Tathagata and the Jade Emperor

His eyes flickered. He turned and hurried away, descending the Hanging Mountain ravine before reaching the side of a small path and entering what appeared to be a newly built wooden hut within.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

As Tathagata's calm voice rang out, countless rune chains faintly emerged from the center of the wooden door, then slithered back behind it like tiny snakes.

The Jade Emperor pushed open the door and saw Tathagata slumped atop a meditation cushion, fingering a string of prayer beads. Now stripped of his divine Buddhist aura and suppressed by this Supreme Ancient Road, with his energy exceedingly sluggish, gone were the days when Tathagata traveled with Buddhist light and divine majesty at his side, Buddhist phenomena unfolding around him. Everything was now silent.

He truly looked fat-headed and big-eared now, sitting bare-chested and bare-bellied like a squinting Maitreya Buddha. The fleshy protuberances atop his head curled in layers, making him seem somewhat bedraggled.

Tathagata glanced up at the Jade Emperor and frowned. "Why have you come? This place is no simple matter. If anyone discovers that we know each other, it could become troublesome later."

The Jade Emperor could not be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Tathagata and said directly, "I saw Lu Ren."

Tathagata's fat face twitched slightly. He forced his eyes open into wider slits, disbelief written all over his face. "Didn't that fellow say he wouldn't come in?"

"The situation has changed. He saw me just now as well."

At that, Tathagata immediately relaxed. His widened eyes narrowed back into lines as he said lazily, "Since he did not acknowledge you, he presumably wants to pretend not to know you as well. In that case, there is no need to worry. So long as he does not disturb us, we need