novelapdf #449 - Negotiate openly
#449 - Negotiate openly
Li Chengfeng remained calm and unhurried, sitting down cross-legged and smiling slightly, saying, "Senior, don't panic, hear me out. You have been imprisoned here for, I'm afraid, over a hundred years. Don't you feel lonely? Having me as company to relieve boredom is also a good thing."
The demonic monk Wu Mo laughed loudly, responding, "Little one, you have great胆子, daring to mention companionship to me.
If I lose control, I won't even be able to distinguish myself, and I might hurt you.
With your strength, it's still insufficient in front of me. As for me, I am already a half-step Nascent Soul, and my poison techniques are the most ruthless in the world."
Li Chengfeng smiled calmly, "Although senior cultivates the demonic path, you have a Buddha-nature in your heart, how can you be compared to ordinary people?"
Upon hearing this, the demonic monk Wu Mo revealed surprise: "You can actually perceive my Buddha-heart? How is this possible? With your cultivation..."
Li Chengfeng interrupted with a smile: "Senior means, could it be that I don't have a single trace of Buddha-intent on my body, so how could I know your heart? In fact, although senior is mad and demonic, the faint peace in the depths of your eyes is precisely the manifestation of Buddha-nature, just like my friend, the monk Jingxin. He is just like that."
Before his voice faded, the demonic monk Wu Mo's voice suddenly stopped abruptly, and that unruly and rebellious nature instantly dissipated, replaced by a sigh: "Little Jingxin, has he achieved his wish?"
Immediately, he chanted a soft "Amitabha," a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes.
Li Chengfeng nodded and smiled, "That's right, he sacrificed himself for the Great Dao, saving the common people. Although few know of it, and not many are grateful.
He might even be forgotten by the years, but he still went ahead without hesitation. This is the true Buddha-heart and Buddha-intent."
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded in agreement: "Jingxin was indeed the first person who wasn't afraid of me. During his Foundation Establishment stage, he often came here, chatting with me on full moon nights and chanting scriptures to calm my heart.
At that time, we became friends.
I once advised him to give up, but he never wavered. Why must true Buddha-nature always be manifested in this way?"
Li Chengfeng smiled and said, "The reason I came here is actually to inquire with senior about what kind of person the abbot of Dizang Temple is.
Since senior has a Buddha-heart, you probably won't refuse this exchange, right?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded and said, "You mentioned my senior brother Wuming. He is a good abbot, but perhaps not a good monk.
He wouldn't sacrifice himself for the world's people, but he is extremely loyal to Dizang Temple.
Anyone who dares to invade Dizang Temple is his enemy. In his heart, there is only Dizang Temple.
Do you understand what I mean? His goal in life is to protect Dizang Temple, even at the cost of allowing billions of living beings to suffer, because he believes that as the abbot, he has a responsibility to ensure that Dizang Temple is recorded in history forever.
Therefore, Dizang Temple has only sent the Eight Arhats into the Xuanguan Continent for a long time, and no other monks.
He intends to preserve the purity of Dizang Temple, but imagine, if the demon race runs rampant, how can Dizang Temple be able to stand alone? When the nest is overturned, can any eggs remain intact?"
Li Chengfeng smiled and said, "I understand. If I were the abbot of Dizang Temple, I wouldn't sacrifice Dizang Temple for the sake of the common people.
But once Dizang Temple's decision is wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Young man, you have quite the tone, state your name."
Li Chengfeng didn't hide anything, smiling, "My name is Li Chengfeng. Senior has been suppressed for a hundred years, so naturally you don't recognize me."
The demonic monk Wu Mo laughed loudly upon hearing this: "You are Li Chengfeng? It's true that seeing is believing.
Who said I don't recognize you? Look, this is you in the painting."
With a flick of his hand, a painting appeared.
"You are quite an interesting person. I once thought of breaking out of this place, capturing you to exchange for spirit stones, or killing you. That would be 600,000 high-grade spirit stones," the demonic monk Wu Mo said with a smile.
Li Chengfeng asked in return: "Since I came in, senior recognized me, why didn't you attack?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo smiled and said, "If I attacked, I couldn't guarantee whether I could suppress you. I didn't know if it was your substitute puppet or your real body that came.
Actually, my understanding of you mostly comes from Jingxin.
Jingxin said you were a great demon, but he didn't believe it, because everyone you killed deserved to be killed.
He told me that you do good deeds with demonic methods, and that is Buddha. This made my heart clear."
Li Chengfeng smiled slightly: "Monk Jingxin, I still underestimated you. So you already knew who I was, and that's why you chose to cooperate with me.
That's also why I came to talk to senior. I sensed Jingxin's Buddha-heart from you, so I was honest with you."
The demonic monk Wu Mo said with a smile: "What exactly are you here for? Just tell me, for Jingxin's sake, I can help you.
However, if this matter harms the interests of Dizang Temple, I will not hesitate."
Li Chengfeng smiled calmly and replied: "This time, Dizang Temple is indeed facing a great crisis.
The monks here are driving all kinds of sea beasts into this sea area. In senior's opinion, what should be done next?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo's eyes suddenly shone brightly, and he decided: "Perform the Soul-Guiding Sacrifice Kill."
He sighed and continued, "My senior brother Wuming is entangled with the Fate Masters again. These Fate Masters are all strange and abnormal, with their yin and yang ways. I really can't stand them."
Li Chengfeng shook his head with a smile: "That's exactly why the Fate Masters and their ilk are the tumors and parasites of the entire human realm.
If they use the Soul-Guiding Technique, who do you think their target will be?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo pondered: "Naturally, it would be one of the demon race and the evil dragon race."
Li Chengfeng's smile was meaningful: "Not necessarily. Dizang Temple may be trustworthy, but not the Fate Masters.
What if the Soul-Guiding Kill is not aimed at the demon race, but at someone else?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded, acknowledging this possibility: "My senior brother is extremely respectful of the Fate Masters. For the sake of Dizang Temple's power, he doesn't hesitate to harm hundreds of thousands of holy spirits to perform the Soul-Guiding Sacrifice Kill. This matter has already been opposed within Dizang Temple.
But with the demonic path rampant, he finally couldn't restrain himself from implementing the plan.
The situation is currently confusing, and I know very little about external affairs, making it difficult to make a strong judgment."
Li Chengfeng smiled and said: "That's exactly the case. If they are not dealing with the demon race, but targeting others, wouldn't Dizang Temple become an accomplice?
Once this matter spreads, it will damage Dizang Temple's reputation. If innocents are harmed, it will cause even greater disaster."
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded helplessly: "Indeed, there's nothing I can do. The direction of the sacrifice and the Soul-Guiding Kill are all determined by the Fate Masters, and we are helpless.
Although I don't know how they trade, I absolutely don't trust them.
However, I am also powerless. I have lost control due to the demonic poison, and I am in a daze except on full moon nights."
Li Chengfeng comforted: "Since senior has chosen the path of demonic cultivation, you should be aware of the risks.
Let me ask, if there is a highly poisonous demon heart, can senior's strength be improved?"
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded, saying solemnly: "If I am given a demon heart, my demonic path cultivation will definitely become even stronger.
Because what we cultivate in Dizang Temple are all unique secret techniques, which have reached the edge of becoming demonic.
However, this demon heart is not tailor-made for me.
My senior brother and I need to maintain balance in order for Dizang Temple to be at its best.
Above ground, we once encountered an unprecedented calamity. Only by combining Buddha and demon can we display the strongest power.
If I am too strong, my senior brother's strength will be insufficient, which will destroy our cooperation and the power will not be as good as the two of us working together.
At that time, only one person can take on the heavy responsibility, and that is our master, the abbot of Dizang Temple.
If he obtains this demon heart, he might be able to break through the bottleneck."
"What do you mean by this?" Li Chengfeng asked.
"Master self-sealed himself because the demonic intent was too strong and the Buddha-nature was insufficient.
If he obtains a unique demon heart, he might be able to break through the boundary and reach the realm of combining Buddha and demon."
Li Chengfeng raised his eyebrows slightly and suddenly understood: "So that's how it is, I understand."
His gaze was deep, as if he had realized something: "The demon race gave the demon heart, intending to help the abbot break through, but there is also the risk of losing control. This is also a good thing for the demon race.
If the old abbot has an accident, the demon race will have one less strong enemy. And the abbot's risky move is actually a desperate gamble."
The demonic monk Wu Mo nodded in agreement: "Your analysis is thorough, you are indeed intelligent, worthy of the name Li Chengfeng.
However, you have already killed the demon race who sent the demon heart, which I find hard to believe.
The one who sent the demon heart must be a late-stage Nascent Soul expert, how could you defeat him?"
Li Chengfeng chuckled: "The late-stage Nascent Soul expert has indeed been killed, but those I killed were just small characters.
The strange thing is that after they died, the demon heart was not taken back, but deliberately sent over. This matter is quite strange.
In my opinion, the target of this sacrifice is probably not the demon race, but someone else."