Chapter 289: At One's Heart

Five days after Fan Yunxiao's departure, the small island became populated by a peculiar assembly of individuals. Men and women, young and old, all clad in strange attire, began to appear. The first to arrive planted a large flag upon the island's soil. Then, with a flurry of shimmering lights, rays of brilliance flashed forth, and numerous other flags sprouted across the land.

Once the flags were set, several hundred people materialized on the island. They encircled the landmass, each taking a unique position, scattered like stars in the night sky, and remained utterly still.

However, every two hours, these individuals would rise and subtly shift their positions. This pattern remained unbroken.

Beneath the tree's shade, Long Jiaonan shivered repeatedly. She quickly moved her body, heading towards the center of the island.

Si Yunxiang, ever cheerful, prepared food for everyone, ensuring they wouldn't go hungry.

Ling Yuxiu's face was etched with solemnity as she surveyed their surroundings. She could discern that this was a formidable array, designed to ensnare them on the island, denying them any chance of escape. To attempt a forceful breach would activate the array, transforming it into a killing formation that would turn the island into a field of carnage!

The activation of this grand array would undoubtedly be terrifying!

Furthermore, she observed that some of these peculiar individuals wore court robes, identifying them as high officials of the current dynasty. Others were humble meat sellers from the marketplace, or even executioners, and members of the Imperial Academy's Directorate of Education. It was a truly bizarre assortment!

What was most intriguing was their behavior of shifting positions every two hours. They were continuously altering the array, likely to prevent the Old Dao Master from deciphering its intricacies.

"The Heavenly Demon Cult, truly living up to its reputation as the foremost sect of the demonic path. Their grasp is remarkably accurate," the Old Dao Master remarked, also studying the killing array. He sighed with continuous praise in his heart, saying, "I can calculate the array's changes precisely every two hours, and precisely at those moments, they change the array. The Hall Master of the Array Hall is truly devilish."

The Array Hall Master, a scholar from the Array Yuan Hall of the Imperial Academy, had been appointed as a Hanlin Academician by Emperor Yanfeng. He was greatly favored, often summoned to the palace to discuss state affairs. Although the Emperor did not grant him real power due to his origins in the Heavenly Demon Cult, most of the army's arrays were designed by him.

It was clear that the Array Hall Master had calculated the Old Dao Master's abilities to the letter. As long as Qin Mu was in distress, he would not be allowed to leave alive. Even if he did, he would leave as a corpse.

Unbeknownst to them, the fourteenth day arrived. Qin Mu, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them after a moment and rose from beneath the stone stele. He bowed to the Dao Master, saying, "Many thanks, Senior Brother, for allowing me to comprehend the Dao Sword."

The Dao Master stood and returned the bow, saying, "I dare not accept such courtesy. The Human Sovereign is inherently qualified to comprehend the Dao Sword. I have shown you the Dao Sword, and likewise, I shall show you the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. Human Sovereign, you deserve it."

Qin Mu replied, "I have already perused the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra."

The Dao Master was startled for a moment. After a while, he shook his head and laughed, "That old fellow is still shrewd and cunning, always one step ahead of me. Disciple, return the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture to the Human Sovereign."

Lin Xuan Daozi, having awakened from his comprehension, quickly collected the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture, which transformed into a ball of thread, and returned it to Qin Mu with both hands.

Qin Mu laughed, "You and I are of similar age, there's no need for such excessive formality."

Lin Xuan Daozi shook his head, "Courtesy is never excessive. Until I become the Dao Master, I shall always be your junior."

Qin Mu, helpless, said, "Although the Dao Master has not looked upon the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture, that phrase about retaining evil and retaining good deeply grasps its essence. As you comprehended the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture, how much good and how much evil did you perceive within it?"

Lin Xuan Daozi hesitated for a moment. The Dao Master laughed, "Cult Master Qin is an expert in this regard, just speak your mind."

Lin Xuan Daozi said, "Perhaps it's a matter of first impressions. The first time I read the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture, I felt every sentence was meant to harm others. By the middle section, I began to glean some taste, and the distinction between righteous and demonic ceased to exist in my heart. As I reached the end, I felt my initial reading might have been a misunderstanding, so I began again from the start, and the feeling was different once more."

Qin Mu laughed and asked, "How much percentage is still demonic?"

"Two percent," Lin Xuan Daozi answered honestly.

Qin Mu said, "Your Dao heart still retains two percent of the demonic. However, you are already far superior to the Buddha Son. The Buddha Son, with his Buddha heart, saw only evil when he read the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture. He has the appearance of a Buddha, but his heart is hopelessly demonic."

Lin Xuan Daozi was startled for a moment, suddenly understanding, "So that's it!"

He still felt a flicker of doubt in his heart. His gaze shifted towards Qin Mu, saying, "Human Sovereign, how much percentage did you perceive as demonic when you read the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture?"

Qin Mu replied, "All chapters of the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture are simultaneously the righteous path and the demonic path, depending on how I utilize it."

Lin Xuan Daozi was stunned, "This..."

Qin Mu spoke with deep meaning, "The path of a saint lies in the daily use of common people. The very first sentence of the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture already makes this clear. You and I are both common people. When our hearts uphold the righteous path, the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture is the righteous path. When our hearts harbor the demonic path, the Great Nourishing Heavenly Demon Scripture is the demonic path. I can use it as a righteous path technique, and I can also use it as a demonic path technique. The wonder of its application lies in one's heart."

"The wonder of its application lies in one's heart?" Lin Xuan Daozi was startled again, feeling that this made profound sense.

The Old Dao Master quickly shouted, "Hey! Do not listen to his teachings, it's again that twisted reasoning of allowing nature to take its course! You are the next generation's Dao Master, you must be careful not to be confused by his glib words and enter his demonic cult!"

Lin Xuan Daozi snapped back to attention, beads of sweat immediately pouring down his body, leaving him drenched. He thought in his heart, "He was borrowing the moment to discuss the teachings of the demonic cult, attempting to confuse me! His notion of allowing nature to take its course is not the same as our Daoist Gate's Dao Law of Nature!"

The Old Dao Master said seriously, "Cult Master Qin's understanding of nature is indeed a level above yours. In the future, when he opposes you as the master of the demonic cult, you must be careful. You cannot only remember that he is the Human Sovereign and forget that he is also the master of the Heavenly Demon Cult!"

Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. The Old Dao Master actually viewed him as a great beast of flood and fury. Even when advising his disciple, he was strictly on guard, fearing that he would lead him into the Heavenly Demon Cult.

The Old Dao Master said, "Human Sovereign, what is your opinion of the Dao Sword now?"

Qin Mu replied solemnly, "It is exhaustive in mathematics, exquisite and extraordinary. The last several moves seem to transcend mathematics and approach the Dao."

The Old Dao Master's words also held a deeper meaning. He smiled faintly, "My Daoist Gate's Dao Sword can also be considered a method of accurately measuring a circle. The approximation of pi approaches infinity; the relationship between diameter and circumference cannot be ended by empty void and pure tranquility. Behind it lie countless numbers. The Dao is without end, and the circumference is also without end. Therefore, why should the Dao need to change? Why should the Law need to change?"①

Qin Mu was taken aback. This Old Dao Master was expounding upon the principles of the Daoist Gate to him!

"Dao Master, stop at the point," Qin Mu smiled faintly.

The Old Dao Master laughed heartily, and then had Lin Xuan Daozi collect the stone wall. He said, "Human Sovereign, your identity is special, and you will have many formidable enemies. It is best for you to return to the Great Ruins early. The Dragon King's daughter was sent by me to invite you. May I take her with me?"

Qin Mu looked at the yellow essence beneath their feet. Many of these yellow essences had already grown several leaves, but many others had withered and died.

"You need not worry, she will listen to my words. She will not come here again," the Old Dao Master smiled faintly, "You have not lost anything; on the contrary, she has lost much."

Qin Mu nodded and called Long Jiaonan forward. Long Jiaonan endured her injuries and staggered forward.

Qin Mu asked, "Still enemies with me?"

Long Jiaonan said, "My Jade Dragon Gate was exterminated because of you, I must be enemies with you."

"Whether or not I was present, your Jade Dragon Gate would still have been exterminated. This is the great trend. Even if I hadn't been in Tianbo City, you would have met the same end," Qin Mu said, "I merely happened to be there. It is reasonable for you to hate me, but the next time you come to kill me, I will not show mercy."

Long Jiaonan gritted her teeth, "I will also not show mercy!"

Qin Mu shook his head, "You no longer have the opportunity. Do not shed your skin again; if you shed it again, you will become old. Follow the Dao Master."

Long Jiaonan stood by the Dao Master's side, her mind a blank. Every time she met Qin Mu, she discovered that he was significantly stronger than before. Would she still be his opponent the next time they met?

Would she still have an opportunity?

However, her mind was quickly submerged by hatred, and she pushed this blankness to the back of her brain.

The Old Dao Master cupped his fist, his outer fist forming a Taiji diagram, his inner grip the Ziwu Jue, and said, "I take my leave."

Qin Mu returned the courtesy, standing up and saying, "Farewell, Dao Master."

*Splash!* The Heavenly Demon Cult Hall Masters, protectors, Heavenly Kings, and others surrounding the island all stood up, creating a path.

The Old Dao Master took Long Jiaonan and Lin Xuan Daozi and walked out of the sea island. Then, a cloud of qi rose beneath his feet, carrying the two away.

Qin Mu looked around at the Heavenly Demon Cult crowd and waved his hand, laughing, "Disperse, all of you disperse."

The crowd each performed a courtesy. With a roll of the great flags, they vanished without a trace. However, Jade Heavenly King and Shi Heavenly King remained behind, evidently not entirely reassured about Qin Mu's safety.

Qin Mu laughed, "There's no need to be so concerned about me, you may go as well."

The two Heavenly Kings exchanged glances, each covering themselves with their clothes, and then disappeared.

"I feel they haven't gone far," Si Yunxiang said.

Qin Mu nodded. Ling Yuxiu was still worried, saying, "Great Cult Master, you are only busy showing off in front of your subordinates, letting them go. How are we to leave?"

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment. He had indeed been showing off. The elders from the village had taught him since childhood that one might lose a person but never lose face. Momentum could not be lost, which was why he hadn't allowed the Heavenly Demon Cult crowd to carry him, the Saint Cult Master, out of the East Sea, lest he lose face in front of his subordinates.

"Do you think Fan Yunxiao will still come back to pick us up?" he asked tentatively.

The two women scoffed coldly, saying in unison, "He cried so pitifully when he left, he won't be coming back!"

Qin Mu stammered, "Or, we could walk back across the sea..."

"Only so."

Si Yunxiang turned her head towards the spirit spring, some reluctance in her eyes. She said, "You say, after those yellow essences awaken, will they still recognize us?"

"I don't know."

Qin Mu turned his head, only to see the edge of the spirit spring lush and green. He shook his head, "They died once. If they originally had souls, their souls should have fallen into the dark Youdu. But they have unexpectedly come back to life. As for whether their souls are the original souls, whether their memories are the original memories, or whether new souls have been born from their bodies, with memories like a blank slate, that I do not know."

Si Yunxiang was a little melancholy. Seeing that Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu had already walked onto the surface of the sea, she quickly chased after them. A wave generated beneath Qin Mu's feet, like a dragon's head, surged forward continuously, carrying them westward.

And in another place, the Witch Venerable of the Loulan Golden Palace received Ban Gongcuo's message and immediately left the Golden Palace, heading westward.

He traveled a great distance, circling the vast Great Ruins, passing through snowy mountains and plateaus, entering fiery deserts, and arriving at the West Earth. He climbed the highest peak of the West Earth.

The golden summit of this divine mountain was empty and desolate, with only one altar. The Witch Venerable took out three incense sticks and lit them. The smoke curled upwards, reaching straight to the heavens.

Where the smoke disappeared, a faint green face floated in the air, seemingly merging with the blue sky.

"The new Human Sovereign has appeared," the Witch Venerable bowed as he offered incense.

Note ①: Pi rate and approximate rate are terms related to the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Zu Chongzhi, a mathematician during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, obtained these rates when calculating the circumference ratio. Those interested can research this further. Zu Chongzhi was a Daoist of the Celestial Master Sect, a great achiever in mathematics. He himself said, "I specialize in mathematical techniques, researching and refining ancient and modern methods."

So, do you want to cultivate immortality? Is your math good? Is your chemistry good (the chemist Daoist Tao Hongjing)? Is your medicine good (the medical Daoists Ge Hong and Sun Simiao)? Is your philosophy good (Laozi, Zhuangzi)? How about governing a country (Wei Zheng, Li Mi)? Economics (Fan Li), military strategy (Zhang Liang), calligraphy and painting (Wang Xizhi, Wu Daozi), astronomy (too many to list), poetry (Li Bai), huh?

Study hard, ascend early!

PS: Zhai Zhu needs to go to Shanghai and Japan for author salons organized by Yuewen. I am setting off today. I don't know if I can release chapters in Japan, so updates might not be stable these days, or there might be breaks. If I can release chapters in Japan, Zhai Zhu will try to code words and try not to break updates. The content from the note to the PS is not charged, please rest assured.