Serving the Rice, Cursing the Mother

In the West, on Spirit Mountain.

Daoist Jieyin wore a pained expression, gazing at the fertile lands to the east, then glancing back at his own still rather "simple" dojo. He sighed mournfully, "Junior Brother, our West suffers! Though the Dao Ancestor granted us the foundation for Saint positions, the path to becoming a Saint is long and arduous."

He turned his head, as if recalling something else. "Furthermore, the karma from Hongyun giving up his seat in the Purple Heaven Palace back then is like shackles, binding us. If we don't repay it, it will become a heart demon on our path to Dao, hindering our enlightenment!"

Daoist Zhunti also looked distressed, but a shrewd glint flickered in the depths of his eyes. "Senior Brother speaks the truth. That Hongyun, though blessed with great fortune, lacks the capacity to enjoy it. To possess the Primordial Violet Qi and the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, how unwise! Such precious treasures in his hands are truly a waste of heaven's bounty."

"Moreover, if he doesn't die, the karma of the seat he gave us will never be fully resolved. In my opinion..."

The two exchanged a glance, everything understood without words.

If you can't solve the problem, solve the person who caused it!

If you can't repay the karma, make the person who owes it disappear! The karma will naturally vanish! And on the side... the Primordial Violet Qi and the top-grade innate Spiritual Treasure, the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, should rightfully belong to the West. Wouldn't it be wonderful to use them to revitalize the West?

"However, this matter requires using someone else's hand. It's inconvenient for us to act directly, lest we incur too much karma," Jieyin mused.

"Senior Brother, rest assured," Zhunti replied, a knowing smile gracing his lips.

"Di Jun and Taiyi are ambitious and wish to establish a Heavenly Court to rule the Great Wilderness. Hongyun possesses the means to become a Saint, making him a significant threat and temptation to them. And then there's Kunpeng of the North Sea, who hates Hongyun to the bone. He's the perfect pawn!"

"Let's split up. I'll go to the Sun Star to persuade those two Golden Crows. Senior Brother, you go to the North Ming Sea; you'll surely be able to persuade Kunpeng!"

... I am... the dividing line ...

On the Sun Star, in the Sun God Palace.

Di Jun and Taiyi were calculating how to gain more sponsors (allies) when they suddenly heard of Zhunti's arrival. Although they didn't have a good impression of the two from the West, they were, after all, registered disciples of the Dao Ancestor, so they had to maintain appearances.

"Fellow Daoist Zhunti, aren't you in the West mending the damaged earth veins? What brings you to our Sun Star?" Di Jun asked calmly, with a hint of distance in his tone.

Zhunti smiled broadly, seemingly unfazed by Di Jun's coolness. "Your Majesties the Heavenly Emperors (flattery delivered preemptively), I have come to resolve a hidden worry for Your Majesties and to bestow upon you a tremendous opportunity!"

Taiyi raised an eyebrow, clutching the Chaos Bell, and said coldly, "Oh? What hidden worry do my brother and I have? And what great opportunity is this?"

Zhunti lowered his voice, like a vendor hawking CDs. "Does Your Majesty know of Hongyun? This old fellow possesses the Primordial Violet Qi but lacks the ability to protect it, idly wandering about and showing off every day. If he were to miraculously become a Saint, given his temperament, would he stand by and watch the Demon Race's Heavenly Court rule the Great Wilderness? He would surely become a major concern for Your Majesties! This is one worry."

He paused, observing Di Jun and Taiyi's expressions, and continued, "Secondly, that Primordial Violet Qi is the foundation for becoming a Saint. If Your Majesties obtain it, and the Demon Race's Heavenly Court produces a Heavenly Dao Saint, what obstacle would there be to achieving great things? Those barbarians of the Witch Race could be wiped out with a flick of the wrist! This is a tremendous opportunity!"

Di Jun's eyes flickered; he was clearly swayed. Hongyun's existence was indeed a variable. If they could seize his Primordial Violet Qi... But he still had concerns. "Hongyun is good friends with Zhenyuanzi, and Zhenyuanzi is protected by the Earth Book. Longevity Mountain is impregnable and difficult to deal with."

Zhunti chuckled. "Why force an attack? That Hongyun is often careless, and Zhenyuanzi can't watch him every moment. We only need to find an opportunity when he's alone and strike with lightning speed..."

"At that time, my Senior Brother Jieyin and I can also provide covert assistance to ensure success. As for afterwards, the Primordial Violet Qi will belong to Your Majesties, and the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, it has a connection with our West. What do Your Majesties think?"

The distribution of benefits was clear, and the two from the West were willing to act as "external support" and take the blame. Di Jun and Taiyi exchanged a look, seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

"Good!" Di Jun finally decided. "My brother and I accept this task!"

At the same time, in the North Sea.

Jieyin's arrival surprised Kunpeng.

"Fellow Daoist Jieyin. Aren't you in the West repairing earth veins or forging connections across the Great Wilderness? How do you have the leisure to visit my desolate and barren North Sea?" The sarcasm and distance in his tone were unconcealed.

Jieyin seemed completely unfazed, his face still bearing its eternally sorrowful expression. He sighed lightly, "Fellow Daoist jokes. Though the North Nether Sea is cold, it is a blessed land for your cultivation. My visit is presumptuous, but it is due to a matter that concerns your Dao path, and even... a hidden worry, which compels me to come."

"Oh?" Kunpeng narrowed his eyes, his body in the shadows seeming to lean forward slightly. "What hidden worry do I have that concerns you so much, Fellow Daoist?"

Jieyin spoke unhurriedly, his voice possessing a peculiar penetrating quality that struck at the darkest corners of Kunpeng's heart. "Does Fellow Daoist still remember Hongyun?"

Upon hearing the name "Hongyun," Kunpeng's aura instantly turned dangerous. The cold of the North Sea almost solidified. He snorted coldly, not replying, but the venomous glare in his eyes said it all.

Jieyin continued, "This Hongyun, though blessed with shallow fortune, happens to possess the Primordial Violet Qi, the foundation for becoming a Saint, an object yearned for by all beings in the Great Wilderness. He also holds the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd of immeasurable power, a top-grade innate Spiritual Treasure. To obtain even one of these would be a great fortune, yet he possesses both."

He deliberately emphasized "Primordial Violet Qi" and "Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd," deeply imprinting the concept of "treasure" in Kunpeng's mind.

"So what?" Kunpeng's voice grew colder. "What does it matter to me whether he has treasures or not?"

"Not so, not so," Jieyin shook his head, his tone becoming solemn. "Fellow Daoist, please consider, though Hongyun's temperament is gentle, if one day he were to glimpse the door to Sainthood through the Primordial Violet Qi... even if it were only half a step, with his possession of powerful treasures and the full assistance of Zhenyuanzi, how would he view that... karma from the Purple Heaven Palace back then?"

He paused deliberately, letting the words "Purple Heaven Palace karma" echo in the frigid air.

"Back then, for that seat on the futon, if he hadn't foolishly shown kindness and made way, leading Junior Brother Zhunti to speak, wouldn't you, Fellow Daoist... have lost that opportunity for a Saint position?"

Jieyin's voice carried a captivating power, brutally exposing the deepest scar in Kunpeng's heart. "This enmity of obstructing your Dao, this hatred of snatching your opportunity, can you truly let it go? If he becomes a Saint, do you think he will laugh it off and forget the past, or will he... settle old scores?"

If Chen Song were here, he would undoubtedly criticize Jieyin to his face.

Good heavens, you're the one crying poverty and playing the victim, you're the one shamelessly resorting to moral blackmail, and now you're the one biting the hand that feeds you!

It's like being served a meal and then cursing the provider after you've eaten!

But Kunpeng couldn't afford to think about that; he was already worked up!

Kunpeng's breathing became noticeably heavier, and the sound of ice cracking under pressure emanated from the shadows. Jieyin's words were like venomous snakes, precisely striking his most painful spot. The possibility of Hongyun becoming a Saint was the greatest "threat" to him, Kunpeng!

Jieyin struck while the iron was hot, his tone turning earnest. "Furthermore, this karma between you and Hongyun is tangled and unresolved, becoming a fixation in your heart, even a... heart demon. If it's not thoroughly resolved, your Dao path will likely be hindered, making it difficult to achieve perfection. The path of cultivation is like sailing against the current; some obstacles must be cleared with thunderous methods, to restore order and clarity, and then one can see the true nature of things."

He elevated "resolving karma" to the "necessity" of "dispelling heart demons" and "clearing obstacles on the Dao path."

"Their Majesties Di Jun and Taiyi also believe that Hongyun, possessing precious treasures but lacking the ability to protect them, is detrimental to the order of the Great Wilderness and are willing to take decisive action. If Fellow Daoist joins, with the combined strength of our three parties, we will surely succeed in one fell swoop."

"Then, with Hongyun's death and the dissipation of his Dao, your hidden worry will be removed, your fixation will vanish, and your Dao path will be clear. As for the Primordial Violet Qi... it has its destined connections. As for the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd, perhaps it is perfectly suited to your Spiritual Power, who knows?"

Jieyin lowered his voice further, with a hint of temptation.

Jieyin did not explicitly promise the ownership of the treasures but left ample room for imagination, intertwining Kunpeng's personal vendetta with seemingly righteous justifications like "restoring order" and "clearing obstacles."

Kunpeng remained silent for a long time, the only sounds in the shadows being his heavy breathing and the tinkling of ice shards. Jieyin's words were like demonic incantations, stirring up the resentment, jealousy, unwillingness, and fear that had been accumulating in his heart for countless eons, and pointing him toward a seemingly "reasonable" and "necessary" outlet.

Finally, a laugh, as chilling as the frigid wind from the Nine Netherworlds, yet filled with immense satisfaction and resolve, echoed from the shadows:

"Hehehehe... Hahahaha... Good! Well said, 'restoring order'! Well said, 'resolving karma'! Hongyun... if this scoundrel isn't eliminated, my heart cannot find peace! I will participate in this matter!"