Chapter 98 Obsession: Finding a New Obsession for Sect Leader Shen
"Do you remember? You used to be so good to me... but after I found you again, you changed. No, you didn't change. You're still good to others, you just didn't want to be good to me anymore. In your heart, I'm not as important as sweet rice balls, not even as important as Han Shannan, whom you've only known for a short time..."
"Is all of this because they could help you from the beginning, while I could only trouble you before?"
"That's not it..." She paused for a moment after hearing Shen Zhengyuan's words, then quickly stepped forward and said, "What I said just now was mostly said in anger, don't take it to heart, I just... I just..."
She stammered for a long time, but couldn't come up with anything convincing. She could only reach out to wipe away the tears on Shen Zhengyuan's face.
But as soon as she reached out, Shen Zhengyuan pointed his sword and a teleportation array unfolded beneath his feet, instantly disappearing from her sight and leaving her with nothing.
Li Chenjin: "..."
alright.
That's good now.
He had a headache from being nagged by those in the body cultivation world, and then he had a headache from being nagged by Shen Zhengyuan. Adding to his heart and lung pain, and remembering the crazy things Shen Zhengyuan had done in the past, he lost control of himself and blurted out whatever came to mind.
well……
No wonder people say that the people you can hurt the most are those closest to you.
She remembered those words and had always been careful not to have any real conflict with Shen Zhengyuan. But now, all the anger she had been holding back was released at once, which drove him away and even made her cry.
Although it's quite novel and even cute to watch Shen Zhengyuan cry occasionally, it's still something she shouldn't do.
After all, given Shen Zhengyuan's thoughtful and meticulous nature, who knows what he might be thinking about their past? He might even start from when they first met more than seven hundred years ago, meticulously recounting everything. If he brings up old grievances again, she'll be in big trouble.
She didn't believe that the old monk Mingcun hadn't foreseen these things. He arranged for these people to meet with her, and in the beginning, he even insisted that she introduce Shen Zhengyuan to the Zen meditation world. Perhaps he was worried that Shen Zhengyuan wouldn't be there, and that things wouldn't be as they are now.
Tsk...
Mingcun, that old monk...
You've really done her a lot of harm...
well……
………………
Since that day, Li Chenjin has been apologizing to thin air from time to time. After all, according to the "connection" between Shen Zhengyuan and her, he can see what she sees and hear what she hears, so he can definitely hear her apologizing to thin air.
Unfortunately, even after so many days, Shen Zhengyuan did not give her any response, as if the previous contact was just her illusion.
She was at a loss for what to do. After all, she couldn't leave the meditation community for the time being. If Shen Zhengyuan didn't look for her, she couldn't look for him either. The two of them could only passively fall into a cold war.
But given Shen Zhengyuan's personality, the reason he's ignoring her now is probably because he's been deeply hurt by her words, so he's hiding in the Pure Realm, reminiscing about his parents, fellow disciples, and friends whose faces he's long forgotten, and shedding tears as he thinks about them.
If Shen Zhengyuan's parents, fellow disciples, and friends were alive, and saw Shen Zhengyuan in that state, they would probably want to appear in her dreams and give her a good scolding, right?
well……
Shen Zhengyuan was already somewhat abnormal because of what happened in the past, and his personality became even more obsessive. After this incident, he will probably be stimulated even more severely.
Thinking of this, Li Chen couldn't help but sigh. He looked at the old monk Mingcun, who had returned early after finishing his business, with disdain.
The old monk, whom she glared at from time to time, was wearing a gray monk's robe with some tears in it and frayed sleeves. He had obviously just returned from outside and hadn't had time to change his clothes before coming to find her.
Although he was over a hundred years old, he looked like he was in his sixties or seventies. Even after being glared at by Li Chenjin, he still had a kind smile on his face, as if he were looking at a child who was angry with him. He looked at her with very gentle eyes and asked, "I wonder what made you angry, Sect Leader Li?"
"Isn't that all because of you?" Li Chenjin took a sip of tea and accused, "I could have died peacefully, why did you have to cause me so much trouble? And you know I just like to advise others to live, it's not like I want to live myself."
"Now that you've returned ahead of schedule, you'd better explain yourself clearly. More than seven hundred years ago, I wasn't even born yet. It's too strange that I suddenly traveled back so far in time. Did you do this?"
Zen Master Mingcun smiled and said, "Indeed, it was done by this old monk."
Li Chen pursed his lips, glanced at the old monk Mingcun a few times, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, saying, "I just want to ask, why are you doing all this? Is it to keep me alive? I've had enough of living, and I'm already exhausted from living. Do you know how annoying Shen Zhengyuan is, and how tiring it is for me to deal with him?"
"Look at me, I'm neither human nor ghost, half-dead and half-alive. Is this what you, as my friend, should be doing?"
Zen Master Mingcun shook his head. “Sect Leader Li, please don’t be angry. I sent you through this strange adventure not to cause you pain, nor to force you to live. It’s just that I saw some things and know that Sect Leader Shen is stubborn. Therefore, once Sect Leader Shen sets his mind on something, he will do it even if it means something else. That’s why I resorted to this tactic.”
“He is indeed that kind of person, but what does that have to do with my business?” Li Chen asked.
Zen Master Mingcun said, “If Headmaster Shen’s temperament is used for the right path, it can save the people from suffering; but if it is used for the evil path, it can cause great suffering to the world. Although I want to dissuade him, I am not on the same path as Headmaster Shen, and he will not listen to my advice.”
"Therefore, I have no choice but to ask Headmaster Li to go back seven hundred years and have a talk with Headmaster Shen. Headmaster Shen has experienced many things, so his temperament is different from ordinary people. Ordinary people are troubled by their obsessions, but Headmaster Shen lives because of his obsessions. I have no other choice but to change Headmaster Shen's obsession."
Li Chen said seriously, "So I've become bait?"
Zen Master Mingcun nodded.
Seeing him nod, Li Chenjin immediately pointed at him and said, "You old monk, you actually dare to admit it? I think you clearly don't consider me a friend!"
"Amitabha." Zen Master Mingcun put his hands together and said, "A monk does not lie. Since Abbot Li has asked, this old monk must tell the truth. How can I, like Abbot Li, just blurt things out?"
Li Chenjin: "..."
Li Chenjin: "Are you indirectly insulting me?"
Zen Master Mingcun closed his eyes, not answering Li Chenjin's question, but silently uttered another phrase: "Amitabha."
Li Chenjin: "..."
"Alright, things are as they are now, so just tell me what you really want to do." Li Chen rubbed his flat wrist and said, "Let me tell you, I can only endure it for a little while longer. Now that I've found a home for the sweet fermented rice balls, I can leave without any worries."
"Anyway, I'm practically dead now, and I don't really want to live any longer. If you can't give me a convincing answer, and you can't handle things with Shen Zhengyuan either, then I might as well just kill myself and have my soul scattered. That would be peace and quiet."
Zen Master Mingcun sighed and shook his head, saying, "I don't mean to make things difficult for Headmaster Li, but Headmaster Li is unaware of his own inner turmoil and hasn't completely let go of the past. This peace meeting is intended to allow Headmaster Li to return to his homeland and bid a complete farewell to the past."
Li Chen said, "What knot in my heart? What past? I've already let it go."
Zen Master Mingcun shook his head again. “If Headmaster Li had truly let go, he could return to his homeland with a clear conscience, instead of looking so sorrowful. I have seen many people, including many stubborn people like Headmaster Li. Headmaster Li is merely suppressing the past; he has not truly let go.”
"Sect Leader Li, listen to this old monk's advice. Forcibly suppressing the past in your heart will not make it disappear; it will only allow the pain of the past to fester in your heart. It's like cooking oil over a raging fire; the slightest touch will hurt both yourself and others. It's not a good thing."
Li Chen remained silent for a long time before asking, "What about Shen Zhengyuan? I can't control him at all right now, and he doesn't like being controlled. On the contrary, he wants to control me. You know I've never liked being overpowered. There's absolutely no possibility between us."
"Besides, even without the reason of incompatibility, I myself am not long for this world, and I have no interest in living for another thousand or eight hundred years. So if I were to have any further involvement with him, what good would it do except cause him future suffering?"
Zen Master Mingcun said, "There are always people in the world who, knowing that their lifespan is not long, push away those around them and eventually leave with regrets, leaving endless regrets for those around them. Headmaster Li used to be arrogant, so naturally he was even more unwilling to let people see what he looked like before he passed away."
"But Sect Leader Li, please think about this: do you really want to push away those around you, die with regrets, and leave Sect Leader Shen with regrets for the rest of his life?"
After a moment of silence, Li Chen said, "Life is full of regrets. Whether I die in front of him or in a place he doesn't know, he will still have regrets. In that case, why don't I choose a more dignified way to die? That way, at least for the rest of his life, he will only remember that I wasn't so pathetic."
Zen Master Mingcun asked, "If Headmaster Shen were alone and nearing the end of his life, would Headmaster Li wish to see him one last time?"
Li Chenjin: "..."
Seeing that Li Chen remained silent, Zen Master Mingcun sighed helplessly, "Sect Leader Li, there will certainly be regrets, but rather than letting Sect Leader Shen not even be able to see you one last time, why not leave each other with some beautiful memories while we are alive? That way, at least when we think back on it later, we can still taste some sweetness amidst the boundless bitterness."
"Sect Leader Shen has a rather extreme personality and cannot be treated with ordinary reasoning, but that is all due to his past experiences. Since he can remember, Sect Leader Shen has been struggling on the line between life and death, which is why he has developed a personality that will never give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope. But it is precisely this personality that enabled Sect Leader Shen to overcome all difficulties and rebuild the world of cultivation."
"If Headmaster Li leaves a sliver of hope for someone like Headmaster Shen, it will eventually lead him astray. I have seen Headmaster Shen's past. Headmaster Shen used to be ruthless in his pursuit of survival, doing what ordinary people could not do and enduring what ordinary people could not endure. Therefore, he only cared about life and death, not about right and wrong, good and evil."
"If the demons hadn't killed his family, teachers, and fellow disciples, given Sect Leader Shen's personality, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to work with the demons. But most importantly, Sect Leader Shen knows too much about the cultivation world. If he were to become an enemy of the cultivation world, the cultivation world would inevitably suffer heavy casualties."
"You don't mean to say that Shen Zhengyuan might become an enemy of the cultivation world in the future, do you?" Li Chenjin suddenly asked.
Zen Master Mingcun smiled and said, "Whether he will or will not, this old monk cannot say for sure. But Sect Leader Shen does indeed have the ability to be an enemy of the cultivation world; it just depends on whether Sect Leader Shen wants to or not."
Li Chen lowered his head, sighed wearily, and said, "Just tell me what you want me to do."
“Let’s find a new obsession for Headmaster Shen,” said Zen Master Mingcun.
"Aren't you just making things difficult for me?" Li Chen sighed. "I just had a falling out with him. When you examined me just now, didn't you say that although we still have contact, he has temporarily cut it off? He doesn't even want to know what I'm doing now. How can I create a new obsession for him?"
"And another thing, how am I supposed to create a new obsession for him? Introduce him to someone new? Wouldn't he think I'm intentionally humiliating him? If he doesn't make a huge scene, I'll be glad he's got a good temper."
Zen Master Mingcun looked at her, but smiled without saying a word. Li Chenjin felt a chill run down his spine from the smile. He sighed helplessly and said, "Alright, I'll try to find a way, but whether I can find a way or whether he'll even bother with me, I can't guarantee."
As she spoke, she picked up the cup on the table, drank the tea in one gulp, put the cup back on the table, and tapped the table to signal Zen Master Mingcun to pour her more tea.
Zen Master Mingcun smiled helplessly, and following her wishes, picked up the teapot and refilled her teacup. Li Chenjin's expression improved a little, but she still complained, "I'm not saying this to be mean, but old monk, it's too hard to repay your life-saving grace. Don't do this again when you save people in the future."
Then she sighed heavily and asked, "One last question, is that demon related to me?"
"Yes, and no," said Zen Master Mingcun.
Li Chenjin: "...?"
Li Chenjin: "If you keep playing riddles with me, I'm not helping you anymore."
Zen Master Mingcun shook his head and said, "It's not that I want to play riddles with Headmaster Li, but it's just that it's not the right time to explain things clearly to Headmaster Li now. Even if I did explain now, Headmaster Li would probably find it difficult to understand, let alone comprehend."
"However, Sect Leader Li need not be impatient. After this trip to the Sword Cultivation World, many things will naturally be answered. This is why I sent Sect Leader Li to the Sword Cultivation World to participate in the peace talks."
"Alright." Seeing that Zen Master Mingcun didn't want to say more, Li Chen didn't ask any further questions. He simply picked up his teacup, gently touched the cup in front of Zen Master Mingcun, and said, "You are the only friend I can truly talk to, so I will forgive you this time, you cunning old monk."
Zen Master Mingcun smiled, picked up his cup, and clinked it against Li Chenjin's cup, saying, "Thank you, Headmaster Li. Then this old monk will not hold it against you for teasing Duxin so often."
Du Xin was the little monk who was often teased to the point of jumping up and down by Li Chenjin. Upon hearing this name, Li Chenjin couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "I knew that kid was unruly. He started complaining as soon as he saw you come back!"
Zen Master Mingcun smiled and said, "However, this old monk would also like to know what the secret method that Headmaster Li mentioned, which can help people grow taller, is."
Li Chen glanced at him slowly and asked, "You old monk, you're over a hundred years old, do you still want to grow taller?"
Zen Master Mingcun said, "No, no. It's just that Duxin told me that he thinks the secret method that Headmaster Li mentioned is a lie."
“How could that be?” Li Chenjin immediately retorted, “I really do have a secret technique, why doesn’t he believe me?”
"Master Li, could you please tell me the secret method?" Zen Master Mingcun asked.
"Alright, since you're so eager to learn, I'll tell you generously."
Li Chen cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, "That secret technique is..."
Eat more.
Zen Master Mingcun was taken aback, then laughed out loud. At the same time, a child's cry suddenly came from outside the window, and then the little monk Duxin ran in from outside the door, pointed at Li Chenjin, and shouted to Zen Master Mingcun, "Master, I knew she was lying again!!"
Li Chen lowered his head, scratched his nose, and seemed to mutter, "How can you call this a lie? I'm telling the absolute truth..."
"You're a liar!"
"Then I'll say you little monk are untrustworthy, no wonder you're not tall."
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