More than a hundred thousand years had passed since Gungun transmigrated. Throughout those years, Gungun had always been very clear about its place in life: it was a bear meant to enjoy good fortune. It absolutely refused to live a life of hardship.
Granted, Zhunti was one of the Primordial World's foremost mighty figures, and his cultivation even surpassed Houtu's, but...
That didn't change the fact that he was a broke bastard!
Apart from the Six Roots Purification Bamboo and the Seven-Treasure Wonderful Tree, two spiritual treasures he could never possibly bestow upon it, did he have any other high-quality treasures?
The Blessing Vajra?
Oh, give me a break. This baby bear doesn't care for that thing at all. If I were interested in such a barbaric weapon, I wouldn't have casually given Xingtian the Treasure Map marking the Warrior God Battle Axe's location back then. So it really isn't that I, the great god Gungun, am prejudiced against him. He genuinely can't afford to keep me.
Besides, the amount of spirit fruit it consumed every year in the Witch Race was astronomical. With his barren western lands and sesame-seed-sized sphere of influence, what could he possibly offer to satisfy it?
At that thought, Gungun tightened the paws wrapped around Houtu's thigh a little, raised its head, and said to her, "Lady Ancestral Witch, let's go back to Mount Buzhou."
[If we stay any longer, what if Daoist Zhunti becomes utterly captivated by my heaven-gifted talent, imposing physique, and supreme wisdom, and decides to take me away at any cost?!]
"..." Houtu had come looking for Gungun after kicking it away and finding that it still hadn't returned after a long while, only to discover that it had actually encountered Zhunti. Hearing its words and inner thoughts, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. Then she rested her hand on its head, gently rubbed it, and said, "All right. I'll take you back in a little while."
With that, Houtu withdrew her arm and bowed with clasped hands to Zhunti, who sat upright on a golden cloud before her. "Senior brother, why aren't you enjoying your blessings in the west? What brings you to the east today? You should have let your junior sister know before coming, so I could prepare a banquet for you on Mount Buzhou."
His fingers rapidly formed divination gestures. Soon, Zhunti had calculated the relationship between Gungun and Houtu, and his heart sank.
Ever since the Dao Ancestor finished his third sermon, I've been in seclusion in the west, paying no attention to eastern affairs. To think Houtu actually acquired a battle pet with such exceptional origins and such profound fortune. It truly... makes this poor Daoist envious!
After sighing inwardly, Zhunti put on a friendly smile, nodded to Houtu, and said with a laugh, "Haha, thank you for your kindness, junior sister. I've spent many years in seclusion and haven't visited the east in a long time. After emerging recently, I felt a sudden impulse to come and have a look. I didn't dare trouble you, so I gave you no notice."
"Senior brother, you're treating me like a stranger. Oh, I haven't introduced it to you yet. This is my battle pet, Gungun. Gungun, pay your respects to Great Sage Zhunti." As she spoke, Houtu turned to address Gungun.
"Oh. My respects, Great Sage Zhunti." Gungun greeted Zhunti for the second time, though this time it did not prostrate itself before him.
"No need for such ceremony. We're all among friends. Junior sister, Fellow Daoist Gungun and I have already become acquainted. I see that Fellow Daoist Gungun has quite a strong affinity with my west, so I wish to take it as a personal disciple and bring it west with me for austere cultivation. I wonder whether you would be willing to..."
"Senior brother, that joke isn't funny in the slightest." Before Zhunti could finish, Houtu stripped the polite expression from her face and regarded him with open hostility.
"Er..." Zhunti's voice caught for a moment, but he quickly recovered, lifted his head, and laughed. "Yes, I was joking. Just joking."
Once his laughter ended, he looked at Gungun hiding behind Houtu, a trace of regret flashing through his eyes. Then he put away the bamboo shoot and said to Houtu, "Junior sister, I still have other places to visit. When I have time, I'll pay a visit to Mount Buzhou. Please don't turn me away when the time comes. For today, I'll take my leave."
"Safe travels, senior brother," Houtu said with a bow.
"Mm." Zhunti nodded. Then a streak of golden light flashed, and he vanished.
"Phew..." Seeing that he had finally left, Gungun immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It released Houtu's thigh, plopped down on the cloud, wiped the sweat from its head, and muttered, "Being too outstanding is a sin for a bear, too!"
"Being too narcissistic is an even greater sin for a bear." Houtu turned around and looked down at Gungun, her voice cool.
Gungun: "..."
Who's narcissistic? I was just stating a fact. How is that narcissistic?
You should know that I, the great god Gungun, am...
"Shut up!"
Gungun: "..."
I haven't even opened my mouth yet.
Wait!
Just as it was about to say something, Gungun suddenly recalled something. The way Houtu had just told it to shut up seemed a little familiar, as though...
That's right. She shouted at me like that on Softbone Prairie, too. First, she asked whether she and Gonggong should keep fighting Ao Yue and Meng Zhang the Azure Dragon. Then, before I even answered, she told me to shut up.
And there was that five million years...
An odd look flashed through Gungun's eyes, and it muttered inwardly, Damn, could she have used the Mind-Listening Technique on me? Would she really be that underhanded?
With that thought, Gungun raised its head and studied Houtu's face, hoping to find some clue in her expression.
Yet, although her face was exquisitely beautiful, it was utterly expressionless. Gungun really couldn't find any clues.
And besides...
Although Houtu was a mighty Quasi-Saint, it was still a Great Immortal, after all, and had mastered the law of silence. In principle, even if it couldn't last three exchanges against her, that shouldn't mean she could even eavesdrop on its inner thoughts.
Even taking a step back and assuming she could eavesdrop, it would surely notice in time. But... it hadn't sensed anything at all!
Could Houtu have grown stronger?
Impossible. The cultivation of all twelve Ancestral Witches has already hit a dead end. Unless they attain the Dao, any increase in their strength can only come through weapons, such as the future Demon-Slaying Sword. How could she simply improve out of nowhere?
At that thought, Gungun grew even more puzzled. After hesitating for a moment, it asked Houtu, "Lady Ancestral Witch, what were you telling me to shut up about?"
Having heard every one of Gungun's preceding thoughts and committed the name "Demon-Slaying Sword" to memory, Houtu parted her lips and said mildly, "Shut up means shut up. From the way you looked just now, weren't you about to argue with me and say you weren't narcissistic?"
"Oh." Hearing Houtu's reply, Gungun nodded thoughtfully. Had she told it to shut up in advance because it had looked as though it was about to speak? But then, that five million years...
Gungun still felt a little uneasy. It raised its head again and asked Houtu, "Lady Ancestral Witch, do you remember once saying, 'Don't even think about it without five million years'?"
"Hmm?" At those words, Houtu furrowed her brows, looking as though she couldn't immediately remember ever saying such a thing.
Seeing Houtu's reaction, Gungun found its answer. It seemed it really had been overly suspicious. Of course-Houtu was an Ancestral Witch, after all. How could she do something as underhanded as eavesdropping on its thoughts?
If she had still been listening to its thoughts when it asked her that question, she would surely have given an answer immediately. But now she was frowning as she tried to remember, which meant she wasn't eavesdropping.
After all, how could anyone instantly recall a remark they had once made in passing?
If it had asked a very specific question-for example, mentioning that she had suddenly said those words on Softbone Prairie just after Ao Yue and the others left-then she might have remembered immediately.
But it had only said that she had said it once. When was "once"? Months ago, years ago, thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years ago?
Over such a long span, across so many days, even a Quasi-Saint couldn't determine precisely which day it meant or when she had made that remark.
In conclusion, Houtu hasn't used the Mind-Listening Technique on me. The law of silence of the great god Gungun is still mighty enough to ring loud and clear!
Before you continue