The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 818: Enemy in Honnoji Part 37 ()

"Become an immortal." Qian Xiaoyi repeated, looking rather disdainful: "Why not become a god? That sounds more powerful, right?"

Taoist Jingde had a "are you kidding me" expression on his face: "Don't ask such stupid questions when you already know the answer. Do you think I would be like those idiots, gathering believers, using the power of will, and treating myself as a god? Only fools would do such things, including those monsters who built nests among the Hundred Ghosts. They don't know what they have done. In the end, they will only become something else. Becoming an immortal is completely different."

Qian Xiaoyi scoffed at this: "He just wants privileges, not responsibilities, and is only interested in his own happiness and freedom. Why does he talk so high and mighty?"

"Isn't this the ultimate goal that those of us who seek the truth dream of?" Jingde smiled and said, "To live forever, to be free and at ease, to be above the ordinary, and to have nothing to do with the life and death of others."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "That sounds good, but behind this, what is needed is that thousands and thousands of people fall into ignorance. Everyone prays to gods and Buddhas, doubts everything, uses religion to numb themselves, admires immortals, and worships gods. Only in this soil can your goal be achieved... The purpose of the hundred ghosts is the same. When ignorance becomes common, oppression and exploitation are regarded as noble, and everyone's cognition forms a consensus, then at this time, the monsters and gods can appear in broad daylight."

"Sacrificing the future of so many people and allowing ignorance to prevail, is this the immortality you want?" Qian Xiaoyi asked loudly.

"This is how it should be when cultivating immortals." Jingde said, "To be extraordinary is to be stronger than others. If everyone is rational and wise, and everyone can do what immortals can do, then what is the meaning of [immortality]? If you want to become an immortal, you have to step on others. If you can't trample on others, how can you show the nobility of immortals? Even if the immortals themselves have no such intention at all.

If a smart modern person goes back to ancient times, he possesses knowledge and technology that the ancients could not understand, and can do things that the ancients could not even dream of, then he is an immortal in the eyes of the ancients. And what I want to do is just like this. Only the few extraordinary people among the ignorant people are worthy of being called immortals! "

"Is this what you call seeking immortality?" Qian Xiaoyi said, "Disgusting!"

Taoist Jingde smiled and asked, "Oh? So you don't agree with my definition of seeking immortality and Taoism? Immortality is the earliest desire of mankind. It doesn't matter whether immortality leads to Taoism or Taoism leads to immortality. However, I am very curious. Since you don't agree with me, then in your eyes, what is a true seeker of Taoism?"

Qian Xiaoyi said: "The so-called pursuit of truth is naturally the pursuit of truth. Religion, this ancient thing, has existed since the beginning of human history. In that ignorant era, the emergence of religion was advanced because people began to try to explore the truth of the world. Wind, rain, thunder and lightning, volcanoes and solar eclipses, these explorers found a reasonable reason for various natural phenomena, that is, gods, because only gods can make all these happen."

"Well said, you really understand." Taoist Jingde sighed, "Taoists are the same. We pursue the truth and want to explore the mysteries of the world. We have created all kinds of great theories, such as Yin and Yang, the Eight Diagrams, the Four Symbols and the Five Elements. We study astronomy and geography, and have created all kinds of new things from the way of elixirs. Immortality and becoming an immortal are also our long-cherished wishes. So why do you want to refute my words?"

Qian Xiaoyi sneered: "It's a pity that the times have changed. You have gone from being the most cutting-edge explorers of truth to being oppressors called religion. You want to seek wisdom from your ancestors who lived in the ignorant age thousands of years ago. If you want to clearly distinguish between a seeker of truth and a religious charlatan, it's authority."

"Authority?" Taoist Jingde frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Qian Xiaoyi continued, "That's right, it's authority. Everything that superstitious religions do is to establish their own authority, gain the trust of others, and thus maintain their own status. A true seeker of truth dares to admit his mistakes and correct them, while a liar who wants authority will try hard to prove that he is not wrong and that what he has learned is correct. He will use all means to establish his own authority, using celebrities, ancient classics, rhetoric... Everything leads to one sentence - I am the authority! You cannot question me!"

"That's true, but what does this have to do with me?" Taoist Jingde sneered.

"It has nothing to do with you? Aren't you the self-righteous guy?" Qian Xiaoyi laughed, "True seekers of the truth would be happy to die in the evening if they heard the truth in the morning. They explore the universe and all things in the world. Since ancient times, humans have been looking up at the stars, trying to find the truth of the universe. Taoists are seekers of the truth, but now they are still studying old theories left over from thousands of years ago, just wanting to prove that the words of their ancestors are always right, but ignoring modern research results and sticking to their own ways. Aren't these people just selfish villains who only want to establish their authority?"

"You..." Jingde's face darkened.

Before he could speak, Qian Xiaoyi continued, "If you are a true seeker of truth and want to know the truth of all things in the world, you should study physics and chemistry now! Go to the research institute and become a scientist! That is the place to explore the truth! Instead of confusing people with your theories of yin and yang, the five elements, gods and ghosts!
You bind people's hearts and only seek longevity and freedom for yourself. You trample on others only for your own selfishness. What truth are you seeking? What truth are you cultivating? It's nothing more than an excuse for your insatiable greed!"

"Shut up!" Taoist Jingde cursed, "You little beast! Have you forgotten that I am also a cognitive school? Everything you saw when you came to Japan, isn't it the result of my research? Look at you, look at you guys! The cognitive school is ruined in your hands! Haha, that's right, you are content with the status quo, and there is no environment for the development of cognitive theory in the country. In my opinion, the development of your theory is a complete mess, and you are the conservative ones!" "We? Conservative?" Qian Xiaoyi showed a rather strange expression.

“Isn’t it?” Taoist Jingde stood up and shook his head. “You still hold on to the old idea that ‘all this is just an illusion created by human cognition and does not really exist’. Little do you know that in the past twenty years, my research on cognitive theory has surpassed yours! Look at those nests! Look at those monsters! I am the one standing at the forefront of the cognitive school, not you bunch of stupid people who don’t think about making progress!”

"Really? Do you really think... that the domestic cognitive school has made no progress over the years? Haha..." Qian Xiaoyi's body was shaking like a sieve. He was laughing, he actually laughed.

Taoist Jingde suddenly became alert. He sensed a dangerous aura. This was his intuition, but at this point, he didn't think Qian Xiaoyi had any means to defeat him.

"It seems that your subconscious mind has made you aware of the danger?" Qian Xiaoyi smiled, and Taoist Jingde actually saw a gloating look on his face.

"What are you laughing at?!" Jingde grabbed Qian Xiaoyi by the collar and shouted, "What are you laughing at? Believe it or not, I will kill you!"

Qian Xiaoyi said to himself: "There are indeed not as many research samples in China as in Japan for us to study, so we are embarking on a completely different research path from yours..."

Taoist Jingde was stunned. He suddenly showed a look of horror, let go of Qian Xiaoyi, took a step back subconsciously, and shouted: "Jumen!"

However, his Gangbu failed, and he did not move from here to a distant place. A special feeling kept stimulating his brain.

This feeling is called - sense of reality.

"Since people's superstitious cognition can form all kinds of special effects in the ghost realm, producing demons, ghosts, spells and divine powers, then..." Qian Xiaoyi stared at Taoist Jingde and said, "Can we use this cognition in reverse?"

Cracks began to appear in the space around Qian Xiaoyi, like shattering glass, and gradually caused a chain reaction that spread outward.

At this moment, Taoist Jingde's hands were shaking. He saw wrinkles slowly appearing on his hands. At this moment, he could only think of one word in his mind: "Escape!"

He turned around and wanted to run outside.

Qian Xiaoyi stared at his back and said with a smile, "It's too late. The virus of [reality] has already spread! The moment you just touched me, this trick was already effective. This is the gift I have been saving for you since I arrived in Japan, Master Jingde...ah, that's not right."

"——I should call you 'President Nanajo' later, you poor old man with a confused mind."

With Qian Xiaoyi as the center, the ghost domain was constantly collapsing, revealing its reality, and it was spreading continuously. The space cracks were chasing the Taoist priest Jingde who was fleeing in a hurry, getting closer and closer...

(End of this chapter)