Chapter 45: A Friend from Afar, How Wonderful

“Buddha Wuzhi, long time no see. Are you also heading to the Dao Sect?”

“Benefactor Wang Bian, this little monk is merely attending the Immortal Artifact Appreciation Assembly to broaden my horizons.”

The young monk and the Confucian scholar greeted each other, clearly old acquaintances.

After hearing their conversation, even the last traces of defiance disappeared from the rough men’s hearts. Even the other passengers, who had been watching the commotion, subconsciously adjusted their postures, unwilling to appear too casual in front of these two.

It was said that Buddha Wuzhi was the reincarnation of a Buddha. The moment he was born, an entire small town transformed into a Buddhist land. Even his own parents fell to their knees in worship and joined the Buddhist sect, something beyond even his own control. Upon hearing of this, Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru personally came to take him as his final disciple, declaring him a Buddha Child.

Precisely because he was the reincarnation of a Buddha, his cultivation speed was extraordinarily fast. At just fourteen, he had already reached the Nascent Soul Stage, breaking the record for the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator.

When Jiang Li was fourteen, he hadn’t even transmigrated yet.

As for the Confucian scholar Wang Bian, he was a Dao Sect Envoy of the Confucian Sect. Despite his young age, he was already the National Advisor of seven small nations. Under his teachings in Confucian benevolence, these nations had transformed into lands of gentlemen, where doors were left unlocked at night and lost items were never taken.

Even Soul Formation scholars sought his guidance on Confucian doctrines.

“Is Buddha Wuzhi really the reincarnation of a Buddha?” Holy Maiden Jingxin asked curiously. She had heard of his legend and had even asked Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru about it in person, but the old monk had merely smiled and remained silent.

At least he usually dismissed her with the standard “The Buddha says, this cannot be spoken.”

If she weren’t unable to defeat him, she would have pried open his mouth by force!

Not just anyone who traveled to the Western Paradise could claim the title of Buddha. Only those with profound Buddhist teachings and their own Buddhist land in the Celestial Realm could truly be called Buddhas.

Jiang Li’s expression was strange. “That’s what you care about?”

“What else should I care about?” Holy Maiden Jingxin found his reaction odd.

“He might be your grandmaster.”

“???”

“Your master, Daoist Nun Qingyu, likes him. You didn’t know?”

“???”

Seeing that Holy Maiden Jingxin needed a moment to process this information, Jiang Li decided to answer her question seriously.

“I don’t know. I’m not familiar with reincarnation.”

Jiang Li truly had little understanding of reincarnation. Even after living for five hundred years, he still wasn’t sure whether he had transmigrated or simply awakened memories of a past life.

“But Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru said that Buddha Wuzhi’s Buddha nature surpasses even his own. He intends to nominate Buddha Wuzhi as a candidate for Human Sovereign.”

“Regardless of whether he’s truly a Buddha reincarnated, I can say for certain—this little monk’s past life was an incredibly powerful being.”

Jiang Li narrowed his eyes at Buddha Wuzhi.

“What do you see?”

Holy Maiden Jingxin knew Jiang Li had deep knowledge of souls.

“A soul that doesn’t match his age.”

In Jiang Li’s eyes, Buddha Wuzhi’s soul was incomparably strong and resilient. Although still at the Nascent Soul level, it bore the scars of countless tribulations—something a fourteen-year-old monk shouldn’t have.

Normally, when someone reincarnates, their soul is wiped clean, leaving no traces of their past life. Even Jiang Li wouldn’t be able to discern their previous identity.

But Buddha Wuzhi’s soul was so resilient that even reincarnation hadn’t erased its markings. That could only mean that his past self had been so powerful that it left an undeniable imprint on this life.

Whether he was truly a Buddha in his past life—who knew?

“We’re approaching the Baize Dynasty. Everyone, stay alert!”

The shipmaster shouted, instructing the guards on the flying boat to be on high alert.

Jiang Li, however, understood the real meaning. Normally, the shipmaster would be speaking to the guards, but with a Buddha Child and a Confucian Sect Envoy on board, it was clear he was directing his words at them.

Before he could finish speaking, the sharp cry of an eagle rang out from below the flying boat, sending chills down the spines of the passengers.

The strongest guard on the ship, a Peak Golden Core cultivator, felt his hairs stand on end the moment he heard it.

A Nascent Soul-stage eagle demon!

Cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage couldn’t fly, but bird-type demons were an exception!

The guard cursed inwardly. Normally, only a few Foundation Establishment-level eagles caused trouble, at worst a Golden Core eagle demon. But today—what the hell? Was this little monk’s scent so enticing that it lured an ancient eagle demon over?!

“The Baize Dynasty’s nickname, ‘Bandit Dynasty,’ really lives up to its name. I’ve finally seen it firsthand.”

Even Holy Maiden Jingxin, who rarely paid attention to worldly matters, had heard of the Baize Dynasty’s infamous reputation.

“It can’t be helped. The Baize Emperor is doing her best. The fact that the nation hasn’t collapsed yet is already impressive, given that she’s a mixed-blood Baize who can’t suppress the Eight Great Vassal Kings.” Jiang Li sighed at the dynasty’s unfortunate situation.

The current Baize Emperor was a hybrid of a Baize and a Qilin, and she looked like a white Qilin. To the Baize Dynasty, this was practically a joke. How could they accept a Baize Emperor who had the appearance of a Qilin?

“Beasts only recognize bloodlines. If the bloodline isn’t pure, they won’t acknowledge the ruler. Without their recognition, she can’t harness the National Fortune.”

Jiang Li had met the Baize Emperor before—he thought the white Qilin looked pretty cool. He never quite understood why the beast clans were so obsessed with purity.

“The Baize Emperor is only at the Soul Formation Stage, and so are the Eight Beast Kings. She’s not like me—able to take on all eight alone. With each king carving out their own territory and obeying orders only when they feel like it, the dynasty was bound to turn into a den of bandits.”

But precisely because the beast clans were so disorderly, human cultivators frequently ventured into the Baize Dynasty to train. Killing demonic beasts there was seen as entirely justified.

The eagle demon revealed itself, its wings spanning an impressive nine zhang. The golden sheen at the tips of its feathers highlighted its noble lineage. It dove straight toward the pile of Spirit Stones fueling the flying boat.

That pile was worth more than the flying boat itself!

Buddha Wuzhi and Wang Bian attacked simultaneously, forcing the eagle demon back. If not for its ability to fly, it would have already been captured!

“Eagle Benefactor, lay down your blade and embrace the path of the Buddha. Please, cease this violence.”

“Lord Eagle, burning, killing, and looting are not the ways of a gentleman.”

The eagle demon completely ignored their words and even prepared to spit.

The two sighed in unison. Their persuasion techniques only worked on Golden Core demons or weaker. Against a Nascent Soul-level eagle demon, they were useless.

Buddha Wuzhi pulled out the Buddhist Sect’s treasure, the Brahma Tower, and hurled it.

The small, purple Brahma Tower was no larger than a palm, yet as heavy as the sun and moon. The eagle demon barely brushed against it and immediately spat blood, its wings losing all strength as it plummeted.

Wang Bian tossed out a talisman inscribed with the word “Restrain.” The moment it touched the eagle demon, it froze in place, obediently dragged back onto the flying boat.

The eagle demon was still in shock, completely unable to process what had just happened.

“Using force too often isn’t good for one’s state of mind,” Wang Bian said hesitantly.

The eagle demon wanted to cry. Then don’t use force!

Buddha Wuzhi also looked troubled. “Indeed, but if they don’t listen, what else can we do?”

“Shall we try persuading him again?”

“Alright.”

And so, the two sat the restrained eagle demon down in front of them—one chanting Buddhist scriptures in its left ear, the other preaching Confucian virtues in its right.

Buddhist wisdom entered from the left ear, and Confucian morality blocked it from escaping through the right.

The eagle demon’s mind was now filled with Prajnaparamita and A friend from afar, how wonderful.

It was filled with regret—so much regret.