Chapter 235: Not a Marriage, but Marrying Into the Family

When the Three Great Dharma Protectors walked out of the Holy Hall, they still deeply doubted their own speculations.

But only when they were inside the sealed cultivation chamber did they begin to discuss.

"Tian Yi, you didn't say that His Highness had already transcended the mundane world?"

"Having emerged from the Great Formless Realm, it should naturally be so."

Tian Yi was also bewildered: "Otherwise, His Highness could not have attained the honor of the Holy Buddha."

"Could it be one of the plans to swallow the Dao Court?" Jialuo Na asked hesitantly.

"That doesn't even require His Highness to sacrifice himself! It's just a marriage alliance—who in our Buddhist Court can't go?"

Di Er didn't understand; logically speaking, even if the Holy Buddha remembered past worldly affairs, it wouldn't matter, after all a Holy Buddha has long looked upon the red dust with indifference—what love, obsession, none of it is important; in the Holy Buddha's eyes, there is only the Buddhist principle, right?

"If I had known earlier, I should have killed that Shen Qingli!" Tian Yi rubbed his bald head, really annoyed; he just knew this Shen Qingli would definitely be a disaster.

"Don't do that! If you reveal killing intent, you might be the first to be reincarnated." Di Er sighed, "In front of His Highness, he knows all our thoughts."

"I understand! I'm not stupid either." Tian Yi then felt gloomy.

"Then this marriage, must it be concluded?" Jialuo Na thought of the betrothal gifts she had been preparing lately, and it pained her flesh.

"The vast Buddhist Court is about to be emptied out! This is only the betrothal gifts; when the big wedding comes later, won't the Buddhist Court end up penniless?"

"I don't know why, but Jialuo Na always feels that the Holy Buddha is not taking a wife, but marrying into the family as a live‑in son‑in‑law……"

"It might not succeed either." Tian Yi pondered, "Back then, I saw that Shen Qingli only regarded His Highness as a brother; she probably had no such intention.

"Now, His Highness has already attained the honor of the Holy Buddha; our Buddhist and Daoist realms have always had doctrinal disputes, and the Kunlun Divine Lord and the Zhu Que Nu Di so dote on their sole daughter—they would certainly not let her marry in."

"What if?" Di Er only felt a pain in the back of his head, "His Highness's strength is such that if he insists, even those two might not be able to stop him."

"Or else, let His Highness transfer his affection elsewhere?" Jialuo Na puffed out her chest, "I am willing to offer myself."

"Give me a break!" Tian Yi said angrily, "How old are you, you still want to offer yourself?"

Jialuo Na was speechless, "Do even the gods care about age?"

"You can't, it's literally an old ox eating tender grass. Moreover, His Highness's heart—how could it be so easily swayed?" Di Er waved his hand, indicating the two should stop arguing, "His Highness may not be doing this for love; we'd better not guess wildly, or we might actually cause trouble."

"For now, it's best they stay honest; last time they went to the Dao Court and caused that scene—if His Highness hadn't promptly attained the Holy Buddha honor, they would at least have needed to retreat into seclusion for a thousand or so years before regaining their peak."

"Alright, let's first wait and see." Jialuo Na also agreed with this approach.

"Actually, coming here to conspire behind His Highness's back, she always felt uneasy."

Tian Yi also nodded, "Once we leave this place, we must not harbor any thoughts!"

"Just remind yourself well." Di Er cautioned; among the three of them, Tian Yi is the most impulsive.

"But Tian Yi, he is also the strongest in combat among the three of them; Jialuo Na on this side……"

"Jialuo Na, arrange some young, outstanding Buddhist nuns to enter the Holy Hall and take good care of His Highness's daily life."

Jialuo Na instantly understood, "Sure, I'll arrange it."

"Wouldn't that be too obvious? Also arrange some young monks."

"Arrange them all, after all, this teaching battle is still a contest of the younger generation."

Di Er clearly understood, the younger generation being able to enter the Holy Hall is itself beneficial.

"As for the marriage alliance, the Holy Buddha's decree has already been issued; they have no choice but to obey."

"Fortunately, although the Holy Buddha still remembers the past, he has not lost his composure; facing the Kunlun Divine Lord, he shows no concession."

"On the Dao Court side, there's that scoundrel Cang Pei joining, and moreover, the Zhu Que Nu Di, under specific conditions, seems able to erupt with combat power close to the Creation level; launching a divine war would indeed be disadvantageous for us."

"We still need to find out how the Zhu Que Nu Di can suddenly erupt with combat power, and whether she can do it again—Tian Yi feels this is very important."

"Moreover, we must continue to sow discord between demon cultivators and Dao cultivators, so that the Western Demon Sea will again be favorable to us." Di Er felt this was also of paramount importance.

"As for Chi Mo's side, I'll go scout." Jialuo Na had it figured out.

"Good." Tian Yi and Di Er both knew that Jialuo Na had an acquaintance with Chi Mo.

"Speaking of which, they don't even remember that during the Great Calamity, the Dao Lord once saved Chi Mo!"

"However, back then they were also overwhelmed themselves, possibly missing some details, which could happen."

"Who would have thought that the Dao Lord of the Dao Court, at that critical moment, could still lay out a scheme to gather demon hearts—good thing that old immortal is already dead, truly old and crafty! It's awe‑inspiring."

"Here we've agreed that the Dao Court side still doesn't know that the Western Sect also has a marriage‑alliance proposal."

"At this moment, Shen Kuo has already returned to Kunlun, offering sacrifices to Old Man Kun Shan."

"It was only then that the Kunlun immortals learned that Old Man Kun Shan had been secretly killed by Lou Guan Xue and Shao Guan Wu working together—indignant yet grief‑stricken."

"Divine Lord, can Old Kun Shan not be revived?"

"Shen Kuo shook his head; Lou Guan Xue had erased him too cleanly."

"He raised his hand and placed it upon the snow stele of Old Man Kun Shan, saying nothing."

"Accompanying him, Zhong Minglan comforted, 'Don't grieve too much.'"

"Shen Kuo is actually fine; he too regards life and death rather lightly."

"Old Man Kun Shan lived for countless ages; now he may be considered returning to dust, to revert to the heavenly way."

"Even for himself, whether he falls or not, he actually doesn't place much importance on it."

"Of course, that was before……"

"Now, he feels regret."

"If Old Kun Shan knew he had married and had a daughter, he would surely be delighted."

"And he, naturally, absolutely cannot fall, because he now has something to hold onto."

"Now, no matter what! He will absolutely not let himself vanish."

"With this thought arising, Shen Kuo's mind stirred slightly."

"The Supreme Being is without emotion, Heaven and Earth are unkind—only then can they have feeling for all things and give birth to myriad creatures."

"But if there is no attachment at all, how could one restrain the Dao law and arrange things in order?"

"A Jin,"

Shen Kuo thought of that day, when Di Jin fell from the heavens.

As a Dao Lord, he should be heartless.

After all, if the Dao Lord had selfishness, the myriad Dao would become biased, preventing mutual growth, and ultimately the Dao's righteousness would wither.

But if he were completely heartless, when the great calamity came, he should regard it as an inevitable law and accept it calmly; yet he clearly did not do so, he transformed into Dao to save the world, thereby giving rise to a sliver of life.

"So the Great Dao is heartless yet also has feeling?"

When Shen Kuo had some realization, Zhong Minglan sensed it, said nothing, and quietly stood guard for him.

At this time, Shen Qingli did not follow along.

Jiu Li said, "Parents are going on their honeymoon, this little light bulb shouldn't keep sticking around."

She was still in the Dao Palace, but she was crossing her arms and staring at her ninth brother.

"Little sis, what is that—" Shen Qingtong felt guilty, already pulling out a small set of items, "This is my gift for you—look, when you were born, at your hundred days, at your first year, take a look, does it resemble?"

Jiu Li had already scrambled over to look!

Tiny, just-born Shen Qingli;

Plump, in swaddling clothes Shen Qingli;

Crawling, at the first-birthday grab Shen Qingli.

"Wow~"

Jiu Li felt it was very alike!

It was as if I saw little A Li from back then.

Shen Qingli was stunned; she hadn't expected her ninth brother to give this.

"This is from San Ge for you."

Shen Qingmo also gave a gift—what is it?

Golden peace lock, hundred-blessings swaddling, first-year hundred birds facing phoenix skirt.

Shen Qingmo thought, if little sis were born and raised in the Shen family, at her birth, hundred days, and first year, he would surely have given these.

But nowadays it's a bit awkward to bring out, so he didn't present it openly; only today did he privately give it, not knowing whether little sis would like it.