Tao and Heaven

Chapter 252 Goodbye Master
"Yuqing Tianzun! I, Yuqing, need 30 million Dou Lingshi. We have been living a very busy life when you were not around!"

"The Three Pure Ones rule the sect regardless of one's origin. The Jade Pure One has not been in office for 800 years, but your Jade Pure Sect is still doing well. Besides, the allocation of spirit stones has always been calculated per person, so how can one ask for tens of millions of spirit stones? Our Zhenwu Palace only needs 30 million spirit stones. We need to suppress the evil spirits in the world."

"What do you mean by suppressing the evil spirits in the world? You are just Chi Tianzun's paging magic weapon. Our Lingzhi Palace needs 30 million Lingshi to subsidize the people, otherwise there will be famine within ten years."

"Lingjun! You shameless thing, even if we only give up 10% of the spiritual fields in the world, it will be enough for the people of the world to be well fed. Wherever there is famine, let the Zhenwu Palace directly dispatch Taoist soldiers from other places to capture the local sects. There are thirty-six states in the world, sixty million miles, can we make up for it?"

"We the Fox Clan also need spirit stones."

The entire hall was in chaos. The high seat in the Jade Emperor's Palace was probably only comfortable the moment one sat on it.

Gu Wen could have used his aura to suppress everyone, but his master wouldn't let him.

"You once said that governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. As the Jade Pure Heavenly Lord, you cannot use your power to suppress others."

Gu Wen thought it made sense. Although he disliked power and had no interest in ruling others, he knew the importance of fairness better than most people, and he also knew that only by abiding by the rules could one generate the centripetal force that would influence everyone.

To govern the world, one must first be fair; if one is fair, the world will be peaceful.

But he didn't expect that it would be so difficult in practice, even more chaotic than a quarrel among aunties in the vegetable market.

As expected, everything has two sides. Gu Wen undoubtedly does not like the position of Heavenly Venerable because he does not need the power and benefits that come with this position.

'Maybe I have really changed?'

Gu Wen couldn't help but ask himself, if it were in the past he would definitely like this position very much.

Because the position under his butt is equivalent to the throne of the cultivation world, he controls immeasurable resources and can command all parties, and no strong man in the world dares to disobey him.

But now Gu Wen was calm and just felt that the people below were a little noisy.

And why did the demon race appear?
A fox, a dog, a cat, and a sparrow.

Four monsters were chattering among them, and the Dao Sect masters around them seemed to be used to it.

Everything has a time limit and must adapt to the times. The incompatibility of humans and demons appeared in the extremely turbulent war years, when both sides were already killing each other, and hatred was the most powerful force to mobilize people's hearts.

Later, Qingcang lived a second life, and Jianmu lived up to its past advantages.

Now, eight hundred years have passed. Under the guidance of Dao Zong, humans and demons have not reconciled, but have put forward a new definition.

Spiritual beast.

Gu Wen flipped through the jade slips on the table. Hundreds of thousands of numbers flowed in the form of divine thoughts, and he learned the reason from them.

In short, after the poultry raised by humans became monsters, they were classified as spiritual beasts.

As for the 1.2 million dou of spirit stones, this is the annual financial budget of Dao Sect, which is equivalent to million jin of low-grade spirit stones.

These are taxes paid by the states, accounting for about half of each sect's spiritual stone revenue. These spiritual stones can support ten Mahayana stages, and every year, various parties in the Dao Sect fight for these resources.

The other two of the Three Pure Ones have very distinct preferences. Taiqing Yunmiao is committed to maintaining peace and stability within the country, and vigorously promotes the Zhenwu Demon-Slaying Campaign. Shangqing Huayang Tianzun is committed to resisting foreign aggression, and likes to build cities and formations on the border to resist monsters.

In this way, two huge interest groups were born, Zhenwu Palace and Bafang City.

These two forces are composed of countless powerful people from the sects, all of whom have interests in them, and now have become existences that transcend the sects.

Now that Jade Purity Heavenly Venerable has taken office, as the saying goes, a new official will make three big moves upon taking office, and there’s a chance that a third-party force may emerge.

"Yuqing Tianzun, please make a decision!"

Gu Wen looked at everyone quietly and said, "I have heard of your requests. I will consult with Master and then give you a reply."

Do less, make fewer mistakes; do more, make more mistakes.

If the money really has to be paid, then there is no need to argue here.

He suspected that Dao Zong might not have the habit of saving money and just spent whatever spirit stones he had every year.

Everyone stared at each other, and then someone said, "Your Majesty, the Three Pure Ones do not need to ask the immortals for their opinions."

Gu Wen asked, "Is there a rule that prohibits asking questions of immortals?"

"No."

"Then we can discuss this later. Everyone please leave."

Everyone looked at each other, then bowed and left the Jade Emperor Palace.

Once outside, they become noisy again. They no longer have the demeanor of a sage, and all they want to do is greet the other person's ancestors.

One hundred million jin of spiritual stones would be tempting even for an immortal. Moreover, most people have not even reached the Mahayana stage, and fighting for a tiny benefit can become a stepping stone for them to move to a higher level in the future.

Chanxi and the other two stayed behind. She smiled and said, "Junior brother seems to be not very satisfied with this position."

"It's just an empty title." Gu Wen walked down from the high platform. "Besides, the world will not get better because of my decision, and the world will not be united just because I sit in this position."

"Eight hundred years have passed, and Master has not yet accomplished this, which means that the time has not yet come."

Chan Xi said: "But the world needs a saint who is as great as Jianmu to stabilize people's hearts."

Gu Wen said: "If they rebel against the human race when I am not here, then they may become a scourge in the future. If the world is created by me alone, then the so-called Great Harmony is nothing but self-deception."

Chanxi blinked, her beautiful eyes like the faint clouds were slightly surprised, and said: "Junior brother and master are always similar."

Gu Wen joked: "Master, shouldn't she be like this? I want my feelings, not your feelings?"

He is probably the only one in the entire Dao Sect who openly ridicules Qing Cang.

"That's true. Grandmother is always very overbearing and always gives us very difficult tasks to complete. For example, the drafting stage of the academy was hindered by secular forces. We said it would take a hundred years to complete, but she wanted fifty years. If she couldn't push it through in fifty years, she would execute the local city lord."

Chanxi covered her face and smiled, the celestial being and the male minister beside her were silent, and the latter winked at her.

She changed the subject and said: "I heard that Junior Brother has become a saint?"

As the core figures of the Three Pure Ones Taoist sect, unlike those who were making a fuss just now, the three of them were able to learn the news of Gu Wen’s becoming a saint.

Just a month ago, when Gu Wen stepped into Xuanhuang Province.

Gu Wen nodded and replied, "Little Saint."

Chan Xi's eyes sparkled, and she took two steps forward and said straight to the point: "Junior brother, can you let me gain some insights into the great path of a saint?"

"What you see is my way."

Gu Wen answered, and the three of them stared at him in deep thought for a long time, but did not see any clues.

Then everyone sighed, shook their heads, and bowed to express their gratitude.

They did not suspect that Gu Wen was playing tricks on them. There was no need to do so and they also knew their own capabilities.

Nowadays, even transcending to become an immortal is unknown, so how can we expect to become a sage?
Suddenly, the three of them were hit on the head for no apparent reason, and they took two steps forward at the same time without warning.

Chan Xi quickly made way and said, "Junior brother, although I really want to take you around Dao Sect, you should go see the Grandmaster first, otherwise she will be unhappy..."

boom!
Before she finished her words, Chanxi flew out like a ball and turned into a star in the sky.

The other two remained silent. They were not familiar with Gu Wen, nor were they on good terms with their master.

Grandmaster Qingcang is extremely strict with everyone, and to most of the powerful people, he can even be said to be terrifying.

He established schools and educated the people. The immortal killed tens of thousands of people, most of whom were from secular families.

Promote the practice hall, spread the Qi training method, and let the immortals destroy three thousand sects.

There was also the promotion of the Five Spiritual Valleys, the division of spiritual fields, the integration of large cities, the promulgation of laws, and so on. The same reforms were carried out every ten years, and each time was a bloody storm.

Mortals have been killed, cultivators have been killed, whether they are from noble families or sects. Anyone or anything that dares to hinder the will of the immortal will be ruthlessly crushed.

A piece of paper flew out from the Jade Emperor Palace, as heavy as a sacred mountain.
I have never been partial to anyone, nor do I have any preference for anyone.

Perhaps only Gu Wen is special.

——————————Deep in the Sanqing Mountain, in the bamboo forest, there is a small courtyard in Pan’an.

Li Yunshang was dressed simply and had a pretty face without any makeup. She looked as plain as water and as cold as ice.

"Disciple Gu Wen, pays respects to the master."

There was a sound coming from outside, and Li Yunshang closed her eyes and ignored it.

After a long while, the white fox in his arms was speechless, but he still stood up and jumped out of the door. He looked at the ordinary man outside and said in a voice like a wind chime:
"Come in, your master has been waiting for a long time. Say some nice things to her later. She will calm down soon."

Gu Wen walked in and saw a woman in plain clothes when he stepped over the threshold. There was a kind of majesty between her brows that was hard to look at directly.

Noticing him coming in, she slowly opened her eyes and asked coldly, "You still remember to come back?"

"As long as my parents are around, I won't travel far away. I will naturally come back."

Gu Wen stepped forward, knelt down and kowtowed. As a saint, he probably didn't need to bow to anyone, let alone kneel down.

But before he became a saint, he was a human being. Qingcang protected him for the first half of his life, but in order to prolong his life, his foundation was damaged, and thus he had no chance to become a saint.

Li Yunshang's tense face relaxed and she said, "Get up. It's not proper for a saint like you to kneel before me."

Hearing this, Gu Wen knew that the difficulty was over. He stood up and shamelessly stepped forward to pat his shoulders and back, saying, "Kneeling to your parents is a natural thing. Let alone kowtow once, even kowtow ten thousand times is not a problem."

"Humph, you talk nicely, but in reality you're just having fun with that girl Akabaneko."

Li Yunshang snorted coldly, then waved her clothes, and a short-haired woman about five and a half feet tall appeared.

Akabane lowered his head, looking like a child who had made a mistake, and dared not say a word.

Gu Wen said: "It's my fault that I believed the slander. It's all Chi Yuzi's fault."

Akabane suddenly raised his head, revealing two white fangs, his hands clenched tightly, his eyes full of anger.

If Immortal Qingcang hadn't been here, she would have taken action already.

After an incense stick of time, Li Yunshang's tense expression turned into a gentle smile.

Gu Wen recounted all the events that had taken place along the way, inevitably adding some exaggerations and taking credit for Akabane's achievements.

Others would draw their swords to help when seeing injustice, but Gu Wen took out his Akabako when seeing injustice.

But if Gu Wen hadn't said it, Chiyuzi might not have taken action, so I would also have some credit for it.

Li Yunshang had been watching Gu Wen since he was practicing the Jade Purity Heart Technique, so she knew his temper. She said softly, "You, stop bullying Chi Yuzi. She treats you as her closest brother, and it's not right for a brother to bully his sister all the time."

Hearing this, Gu Wen thought deeply.

Isn't it always like this?

"I don't!"

Akabane blushed and shouted, "I'm older than him, I should be the older sister."

Li Yunshang smiled without saying anything, and did not refute her. She changed the subject and said, "How strong are you now? You seem to be a little weaker than me, or did you deliberately lose to your master?"

Xiaosheng, she was once at the point of achieving success.

If she had not entered the underworld that year, perhaps she would have broken through by now.

Gu Wen restrained his expression slightly and answered concisely: "One point weaker than the master, three points weaker than Jianmu, and eight points weaker than the two saints of heaven and earth."

Gu Wen now has some understanding of how strong he is. He is one point weaker than his master, three points weaker than Jianmu, and eight points weaker than the two saints of heaven and earth.

This one-point difference is not like a fight between mortals and a fight between monks. You can still win by hitting the vital point.

Because saints are immortal and the Tao is indestructible, they have almost infinite time.

Jianmu never took any risks from beginning to end.

His master was half a step behind Jianmu in terms of realm, and because of the difference in strength, he was easily defeated by the opponent, and there was no possibility of winning.

Even though he did not have the talent to become an immortal within a hundred years, he was still imprisoned at the bottom of the well by Jianmu.

Gu Wen also planned to follow his example, steadily improving his strength, and never take the initiative until he was sure of completely crushing the opponent.

The essence of the battle between saints is to stay safe and not waste time.

Li Yunshang stared at Gu Wen, saw some clues, and said: "You lack accumulation, and your way is quite unique. You want to be independent of heaven and earth, but also want to learn from heaven and earth. Isn't this contradictory?"

Gu Wen replied: "Learning the laws of heaven and earth, one can travel a thousand miles a day. If one studies by oneself, perhaps a thousand years of practicing Qi will not be much different from that of heaven and earth."

He can also create a new path of cultivation, but the starting point of this path will definitely not be better than the current cultivation world.

Unless Gu Wen has already comprehended the world thoroughly and has the ability to innovate.

"But if I join forces with you, I shouldn't be afraid of Jianmu."

Li Yunshang thought for a moment and said, "We don't have to kill Jianmu right away. We don't know how many tricks it has. It's comparable to the clone of the little saint."

"Does Jianmu's clone have the strength of a minor saint?"

"Three thousand years ago, I killed a minor saint clone. Eight hundred years ago, the one in the immortal land was also a minor saint. Four hundred years ago, I killed another one. These minor saint clones are stronger than you."

Gu Wen was lost in thought. Li Yunshang rubbed his temple and said softly, "Don't worry. As long as you are still in the cultivation world, your teacher can protect you even if we are thousands of miles apart."

"But I am still weaker than my opponent. I can't hide behind my master forever."

Otherwise, what kind of saint would he be?
Gu Wen thought that he should practice more and learn every method he saw, so that he could close the gap faster.

The little man in Qi Hai has eight hairs. He needs a hundred to compete with Jianmu, and a thousand to compete with the Two Saints of Heaven and Earth.

"Teacher, I think this is a good idea."

Li Yunshang smiled and said, "In a few years, you will probably surpass me. By then, it will be difficult for me to get you to come and see me."

"Of course, the disciple will come to visit the master from time to time."

"So we meet once a day?"

".Ahem. If Master has any problems in the future, you can send a message through telepathy."

"Rebel."

The fox fairy on the side felt a little jealous.

Your voice is hoarse. I've known you for so many years but I've never heard you speak so gently.

Chi Yuzi's face was full of admiration. She knew that Immortal Qingcang was very powerful, but she didn't know that Immortal Qingcang could also suppress that stinky guy Gu Wen.

I wish I could be like that.

"Master, how is Yu Hua now?"

Gu Wen's expression suddenly became serious, and the relaxed atmosphere inside and outside the room suddenly became quiet.

Li Yunshang had anticipated this and said, "If she died, you might feel more relieved. Yu Hua's life is coming to an end, so I sent her soul to Wuwang City and preserved her body in the black ice. It's not considered dead, but it's not considered alive either."

"I have a way to bring her back to life, but I don't want you to interfere."

"Why?"

Gu Wen looked calm, but Chiyuzi and Fox Fairy felt an inexplicable sense of suffocation.

Li Yunshang was not affected. She pinched his nose and said, "Worrying about something will lead to confusion. Haste will lead to trouble. The master will solve everything. You just need to wait, okay?"

"how long?"

"Maybe a thousand years, maybe ten thousand years, but for us, it's just a blink of an eye."

(End of this chapter)