Chapter 292: I

Zhou Qing glanced at Jue Ming, then recalled the slip of paper that his senior brother had produced during that meeting of the peaks.

He then asked: “First question: Attachment is like a lock—how do you unlock it?”

At these words, Jue Ming immediately turned to Zhou Qing.

You’re doing this, are you? You’ve got a karmic connection with my Buddha—why are you testing the Buddha Child with a riddle I posed?

Never mind. I’m also curious what answer the Buddha Child will give.

The gazes of everyone else also turned toward them.

The child tilted his head, pondered for a moment, then answered clearly: “No lock, no key—attachment is inherently empty.”

Zhou Qing and everyone present, including Kong Chan, all looked bewildered, not understanding at all.

But Jue Ming’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he trembled with excitement.

“Brilliant! Marvelous! No lock, no key—attachment is inherently empty! The Buddha Child uses non-thought to break attachment, and through emptiness and clarity sees his true nature. Such innate wisdom is unparalleled in history!”

Jue Ming exclaimed excitedly.

The Buddha Child appeared to be only five or six years old, yet he understood Buddhist doctrine with a depth far beyond his years.

Only after hearing Jue Ming’s translation did Zhou Qing begin to grasp it, half-understanding.

Clearly, the Buddha Child is the Buddha Child—no counterfeit like me can compare.

“Exactly what I thought!” Zhou Qing smiled and asked the next question: “Second question: Where is the other shore?”

The child answered without hesitation, clearly: “This shore is the other shore. Deluded, it’s a thousand miles away; awakened, it’s but one step.”

Everyone immediately turned to Jue Ming.

Everyone turned to Jue Ming, who now had tears streaming down his face, palms pressed together, voice choked.

“Amitabha! All beings seek the distant other shore, unaware that delusion creates mountains and seas between them, while awakening brings Buddhahood right here. The Buddha Child’s few words reveal the true essence of the Dharma!”

Everyone fell into thought.

Zhou Qing sighed deeply—he had never imagined such a naturally gifted person truly existed.

Li Niang, your medicinal herbs weren’t wasted after all—look at the intellect you’ve unlocked.

“Excellent! Excellent!” Zhou Qing praised repeatedly, then posed the final question: “All beings suffer—how do you save them?”

The child suddenly smiled, his voice sweet and childlike: “This one’s easiest—suffering has no shore; the boat that saves you is your own.”

Everyone turned again to Jue Ming.

Jue Ming wiped away tears from his eyes, his throat emitting a choked, awed gasp: “The Mahaparinirvana Sutra says: ‘Rely on yourself, rely on the Dharma, rely on nothing else.’”

“The Buddha Child’s four words—‘the boat that saves you is your own’—reveal the root of all Dharmas! Beings cling to the notion of being saved by others, unaware that the true boat is the ever-burning lamp within their own hearts!”

Everyone looked at the child with genuine admiration.

Over the past month since returning from Tianji Gate, the core members and true disciples of Taiqingmen had devoted themselves to pondering these three questions.

Yet before the true Buddha Child, their painstakingly refined answers now seemed pale and powerless.

Zhou Qing smiled warmly and patted the child’s shoulder: “Good. You haven’t embarrassed me, Big Dad.”

He turned to Jue Ming and Kong Chan, then looked back at the child: “I see you have a karmic bond with the Buddha. These two masters are my friends. Son, why not go with them—devote yourself to cultivation?”

The child, seeing Jue Ming and Kong Chan’s eager gazes, nodded obediently: “Whatever Big Dad says is fine.”

Before he’d even finished speaking, Jue Ming and Kong Chan both exhaled in relief.

Jue Ming was so moved he wept again, palms pressed together, repeating: “Excellent! Excellent!”

Zhou Qing turned his gaze to Li Niang, his eyes asking a question.

Li Niang’s eyes were red, yet she didn’t know how to address Zhou Qing.

She bowed deeply once more: “Thank you for giving my son this destiny. This grace, Li Niang will forever remember in her heart.”

“Quickly rise!” Zhou Qing hurried to help her up, his face flushed with embarrassment: “Since he recognizes me as Big Dad, I must take responsibility.”

Everyone turned to stare at Zhou Qing.

There’s a saying— I’ve never seen such a brazen, shameless person!

Kong Chan couldn’t help muttering: “Master, this Zhou cultivator’s skin is as thick as Jue Chen’s. They’d be perfect companions.”

Jue Ming actually nodded in agreement.

If only Zhou Qing could return to Jiyuan Temple with us—that would be wonderful!

At that moment, Mo Xingjian stepped forward with a smile and announced loudly: “Today is truly a day of triple blessings! Two masters have finally found the Buddha Child, and my fourth son has become a father.”

“Such a joyous occasion calls for celebration! Let’s hold a feast today in Taiqingmen’s Jade Banquet Hall—what do you say?”

Lu Yaoyao blinked in confusion: “Master, shouldn’t it be double blessings? Where’s the third?”

Mo Xingjian pointed playfully at Zhou Qing, grinning broadly: “My fourth son became a father—doesn’t that make me a grandfather? Isn’t that the third blessing?”

Everyone: “...”

No wonder Zhou Qing has such thick skin—it runs in the family!

“So eager to be a grandfather? Maybe Second Sister’s already on her way back with a fat, healthy grandson in her arms!”

Yan Xiao muttered under his breath.

No sooner had he spoken than Mo Xingjian shot him a freezing glare—he shrank back, instantly clamping his mouth shut.

Everyone naturally agreed to Mo Xingjian’s suggestion.

Such a joyous occasion truly deserved proper celebration.

Especially Zhou Qing—he’d not only cleared himself of suspicion regarding the Fumo Jin Gu, but had also accidentally become the Buddha Child’s Big Dad. Where else could you find such luck?

Immediately afterward, the Jade Banquet Hall bustled into activity, and Mo Xingjian hurried to find the Zhenqing Peak’s leader, Tong Min.

He ordered her to go at once to Tianji Gate and bring back the Sect Master and others.

After all, only these two had returned to lead the delegation from Tianji Gate.

Upon learning that a Zhanling cultivator now resided in the sect’s Jade Banquet Hall, Tong Min said nothing and immediately raced to Tianji Gate at top speed.

At the banquet table, Master Jue Ming maintained the demeanor of a revered monk, eating only vegetarian fare.

In contrast, the young monk Kong Chan had already devoured his meal, grease glistening on his lips, occasionally sighing in satisfaction—he clearly adored the Jade Banquet Hall’s cuisine.

“This child is growing—he should eat more meat. Besides, wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart! The Buddha is compassionate—he won’t blame you!”

As he spoke, Jue Ming even placed a succulent piece of spirit pork onto Kong Chan’s plate.

Naturally, no one objected.

During the meal, Jue Ming turned his gaze to the child, who chewed slowly and deliberately. When he learned of the child’s past and that he had been born only two or three months ago, his expression turned to shock for the first time.

After a brief pause, he set down his chopsticks, his face grave: “Master Zhou, Master Mo, after this meal, I intend to depart immediately with them.”

“So soon?” Zhou Qing frowned. Others also turned to him with puzzled looks.

Jue Ming sighed deeply, his face filled with worry: “In the Tianyun Holy Dynasty, Jiyuan Temple is not the sole power. Rival factions vie fiercely—far more brutal than you imagine.”

“Now that the Buddha Child has appeared, if word spreads, countless covetous eyes will descend. If we delay further, we may bring trouble upon your sect.”

Mo Xingjian and the others’ faces darkened.

At that moment, Shen Yunzhou also set down his chopsticks and sighed: “I speak from experience. Even my humble Shen family—never mind Jiyuan Temple—is no less treacherous. Never mind.”

Zhou Qing fell silent. Shen Hanyi, a late-stage Zhanling cultivator, had to tread carefully—clearly, the Shen family’s internal politics were deeply complex.

“By the way, Master Zhou, before we leave, I have a suggestion—may I ask your permission?”

Soon, Jue Ming seemed to recall something, his gaze turning thoughtful toward Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing frowned: “Master, please speak.”

Jue Ming nodded slightly, then turned his eyes to Lu Yaoyao, seated across from him.

Lu Yaoyao’s face changed instantly: “I have too many attachments—I don’t want to become a nun or monk!”

Jue Ming smiled faintly, palms pressed together: “You misunderstand. I refer to the hen in your arms.”

Everyone turned to look at the glossy-feathered old hen cradled in Lu Yaoyao’s arms.

Zhou Qing’s heart tightened: “Master, what do you mean?”

Jue Ming pressed his palms together solemnly: “To be honest, this hen possesses extraordinary spiritual sensitivity. If she accompanies me to Jiyuan Temple, she will gain immense blessings.”

“But if we delay, such a rare transformation will be wasted.”

Zhou Qing was secretly astonished—he hadn’t expected Jue Ming to detect the hen’s evolution.

Seeing Zhou Qing’s expression, Jue Ming quickly added: “Master Zhou, don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of taking what’s yours. I merely wish to temporarily care for her.”

“Of course, if you refuse, consider my words unspoken.”

No one spoke. Everyone except Shen Yunzhou knew the hen could purify impurities from spirit stones and excrete them as eggs.

But that was only the first stage of transformation. Now, it had entered the second stage—it no longer laid eggs, yet could bypass ordinary arrays, even effortlessly resisting a Single-Color Array.

The final decision rested with Zhou Qing, since he had originally purchased the hen at the Five Sects Exchange Fair.

Looking at the hen’s dim, unintelligent eyes, Zhou Qing hesitated.

If the hen truly had a greater destiny, he couldn’t selfishly block her path.

After all, in the beginning, the hen had helped him through hardship by refining spirit eggs.

“Big Dad, I’m going to Jiyuan Temple—if you’re worried, give her to me. I’ll treat her like family!”

The Buddha Child, sensing Zhou Qing’s dilemma, spoke up.

Zhou Qing’s eyes brightened instantly.

“Then I entrust her to you,” Zhou Qing decided. “Consider it a keepsake.”

The child nodded eagerly.

After a few more moments of casual chat, Jue Ming rose to take his leave.

“Regarding the Buddha Child, please keep this secret. We’ll pretend we’re still searching elsewhere, to avoid bringing you unnecessary trouble.”

Mo Xingjian was deeply grateful.

As for Li Niang, she was clearly going to accompany them to Jiyuan Temple.

After the Seven Stars Sect’s overall strength in the Eastern Region weakened following the Battle of Canglan Mountain, it had long since been swallowed and annihilated by other factions.

Moreover, since Li Niang gave birth to her son, her periods of clarity have grown significantly longer; accompanying them to Jiyuan Temple might even fully cure her illness.

But then again, Li Niang entered her realm through the fixation of waiting—if she regains full clarity, that fixation will slowly fade.

How could one possibly slowly make up for it and break through?

As a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator, she had already drifted aimlessly through over a thousand years.

The reason she still retains her youthful appearance is merely due to countless spiritual herbs sustaining her.

Her true lifespan probably hasn’t more than a few hundred years left.

Of course, how things develop from here has nothing to do with him.

Then, Zhou Qing patted the child monk’s bald head again.

He had to admit, the texture was truly excellent.

He couldn’t imagine what this child would look like next time they met—if he reached out to pat him again, it would truly be treading on the Tai Sui’s head.

“Don’t worry about me—follow Brother Jue Ming and cultivate hard. Only by growing stronger yourself can you protect your Big Dad and your mother!” Zhou Qing instructed.

Everyone: “...”

How can someone be this shameless?

Worry about you?

You act like you two have some deep bond, but today’s the first time you’ve ever met.

Combined, it’s been less than two hours.

You’re really slapping gold leaf on your own face.

But—

He was genuinely envious!

The previous child monk, the late Abbot Ku’e, was rumored to possess not only a Mingwen-level divine art but also a cultivation base long surpassing the Zhan Ling realm.

This child monk’s talent seems even more extraordinary; barring unforeseen circumstances, he will surely become Jiyuan Temple’s next abbot.

Zhou Qing is still young; once Li Niang’s lifespan ends, he’ll become the child monk’s only living relative in this world.

At this moment, Jue Ming let out a quiet sigh.

Not long ago, he had foolishly become Zhou Qing’s friend, and after one meal, he’d become his big brother.

The way this relationship had been climbed, he didn’t even know how to refute it.

“Big Dad, rest assured—I understand!” the child vowed.

Zhou Qing nodded, then turned to Jue Ming and bowed deeply with solemn expression.

“Brother Jue Ming, I entrust these two to you. When I have the chance in the future, I will surely come to Jiyuan Temple to thank you.”

Jue Ming: “...”

“Zhou shizhu, rest assured—I will protect this mother and child with my life,” Jue Ming said, clasping his hands together, face grave.

With that, a torrent of Buddhist power surged from his fingertip, tearing open a massive rift in the void.

After a final farewell, he stepped through with Li Niang, the child, and Kong Chan, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qing stared at the closing rift, filled with envy—after all, the ability of a Zhan Ling cultivator to tear open space was truly awe-inspiring.

Only when the rift vanished completely did he snap back to himself, turning to Shen Yunzhou beside him and asking, “Aren’t you coming back with them?”

Shen Yunzhou shook his striking yellow hair, raised an eyebrow, and sneered.

“I’m not lost—I don’t need to follow them. Are you trying to get rid of me, Brother Zhou?”

“No, absolutely not! Just asking out of curiosity,” Zhou Qing quickly waved his hands.

With a Zhan Ling cultivator accompanying you, wouldn’t that be safer?

Shen Yunzhou crossed his arms. “Earlier, I asked you to negotiate with Jin Leizong so I could study those dried corpses more—once my realm is complete, I’ll leave.”

Zhou Qing nodded. “I didn’t mean it that way—don’t misunderstand. I’ll speak to Elder Bai and the others about Jin Leizong.”

“Oh, then I’m counting on Big Dad Zhou,” Shen Yunzhou said with sarcastic tone.

Zhou Qing stared at Shen Yunzhou’s disgruntled expression, speechless—but he understood.

After all, it was Shen Yunzhou who provided the supreme wood-element spirit stone, yet the child monk had recognized him as Big Dad—who wouldn’t feel a little bitter?

But can I be blamed? If you’d brought a decent gift, maybe the child monk would’ve called you Second Dad.

Instead, you brought a pile of shit—and put it in a box.

As if sensing Zhou Qing’s thoughts, Shen Yunzhou gazed sadly at the spot where the rift had vanished and sighed deeply.

“That was Night-Shining Sand from the Demon Emperor Yinyin Bat Emperor—I waited three full years to get it. Who could’ve expected...”

Zhou Qing gently patted his shoulder in understanding.

Even he felt a hollow ache now that the old hen had left.

“Now that this matter is settled, I plan to return with the core and true-disciple disciples to Tianji Men and follow your Sect Master’s orders.”

After greeting Zhou Qing, Mo Xingjian led everyone swiftly toward Tianji Men.

He was mainly worried that the Sect Master had made a pointless trip because of Jue Ming—had he known, he never would’ve sent Tong Min to deliver the message.

“Don’t wander off for now—stay within the sect.”

“If Lingxu Zi and Tianshu Zi truly control Sikong Yan through heart’s blood, and now they’re imprisoned, Sikong Yan will surely act.”

“That’s why the Eight Grand Elders returned together to guard the sect—your Sect Master’s absence is also a test.”

“It might even give us a chance to sneak into Cangyan Dao Palace and find out exactly what’s happening with Nannan.”

As Mo Xingjian left, he specifically warned Zhou Qing—now was the critical moment in this game of strategy.

Zhou Qing understood: after refining the remnants of the Ultimate Weapon, he’d planned to rest two days before beginning to comprehend the fourth Phoenix Dao Pattern.

Three days later, Zhou Qing returned to his quiet chamber, activated the formation barrier, and embraced the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree, greedily absorbing its energy.

This feeling... was intoxicating!

A month and ten days later, Zhou Qing finally opened his eyes, reluctant to let go.

At this moment, the four radiant feathers on the chest of the blood phoenix in his mind sea had become four.

“As I suspected, the later the Phoenix Dao Patterns, the harder they are to comprehend,” Zhou Qing frowned.

“This time took ten full days longer than before—and the ethereal aura from the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree is already beginning to wane.”

That meant he could barely manage a fifth Phoenix Dao Pattern; the time and supreme wood-element spirit stones required afterward would far exceed his previous estimates.

“This thing really burns through money!” Zhou Qing muttered.

He checked his storage pouch—five more spirit stones were needed to recharge the Wudao Ancient Tea Tree again.

He stretched his numb limbs; once he stepped out of the courtyard, he sensed the entire Xiao Ling Peak felt noticeably livelier than before.

“Has everyone returned?” Zhou Qing lightly tapped his foot and vanished to the mountain’s base in an instant.

Indeed, numerous true-disciples, inner-disciples, and outer-disciples had already resumed their cultivation.

When they saw Zhou Qing, their eyes filled with admiration, and they hurried to bow.

This trip to Tianji Men had brought them great gains—all thanks to Brother Zhou.

Especially Grand Elder Yuheng of Tianji Men, who had been defeated single-handedly by Brother Zhou—he was truly a model for our generation.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly in response to their fervent gazes.

At that moment, a streak of light shot down from the sky—Yan Xiao Hu landed on his sword, grinning. “Fourth Brother, your cultivation retreats are like a game—you close for a month, then pop out again.”

Zhou Qing asked, “When did everyone return?”

Yan Xiao Hu replied, “Most are back—about ten days ago.”

“Tianji Men needs guards, and all the ore veins require tending—but overall, we’ve firmly taken control.”

“By the way, your timing’s perfect—Fu Kui from the Wanxiang Auction House arrived and brought you something!”

Zhou Qing’s eyes lit up.

Could it be that Wan Bao finally gathered more supreme wood-element spirit stones and sent them via Old Fu?

That would be too much trouble.

Yan Xiao Hu continued, “But you might have to wait two days—we’ve taken Tianji Men, but the journey’s long, and things are especially sensitive right now.”

“So your Sect Master spent a fortune buying two teleportation arrays from the Wanxiang Auction House—just like during the Three Sect Alliance, to support each other.”

Zhou Qing nodded; after all, according to Wanxiang Auction House rules, when a customer’s purchase reaches a certain value, they send a dedicated escort.

Especially for something as critical as a teleportation array, installation and after-sales service are mandatory.

During the Five Sect War, Fu Kui had personally escorted the teleportation array here.

Even Wan Bao had once pretended to be drugged and revealed the hidden teleportation array location used by the black puppets in Cangyan Dao Palace.

Now that he thought about it, it was both heartwarming and amusing.

“Old Fu said Wan Bao did send something, but since the teleportation array is bidirectional, he first installed it at the back mountain, then went to Tianji Men.”

“He should return soon—once the array is set up, we can use it immediately,” Yan Xiao Hu said.

Zhou Qing felt a growing anticipation—he wondered how many supreme wood-element spirit stones Wan Bao had managed to get him.

Two days later, the teleportation array at the back mountain flared to life, and Cao Zhengyang emerged alongside Fu Kui.

After triple-checking the array’s functionality, Cao Zhengyang hurried to host a banquet to welcome and honor Old Fu.

But Fu Kui shook his head.

Since the Fifth Imperial Prince died within Lingyun Prefecture’s territory, the Prefect Zhong Yao and the Prefectural Lord Xiao Ji have been utterly overwhelmed.

Yet they could find not the slightest trace of the murderer, and the Grand Eunuch Gao Xianzhong had also just returned to the imperial capital.

No one knew exactly how they had embellished the story, but in the end, it was claimed that the two had failed in their duties.

The chairman and the lord of the mansion had been close friends for years and were soon to be in-laws, so he had been lending them constant support.

As a veteran of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Auction House, he was busy and could not afford delays.

“Alright, I’ll check if Zhou Qing has emerged from seclusion. If not, just hand the item to me—I’ll deliver it to him later!” said Cao Zhengyang.

Fu Kui thought for a moment and agreed.

But when Cao Zhengyang inquired, he learned that Zhou Qing had already emerged from seclusion.

That saved trouble!

……

“Only one exists. Five-element spirit stones are hard currency, and wood-element spirit stones are especially rare—extremely hard to obtain!”

Fu Kui handed over a bright green spirit stone.

Zhou Qing gazed at the spirit stone with burning eyes, his gaze filled with gratitude. He exclaimed repeatedly: “Thank you, Elder Fu, for your effort! Please convey my thanks to Brother Wanbao as well—I shall never forget this kindness!”

Saying this, he quickly pulled out twelve ordinary supreme-grade spirit stones and offered them forward.

Fu Kui waved his hand, taking only ten.

A warm smile appeared on his aged face: “Wanbao truly didn’t misjudge you. Your loyalty and righteousness are precisely why we’re willing to build a deep bond with you. Should you ever need help in the future, don’t hesitate to speak up.”

“I have urgent duties to attend to—farewell. When you have free time, remember to visit Lingyun Mansion.”

With that, Fu Kui left without delay or fuss.

(End of Chapter)