Chapter 270

Kong Xuan pondered for a moment and asked Tang An a question in return.

"I am the Peacock Great Wisdom King Bodhisattva; why should I help you?"

Tang An propped her arms up and leaned toward Kong Xuan. Kong Xuan didn't move, allowing Tang An to lean in and examine him.

"So, are you willing to play this game together?" Tang An didn't fall into Kong Xuan's line of thinking and simply repeated her own question.

Kong Xuan stared into those eyes and smiled faintly with interest.

"Do you know that the Black Lotus has taken root and sprouted in my body and cannot be removed?"

"I know."

"Do you know that the descent of the World-Extinguishing Black Lotus is a Great Tribulation for the Three Realms?"

"I know."

"Do you know that even if I agree to stand on the same side as you, I cannot control the Black Lotus within me? Even I am in danger of losing my life."

"I know." Tang An sat back on her cattail mat, "Giving birth has always been a life-and-death tribulation; even though you are a man, the same principle applies."

The corners of Kong Xuan's mouth twitched slightly; he felt that Tang An always loved to suddenly and unceremoniously insult people when things were getting serious.

"What do you want me to do?"

Tang An had already thought of a strategy, "I need to use my own heart demon to peer into the demon within your heart."

In plain terms, she wanted to use her heart demon as a link to see the Black Lotus.

"Aren't you afraid that I will be controlled by the Black Lotus and kill you?"

Tang An suddenly laughed, "It seems you don't understand that Black Lotus as well as I do."

"You all keep saying its appearance is a Great Tribulation for the Three Realms. But is it really a tribulation for the Three Realms, or a tribulation for Lingshan?"

"And who said that being a demon means being evil, and being a Buddha means being good?"

"Must a demon always kill, and must a Buddha always save?"

Hearing Tang An's remarks, Kong Xuan frowned deeply, his eyes surging with waves. "Who exactly are you?"

He had once heard someone say almost the exact same words.

Just as Kong Xuan wanted to ask a second time, a black vortex suddenly appeared on his abdomen.

He tried painfully to suppress it, but didn't expect that Tang An had already been sucked into that black vortex.

Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, and Nezha hadn't expected this turn of events to happen so quickly. However, they didn't seem to make any move.

"Aren't you afraid she's in danger?"

Yang Jian fanned himself, a hint of calculated confidence hidden in the corners of his mouth. "We trust her."

Why trust her? Naturally, before they came, Tang An had clearly stated that regardless of whether she was taken away by the Black Lotus or not, they didn't need to panic.

What she wanted was the opportunity to see the Black Lotus.

Inside Kong Xuan's body, a space filled with black mist.

A giant black lotus appeared before Tang An, rotating at a steady speed, its black Qi extremely dense.

"In terms of age, I should respectfully address you as Senior Wutian."

The dense black mist condensed in front of Tang An, forming a human figure. He scrutinized Tang An for a long time, his eyes devoid of any malice or killing intent.

Or to put it another way, what Tang An saw in his eyes was a Buddha-nature that even Rulai lacked.

"You are not afraid of me?"

"Why should I be?"

"Who taught you the remarks you made just now?"

"Just a humble opinion; it seems it has gained the approval of Wutian Buddha."

"Wutian... Buddha?"

"Does Senior Wutian not wish to become a Buddha? To create a true Western Paradise Pure Land?"

"But I am a demon; helping a demon become a Buddha is going against the will of the world."

"The emergence of Wutian Buddha is in accordance with Heavenly Destiny; how can it be called going against the will of the world?"

"You help a demon; are you not afraid of being criticized by the world?"

"As for the words of the world, for the foolish, they are too foolish to argue with. For the wise, there is no need to argue."

"You help a demon; are you not afraid that all your merit will turn into sin?"

Tang An laughed, "If helping a demon means being full of sin, then Lingshan... Heh~"

"It just so happens that if I am full of sin, can't I put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot? What do you say, Wutian Buddha?"

Wutian's demonic Qi circled around Tang An, then he suddenly flashed behind her, raising his hand in a clawing motion, seemingly about to act against her.

Tang An's heart raced, her breathing quickened, but she still didn't move an inch.

She was gambling, gambling on her understanding of Wutian. She was also gambling that the Heavenly Dao, wanting to use her hand to push forward the Great Tribulation, would not let her die.

Of course, her greatest reliance was that her master, Tongtian Jiaozhu, was still observing from the shadows. He would not let anything truly happen to her.

Wutian narrowed his eyes, seemingly satisfied with Tang An's reaction, and only then did he truly act.

However, he wasn't trying to harm Tang An, but rather to suck out all the demonic Qi within her body.

"From now on, you will no longer be affected by the demonic Qi in your body. But whether you will develop heart demons again depends on your own state of mind."

Tang An turned and bowed, "Thank you, Senior."

Wutian instantly appeared on the Black Lotus, sitting cross-legged upon it.

"Why didn't you dodge just now?"

"If you suspect someone, don't use them; if you use them, don't suspect them. Since it is a transaction, I naturally have to show some sincerity."

Tang An then added, "I observe that you, Senior, are different from those hypocritical people. Therefore, I am willing to conspire with you."

Wutian looked into the distance, seemingly filled with emotion.

The first person to believe in him, saying he was different from those hypocritical people, was actually a mortal.

The world's eyes were shallow and didn't understand the ambition in his heart. Because he suffered injustice and saw through the hypocrisy of the Buddhas, he became a demon in a single thought, and thus bore the prophecy of bringing disaster to the world.

But when did he ever want to bring disaster to the world?

"You want to push forward the Great Tribulation and let me replace Rulai?"

"Yes."

"You are like me, holding a grudge against Lingshan?"

"Yes."

Wutian stared at Tang An, "You want to stir up the waters of the Three Realms."

Tang An replied seriously, "Yes."

"Do you know that when the waters of the Three Realms rain and rise, when they dry up to the bottom, and how many fish are in the pool, are all determined by Heaven?" Wutian pointed upward.

"I know, and precisely because I know, I want to stir them up even more." Tang An looked straight into the abyss-like depths of Wutian's eyes.

"My transaction with you can cut off Rulai's path to Buddhahood, leaving him with no possibility of becoming the Buddha."

"Regardless of what selfish desires or calculations I have. And regardless of whether you, Senior, can sit on the Buddha's throne forever."

"At the very least, as long as it concerns Rulai, the purpose of our transaction is achieved, and that counts as success, doesn't it?"

In other words, they were just a relationship gathered by interest, to disperse when the interest was exhausted.

The two of them only needed to trade and benefit each other. Beyond that, neither side needed to interfere with what the other wanted to do.

Wutian remained silent for over a quarter of an hour before finally agreeing to Tang An's transaction.

"I look forward to seeing you again after I emerge."

"Tang An looks forward to that day as well."

The two looked at each other, everything understood without words.

An incense stick's time passed.

A black vortex reappeared on Kong Xuan's abdomen, and Tang An's figure returned from the vortex to the cattail mat.

"Oh my god, I'm so dizzy."

Tang An stumbled as she got up and went to Yang Jian to pour a cup of water.

Yang Jian looked at Tang An in surprise, "Master, there is... no more demonic Qi in your body."

"Pfft, what is my little bit of demonic Qi compared to the World-Extinguishing Black Lotus? He just waved his hand and solved it for me."

Kong Xuan didn't speak, but his eyes followed Tang An constantly.

However...

Nezha's figure blocked his view, staring at Kong Xuan with fire in his eyes.