A sage's schemes usually required very long-term planning. As a sage's pawn, one had to possess the resolve to sacrifice one's life without hesitation.
Daoist Ran Deng was someone filled with determination.
Moreover, to ensure Daoist Ran Deng's loyalty to the West, the Two Sages of the West had entered into a Chaos Contract with him.
Whoever violated the contract and betrayed the other party would trigger the Chaos Contract. Sage or Great Luo Golden Immortal, all of them would die, die, die!
In truth, from the moment Daoist Ran Deng had "encountered by chance" Sage Zhunti, he had no choice left.
Those beneath sages could only preserve their dignity as living beings by attaching themselves to sages. If someone without a sage behind them encountered a sage, there was no path besides compromise.
Before others, you could die. Before a sage, you did not even possess the right to die.
Daoist Ran Deng was also a pitiful man! Though he appeared to live in great splendor, his fate had never been his to choose.
However, Meng Chen would not pity Daoist Ran Deng. Discussing good and evil apart from one's position was meaningless. Since Meng Chen shared common interests with the Chan Sect, he would not give Daoist Ran Deng any opportunity.
Just like now, Meng Chen was offering "slanderous counsel" before Yuanshi Tianzun, urging him to accept Daoist Ran Deng into the sect.
"Master, this disciple believes that Senior Ran Deng's arrival must conceal a conspiracy."
Meng Chen spoke bluntly.
He had received news from Guang Chengzi that someone was kneeling outside Jade Void Palace, refusing to rise, hoping to move Yuanshi Tianzun with his sincerity and have him accepted into the sect. He immediately guessed the visitor's identity.
Thus, he hurried to Jade Void Palace to offer his "slanderous counsel."
Meng Chen did not want an extra half-master above his head. He had to suppress Daoist Ran Deng. Daoist Ran Deng wanted to become the deputy sect leader? He would be lucky to become a temporary worker for the Chan Sect!
Any dirty work, exhausting work, or work that offended others could be thrown to Daoist Ran Deng. If things came to light, they could push Daoist Ran Deng and the Western Church out to take the blame. After all, Daoist Ran Deng and the Western Church had done all the disgraceful things. What did any of it have to do with the Chan Sect?
Besides, had Daoist Ran Deng not teamed up with Sage Zhunti and even named their little group the Shameless Duo?
Sage Zhunti was the Darkness of the West, so Daoist Ran Deng could become the darkness of the Chan Sect. That way, he could once again be colleagues with Sage Zhunti, doing the same kind of work.
"What you say is not wrong!"
Yuanshi Tianzun gave Meng Chen an approving look. "Everyone knows that I do not accept disciples who come bearing established arts. Ran Deng has already attained Great Luo Golden Immortal and possesses his own Dao Foundation. I absolutely will not take him as a disciple. His sudden arrival to join the Chan Sect must be the scheme of another sage."
Yuanshi Tianzun was a sage. How could he fail to see that Daoist Ran Deng had come with ill intent? It was simply that he could produce no evidence.
A Primordial Saint knelt outside the mountain gate year after year, day after day, asking only to join the Chan Sect. What could Yuanshi Tianzun do?
He could not simply kill Daoist Ran Deng outright.
Yuanshi Tianzun was a sage, not a murderous maniac. If he killed someone merely because another great cultivator wished to become his disciple, would the Pangu Sect still have any reputation? Would Xuanmen orthodoxy still have any reputation? Would the Chan Sect still have any reputation?
Daoist Ran Deng was morally coercing Yuanshi Tianzun!
If Yuanshi Tianzun refused to accept him as a disciple, then the world would think Yuanshi Tianzun cold-hearted and stubbornly inflexible. The world's opinions would not affect Yuanshi Tianzun himself, but the Chan Sect needed to spread its teachings.
Would the world rather believe in a sage with warmth and compassion, one who wished to seize a thread of life for all living beings, or a sage who was cold-hearted, merciless, and devoid of sentiment?
The Disciples of Intercepting Teaching were a chaotic lot, treating the people like fish and meat and common folk like pigs and dogs. Why, then, did so many people still favor Intercepting Teaching? Was it not because Master Tongtian had warmth and humanity, and because Intercepting Teaching's doctrine sounded appealing?
Did the world like the Disciples of Intercepting Teaching? No, they liked Master Tongtian! Master Tongtian was the electricity in their hearts, the light in their hearts, their one and only myth.
Everyone hoped others would treat them well. Whether mortal or immortal, the human heart worked the same way in every realm and every world.
In the Primordial Wilderness, one's public image was also extremely important.
Do not think that invincible strength allowed one to do whatever one pleased! To gain benefits from all living beings, one first had to gain their recognition and make them believe that one could bring them benefits.
Therefore, Yuanshi Tianzun was somewhat undecided as well.
He could suppress Daoist Ran Deng, but his disciples could not. His disciples were only in the Golden Immortal Realm. If Daoist Ran Deng entered the sect, who knew when he might lead them astray?
A Great Luo Golden Immortal, a Primordial Saint, a Guest of Purple Cloud Palace, and someone with a tenacious heart devoted to seeking the Dao—refusing to leave after kneeling outside the mountain gate—such a persona could easily become a role model in the hearts of immortals.
"Master, this disciple wishes to plead for Junior Brother Ran Deng."
Yuanshi Tianzun raised his brows slightly at those words and asked in surprise, "Junior Brother? You just said that Ran Deng had ulterior motives. Why are you so quickly willing to acknowledge him as your junior brother?"
Meng Chen respectfully bowed. "Master, although Ran Deng has ulterior motives, if he wishes to gain Master's trust, he must work for the Chan Sect."
"Work for My Teaching?"
Yuanshi Tianzun's mind was not as dark as Meng Chen's. "What can he do for My Teaching?"
"Naturally, he can do the things that cannot see the light of day."
Meng Chen smiled faintly and cupped his hands.
Yuanshi Tianzun was stunned. Looking at Meng Chen, he seemed to see the three words "hypocritical noble man" written on his face. Yet he was unexpectedly satisfied with Meng Chen's performance.
True noble man or hypocritical noble man, so long as Meng Chen did not betray the Chan Sect or harm living beings, and his targets were enemies of the Chan Sect, what was wrong with being a little sinister and deceitful?
At the end of the day, Yuanshi Tianzun and Meng Chen were the same kind of people. It was precisely because of this that Yuanshi Tianzun had cultivated Meng Chen as his successor.
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded. "Ran Deng is deeply calculating. Are you confident that you can control him?"
"Master, regardless of Ran Deng's purpose in coming to the Chan Sect, he must first gain Master's trust. With Master in the Chan Sect, he will certainly not dare to play tricks. Once outside the Chan Sect, this disciple will have Cangwu work alongside him and monitor him at all times."
Listening to Meng Chen's words, Yuanshi Tianzun could already imagine Daoist Ran Deng's miserable fate after entering the sect: serving Meng Chen like an ox and horse while being watched by him at every moment.
Thinking of this, Yuanshi Tianzun asked again, "What if, after Ran Deng enters My Teaching, he is influenced by My Teaching and sincerely works for it?"
Meng Chen's expression turned solemn, and he said seriously, "Master, from the very beginning, Ran Deng has been unable to control his own fate. He has no road back."
"Yes!"
Hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun let out a long sigh and said no more.
Before you continue