Chapter 808: How Is This Not Doing a Good Deed?

Chapter 808: Chapter 808: How Is This Not Doing a Good Deed?

If Yuankong really racked his memory, it seemed he had only ever met the Honored Buddha Runan once — and that was when Chu Xingchen had asked him to impersonate the Radiant Buddha to hoodwink the Honored Buddha.

That day, Runan had seemed to see right through it all, but hadn’t called him out.

Just that single meeting — and somehow that made them old acquaintances.

Yuankong didn’t entirely believe Chu Xingchen’s claim that his contact was really Runan. After all, as the sole Honored Buddha of the Buddhist Sect, even meeting Runan once was difficult enough. Why would he have the time to personally bring Yuankong along on some collaboration of ambiguous purpose?

At best, it would be like what Chu Xingchen usually did — find some Buddhist cultivator with a impressive-sounding title to round out the numbers.

Chu Xingchen was probably just exaggerating on purpose to tease him, wanting to watch him squirm.

So Yuankong agreed without fuss. It wasn’t as though he could refuse anyway — might as well agree crisply. At least that showed some backbone, and wouldn’t give Chu Xingchen the satisfaction of a good laugh. Otherwise, wouldn’t all those years of training in the mortal world have been for nothing?

Chu Xingchen didn’t waste more words — he simply smiled, nodded, and offered a praise: "Good lad, you’ve made great strides."

When Yuankong was carried through the air by Chu Xingchen, and he glimpsed from afar the auspicious clouds of the Buddhist Sect, saw the towering jeweled canopies, saw Runan with eyes half-lidded, saw the grand formation arrayed behind him...

"Wait... wait a moment..." Yuankong’s eyes went wide and he blurted out. "Are you serious? Is that really the Honored Buddha Runan?"

Chu Xingchen glanced ahead at Runan and replied:

"I told you, but you didn’t believe me. When we get there, just ask him yourself."

"Sl... slow down," Yuankong stammered, his voice trembling. "Last time, didn’t we actually fight them? With his cultivation, he must have seen through my disguise. I hoodwinked him last time on your orders."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Even if I’m just a bargain-bin disciple, you can’t really hand me over to Runan, can you? Besides, I’ve been cultivating some Mahayana Buddhist Teachings — what if they take me apart?"

"He’s an Honored Buddha. Why would he hold a grudge? And what would dismantling a down-on-his-luck Buddha Son like you even get him?"

"What if he puts me through hell?"

"He’s an Honored Buddha. His perspective is vast."

"Does being an Honored Buddha automatically mean a vast perspective? I’m a Buddha Son myself, and I don’t exactly have one."

"Once you become an Honored Buddha, your perspective will naturally expand. Keep at it — who knows, maybe someday you’ll be an Honored Buddha too."

"I’ve grown up. I’m not as foolish as I was back then. I know perfectly well that a monk cultivating Mahayana Buddhist Teachings today couldn’t become an Honored Buddha — couldn’t even get through the gates of Great Thunder Temple without being arrested. That would count as stepping in dog shit luck."

Chu Xingchen didn’t slow his flight, the corner of his mouth curving upward:

"Oh? So now you understand everything? Anything you’d like to say?"

Yuankong straightened his face into an earnest expression. "Can we swap for a different unlucky monk?"

Xie Lingyu, standing to one side, was doing her best to keep her expression neutral — the monk really had picked up a sense of humor with age.

"No," Chu Xingchen refused flatly. "You think those Mahayana Buddhist Teachings you’ve been cultivating were for nothing? Now’s when they come in handy."

Yuankong pressed his lips together lightly. After a moment’s thought, he asked solemnly: "The Honored Buddha won’t hit me, right?"

"If he won’t give you face, wouldn’t he at least give me face? I guarantee he’ll treat you like a treasure." Chu Xingchen chuckled. "Also, you underestimate the Honored Buddha. You’ve been muttering up a storm — you think he can’t hear every word, even from this distance?"

Yuankong looked deeply suspicious. "Really? Are you messing with me?"

Suspicious as he was, Yuankong really didn’t dare run his mouth any further. Perhaps they had already drawn close enough.

When Chu Xingchen’s figure halted, they were already before Runan.

Runan’s calm gaze fell upon Yuankong, who stood ramrod straight, looking right back at him with unflinching eyes.

Though the words just moments ago had been thoroughly cowardly, now that they were face to face, the young monk refused to show weakness.

The friends Chu Xingchen made, the disciples he took — all so interesting.

Runan regarded Yuankong, then laughed softly:

"So this is the new disciple you spoke of? I know this one — the Buddha Son Yuankong, residing at Chanlin Temple."

Yuankong’s eyes went wide, and he swung his gaze to Chu Xingchen.

Clearly, he was wondering whether Chu Xingchen had spilled his secrets.

"All Buddha Sons in the Buddhist Sect are on file. As the Honored Buddha, I naturally must know them all, and understand what arrangements have been made for each. Any one of them might become a future Honored Buddha." Runan raised a hand slightly, his tone measured. "You are a Buddha Son, but your spirit veins are severed — you cannot cultivate techniques."

"Without techniques, remaining at Great Thunder Temple would not have been a favorable arrangement. If one cultivates only the heart sutra, then the world is vast, open to all. So a suitable place was found, along with a suitable abbot."

"Accordingly, you were placed at Chanlin Temple, with an Arhat assigned as your guardian."

"Later, when the records returned, Yuanjing’s actions far exceeded my expectations."

"This Seat also understood what Yuanjing sought, and therefore did not recall you to Great Thunder Temple."

"Afterwards, I also learned that the Arhat assigned to guard you, finding that you could only remain in Southern Zhanbu Continent, had grown resentful and failed to truly fulfill his guardian duties. I have since punished him."

"But no matter how you look at it, as the Honored Buddha, I must admit I did not pay you much attention."

"Today, having taken shelter under Chu Xingchen’s banner, you cannot truly be said to have betrayed anything."

"Since Great Thunder Temple failed in its duty back then, it cannot blame you for finding a true affinity."

Runan’s expression was mild as he continued, watching Yuankong’s stunned gaze:

"This Seat feels guilt toward you. Therefore, there is no need to worry."

Yuankong’s lips moved, but no words came.

Chu Xingchen reached over and patted Yuankong’s shoulder, then raised an eyebrow toward Runan:

"If you feel you owe him, then how about bringing out a couple of your finest treasures to properly compensate him?"

Yuankong turned to look up at Chu Xingchen again.

"Of course. I shall make arrangements to deliver them shortly." Runan nodded with clean decisiveness.

Yuankong turned his innocent gaze back to Chu Xingchen — the meaning in his eyes perfectly clear: Runan is on this level, aren’t you afraid he’ll swindle me away?

Chu Xingchen arched an eyebrow — if you’re really that stupid, getting swindled away would actually be a kindness, saving me from the damage you’d do to my reputation.

The art of conversing through glances was clearly something Yuankong had not yet grasped. Facing Chu Xingchen’s look, he returned a blank, uncomprehending stare.

He only knew that Chu Xingchen seemed to have answered something.

Chu Xingchen ignored him and turned his gaze to Runan:

"Everyone’s assembled. This monk came in one piece, and in one piece he’ll be returned."

"So let’s proceed according to plan. I’ll accompany you, starting from Southern Zhanbu Continent."

"Back then, your Buddhist Sect truly did provide shelter for Western Niu Continent. Whatever was done then, do the same this time."

"There are times when pretty words simply cannot match genuine action."

"I’m not criticizing the Buddhist Sect — only that today’s Buddhist Sect needs to do this."

Runan gave a soft nod of agreement: "Very well."

Yuankong, watching Runan’s personal arrival, had no idea what sort of operation warranted this kind of formation. After a moment’s thought, he ventured a small question:

"I still don’t know anything. What kind of operation... is this? Am I allowed to know?"

Chu Xingchen reached over and patted Yuankong on the head:

"Why, it’s going door to door delivering warmth! For instance, we’ll take the heads off evil cultivators who haven’t washed their hair in ages and give them a good scrub. Or we’ll skin man-eating demons and sew the hides into quilts for poor families shivering through the winter without a blanket."

"Sound good? Doesn’t it just radiate the Buddhist light of universal salvation?"