Chapter 299

"I want to become myself."

This sentence came out of a twelve-year-old child's mouth, which should have seemed naive and ridiculous.

But coming out of Qiao Ling's mouth, it didn't feel out of place at all.

Su Chen looked at Qiao Ling and asked: "Are you sure? If you are willing to acknowledge your previous life, you can become a Buddha on the spot, but if you want to be yourself, it is destined not to be peaceful; maybe you will suffer a lot and have to go through many tribulations."

Su Chen made it very clear to Qiao Ling; he wasn't afraid that Qiao Ling wouldn't agree; if he didn't agree, he would just lose an opportunity to layout the Fomen.

He was just afraid that Qiao Ling wouldn't be determined enough; if he agreed at this time and regretted it in the future, then everything he did would be in vain.

To prevent Tathagata from returning, he could only rely on Qiao Ling himself; only if he himself was determined enough would Tathagata's previous life Dao fruit not affect him, and as his own cultivation became higher and higher, Tathagata's previous life Dao fruit would gradually dissipate.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ling nodded firmly: "Daoist, I want to become myself; I am not afraid of suffering."

Su Chen stood up and patted the dust on his Daoist robe.

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Qiao Ling thought for a while and raised his head to look at Su Chen.

"Daoist, I want to take you as my master."

Su Chen didn't agree immediately, but asked a question.

"What about your parents?"

Qiao Ling's expression changed, and the twelve-year-old youth lowered his head, his brows tightly locked.

"I..." he opened his mouth, saying somewhat hesitantly, "I can't leave now. Father only has me as a son, and Mother's health has always been poor. If I leave, they..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was very clear.

Su Chen looked at him and suddenly smiled.

Although this child was born extraordinary and his understanding of Buddhism could make old monks speechless, he was ultimately still a child.

"Then don't be in a hurry to leave." Su Chen said.

Qiao Ling raised his head abruptly to look at him.

"I can stay in Moyie Kingdom for a period of time; you fulfill your filial piety first, and when you feel it's time to leave, we will leave again."

"Really?"

"Really."

Su Chen knew clearly in his heart that Qiao Ling's attachment to mortal family affection was precisely the key that distinguished him from Tathagata.

Tathagata was originally an innate creature, without father or mother; the more Qiao Ling valued affection, the harder it would be for him to be assimilated by Tathagata's Dao fruit.

"However, I have a problem now and need your help." Su Chen changed the subject.

"Daoist, please speak."

"You have to find me a suitable identity." Su Chen pointed to himself, "I am all alone and have nowhere to live. I can't squat at the gate of the royal city every day waiting for you to come out."

Qiao Ling was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.

Three days later, Moyie Kingdom Wang Gong, Council Hall.

Qiao Ling led Su Chen to meet the King of Moyie Kingdom, Qiao Hui.

Qiao Hui was in his early forties, with a burly figure and a short beard.

He sat on the throne, looking at the Daoist priest his son brought in, his brows twisted into a ball.

"Ling'er, you said you want to take this person as your master?"

"Yes, Father."

Qiao Hui's gaze fell on Su Chen, looking him up and down.

The Daoist robe was washed white, a gourd hung from his waist; no matter how he looked, he looked like a swindling wandering sorcerer.

"What is your name?"

"This poor Daoist is Wu Chen, a wandering loose cultivator." Su Chen cupped his hands toward Qiao Hui.

"What can you do? How can you become my son's master?" Qiao Hui spoke very directly.

Su Chen smiled and swept his gaze over the hall.

He noticed a pot of withered orchid grass in a corner of the hall; he reached out his hand and pointed with his finger.

A wisp of wood-attribute magic power was injected into the flower pot.

The already withered orchid grass stalk shook, and in just three breaths, the orchid grass leaves stretched out, grew flower buds again, and the next moment the flower buds bloomed again, and a faint fragrance filled the entire hall.

Seeing this scene, Qiao Hui stood up from the throne.

The guards, palace servants, and eunuchs in the hall all showed looks of surprise.

Su Chen withdrew his hand and looked up at the window again.

"Recently, the capital of Moyie Kingdom has not rained for a long time, the farmland is short of water, and King Majesty has been troubled by this for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Hui looked at Su Chen: "Does the Daoist have a way?"

Su Chen didn't answer, but pointed to the sky.

The clear sky darkened suddenly, and dark clouds surged from all directions, gathering over the capital.

Thunder rumbled, and heavy rain poured down.

The entire Yunze City was shrouded in this sudden heavy rain.

Qiao Hui looked at the pouring rain outside the window and then at the vibrant orchid grass, opened his mouth, and sighed in admiration: "Sir has great talent; my son taking you as his master is truly a fortunate thing."

That day, Qiao Hui personally conferred Su Chen as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, granted him residence in the East Garden of the Wang Gong, and gave him a salary equivalent to that of a third-rank official.

Su Chen lived in Moyie Kingdom like this.

He taught Qiao Ling breathing techniques every day, all of which were the most basic introductory cultivation methods, just to guide Qiao Ling to perceive the existence of heaven and earth spiritual energy.

Qiao Ling's comprehension was outrageously high.

Ordinary people need months to perceive spiritual energy, but he only used a few hours.

Su Chen saw it in his eyes but wasn't too surprised.

As Tathagata's reincarnation, if he didn't even have this talent, it would be surprising.

But although Qiao Ling's talent was extremely high, Su Chen didn't teach him deeper cultivation methods.

Su Chen told Qiao Ling that it wasn't the time yet.

Now that his mortal dust was not yet cut off, when he cut off the mortal karma, Su Chen would give him a choice.

By then, what he had prepared would be enough to shake the entire Fomen.

This evening, the master and apprentice sat in the courtyard of the East Garden.

Qiao Ling finished his cultivation and suddenly opened his mouth: "Master, how long can a cultivator live?"

Su Chen was cooking tea in the courtyard and answered: "If you can enter the realm of refining qi into spirit, you will have two hundred years of life; if you can achieve Tai Yi, you can live as long as heaven."

After listening, Qiao Ling asked again: "What about my father and mother?"

Su Chen looked at Qiao Ling and said: "Mortals can live for a hundred years if they are long-lived, and less than a day if they are short-lived; each has its own fate."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ling lowered his head, his voice muffled, "Then I can live for a long time after cultivation, but they will grow old and die."

Su Chen pushed a cup of tea to him.

"Everything in heaven and earth has its own Dao and its own fate. You cannot change their lifespan, but you can make them live better while they are alive."

He looked at Qiao Ling and said: "Following heaven's fate and not being trapped in the heart can you go further. If you trap yourself because of these things, you will never take this step."

Qiao Ling took the teacup, clutched it for a long time, and then muffled a reply.

"Master, I know."

Su Chen picked up his own teacup and looked toward the southern horizon.

The setting sun dyed the sky golden red, and the clouds in the sky were like golden mountains.