Chapter 1408 — The Two Ancestors of Dao and Buddha
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
As for Jingping—can it grow within fifty years into a colossus able to stand against the Heavenly Court? " Meng Yungui opened his mouth, but said nothing; then he shook his head. "It cannot. " The old Dao Master went on, "Then after the Ten Heavenly Venerates depose the Emperor, putting down Jingping will cost them no more than a puff of breath. " Meng Yungui felt a chill run through him.
The old Dao Master laughed.
"Celestial Master Meng, you must gauge the will of those above you. In this matter, turn a blind eye, and when heaven and earth are remade in days to come, you too may preserve yourself.
You must understand that when the Ten Heavenly Venerates kill the Heavenly Emperor, they will also need a number of the strong to atone and be sacrificed to heaven.
Do you wish to be that offering? The office of Celestial Master is a perilous one; in history, the Celestial Masters who sat in your seat have been replaced more than ten times over. Some Celestial Masters died for no discernible reason. " Cold sweat rolled down Meng Yungui's forehead, and he dared not speak. The old Dao Master patted his shoulder, turned, and walked out of the side hall, leaving Meng Yungui slumped in his seat. After a while, the old Dao Master came to the great hall of the detached palace at the Jade Pool Lodge and bowed to an old Daoist.
"Dao Ancestor.
" That old Daoist was none other than the Dao Ancestor of the Dao Sect. He was setting down a piece, and he looked up and said unhurriedly, "Is it done?
" "Meng Yungui has deeply grasped the essence of the Dao Sect's arts of calculation, and his insight runs deep; he has seen the flow of the world's great tide over the next fifty years. " The old Dao Master of the Heavenly Court said in praise, "But I have made him understand the gain and loss; he will conceal it and not report it.
" The Dao Ancestor set down a piece and laughed.
"If he insists on reporting it, then we will have no choice but to ask the great monk to step in and wash his memory clean. " Across from him, the one playing against him was none other than the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha, who chuckled.
"Meng Yungui is a rare talent of the Dao Sect, with hopes of becoming the first Celestial Master one day; that he can see through the Shepherd Heavenly Venerate's methods is no surprise. If you are still uneasy, I can send him into a dream and make him forget this experience.
" "That will not be necessary. " The Dao Ancestor stared at the board, waiting for him to place a piece, and laughed.
"He understands the gain and loss; he will not report it to the Ten Heavenly Venerates. Besides, the Ten Heavenly Venerates do indeed harbor treasonous hearts. They are on the verge of completing the Heavenly Court, and they have forged the divine artifact, the Imperial Heavenly Venerate; they will certainly not push the Heavenly Emperor out again. They wish to become true Heavenly Emperors, and they too need a reason to remove the Heavenly Emperor, even if that Heavenly Emperor is only a counterfeit.
" The Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha stared at the board, and after a moment swept his sleeve.
"I have lost, I have lost! Your arts of calculation are too strong; I cannot beat you! " He looked at the great hall of the detached palace at the Jade Pool Lodge and said with feeling, "In those years this was the place where the Shepherd Heavenly Venerate received the Imperial Heavenly Venerate and passed on the dharma. Here the Shepherd Heavenly Venerate spread the Art of Becoming a God throughout the world and established merit beyond measure. And now, few are the gods and demons who come here to remember his deeds, so that the place is cold and quiet, with only us two old bones left to play chess here. " The Dao Ancestor rose to his feet and said softly, "I still remember how the Shepherd Heavenly Venerate flicked my compass once; to this day I recall that heaven-sent finger.