Chapter 142 When Cang Li met Hong Jun...
Cang Li was startled when she saw Hongjun; Hongjun looked so different from how he had looked not long ago.
His hair and beard were white, and he had become much thinner. The Taoist robe that used to fit him was now hanging loosely on his body. Logically speaking, once someone cultivates to the level of Hongjun, their appearance should not change beyond their own voluntary transformation. Moreover, Cang Li could tell that this was indeed Hongjun's original appearance, and he had not deliberately transformed it to tease her.
Taiqing sat to the side, and the two were playing chess.
Cang Li had questions in his mind, but he didn't speak rashly. Instead, he walked over and sat down next to Tai Qing, glancing at Hong Jun from time to time. How could such a Dao Ancestor look like he was on his last legs?
Hongjun smiled and placed the last chess piece, saying:
"You lost."
Taiqing remained calm, tossed the chess piece back into the chess box, and looked at Hongjun without saying a word.
Hongjun, looking bored, flicked his sleeve and removed the chessboard from the table, then looked at Cang Li and said:
"You came very quickly. I thought you would take a few days to come. It seems that this 'hostage' is very useful."
Cang Li couldn't help but ask Hong Jun:
"What brings you here, Dao Ancestor?"
Hongjun waved his hand: "I won't die for now. I called you here for this matter."
Cang Li was even more confused. In the end, she didn't understand calculation or Tai Chi. She had become a saint by simply piling up her cultivation level and learning some fighting techniques. So she didn't know what was going on. But judging from Tai Qing's expression, Tai Qing probably knew what it was. Cang Li tugged at Tai Qing's sleeve under the table.
Taiqing grasped Cangli's hand, as if to comfort him.
Cang Li was immediately relieved; Tai Qing's reaction probably wasn't a bad thing.
So Cangli said to Hongjun:
"Please just tell me what you need. If it's something I can do, I will definitely agree. But if it's not, then there's nothing I can do."
Hongjun laughed heartily, and after laughing, he said to Cangli:
"The things you sent have greatly improved the Heavenly Dao. I am also about to return to the Great Dao. The Heavenly Dao still needs a manager. It has chosen you and hopes that after I leave, you will take my place and guard the Heavenly Dao in Zixiao Palace."
Cang Li's first reaction was to refuse: "How can this be? I don't know anything about this. It's too strange to suddenly ask me to take over this position. Besides, I think you're doing well and can continue to work for millions of years to come."
After saying that, Cang Li pulled Tai Qing away.
Hongjun raised an eyebrow and instantly appeared in front of Cang Li, blocking his way and saying:
"Fine, if you don't agree, you can leave, but Taiqing can't."
Cang Li: ?
"Why!?"
Hongjun said lazily, "Because from today onwards, he will be confined to Zixiao Palace to reflect on his mistakes."
Cang Li retorted, "He didn't do anything wrong, why should he reflect on his actions? No, he has to come back with me."
Hongjun: "He can't leave."
Cang Li refused to believe it and pulled Tai Qing outside. Once she was out the door, she let go of Tai Qing's hand, leaving Tai Qing inside.
"Daoist Master?" Cang Li looked at Tai Qing in confusion. Why did he let go?
Cang Li turned around and reached for Tai Qing's hand again. This time, she understood why Tai Qing's hand bounced back the moment it touched the door.
"Dao Ancestor! You are making things difficult for me!"
Cang Li directly berated Hong Jun, who was watching the show.
Hongjun spread his hands: "I didn't do it. I've already said that it was Heaven that chose you. Besides, there's no harm in you staying in Zixiao Palace. You'll be the Dao Ancestor in the future, with an unparalleled status. No one can do anything to you. Isn't that good?"
Cang Li frowned: "I don't want to be like you, stuck in jail here, unable to get out."
Hongjun looked at Cangli in surprise: "What are you talking about? Who said we can't go out?"
Cang Li: ?
"You've been in Zixiao Palace for tens of thousands of years without ever leaving, isn't it because you can't leave?"
Hongjun chuckled: "I don't go out because I'm merging with the Dao and don't have time to go out. It's not that I can't. Now that you've finished merging with the Dao, it's fine if you don't want to live in Zixiao Palace. Just come and inspect regularly. I didn't say you can't go out."
Cang Li: "...Does that mean I've agreed to take care of all four of them: Yuqing, Shangqing, Jieyin, and Zhunti?"
Hongjun hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly:
"That's right, it's all under your jurisdiction. The sages forbid interference with the operation of the Three Realms, so it is indeed under your jurisdiction."
Cang Li's eyes lit up: "You promise I'll still be free after I agree!"
Hongjun patiently replied, "I guarantee it."
After becoming the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao, Cang Li was indeed not restricted. The spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao needs to have the common people in mind and be fair and just, so Cang Li is the most suitable. She has no selfish motives. If you want to say that she only has one, it is Tai Qing. That is not a big deal, because Tai Qing does not like to go out, does not like to cause trouble, and even only has one disciple.
If Cang Li's beloved were Yuan Shi or Tong Tian, Hong Jun would really have to reconsider this matter. There's no other reason than that, given Yuan Shi's disdain for anyone weaker than him, Hong Jun is truly afraid that in the future, all those of inferior origin will be banished to the animal realm.
As for Tongtian, he simply loves fighting. He'll fight anyone he encounters who's powerful, anyone he finds interesting, or anyone he doesn't like.
Hongjun sighed, "So Taiqing is still the least troublesome."
Cang Li looked at Tai Qing again, asking with her eyes: Daoist Master? What do you think?
Taiqing pondered for a moment. He had been calculating ever since he entered Zixiao Palace, and finally concluded that this matter would not harm Cangli. Indeed, only Cangli could handle such a position that was above all living beings.
So Taiqing nodded: "Okay."
Seeing that Taiqing didn't object... Of course, even if she had objected, Cangli would still have agreed, because she had thought about it herself. This matter was indeed not bad, and even the most difficult part had been done by Hongjun, the Scroll King. She just needed to accept the fruits of Hongjun's success.
As long as the Way of Heaven endures, she will live on forever.
Cang Li nodded readily: "Okay, I agree."
Upon hearing this, Cang Li felt an invisible network connecting her soul to the air. Countless meridians were connected to the large tree in her spiritual palace, and the other end of the meridians led to the Heavenly Dao. She had to guard these meridians, and if there were any abnormalities, she needed to investigate and straighten out the abnormal meridians.
The Heavenly Dao even proactively connected to her spiritual abode to make it easier for her to work. In other words, Hongjun was not lying to her; she could enter her spiritual abode to observe the situation anytime, anywhere, and the Zixiao Palace could come over periodically.
Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief, looking even older, and raised his hand to press on Cangli's head, saying:
"Thank you. Please come to Zixiao Palace again in three days. Go now."
Cang Li pulled Tai Qing away, but couldn't help turning back at the door. He saw Hong Jun standing there, as if he was about to ascend to immortality... Oh, we can't use the word "ascension to immortality," since everyone here is a deity.
Taiqing lowered his head and said, "No need to worry, Teacher is the last fragment of the Heavenly Dao. From now on, the Heavenly Dao will reside in him."
Cang Li withdrew his gaze, tightly gripping Tai Qing's hand, and said:
"You must stay with me from now on. I feel that the Dao Ancestor seems very lonely."
Taiqing looked at Cangli with amusement: "Okay."
The two returned to the Eight Views Palace hand in hand. Wu Gu squatted anxiously at the gate, her eyes darting around, while Tong Tian, who had been touching and tugging at her hair, sat beside her. The moment she saw Cang Li return, Wu Gu cheered and rushed over, hugging Cang Li tightly.
"Mmm!" Mom~
Cang Li struggled to create distance between herself and the innocent child. There was no way around it; the child was too big, too strong, and uncontrollable. Luckily, she was a saint; if it were an ordinary person, such a pounce would have left them with broken arms and legs.
"Wugu, I know you're happy, but don't hug me like that, I can't breathe."
Wu Gu happily saw Cang Li off, and the next second he put Cang Li on her shoulder and happily turned back to Bajing Palace.
Taiqing, who remained where he was: ...I'm still here.
Tongtian looked at the five grains with regret, then turned and asked:
"Brother, where did you get this iron-eating beast? I want to get one and raise it too."
Taiqing glanced at Tongtian and said, "I picked it up. If you like it, take it home and raise it." The bigger Wugu got, the more it liked to stick to Cangli, which he didn't like.
Tongtian's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Taiqing nodded: "As long as you can take it away, I definitely won't stop you."
Tongtian was eager to get started and put the grains in sacks to be brought back to Biyou Palace. His Biyou Palace wasn't far; it would only take half a day to fly east from Bajing Palace.
Yuanshi's Jade Void Palace is to the west. He doesn't care about the demons in Biyou Palace, so he is far away. However, the distance to the Eight Scenic Spots is the same on both sides.
To stay away from Tongtian, mainly because he was afraid of being beaten up by Tongtian, Jieyin and Zhunti settled down next to Yuxu Palace. Although Yuanshi didn't like them much either, he wouldn't chase after them and beat them up like Tongtian did, instead calling it a friendly exchange.
Who would cut off someone's three flowers on the head right off the bat in a sparring match? It's just that they robbed three thousand disciples of the Jie Sect, is it really necessary?
Jieyin and Zhunti politely declined Tongtian's offer, not feeling that they had done anything wrong by stealing his disciple, and that they deserved to be beaten.
Nuwa Palace is located in the south, closest to Bajing Palace, so Nuwa can often let Cangli go there to play.
Back in familiar surroundings, Cangli climbed off Wugu's shoulder. As soon as he sat down, Wugu sidled up to him, squatted down at his feet, and happily purred.
Cang Li earnestly patted the innocent-looking head and advised:
"Five Grains, you've been cultivating for nearly a thousand years, why haven't you taken human form yet?"
Wugu Claw covered her ears and looked innocently at Cang Li. She didn't want to become a hairless, two-legged beast. It was too small and wouldn't even be enough to fill the enemy's teeth. She preferred her original form.
Cang Li found the sesame dumpling with its ears covered incredibly cute, and pinched the five-grain ears, saying:
"Okay, okay, whatever makes you happy."
The five grains were happy again.
Taiqing and Tongtian entered one after the other. Tongtian went straight to the Five Grains:
"Wugu, why don't you come with me to Biyou Palace?"
Biyou Palace is full of rebellious disciples; there's really no one as obedient as Wugu. Tongtian is extremely envious.
Wu Gu slowly clung to Cang Li's leg, refusing to leave.
Cang Li, resting his chin on his hand, looked at Tong Tian and said with a smile:
"You think you can steal my grains just because Jieyin and Zhunti stole your disciple?"
Tongtian: "...Don't even mention it. I beat them both up. I was planning to take them back, but who knew they wouldn't come back. They even said that the Western Sect is pretty good, and that they'll stay away from the mortal world and devote themselves to Buddhism."
Cang Li suppressed a laugh and asked again, "What about Duobao?"
Tongtian waved his hand: "Duobao is fine, he would never become a bald monk."
After saying that, he continued to eye Wugu with longing and asked Cang Li, "Can you lend me Wugu to raise for a few days, or can you tell me where I can find such an obedient iron-eating beast as Wugu?"
Before Cang Li could speak, Yuan Shi's cold words came through:
"You still want to keep them?! Aren't the ones in Biyou Palace enough for you to see?"
Tongtian: ...
Tongtian, disappointed, patted Wugu's head a few more times: "Alright, alright, I won't raise it anymore. Sigh~ Even after becoming a saint, I still have to be managed by my second brother. We've already separated, yet he still manages to keep me in charge of raising spirit pets. Second brother, why don't you take care of your disciples when you have time?"
He saw the three figures—Cihang, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra—in the Western religion.
Yuanshi: ...
Yuanshi snorted: "Everyone has their own destiny. Their opportunities lie in the Western Religion, and I will not interfere."
Tongtian shrugged and sat down with Yuanshi; they had come here on important business.
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