The Peeping Fire Serpent

"The excitement in the mortal world? I'm going too." Hearing this, Weaver Girl came up behind Jiang Zhe without hesitation and hurried after him into the street.

On the street, Jiang Zhe spotted an enormous ceremonial procession at the far end with a single glance.

At the very front of the procession was a temple keeper dressed in solemn robes.

"Village Chief Liu really is wealthy. He actually spent a hundred taels of silver to invite Goddess Third Holy Mother to bless this boy."

"I heard it wasn't just silver. There were gold leaves and gold beans too. He wants to ask Goddess Third Holy Mother to find his eldest son."

"We pay our respects to Goddess Third Holy Mother."

Third Holy Mother is going too?

Seeing this, Jiang Zhe instinctively suspected that Joyful Boy was behind this too!

"Ah, if my cousin is going too, won't she discover me?" Seeing this, Weaver Girl was torn.

"It doesn't matter if she does. You'll have to go back sooner or later anyway," Jiang Zhe said mildly.

"Can't you come back with me? I can ask the Queen Mother of the West to give you a fifth-rank official post!" As she spoke, Weaver Girl waved her delicate hand in front of Jiang Zhe.

Inside the raised palanquin, Third Holy Mother's statue bobbed up and down as it traveled along the street.

In a daze, Jiang Zhe seemed to see golden light welling up over the statue.

Incense offerings? Is this what incense offerings are?

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, a boy shrouded in golden light was angrily leaping up and down in Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's hall.

"Bodhisattva, that human cultivator went too far! He suddenly sprang out and slashed me with a blade! If it weren't for Master's plan, I'd have killed that human and condemned him to be a beast, never to reincarnate for all eternity." Lying across the white Diting, Joyful Boy grumbled angrily.

"This is your tribulation. If you want to steal the Jade Emperor's opportunity, how could you possibly avoid a tribulation?" Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva shook his head, then walked over to Joyful Boy in a few strides.

"As for the human cultivator you mentioned, I performed a divination. Whether because of the tribulation Qi or a peculiar fate, I couldn't find a single trace of him."

"There were no results from Tiger-Taming's side either. Tiger-Taming was injured fighting a demon king at Flower-Fruit Mountain and is recovering at present."

"Once he has recovered, he'll come find you."

"If that cultivator is still at Mount Hua, he'll surely be made to go there but never return."

At this point, a cold glint flashed through Ksitigarbha's eyes.

In this great tribulation, heaven's mandate lay with Buddhism, when all was said and done!

All the buddhas of Spirit Mountain, whether bodhisattvas or Arhats, could reap benefits.

Benefits that would let them advance further.

So anyone who obstructed Buddhism's plans would surely find life worse than death.

"Martial Uncle Tiger-Taming is coming in person? That couldn't be better." Joyful Boy's eyes lit up at this.

Because he had to carry out his master's plan, he could not cultivate and could only maintain the identity of an ordinary human scholar for a thousand years.

But as long as the plan succeeded, he stole Yang Chan's fortune, and she bore him a child, he might be able to leap straight to the attainment of a bodhisattva through Joyful Chan's special cultivation method.

Then his strength would be comparable to that of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.

"All right, your new body will be born soon. I've still placed the soul mark in Liu Family Village. Third Holy Mother's incense-offering body will also go to bless you. Remember to leave an impression on her when the time comes."

"Of course. I've already done this three times. Just leave it to me." Joyful Boy nodded, and his body began to glow with golden light as he flew toward the place of reincarnation.

When the ghosts and underworld officers along the way saw the golden light Joyful Boy gave off, every one of them lowered their heads and pretended not to see.

Following the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Joyful Boy's body fell toward the human world like a shooting star, plunging straight into a luxurious village.

A baby's wail rang out at once.

Jiang Zhe silently watched the scene, and Samadhi True Fire involuntarily appeared on his finger, like a swimming spirit serpent.

Fire Virtue Star Lord's insights into fire control really were a fine thing.

With his control over flame, combined with the transformation and concealment abilities of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, no one could see this burning fire serpent unless their strength exceeded Jiang Zhe's by a great deal.

After letting out a few wails, Joyful Boy closed his mouth and curiously examined the scene before him.

His father was still the familiar one, but his mother had changed.

That didn't matter, though. They were just a bunch of mudlegs, after all.

Being allowed to have an immortal or god as their child in this life was already a blessing earned through good deeds in their previous lives.

In fact, strictly speaking, the paternal grandfather of his father in this body was the very body he had been born into in his previous life.

I'm my own ancestor. That's about the size of it.

"I have to spend another dozen years or more growing up. Damn human cultivator, don't let me catch you. If I do, you'll suffer for it," Joyful Boy said viciously, until he saw the temple keeper of Third Holy Mother's temple on Mount Hua come before him and reach out to pick him up.

"Please bestow your blessing, Goddess Third Holy Mother."

The temple keeper then held the baby tightly in his arms and walked step by step to the palanquin of Third Holy Mother, which was being carried by a crowd of villagers.

He looked respectfully at the statue seated on a lotus flower inside the palanquin, holding a precious lamp.

He obediently raised the baby in his hands, as though this would make it easier for Third Holy Mother to see the newborn child.

Joyful Boy skillfully put on an innocent smile and made the purest sound between heaven and earth.

A baby's smile and voice were the most endearing things between heaven and earth.

Even immortals and gods would feel affection upon seeing them.

At this moment, Third Holy Mother, residing in the statue through the power of incense offerings and wishes, looked down.

Blessing babies was her favorite thing to do. As the deity worshipped in Mount Hua Town, the Goddess of Mount Hua would grant the townspeople's requests whenever it was within her power.

Yang Chan's eyes shone as she gazed tenderly at the baby held out before her. Then the statue's eyes began to glow gold, and the light fell upon the baby.

Seeing this, the townspeople all knelt in worship.

Joyful Boy grew increasingly pleased with himself. Immortals and gods were always so softhearted, especially female immortals who knew nothing of worldly affairs.

As an arm formed from the power of incense offerings and wishes reached toward him, Yang Chan used it to stroke the baby before her.

Joyful Boy's eyes flickered. Then the Joyful Buddha Power left in the origin of his soul began spreading throughout his body.

Once contact was made, the Joyful Buddha Power would invade your soul without anyone being the wiser, making you unable to help feeling fond of its owner.

You would even worship that person as a god.

Buddha Power generally had this effect, and Joyful Buddha Power merely added a tiny hint of joy and romantic affection to ordinary Buddha Power.

But just as Joyful Boy had made all his preparations, he had an inexplicable feeling that it seemed a little hot around him.