Chapter 131: The Boundless Evil of Buddhist Teachings

Ge Qian pondered and said, "The disciples of the Confucian Gate are loosely disciplined, so it is inevitable that they might act in ways that prioritize profit over righteousness. As for this 'Poison Demon' you mentioned, I have never heard of him. What does he look like?"

Fo Yaxin replied, "He is passably handsome but disabled. One of his legs is exceptionally thick, and one of his hands is covered in sharp scales. If you saw him, you would recognize him instantly. The most troublesome thing about him is that his entire body is saturated with poison."

Ge Qian nodded. "I have noted this. I will be extra careful if I encounter him. This place is not suitable for a long stay; let us find a quiet spot so you can recover from your injuries."

Fo Yaxin had been hoping for exactly that and readily agreed. The two took to their swords, flew a hundred miles, and stopped behind a shrub-covered hillside.

Ge Qian deployed his flying sword, and a temporary cave dwelling was quickly set up. Fo Yaxin entered with gratitude, sat cross-legged, and swallowed a black pill to begin purging the potent toxins. Ge Qian sat beside him to stand guard, ensuring no one would disturb them and cause him to suffer a cultivation deviation.

Ge Qian observed Fo Yaxin closely. There was a terrifying, evil aura sealed within the man’s body—one identical to the aura deep within his own Confucian Classics. It seemed, however, that the evil aura within Fo Yaxin was even more concentrated. He deduced that these two evils shared the same origin. The peerless existence within the Confucian Classics possessed unfathomable and immensely powerful techniques, yet it could only barely suppress that evil, allowing it just enough opportunity to deceive the classics and attempt to devour his own divine sense. It appeared the evil sealed within the Confucian Classics was far more powerful than the one inside Fo Yaxin. After all, Fo Yaxin could not compare to the Confucian Classics; if Ge Qian were of a higher cultivation level, any single technique from those books would be world-shaking.

Having calculated a connection between the two, Ge Qian immediately formed a plan. He knew that one day the evil existence would strike at the Confucian Classics, and if he lacked a proper defense, he would be the first to suffer.

Ge Qian flicked his divine sense, forming ripples that silently permeated Fo Yaxin’s body to track the location of the seal. Fo Yaxin, focused entirely on refining the medicinal pill and recovering his strength, was negligent in his mental defenses. Furthermore, Ge Qian meant him no harm and possessed a divine sense several times stronger; thus, Fo Yaxin remained unaware.

Ge Qian discovered the evil aura near Fo Yaxin’s left rib, where a swastika seal suppressed a thumb-sized piece of flesh. It writhed incessantly, as if trying to break free, only to be forcefully suppressed by the seal again. Ge Qian suddenly understood: this scrap of flesh sealed within Fo Yaxin was likely a part of the existence trapped inside the Confucian Classics.

The name "Fo Yaxin"—*Fo* (Buddha) and *Yaxin* (which, when combined, implied "evil")—literally suggested the "evil of boundless Buddha." His cultivation technique, the "Great Peacock Underworld Sutra," focused on slaughter, and the Underworld King was essentially a "wicked Buddha." It seemed the Hongfa Temple intended to recreate an ancient legend and forge an era of the Underworld King—what a cunning scheme.

Ge Qian thought to himself that if the existence within his Confucian Classics used the power of this "wicked Buddha" to break out, the world would be thrown into chaos. He could not allow their plan to succeed. He would use Buddha to control Buddha, and evil to control evil.

Ge Qian channeled the "Nameless Heart Sutra" through his ripples onto the swastika seal. The seal, like a commoner meeting an emperor, trembled in worship and submission. Ge Qian then used the "Pulling the Firewood from Under the Cauldron" technique from the Confucian Classics to extract a wisp of pure evil aura. His own soul-beast manifested, splitting off a fragment of his individual soul. This fragment swallowed the evil aura, darted into the flesh held by the swastika seal, and performed a "cuckoo in the nest" maneuver, fusing with and altering the internal will to serve Ge Qian.

Having finished this, Ge Qian breathed a sigh of relief. He had planted a piece on the board, giving him a shred of confidence for future dealings with the evil in the classics.

At that moment, Fo Yaxin stabilized his injuries and stood up. "Many thanks, fellow Daoist. Is there anything I can do for you? Name it, and I will not refuse."

Ge Qian smiled slightly and looked at the partially recovered Fo Yaxin. "I am going to Sanlong City to redeem a friend from an old acquaintance. I owe her three high-grade spirit stones."

"Is that all? I thought it would be something difficult," Fo Yaxin laughed. "It’s just three high-grade spirit stones? I will give you six, and that will settle my debt to you."

He tossed a storage bag to Ge Qian. It contained not only six high-grade spirit stones but also tens of thousands of mid-grade ones, along with various artifacts, talismans, and sundries. Ge Qian scanned it with his divine sense and nodded. "Master Fo Yaxin, you are truly generous. However, since I need a large amount of spirit stones for expenses in Sanlong City, I will not stand on ceremony."

"No matter," Fo Yaxin said dismissively. "I took these from the Poison Demon when I wounded him. Wealth is but an external possession; take it if you like."

Ge Qian put the bag away. "I am heading to Sanlong City. Where are you going? If it is not on the way, I will not escort you further."

Fo Yaxin pondered for a moment. "I am going to the Red Sand Desert. I will pass through Sanlong City, so we are indeed traveling the same path."

"Even better," Ge Qian clapped his hands. "Let us go together."

The two took to their swords and cut through the sky. Along the way, Ge Qian’s efficiency impressed Fo Yaxin. He was incredibly smooth, adaptable, and knew exactly how to talk to different people. With his lavish spending of spirit stones, there were few things he could not accomplish. In the Tianzhu Kingdom, cultivators of his strength were usually arrogant and overbearing, but this "Wang Meng" was low-key, playing the pig to eat the tiger, and quietly accumulating wealth.

After several days of travel, they used the teleportation array in Tianru City to reach Sanlong City. Ge Qian arranged for Fo Yaxin to stay at a quiet, clean inn—as a monk, he preferred peace.

Ge Qian then headed to the street and released a sound-transmission talisman. Moments later, a graceful figure appeared before him.

Ge Qian bowed with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Qian, you are truly a woman of your word. I was delayed by matters on the road, so I am late."

Qian Huixian swayed her waist with a hint of charm and pretended to be angry. "What could be more important than a friend's life? Why are you alone? Where is that beautiful fairy?"

Ge Qian sighed. "Ye Yu had a sudden epiphany and went into seclusion to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, so I had to handle everything. On the road, I met a strange man—a handsome young monk who knew nothing of the area. He asked me for directions; he is Fo Yaxin, a lay disciple of the Hongfa Temple in the Tianzhu Kingdom. He was severely injured. You are well-traveled, Fellow Daoist Qian; have you heard of a lay disciple named Fo Yaxin in the Hongfa Temple?"

Ge Qian chuckled inwardly, thinking, *I heard everything you said to Ren Guyue. Your beloved has arrived; let’s see how anxious you get now.*

Sure enough, Qian Huixian’s eyes widened. She grabbed Ge Qian’s clothes and asked excitedly, "Is what you say true?"