Cowherd Steals the Clothes
"Oh?" Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. "Then I can rest easy."
If you've got the ability, follow the thread of karma all the way back to my Great Dao System!
If you can find it, I'll hand it to you.
Night deepened, and the surroundings fell completely silent. Even the insects lowered their voices.
At the dead of night, seven streaks of light crossed the sky one after another, falling silently toward the mountain behind the house like seven shooting stars.
Jiang Zhe's eyes lit up at once.
They're here.
At the same time, a rustle of footsteps came from outside the house. They were muffled, but couldn't hide the excitement in them.
Jiang Zhe peered through a hole in the wall!
Cowherd was bent over, sneaking toward the mountain on tiptoe. His face was tense and excited, just like a child stealing candy for the first time.
Tsk, fairy maidens.
How could honest Niu Erlang not be tempted?
Jiang Zhe sighed inwardly.
What a pity.
No matter how wonderful the fairy maidens in that pond are, none of them will be yours tonight!
In this whole scheme, you've been nothing but a pawn placed on the board from beginning to end.
But was Cowherd really naive, or was he hiding great wisdom behind a foolish appearance? Or did he simply not know what a demon was?
Did he really think he could steal himself a wife by stealing clothes?
The middle-aged man the old yellow ox had transformed into had appeared outside the door at some point. He stood with his hands behind his back, smiling at Jiang Zhe with a kindly face.
"Come along, little disciple," it said leisurely. "Let's go see how your senior brother does it."
"That boy Cowherd is too honest by nature. He'll never amount to much. I've poured far more effort into you than I have into him!" It paused meaningfully, letting its gaze linger on Jiang Zhe's face. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in its eyes.
That much was true.
It had secretly saved that fragment of the conversion text, a work of its master's own hand, just to nail this boy firmly into the Buddhist fold.
After all, where fairy maidens were concerned, a handsome face could save an untold amount of work.
What was more, with this boy's bearing and looks, if Cowherd failed tonight...
Perhaps even Chang'e of Guanghan Palace would not be beyond his reach.
At the thought, the smile on its lips deepened.
Jiang Zhe kept his eyes lowered and respectfully assented, then stepped forward to follow.
He didn't look back.
But beneath his lowered lashes, the flame that had just gone out flickered to life again, silently, for an instant.
It probably didn't know yet.
What it was taking to the pond tonight wasn't an obedient chess piece.
It was a fire with its mouth wide open, waiting for its prey to come to it.
Following the burly middle-aged man the old yellow ox had transformed into, Jiang Zhe slipped soundlessly into the darkness on the mountain behind the house.
More precisely, they were trailing Cowherd.
A layer of obscure magical power shrouded the old yellow ox, concealing both their figures and their presence.
Cowherd hunched over and walked on tiptoe, his steps light and quick, utterly unaware of the two shadows following him.
They went around a dense grove and reached the pond.
Moonlight shimmered, and mist drifted over the water.
Girls' laughter and splashing water drifted intermittently through the veil of mist, too indistinct to hear clearly, yet enough to make one's heart itch.
The old yellow ox swallowed, drool nearly dripping onto the front of its robe.
It had personally arranged this scheme, yet it was more eager than anyone!
Fairy maidens from heaven-and it had heard they were even related to the Jade Emperor.
If it could practice joyful Chan with a woman like that, one night would be worth a hundred years of arduous cultivation. How far would it advance?
It could only hope that simpleton Cowherd would know what was good for him. Once he had won her over, he had better not forget who had arranged the match and handed him the clothes. As his master, it ought to... get a share of the spoils.
As for Weaver Girl, in its eyes, she was merely an appetizer.
That boy Cowherd would go to his death without ever knowing whose clothes he had stolen!
To be precise, this was an experiment. The real prize in this move was on Mount Hua.
Third Holy Mother Yang Chan was the Heavenly Emperor's niece, and her own elder brother was none other than True Lord Erlang, who held authority over justice and shook the Three Realms with his might!
So what?
The Venerable had spent over a thousand years laying the groundwork for the scheme against Yang Chan! Karma, threads of love, fate-strand by strand, they had been wrapped around that woman's soul centuries ago, waiting only for the day the net was drawn in!
When that time came, it wouldn't be the old yellow ox alone going up Mount Hua! Its fellow disciples under the Venerable would probably come out in full force!
While its heart surged with excitement at the thought, Cowherd had already crept up to the pile of rocks by the pond.
Seven fairy garments lay draped over the rocks, each shimmering with brilliant light.
Cowherd held his breath, his eyes darting anxiously among the garments. At last, as though drawn by something, his gaze settled directly on a splendid robe covered in cloud patterns and glowing faintly silver!
He snatched it up and ran without looking back!
"Just as I thought." The old yellow ox looked away and grinned with satisfaction. "For things like this, only when mortals do them will those immortals and gods pay no attention."
"Mortals really are the handiest blades."
Before it had finished speaking, a point of yellow light flashed at its fingertip!
The yellow light was as fine as a gossamer thread. Like a living snake, it silently caught up with the fleeing Cowherd and plunged into the cloud-patterned fairy robe in his arms!
The silver sheen on the fabric rippled almost imperceptibly, then returned to normal.
"What technique was that?"
Jiang Zhe stared in some surprise at what the old yellow ox had just done.
A thought rose in his mind beyond his control!
In later legends, Weaver Girl would become utterly devoted to Cowherd, never to leave him again. Could it have been because of... that wisp of yellow light that had just entered her robe?
So much for a heaven-sent match, so much for love taking deep root.
From beginning to end, it was nothing more than a thread and a curse of the Joyful Buddha's.
Wait! The Joyful Buddha.
Dingguang Joyful Buddha!
Before the Investiture of the Gods, he had been the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal, one of the Seven Attendant Immortals under Sect Master Tongtian!
Back then, his cultivation had been at least at the Golden Immortal level. Calling him a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal probably wouldn't have been an exaggeration!
Later, he had betrayed his sect and joined Buddhism in exchange for the rank of a Buddha. His strength could only have risen, not fallen! Otherwise, who would willingly bear the name of a traitor for nothing?
Never mind. For now, I'll assume he's a Daluo Golden Immortal!
With the methods of a Daluo Golden Immortal, wouldn't plotting against a single Weaver Girl be as easy as reaching out and grabbing her?
Besides, Dingguang Joyful Buddha.
The words "Joyful Buddha" alone showed what sort of methods he excelled in.
Not to mention that the fellow's true form was a rabbit demon!
Utterly unaware of the raging waves in Jiang Zhe's heart, the old yellow ox gazed at the surface of the pond and suddenly spoke with meaning:
"Tsk, boy, see that? This is the Venerable's power!"
"As long as you cultivate joyful Chan, you too can have such abilities one day! You can bewitch a fairy maiden from heaven, disturb her soul, and make her fall for you without her ever knowing it, even... bear you children."
"Once things here are done, I'll personally take you to Spirit Mountain to pay respects to the Venerable and bring you into his fold!"
"If you ever do win yourself a fairy maiden, don't forget to let your master have a good taste too."
As it spoke, it glanced back at Jiang Zhe. The more it looked, the more satisfied it became, though it sighed inwardly!