Chapter 796: This Is What True Talent Looks Like

Chu Xingchen noticed that the small tension in Xie Lingyu’s expression had eased — plainly, the little joke just now had loosened nerves that any reasonable person would have had.

After all, the crowd standing before them was made up entirely of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, and the welcome rolled out for them was grand beyond measure.

Afraid would be an insult to Xie Lingyu’s mettle — but nobody wanted to make a fool of themselves at a scene like this either.

Come to think of it, though, the one who really ought to be nervous was Runan.

The visiting party truly consisted of only Chu Xingchen and Xie Lingyu. Bai Xuanling had already taken the Heavenly Dao Map and gone off busy with her own work.

Huang Miao was free to come, sure — but Huang Miao was only at the peak of Tribulation Transcendence. If the Buddhist sect ever truly made a violent move, Huang Miao would probably be buried here too.

Bringing her would amount to bringing a corpse for nothing. So instead, to show sentiment and sincerity alike, he had come with Xie Lingyu alone and nothing else.

Coming to the Buddhist sect with nothing but himself had far more advantages than drawbacks.

Chu Xingchen was certain that for the duration of his stay, the lion’s share of Runan’s attention would be pinned on him.

If the slightest thing happened to him, the entire Buddhist sect would likely become the whole world’s target.

Never mind the True Immortal Bai Xuanling — Tianyan Sect and Xuanqing Heavenly Sect would join hands with justice on their side, and beneath them waited a pack of near-top-tier immortal sects starved for spirit veins. The entire Buddhist sect would surely have a layer of skin ripped off.

This very spectacle was proof of it: first, it showed how heavily he was valued; second, it showed respect pushed to the extreme.

Nobody likes trouble — unless swallowing that trouble makes a far bigger trouble disappear.

Like this trip of his to Great Thunder Temple. It wasn’t that he had wanted to come; it was that the time had come to come.

The rollout of the Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings they had agreed on earlier had already folded in Southern Zhanbu Continent. Anyone with eyes could read the situation — an explanation was owed.

Secondly, only the Buddhist sect’s Western Niu Continent remained stable, and the Buddhist sect possessed the largest number of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators anywhere.

Such strength naturally needed to be mobilized as fully as possible — ideally pointed straight at Boluo’s head. And the excuse came ready-made: Boluo had sheltered inside your Buddhist sect who knew how many years. When it came to truly knowing Boluo, no one under heaven had a better claim than the Buddhist sect.

This, too, had been the main reason the Buddhist sect’s Buddhas were invited to the last summit.

Chu Xingchen lifted his head, straightened his chest, and quickened his step slightly as he walked toward Runan, his tone genial:

“Fellow Daoist Runan, long time no see. I’ve missed you dearly.”

Runan’s kind face inclined in a gentle nod, and he took the opening to offer praise:

“Fellow Daoist Chu’s bearing has lost nothing since the old days. Your demon-slaying at the East Sea is known throughout the world.”

“Just a thing I happened to do in passing.” Chu Xingchen let out a light laugh, his tone easy. “Today’s ceremony is quite the production. I’m unworthy of it.”

Runan’s calm gaze shifted to take in Xie Lingyu, then he chuckled and raised the subject himself:

“If Fellow Daoist wishes to keep a likeness of the moment, by all means. The respect Great Thunder Temple shows you is something the world should know, as a matter of course.”

Xie Lingyu was just about to open her mouth and decline politely, but Chu Xingchen beside her spoke faster:

“Wonderful — then I’ll trouble you, Fellow Daoist.”

Chu Xingchen agreed at lightning speed, then whipped out an Image-Recording Stone, spun himself and Xie Lingyu around, and held the stone high — framing Runan at his side and the entire rank of Tribulation Transcendence Buddhas behind in a single shot.

Xie Lingyu felt only a whirl of confusion; by the time she looked up again, the Image-Recording Stone was already aimed and set.

Chu Xingchen’s voice came calm and perfectly clear: “Come now, Fellow Daoist Runan — smile.”

Hearing this, Runan obligingly let a warm smile bloom across his face.

Xie Lingyu hadn’t even finished arranging her expression when the faint snick of the Image-Recording Stone sounded.

What lightning-quick hands — not a shred of polite dawdling anywhere in him.

Oh well…

Xie Lingyu couldn’t have named what she was feeling right now. After all, Chu Xingchen was occasionally frivolous — that much was normal. Once the frivolity was done, it would be time to get down to business.

Only, in the next moment, Chu Xingchen produced a brand-new Image-Recording Stone.

With impossibly fast hands he pulled Xie Lingyu in for another picture, then a third — only after three Image-Recording Stones’ worth did his expression turn satisfied.

Without a word, Chu Xingchen first handed one of the stones to Xie Lingyu and told her to keep it safe.

But to everyone’s astonishment, he also held an Image-Recording Stone out to Runan.

“I’ve borrowed Fellow Daoist Runan’s radiant glory,” Chu Xingchen said, passing it over. “I came without any gift — let this pass as one.”

“Many thanks, Fellow Daoist.” Runan took it crisply as well, then turned partly aside to reveal the Great Hero Hall’s great doors behind him, and said with added solemnity: “Fellow Daoist — after you.”

Chu Xingchen gave a small nod and fell in with Runan’s steady pace, heading for the Great Hero Hall.

Runan spoke evenly: “It is your first visit to our Great Thunder Temple. I ought to show you the Buddhist scenery at leisure — but I did make inquiries into your recent affairs, and I fancy you may not have all that much time.”

“A life of toil, what can I do…” Chu Xingchen sighed faintly, then added, as if a thought had just struck him: “Oh, right. The Small Vehicle Buddhist Teachings affair — wasn’t it a Buddhist Son named Wu Wang who personally oversaw it?”

Runan answered: “He handled it poorly. He has already returned from Southern Zhanbu Continent to Great Thunder Temple and is under punishment.”

“That matter can’t all be laid at his feet. My own good-for-nothing disciples cooked up no small share of the bad schemes.” Chu Xingchen’s face was earnest. “Today I’d ask the Honored Buddha to grant me a little face and waive Wu Wang’s punishment — how about it?”

Runan cast Chu Xingchen a deep look. The man could be unscrupulous in how he did things at times — yet when all came to all, he always circled back and caught things in the end. He never truly turned a blind eye.

“Since Fellow Daoist has deigned to speak up, naturally I won’t set aside your wish.”

Runan gave a slight nod, then gestured for Chu Xingchen to take the seat the Great Hero Hall had kept specially for him.

The Great Hero Hall was no ordinary sect’s council chamber. Every seat inside had been left behind by a specific Buddha, and all of them hung high around the hall’s walls, like murals come to life.

It was a fitting echo of the world as the Buddhist heart envisioned it — something of a signature trait.

Naturally, a signature trait carried its own drawback: when actually receiving honored guests inside the Great Hero Hall, arranging the seating correctly took some careful thought.

Runan’s seat as Honored Buddha sat central, toward the rear. By long-standing custom, guests of the gravest importance were placed beside the Honored Buddha’s seat — only a touch lower, to keep host and guest clearly ranked.

Chu Xingchen’s gaze traveled over, and he was left rather struck dumb.

The chair arranged for him was not merely level with the Honored Buddha’s seat — they had fixed up a seat of equal height for Lingyu as well, placed right at his side.

Chu Xingchen’s footsteps faltered, just barely.

Runan naturally reached out, took up Chu Xingchen’s sleeve, and drew him onward, his tone soft:

“No need for courtesy, Fellow Daoist. You bear Heaven’s mandate — this is karma and courtesy both. By rights you sit at the same height; it is no overstepping. If we’re being strict about it, perhaps I should be the one seated below you.”

Runan’s words paused, then he gave a light laugh and suddenly turned teasing:

“Unless, of course, Fellow Daoist would rather take your likenesses first. That, too, is perfectly fine.”

As expected — for a thousand-year-old monster, the bottom lines of both morality and shamelessness were wonderfully flexible affairs.

Before, there had been Bai Xuanling, conveniently appointing herself Xie Lingyu’s elder sister.

Now there was Honored Buddha Runan, picking up mischief within ten minutes of the meeting.

Chu Xingchen broke into a dashing smile at the words. If Runan wanted to probe the depths of his thick skin, then today he would show a small taste of his skill — and teach the Honored Buddha exactly what true talent looked like.

“Since Fellow Daoist asks so warmly, I shan’t stand on ceremony. Let’s be sure to take several good likenesses while we’re at it.”

Hearing this, Runan’s eyes turned again, regarding Chu Xingchen with fresh curiosity, lingering on him a moment longer.