My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1121 Those who follow the righteous path receive abundant support, while those who stray from it find themselves isolated.
Guang Chengzi was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed, but he had no way to refute it—he didn't have the relevant mathematical knowledge to calculate it himself, and even the Heavenly Dao failed to work when he tried to use his finger-counting magic.

The question posed by the Golden Horned Boy, seemingly simple and straightforward, actually struck a blind spot in his knowledge system, making it impossible for him to even put on airs.

As for the fact that the finger-counting magic failed and Heaven failed to provide an answer, we can't say that the question was evil and that evil magic was used to disrupt the secrets of Heaven, can we?

Mathematics is the most objective existence in the three realms, and it is the least subject to the will of gods, Buddhas, or demons. If you can't calculate it, you just can't calculate it. Even the most ruthless person, who is capable of anything when pushed to the limit, cannot solve advanced mathematics problems.

Given Guang Chengzi's volatile temper and bloodthirstiness, even if several other people were to make things difficult for him, he would draw his sword, label them as sinners, and kill them to settle the matter.

Unfortunately for him, these guys were backed by powerful figures—they were not ordinary demons or immortals he could easily bully or manipulate.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "Fellow Daoists, this question concerns trivial matters of the mortal realm and has nothing to do with the great principles of Heaven! I have come to see Laozi to discuss the safety of the Three Realms, not to test you with some 'numbers game'. Please announce my arrival first!"

The green ox, however, persisted, lying down again and chewing its fodder, saying, "That won't do. Rules are rules. No one can enter if they can't answer the question. If you're really in a hurry, why don't you wait here? Anyway, Laozi's alchemy takes at least three days and half a month. If you have the patience, you can wait a few more days—but I don't know if the 'safety of the primordial world' you mentioned can afford to wait; and I don't know if you can figure out this 'numerical problem' in this time."

The Golden Horn and Silver Horned Boys chimed in, one saying, "If you still can't figure it out, I have some arithmetic books from the mortal realm here. You can take a look, but there are a lot of words, so you'll have to be patient to read them."

One person said, "If you don't understand, you can ask a passing mortal cultivator. Maybe they can explain to you what a 'prime number' is."

Every word was sarcastic, clearly intended to prevent him from entering the palace smoothly.

Jinjiao handed over the book, the cover of which was printed with the glaring words "New Knowledge Series of the Jie Sect - Foundations of Advanced Mathematics".

Guang Chengzi stood outside the palace gate, caught in a dilemma—he couldn't possibly attack the people around Laozi, and he couldn't force his way through the protective Bagua formation set up by Laozi. He also couldn't admit that he, who talked about the number of days in the heavens, didn't even understand mortal math problems. He could only stand there, his face turning pale and then red.

Just then, Laozi's calm voice came from inside the hall: "Green Ox, Golden Horn, Silver Horn, let Guang Chengzi in."

The Green Ox exchanged a glance with the Golden Horn and Silver Horn, a hint of reluctance flashing across their faces, yet they dared not disobey Laozi's command. The Green Ox slowly rose, stepping aside to make way, muttering, "Laozi is truly kind-hearted. If it were anyone else, would they have been able to enter the hall so easily? If it were those scholars in the mortal realm, they might have even asked us for advice on that 'prime number problem'!"

Golden Horned Boy then said hypocritically, "Fellow Daoist, please go in quickly, don't keep Laozi waiting. If Laozi asks why we stopped you, you must put in a good word for us. We were just following the rules and also helping you broaden your 'mortal experience' so that you don't become out of touch with reality and human nature after being in seclusion in the Immortal Palace for too long."

Guang Chengzi suppressed his displeasure, straightened his Taoist robe, and strode into the Tushita Palace.

He didn't notice that the green ox behind him was still winking at the golden horn and silver horn, and all three of them had a hint of disdain in their eyes.

"Brother Wen was right after all. Those guys from the Chan Sect who take ignorance for granted are completely illiterate!" "They have this arrogant attitude that no one understands the workings of the universe better than them, but look what happened! Brother Wen presented them with such a simple math problem, and they were scratching their heads, crying out to heaven and earth in vain. If they really had the ability to explain the Way of Heaven, wouldn't they be able to solve a math problem? Does the Way of Heaven not include mathematics?"

"Speaking of which, this problem is really not simple. I got this problem from my elder brother, and Lord Laozi saw it by accident. He asked for it to study, but it seems that he still hasn't figured out the answer."

"Really? Is there anything in this world that even Laozi (the God of War) couldn't predict?"

……

When the Taoist boy guarding the palace led Guang Chengzi inside, Laozi was sitting on a futon beside the alchemy furnace, holding a whisk, meditating with his eyes closed, his fingers constantly calculating until they were almost smoking. He was consuming a large amount of immortal power as if it were free, but it seemed that the problem he was calculating was quite difficult, and he could not find the answer for a while.

On the table sat a freshly brewed cup of Enlightenment Tea, its steam rising and mingling with the smoke from the incense burner, making the entire hall even more tranquil.

"Disciple Guang Chengzi, by order of my master Yuanshi Tianzun, has come to pay homage to my senior master Laozi."

Guang Chengzi bowed respectfully, his tone deliberately urgent: "I see that my master is also deducing the secrets of heaven. I suppose he is calculating how great a calamity Wen Rui's perverse actions in the mortal world will bring upon him?"

Laozi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, and fell on Guang Chengzi. He did not respond immediately, but simply raised his hand to gesture for him to sit down: "This old Daoist was just bored and happened to come across a math problem. I found it interesting, so I casually did some calculations. Young friend, you have come from afar. Have a cup of tea first, and then we can sit down and discuss the Dao."

Guang Chengzi thanked her and took his seat, but had no interest in sipping tea. He eagerly repeated what he had said to Nuwa earlier: "Laojun, you may not know this, but that Creator Heavenly Venerable actually used the technique of 'gene fusion' to create hybrid hybrids of humans, demons, and monsters, violating the laws of heaven and morality! He also incited mortals to disbelieve in gods and Buddhas, claiming that 'one can seize the heavenly way on one's own.' This is clearly severing the foundation of immortals and Buddhas and disrupting the order of the three realms! Tathagata used his knowledge of past lives to deduce the secrets of heaven and found that this fiend was not a being of this realm. If it is allowed to develop, the pure-blooded human race may be wiped out, and the incense offerings of immortals and Buddhas will also be cut off—the Chan Sect wants to unite with the righteous paths of the three realms to besiege and suppress them, and we still need Laojun's strong support!"

He spoke in one breath, for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, pouring out all his accusations against Wen Rui like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

He thought these words would move Laozi, but Laozi gently shook his head, flicked his whisk, and the Tao Te Ching on the table automatically turned to the page with the phrase "governing a large country is like cooking a small fish": "Guang Chengzi, you have followed the Primordial Heavenly Venerable in your cultivation for many years, have you ever understood the true meaning of 'governing a large country is like cooking a small fish'?"

Guang Chengzi was taken aback, then replied, "I believe this sentence means that governing the world requires following the natural order and one should not act rashly to avoid disturbing the people."

"Knowing this principle, why still advocate for encirclement and suppression?"

Laozi's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority: "Do you know that nearly half of the people in the mortal realm have spontaneously moved to the cities directly under the Demon Alliance? If it weren't for the immigration law, the calls for the human autonomous regions to merge into the Demon Alliance would be uncontrollable! They are not being misled; they are doing it for 'universal healthcare,' for 'social welfare,' for their children to be able to attend school, and for living with dignity through their own hard work. This is exactly what the people want."

(End of this chapter)