The Saint's Great Dao

In the pavilion, Tongtian chuckled, then said with great displeasure, "The disciples of you two junior brothers certainly have impressive methods!"

Yuanshi also said with faint dissatisfaction, "Did you two junior brothers come here to pick a fight?"

Jieyin said with a bitter expression, "You three senior brothers have misunderstood. The disciples have their own way of communicating; we did not instruct them.

We came today to inquire about the Dao."

Taishang said calmly, "Junior Brother Jieyin is right. Let them handle their own affairs. If they lose in a discussion of the Dao, it only means their Dao is inferior. It will do them no harm."

Tongtian snorted coldly and said nothing.

Yuanshi asked, "What Dao do you wish to inquire about?"

Zhunti said solemnly, "The Way of the Saint!

"The teacher bestowed Primordial Violet Qi upon us and said that we could use it to become Saints.

"But over these years, Senior Brother and I have secluded ourselves to comprehend it, yet gained nothing. Thus, we came to seek guidance from you three senior brothers."

Taishang shook his head and said, "The Way of the Saint is profound and indescribable. We do not know it either."

Nuwa laughed softly. "We are simply discussing matters between fellow disciples. Why must Senior Brother be so evasive?"

"Very well! Since Junior Sister has spoken, I shall say a few words."

Jieyin and Zhunti both looked toward Taishang, slight unease in their hearts. Could he truly have gained some insight? Their earlier words had not been mere politeness. The two had contemplated in the Western Pure Land for hundreds and thousands of years, yet truly gained nothing and had not the slightest clue how to become Saints.

Taishang smiled and said, "The Way of Heaven benefits without harming; the Way of the Saint acts without contending."

Yuanshi said, "The Way of Heaven orders clarity and turbidity; the Way of the Saint obeys Heaven and answers fate."

Tongtian said proudly, "With Three-foot Green Peak in hand, I question Heaven and Earth. With the sword in my hand, I sever Heaven and seize the Dao."

Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nuwa were all dazed for a moment. Three Great Daos became clear within their hearts: Taishang's Way of the Mean, Yuanshi's Way of Obeying Heaven, and Tongtian's Way of Defying Heaven.

Jieyin shook his head and sighed. "You three senior brothers have already understood your paths. The day you attain the Dao is not far away. We cannot compare."

Taishang, Yuanshi, and Tongtian exchanged glances. The image of a little fellow surfaced in all three of their minds at once, and they calmly turned their heads away.

On an island in the East Sea, Kui Ox lay atop a mountain, while Bai Jin reclined beside him, his upper body pillowed against Kui Ox's belly.

"Achoo—"

"Achoo—"

Bai Jin sneezed twice in succession. Rubbing his nose, he muttered, "Who is thinking about me again? Master, Senior Sister, or perhaps the two Martial Uncles?"

He reached out and patted Kui Ox's huge belly beside him, producing booming drumlike thuds. "Hey, old ox, have you made up your mind? Once this opportunity passes, it will be gone. Becoming a Saint's mount—would that lower your status? Do you even know what a Saint is?"

Kui Ox's voice rumbled like muffled thunder. "I know. Dao Ancestor Hongjun is a Saint. He taught the Dao to three thousand and is the Teacher of Heaven and Earth."

"Exactly! Saints are incomparably noble. Think about it: when you are leisurely strolling through the primordial world, several fierce-looking fiends suddenly leap out and surround you. What would you do then?"

Kui Ox's voice rumbled like muffled thunder. "Fight them."

"What if you cannot beat them?"

"Then run!"

"What if you cannot escape?"

Kui Ox fell silent.

"Then you can only wait to die, right? But if you are a Saint's mount, it will be completely different. You merely need to sweep your disdainful gaze over those fiends, then proudly declare, 'I am the mount of the Saint.' They will certainly scatter in terror. Then, in this vast primordial world, where could you not go? Why hide on this little island?"

Kui Ox's breathing gradually grew heavier.

Bai Jin continued to tempt him. "If you are Dao Ancestor Hongjun's mount, when you go to the Heavenly Court, the Demon Emperor will welcome you; when you go to the Wu Clan, the Twelve Ancestral Witches will accompany you. Everywhere you go, everyone will treat you with respect. With a single command, all spirits will obey. Tell me, is that impressive or not?"

Kui Ox nodded repeatedly. "Impressive!"

"Overbearing or not?"

"Overbearing!"

"Do you want it?"

"Yes!"

Bai Jin patted Kui Ox's belly and said, "Then come back with me."

"But the Daoist Tongtian you mentioned is not Dao Ancestor Hongjun."

Bai Jin flipped upright and said, "Dao Ancestor Hongjun is a Saint, and my master will become a Saint in the future as well. What difference is there if they are both Saints?"

Kui Ox rolled over and stood up, buzzing, "Seems like there isn't!"

"That is exactly right. When the dragon clan of the East Sea learned that I had come to find a mount, every last one of them crowded around me. There were even dragon maidens volunteering to share my bed, all scrambling to become mounts for the future Saint—my master.

"But who am I? I am the dignified future disciple of a Saint. How could I be swayed by such trifling temptations?! I harshly rebuked them, rebuking them until they were ashamed beyond measure. Only then did I choose among the living beings of the East Sea, vowing to give its countless creatures a fair opportunity."

Kui Ox nodded and said in a muffled voice, "You are a good person. The East Sea dragon clan is too despicable."

Bai Jin sighed. "It is not that the East Sea dragon clan is despicable. It is simply that the status of a Saint's mount is too precious. I only decided to choose you because I felt an affinity with you. If you are unwilling, I can only choose the East Sea dragon clan."

With immense regret and reluctance, he said, "Damn it, my true body is not suited to being a mount. Otherwise, how could such an opportunity fall to the likes of you?!"

He looked at Kui Ox enviously and said, "I truly envy you strange primordial beasts!"

A flash of pride crossed Kui Ox's eyes. He said in a muffled voice, "Fine, I'll go with you! Do not choose those East Sea dragons. They are all too wicked. They actually dared tempt you and ruin our opportunity."

Joy flashed through Bai Jin's eyes. It wasn't easy! I finally talked Master's mount into coming with me. The fate of becoming a mount myself has finally come to an end.

Bai Jin floated onto Kui Ox's back and patted his neck. "As a Saint's mount from now on, your status will be extraordinary. Your words and actions will draw attention from all sides, so you must be mindful of your conduct. Even if you dislike the East Sea dragon clan in your heart, you cannot say it. We must mind our status."

Kui Ox raised his head and puffed out his chest. "I understand. From now on, I am Kui Ox with status."

Bai Jin said happily, "Let's go! We are returning to Mount Kunlun. Do you know the way there?"

"I do! I have traveled across the primordial land before."

Kui Ox carried Bai Jin out onto the surging sea, moving swiftly toward the mainland.

An idea suddenly struck Bai Jin, and he immediately asked, "Right, are there any other unusual breeds among your kind? For example, powerful green oxen or five-colored divine oxen?"

Kui Ox said in a muffled voice, "I, Kui Ox, am a primordial strange beast, not part of the ox clan. I have nothing to do with such lowly creatures."

"How many toes do your hooves have?"

"Two."

"Scientifically speaking, you all belong to the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae, class Mammalia. You are all the same."

"What is science?"

"Science is a discipline that explains things. You would not understand even if I told you."

"I understand! It must be the Saint's Great Dao."