CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36, THE PRESUMPTUOUS OUTER DISCIPLE

Bai Jin said: "These are all products of experimentation by Nuwa after she contemplated the Creation Skill: sheep with wolf heads, four-legged ducks and chickens, birds with dog heads, snakes with four horns, wild boars the size of little mice, and so on.

There are also banana-growing apple trees, stars above sprout dog’s-tail grass, goldfish born inside lotuses, trees bearing litters of piglets, combinations of animals and plants, the utmost mystery of life."

The Three Pure Ones looked at each other, truly never having imagined that their gentle junior sister was so crazy behind the scenes. The problem was, she actually found her Tao; could it be that we’ve taken the wrong path? Is enlightenment not something to be comprehended through thought alone, but also through action?

Tongtian hastened to ask, "And then? How did Nuwa achieve enlightenment after that?"

"Then I asked Nuwa one question."

The Three Pure Ones all looked at Bai Jin with sparkling eyes; could this question be the key?

Tongtian urged, "Speak quickly."

Bai Jin dared not tarry and quickly said: "On my way to Buzhou Mountain, I came upon a strange animal that I couldn’t recognize, so I shaped its likeness out of clay and asked Nuwa about it.

Nuwa told me it was called the Fierce Beast Horned Wolf, and I remarked at the time that it looked quite cute when made smaller; it would be nice if it was alive.

Afterward, Nuwa suddenly entered a state of enlightenment, and then she created humans and became a Sage. It was that simple."

Simple? Tongtian and Primordial were speechless.

Taishang sighed and said: "Sometimes, serendipity is just a fleeting moment, a thousand years of arduous contemplation might not equal a single enlightening suggestion."

Primordial eyed Bai Jin suspiciously, interrogating, "Why do I feel like you did this on purpose? Did you already guess that Nuwa’s path was just short of transforming death into life? Is that why you molded it from clay? Wouldn’t it be more direct to manifest it using immortal power?!"

Bai Jin sheepishly replied: "I just thought girls would like cute things, so I made a little wolf to give to Nuwa, hoping she would look after me in return, but somehow she achieved enlightenment, and honestly, I was quite stunned too!"

"Pfft~" Wudang Saint could not help but burst into laughter. Molding a little animal as a gift for Nuwa, how inventive.

Tongtian, at a loss for words, waved his hand impatiently, "Go away~ Return to your cultivation, in the future, stop wasting your thoughts on such messy things, focus on your own enlightenment to avoid the embarrassment like the last time at Nuwa Palace."

Bai Jin replied obediently, "Yes! Then this disciple will take his leave."

Bai Jin bowed deeply and turned to walk towards the distance.

Taishang shook his head and said speechlessly, "I never expected that Bai Jin would have a part in Nuwa’s sister becoming a Sage; no wonder she looks after him so."

Tongtian snorted coldly, "Flaunting one’s trivial cleverness, had it been someone ruthless, binding such karma, he would have been crushed to ashes long ago."

Primordial lamented, "The karma of aiding in reaching Sagehood is significant; sister Nuwa owes a big favor this time, now even without our help, Bai Jin can walk sideways through the Primordial World."

Tongtian, with a fierce look, said, "I dare him! Let me see him try walking sideways as a mere white crane!"

Taishang, ignoring Tongtian and with his temper flaring up, pondered, "Sister is enlightened now, where does our own path lie?!"

Primordial frowned in thought and said, "Duobao, Wudang, you should leave first as well!"

"Yes!" Duobao and Wudang bowed and flew towards Upper Pure Peak.

Primordial spoke, "Big brother, little brother, let us discuss the Tao!"

Taishang nodded and said, "Good!"

Tongtian also nodded, "Alright!"

The three of them all felt a sense of urgency in their hearts. The junior sister Nuwa had already attained the Tao ahead of them. If they let those two from the Western direction get ahead too, where would the face of the lineage of The Three Pure Ones derived from Pangu lie?

Bai Jin returned to Upper Pure Peak, strolling leisurely along the stony path. Along the way, he encountered some disciples, both familiar and new faces. Most of them kept their distance, respectfully addressed him as "Senior Brother," and then went about their business. Bai Jin didn’t mind at all, he even wished inside that his master would revoke this title of the Jie Sect’s first disciple.

"Greetings, Senior Brother~" A few voices rose in unison. Ahead, Shi Ji and others were bowing in greeting.

Bai Jin stepped forward, returned the greeting with a bow and said with a smile, "Greetings, fellow junior brothers and junior sisters."

The disciples straightened up, and Bai Jin said with a smile, "Junior sister, what are you doing here?"

Shi Ji spoke with a sense of grievance, "Senior Brother, we were waiting here for you to ask you to stand up for us!"

The rest of the junior brothers and sisters also bowed and said, "We ask Senior Brother to stand up for us!"

Bai Jin’s expression turned grave as he asked, "What happened?"

Shi Ji said with suppressed anger, "We have followed Senior Brother’s teachings, chanting scriptures at sunrise and resting at sundown, earnestly cultivating in the hopes of grasping the great Tao. But some Outer Disciples, relying on Senior Brother Duobao, behave recklessly on the mountain. So when I rebuked them, they actually took over our chanting place at Mirror Lake. We appealed to Senior Brother Duobao, but he said that Mirror Lake is a common place on Upper Pure Peak, available for anyone to enjoy. These days, we can only chant halfway up the mountain, but then they took over that place as well."

All the junior brothers and sisters looked at Bai Jin with expectation.

Bai Jin sighed inwardly, thinking, Master, why did you accept so many disciples! Not only do you accept them, but you also don’t discipline them, aren’t you just causing trouble for me?

Bai Jin said, "Tomorrow at dawn, proceed as usual with the morning lessons at Mirror Lake."

The disciples, Shi Ji and others, all looked slightly excited as they replied, "Yes!"

Bai Jin led the junior brothers and sisters up the mountain.

Bai Jin said, "There seem to be many more disciples on the mountain lately!"

Shi Ji replied, "Many Independent Immortals have come seeking fame and have been accepted by Master as Outer Disciples. Among them, particularly outstanding ones include Qiu Shouxian and Lingya Immortal. They were the ones leading the occupation of our Mirror Lake."

Bai Jin nodded and said helplessly, "They all see themselves too highly and do not know restraint in the least."

Gu Liang said indignantly, "Senior Brother, you must teach them a good lesson. Qiu Shouxian even dared to yank my braid."

Bai Jin said with a smile, "Alright, if they come tomorrow, I shall take revenge for you."

After parting ways, Bai Jin returned to his room and immediately began recording in a small booklet: Currying favor with Nuwa Niangniang, completed. A preliminary mutual assistance relationship has been established. Strengthen ties to avoid estrangement.

The next day, at dawn, the clear sound of chanting scriptures once again resonated through Upper Pure Peak.

At the back of the mountain, the Long-Eared Ding Guangxian, Qiu Shouxian, Lingya Immortal, and other revellers turned their heads to look towards the front.

Lingya Immortal expressed surprise, "They dare to chant scriptures again?"

Qiu Shouxian shook his wine gourd and said, "You must be unaware! It’s because the Outer Disciple Leader Bai Jin has returned. They’ve found their backer."

Lingya Immortal said disdainfully, "The Outer Disciple Leader is just an Outer Disciple after all. How can he be compared to Senior Brother Duobao? I heard that the Outer Disciple Leader had once been slapped away by Senior Brother Duobao, embarrassingly defeated."