A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

The two sat casually on a Buddhist altar at the highest peak of Lingshan.

One sat cross-legged, the other lay reclining, one hand supporting their head.

At this time, the Buddha was not dressed as the Buddha, but as the fat monk he was with Zhang Zhengdao, with a big belly and bare chest.

"you are leaving?"

"The fat monk asked."

Zhang Zhengdao: "How did you know? Were you calculating my fate?"

The fat monk shook his head: "I wouldn't dare. To use the Heavenly Dao to calculate the Great Dao is like an old woman hanging herself. I've just recently sensed some fluctuations in the Heavenly Dao, which has been suppressed for so long, as if there are signs of it becoming more and more joyful."

Zhang Zhengdao's face darkened: "Is even the Heavenly Dao rejecting me?"

The fat monk laughed heartily.

"Isn't it normal for the Heavenly Dao to be suppressed? Even if you leave, this world will still be governed by the Heavenly Dao, instead of having a Great Dao that is difficult for the Heavenly Dao to fathom."

Zhang Zhengdao: "I really have to leave."

Fat monk: "To the Chaos World?"

Zhang Zhengdao nodded and said, "I have a Chaos Tree that can connect to other worlds in the Chaos Universe, so would you like to come with me to meet the Buddhas of other worlds?"

The fat monk's face turned black.

Zhang Zhengdao continued, "Actually, I didn't have much contact with the Buddha in the previous world, but I had more contact with Guanyin Bodhisattva. At that time, I was in a Taoist temple on Qingcheng Mountain, and he dressed up as a fat monk to see me. His attire was similar to yours, so... are all the incarnations of your Buddhist sects in the form of fat monks?"

The fat monk was stunned for a long time before saying, "Would you believe me if I said it was... a coincidence?"

The two talked a lot that day.

Moreover, he drank a lot of alcohol without trying to suppress it, just like an ordinary mortal drinking, eating meat, and chatting.

They talked about everything, including Zhang Zhengdao's experiences traversing the chaotic world.

As they chatted, they fell silent.

One was snoring loudly, while the other lay quietly, hands behind their head, gazing at the starry sky.

The vast and boundless universe is the most mysterious thing.

Zhang Zhengdao recalled that when he was on Earth, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Yang Zhenning once said: "If you ask me whether there is a God, then if your so-called God is in the shape of a human, then I think there is no. If you ask whether there is a creator, then I think there is, because the structure of the entire world is not accidental."

So this chaotic universe is actually like the vast universe we know from Earth, with countless stars forming one world after another.

The Great Dao in the chaotic universe is formless, so could it be the Creator as Yang Zhenning described?

Every substance in this world, including humans and gods, was created by this Creator.

No matter what you invent, once it's created, it's already in the Creator's consciousness, created through your thoughts and hands.

Isn't this also Yang Zhenning's viewpoint?

All matter exists; you just haven't created it yet.

My mind was a jumbled mess, but I eventually fell asleep.

When dawn broke, Zhang Zhengdao, who was beside the fat monk, was gone.

The fat monk didn't search; instead, he leisurely went down the mountain.

When they arrived at the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling, all the Buddhist monks were very surprised, wondering why the Buddha seemed different today.

Guanyin Bodhisattva quietly walked over, bowed to the fat monk, and said, "Buddha is different today. Does he have any teachings for his disciple?"

The fat monk said, "Buddha is Buddha, yet Buddha is not Buddha, yet Buddha is still Buddha."

Guanyin Bodhisattva put her hands together in prayer. Although she didn't quite understand, isn't Buddhism just about the Buddha's guidance and then figuring it out on your own?

The fat monk laughed heartily and strode away.

He didn't enter the Great Thunder Temple, but kept walking forward until all the Buddhas could no longer see him.

In the fat monk's view, Zhang Zhengdao's words last night were a revelation. The so-called vastness of the universe, the so-called origin of the world, the so-called creator…

Some of the words were unheard of, but they gave the fat monk a new enlightenment and a desire to explore.

Yes, Buddha had some desires, namely the desire to explore the starry universe.

It turns out that this chaotic universe is not the universe I imagined, but rather just a drop in the ocean.

They say there are three thousand great paths, but in reality, there are far more than three thousand great paths!

The fat monk now has a completely new understanding of Zhang Zhengdao, the person who unexpectedly entered this world and is a cultivator of the Great Dao. Perhaps this is the will of the chaotic universe, coming to enlighten the cultivators of every world.

This is equivalent to the enlightenment of a spiritual practitioner.

This is an extremely rare and precious thing.

Zhang Zhengdao didn't have many friends in this world. Besides Buddha, he also went to see Tieguai Li.

To be honest, he and Tieguai Li were not true friends.

But at least we've had a friendship where we've drunk and eaten together.

Tieguai Li remained the same, sitting on the threshing floor, while his apprentice practiced martial arts beside him. Sweating profusely, he continued his diligent practice.

He is a good child with perseverance and willpower.

"I apologize to you for what happened to Lü Dongbin."

Tieguai Li had a better sense of right and wrong than Lü Dongbin, but not by much.

"But... fellow Daoist, shouldn't Zhongli Quan's imprisonment also be over?"

This is to plead for Zhongli Quan.

Zhang Zhengdao was taken aback; he had completely forgotten about it.

If Zhongli Quan hadn't met with Tieguai Li before setting off, he might have been forgotten by him, and the final outcome might have been...

I'll be locked up in that prison forever!

Wouldn't Zhongli Quan go crazy?

"Almost forgot!"

Tieguai Li: ...

I feel truly fortunate for my brother Zhong Liquan.

"Go find him later, he's free now."

Zhang Zhengdao spoke with Tieguai Li for a while, but not much, before leaving.

However, he still said something to Tieguai Li before leaving.

"Warn Lü Dongbin recently, don't think that just because I've left this world you can go find Bai Mudan. I left Bai Mudan a protective magic weapon; if you really anger her, she might pierce you with a sword and you won't even have a chance to be reincarnated. Remember, remember!"

Upon hearing this, Tieguai Li broke out in a cold sweat, still feeling lingering fear!

He knew Lü Dongbin's character; even if he suffered a temporary setback, as time went on, his thoughts would start to stir again, which made people have to be wary!

As for Sun Wukong, Zhang Zhengdao did not go to find him, because he seemed to have heard some rumors.

And this news was relayed to them by the six ghosts.

So Sun Wukong and Wang arrived at the inn.

When Zhang Zhengdao returned, he was still squatting on the stool, drinking tea and eating snacks. Six ghosts fawned over him, fanning him and offering him fruit.

The main reason is that the protagonist's halo of "Havoc in Heaven" makes the six ghosts feel that being able to associate with Sun Wukong is a great blessing in their ghostly lives, so how could they not be more attentive?

In the future, when book collectors tell stories, they can casually mention "The Six Ghost Immortals Become Friends with the Great Sage and Gather in the Holy Temple," hehe... that will be a name that will be passed down through the ages.

"In the blink of an eye, the monster shot a poisoned needle from its tail, and I, Old Sun, swiftly deflected it with a series of cudgels in mid-air..."

"The Taoist priest has arrived!"

Wang quickly stood up and bowed to Zhang Zhengdao as he entered.

Zhang Zhengdao raised his hand: "No need for formalities, you're making us feel awkward. Wukong, did you hear we were leaving? Did you come here especially to see us off?"

Sun Wukong stopped bragging.

He was stung on the head by the centipede demon that time, and his head was throbbing with pain, but he didn't mention it. It's a common problem for men; even the six ghosts brag like that to others.

"Master, to be honest, I don't have many relatives and friends in this world. After I finished learning my skills and returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, I only made some unreliable friends. The Bull Demon King, the Flood Dragon Demon King, the Roc King, and so on... In the end, they turned against me and became obstacles on my journey to the West... I feel a little reluctant to see you go, Master."

Zhang Zhengdao: "Then you'll come with me!"

Sun Wukong glanced at Wang Shi sideways, and Wang Shi glared at him before immediately saying with a forced smile, "Although I really want to go, there are people here for me to stay."

Zhang Zhengdao chuckled twice.

When Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he was so full of vigor and ambition, but now he is so cautious and timid.

Alas, being too attached to romantic love often leads to a loss of courage and resolve.

In the evening, Zhang Zhengdao, Shu Baimei, and Lu Xiaohua sat on the roof.

"I think the Chaos Tree has begun to connect the various worlds in the Chaos Universe. If there are no problems, we can go back tomorrow."

Lu Xiaohua grasped Zhang Zhengdao's hand: "Are you willing to leave this place?"

Zhang Zhengdao laughed and said, "What's there to be reluctant about? To be honest, the world of gods and Buddhas is too illusory. I prefer the earthy atmosphere of Linbin Town."

Shu Baimei: "I like the martial arts world."

Zhang Zhengdao said, "We are all in the Jianghu, whether it is in the human world, the immortal realm, or even hell. Wherever there are people, there is Jianghu."

Shu Baimei couldn't help but laugh: "You still like to use these kinds of words to put on airs... But I like it."

Lu Xiaohua also sighed.

"Yes, I still remember your poem: 'Heroes rise and fall with the times, once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies by.'"

Zhang Zhengdao grasped their hands and said, "Forget about all that, what I want now is to go drink at Sister Gui's winery. No... it's not Sister Gui's winery anymore, it's Lu's winery!"

Lu Xiaohua gave him a coquettish glare.