A cat that lingers beside a saint

The instant the sound came.

The old Taoist priest laughed.

So many years have passed, and he still thought that this person would stay in Mount Sumeru until he died.

Unexpectedly, he also ended up in this void.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. This was the place they had chosen long ago to pass away, so it's normal for these two to come here.

It's because everyone entrusts their primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao.

……

The old Taoist priest laughed not because he was happy, but because he was angry.

Now that the situation has taken shape, these two have established themselves in the Three Realms, and they have basically fulfilled the vows they made to the Heavenly Dao.

As for the old Taoist's disciples from back then, they were either captured or abducted.

Basically, it can be said that the West was the biggest winner, and the only winner, in that war.

The old Taoist slowly rose to his feet, and everything around him froze.

In terms of both time and space, everything in the entire Taoist temple, except for the old Taoist priest and the person outside the door, remained in place.

"Great! I never went looking for you, but you found me. Wouldn't you say we're destined to meet?"

The man held the Seven Treasures Tree in his palm. Seeing the old Taoist walking straight towards him, he took a slight step back and gently shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, it's been many years. How have you been?"

The old Taoist didn't say anything, but with a slight flick of his finger, the small sword on Su Bai's neck flew directly into his hand.

I don't know if I'm okay, but I do know that you definitely won't be okay from now on.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the old Taoist priest, wielding the Qingping Sword, appeared behind the man in the next second.

The Taoist priest kept retreating, knowing he was no match for the old Taoist, so he had no intention of confronting him head-on.

"Fellow Daoist, may I say a few words?"

"It's alright, you say what you want, I'll do what I want."

The Taoist shook his head helplessly, blocking the old Taoist's attack while keeping his eyes on the cat on the roof.

"After the Investiture of the Gods, your Jie Sect disbanded, and my Western Sect also vanished without a trace."

"But I will not be angry about this, nor will I blame Heaven for being heartless."

"This is the inevitable trend. Even if we are saints, we are still subject to the laws of Heaven."

The Taoist priest looked bitter. The great sect he had founded had vanished into the river of time. No one would feel good about that.

But as he himself said, there's nothing that can be done about it.

Just like the Lich War of yesteryear, there was also the even more distant Dragon-Han Calamity.

However, although Heaven seems to be ruthless, it has also given us a glimmer of hope.

Whether it's the Western religion, the Jie religion, or even those ancient races, at least they survived, albeit in a different way. But just surviving is already quite remarkable.

The old Taoist naturally understood what the Taoist was saying.

If he couldn't even figure this out after being so closed off for so many years, then his claim to be a Heavenly Saint would be in vain.

He understood, but if he couldn't vent his anger, he still wouldn't feel good.

The Taoist priest never retaliated, only retreating.

The old Taoist priest fought for a while, but eventually stopped.

Given their current cultivation level and strength, they naturally wouldn't go all out.

If a real war breaks out, this world may not be able to withstand it.

Even if the old Taoist priest didn't consider whether this world would be shattered, he still had to consider the cat on the roof.

Having retrieved the Qingping Sword, the old Taoist priest returned to his reclining chair in the courtyard.

The Taoist priest remained standing outside the door, his gaze fixed on the cat on the roof. After a moment, he said softly, "Fellow Daoist, Buddhism is currently lacking a protector. I wonder if you would be willing to give this cat to me?"

The old Taoist scoffed. A Buddhist protector?

That's as if Buddhism has no protectors.

Wasn't that monkey trained by you?

Does your Buddhist community lack protectors?

Seemingly sensing what the old Taoist was thinking, the Taoist gave an awkward smile.

In fact, he had noticed Su Bai the moment he appeared in this void.

However, he didn't pay much attention at the time, after all, it was just an ordinary little beast, what achievements could it possibly have?

However, from the moment the cat came down the mountain and met Taishang, he realized that the cat was extraordinary.

This cat possesses exceptional intelligence; if it were placed in the ancient times before the Investiture of the Gods, achieving anything would have been extremely easy for it.

But now, this cat has fallen into the hands of the old Taoist priest. Its cultivation level is neither high nor low, which makes the Taoist priest extremely uncomfortable.

If I were to give this cat to myself, I could train it to be even stronger than that monkey within a few years.

At worst, we can let this cat cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace again and go through the journey to the West again.

However, it seems unlikely now.

The Taoist priest realized that the old Taoist had no intention of handing the cat over to him at all.

However, he had anticipated that it might not work now, but that didn't mean it wouldn't work in the future.

Sooner or later, this cat will leave this world, and then he can use other methods to bring the cat into Buddhism.

With the Taoist priest gone, the world returned to normal.

On the rooftop, Su Bai looked around in confusion.

For a fleeting moment, he felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Peeking into the courtyard, he saw the old Taoist priest still lying in the chair and couldn't help but ask, "Master, what happened just now?"

The old Taoist priest did not turn around, but he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"What's wrong? Focus on your cultivation and don't try to bluff your way through."

As if remembering something, the old Taoist continued, "Do you still remember what I told you before about who to be wary of when traveling?"

Su Bai jumped off the roof and lay on the old Taoist's stomach: "Of course I remember. Be careful of those who look kind, and be careful of those who are pretending to be righteous."

"That's right, now I want you to be wary of another type of person."

"Be careful of those who look gloomy and those who constantly talk about fate."

"What should I do if I encounter someone like that?" Hearing the old Taoist's words, two names involuntarily came to mind for Su Bai.

According to my master, I should be careful, but if I really encounter it, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape.

"It's alright, I will pray for you silently."

Upon hearing this, Su Bai couldn't help but roll his eyes.

What kind of talk is that?

If prayer is effective, why bother with spiritual practices?

Just as Su Bai was about to return to the rooftop to continue his meditation, a voice came from outside the door once again.

The old Taoist priest slowly rose from the rocking chair, his tone tinged with anger.

"What's the occasion? Why is everyone coming to see me?"

Outside the door, a man dressed in a red robe, looking quite festive, didn't dare to utter a word for a long time.

He held a gold ingot in his left hand and a jade ruyi in his right. Hearing the old Taoist's angry voice, he took a small step back.

After a long while, the man bowed deeply to the Taoist temple and said, "Master, your disciple Zhao Gongming has come to pay his respects."