The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Translator: Transn Editor: Transn

At Linhai port, inside a junk ship capable of ocean navigation.

Madam Baihua and Meng Qi sat opposite each other, while Ying Ning hid behind her 'mother'. Only her lovable, charming face could be clearly seen.

"We owe you greatly for this, Mr. Tyrant. The consequences would have been unimaginable otherwise." Madam Baihua put on a show of gratitude exaggerated twice over. Her eyes were full of respect and admiration. Had it been an ordinary man in Meng Qi's place, his ego would definitely be inflated along with his sense of vanity.

"Exactly. If not for me, you definitely wouldn't have been nearly captured…"Beneath his relaxed demeanor and indifferent expression, Meng Qi was sarcastically retorting in his mind. He ignored Madam Baihua's passionate gaze and slowly said, "Since the matter of Linhai is over, you can now detail your sect's affairs."

The corner of Madam Baihua's eye twitched, secretly bemoaning that this old monster had a heart of stone that defeated all her advances. She plastered a lovely smile on her face and said, "In this wide world, there aren't many influences that can put an end to the enmity between you and Destruction Sect and Luo Denomination. Moreover, Ying Ning knows how to turn Yin into Yang. Don't tell me you can't guess, Mr. Tyrant."

"The Sect of the Plain Lady?" Meng Qi's expression turned "solemn".

Secretly, he sighed. It was no wonder the old devils in Bomi were so desperate to make a realm breakthrough. Without sufficient strength to demonstrate their value, they would not earn the blessing of the great powers. Neither will they receive protection and help in negotiating with their pursuers. They would find no reprieve anywhere in the world.

Fortunately for him, the murder of the Blue-blooded People had given the likes of Huang Taichong and He Jiu the impression that he was a grandmaster. His stance had also been relayed through Ninth Childe's message to Madam Baihua. Otherwise, the two women would certainly refuse to exhaust their goodwill with Luo Denomination, Destruction Sect, and Beggar Sect - or even offend them - for an ordinary Peerless Master Pro.

"You're correct." Madam Baihua covered her mouth as she chuckled, traces of arrogance evident in her expression. Her probing gaze on Meng Qi and her expression changed.

Meng Qi lifted the corner of his mouth into a faint smile, feigning coldness in his eyes. "Please don't treat me like a three-year-old, madam. Everyone is well aware that the ladies of the Sect of the Plain Lady devour men's Yang energy. Are you taking me there to be an Incense Stove or herb dregs?"

To demonstrate his "dissatisfaction", he intentionally used a more intimate way of referring to himself.

Madam Baihua was unsurprised as this was the typical reaction of a heterodox master. She giggled so much that her body rocked. Her sensual movements emphasized the beauty of her mature figure.

"She never stops dialing up the charm, does she…" Meng Qi's gaze was unchanged. It remained as cold as ever.

"That's just a myth that commoners propagate. How could you believe it?" Madam Baihua's laughter finally ceased, her eyes turning soft and mellow. "The Sect of the Plain Lady is divided into two factions. One is based on the impartation of the ancient Mystic Fairy of the Nine Heavens and its followers cultivate fates with the Dual Cultivation of man-and-woman copulation. It has always been a mutually beneficial relationship, never an issue of one devouring the other. I'm sure you've heard of this, Mr. Tyrant."

"Of course. I even know that the core internal chapter of the Scripture of the Plain Lady is the 'Nirmanakaya Movement' of the Dual Cultivation of fates and partings. Aside from the current Successor of Mystic Fairy, the elders and disciples would partake in regular Dual Cultivation of man-and-woman copulation and practice the external chapter of the Scripture of the Plain Lady!" Meng Qi suppressed the twitch in his mouth and instead nodded gently. "Correct. For you to persuade me this way, do you perhaps belong to the Mystic Fairy lineage?"

"No. We belong to the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage." Madam Baihua answered honestly.

Instead of showing "anger", Meng Qi smiled at her with a deep and restrained gaze. It was as if he would explode anytime. "Have you been wasting my time, madam?"

She burst into laughter. "Please stay calm, Mr. Tyrant. Let me explain."

Somewhat restraining her charm, she said earnestly, "The impartation of our Bliss Bodhisattva lineage is based upon the compassionate and merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva, who took upon a physical body to provide for the people. While there aren't cultivators in pairs in our lineage, we do devour another's energy to make up for our own deficiency. We can borrow this nourishment to condense the Golden Body of Bliss Bodhisattva, but if we wish to claim Dharmakaya and condense the compassionate and unrestrained Golden Body of Guanyin Bodhisattva, we must gain a full understanding of copulation—even if it's vacuous copulation. Moreover, we must return the favor to the men and bestow mercy upon the common people…"

Madam Baihua's so-called self-introduction left Meng Qi feeling a little dumbstruck. He wondered what kind of strange person the ancestral founder of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage was, to be able to come up with such a method to lean toward Guanyin Bodhisattva. It was no wonder the lineages of Shui Yue Nunnery and Mystic Fairy shared such a close relationship yet were like oil and water with the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage. How could the orthodox sects not fume when these heterodox cultivators were utterly tarnishing the reputation of Guanyin Bodhisattva?

Meng Qi ignored the latter part of Madam Baihua's words. It was not a matter of his belief. Even if it were true, the return of the favor would have to wait for the completion of the Golden Body of Bliss Bodhisattva. The current generation of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage had yet to even claim Dharmakaya as of now, let alone the Golden Body of Bliss Bodhisattva. Other masters with the title of Bodhisattva were even further from this feat than she was. If he were to await repayment, he was better off trying to sincerely move her heart with his good looks, style, and talent and make it so that she would be unwilling to devour his Yang energy. Either way, both outcomes were the same: a pipe dream!

Madam Baihua knew she had failed to move Merciless Tyrant's heart with her words when the latter showed not even the slightest hint of happiness or anticipation. Smiling, she said, "Mr. Tyrant, you're not a captured Incense Stove but a Foreign Official under our employment. Based on the regulations of our Bliss Bodhisattva lineage, no one will forcefully devour your energy as long as you don't yield to temptation after a weak display of resistance. Those powerful enough to devour your energy will need your consent while the remainder, well, you can do whatever you want with them. There's no shortage of innocent virgins who have just begun their cultivation."

Meng Qi's expression remained placid. "This is empty talk. With the might of Bliss Bodhisattva, wouldn't I be a sitting duck if I recklessly enter your nest?"

"Your words are reasonable, but even if I make a Soul-pledging Oath to make a secret contract, it would only bind me alone. I trust that it wouldn't be enough to make you believe me." Madam Baihua could understand this very well. "Why don't we do it this way? I'll take you to one of our strongholds first, a place that the Bliss Bodhisattva and Mystic Fairy lineages share. If someone tries to forcefully devour your energy, you can seek refuge with the Mystic Fairy lineage and complete Dual Cultivation with their disciples. Once Sect Leader Bodhisattva agrees and makes an oath, you can rest assured."

They referred to Bliss Bodhisattva as Sect Leader Bodhisattva, unlike the other masters with the title of Bodhisattva.

"That's what I've been waiting to hear after discussing so much…" The hard work he had put in so far was for him to approach the Mystic Fairy lineage, not the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage. He nodded and replied. "That puts my mind at ease. Please lead the way, madam."

"I won't be able to accompany you because I need to take charge of the front-line affairs in Ying City, Linhai." She turned her head to look at Ying Ning and said, "Ying Ning, please lead Mr. Tyrant to Lihua Island."

"Yes, Mother." Ying Ning lowered her head.

"If Mr. Tyrant wants to take you away, go with him. Either way, you're already his," Madam Baihua said teasingly.

Ying Ning's body twisted and turned like a lovable girl throwing a weak tantrum. She calmed down after much difficulty, though her face was completely red as she told Meng Qi, "For your information, Lihua Island is a visible island amid submerged outlying islands, one main island amid auxiliary ones in the same place. It is the cultivation land of Bodhisattva Lian Yu, one of the Eight Maha Bodhisattva of our lineage. Shang River Fairy of the Mystic Fairy lineage, who is observing widowhood after the recent death of her husband, lives there as well."

Meng Qi nodded expressionlessly, maintaining his unfathomable impression. Deep inside, he felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders. Cautious, wary grandmasters could easily see through his current disguise. Not everyone would be like Huang Taichong and fall for his facade. The latter had tried to discover his concealed breath but was repelled by Fruits of Karma. What Huang Taichong ended up discovering was only the surface; in reality, it was merely his disguise.

However, even if he had been discovered to be Su Meng, he would not have been in too deep trouble because He Jiu and He Xiu were nonetheless family.

This time, he was up against Bodhisattva Lian Yu and Shang River Fairy—both merely famous Peerless Master Pros. He had gotten lucky in the first step, so he did not have to find Lihua Island, give up his disguise, sneak in by pretending to be an islander, and then laboriously find traces of the Plain Lady's Paradise.

There would be no way for him to make good on the promise to meet Bliss Bodhisattva and become their Foreign Official now!

With the guidance of A Million Hands, Meng Qi whisked Ying Ning away. They flew for ten days before finally coming across the submerged outlying islands on the azure sea that stretched as far as the eye can see.

"Mr. Tyrant, we can only 'move forward' to Lihua Island by boat from here on," Ying Ning said, after sending A Million Hands off with her gaze. They could be considered collaborators within the Sect of the Plain Lady, similar to the relationship between the Yun family and Eastsea Sword Village.

…

In the wide expanse of the sea, the blue water was so dark it was nearly black. There was a sense of deep unease and tension as if before the outbreak of war.

A junk ship traveling on a unique route was revolving around the submerged outlying islands, neither going far nor approaching. It was unclear what it was waiting for.

Meng Qi did not question Ying Ning. In the dim light of the night, he entered the cabin of the ship and found her wrapped in a quilt on the bed. On the floor was her crumpled dress that obscenely emitted a fragrance that sent one's blood boiling.

"What are you doing?" Meng Qi stood at the door, his hands behind his back.

Ying Ning blushed furiously and kept her eyes tightly shut. Her eyelashes trembled as she spoke. "This lowly servant is already yours. I'm here to warm the bed and experience bliss with you."

Based on their prior agreement, the deal was complete once the Linhai incident was over and done with.

Meng Qi's eyelid twitched. He took a step, his hands still behind him, and smiled. "There's no need for that right now. Your maiden body will come to play at a crucial point. I'm still some distance away from a breakthrough and need to focus on personal cultivation. I'll pamper you properly once I've prepared everything and consolidated my foundation.

Though he said he would pamper her, his voice carried not the least bit of affection.

"Who knows what kind of secret technique this woman of unknown background cultivates? If it's up to someone with a weak mental fortitude, he'll probably be wrung dry."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Tyrant." Ying Ning seemed a little nervous, heaving a sigh of relief after hearing what he said.

Recalling their conversation earlier, he smiled as he said, "You don't seem embarrassed when talking about copulation between man and woman."

Ying Ning said tenderly, "The blissful copulation of man and woman is the fundamental teaching of human relationship in Buddhism. What is there to be embarrassed about? I'm blushing because this is my first time.

"Moreover, how many men in this world are depressed due to lack of such bliss? They require our compassion and we provide our bodies to comfort them."

Realizing that she made an indiscreet remark, she stuck out her little pink tongue. "I'm already your woman, Mr. Tyrant. I'll only serve you alone."

"She's indeed a disciple of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage; her three principles differ from that of regular people…" Meng Qi was barely able to stamp down his urge to smile. Using this as a pretext, he tried to clarify the truth about Lihua Island.

"… the formation on Lihua Island targets only the outside world. It doesn't prohibit Incense Stoves from leaving, but no one wishes to." Ying Ning described the island with a somewhat naive, unaffected air. "Bodhisattva Lian Yu's Incense Stoves are divided into five levels, namely Wonderous Medicine, Grand Tonic, Lesser Tonic, Herb Dregs, and Refreshment."

She had barely finished speaking when a sudden hurricane swept the junk ship, sending it spiraling.

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Tyrant, and wait patiently." Ying Ning quickly reminded him.

The junk ship rose and fell, undulating along with the waves. The violent waters nearly capsized the ship.

Meng Qi had long lost any fear of such natural disasters. With his hands behind him, he looked at the dark sky outside the window.

The hurricane eventually ceased after some time. The first rays of the morning sun emerged, removing any sign of the natural disaster from the blue sky. A lush, verdant island appeared in Meng Qi's vision. A dense fog shrouded the sea surface, hiding the other islands from view.

"We've reached Lihua Island!" Ying Ning cheerfully exclaimed as she put on her clothes, her voice like the sound of silver bells.