Hearing Li Hao’s imposing voice, the expression of the Buddha Lord remained unchanged, still smiling as he said:
“The Haotian General, although a noble Duke, we of the Buddhist faith are beyond the confines of the temple and are not constrained by the pomp and ceremony of the court. Moreover, hundreds of years ago, for my meritorious demon-subduing deeds, I received the Imperial Demon-Subduing Chapter bestowed by Emperor Yu himself. Even in the presence of the imperial court and Saints, there is no need for me to kneel and pay respects.”
Li Hao’s eyes narrowed, and he sneered,
“What a grand Imperial Demon-Subduing Chapter, what a meritorious deed of subduing demons!”
“Haotian General, it seems there is some misunderstanding you have towards me?”
The Buddha Lord’s gaze was gentle as he softly said, “Your arrival here is marked by anger, what brings you here? Could it be that you wish to clear the name of that little thief?”
A murderous intent surged in Li Hao’s eyes as he said ominously, “He is not a little thief, he is the Thief Saint!”
“A thief is a thief, to crown him with a saint’s title is an insult to the Saints.”
The Buddha Lord smiled and said, “Haotian General, you should think carefully about your words. To vindicate a notorious evildoer — even if you have the great merit of saving Liangzhou and relieving the chaos in Qingzhou — you may still end up shouldering some infamy. While it may not degrade you from your dukedom or strip you of your generalship, the eyes of the people throughout the world are clear. Associating with thieves never ends well.”
“I thought you could at least be a bit more forthright, but I didn’t expect you to be this duplicitous.”
Li Hao took a step forward, his aura rising with him, his gaze ominous:
“When you captured him, did you not know of my relationship with him? If he wasn’t standing guard at Heaven’s Gate Pass for me, how could you possibly have captured him?”
“Your public execution now, did you not anticipate my coming? Why bother with these sham words now? Just say it directly, is this act targeted at me, or are there other motives? If you wish, I can comply as you desire, what’s the harm in divesting honors and ranks? Even if I hold no title or command, is it your turn yet? If you want them, go and vie for them!”
At this time, Lin Wujing and two other Bodhisattvas had also caught up from behind. Hearing Li Hao questioning the Buddha Lord in this Buddhist Hall, they all changed color.
Lin Wujing could not help but say, “Haotian General, please speak more politely, the Buddha Lord’s merit is boundless, and our Buddhist faith rescues countless people. How can that be compared to your mere salvation of two provinces? Don’t be overbearing…”
“Out!”
Before he could finish, Li Hao just shouted angrily in a low voice. He didn’t turn his head, simply taking another step forward.
Yet a formidable pressure burst forth from behind him, like a heavy punch, knocking the three Bodhisattvas who had hurried over flying backward, causing them to spit blood once again.
Seeing the three Bodhisattvas get injured before his eyes, the Buddha Lord’s countenance finally lost a bit of its warmth, as he calmly said:
“I originally thought you were merely using this thief. Little did I expect you’d be as close as thieves in cahoots. Now that you are covered in glory, do not forget the Emperor’s grace upon you. By coming here to advocate for a thief and barging into my Buddhist Hall, have you lived up to the Emperor’s grace, the reverence and trust the people have in you?”
“If I didn’t come, that would be the true betrayal of the Emperor’s trust. If I turn a blind eye to the life and death of a friend, how could I then protect all living beings?”
“Besides a few bald heads from your Buddhist realm, there is no one else here. What’s the point of acting this out with me?”
Li Hao coldly said, “Could it be that the Bodhisattvas under your command do not know the situation and need you to act it out for them?”
“Haotian General, your offense against my Buddhist faith is too deep. Even as a Duke, you cannot escape responsibility. I will certainly report to the Emperor about you myself!” said the Buddha Lord in a solemn tone.
“Go right ahead. Today, I am here to see my friend, where is he?”
Li Hao stared at him, his hands would have already been raised if not for his concern that old man Feng was still in the other’s hands.
The Buddha Lord calmly said, “It seems you really are obstinate. Do you truly wish to make an enemy of my Buddhist faith and all living beings over a little thief?”
“Stop fucking bringing up all living beings every time, is your Buddhist faith even worthy? In a single province, there are hundreds of cities, each with a Buddhist Hall. But what about the towns and villages outside the cities? How many temples do you have there?! If you really had boundless merit, that would be one thing, but you sit high on this platform, observing the world’s fire and distress from afar. When Liangzhou was attacked, where were you?”
“When Qingzhou was attacked, where the fuck were you?! You say Liangzhou is too far, but Qingzhou is right before you, where were you then?!”
Li Hao furiously cursed.
“If, as you say, Liangzhou was attacked, where was the Emperor then, when Qingzhou was attacked, where was the Emperor?”
The Buddha Lord calmly said, “We, who sit on high, overseeing the world, are engaged in a game with the demons of darkness. If trouble befalls one province’s border, should the soldiers from all Nineteen Provinces rush to help, is that the definition of bravery? Everyone has their own duties. My Mount Wuliang protects a five hundred mile radius in fullness, deterring demons from invasion, is it not because I am stationed here?”
Li Hao scoffed, “No need to justify, what you say may seem reasonable, but you know best whether you have fulfilled your duties. Words can deceive others, but not one’s own heart! You, with your Grand Tao of Peace Realm, even the one acclaimed as the most powerful beneath the ethereal path, couldn’t you deter those two major demonic forces?”
“With Mount Wuliang on the border of Qingzhou, and the Divine General Mansion present too, the Gragon Gate and the Holy Palace dared to launch a massive attack. After breaking through the border, they swept through without any resistance. Aren’t you afraid of Mount Wuliang’s intervention?”
“You saw for yourself; they had the Desolate God behind them, naturally they didn’t have to worry.”
The Buddha Lord said blandly.
Li Hao sneered, “But that Desolate God was extremely reluctant to act, and they never intended to expose themselves in Qingzhou. So you want to say that you noticed the avatars of the Desolate Gods in advance, so you dared not intervene, did you warn the Li Family then?”
“Of course, we sent someone to notify them, but by the time I realized it, Qingzhou had already fallen, the battle situation was complex, and the disciple I sent seemed to have been caught up in the demonic fray, their whereabouts unknown.”
The Buddha Lord explained.
Li Hao wanted to laugh, “Fooling the public is one thing, but do you need to continue this performance here? Do you take me for a child, or do you think I’m as foolish as your disciples?”
“Emperors, nobles, and commoners are divided into three classes across the land, who isn’t aware of how things stand? Just like merchants, their very nature is to trade for profit, to earn a margin—a penny’s cost sold for a dollar. Those with a conscience can’t be merchants, but at least when people sell things, they price them transparently. Transactions are voluntary, which is a form of honesty!”
“You ask the people to believe in you, to deceive them, to give them something to cling to—fine. But in the end, what you seek is nothing but renown! Since it’s all for fame, then admit it openly! Don’t pretend to be compassionate, just like a merchant who claims not to care about money. Then what do you care for? Once they’ve made enough money, they turn to crave fame, right?”
The Buddha Lord replied calmly, “You’re too stubborn. You have excellent talents, but you are still young, your understanding of the world is too shallow. You have never truly listened to the teachings of Buddhism, nor do you understand the myriad sufferings of the world, the difficulty of crossing the sea of suffering. Only Buddhism, with the boat of truth, can help people cross over and reach the other shore.”
“In front of Buddhism, all beings in the world are equal; there are no emperors or generals, no division between commoners. All are born human and are equally qualified to board the ship to transcendence.”
Li Hao sneered and said, “Quit beating around the bush. Bring out Feng Boping now, or I won’t hesitate to grant your sect transcendence too!”
The Buddha Lord looked at Li Hao and said with piercing eyes, “Haotian General, do you truly wish to sink into the sea of suffering, never to return? Once word of today’s incident spreads, do you realize how the world will view you?”
Li Hao saw a deep-seated indifference hidden in the calm eyes of the Buddha Lord—an indifference that bordered on mockery, as if his own actions had fulfilled the other’s wishes.
He knew that once he took this step, the recognition he had received for his past merits might be tainted, but he did not care.
What he did not understand was why this Buddha Lord cared so much about trying to tarnish him through Feng’s hand.
“Let posterity judge, what does it matter if you get your way? Release him!”
Li Hao’s eyes were icy as he spoke, “Don’t talk nonsense with me, or I’ll smash your Lotus Platform and topple your Buddhist Hall!”
The Buddha Lord quietly watched him for a moment, then gave a slight nod and announced loudly:
“Puji Bodhisattva, bring that little thief here. Let the honored nobles see for themselves how domineering Haotian General is, all for this little thief’s release.”
“Yes.”
A Buddhist chant came from outside the hall, and then the presence of one of the bodhisattvas vanished in haste.
Upon hearing the Buddha Lord’s words, Li Hao’s gaze turned colder. This move clearly targeted him. The opponent had even anticipated that he would arrive immediately upon receiving the news. He was fast, but there were nobles present—evidently, they had been invited before the information was made public.
“You seek to defame me, but what do you desire?” Li Hao queried.
If the Buddha Lord wanted fame, Li Hao would not have stood in his way, so why make such a big deal? It made Li Hao curious.
The Buddha Lord replied evenly, “If I had known earlier that you were so talented, I would have had Samantabhadra Bodhisattva pick you up to join the mountain and become a disciple. What a pity, you were too clever from a young age, hiding too well.”
Li Hao sneered, “Enough of that. If I hadn’t hidden well, your Buddhist sect would have found an opportunity to visit and assassinate me!”
“Besides, when I was not even two years old, you already sent that concealed Abandoned Divine Blood Poison Pill to that poisonous woman. You had already chosen your candidate. Maybe that foolish woman initially had only some thoughts in her mind, but driven by your inducement, she committed that foolish act. Are you scheming to have Li Qianfeng inherit the True Dragon of the Li Family, to thereby take control of the Li Family?”
From Li Hao’s current perspective, the longer he looked, the more sinister Mount Wuliang seemed.
The poison pill came from Mount Wuliang, and Li Qianfeng had also become a disciple there. The purpose of this Buddhist sect was glaringly obvious.
“It’s just the way of the world. Control is not the word, it’s about borrowing some of the Li Family’s influence. But now, it’s much the same. You have outstanding talents, but you’re out of the Li Family, and now nobody in the Li Family can stop him from becoming the True Dragon,” the Buddha Lord said indifferently, his face no longer showing the previous gentleness and compassion; it seemed he was no longer trying to hide his true feelings.
Li Hao chuckled coldly within. To see Li Qianfeng rise was within his calculations too.
“I just have one more question. Why choose to poison me, rather than someone else? Is it because I was easier to target, since others are watched over by their parents? Or did you determine that the others did not have Divine Blood and wouldn’t pose an obstacle?” Li Hao asked.
“Of course, it’s because only you have Divine Blood. The cultivation talents of the other sons, aside from those already fallen in battle, do not match your father, Li Tiangang. He may have hidden this information, but he can’t escape my eyes,” the Buddha Lord stated, gazing down at Li Hao from on high.
Li Hao immediately understood the implication of that expression. All of these actions were orchestrated by the Buddha Lord in front of him.
Informing Liu Yue Rong that Li Hao had Divine Blood was a danger to her son.
The poison pill was a lure, and she was merely a pawn.
Li Hao’s eyes filled with murderous intent, but he restrained himself. He stared at the Buddha Lord; Feng Boping was the bait used to draw Li Hao here, and now the Buddha Lord was revealing himself without cover, seemingly provoking Li Hao to strike.
What were the consequences of striking?
The Buddhist sect was a force in Jianghu that also had elements of the imperial court. With his current status, if he struck without just cause, he’d inevitably face repercussions.
Did the Buddha Lord want to leverage the power of the court to charge him, or was he aiming to cause a rift between Li Hao and the Great Yu Dynasty?
If a break was imminent…
Demons, the Buddhist sect… Li Hao’s eyes grew colder as he stared at the Buddha Lord in front of him. The calm gaze of the Buddha Lord met Li Hao’s without flinching or avoidance.
It was as if their gazes pierced through each other’s hearts.