First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2588 – Fishing in Turbid Waters, a Buddhist Heart in Chaos

The Western Paradise Spirit Mountains.

The Dipankara Buddha sat beneath a bodhi tree, reading an ancient sutra. He looked calm and peaceful.

Gu Huaxian sat not far away, occasionally glancing at him. Her eyes showed hints of awe and dread.

The Dipankara Buddha had changed!

The day the Dark Days of Legend began, Gu Huaxian noticed that the Dipankara Buddha had changed somehow, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

He was still clearly the same person, and he still seemed as calm and unshakeable as a mountain, but when she faced him, Gu Huaxian felt uncontrollable, instinctual dread well within her heart. As time passed, this dread only intensified.

By now, she didn’t even dare to meet his gaze!

She’d tried asking what had happened to him, but the only answer she got was, “Yesterday’s Dao wasn’t the true Dao, and the me of today isn’t the true me. In the future, I’ll naturally be complete and unbreakable.”

It was like a Chan Buddhist dialogue. Gu Huaxian had pondered it for a long time, and she was starting to understand. It seemed that the Dipankara Buddha was saying that his Dao was different from before, and that he was thus different, too.

Furthermore, in the future, he’d cultivate to the point that he was “complete and unbreakable!”

However, Gu Huaxian was keenly aware that her understanding was shallow, and that the Dipankara Buddha’s changes couldn’t possibly be so simple!

The bodhi tree was ancient and vigorous. Its dense leaves swayed, scattering a dreamlike rain of light.

The Dipankara Buddha sat beneath it, holding a sutra, his whole body emanating ethereal, tranquil, transcendent charm.

Gu Huaxian hesitated, but in the end, she couldn’t hold back. “Are you… really willing to let your Western Paradise Spirit Mountains join and serve Di E’s New World Alliance?”

The Dipankara Buddha’s eyes never left the page. He just said, “A trivial matter. What need is there for concern?”

Trivial? Gu Huaxian was stunned. The establishment of the New World Alliance is a huge development. It’s shaken the entire God Domain.

And that’s before even considering that everyone’s benefits are on the line.

The Dipankara Buddha I knew would have planned thoroughly, making ample arrangements. He could never have been so dismissive!

“Is there still anything in this world worthy of your concern?” Gu Huaxian frowned.

“Worldly affairs are as fleeting as the passing clouds,” the Dipankara Buddha said casually. “Only the Grand Dao remains forever in my heart.”

In other words, aside from cultivating the Grand Dao, everything else had ceased to matter to him!

“And what of Su Yi?” Gu Huaxian asked out of nowhere.

The Dipankara Buddha was briefly stunned, but then he laughed. “I told him that I’d give him a taste of my true strength during the Dark Days of Legend, but looking back on it now, I was taking too narrow a view of things.”

Gu Huaxian furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

The Dipankara Buddha flipped to the next page, then said softly, “He’s no longer capable of weighing on my heart, and I no longer need be overly concerned with him.”

Gu Huaxian couldn’t help but find this shocking.

It was then that a white-eyebrowed old monk walked over and solemnly bowed in greeting. “Buddha, this disciple has urgent news to report.”

Gu Huaxian was instantly stunned. She knew the Dipankara Buddha’s rules. Unless something was of the utmost importance, no one in the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains would dare to come visit him uninvited. Don’t tell me something big happened?

As she pondered, the Dipankara Buddha said calmly, “Speak.”

The white-eyebrowed old monk said, “Su Yi just announced that the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains have one week to give up Divine Corpse Blood Robe’s killer. If we don’t, he’ll attack the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains.”

Gu Huaxian was flabbergasted. She instinctively glanced at the Dipankara Buddha, then noticed the corners of his eyes twitching. His hands tightened on his sutra, and even his typically unrippling expression shifted slightly.

Gu Huaxian couldn’t help but find this amusing. Didn’t you only just say that Su Yi could no longer weigh on your heart? And that you needn’t be overly concerned with him?

But look at you! Word has only just arrived regarding Su Yi, and you’re already struggling to maintain your cool!

“Did the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains attack Divine Corpse Blood Robe?” The Dipankara Buddha looked up at the white-eyebrowed monk.

“We didn’t.” The old monk shook his head.

“Then were the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains otherwise involved in Divine Corpse Blood Robe’s death?”

“No, not at all.”

The Dipankara Buddha frowned, then looked at Gu Huaxian. “And what about you?”

Gu Huaxian’s heart clenched. She shook her head. “I’ve been following your orders this entire time. I haven’t done anything to provoke Su Yi.”

Whap!

The Dipankara Buddha closed the sutra, then said expressionlessly, “I think I know what Su Yi’s up to. He’s… trying to extort me!”

Gu Huaxian noticed that, as he spoke, the corners of his lips twitched. He obviously wasn’t as calm as he pretended to be.

It seemed that Su Yi’s threats had enraged him!

And you say you don’t care about Su Yi anymore? Hah! Gu Huaxian sneered inwardly.

The white-eyebrowed old monk said, “Shall we explain to the world that we weren’t involved?”

The Dipankara Buddha sighed. “Do you really think Su Yi doesn’t know that already? He’s deliberately making scapegoats out of us. He wants to drag us underwater with him.”

“Divine Corpse Blood Robe is dead, but what does that have to do with us? Don’t tell that from now on, if he so much as steps on an ant, he’ll pin the blame on us? He’s taking this too far!” The white-eyebrowed monk’s eyes flashed with cold light. He was obviously furious.

The situation was just too absurd. Su Yi thought far too little of the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains!

Gu Huaxian seized the opportunity to interject. “Su Yi was this aggressive even years prior, throwing his eight around without reservation and forcing us into hiding. Now, the Dark Days of Legend have arrived, but he hasn’t changed a bit. We really ought to teach him a lesson!”

The Dipankara Buddha sat there, brow furrowed. He understood what Su Yi was after; he wanted to extort them so as to drag them into this mess and prevent them from remaining bystanders.

He wasn’t even trying to disguise his malicious intentions!

“If we fight Su Yi now, the factions of spacetime forbidden zones will sit back and reap the benefits. It would be most unwise.” After a moment’s silence, the Dipankara Buddha said gravely, “Su Yi understands that. That’s why he’s framing us so brazenly. But there’s no denying that, as insidious as this move is, it’s quite effective.”

Gu Huaxian was flabbergasted. “Surely you don’t plan to just hold your nose and endure?”

The Dipankara Buddha glanced at her.

It was just a glance, but she felt as if she’d been plunged into an icy abyss. A chill coursed through her entire body, and she fell as silent as a cicada in winter. She no longer dared to speak!

Only then did the Dipankara Buddha slowly rise from beneath the bodhi tree.

“I very much want to know just who was so brazen as to choose to provoke Su Yi at a time like this,” said the Dipankara Buddha. “Do they just want to drag Su Yi underwater and throw the world into greater chaos? Or are they after something else entirely?”

Gu Huaxian’s gaze focused. It’s true. Trying to drag Su Yi underwater and forcing him to participate in worldly affairs is sure to lead to an unpredictable storm!

As Su Yi’s enemies, when the storm breaks out, how can we possibly remain uninvolved?

“No matter what his goal, the person who provoked Su Yi is trying to fish in turbid waters and take advantage of the chaos! He doesn’t just want to throw the world into upheaval. He wants to borrow Su Yi’s hands to drag us all into the storm!” said the Dipankara Buddha, the depths of his gaze glinting with icy light.”

He paused, then said slowly and clearly, “He deserves to die for that!”

Gu Huaxian’s heart was instantly solemn. She realized the severity of the problem.

“Then what do you think we should do?” she asked.

“Su Yi has obviously realized the culprit’s intentions,” said the Dipankara Buddha. “But he’s fixated on avenging Divine Corpse Blood Robe, so he doesn’t care. Thus, he’s turned his fury on us and decided to extort us.

“But we won’t wall for it.” The Dipankara Buddha couldn’t help but rub his forehead and sigh. “It isn’t yet time to cast aside all pretenses of cordiality. No matter what vile schemes Su Yi gets up to, we… will just have to endure and help Su Yi find the treacherous figure behind the killing.”

An exasperated look appeared on his face. The whole situation was just disgusting.

Someone wanted to borrow Su Yi’s hands to bring chaos to the world, only for Su Yi to turn around and do the same thing to the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains by threatening them.

But the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains couldn’t afford a falling out, or they’d let the treacherous culprit get away with his schemes. Then, the factions of spacetime forbidden zones would just sit back and watch from a safe distance, then swoop in to reap the benefits!

The Dipankara Buddha’s wisdom had always been far beyond others, and his schemes were unparalleled, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

He knew full well that, if he wanted to avoid the potential consequences of this mess, he’d have no choice but to hold his nose and endure. He had to help Su Yi track down the true culprit!

Gu Huaxian could clearly sense his anger and frustration. For a moment, she felt the urge to laugh. Su Yi really is the Dipankara Buddha’s nemesis. Every time he shows up, he shakes the Dipankara Buddha’s Chan Buddhist Heart.

The Dipankara Buddha immediately reached a decision. “Send word to Di E, and ask him to command the forces of the New World Alliance to investigate. Given Di E’s wisdom, I’m sure he’ll understand the dangers behind all this.

“And remember: we need results within the week! Su Yi isn’t the type to make empty threats. If he said he’ll do it, he will. I don’t want to see him marching upon our gates with his sword in hand, not right now.” The Dipankara Budda clenched the sutra he was holding, the depths of his gaze blazing with hints of murderous intent.

“When the time is right, I’ll naturally settle this score with Su Yi!”

Of course he was angry.

Su Yi had effectively just dumped a bucket of shit on his head. Worse, he’d effectively forced him to investigate the truth of Divine Corpse Blood Robe’s death. This feeling… was completely, utterly, and totally loathsome!