Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Book 5: Chapter 30: Fighting over the Beggar

“I am the one who fired the cannon. It has nothing to do with Ao Shun. The one your Spirit Mountain Holy Land offended is not the dragon race but me. Earlier, that bitch tried to assassinate Ensnaring Performance. Was that your intention? Ensnaring Performance is my Elite Hall’s disciple. That bitch tried to assassinate a court official in the Qian Nation. Is that the intention of your Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s Three Lives Buddhas?”

Gu Hai’s cold shout caused the monks and citizens to goggle.

This person not only used that strange enchanted treasure to shoot Bodhisattva Zi Zhu but even called her a bitch? Then, he even turned around and vilified me?

“You! Cough! Cough! Cough!” Bodhisattva Zi Zhu shouted, glaring, despite her weakness. However, the earlier blast was too strong, severely injuring her to the point where she found speaking difficult. Blargh!

Bodhisattva Zi Zhu survived only due to her outstanding cultivation. The Heaven Blasting Cannon could blast a Middle Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator to pieces. If she had not reached her current cultivation, she would have been dead long ago.

“How audacious!”

“Who are you?! How dare you slander Bodhisattva Zi Zhu?!”

“How could the dragon race mingle with such people?”

“Bodhisattva Zi Zhu was vanquishing demons!”

The surrounding citizens started scolding Gu Hai. Clearly, they had great trust in the people from the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.

The monks glared at Gu Hai.

“Amitābha! This humble monk’s dharmic name is Jie Dong. Might I ask who you are? Why are you making accusations of my Spirit Mountain Holy Land?” The monk in the center pressed his palms together while a person at the side spoke for him again.

“That is Bodhisattva Jie Dong. He is the Present Buddha’s favored disciple,” Ao Shun told Gu Hai.

The Present Buddha? The Spirit Mountain Holy Land has the Three Lives Buddhas—the Past Buddha, the Present Buddha, and the Future Buddha. These three Buddhas rule the Spirit Mountain Holy Land, but it is the Present Buddha that is generally in charge. This is his disciple?

“Those who insult others will be insulted. This humble one is the Elite Hall Master, Gu Hai. The so-called demon you wanted to vanquish earlier is my man, a Qian Nation official. You did call a Qian Nation official a demon, or am I slandering your Spirit Mountain Holy Land?” Gu Hai countered coldly.

After Gu Hai spoke, the citizens below raised their eyebrows.

Vanquish the demon? The demon Bodhisattva Zi Zhu wanted to vanquish is a Qian Nation official? Many citizens immediately wavered. Then, they turned their heads to look at Bodhisattva Jie Dong and Bodhisattva Zi Zhu.

“Master, they are a group of shameless people. They wanted to brainwash this little beggar. I could not bear to continue watching. I’ve already decided to take this little beggar as my disciple. He is now my disciple. Master, you must protect him!” Ensnaring Performance called out.

Frowning, Gu Hai looked at the youth beside Ensnaring Performance.

The youth did not say anything, only hiding behind Ensnaring Performance. However, he did not show any fear in his eyes, appearing extremely innocent.

“A mundane person without any cultivation?” Ao Shun looked at that youth with some suspicion.

“Humph! I’ll deal with you when we return,” Gu Hai snorted coldly at Ensnaring Performance.

As Gu Hai spoke, the flying ship landed on the ruined Hearing Buddha Hall’s plaza.

“Hah! Hall Master Gu? You keep throwing out the words Qian Nation official. So your Qian Nation official can just casually come and cause trouble for my Spirit Mountain Holy Land in the Qian Nation’s territory, trying to humiliate us? Bodhisattva Zi Zhu came at the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s invitation, yet she suffered from a sneak attack from you, putting her on her last breath. Is this how the Qian Nation treats its guests? Or is this the intention of the Qian Heavenly Emperor?” Bodhisattva Jie Dong looked at Gu Hai coldly as a subordinate at the side spoke on his behalf again.

“A sneak attack? Hahahaha! Who was the one who performed the sneak attack? Although Heavenly Mao City has many Buddhists, they are not your Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s spies. They can make their own judgment. Everyone saw it for themself earlier. If you were competing in the music Dao, then why did you start fighting? If Ensnaring Performance is not skilled enough and loses to you despite your greater numbers, he cannot blame anyone. Yet, you still performed a sneak attack despite gaining the upper hand by relying on your numerical advantage? Hahaha! If you are performing a sneak attack, then admit it. Why disguise it as vanquishing demons, calling out, ‘Arrogant, evil demon! I, Zi Zhu, will vanquish the demons’? How laughable! How shameless! How sad! How insulting!” Gu Hai said coldly.

Gu Hai’s rebuke caused the monks’ eyelids to twitch wildly.

The surrounding citizens frowned. Indeed, it was as Gu Hai had said. That Bodhisattva Zi Zhu seemed to have gone too far.

However, they were purifying demons.

“No matter what, Ensnaring Performance ended up fine while you severely injured Bodhisattva Zi Zhu.” Bodhisattva Jie Dong coldly eyed Gu Hai.

“The Qian Nation invited everyone to participate in the Ten Thousand Sages Convention to befriend each other through culture, having discourses using culture. If you fought with force and got injured, who can you blame? Humph! Too bad the Future Buddha isn’t here. If he were here, I would question him whether the Spirit Mountain Holy Land enjoys doing things like attacking people while their backs are turned. I have seen many who practice Buddhism; most are kind and gentle. Why is it that it seems ferocious and evil when it comes to you? Humph! If you were not the Spirit Mountain Holy Land envoys, I would have already demonstrated that the Qian Nation has its laws and rules. It is not a place for you to act wantonly. Humph!” Gu Hai said coldly.

Gu Hai’s words had a hidden purpose. These words immediately separated the Buddhist citizens from the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. This was the Qian Nation, after all. It was fine for the citizens to practice Buddhism, but there were both good and evil Buddhists. These people were clearly evil Buddhists; why protect them? You are Qian Nation citizens. Of course, you should stand on the Qian Nation’s side.

Some of the citizens immediately started thinking about it. However, some citizens still stood on Bodhisattva Jie Dong’s side, looking coldly at Gu Hai’s group.

“You! You! Bodhisattva Jie Dong, take him down…,” Bodhisattva Zi Zhu said weakly, pointing at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai looked at Bodhisattva Zi Zhu coldly. “You have only yourself to blame.”

After Gu Hai spoke, he turned his head to look at Ensnaring Performance. “Alright. Ensnaring Performance, come with me.”

“Alright, Master!” Ensnaring Performance immediately said excitedly.

Then, Ensnaring Performance tugged the youth, wanting him to board Gu Hai’s flying ship.

“Ensnaring Performance can go with you. This youth cannot!” Bodhisattva Jie Dong continued holding his palms together as someone at the side spoke on his behalf.

“Master, please bring him along. If we leave him behind, he will be humiliated by these baldies!” Ensnaring Performance pleaded.

“How audacious!” A group of monks glared at Ensnaring Performance.

Humiliated? Can you describe it that way?

Gu Hai looked at Bodhisattva Jie Dong with a cold smile. “What’s wrong? The demon issue again? This is a Qian Nation citizen. Even if he is a demon, it is not the place of your Spirit Mountain Holy Land to purify him.”

“This youth has a fate with Buddhism. I ask that Hall Master Gu not blindly intervene in this,” Bodhisattva Jie Dong said gravely.

“Intervene in this? Didn’t you say he was a demon earlier? Now, you are saying that he has a fate with Buddhism? Fate? What does it have to do with me?” Gu Hai said coldly.

“Ensnaring Performance, bring him to the flying ship,” Gu Hai said.

“Alright!” Ensnaring Performance promptly answered.

“Stop!” the kāṣāya-clad monks around Bodhisattva Jie Dong shouted furiously as their expressions changed.

“Hall Master Gu, please do not persist in your error. This youth really does have a fate with Buddhism. Even if the Future Buddha returned, he would not let this youth leave. Furthermore, this is my Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s residence. No one can take him away from my residence!” Bodhisattva Jie Dong immediately floated into the air, blocking the flying ship. The kāṣāya-clad monks gave off golden light in the surroundings as they looked at Gu Hai’s flying ship coldly.

“Hah! Bodhisattva Jie Dong, this is the Qian Nation in the end. Are you going to snatch him away by force?” Ao Shun yelled, looking back at them coldly.

The dragons frowned at Ao Shun. However, no one said anything. Ao Shun’s stance would be their stance.

“Crown Prince Ao Shun had indeed once displayed his might in the west. If it were in the past, this humble monk would not engage with Crown Prince Ao Shun. However, I’m sorry, but I have to bring this youth back to the Spirit Mountain Holy Land’s Major Leiyin Temple and hand him over to my Buddha to deal with.” Bodhisattva Jie Dong refused to give in.

The citizens in the surroundings showed shocked expressions. They had not expected so many experts to fight over this beggar.

“Who is causing trouble in Heavenly Mao City?” A loud shout suddenly came from a distance.

A flying ship approached. A man in official robes stood on the flying ship, coldly surveying the scene.

“The Heavenly Mao City Lord?” Ao Shun said coldly.

“Heavenly Mao City Lord, you came at a good time. We have found the person that the Future Buddha asked you to help find not long ago. It is this youth. We want to take him back now but are being obstructed. Heavenly Mao City Lord, please deal with this.” Bodhisattva Jie Dong looked at the Heavenly Mao City Lord while the person beside him spoke for him.

“Bodhisattva Jie Dong, you are being too polite!” The Heavenly Mao City Lord bowed slightly.

The Heavenly Mao City Lord turned his head and looked at Ao Shun and the others. “The Future Buddha has told His Holy Eminence about the person they are seeking. His Holy Eminence also gave me full authority to help them find him. Since they found him already, Crown Prince Ao Shun, you had better not interfere.”

“His Holy Eminence said that?” Ao Shun’s face sank.

“That’s right. His Holy Eminence instructed this humble one to assist them with my full power,” the Heavenly Mao City Lord said coldly.

Ao Shun’s face sank further.

“Crown Prince Ao Shun, there’s no need for you to interfere. I’ll deal with it,” Gu Hai said, shaking his head.

“How can this do? Mister Gu, I promised you earlier. Don’t worry. Even if this matter escalates to His Holy Eminence, I will assist you,” Ao Shun immediately called out.

Gu Hai turned his head to look at the Heavenly Mao City Lord and smiled coldly. “Heavenly Mao City Lord, this is a matter between my Elite Hall and the Spirit Mountain Holy Land. You had best not interfere. Otherwise…well, the Heavenly Chen City Lord’s fate is a good example.”

“How dare you threaten the city lord?!” one of the guards said with a glare.

The Heavenly Mao City Lord narrowed his eyes slightly at Gu Hai. “Oh? Elite Hall’s Hall Master Gu? However, what did you just say? The Heavenly Chen City Lord’s fate? What exactly is that?”

Gu Hai smiled faintly, and Mu Chenfeng immediately aimed the Heaven Blasting Cannon at the Heavenly Mao City Lord.

The Heavenly Mao City Lord: “…”

Bodhisattva Jie Dong: “…”

The surrounding citizens: “…”

Shoot the city lord? That’s impossible, right? Where did this Gu Hai come from? Why is he this bold?

“Haha! The Heaven Blasting Cannon?” The Heavenly Mao City Lord’s eyes turned cold.

There was the deep crater in the ground with Bodhisattva Zi Zhu lying there, severely injured. The Heaven Blasting Cannon was also famous. Naturally, the Heavenly Mao City Lord recognized it.

“Hall Master Gu, how bold of you! You dared to shoot the Heavenly Chen City Lord? Hah! I guess that he must have broken some rule, right? This official is doing everything above board and has His Holy Eminence’s order to assist. I am not breaking any rules at all. However, if you shoot me, you would be breaking the Qian Nation’s laws. Humph! This official will stand right here. Let’s see if you dare to shoot or not!” the Heavenly Mao City Lord said while glaring.

Mu Chenfeng’s expression changed as he looked at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai’s eyes turned cold. The Heavenly Mao City Lord was indeed different from the Heavenly Chen City Lord. The Heavenly Chen City Lord had barged into Elite Hall’s territory, giving Gu Hai a weakness to exploit. That was why Gu Hai dared to shoot him. Now, the Heavenly Mao City Lord held the moral high ground, and he was extraordinarily bold. He was extremely tricky to deal with.