Wei Yuan bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Senior!"
Qingtong gave a faint smile. "No need for such ceremony. We have met before."
Wei Yuan was startled. He remembered the green-eyed woman he had seen in Xu Shiqi's memories inside the grotto-heaven fragment. But that was Xu Shiqi's memory—could she have been looking at him back then too?!
She continued, "Lord Wei, please step this way and speak with me at my dwelling."
Wei Yuan gave a wry smile. "Can I decline?"
Qingtong smiled faintly. "I'm afraid not."
Wei Yuan let out a sigh. The scenery before his eyes shifted, and he found himself already inside the Jingang Zen Monastery. Seeing the pool of withered merit lotuses, a faint unease welled up in his heart for reasons he could not place.
Leading the way, the green-eyed woman brought Wei Yuan into a side hall. It was lit with a greenish-yellow glow that offered a touch of warmth, yet an eerie chill still permeated the air.
The furnishings were archaic. A row of chime bells lined the wall, and at the head of the room sat an altar, yet the altar was completely bare, lacking any Buddhist statue or Arhat. There were two couches in the hall. The green-eyed woman sat down on one and gestured for Wei Yuan to take the other.
Wei Yuan complied and sat across from Qingtong, a strange sensation suddenly rising in his mind. Could it be that the King of Jin had visited the Jingang Zen Monastery every day just to meet this woman? And the couch under his own rear—could the King of Jin have sat on this very one as well?
"May I inquire of Senior's name?"
"You may simply call me Qingtong. Lord Wei possesses extraordinary karmic luck and has met with repeated wondrous encounters. Lately, you have achieved quite a lot, so you are finally qualified to be a guest in my abode."
Wei Yuan thought to himself that it would be best if he never came here. Every inch of this woman exuded an uncanny aura, and he could not fathom her cultivation at all. But one thing was certain: he was definitely no match for her. She had brought him to the Northern Mountain Gate, yet Zhu Yuanjin, who should have been lurking in the shadows all along, showed no reaction whatsoever—that spoke volumes.
Wei Yuan asked, "May I ask what Senior commands of me by summoning me here?"
The green-eyed woman gave a faint smile. "If you are willing to obey whatever I command, that would naturally be for the best."
Wei Yuan hastily replied, "If Senior has an instruction, Junior will naturally do his utmost."
Qingtong chuckled softly. "We'll see about doing your utmost. But you can stop rubbing that handkerchief; if you rub it any more, it's going to pill."
Wei Yuan's heart tightened. That handkerchief looked completely unremarkable, but it was an item tied by karma to Immortal Monarch Yanshi.
After the battle in the minor world, the Immortal Monarch had given it to Wei Yuan. Rubbing it in moments of crisis would allow Yanshi to sense it and come to his rescue.
It could only be used once. Wei Yuan had instinctively sensed trouble just now, so he had activated it directly. He had not expected Qingtong to see through it immediately, and there had been no movement in the surroundings whatsoever.
Qingtong said, "No need to be nervous. You and I could be said to share the same origin, so we ought to support one another. I bear you no malice. I merely wish to ask you for a small favor, and grant you an opportunity along the way."
Wei Yuan perked up. "Please speak, Senior!"
"The greatest opportunity is myself."
The heart within Wei Yuan's dharma body thumped violently several times. For no clear reason, the scene of procreating with Qingtong from Xu Shiqi's memory flashed through his mind.
Thinking back on it now, that memory was remarkably vivid, packed with rich detail.
Qingtong's looks and figure were both exquisite. It was fine when one did not think in that direction—one could easily overlook her by treating her as part of natural heaven and earth. But once his thoughts drifted there, they spiraled completely out of control, and Wei Yuan could barely restrain himself.
Fortunately, Wei Yuan possessed extraordinary mental discipline. Maintaining an impassive expression, he asked, "Could Senior please elaborate?"
Qingtong parted her lips slightly, her voice transforming into golden runes that blasted straight into the depths of Wei Yuan's heart: "The Great Joy King Buddha has observed your valiant progress of late and how you are striving to draw closer to its true form, which has brought it immense joy. Thus, it specially invited me to use my body to bear your karma. When a Buddha-child is born in the future, it will be just in time to inherit the lineage of the Baohua Pure Land and kick the disciples and grand-disciples of that scoundrel Great Sun Tathagata out of the Precious Hall of the Three Buddhas!"
Wei Yuan felt as though heavenly thunder were crashing through his mind, shaking him beyond control. He hastily said, "Hold on! I am still young. A momentous matter like this is not something I can take part in. I ask the King Buddha to seek someone better qualified!"
Qingtong chuckled softly. "No matter. The opportunity for the Buddha-child draws near; you cannot escape it. Speaking of which, the reason this opportunity arrived so quickly is all thanks to you."
Wei Yuan reflected on his past. He didn't recall doing anything to align himself with the Buddhist path, did he? How had he drawn closer to the true form of the Great Joy King Buddha?
At this point, his only hope was Immortal Monarch Yanshi, but regrettably, the Immortal Monarch showed no signs of appearing.
Qingtong said, "There's no point counting on Yanshi. If his true body were here, I might have to yield a bit, but right now he is in the thick of battle with the Wise King of the Left and the Little State Preceptor. Even if I were to do this and that to you, repeating it several times over, he wouldn't be able to rush here in time."
Wei Yuan's heart turned cold. He said, "Senior, acting in such a manner is unbecoming of your dignity."
Qingtong spat disdainfully. "Bah! As if you have any right to talk about dignity!"
Her attitude was erratic and mercurial—at times eerie, at times coquettish, at times intensely alluring, and interspersed with shocking, heaven-shaking secrets. It kept Wei Yuan on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving him utterly baffled as to what she actually wanted.
However, being so passive was not Wei Yuan's style. He suddenly asked, "What does the King of Jin come to the Jingang Zen Monastery every day to do?"
"Cultivate."
"Cultivate how?"
"Do you truly want to know? If so, you will have to help me with this little favor."
Wei Yuan said, "I will do my utmost."
It was just that in Wei Yuan's dictionary, the definition of doing one's utmost was somewhat different from other people's, bound by numerous preconditions and restrictions so as not to trigger an oath's backlash.
Qingtong's expression turned solemn. "In his youth, the King of Jin possessed great talent and bold vision, his heart set entirely on a national resurgence. Heh, he even dreamed of earning a temple name containing 'Zu' after his death. Yet during his thirty years as king, nothing went smoothly. Essentially not a single major affair succeeded, and instead he left the state's strength drained, the administration rotten, and military preparedness slackened.
"He could not comprehend why this happened no matter how hard he racked his brain. Later, by a stroke of fortune, he sought my guidance. I spoke to him of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth—that whether one is a sovereign of mortals or on the path to immortality, all are beneath the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. After a year of such discourse, he finally realized his mistake, and from then on, he cultivated alongside me."
Curious, Wei Yuan asked further, "Where was the King of Jin mistaken?"
"Take someone who is terminally ill—how should one treat them? They cannot be saved; the best way is to enter reincarnation early. Western Jin is like an enormous behemoth, but within its body dwell countless parasites. The largest of those parasites have already replaced its vital organs: the heart, spleen, liver, and lungs. If one slays them, the body itself will die. The only way is to find life in the face of death: first drive oneself to the brink of doom, and on the verge of death, some parasites might choose to leave."
Wei Yuan had read historical records of Western Jin long ago. Hearing this, he suddenly understood why the King of Jin's temperament had changed so drastically in his later years, behaving perversely and bringing about wrath from heaven and resentment among the people, making life impossible for the common folk.
Wei Yuan had lacked any goodwill toward this green-eyed woman to begin with, and now felt even deeper disgust. But given her immense power, he had no choice but to feign compliance.
Qingtong sighed softly. "Originally, I pointed out the path of liberation for him, and his cultivation along the way went very smoothly. Several old adversaries fell into the trap and were no longer threats. Lu Changhe's schemes might fool others, but how could they fool me? I turned his tricks against him, played my moves accordingly, and caused Lu Changhe and Xu Wangu to turn against each other so that neither had time to care about this side. Thus, the King of Jin was able to cultivate with peace of mind, merely waiting for liberation.
"Once the Crown Prince inherited the throne, he would face the northern Liao Clan marching beneath the royal capital's walls, the southern Zhao invading, official corruption, and an empty treasury—an utter shambles. If Lu Changhe wanted to turn the situation around, it would delay his cultivation by several centuries at least. At that time, he would naturally yield and no longer obstruct the King of Jin from breaking through his realm.
"With such a flawless arrangement, when it came to the very last step, he suddenly refused to go through with it."
"And what was that last step?"
"Throw open the northern gates and let the Liao Clan march south."
At this point, Qingtong sighed. "Tens of millions were displaced because of him; he had done so much, yet at the very end, he suddenly began to love the people? Babbling about being unable to bear the suffering of living souls, that he would rather abandon his own path of Dao. Heh!"
Wei Yuan's expression turned stern. "Senior, my stance toward the common people can be seen clearly in Qingming. If Senior also wishes for me to let alien races past the pass to slaughter mankind, then there is nothing to discuss! If Senior insists on forcing my hand, Junior can only see this through to the bitter end—death is all that awaits!"
Qingtong laughed despite herself. "Did you tire yourself out too much on that vixen Consort Yuan to use your brain? At a time like this, aren't you supposed to falsely agree first, and then turn hostile once you've escaped?"
Wei Yuan froze, then felt deep regret.
Qingtong said, "What I need your help with is very simple. Now that you hold authority over the five commanderies, one year from now, the population of those five commanderies can only decrease, not increase. This matter concerns the King of Jin's life. The more it decreases, the better the effect."
Wei Yuan was stunned. "Why is that?"
Qingtong said, "This pertains to a karmic luck node. As for why, it is a secret technique of my lineage and cannot be told to you."
"That's all?"
Qingtong nodded.
Wei Yuan said, "Then what do I get out of it?"
Qingtong said helplessly, "You scoundrel! I could swat you dead with a flip of my palm right now, and you dare bargain with me?"
Wei Yuan said earnestly, "Without sufficient benefits, one lacks the motivation to work!"
"You don't even care about the King of Jin's life?"
"Isn't the King only alive right now because of the elixir of agelessness I presented? So I feel no guilt whatsoever. Besides, who knows if what you say is even true?"
Both exasperated and amused, Qingtong said, "You naturally know I speak the truth."
Wei Yuan looked completely earnest. "I don't know!"
Qingtong fished out a copper coin from her bosom, placed it in Wei Yuan's hand, and snapped in annoyance, "Take this copper coin. There is nothing else! Take it or leave it!"
"I'll take it!" Wei Yuan put it away immediately, not even asking about its use. The moment his fingers touched the copper coin, warning signs surged from the depths of his heart as though he were being glared at by a natural predator, raising goosebumps all over him.
"If Lord Wei has no other business, you may leave. Tomorrow, after meeting the King, come back to the Jingang Zen Monastery toward dusk. I will take you to see someone."
Wei Yuan was greatly astonished. "How did you know I was going to see the King again tomorrow?" That had been a thought in his mind, something he had only just considered—how did Qingtong know?
Qingtong said blandly, "What difficulty is there in that? That thought was planted in you by me in the first place."
Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly before returning to normal. "Thank you for informing me, Senior. But who am I meeting tomorrow evening? Could you tell me a little beforehand?"
"The Silver Moon Great Khan of Northern Liao."
"The Silver Moon Great Khan? He dares come to the royal capital? Is he seeking death?"
Qingtong said, "Silver Moon possesses the stature of a half-immortal now. No one in this royal capital can take his life."
"Very well. I will certainly keep the appointment tomorrow."
Qingtong nodded. "Please see yourself out, Lord Wei. I will not see you off."
Before stepping out of the hall, Wei Yuan suddenly looked back and asked, "Have we truly met before?"
Qingtong gave a faint smile. "Tens of thousands of my worthless descendants have been risking life and limb for you through so many battles, yet you've forgotten even me?"
Chapter 740