This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 129 The Gates of the Underworld Open, Zhong Bai Enters the Underworld
Seeing the monk Ikkyu, who usually argued with him endlessly, rendered speechless in front of his junior brother, Si Mu was extremely smug.

"Tsk tsk tsk, monk, usually you look kind and compassionate, always talking about saving all living beings."

So, monk, you were just saying that without any real understanding?

Hearing Si Mu's mockery, Monk Yixiu showed no emotional fluctuation. Instead, he stared intently at Zhong Bai's calm and composed face, softly chanting a Buddhist prayer, "Amitabha. Although what the Master said makes some sense, not all masters in this world are the greedy people the Master described."

This matter is difficult to resolve perfectly. This humble monk would like to ask the Master, what is your view of Buddha?

The monk Yixiu no longer wanted to argue about the previous issue. Whether Buddhism was originally Taoism or not was not important. What he wanted from beginning to end was to see clearly how this youngest Taoist master from Maoshan viewed Buddhism.

Zhong Bai pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Does the Master really want to hear this?"

Zhong Bai's words startled Ikkyu, but he still took a deep breath and said, "Listen!"

"Then so be it, Master..."

In my humble eyes, all Buddhas are formless, and Buddhas themselves are without fault; the fault lies only in the human heart. Buddhas are created by humans, and humans can become Buddhas. Therefore, I have no objection to Buddhism itself, only to certain so-called Buddhas. Just as one can become a Buddha simply by laying down the butcher's knife, karma and reincarnation cannot be erased simply by laying down the knife.

Zhong Bai's attitude towards Buddhism has always been the same: whether it's Buddhism or Taoism, there will never be a shortage of hypocrites who look virtuous.

It's not a matter of which is better or worse.

"Buddha is made by humans, and humans can become Buddhas..."

The monk Ikkyu muttered the phrase to himself, seemingly lost in a daze. Seeing this, Si Mu frowned. "Junior Brother Chizuru, has this monk gone mad just because of your few words?"

Zhong Bai smiled and said, "Senior Brother Simu, please don't flatter your junior brother. It's just a few words. In fact, Master Yixiu is just pondering these ideas of yours for the first time. I think it will be fine once Master Yixiu understands them."

As soon as Zhong Bai finished speaking, Ikkyu, who had been stunned, came to his senses.

"Amitabha! This humble monk thanks the Master for his guidance. The Master's words are quite novel, and I have gained much insight and benefited greatly. If I can see the Master again in the future, I will be eternally grateful!"

Upon hearing this, Si Mu was somewhat surprised.

"Monk, do you mean you're leaving?"

Si Mu's voice suddenly rose, it was impossible to tell whether it was joy or reluctance...

"Fellow Daoist Four Eyes, that's right. As True Person Thousand Crane said, the world is vast, and what is the truth? The Buddha's words don't count. What I see with my own eyes is what I truly understand. Therefore, I plan to travel around the Nine Provinces for a while, perhaps a year or two, or maybe three, five, ten, or even eight years. In short, I'll leave my Zen temple to you, Fellow Daoist Four Eyes, to take care of."

After saying this, Ikkyu clasped his hands together and bowed to Zhong Bai and Simu.

"Master, Fellow Daoist Four Eyes, farewell!"

The monk Ikkyu departed with great ease. At this moment, he may not have truly understood what he was pursuing, but he had a premonition that he would understand what he sought after during this journey through the world.

Watching the monk Ikkyu leave like that, Si Mu remained speechless for a long time.

He only recovered slightly after hearing Zhong Bai's teasing.

"Brother Four Eyes, are you reluctant to part with me?"

Zhong Bai's words were like a knife; Si Mu felt she couldn't quite handle them, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it.

“What are you saying, junior brother? Ikkyu is a monk who chants sutras and beats a wooden fish every night. I hate him so much that my teeth itch.”

Now that he's gone, it saves me, his senior brother, from bothering him. It'll be peaceful for us now.

Zhong Bai nodded and smiled, "Senior Brother Simu, we are fellow disciples, why bother with formalities?"

Your temple is located deep in the mountains, far from any village or shop. With the monk Ikkyu here, you can at least have some fun on a daily basis.

Upon hearing this, Si Mu sighed.

"I can't hide it from my junior brother's sharp eyes, but it's not bad for Monk Ikkyu to go out and travel around."

"Forget it, let's not talk about him anymore. Junior Brother Qianhe, do you think I can control the bronze-armored corpse now?"

The topic changed so quickly that Zhong Bai hadn't anticipated it.

"A bronze-armored corpse, huh..."

Zhong Bai examined the four figures before him. They were at the sixth level of Qi Refining. To be honest, without the supernatural power of summoning a spirit to possess them, there was absolutely no way to suppress the bronze-armored corpse.

"Why do you ask that, senior brother?"

Zhong Bai was a little curious. Logically speaking, shouldn't Si Mu know his own situation better than anyone else?
Si Mu smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Junior Brother Qianhe, you don't know this, but after I reached the sixth level of Qi Refining, I wrote a letter to my master, saying that I was able to control the bronze-armored corpse and asked my master to send me a bronze-armored corpse down the mountain."

As a result, not only did my master disagree, but he also said that I was just dreaming.

He said, "When I, your senior brother, can get a word from you that I can control the bronze-armored corpse, then he will give it to you..."

Zhong Bai found it difficult to comment after hearing this.

"Ahem, Senior Brother Four Eyes, it's obvious that True Immortal Changsheng simply doesn't want to give you the Copper Armor Corpse."

However, it's best for Senior Brother not to control the bronze-armored corpse for now. Most cultivators only dare to control bronze-armored corpses when they reach the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining. Although Senior Brother possesses the ability to summon spirits, he can't use it all the time, so…”

They exchanged a knowing smile.

"Hey, Junior Brother Qianhe, just say it. I knew you would say that."

Actually, what my senior brother wanted wasn't the bronze-armored corpse, but my master's approval..."

At this point, Si Mu suddenly became melancholy.

"Junior Brother Qianhe, among the disciples of this generation from each hall, you have the fastest improvement speed."

Besides my junior brother, there are only two senior brothers, Shi Jian and Lin. As for me, I am no match for Senior Sister Zhe Gu. Therefore, among the five people who came down the mountain, I am the worst.

Last time my master came down the mountain to my temple, he lectured my senior brother on this very issue for three days and three nights…

Zhong Bai remained silent, their eyes locked in a silent standoff.

Finally, Zhong Bai broke the silence.

"Senior Brother Four Eyes, I remember promising you that if you found a suitable bronze-armored corpse, I would capture it for you."

Now that Junior Brother has such strength, he will keep an eye on this matter for Senior Brother. Once Senior Brother surpasses the seventh level of Qi Refining, Junior Brother's bronze-armored corpse will definitely be delivered!

Upon hearing this, a sly glint appeared in Si Mu's eyes, which Zhong Bai noticed but could do nothing about. "Hahaha, Junior Brother is truly righteous!"
"Come on, let me toast you!"

Si Mu picked up the teacup and offered Zhong Bai a cup of tea on the spot. After that, Si Mu said that he needed to prepare dinner and left the main hall.

After Si Mu left, Zhong Bai shook his head slightly, "Senior Brother Si Mu, your acting skills are a bit lacking. But it's like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai, one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. It's just a bronze-armored corpse. Senior Brother, it will take at least two or three years to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining."

"At that time, I can easily go to Tengteng Town and capture a bronze-armored corpse for you..."

When it comes to Tengteng Town, Zhong Bai really wanted to wipe out the entire town, but when he thought about the flying zombie in it, he temporarily gave up the idea. Capturing a bronze-armored zombie was fine, but a flying zombie wouldn't awaken for a bronze-armored zombie. But wiping it out would require a huge investment!
......................................................

In the courtyard, Simu came to Jiale's side and smiled as he watched Jiale cleaning an old hen.

“Master, I heard what you and Uncle Qianhe were saying. When our Grandmaster came down the mountain, didn’t our dojo not have these things you mentioned?”
Master, why did you deceive Uncle-Master Qianhe?

While plucking the feathers, Jiale's little head was still pondering this question.

Seeing this, Si Mu couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You know nothing!"
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Your Uncle Qianhe is a big spender; a bronze-armored corpse is just a side job for him. Waiting for your grandmaster's promised eighth level of Qi Refining will take forever!"

Upon hearing this, Jiale seemed to understand but not quite.

Si Mu didn't want to explain this to Jia Le either.

Time flies and it's night.

Several hearty dishes were served on the table. Since Si Mu and Zhong Bai hadn't seen each other for a long time, they naturally had to have a few drinks.

"Now that you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage, Junior Brother Qianhe, I wonder if the food I've prepared is to your liking?"

Zhong Bai picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

"Haha, quite the opposite, Junior Brother doesn't think that one can't enjoy worldly delicacies after Foundation Establishment."

The two chatted casually, and soon the night deepened.

Upon arriving at the guest room prepared for him by Simu, Zhong Bai had just sat cross-legged when he smelled a strong ghostly aura wafting towards Simu's dojo.

Zhong Bai quickly pushed open the door and went out, only to find the entire dojo shrouded in white mist.

In the distance, amidst the white mist, a gate tens of meters high slowly took shape. The gate was simple and elegant, and Zhong Bai felt a jolt in his heart.

Immediately afterwards, the door slowly opened, and an even stronger ghostly aura surged out from it.

bang bang bang...

A line of soldiers in armor slowly emerged from the gate, and Zhong Bai recognized their origins at a glance.

"Underworld soldiers?"

Zhong Bai was somewhat surprised, after all, how did the underworld soldiers, who weren't in the underworld, end up in the mortal realm? And they even opened the gates of the underworld right in Si Mu's temple.

Just as Zhong Bai was puzzled, the aura of a ghost general stepped out from the gate.

In a flash, he appeared before Zhong Bai, dressed in a purple official robe. The moment he saw Zhong Bai, he beamed with joy.

"May I ask if you are Zhong Bai, the Taoist priest of Maoshan?"

Upon hearing that the ghost general in front of him knew his name so well, Zhong Bai immediately suppressed his intention to kill the ghost general.

"This humble Taoist priest is Zhong Bai. May I ask who you are?"

"Haha, Zhong Daozi, don't worry. I am a messenger under the jurisdiction of the King of Reincarnation in the Underworld and the Lord of Maoshan."

The purpose of our visit is to escort Zhong Daozi to the underworld to meet my Lord!

Upon hearing this, Zhong Bai frowned.

King of the Underworld, Lord of Maoshan?

Zhong Bai didn't know whether what the ghost general in front of him said was true or false, but one thing was certain: it was always right to remain vigilant.

"Does this humble Taoist priest absolutely have to go?"

Upon seeing the lightning slowly emerging from Zhong Bai's palm, the messenger was immediately startled.

“Don’t don’t don’t!

Zhong Daozi, you must believe me. I am indeed a messenger under Lord Maoshan, and my purpose in coming to the mortal realm is to guide you to the underworld.

"Zhong Daozi, don't worry. The Lord of Maoshan is the true patriarch of your Maoshan lineage. I wouldn't dare lie to you even if you gave me ten lives!"

As Zhong Bai pondered, a voice rang out from within the Qiankun Ring; it was none other than the Ten Patriarchs of Maoshan.

"You brat, stop dawdling! The ancestor is the Maoshan Lord he's talking about. You better get down here right now!"

Zhong Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the voices of the Ten Ancestors of Maoshan Underworld in his mind.

“Since it was requested by my patriarch of Maoshan, I will accompany you on this journey.”

When Zhong Bai finally relented, the messenger was incredibly excited. Heaven knows how worried he had been that this man in front of him would not only refuse to cooperate but also kill them. After all, even if they died, it would have no effect on this Maoshan Taoist.

Alright!
"Zhong Daozi, please mount your horse!"

After the messenger finished speaking, a ghostly soldier led a ghostly horse from behind him.

Zhong Bai nodded and mounted his horse.

"The ghostly soldiers clear the way! Escorting the true immortal!"

As the messenger finished speaking, the neatly arranged ghostly soldiers surrounded Zhong Bai, creating an impenetrable barrier. Even though they knew Zhong Bai didn't need it at all, they still had to put on a show.

Da da da……

Accompanied by a series of orderly footsteps, Zhong Bai rode his Yin Horse and crossed the gates of the underworld!

I'm begging for... monthly votes! I feel like I'm begging every day, but I basically get none, sob sob sob...

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(End of this chapter)