, the Buddha initially broke free of his seal, refined the Asura King’s blood, and thus became Shenshu. But regarding the southern Yao, a conflict arose between their two wills, leading to the result we see now.
“The Buddha finally won, took over the Hundred-Thousand Mountains of the Southern Marches, and truly broke free of the Confucian Sage’s seal. But the existence of Shenshu forced him to personally seal him again, and thus he fell into deep slumber.”
This was Xu Qi’an’s second theory.
He was not speaking baselessly, but deducing step by step based on the clues currently in hand.
Xu Qi’an even felt the second possibility more likely, as the severed arm within the Stupa Tower had once said Buddha was an untrustworthy villain.
Arhat Du’e shook his head,
“One person splitting into two, the Buddhists are not the Daoists, we have no such divine power. Of the three Phalas and nine Dharma Aspects, none are capable of this.”
If that’s the case, the truth behind this matter is even more complicated… Xu Qi’an said,
“To verify the second guess is very simple. When Arhat Du’e returns to Ananda, check if the statue of the Confucian Sage still stands. Hmm, just look for it.
“If the statue is still there, then the first guess is correct. If the statue is missing or cannot be found, then it is the second guess.”
Arhat Du’e and al-Asura exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
My current cultivation has fallen to early third rank, while al-Asura is a bit stronger than me, Arhat Du’e is still at second rank. But Her Highness is not heavily injured, and there’s still the Bear King, so our side has a slightly higher chance of victory. As for Shenshu, he is clearly closed off in his shell now…
If a fight really broke out, it would likely end in mutual destruction, broken jade… Xu Qi’an said,
“Well then, shall we take our leave?”
Arhat Du’e exchanged another glance with al-Asura and nodded,
“Farewell!”
Very good, very good, everyone has a strong will to survive. It’s not easy to become beyond-mortal… Xu Qi’an breathed a sigh of relief, immediately controlled the Stupa Tower, and left through the air.
The fox tails at the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox’s waist grew, wrapped around the Bear King and Shenshu, and carried them into the sky, quickly disappearing.
Soon after, the Yao soldiers of the Wanyao Kingdom began to retreat and returned deep into the mountains and forests.
…
A hidden stone cave.
Yeji carried a tender, cute baby girl in her arms, Baiji perched on her shoulder. She hurriedly walked through the corridor, entering the stone cave.
Torches burned bright inside, black smoke curling out from a crack in the ceiling. There were three more corridors at the far end, leading deeper inside.
This was one of the Wanyao Kingdom’s strongholds in the Southern Marches, called Thousand Cavern City.
Caves and corridors snaked through the belly of the mountain, like a spider’s web.
Outside, poisonous insects, fierce beasts, miasma, and dense river networks all acted as cover. It was highly concealed and had never been discovered.
To search for the Yao’s lairs among the hundred-thousand mountains, primeval forests, and treacherous rivers was nigh impossible.
Stepping into the cave, Yeji saw the graceful and magnificent Her Highness, who sat cross-legged on a stone seat, eyes closed in meditation.
“Mistress, please, save Qingji…”
Yeji’s voice faltered. As she drew closer, she realised that there was a five or six-year-old child sitting cross-legged on the floor cushion by the bedside.
Above the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox’s haunches, the short fox tail twitched unconsciously as she opened her eyes and said calmly,
“Don’t worry, she’ll recover by tomorrow.”
With this reply, Yeji finally relaxed, then looked frequently toward the child and tentatively asked,
“Xu Lang?”
The little boy blinked his eyes in innocence, then turned his head to the Nine-tailed Fox and asked,
“Mum, who is this woman?”
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox smiled,
“She’s the child bride mum raised for you.”
Eight fox tails shot out at once, winding up Xu Qi’an, and one swept over to undo his belt.
“Your Highness, let’s talk about this,” Xu Qi’an said sincerely.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox still smiled,
“You’ve gained another mother.
“Mothers spanking their sons’ bottoms is only right and proper.”
In the end, she did not remove Xu Qi’an’s trousers. Instead, a fox tail landed a hard slap on his buttocks.
“Xu Lang, when will you recover?”
Yeji approached swiftly, holding the baby girl in her arms. Her water-bright, bewitching fox eyes shimmered with concern.
“I will naturally recover in three days.”
Xu Qi’an sighed, “Have the protectors among the Yao steady all the troops. Three days from now, we will take back Wanyao Mountain.”
Yeji did not linger, and departed down the same corridor, carrying the baby girl.
Xu Qi’an scanned the plain furnishings of the stone cave and asked in a low voice,
“Did Your Highness ever consider attacking Ananda to reclaim Shenshu’s head and help him fully recover?”
The Nine-tailed Fox replied calmly,
“Whatever the truth of your hypotheses, it does not affect my plans. Shenshu will not remove the Sealing Nail for now. Although it weakens his strength, if no first ranks appear, he is still invincible.”
“If Samantabhadra comes in person, we will proceed as previously planned. If only his avatar appears, with the Sealing Nail present, Shenshu shouldn’t go berserk,” Xu Qi’an said.
With that, he got up and walked out.
“What are you going to do?” asked the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
“Treat Fuxiang to some enoki mushrooms,” Xu Qi’an answered without looking back.
…
Ten days later.
Yeji and Qingji sat in the gatehouse of Southern Country City. One bird Yao after another took off or landed on the ramparts, bringing or sending off letters.
“Elders, Heifeng City to the west has been captured. We exterminated twenty thousand of the Western Region’s enemies, captured eight hundred, and there are one hundred and fifty thousand civilians in the city. What should we do?”
“Make the prisoners slaves. Properly settle the civilians for now, await the war’s end. If any among them dare to secretly cause trouble or rebel, kill without mercy.”
“Elders, Baibi City in the north has been retaken by the Western Region army. The Yao soldiers left behind in the city were completely wiped out.”
“Cut off Baibi City’s supply lines, surround but do not attack for now, and wait for Silver Gong Xu to be free to deal with it.”
“Elders, while Bear King was attacking Wo City on the eastern front, he accidentally fell asleep. Over a hundred thousand people in the city are still sleeping and cannot wake up. We took the city without a fight, but no Yao dares to enter.”
“Send the news to Mistress, let her decide…”
…
After twenty days of war, the armies of the Western Regions, led by Dharmapara Bodhisattva, the Venerable al-Asura, and Arhat Du’e, finally withdrew from the Southern Marches, unable to overcome the Yao. They retreated to defend the Western Regions.
The Yao exterminated one hundred and eighty thousand Western Region troops, captured thirty thousand enemy soldiers, and six hundred and twenty thousand civilians.
On the second day after the Western defenders withdrew from the Southern Marches, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox summoned the Yao to Wanyao Mountain and proclaimed the restoration of the nation.
After five hundred years of wandering, the Yao returned to their homeland.
In later generations, history would record this day as “the Southern Yao Renaissance”.
In all this, a martial artist from the Central Plains played a vital role.
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