The other party thought their conversation would not reach the mortal's ears, but as fate would have it, this mortal possessed extraordinary hearing, and every last word was overheard.
Ru Lan?
Ru Lan of Wushuang Realm, a legendary woman in her own right. Her legend stemmed from two aspects: first, she was the only woman to break into the top ten of the newcomer trial rankings, and second, the subsequent exposure of her scandalous love affairs throughout the cultivation world.
She had fallen in love at first sight with South Origin Venerable of Wushuang Realm, pursuing him passionately for several hundred years. What's more, South Origin Venerable was her master.
Ru Lan and Cheng Hong were siblings, both gifted with exceptional intelligence. One joined Wushuang Realm, while the other became a Buddhist cultivator at Maha Zen Temple.
This time, she had angered South Origin Venerable by drugging him. Though her master was unwilling to escalate the matter and thus did not punish her, his fury and disappointed cold gaze had pierced her heart like a knife. It was then that she sought help from her brother.
She yearned for him so intensely. Such a man, full of allure and charm, drove her to madness. Thus, she had resorted to some covert means, but ultimately, she failed.
The reason for her failure, however, was the covetousness of another woman!
“Ru Lan, you are possessed. Attachment, aversion, not getting what one wants, separation from the beloved, all are illusions. It's all empty flowers, a mirage. What you're asking me to do, I cannot help you with.”
Ru Lan grew anxious. With the innocent and pretty features of a girl next door and her pink lips pursed, her eyes welled up with tears. “You clearly have a friendship that transcends age with my master. He will surely listen to your words. I'm not asking for much, just for you to explain things to Master. I promise to be good from now on. Can you ask him to forgive me this once? Please, brother.”
Since their separation in childhood, perhaps because Ru Lan resented him for not joining Wushuang Realm with her and felt he had abandoned her, she had refused to acknowledge him, calling him by his name. Only when she needed something would she soften her tone and call him.
Cheng Hong's gaze was clear, unmoved by her current plea, for he knew she had no intention of abandoning her rebellious aspirations. Yet, thinking of her as his own blood sister, he said calmly, “If you truly manage to enter the top ten in this newcomer ranking, I will agree to plead for you. As for whether he will forgive you, that will be up to fate and his heart.”
Persuasion failed, warnings were ignored. This forbidden love was a trial, yet she was determined not to turn back.
“Top ten? Alright, it's a deal. Brother, you mustn't lie. You must help me this once.”
Ru Lan's face immediately lit up with joy. Her bright, luminous eyes twinkled like stars, truly pure and beautiful as a flower.
“Is there anything else?” Cheng Hong asked her.
She shook her head and smiled fawningly. “I know you prefer tranquility, so I won't disturb you. I'll be going back now.” Having obtained the promise she desired, Ru Lan left, content.
Just then, Gu Junshi had finished reviewing the candidates for this "minor competition" and had no intention of staying longer. But as she turned to leave, she saw Cheng Hong walking towards her.
His eyebrows were lowered, his posture straight, and his monk's robe immaculate. Standing there, he was like a jade sculpture, meticulously carved, embodying compassion for all beings.
Gu Junshi: “…” The eerily familiar turn of events instilled in her a sense of inescapable premonition, as if of cyclical destiny.
Cheng Hong clasped his hands in a salute, his voice gentle. His deep eyes looked at her and he asked, "May I inquire, Benefactor, are you willing to enter our Buddhist sect and become a Buddhist cultivator?"
Gu Junshi did not answer, finding it absurdly amusing.
This was precisely the kind of conversation they had when they first met.
Back then, she had been uninterested in the proselytizing of a bald monk and had simply turned and walked away. But now, she tilted her lips slightly and asked him unhurriedly, "Why do you think I am suited for Buddhism?"
Why did he always want to persuade a demon to be good?
Could it be true that men had two main hobbies: corrupting virtuous women and reforming fallen women?
Oh, and now there's a third: monks who relentlessly try to convert demons to righteousness.
Cheng Hong said earnestly, "Benefactor, you possess golden light of merit. Although you have no spiritual roots and cannot achieve immortality through spiritual cultivation, you can attain sainthood through Buddhist cultivation."
Perhaps it was his earnest demeanor that Gu Junshi found so comical. She said leisurely, "I could also cultivate demonically, or perhaps engage in dual cultivation."
Cheng Hong did not show anger or shyness at her slightly flippant words. His exceedingly clear eyes gazed at her. His skin was as pale as the moon, making the three-petaled lotus on his brow appear even more vibrant red. Yet, his expression was as unyielding and inviolable as ice and snow on a high mountain.
"If Benefactor so wishes, that is also possible."
This answer was quite forthright. She said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but I am already married. If I were to tread a wicked path, what would become of my husband?"
This statement implicitly categorized Buddhist cultivation, demonic cultivation, and dual cultivation together as wicked paths.
This indicated that the line between good and evil, righteous and unrighteous, was quite blurred in her mind.
Cheng Hong had not expected her to be married. While dual cultivation was common in the cultivation world, true companions were few and far between.
Cheng Hong clasped his hands in a salute, "This humble monk was presumptuous."
Gu Junshi's dark eyes closed slightly. "Have you given up trying to persuade me?"
This didn't seem like his usual character.
Cheng Hong said, "All worldly affections are like dreams and illusions. Benefactor will eventually understand that all things turn to emptiness. Benefactor bears the mark of merit, which signifies a connection with our Buddha. This humble monk will patiently guide you."
In plain terms, he meant that after helping her overcome her attachment to love, he would then persuade her to become a monk with him.
Buddhist cultivators in the cultivation world were truly not restricted by gender, which was quite fair, just, and equitable in this regard.
She knew it. The path he cultivated was unclear, and the Buddha he faced had a personality that was not broad-minded but stubbornly rigid. What he set his mind on, ten donkeys couldn't pull away. In this respect, he was truly a sibling to Ru Lan.
In their first life, it was he who initiated their entanglement.
It was also he who, in disappointment, severed ties with her.
Gu Junshi recalled some unpleasant past events, her eyes becoming unfathomably deep.
Cheng Hong, this time, why don't you try? Will you guide me to sainthood, or will I lure you into demonhood? In the first life, you broke the precepts of killing, desire, and false speech, yet you still dreamed of turning back? In this life, you have finally encountered me again, but why have you still not learned your lesson?
Cheng Hong met her gaze and seemed to sense something, "Benefactor... knows this humble monk?"
"Past events cannot be revisited. You had best not provoke me again, or I don't know if I will be able to restrain myself."
After Gu Junshi left, Cheng Hong frowned slightly.
He felt a subtle sense of familiarity from her gaze, or rather, the gaze of that Benefactor towards him. But he was certain he had never met her before.
—
On the way back, Gu Junshi encountered Dan Ya, who had arrived with flowing elegance. He was dressed in a blue and white long robe, with a silver-threaded buckle on his lapel and a cyan cloud-patterned wide silk sash around his waist. He was as refined as an immortal. Upon seeing her, his eyes clearly brightened, and he smiled tenderly, his gaze full of affection.
"A Yi."
This lingering, affectionate address, if one did not know the context, might have suggested a couple truly in love.
Gu Junshi returned a faint, frosty smile, a hint of malice hovering in the air. "Didn't I tell you, you should call me Madam Liu Jiang?"
The smile on Dan Ya's face immediately faded slightly, but then, he shifted to a sorrowful expression. "A Yi, do you truly not understand my feelings?"