A Good Karmic Bond

When Xuan Heng caught up to Red Cloud, Red Cloud was walking shoulder to shoulder with another Daoist. The Daoist's aura was deep and steady, and he seemed to carry the essence of mountains, rivers, and earth veins around him. He was none other than the future Progenitor of Earth Immortals, master of Five Villages Temple—Zhenyuanzi.

"Fellow Daoist Red Cloud, please wait."

Red Cloud and Zhenyuanzi had been traveling together and were preparing to return to the primordial world when they suddenly heard Xuan Heng's voice. They could not help turning their heads.

"It's Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng, the one whom the Dao Ancestor granted a seat. But what does he want with me?" Red Cloud recognized Xuan Heng at once. After all, during this Purple Cloud Palace lecture, apart from the six seated on the cushions, Xuan Heng had been the most eye-catching figure.

"It is indeed Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng. Let's go see him. Since he has come looking for the two of us, there must be something he needs."

Zhenyuanzi had recognized Xuan Heng as well, and he spoke to Red Cloud.

Red Cloud nodded, and the two flew toward Xuan Heng.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Red Cloud. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi." Xuan Heng stepped forward and bowed. Though he was the younger brother of the Three Pure Ones, the reputations of the two before him were no weaker than those of the Three Pure Ones—especially Zhenyuanzi.

Seeing how courteous Xuan Heng was, Red Cloud immediately returned the salute with a smile. "Fellow Daoist, you are too polite. When the Sage granted you a seat in Purple Cloud Palace, you truly opened this poor Daoist's eyes today."

"It was merely an accident. Even I did not expect it." Xuan Heng shook his head. He could not keep following Red Cloud down that topic.

Zhenyuanzi looked thoughtfully at Xuan Heng and slowly said, "Fellow Daoist, you did not come looking for us merely to exchange a few pleasantries, did you?"

Hearing Zhenyuanzi's words, Red Cloud still wore a smile as he said, "Brother Zhenyuan, you are far too serious. Could Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng not simply have come to make friends with us?"

Hearing this, Xuan Heng no longer beat around the bush. "Brother Zhenyuan is right. I did indeed come to remind Fellow Daoist Red Cloud of a few things."

Though Red Cloud was somewhat surprised, he nevertheless restrained his smile. Xuan Heng was the younger brother of the Three Pure Ones; naturally, he would not casually joke with him.

"Fellow Daoist Red Cloud, your yielding of your seat in Purple Cloud Palace was indeed born of kindness, and Fellow Daoist Receiving Guide truly owes you a karmic debt. However, Kunpeng also lost the sixth cushion because of you. Kunpeng has always repaid every grievance tooth for tooth; he may not place this debt solely upon Zhunti."

Xuan Heng looked at Red Cloud and spoke slowly.

Zhenyuanzi frowned at this, while the smile on Red Cloud's face gradually faded.

Xuan Heng had put it plainly enough. He was only one step short of directly saying that Kunpeng would one day ambush and kill Red Cloud.

"You mean Kunpeng will bear a grudge against me?" Red Cloud asked after a moment of silence.

Xuan Heng said, "At any rate, he certainly will not thank you."

Red Cloud sighed. "At the time, I merely saw that the two Fellow Daoists from the West had come with great difficulty, and my heart could not bear it. I never expected it would later involve Kunpeng as well."

Zhenyuanzi glanced at Red Cloud, his voice turning somewhat grave. "I had intended to speak to you of this matter as well. You gave up your own cushion, and no one could fault you for that. But Zhunti used your yielding of the seat to force Kunpeng to yield his seat too. Sooner or later, this karmic debt will fall upon you."

Xuan Heng was silent for a while before continuing, "Fellow Daoist Red Cloud, kindness is not wrong. But in the primordial world, karma and the Dao's rhythms rule all. You yielded your seat, so Receiving Guide owes you. Yet Kunpeng lost his seat because of it, so he will resent you. Both karmic debts have already been forged."

How could Red Cloud still fail to understand after hearing this? "Fellow Daoist, you do speak bluntly."

Xuan Heng said, "If I spoke vaguely about such a matter, would that not be harming you instead?"

Zhenyuanzi nodded from the side, greatly approving of Xuan Heng's words.

Red Cloud looked at Xuan Heng and asked, "Fellow Daoist, did you come all this way merely to warn me to beware of Kunpeng?"

Xuan Heng shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Red Cloud, remember this in the future: whenever you travel, try to have someone accompany you. Should you encounter pursuit, you may go to Five Villages Temple and take temporary refuge. Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi surely would not turn you away."

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng is right. Red Cloud, once we return today, I think you should move into my Five Villages Temple. The two of us brothers can then discuss the Dao more easily."

Hearing Xuan Heng's words, Zhenyuanzi's eyes lit up, and he took up Xuan Heng's suggestion.

"Red Cloud thanks Fellow Daoist for the reminder. I shall remember your words today. If Fellow Daoist has time in the future, you may come to this poor Daoist's Fire Cloud Cave to discuss the Dao." Red Cloud cupped his hands.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng, I shall remember today's favor on Red Cloud's behalf. If there is ever anything for which you need Five Villages Temple or me, Zhenyuanzi, you need only come find me," Zhenyuanzi said as well.

Though Xuan Heng's expression did not change much at the words of Red Cloud and Zhenyuanzi, he was exceedingly happy inside. This was precisely what he had come for today.

"You two Fellow Daoists flatter me. Should the opportunity arise, Xuan Heng will certainly come trouble you both. Likewise, if you two Fellow Daoists have the time, Kunlun Mountain welcomes you to come and discuss the Dao."

Xuan Heng said with a smile.

"Good. If the opportunity arises, the two of us will certainly go to Kunlun Mountain and discuss the primordial world with the Three Pure Ones and with you, Fellow Daoist Xuan Heng."

Zhenyuanzi and Red Cloud both nodded.

"Good, then I shall not impose any longer. My brothers are still waiting for me."

After taking his leave of Zhenyuanzi and Red Cloud, Xuan Heng flew toward the Three Pure Ones.

Xuan Heng had not gone far when the Purifying White Lotus within his brow suddenly stirred faintly.

Sensing this change, Xuan Heng stopped and looked around. He suddenly discovered a faint aura struggling onward amid the chaotic currents in the distance.

Xuan Heng's heart stirred. The Purifying White Lotus was now considered his accompanying treasure. Since even it had reacted, this weak aura was surely fated to him.

Xuan Heng immediately flew in that direction. Sure enough, before long, he saw a little macaque squatting atop a piece of chaotic rubble. Its two ears trembled slightly, as though it were using its hearing to seek a direction through the boundless chaos.

Then, a sudden chaotic gale swept past, blowing it head over heels. Yet it quickly scrambled back up.

"Purple Cloud Palace... should be over there," the macaque muttered softly.

Xuan Heng's gaze sharpened. At this point in time, a macaque capable of appearing in the chaos, relying on its ears, and still seeking Purple Cloud Palace could only be the Six-Eared Macaque whose path to the Dao had been severed by the Dao Ancestor's words: the Dharma shall not be transmitted to the Six-Eared.

"You are going to Purple Cloud Palace?" Xuan Heng stepped closer and asked.

Upon hearing Xuan Heng's voice, Six-Eared abruptly turned around, every hair on his body standing on end.

"Who are you? Are you going to hear the Dao as well?" After seeing Xuan Heng clearly, he retreated several steps and asked.

"With merely Earth Immortal cultivation, you can survive in the chaos. This little monkey's luck is not bad. But Purple Cloud Palace's first lecture has already ended."

Xuan Heng had possessed the cultivation of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal from the moment he was born, yet he still needed the protection of the Purifying White Lotus to walk through the chaos. For Six-Eared, with his mere Earth Immortal cultivation, to travel through the chaos, perhaps tribulation and fate were influencing matters in secret as well.

"It ended?"