Houtu: I Never Forced You
Why are you here?
Why can't I be here?
"You shouldn't be here."
But I'm right here!
"Then don't follow me."
"Does the Primordial Wilderness belong to your family?"
"..."
After leaving Mount Sumeru, Donghua headed east and did not follow Zhen Yuanzi to Longevity Mountain.
In these Primordial Wilderness times, who has the leisure to discuss Daoism at Longevity Mountain?
However, on his way back to the Purple Mansion, he encountered Houtu on a mountaintop, as if she were deliberately waiting for him.
Most importantly, wherever he went, Houtu followed, like a leech.
Donghua said helplessly, "Speak, what exactly do you want?"
Houtu shrugged and said innocently, "I don't want to do anything, I'm just bored and want to wander around!"
"Then you shouldn't follow me, okay?"
At this moment, Houtu was no longer the aloof person she had been at the beginning; instead, she seemed like a quirky and mischievous goddess. "You're so petty. I told you you were cute, and you got angry. How can you be so ungrateful?"
It would have been better if this hadn't been brought up, because the mere mention of it made Donghua angry. He said coldly, "If you have something to say, say it. If not, don't follow me, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
In his Previous Life, Donghua wouldn't have considered calling a man cute a compliment, let alone in the Primordial World. For him, the Purple Mansion Donghua Emperor of the Purple Mansion, to be called cute by a woman—if word got out, he would be utterly humiliated.
Seeing that Donghua was angry, Houtu stopped provoking him and slowly said, "I want you to come with me to a place?"
"Where?"
"Mount Tai!"
"No, no discussion!"
Going to Mount Tai now is like the God of Longevity hanging himself, thinking he's tired of living. Besides, what's the point of going to Mount Tai? It's just a place full of trouble.
Houtu smiled and said, "Are you sure you don't want to go?"
"I'm absolutely certain I'm not going!"
Houtu did not press the matter further and turned to walk alone.
Suddenly turning his back, he slowly said, "If I remember correctly, your two disciples are currently in Mount Tai: one is Yuanfeng's son, and the other is the chieftain of my Iron Eater Beast tribe."
"Um?"
Upon hearing this, Donghua suddenly remembered and felt a little uneasy.
What are those two brats doing on Mount Tai? Weren't they supposed to be training up north? Mount Tai is a dangerous place these days, where did they go?
Donghua had too many doubts, but couldn't make a judgment in a short time, so he started to deduce.
After some deduction, it was discovered that the two boys really were on Mount Tai.
"What should we do? Just pretend we don't know anything about it and cruelly give up on it. Anyway, there are plenty of talented people in the Primordial World, so we won't miss the chance to have two more!"
Donghua was conflicted. He really didn't want to go to Mount Tai. Going there would inevitably lead to trouble. Whether it was the Three Mountains and Five Peaks or the Witch Court, none of them were easy to mess with.
But if we don't go, those two little ones are definitely in grave danger. It would be truly heartless to just watch them die!
After much deliberation, I still feel I should go. As for whether or not to intervene, that depends on the situation; I'll avoid intervening if possible.
"If this ends peacefully, I'm going to beat those two brats to death!!"
Houtu smiled slightly, "So, have you decided to go to Mount Tai?"
Donghua ignored him and simply nodded.
"You decided to come with me; I didn't force you!"
"Shut up, no one will think you're mute if you don't speak!"
Houtu ignored Donghua's rude remarks and muttered to herself, "I went to the north on business last time and happened to see those two lads. Xiong Er, oh no, Yuan Zhen, although his cultivation is low, he is still the leader of one of my vassal clans."
Donghua asked impatiently, "So what exactly are you trying to say?"
Houtu glared at her and said again, "Those two are now hanging around with Shi Gandang from Mount Tai."
"This time you'll accompany me to Mount Tai, and I won't let you lift a finger. Just follow me, and I'll guarantee the safety of those two brats. How about it?"
Donghua thought for a moment and said, "Shi Gandang? If I remember correctly, he should be the disciple of Bi Xia Yuan Jun of Mount Tai."
Bi Xia Yuan Jun is Innate Deities, a guest of the Purple Sky Palace, who cultivates the Immortal Dao, and her Daoist practice is located on Mount Tai.
"That's right!"
Hearing this, Donghua breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't the terrible situation he had imagined. If it were with Bi Xia Yuan Jun, everything would be alright.
After all, Bi Xia Yuan Jun does not belong to the Mountain God Lineage, nor is she a person from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks. It's just that she was born in Mount Tai and her Daoist temple is in Mount Tai, which is not a big deal.
"So this matter isn't as serious as you imagined?"
Donghua asked, somewhat puzzled, "Now that your Witch Clan and the Mountain God Lineage are at war, what exactly are you going to Mount Tai?"
"Have no idea!"
"Um?"
Houtu sighed and said, "I originally didn't want to participate in this battle, which is why I agreed to Zhunti's request and went to the Western Region."
"But after things in the Western Region were over, I had a feeling that there was an opportunity for me on Mount Tai, and I had no choice but to go!"
Could there be Houtu encounter with Houtu on Mount Tai? How could that be? If it were a chance encounter in the Blood Sea, that might be possible, but how could there be Houtu on Mount Tai?
Mount Tai, Mount Tai, Mount Tai?
The later Mount Tai is said to lead directly to the underworld; could it be that the Netherworld World is about to be reborn?
Donghua thought about it carefully and felt that it was impossible. It was not the time for reincarnation to be born yet, because Houtu was only at the Mid Quasi-Saint. With such strength, she could not possibly establish reincarnation. Even if she transformed herself into reincarnation, she would not be qualified.
That's not right either. Reincarnation is reincarnation, and the Netherworld is the Netherworld; the two cannot be compared.
The cycle of reincarnation in later generations was established by Houtu transforming herself into the Dao. The Netherworld already existed, but it was brought out by reincarnation.
Just like the Thirty-Three Heavens, he himself existed above the Nine Heavens, but was discovered and drawn out by Di Jun, a person with a predestined connection.
"Could it really be the underworld?"
Seeing Donghua lost in thought, Houtu asked in confusion, "What are you thinking about?"
Donghua didn't say it aloud, but replied, "It's nothing. I'm just curious what kind of opportunity you might have on Mount Tai. But it doesn't matter. Before long, the Three Mountains and Five Peaks will belong to your Witch Court. No matter what kind of opportunity it is, no one can take it from you."
Houtu turned to Donghua and asked, "Are you so confident in my Witch Clan? Are you sure we'll be the final winner? You should know that the Mountain God Lineage is full of experts."
"Bing Ling Gong attained enlightenment during the Fierce Beast Tribulation, and is now Late Stage Quasi-Saint expert. The Five Great Emperors under his command are all extraordinary, and there are also some mountain gods who are Quasi-Saint experts."
Donghua chuckled and said to himself, "Just a bunch of people eliminated by the times. If the Witch Court doesn't have this much ability, it might as well disband as soon as possible."
Changing the subject, he added, "Besides, if Witch Court didn't have this much ability, you wouldn't be out strolling around like this."
Houtu smiled and didn't ask any more questions. She had never considered the possibility of the Witch Court losing, not even once. Just as Donghua said, a group of people eliminated by the times had no right to do so.
Otherwise, even if he disliked killing, he wouldn't have left at this crucial moment.
Without lingering, the two quickly headed towards Mount Tai!