Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 291 The Clay Figure Winks (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Gu Mo was certain that the Great Compassion Monk in front of him was fake, but he couldn't understand why a fake Great Compassion Monk would need to act as a substitute if his cultivation level was so high.

"Your character is truly remarkable," Gu Mo said with a smile. "To serve twenty years in this dark and hopeless prison for someone else, and still maintain such a mindset, is truly admirable!"

"False Great Compassion" slowly stood up. Immediately, the thick iron chains binding his arms and legs to prevent him from committing suicide rattled. He looked Gu Mo over and slowly said, "Twenty years have already passed?"

Gu Mo said, "The Chu Kingdom has changed emperors, and the Great Bright Temple has changed abbots twice. With your cultivation level, you were qualified to enter the World Martial Arts Ranking back then, but you missed your prime years by going to prison for others. It's not worth it."

“Amitabha,” a faint smile appeared on the pale face of the fake Da Bei, and he said, “Young benefactor, how can you be so sure that this humble monk is an imposter? A monk does not lie. This humble monk is truly Da Bei. Your country verified this through many channels back then, and even Zhang Tianshi personally came to verify it. You, young benefactor, should not overthink it!”

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "I don't believe the saying that monks don't lie. I know a monk named Liansheng, who is the current abbot of Daguangming Temple. He loves to brag!"

A hint of reminiscence flashed in "False Great Compassion's" eyes as he chuckled, "Indeed, the Great Bright Temple has ultimately been handed over to Lian Sheng." Then, he looked at Gu Mo and said sincerely, "Young benefactor, I suppose you must be a very promising and distinguished person in the Qian Kingdom to have come here to see me. You should leave quickly. My identity is special, and for many years, none of my guards have spoken to me, for fear that if I knew too much, it would cause problems."

The fact that you are telling me so much now will inevitably give me some information that I want to know, such as the fact that Lian Sheng is now the abbot of Da Guangming Temple. I shouldn't know this kind of outside news. After all, the higher-ups in your country are just as capable of wearing down my will. The more you talk to me and let me know about the outside world, the stronger my will will become.

Such matters can be serious or minor within the imperial court. You are so young; if someone with ulterior motives were to exploit you, it could ruin your future.

Gu Mo said softly, "You monk are kind-hearted, and you value the compassion of Buddhism. But if you are truly compassionate, you should have stopped the evil monk Da Bei from inciting thousands of people to commit suicide back then, instead of taking the blame for him here!"

The fake Da Bei sighed softly, "Young benefactor, this humble monk is truly Da Bei. I don't know why you are so convinced that I am fake, but I really am Da Bei. As for what happened back then, it was indeed a momentary lapse of judgment on my part that led me to commit a colossal mistake. Whether I am trapped in this dark and hopeless place or subjected to a thousand cuts, it is all retribution I deserve. Even if I die, I will go to hell to be punished."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "See, you won't get anything out of them by asking."

As soon as the words fell,
Gu Mo took a step forward.

In that instant, the consciousness of the false Great Compassion was pulled into a dark world, which was the Demon Immortal Domain created by Gu Mo using the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique.

When he sensed this unique domain power, Jia Dabei was filled with surprise and said, "Domain? Young benefactor, you are so young, yet your cultivation has already reached this level? Or has the martial world developed to such an extent that young people are all this powerful?"

Yuan Shen Gu Mo said softly, "You don't need to be too surprised. Although the level of martial arts in the world today has improved a lot compared to twenty years ago, it is still not to the point where everyone can use their domain. Apart from those on the martial arts ranking list, there are only a handful of people in each country."

“I see,” said the fake Da Bei. “Back then, I also reached this level, but now, after being suppressed for twenty years, that level is gone.”

Gu Mo said, "Therefore, I can't understand what drove you to give up a bright future and be imprisoned for so many years in someone else's place!"

"This humble monk truly possesses great compassion..."

Before Da Bei could finish speaking, Gu Mo, the primordial spirit, used his demonic immortal power to instantly invade the fake Da Bei's consciousness, taking control of it in an instant. Then, he issued a command and asked, "Who exactly are you?"

"This humble monk is filled with great compassion!"

Gu Mo was stunned. His first reaction was to doubt whether the control technique of his Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique had failed. However, the feedback from the power of the Demon Immortal was that it had indeed controlled Da Bei's consciousness.

However, it is also possible that this person who is pretending to be compassionate has been brainwashed into believing that they are the real compassionate one.

Immediately, Gu Mo thought of a way to verify this and asked, "What is the most important treasure passed down by the Great Bright Temple?"

The false Great Compassionate Consciousness struggled for a moment, but was instantly suppressed by Gu Mo. It then calmed down and replied, "Mirror of Reincarnation."

Gu Mo was somewhat surprised. Logically speaking, it was unlikely that the Great Bright Temple would spread such a matter. If this Great Compassion was fake, it was unlikely that the Great Bright Temple would know about the existence of the Samsara Mirror.

However, it is also possible that in order to make it more authentic, the fake Da Bei deliberately let him know some secrets.

"Where is the Mirror of Reincarnation placed?" Gu Mo asked.

"In the Thousand Buddha Cave behind the Great Bright Temple," the fake Da Bei replied.

"How do I use the Reincarnation Mirror?" Gu Mo asked.

The False Great Compassion immediately replied, "The Samsara Mirror is sentient and will automatically select users. The time limit for each generation of users is different. When the time is up, the Samsara Mirror will automatically return to the Thousand Buddha Cave. Afterwards, it will remind the people in the temple to find a new generation of Buddhist disciples, and the Buddhist disciples will become the new generation of users."

This is why the Great Bright Temple's lineage has never been broken. Because the Mirror of Reincarnation actively selects the most Buddhist disciples in the world, each generation of the Great Bright Temple produces one of the top ten masters in the world. "The previous Buddhist disciple was me, and after me is Lian Sheng."

Gu Mo asked, "As the abbot of the Great Bright Temple, why did you come to the Qian Kingdom? Why did you incite thousands of people to commit suicide?"

The fake Da Bei said, "It was for the sake of the Chu Kingdom, but problems arose later. I don't remember what the problems were. In the past twenty years, I haven't been able to recall them. I remember that I came with the Mirror of Reincarnation, but I don't remember the Mirror of Reincarnation since I arrived in Chang'an."

"I must have been possessed by a demon at the time. I know I did it, but it was truly a momentary lapse of judgment, beyond my control. Afterwards, I deeply regretted it. Therefore, I did not resist when I was arrested."

Gu Mo continued, "Recently, a villain who sucks brain marrow has appeared in Chang'an City. Was it your doing?"

“No,” said the fake Da Bei, “this humble monk’s cultivation is currently sealed, and I am in this dungeon without even freedom, so naturally I have no ability to do anything outside.”

Gu Mo was silent for a moment, then asked, "What is the truth about the Chu royal family being descendants of immortals?"

Jia Dabei said, "There is a story in the Chu Kingdom about Emperor Gaozu and a goddess. The story tells that when Emperor Gaozu was still a scholar, he happened to help a female cultivator who was undergoing tribulation and ascending to immortality in the Taihang Mountains."

Ten years later, Emperor Gaozu fell into misfortune, and the goddess descended to earth to help him repay his kindness. She then helped Emperor Gaozu establish the Chu Kingdom step by step. Afterward, the goddess left the mortal world and returned to the heavenly realm.

However, this is merely a folk legend. In reality, Emperor Gaozu did witness a female cultivator ascend to heaven in the Taihang Mountains. Her aura was ethereal, and Emperor Gaozu was captivated by her after that brief glimpse. However, there was no story of him assisting the female cultivator in her ascension, and the goddess who later descended to earth was not that Taihang Mountain cultivator.

Ten years later, Emperor Gaozu fell into misfortune, and a goddess did indeed descend to earth to help him. However, that goddess actually came from the Heavenly Realm, one of the Thirteen Forbidden Realms. She did indeed assist Emperor Gaozu in establishing the country, but not to repay a debt of gratitude, but to follow the mandate of heaven and save the common people.

Afterwards, the Great Chu Kingdom was successfully established, and the goddess departed, leaving behind a prophecy: two hundred years later, the world would belong to Chu. The Heavenly Realm sent her to assist Emperor Gaozu in establishing the Chu Kingdom, precisely to fulfill the Mandate of Heaven!

Gu Mo frowned slightly and asked, "As far as I know, Emperor Gaozu of Chu spent the latter half of his life searching for the Outer Heaven?"

The fake Da Bei said, "That's right. Emperor Gaozu was always thinking about the female cultivator who ascended to heaven from Taihang Mountain. He longed to find the Outer Heaven. According to the goddess of the Outer Heaven, all those who attain enlightenment and ascend to heaven will enter the Outer Heaven and become immortals, living forever!"
Later, due to popular misinterpretation, the story evolved into one of a goddess repaying a debt of gratitude and establishing a kingdom. Later still, a legend arose that Emperor Gaozu fell in love with the goddess, gave birth to a divine child, and then departed, leading to the rumor that the Chu royal family were descendants of immortals.

"I see."

Gu Mo was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that what Xiao Ziyin had told him about the legends of Chu and the outer heavens when they were on the border of Jiang Kingdom was basically true.

However, Xiao Ziyin did not say directly that she knew the Heavenly Realm beyond the Heavenly Gate was the Heaven Beyond Heaven, but rather that she speculated that the Heaven Beyond Heaven was the legendary Heavenly Realm.

Gu Mo hadn't really believed it before, after all, it was hard to find any truth in the words of a shrewd woman like Xiao Ziyin.

But now that I think about it, I realize I wronged Xiao Ziyin.

As for why Xiao Ziyin said it was her speculation, even without mentioning a record, Gu Mo could guess the reason. It's simple: if Xiao Ziyin had told Gu Mo back then that a goddess from beyond the heavens had left behind the prophecy, "Two hundred years later, the world will belong to Chu,"...

Gu Mo would only think that Xiao Ziyin was fabricating a divine mandate to promote the Chu Kingdom.

"The outer heavens are the celestial realm!"

Gu Mo muttered something to himself, looked at the fake Da Bei, and asked, "Why do you know so much?"

The fake Da Bei said, "Because when the goddess from beyond the heavens descended to earth, the first place she went was the Great Bright Temple. It was with the help of the Great Bright Temple that she found the founding emperor of the Chu Kingdom. Besides the goddess, a large part of the reason for the founding of the Chu Kingdom was also because the Great Bright Temple was supporting and assisting her. Therefore, the Great Bright Temple knew the truth about the descendants of the immortals of the Chu Kingdom."

Subsequently,

Gu Mo then asked about some secrets about the Great Bright Temple that he had learned from Master Liansheng. Without exception, this fake Da Bei could explain them very clearly, and even knew some of them better than Master Liansheng himself.

……

After Gu Mo withdrew his Demonic Immortal Domain, Jia Dabei stood silently in the iron cage for a long while before slowly coming back to his senses. A helpless smile appeared on his face as he said, "Little benefactor, although I don't know what you did to me, I suppose you should know what you want to know now, given my momentary lapse in concentration."

At this moment of false grief, I am actually still somewhat dazed.

He only remembered being pulled into a realm filled with spiritual energy, exchanging a few words with Gu Mo, and then he had no memory of what happened after that.

Looking at the fake Da Bei in front of him, Gu Mo felt a pang of emotion.

If he didn't have a system that allowed him to be certain that the person in front of him was a fake, even with his current cultivation level, he would have believed, like the Qian Kingdom court and Zhang Daoyi, that this person was the Great Compassionate Demon Monk.

even,
At first, Gu Mo was momentarily dazed, wondering if someone had committed a crime under the name of the Great Compassion Monk, and then the Qian Kingdom's court had arrested the real Great Compassion Monk.

However, he rejected this idea in an instant because the system's wanted information clearly stated that it was Da Bei, not any other code name.

According to the system's judgment criteria, if someone is impersonating another person, the real person will not be identified as a wanted criminal. Just like Zhuo Qingfeng was once framed as a wanted criminal, but the system detected that the criminal information did not match the wanted person, so it was not included in the list.

In other words, if the events of that year hadn't been committed by the monk Dabei, the system wouldn't have placed the wanted notice for the case of the evil monk inciting thousands of people to commit suicide on Dabei.

However, if the "great sorrow" before us is truly great sorrow, then the system's judgment will show that the wanted mission has failed.

The wanted list still exists, but the "evil spirit" who is currently committing crimes overlaps with Da Bei.

Therefore, this great tragedy before us, no matter how real it may seem, can only be an illusion.

but,

As Gu Mo carefully considered the information he had obtained when he controlled the fake Great Compassion consciousness, he was certain that the reason why such a realistic Great Compassion appeared was because of the Samsara Mirror.

This fake Da Bei said that he remembered coming to Chang'an with the Mirror of Reincarnation, but after entering Chang'an, he lost all memory of the Mirror of Reincarnation and has not remembered it since.

In other words, they lost their memories of the Mirror of Reincarnation in Chang'an.

"The Mirror of Reincarnation is indeed problematic!"

Gu Mo pondered to himself.

Back on Penglai Island, when he learned that Master Liansheng had used the Samsara Mirror to directly destroy Bai Yujing's accumulated primordial spirit and will over so many years, he wondered if the Samsara Mirror might go out of control, or if it might also develop its own consciousness from an inanimate object, just like Bai Yujing.

Now it seems,

Even without developing independent consciousness, the Reincarnation Mirror still has significant problems.

The connection to the Mirror of Reincarnation also provides a reasonable explanation for the appearance of such a powerful expert without leaving a trace, taking over the identity of another.

After all, although this fake Great Compassion is very powerful, he is only in the first tier of human martial artists and has not yet reached the level of a cultivator who has transcended to the Ascension Realm.

There are no specific realms for martial artists in this world.
However, there are roughly several levels. Ordinary martial artists are ranked according to their reputation in the martial arts world, such as first-class, second-class, and super first-class. Those whose reputation is so great that they are listed on the Heavenly Ranking are Grandmasters. As for the difference between Grandmasters and Grandmasters, it is hard to say.

For example, when Gu Mo was besieged by dozens of grandmasters in Qianqiu Town of Nanjin, he was quite shocked. However, it turned out that those so-called grandmasters were only at the level of ordinary first-class martial artists in Qian Kingdom, or even worse.

However, after reaching a certain level on the path of martial arts, there are also certain specific realms. Whether it is the path of internal and external skills, the true meaning of martial arts, or the practice of Qi cultivation, in the end, they will all pursue the unity of heaven and man, and then form a domain with their cultivation will.

This is the ceiling of human martial arts. For example, Su Qianqiu guards the country's gate with a single sword, Zhang Daoyi's Great Formless Calamity Technique, Master Liansheng's Lotus Heavenly Scripture, etc. Ultimately, their trump cards are all in their respective fields.

Back then, Gu Mo won his first battle against the world's number one player by using the Limitless Returning Origin Qi to destroy Su Qianqiu's domain.

A domain can actually be considered a realm or level of understanding.

In the entire world, there are only a dozen or so people who have reached this level.

Above that is the pursuit of ascension.

Currently, at this level, Gu Mo has only encountered one Plague God who is a complete Ascension Realm cultivator. The others, the previous generation's number one in the world, the Red-Clothed Man, and the Qin Master, are only half-step Ascension Realm cultivators.

Because I dare not confront my inner demons.

Even at the half-step ascension realm, Ling Xiao was the number one person in the world at that time, and the red-clothed man and the musician had lived for hundreds of years to achieve it.

Therefore, reaching this level of expertise is actually quite remarkable.
The fake Da Bei in front of me was already among the top tier of combat power in the world twenty years ago, which is to say, he was in the top ten.

This person was actually a stand-in who had been brainwashed and had no self-awareness.

After much thought, Gu Mo concluded that only an explanation related to the forbidden existence of the Reincarnation Mirror could be considered reasonable.

"Grandmaster!"

Gu Mo cupped his hands towards the fake Da Bei and said, "I'll ask you one more time, who are you?"

The fake Da Bei remained very gentle and said, "This humble monk has answered you many times, young benefactor, that this humble monk is Da Bei."

Gu Mo asked, "Then, who is Da Bei? You believe you are Da Bei, but if the world considers Da Bei to be someone else, yet you believe you are the Da Bei that the world considers to be, then who exactly are you?"

The fake Da Bei was stunned. After a long while, he slowly said, "Amitabha, I cannot answer your question, young benefactor. Perhaps, I am just a poor monk!"

"I suppose the master will be freed from this predicament soon. Farewell!"

Gu Mo cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and left.

Just then, the fake Da Bei asked again, "Please forgive this humble monk for asking, in today's martial arts world, has your cultivation level qualified you for a martial arts evaluation?"

"We're in," Gu Mo replied.

Su Ziyou, who was standing to the side, added: "Number one in the world."

"Amitabha," the fake Great Compassionate Buddha exclaimed in surprise, "Are Su Qianqiu, Zhang Daoyi, Liansheng, Ye Nantian, and the others still alive?"

“I killed Ye Nantian, but the others are still alive,” Gu Mo said.

“Amitabha,” the fake Da Bei chuckled, “What a golden age for the martial world! If all these people were still alive, how could you, so young, be the best in the world? The martial arts world will surely reach new heights. You are a blessing to the martial world.”

Gu Mo smiled slightly and said nothing more.

quickly,

Su Ziyou followed Gu Mo out of the Star-Picking Tower and hurriedly asked, "Brother Gu, is this Great Compassion Demon Monk real or fake?"

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "It's no longer important. His Great Compassion Dantian has been sealed for twenty years, and his body is almost exhausted. His cultivation level has also dropped. Even if he is released now, he won't pose much of a threat. Besides, he probably won't live much longer."

Wasn't Xiao Ziyin here with a Chu delegation to negotiate exchanging prisoners for Da Bei? No need to negotiate for too long, that's enough, just hand him over. I'm worried that if Xiao Ziyin and his group find out where Da Bei is being held, they might use some tricks to kill him, and then we'll be stuck with him.”

Su Ziyou said in surprise, "It can't be that bad. At this stage, the Star-Picking Tower is heavily guarded. Even if the Chu Kingdom knows Da Bei's exact location, they can't get in. How can they let Da Bei die?"

“I can let him die from afar,” Gu Mo said.

After learning the truth about the Chu royal family's immortal descendants from this great benefactor, Gu Mo had reason to suspect that the current Chu Kingdom had received assistance from the outer heavens.

As the Heavenly Realm, the minimum requirement for the Outer Heaven is the Ascension Realm, which is the complete Primordial Spirit. Although the Star-Picking Tower is heavily guarded, it has no effect on the Primordial Spirit power at all.

immediately,

Gu Mo added, "Go tell the emperor that it was my order and that he should listen to me."

“Alright, I will go to see His Majesty tomorrow morning!” Su Ziyou nodded.

Afterwards, the two chatted as they walked out of the imperial city toward Ye Jinglan's house. Su Ziyou suddenly asked, "By the way, where is Chu Dong?"

"She was taken away by Li Li before she even entered the city!"

Su Ziyou smiled and said, "It's strange, Brother Gu. Logically speaking, you are handsome and dashing, and your martial arts are the best in the world. You and your sister travel the world together, so why do all the girls seem to like Chu Dong? This doesn't make sense."

Gu Mo: "??"

……

At this moment, at Princess Chengyang's residence, a carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the gate.

Li Li, Gu Chudong, and the woman in red got off the carriage.

Several servants waiting at the door immediately and carefully began to unload things from the carriage, a large pile of bags and packages.

Li Li was overjoyed and in high spirits. She took Gu Chudong's arm and said, "Chudong, let's go to Tingyu Town tomorrow! Let me tell you, there are many people from the Western Regions there. They brought lots of strange and wonderful things, like dancing mice and snakes that can change color... so many fun things!"

“Okay, we’ll go first thing tomorrow morning,” Gu Chudong said, then looked at the woman in red and asked, “Red, what do you think?”

The woman in red said, "Wherever Miss goes, I'll follow."

Gu Chudong said, "If you see something you like, you can buy it. Look at you, you've been shopping all day and haven't bought anything!"

The woman in red was slightly taken aback and said, "I don't have anything I like."

"What do you like? I'll take you to buy it tomorrow," Gu Chudong said.

The woman in red then said, "I don't like any of them."

"how come……"

Gu Chudong stopped speaking when she suddenly remembered that neither the woman in red nor the musician had any emotions. They could mimic human emotions like laughter, anger, and scolding, but they didn't have any instinctive feelings.

Immediately,

Gu Chudong didn't say anything more, but asked Li Li, "Didn't you say there was a very, very real clay figure?"

Li Li quickly said, "It's in the backyard. I'll take you to see it right now. Let me tell you, I'm not bragging, you'll be shocked when you see it!"

Gu Chudong curled her lip and said, "I want to see what kind of clay figure can be more lifelike than my brother's wood carving!"

After a while

Li Li then led Gu Chudong to a courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees an object covered with a white cloth in the main house. However, since it is completely covered, only a rough human-shaped object can be seen.

Li Li ran over excitedly, grabbed the white cloth, and said, "Now comes the moment to witness a miracle..."

As soon as the words are finished,

Li Li forcefully ripped off the white cloth, and in that instant, a sculpture appeared.

A sculpture without a base, standing on its feet, stands quietly in a moon-white dress. The folds of the dress fall naturally as if blown by the wind, and even the texture of the interwoven silk threads gleams subtly in the light and shadow.

Gu Chudong subconsciously clenched her fingertips, her heart skipping a beat.

This wasn't about being amazed by the incredible craftsmanship, but rather a strange sense of dread.

Because the sculpture's face was so lifelike, the curve of its brow bone, the fine lines at the corners of its eyes, and even the faint dimple at the corner of its lips were exactly the same as Li Li's.

What's most chilling is the expression on that face: a half-smile playing at the corners of its mouth, and eyes that, though dark brown from fired clay, seem to hold a watery sheen, as if they're about to blink at any moment.

The candlelight brushed across the sculpture's face, revealing a warm glow beneath the glaze that resembled that of real skin. The neckline of the long dress seemed to tremble slightly with the rise and fall of its "breath," exuding a vitality that only a living creature could possess.

For a time,

Gu Chudong felt somewhat dazed, as if the person standing in front of her was not a sculpture, but Li Li's twin sister, a mirror image frozen in time at a certain moment.

That smile held a hint of Li Li's usual cunning, and even the curve of her hair against her neck was no different from usual, as if she would open her mouth to speak at any moment, gently brushing away the stray hairs on her forehead with her fingertips.

The air was filled with the musty smell of earth and glaze, but it couldn't hide the vibrant energy that was just like Li Li's, which sent a chill down Gu Chudong's spine.

Li Li ran over nonchalantly, showing off, "See? I wasn't lying to you, was I? Isn't this much better than your brother's wood carving? Let me tell you, when I first saw it, I couldn't believe it was actually a clay figure. Hehe, I'll take you to see that clay figure master tomorrow and have him sculpt one for you too!"

Gu Chudong looked at the clay figure, swallowed hard, walked over, and gently poked the face of the clay figure with her finger. She immediately breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although it looked very realistic, she could still feel it when she touched it. It was just a clay figure with glaze.

But looking at this truly outrageous clay figure, Gu Chudong still felt inexplicably nervous. She took the white cloth from Li Li and covered the clay figure with it, saying, "Forget it, Chengyang, I find this creepy, I won't do it!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Li Li said with a grin. "Chu Dong, you're the heroine Gu! You're not afraid to slay people in the martial world, why would you be afraid of a mud-covered man?"

“This is different,” Gu Chudong said, pulling Li Li away. “Chengyang, I think you shouldn’t keep this thing at home. It’s really creepy!”

"Hehe, I thought you were fearless and didn't care about anything, but it turns out you do have things you're afraid of..."

The two chatted as they left.

Just then, a gust of wind blew, lifting the white cloth off its surface.
The candlelight flickered in the room.

The clay figure suddenly blinked and grinned!
(End of this chapter)