Chapter 679: Great Demon 42

Cang Long was not happy. "How did this get turned on me?"

Peacock laughed. "All we see is a pair of innocent childhood sweethearts. Why don’t you tell us what you saw?"

Cang Long coughed lightly. "Fine. My cultivation level is too low."

They were all communicating telepathically, so Qing Ming couldn’t hear the Great Demons’ banter. Tan You beckoned over her shoulder, and Qing Ming quickly trotted over. "My Lady."

Tan You looked at the young man, who was now taller than her. "Qing Ming, life is full of hardships. Every time you think life has been cruel enough, you’ll find that something even crueler and more unbearable lies ahead."

Qing Ming’s heart leaped into his throat, but Tan You didn’t elaborate. She just said calmly, "No matter what you encounter, just remember one thing: have a clear conscience. Don’t take responsibility for other people’s affairs."

"You are you."

The Nine-Colored Deer, who had no interest in bickering with the other Great Demons, had been sticking close to Tan You. Curious, it asked, "So what is Qing Ming going to face this time?"

Tan You raised an eyebrow. "What’s the point if I’m the one to reveal the answer? This is Qing Ming’s own business, and it should be resolved by you yourself."

The Nine-Colored Deer sighed, then suddenly slapped Qing Ming on the shoulder. "It’s fine. No matter what happens, aren’t you still you? The person we see will always be you."

Qing Ming forced the corners of his mouth up, but the expression was uglier than a pained grimace. The Nine-Colored Deer threw up its hands in defeat. "What a waste of that handsome face."

Tan You sighed and added one last thing. "Qing Ming, it’s not like you have nowhere to go. No matter what your status is in the future, and no matter where you came from in the past, the Demon Market will always welcome you."

Qing Ming was still worried. "Really? Even if something unexpected happens, you won’t kick me out, My Lady?"

"Of course not," Tan You said with a laugh. "I’ve said it before: the Demon Market is tolerant and magnanimous. It welcomes every being who has no home. It doesn’t matter what you were before, or what you become later."

"As long as you come to the Demon Market and don’t commit any evil, the Demon Market will not expel any life that resides here."

That reassurance was all Qing Ming needed to finally calm down. "As long as I can always stay in the Demon Market, I won’t be afraid of anything I might face."

Peacock slung an arm around Qing Ming’s shoulder and teased, "And here you were saying you weren’t scared, you kid. Finally admitting it, are you?"

Qing Ming was a little embarrassed. "My Lady..."

The Great Demons continued on their way and soon arrived in the territory of the Buddhist Sect. The Buddhist Sect was different from other cultivation sects. While other sects had no mortals in their territories, the Buddhist Sect was situated at the intersection of the Mortal Realm and the Cultivation World.

Because of this, the sect was divided into two areas. The outer area was for devout men and women from the mortal world to come and offer incense. The part in the Cultivation World, however, was the core territory of the Buddhist Sect, where Buddhist Cultivators trained.

One could say that although separated by only a single boundary, they were two completely different worlds.

Tan You and the other Great Demons were, of course, headed for the Buddhist Sect’s domain in the Cultivation World. But watching the devout believers coming and going in the outer area, Tan You couldn’t help but muse, "The mortal world still has so many interesting things. We should really go take a look when we have the time."

Back then, after rescuing Bai Ze, they had traveled to every corner of the Cultivation World. But the Mortal Realm was the one place she had never been.

Peacock loved excitement. "Isn’t that a great idea? Once this is all over, why don’t we go have some fun in the mortal world?"

The Nine-Colored Deer said, "Good idea. We should get out and have some fun. We’ve been cooped up at home so long, moss is starting to grow on us."

Tan You said, "Alright. Once this is over, we’ll take a trip through the mortal world before heading back."

Old Niu glanced around. "You know, this is the first time I’ve ever seen so many people. This Buddha Bathing Festival is really lively."

"That’s a given. Jing Yue is the Buddha’s Son, and he chose to ascend on the day of the Buddha Bathing Festival, so of course it would attract even more people to witness it. By watching a Great Cultivator undergo their tribulation, one can gain their own insights. Naturally, no one wants to miss out on such a good thing."

Peacock saw things clearly. "Everyone says the Buddhist Sect is low-key, reserved, and doesn’t show off. So how come I feel like this Buddha’s Son is even better at grabbing the spotlight than I am? At the very least, if I were about to ascend, I definitely wouldn’t announce it to the whole world. What if..."

"Shut your mouth," Old Niu said, clapping a hand over Peacock’s beak. He then shot an apologetic smile at a nearby Buddhist Cultivator. "My friend here has a loose tongue. Please don’t stoop to his level."

"He’s from a small town and doesn’t know any better. We’ll take him away right now."

The Cultivator’s expression softened as he watched Tan You’s group walk away.

Peacock struggled to break free, but Old Niu was truly as strong as an ox. He hauled Peacock aside as if carrying a baby chick. Finally released, Peacock launched into a tirade. "Who’s from a small town? Who doesn’t know any better? I’ve read countless books..."

"You’ve read countless books, yet you’re here jinxing people on their own turf?" Old Niu retorted calmly, paying no mind to Peacock’s outburst. "What did we come here for? It’s better to avoid trouble. You’re not the main character today."

Peacock was speechless. He shot Old Niu a resentful glare, then turned to Tan You. "Jin Huan... do something about Old Niu!"

Tan You refused to get involved. "He was actually quite restrained. The way you were jinxing things to his face, anyone would think you were here to cause trouble."

Peacock said, "It just slipped out! Fine, I’ll shut up from now on, alright?"

Tan You pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I don’t think you can control that mouth of yours. I’ve heard the Buddhist Sect has a Vow of Silence meditation. Why don’t you start cultivating that now and only speak again after we leave?"

What could Peacock do? He could only nod.

Old Niu’s eyes darted about. "I think just a verbal promise is boring. How about this? Isn’t Peacock most proud of his tail feathers? If he opens his mouth again, we’ll pluck one feather. One sentence, one feather."

"Let’s see how many tail feathers Peacock can afford to lose."

Peacock whipped his fan around and smacked Old Niu on the back. "Old Niu, how could you?"

Peacock did indeed have the most magnificent tail feathers. Plucking them would be worse than death for him. After all, his favorite pastime was gazing at his own reflection, admiring his solitary beauty. If he lost his tail feathers and was left with nothing but a bare rump...

Peacock shuddered at the very thought. He spoke through gritted teeth, "Fine. From now on, I won’t speak unless absolutely necessary. Happy now?"

Tan You gave Old Niu a thumbs-up. ’Old Niu’s methods really are the most effective.’ To be honest, the Great Demons weren’t normally chatterboxes. It was just Peacock, who could find something to say about anything.

As soon as Peacock shut his mouth, Tan You felt the world around them become much quieter. But for every rule, there’s a loophole. Peacock may not have been speaking out loud, but there was nothing stopping him from using telepathy.

As far as Peacock was concerned, as long as no one else heard him, he wasn’t breaking his promise.

If the Buddha Bathing Festival in the outer area of the Cultivation World was a carnival for the Buddhist disciples and their devout followers, then the inner sanctum of the sect was not nearly so boisterous. It was still lively, but imbued with a solemn and stately atmosphere.