Chapter 410: Persecution of Auspicious Beasts Which Is Stronger

Why did Senior Brother choose my answer?

In a corner of the Resting Cloud Room at Eight Treasures Cloud-Shrouded Cave on Kunlun Mountain, Ling'e was hugging her slender arms, pondering this profound question about life.

She felt it was necessary to understand her exact position in her senior brother's heart.

Looking up, beneath the swirling Taiji Diagram, the middle-aged Daoist was tightly bound by Yin-Yang energies, from his ankles to his wrists, his mouth gagged...

The Grandmaster then said:

"Junior Brother, isn't it a bit wasteful to simply kill this Baize? Why don't we bring it into our Human Sect? It's a demon marshal, and its cultivation level is quite good. It would be useful for guarding our home."

The only part the middle-aged Daoist could move was his neck, and he nodded frantically.

Li Changshou, however, pondered for a moment and said, "Senior Brother, this isn't ideal. This fellow Daoist is, after all, one of the ten great demon marshals of antiquity, a powerful ancient being who once shared drinks with the Demon Emperor and Kunpeng... Having a demon marshal guard our home wouldn't be good for the image of our Human Sect; people might think we're too arrogant."

The Grandmaster nodded, saying gravely, "That's a good point to consider. Although the Demon Emperor has fallen, the respect due to powerful beings should still be given. Or, why don't we ask it? Perhaps it would be willing?"

Li Changshou smiled:

"Baize is a rare and elegant being in the Primordial World; it would surely rather die than yield. There's no need to ask. Let's just kill it and let it uphold its reputation of living and dying with the ancient Demon Court. We could, however, preserve half of its primordial spirit, seal it into a spirit bead, and use it as a living history book."

The middle-aged Daoist's eyes widened, bloodshot, his face filled with immense grief and indignation.

Ling'e almost burst out laughing. She could almost hear the Daoist's silent cries:

"Are you even human?! Are you still human?! Please, just be a human!" or something similar.

The Grandmaster added, "Such a crude disposal isn't ideal either. After all, it has no karma from past deeds, and it's known as an auspicious beast..."

"What a pity," Li Changshou said, shaking his head with a look of regret. "This auspicious beast transformed long ago."

The Grandmaster tutted, "Once it transformed into a human likeness, directly using it as food would indeed affect our Dao heart. And primordial spirit beasts are said to be full of treasures, aren't they?"

Baize trembled all over, tears glistening in the corners of its eyes.

The Grandmaster pondered for a moment again and said, "Or, how about having it become an old attendant in the Tushita Palace?"

Li Changshou said, "Wouldn't that lower the threshold of our Human Sect too much? So many beings in the world desire the protection of our Saintly Lord, and that's a karmic bond he might dislike."

The Grandmaster nodded in agreement, sighing:

"You're right. Our Human Sect doesn't need this fellow for strategizing; you, Junior Brother, are more than enough."

Li Changshou: "Senior Brother, the person involved actually has some reservations about being treated like a magical artifact."

"Hahahaha! Just kill it, and be done with it."

The Grandmaster laughed heartily, raising a finger and pointing it towards Baize's forehead, as the creature hung upside down in mid-air from the Taiji Diagram.

Two tears slipped from Baize's eyes. It shook its head frantically, trying its utmost to tremble within the restraints of the Yin-Yang energies.

"Wait!"

Ling'e, seeing her senior brother's gesture from behind, decisively stepped forward and whispered:

"Grandmaster, why don't we let it speak for a moment? There's a human saying: 'When a man is about to die, his words are kind.' This time, it only threatened our Human Sect and assisted the remnants of the ancient Demon Court. If it's willing to atone for its actions... We could also use it as an example, setting a precedent for other demons."

Baize immediately cast a grateful look at Ling'e.

Li Changshou gave a thumbs-up behind his back, and Ling'e's cheeks flushed red.

This was one of the rare times she was praised by her senior brother.

The Grandmaster's outstretched right hand swiped through the air, and the Yin-Yang energies sealing Baize's mouth instantly vanished.

The demon marshal was utterly furious at this moment. It opened its mouth and immediately blurted out, "Who said I'd rather die than yield?! This humble Daoist yields! This humble Daoist appeared this time precisely because I wanted to yield!"

Li Changshou frowned, saying, "Senior Brother, is this truly Baize?"

"We must have caught the wrong one," the Grandmaster shook his head. "It's a venerable figure from the Primordial World, yet it shows no integrity. Just kill it."

"Sirs! You two esteemed disciples of the Human Sect, Saint's disciples, please stop tormenting this humble Daoist!"

Baize couldn't help but burst into tears. "This humble Daoist sent someone to the Immortal Ascension Sect with a jade talisman precisely to make contact with the Human Sect in advance, to see if reconciliation was possible. This humble Daoist is willing to guard the Human Sect's gates and courtyard; I only seek refuge with the Human Sect. Please, don't consider obliterating this humble Daoist anymore!"

Li Changshou and the Grandmaster exchanged glances, and the two senior and junior brothers immediately... showed similar smiles.

The Grandmaster said, "Fellow Daoist, I have a slight question. You've been hiding all this time, and no one would have thought of doing anything to you. Why did you insist on helping Lu Ya? Had you not guided Lu Ya, even with the Taiji Diagram, I wouldn't have been able to trace your whereabouts."

"Alas..."

Baize sighed mournfully, saying, "When Lu Ya came to find this humble Daoist that day, this humble Daoist originally intended to avoid him. Lu Ya was then plagued by dark energy, and a death tribulation had descended upon him. This humble Daoist had promised the Demon Emperor to protect him, so I helped him avert this tribulation..."

"Oh? The Demon Emperor?"

Li Changshou smiled, "Fellow Daoist, you seem to be hiding something. If it truly were due to past favors with the Demon Emperor, or a promise made to him, your tone when saying 'Demon Emperor' shouldn't be so light. It's as if you've already prepared your excuse. It seems this fellow Daoist is not being truthful, Senior Brother..."

"It was the Sun-Guarding Goddess! It was the Sun-Guarding Goddess!"

Baize's eyes filled with helplessness. It gave a bitter smile and sighed:

"Lu Ya's mother once saved this humble Daoist's life. On the eve of the Demon Court's collapse, the Sun-Guarding Goddess knew that the war between the Demon Court and humanity was doomed to fail, so she entrusted this young crown prince to this humble Daoist, asking me to save him three times. This humble Daoist has now saved him three times, so I owe nothing to Lu Ya anymore! The reason I mentioned the Demon Emperor instead of the Sun-Guarding Goddess was merely to avoid sullying the goddess's reputation with this matter, fearing gossip. Even without the Lu Ya incident, once Water God fellow Daoist's cultivation breaks through further and he condenses a Merit Golden Body, how could he possibly spare this humble Daoist, who hails from the demon race? Given Water God fellow Daoist's nature, I feared he would eliminate anything that could destabilize the Heavenly Court or the Human Sect. This humble Daoist also used the Lu Ya matter to test Water God. Water God was actually able to conceive of using the power of the Heavenly Dao to erode the patience of the demons. This was indeed an oversight on this humble Daoist's part, and it made me feel inferior to Water God, which is why I decided to appear. If Water God hadn't found this humble Daoist today, I truly would have hidden in the Chaos Sea to save my life."

These words were uttered with utmost sincerity, enough to bring tears to the eyes and sorrow to the hearts of listeners, highlighting the helplessness of having a bleak path ahead and being forced to resort to such a desperate measure.

However...

"Junior Brother," the Grandmaster asked, somewhat perplexed, "why would you eliminate everything that destabilizes the Heavenly Court?"

Li Changshou's mouth twitched. He whispered, "This fellow Daoist must have imagined that in his mind."

Baize was stunned.

The Grandmaster laughed, "That's true. Fellow Daoist Baize must have misunderstood something. Given your nature, Junior Brother, unless Teacher orders it, you probably wouldn't bother with anything other than earning merit."

Baize couldn't help but feel bewildered and instinctively asked, "If not for a grand ambition, why would Water God fellow Daoist meticulously manage and cultivate good relations with the Jie Sect?"

Li Changshou: ...

"That was... an accident, probably."

After all, the first time he met Elder Zhao, when Elder Zhao suggested befriending him, he had strongly refused.

"Then, why did Water God establish the Sea God Sect?"

Baize stated firmly, "When the Sea God Sect had only five or six temples, this humble Daoist would occasionally use divine powers to investigate. On the day of the Sea God Grand Ceremony, you deliberately appeared and sought to befriend Ao Yi, the Dragon Prince..."

Li Changshou sighed mournfully, "If I were to say that a group of Witches arbitrarily made me the Sea God, pushed a bunch of incense offerings onto me, and then when I tried to deal with them, I ran into the Dragon Race, and Ao Yi happened to recognize me, so I could only passively react... Heh, no one would believe that, right?"

"Then," Baize frowned, "did you intentionally lure the demons to gather on Demon Ascent Mountain?"

Li Changshou said calmly, "I wanted to seize the Human-Annihilating Sword and didn't want to let those heavily karmic demons escape. In the end, I wanted more merit, so I could only attract more of them."

"Scheming against the Western Golden Cicada?"

"A trial given by the Grandmaster."

"Befriending a great Phoenix Clan power like Kong Xuan?"

"That's an old friend of my Grandmaster. I didn't actively seek to befriend him; rather, this great power has been exceptionally kind to me."

Li Changshou paused, then frowned, gazing at Baize.

Baize seemed somewhat dazed, and after a moment of stunned silence, it asked, "Water God fellow Daoist, what... what is your ambition?"

Li Changshou retorted, "Don't you think that simply living peacefully in a dangerous place like the Primordial World is already quite difficult? Otherwise, what grand ambition do you think I have?"

Baize murmured, "Like the ancient Demon Court... achieving the position of a second Heavenly Emperor..."

Ling'e, standing nearby, truly couldn't hold back. She turned her head, covered her mouth, and her shoulders trembled with laughter; the Grandmaster's expression was also somewhat peculiar.

Li Changshou countered, "That's not called a second Heavenly Emperor; it should be called Eastern Duke Wood. Fellow Daoist, times have changed."

Baize closed its eyes, remaining silent. Before its eyelids fully shut, its eyes gradually lost their sparkle.

Li Changshou and the Grandmaster whispered to each other nearby:

"This Baize is skilled at divination and investigation, and it's also a high-grade primordial creature, a uniquely favored being. It can barely compare to Laozi's ox. How about making it a mount for transportation?"

"That's naturally for Senior Brother to decide."

"Junior Brother, since we've decided not to kill this Baize, why don't we find a way to restrain it? Its divine powers and abilities seem quite good. In the future, for less important matters, we can directly ask it for advice, saving us the trouble."

"Senior Brother, do you have a method to bind a primordial spirit?"

"Of course," the Grandmaster said. Two strands of mutually complementary and restrictive energies intertwined in his palm, forming the shape of a spiritual lock.

Li Changshou, meanwhile, took five scrolls from his sleeve. The two of them, in unspoken agreement, looked at the middle-aged Daoist with the goatee, a faint smile on their faces.

Half a day later, deep within Eight Treasures Cloud-Shrouded Cave.

The sound of swearing, reminiscent of chanting scriptures, finally faded. A few muffled rumbles of thunder appeared in the sky, and the power of the Heavenly Dao came and went.

The middle-aged Daoist, who had been kneeling by a spiritual pool, lay weakly on the ground. Murky tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, and his disheveled hair began to shimmer with iridescent colors. The tear-shaped red mark on his forehead was, of course, the mark of his primordial spirit being controlled.

Light flickered, and the Daoist's figure dissipated, condensing into a strange beast.

It resembled a large goat, or perhaps an elk covered in soft white fur. Its body was slender and graceful, with vertical horns on its head. Three long, colorful feathers grew around the horns, completely obscuring them. Its four hooves glowed with a colorful aura, complementing the light emitted by its long feathers.

After the divine beast revealed its form, Ling'e couldn't help but softly exclaim, "Its true form is so beautiful... What a pity it's male."

Baize's weakly reclining body trembled slightly.

Li Changshou, standing nearby, smiled, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on acquiring a fine mount."

"Why congratulate me?" the Grandmaster laughed. "This Baize's nature aligns with yours, so it's naturally for you to take it as a mount."

"Senior Brother, you're not taking it?"

Li Changshou quickly said, "Then why did we go through all this trouble? Let's just scatter it. I don't need a mount."

Baize immediately leaped up, opening its long, pale yellow eyes and glaring fiercely at Li Changshou.

The Grandmaster laughed, "Don't decline. Why be so polite with me?"

"Senior Brother, I truly have no intention," Li Changshou said solemnly. "Consider this, Senior Brother: if I were to ride Baize out, what kind of mount would His Majesty the Jade Emperor need to find to outdo Baize? Moreover, I usually stay at home in my true form and use avatars for my activities. If an avatar falls into crisis, it simply self-destructs. Riding a mount would be inconvenient."

"That does make some sense," the Grandmaster said, frowning. "Then, bring it back to Tushita Palace? But, I haven't reported to Laozi yet. What if Laozi dislikes it...? Junior Brother, why not settle it on Lesser Qiong Peak?"

"Lesser Qiong Peak isn't suitable either," Li Changshou said, spreading his hands. "I'm not ready to reveal my hidden cards to it yet."

"Anshui City?"

"Haven't we just settled those senior demon soldiers there? If an ancient demon marshal were to go there, wouldn't that be..."

"Enough!" Baize growled. "I'll fly by myself in the sky!"

"Hm?" The Grandmaster's gaze swept over it, and Baize immediately shivered a few times, then quickly lowered its head, looking docile.

"This subordinate means, if there's no suitable place to settle," Baize mumbled, "why not let this subordinate move about freely outside? This subordinate is adept at avoiding calamities. When this subordinate is needed, I will immediately rush over."

The Grandmaster, however, shook his head and sighed, "That's not good either. Wouldn't that make people say our Human Sect doesn't recognize talent and persecutes auspicious beasts?"

Baize couldn't help but lower its head, tears welling up...

Haven't you persecuted enough? Haven't you?!

Five layers of Heavenly Dao vows, a method of primordial spirit control, a mandatory agreement prohibiting human form, repeated mentions of scattering it... Did they think it didn't know what 'scattering' meant when the Water God said it?!

It had originally wanted to follow the Water God and achieve a great undertaking!

Never mind, never mind...

"I've got it," the Grandmaster's eyes lit up. He took a jade talisman from his embrace and infused it with a ray of immortal light.

The Grandmaster smiled, "Give this to little Ji at the Immortal Ascension Sect. Have him keep this divine beast Baize within the Immortal Ascension Sect, just don't let it go to your Lesser Qiong Peak."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and reluctantly agreed.

This way, it would also be convenient for him to use Baize's divine abilities for intelligence gathering.

It would still be somewhat useful.

They were always causing trouble in True Person Du'e's cave abode, which was also a bit improper.

The Grandmaster intended to watch the show, wanting Li Changshou and Ling'e to ride Baize back to the mountain gate, but Li Changshou didn't trust Baize much at the moment, fearing it might try to take him down with it.

So, a moment later...

A semi-transparent, rainbow-colored divine beast, pulling a cloud, streaked across the sky above Kunlun Mountain, concealing its aura and evading heavenly secrets, swiftly flying towards the Immortal Ascension Sect.

First there were flying swords as railings, now there's Baize pulling a carriage. Truly, cultivators do not deceive us.

On the white cloud, Li Changshou, Ling'e, and the Grandmaster each sat cross-legged.

Ling'e asked, "Senior Brother, why did you choose my answer back then?"

"Well..."

Li Changshou smiled, "Actually, it's just one thing: Baize must have been calculating for this moment for half a year, while I only had half a day to react. So I presumed a conclusion: no matter what choice I ultimately made, Baize would have already anticipated it. Judging by what it said earlier, it must have been observing me for a very long time."

The Grandmaster asked, "Then why didn't you look for the answer I suggested?"

"Well, Senior Brother, please don't be offended," Li Changshou chuckled. "Senior Brother didn't think too much at the time and was merely in a playful mood. After all, with Senior Brother's profound cultivation, even spending ten or eight years chasing Baize would be a trivial matter. Therefore, I considered Senior Brother's choice an incomplete thought. Such a choice, in ordinary circumstances, would be the second most likely option, but it doesn't apply to a demon marshal like Baize. On the other hand, for someone like Ling'e, who is intelligent but not always thorough in her considerations, there was a thirty percent chance that her answer would reveal Baize's hiding place."

Ling'e's face showed understanding, and then she smiled gleefully, moving closer to her senior brother.

"Only a thirty percent chance?" The Grandmaster squinted, smiling. "That's not like you, Junior Brother."

Li Changshou slowly nodded, saying gravely, "Indeed, only a thirty percent chance. However, this gamble was a win-win: if we found it today, we saved effort; if not, we would simply pursue it to the end. But there's still one thing I don't understand... Baize, why were you investigating the newly established Sea God Temple for no reason?"

The three of them looked forward, but the auspicious beast remained silent.

The azure sky was like a reflection on a lake. The slender divine beast glided through the air, trailing faint, colorful shimmering light, leaving a ripple of rainbow hues in the air with every hoof fall.

Did it want to pay attention?

The incident of wanting to make the best mortal delicacies, going to the shores of the South Sea to find ingredients, only to be blocked at the city gates by a group of burly men with arms so strong one could ride a horse on them—such an embarrassing event for an esteemed figure—naturally couldn't be revealed.

"At that time, I already foresaw today," Baize said.

The Grandmaster and Li Changshou exchanged glances, a hint of admiration in their eyes.

Li Changshou whispered, "Indeed, it cannot be kept."

"Let's scatter it," the Grandmaster quietly pulled out the Taiji Diagram. "Consider it cleansing the sect now."