Chapter 741: Familiar Yet Strange

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan bowed deeply and said, "Elder, greetings!"

Qingtong smiled faintly and said, "No need for such formalities—we've met before."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan was suddenly startled—he remembered the woman named Qingtong from the fragment of the Immortal Realm, seen within Xu Xu Shiqi's memories. But those were Xu Xu Shiqi's memories—could she have been watching him then too?!

She said, "Master Xiang, please come with me to my residence to speak."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan smiled bitterly: "Do I have a choice?"

Qingtong smiled faintly and said, "You don't."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan sighed. The scenery shifted, and he found himself inside the Jin Gang Zen Courtyard. Seeing a pond of withered merit lotuses, he felt an inexplicable unease stir within him.

The woman Qingtong led the way, taking Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan into a side hall. The hall glowed with pale yellow light, faintly warm yet still steeped in gloom.

The hall's furnishings were ancient and plain. Against the walls stood a row of bronze bells; at the head sat a divine altar, utterly empty—no Buddha statues, no Arhats. Two seating pallets stood inside. Qingtong sat on one and gestured for Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan to take the other.

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan sat opposite Qingtong as instructed. A strange feeling arose in him—had Prince Jin come here daily just to see this woman? Was the pallet beneath him the very one Prince Jin had sat on?

"May I ask your Elder's name?"

"Call me Qingtong. Master Xiang, your fortune is extraordinary—you've had countless strokes of luck, and recently even greater gains. You're now worthy to be my guest."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan thought: I'd rather never come again. This woman radiated strangeness—he couldn't fathom her cultivation base, but one thing was certain: he was no match for her. She had brought him to the Northern Shanmen, yet Zhu Zhu Yuanjin, who should have been hiding in the shadows, remained utterly silent—that spoke volumes.

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan said, "May I ask why you summoned me?"

Qingtong smiled faintly. "If you'd obey my orders without question, that would be ideal."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan hurried to say, "If Elder commands, I shall do my utmost."

Qingtong chuckled lightly. "We'll talk about 'doing your utmost' later. But you needn't touch that cloth scrap anymore—it's already pilling."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's heart tightened. That cloth scrap looked utterly ordinary, yet it was an object tied by karmic threads to the Tinghai Xianjun Zhenjun Yan Shi. After the Small World War, the Tinghai Xianjun had given it to him—when in dire peril, rubbing it would trigger Zhenjun Yan Shi's awareness and summon aid.

It could be used only once. Now, sensing something amiss, he had instinctively used it. Yet Qingtong had seen through it—and not a single stir had occurred around them.

Qingtong said, "Don't be tense. We share the same origin—we ought to aid each other. I mean you no harm. I merely wish you to do me a small favor, and in return, offer you a chance."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan perked up. "Elder, please speak!"

"The greatest chance is myself."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's heart thudded violently. Unbidden, he recalled the memory from Xu Xu Shiqi—of Qingtong mating with him. Now he remembered it clearly, every detail vivid.

Qingtong's appearance and figure were exquisite. If he hadn't thought of it, he might have dismissed her as part of nature's flow. But now that he had, the thought spiraled uncontrollably—he could barely restrain himself.

Fortunately, Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's discipline was extraordinary. He showed no reaction and asked, "Please elaborate."

Qingtong's lips parted slightly, and her voice crystallized into golden runes that slammed into Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's core: "The Joyful King Buddha has observed your recent fierce progress, your earnest striving toward his true form, and is greatly pleased. He has specially sent me to take your karmic ties, bear your offspring, and one day give birth to a Buddha-child who shall inherit the Pure Land of Radiant Splendor—and expel the disciples of Great Sun Tathagata from the Three Buddha Palaces!"

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan felt thunder roll through his mind, stunned beyond control. He cried, "Wait! I'm still young—I can't be part of such matters! Please, let the King Buddha find someone more suitable!"

Qingtong chuckled. "No need to worry. The Buddha-child's opportunity is near—you can't escape it. And frankly, this opportunity arrived so soon because of you."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan recalled his past—had he done anything remotely close to the Buddhist path? How had he drawn near to the true form of the Joyful King Buddha?

His only hope now was the Tinghai Xianjun Zhenjun Yan Shi—but the Tinghai Xianjun remained silent.

Qingtong said, "Don't count on Zhenjun Yan Shi. If his true body were here, I might yield a little. But right now he's locked in fierce combat with the Left Wise King's Minor Master. Even if I were to take you, then take you again, over and over, he couldn't reach you in time."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's heart turned cold. "Elder, this conduct is beneath your dignity."

Qingtong spat. "Pah! You dare speak of dignity?"

Her demeanor shifted unpredictably—now eerie, now seductive, now alluring, then dropping earth-shattering secrets. Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan was tossed between highs and lows, utterly bewildered by her intentions.

But passivity was not Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's style. He suddenly asked, "Why does Prince Jin come to the Jin Gang Zen Courtyard every day?"

"To cultivate."

"How?"

"If you truly wish to know, then you must help me with this small favor."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan said, "I'll do my utmost."

Yet in Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's dictionary, "doing his utmost" had many preconditions and limits—enough to avoid karmic backlash from oaths.

Qingtong's expression turned serious. "When Prince Jin was young, he was a man of grand talent and vision, determined to restore the realm's glory—ha! He even hoped his posthumous temple name would include the character 'Zu.' But after thirty years as prince, everything went awry. Not one major achievement, yet his state grew weak, governance corrupt, military lax."

He couldn't fathom why. Then, by chance, he sought me out. I taught him the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth—whether a mortal king or an immortal path, all lie beneath the Great Dao. After a year of listening, he finally understood his error—and began cultivating with me."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan, curious, asked again: "What was Prince Jin's mistake?"

"Imagine a man dying of a terminal illness—how do you save him? You can't save him. The best course is to enter reincarnation early. The Western Jin is like a colossal beast, but its body teems with parasites. The largest parasites have replaced its heart, spleen, liver, lungs—if you kill them, the beast dies too."

The only way is to embrace death to be reborn—push yourself to the brink of annihilation. At the moment of near-death, some parasites may choose to flee."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan had read the historical records of the Western Jin. Hearing this, he suddenly understood why Prince Jin had changed so drastically in his later years—why he had turned tyrannical, provoked heaven's wrath and the people's suffering.

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan had never liked this woman. Now he loathed her. But her power was overwhelming—he had no choice but to feign compliance.

Qingtong sighed softly. "I showed him the path to liberation—he progressed smoothly. Several old rivals fell into my trap and were no longer threats. Lü Changhe's schemes fooled others—but could they fool me? I played along, placed my pieces, and turned Lü Changhe against Xu Xu Wangu. They were now too busy fighting each other to care about this side. Prince Jin could cultivate in peace, waiting only for liberation."

When the Crown Prince ascends, he'll face the Northern Liao at the capital's gates, the Zhao state invading from the south, corrupt governance, an empty treasury. If Lü Changhe can salvage the situation, it'll cost him centuries of cultivation—then he'll submit, no longer blocking Prince Jin's breakthrough."

This perfect plan reached its final step—and he suddenly refused."

"What was the final step?"

"Open the northern gates and let the Liao invade."

At this, Qingtong sighed. "Millions displaced because of him. He's done all this—yet at the last moment, he suddenly grows fond of his people? Claims he can't bear to see lives destroyed, and would rather abandon his own path. Ha!"

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan said solemnly, "Elder, my attitude toward the common people is clear in the Qingming Mirror. If you wish me to let foreign tribes breach the passes and slaughter our people, then our conversation ends. If you force me, I'll fight to the death."

Qingtong laughed. "Have you been worn thin by that fox Empress? Has your brain stopped working? At a time like this, shouldn't you pretend to agree, then betray me after escaping?"

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan froze, then deeply regretted his words.

Qingtong said, "The favor is simple: once you hold authority over the five commanderies, in one year's time, their population must decrease—never increase. This concerns Prince Jin's life—the more the population drops, the better the effect."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan stared in shock. "Why?"

Qingtong said, "It concerns a node of destiny. Why this is so—this is the secret method of my lineage. I cannot tell you."

"That's all?"

Qingtong nodded.

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan said, "Then what's my reward?"

Qingtong sighed in exasperation. "You rogue! I could crush you with a flick of my hand—and you're bargaining?"

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan said seriously, "Without sufficient reward, there's no motivation to work."

"Don't you care about Prince Jin's life?"

"Hasn't the King been alive this long thanks to the ageless pill I gave him? So I feel no guilt. Besides, how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Qingtong was both angry and amused. "You know I'm telling the truth."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan's face was earnest. "I don't."

Qingtong reached into her chest and pulled out a copper coin, placing it in his hand. "Here. That's all. Take it or leave it!"

"I'll take it!" Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan snatched it instantly, not even asking its purpose. The moment his fingers touched it, a warning surged in his heart—as if a predator had locked onto him, raising every hair on his skin.

"Master Xiang, if you have no other business, you may go. After meeting the King tomorrow, come back to the Jin Gang Zen Courtyard at dusk—I'll introduce you to someone."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan was stunned. "How do you know I'll meet the King tomorrow?" That thought had just arisen in his mind—how could Qingtong know?

Qingtong said coolly, "Why is that hard? That thought was planted in your mind by me."

Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, then returned to calm. "Thank you for telling me. But who will I meet tomorrow night? Can you give me a hint?"

"The Silver Moon Khan of the Northern Liao."

"The Silver Moon Khan? He dares come to the capital? Is he seeking death?"

Qingtong said, "The Silver Moon Khan is now half-immortal. No one in this capital can kill him."

"Fine. I'll be there tomorrow."

Qingtong nodded. "Master Xiang, go as you please. I won't see you out."

Before leaving the hall, Xiang Ji Weiwei Yuan turned back and asked, "Have we truly met before?"

Qingtong smiled faintly. "My tens of thousands of unworthy descendants have fought and died for you—endured countless battles—and you've forgotten even me?"

(End of Chapter)