Great Master Wuwei? A charlatan? Purposely making a mystery of simple things?
Senior An was utterly confused by Li Tianlan’s words.
“What the hell?”
In terms of the time of becoming famous, Great Master Wuwei, the Highest Elder of the Great Soaring Temple, was even earlier than Xuan Xuanzi, the legendary Taoist. In the last 20 years, Xuan Xuanzi rose to fame and was on the way to becoming the most eminent man in metaphysics. However, no matter how well-known he was, some top-notch elders would never forget Great Master Wuwei of the Great Soaring Temple.
It could be said that they were the only two grandmasters of metaphysics in the world. Xuan Xuanzi intentionally or unintentionally mixed with the wealthiest families in the Zhongzhou State and the Hidden Dragon Sea. As long as the person who invited him enjoyed enough influence, he would not reject the invitation, at least would give the inviter some beneficial advice.
In stark contrast to him, Great Master Wuwei was a happy-go-lucky monk, who was quite mysterious at his whereabouts, appearing at one moment and disappearing the next.
Buddhism believed in predestination and stressed karma. In recent decades, Great Master Wuwei, not swayed by power or money, had almost traveled the entire Zhongzhou State on foot. He was just like a living Buddha.
He was not only willing to tell ordinary people about karma, but also willing to point out the right way to some promising young people. There was a saying in the whole top circles of the Zhongzhou State.
As long as there was a predestined relationship, the living Buddha would give a response to every prayer.
Great Master Wuwei had been famous for decades. Apart from the earlier years, in the recent 20 years, it was well known that four people had received his directions.
18 years ago, he advised Situ Cangyue to go the north alone.
As a result, the Hidden God of the Zhongzhou State arose in Mount Taibai.
15 years ago, he persuaded Hua Qingfeng, an expert of the generation, to go to Youzhou.
Finally, the Asura Path split, the Shadow Sect rose in the imperial capital, and Hua Qingfeng wined the Zhongzhou State’s Ministry of Security. Now, more than 80 percent of the big shots’ guards were from the Shadow Sect.
10 years ago, Liu Shuanghua, a senior intelligence officer in the Prince Group, was framed by someone and chased after for killing. When he fled to Jiangnan, he came across Great Master Wuwei, who advised him to throw down roots in Jiangnan Province. Liu Shuanghua then hid himself in Mount Lu. In the end, he joined the Wang family of Beihai in a high profile eight years ago and founded Jiangnan Society, the largest private intelligence organization in south Zhongzhou State.
Three years ago, the largest and most secretive special forces in the Zhongzhou State the Shadow Sting Army was formed. Wang Zhaoliang, one of the core members of Wang family of Beihai, the Commander of the Shadow Sting Army, went straight to the Great Soaring Temple the day after he took office to ask for Great Master Wuwei just in order to express his gratitude to him in person.
For two decades, the four men that he helped all had become the giants of the Zhongzhou State in the Dark World.
Whether Great Master Wuwei did it on purpose or not, no one could say that Xuan Xuanzi had surpassed Great Master Wuwei in metaphysics based on the achievements of these four people.
What the two grandmasters said was basically tantamount to prophecy.
This was something that many people acknowledged.
Over the years, Senior An had heard many legends about Great Master Wuwei and had seen people’s worship and admiration for this living Buddha. He had never thought that one day a young man would accuse the living Buddha of being a charlatan with a look of disdain.
“Is this boy out of his mind? Or did you drink too much tonight?” he couldn’t help but wonder.
Senior An felt a quiver of worried, not knowing what to do. “He definitely did it on purpose. It’s too cunning,” he criticized inwardly.
Except Li Tianlan, none of the men in the room was below the Thunder-shocking Realm, so no matter how low his voice was, it couldn’t have escaped Great Master Wuwei and Dongcheng Hanguang. He said it to Senior An, but it was no different from pointing at Great Master Wuwei and swearing at him.
“Tianlan, don’t talk nonsense!”
Dongcheng Hanguang scolded Li Tianlan, his mouth twitching. He gave Great Master Wuwei an apologetic look and whispered, “Great Master, Tianlan just came out of a little place. He is green and inexperienced, so please… ”
“If I don’t know where he comes from, how can I say he is against the trend?”
Great Master Wuwei interrupted his apology, twirling the Buddha beads in his hand with a gracious smile on his face.
After a little hesitation, Li Tianlan turned around and walked back into the small reception room.
He sat down opposite Great Master Wuwei and calmly said, “Great Master said I’m against the trend, I’m completely convinced. But with respect to my birth destiny, I can only assume that you are talking nonsense.”
Dongcheng Hanguang glared at Li Tianlan, hesitating to open his mouth.
Great Master Wuwei was indeed an eminent monk. He kept smiling in the face of questioning and just asked, “Why?”
“I am not yet 20 years old, and you said my birth destiny was altered more than 20 years ago. How could I have a birth destiny when I was not born?” Li Tianlan demanded with a flat voice.
The mention of fate always reminded people of some empty theories, but there were still some people actually able to grasp the trajectory of fate. In the beginning, Li Tianlan really reckoned that Great Master Wuwei was a charlatan, but Senior An’s eyes and Dongcheng Hanguang’s performance made him a little confused about his own judgment.
Charlatans could never fool top powerful families like the Dongcheng Clan.
Yet there was indeed a loophole in the story of his birth destiny.
“So do you believe in fate?”
Great Master Wuwei addressed the same question that Xuan Xuanzi and he himself had asked Li Tianlan.
Li Tianlan frowned slightly. In the Dongcheng Clan’s villa, he seemed to be unconsciously relaxed, and became more and more emotional.
“You don’t really believe it.”
Great Master Wuwei chuckled, looked at Li Tianlan and said, “You don’t believe in fate, that’s why you don’t believe that someone has changed your birth destiny.”
Li Tianlan kept silent. These few words about fate and change of birth destiny had made his head spin.
He took a glance at Wuwei. Although he still did not understand what he said, Wuwei’s face made it clear that he did not intend to continue the subject.
Li Tianlan picked up his teacup and took a sip. The bitter and cool tea trickled down his throat and into his stomach. “Great Master, if I am really doomed to die young, can I achieve my lifelong wish?” he suddenly put the question.
What was his lifelong wish?
To get his grandfather and the veterans off the border.
To make the Xuanyuantai of Kunlun return to the top of Zhongzhou State.
To let his family of War God once again rise to prominence in the Dark World.
If he were to die tragically in ten years, would all this be possible to come true?
At this moment, Li Tianlan was surprised to find that he could be cool about the possible death in his fate, but he could not give up what he pursued in his life.
“Yes, you can.”
Great Master Wuwei gave him a simple answer after a moment’s hesitation.
Li Tianlan gave a relieved laugh, his eyes lighting up without any haze. “In that case, the result is not so bad, although I am still a little dissatisfied with that. Well, that’s enough.”
The old monk gave him a deep look and said nothing.
“You’re so young. What are you talking about? Don’t talk nonsense here!”
Dongcheng Hanguang scowled and scolded Li Tianlan mercilessly. His momentum soared in an instant, his white hair flying in the air and his eyes sharp.
Despite the reprimand, Li Tianlan felt a warm current in his heart for no reason.
Though it was the first time they had met, Old Master’s condemnation indicated that he really did not treat Li Tianlan as an outsider.
“Great Master, if Tianlan… Now that his birth destiny has really been changed, what will happen to him in ten years?”
Dongcheng Hanguang averted his eyes from Li Tianlan to Great Master Wuwei. His voice was unmoved, but his eyes danced with earnestness and anxiety.
Great Master Wuwei shook his head and replied, “I don’t have any good advice. He still has a long time to live, and it will all depend on his fortune.”
Dongcheng Hanguang’s heart sank at the response. The old monk’s words revealed neither pessimism nor optimism.
Dongcheng Hanguang, who worried about Li Tianlan’s fate, asked unresignedly, “Is there really no solution?”
“Live in seclusion in mountains and keep far from the world.”
Great Master Wuwei answered drily, continuing to turn the Buddha beads with one hand.
Dongcheng Hanguang gave a wry smile. He looked at Li Tianlan, and sure enough, he noticed his face impassive as if he hadn’t heard what Wuwei said.
Such an approach to him was equivalent to nothing.
“I’m leaving now.”
Great Master Wuwei stood up abruptly and looked at Dongcheng Hanguang, smiling. “It’s the doomed expiration date of our connection. It’s highly likely that we will never meet again. If you don’t mind, how about seeing me out?”
Li Tianlan, who got up and was going to see him off, made a pause and sat back down on the couch. Obviously, the old monk would like to have a word with Dongcheng Hanguang.
Dongcheng Hanguang hesitated, not for whether to see him off or not, but for whether to allow his leaving or not. After all, Great Master Wuwei was usually here today and gone tomorrow and elusive. He accepted the Dongcheng Clan’s invitation this time because of the cause and effect that happened many years ago. For the Dongcheng Clan, they gave Great Master Wuwei a big favor.
But the return of this big favor was only a few words from the old monk, which made Dongcheng Hanguang rather gloomy.
Finally, he stood up with a wry smile and walked out of the small reception room with the old monk.
When he was about to step out of the reception room, Great Master Wuwei suddenly turned around and looked at Li Tianlan. “Here is a piece of advice for you. You’ll encounter a tribulation in the next few days. So be careful,” he said with a gentle smile.
Li Tianlan froze for a while before he nodded and earnestly replied, “Thank you very much, Great Master.”
Great Master Wuwei then faintly smiled and turned to leave.
Out the door of the villa, Dongcheng Hanguang, who didn’t want to give up the hope, hesitantly asked, “Great Master, Tianlan’s… Well, is it a good thing or a bad thing that his birth destiny has been changed?”
Walking in the dark yard on the top of the mountain, Great Master Wuwei cast a glimpse at Dongcheng Hanguang and laughed quietly. “The destiny has just been made, and it’s not so good now. Fate is not fixed, but there is always a general trajectory. The change in his birth destiny is a change from a certain death to a near death. It is not easy to change one’s birth destiny. It’s against heaven and earth after all,” he explained in a low voice.
“Then… ”
Dongcheng Hanguang’s face darkened.
“Don’t be too pessimistic. Now it looks like he will have a slim chance of surviving, but who knows what will happen in 10 years?”
Great Master Wuwei gently smiled and suggested, “Dongcheng, please remember, just let it be. Don’t push it. As for Tianlan, when he graduates from the Sky Academy, he can come to Mount Qingyun in Lin’an and be my neighbor. It will do him good.”
Lin’an was the capital of Jiangzhe Province, and Mount Qingyun was located by the West Lake. With the river and mountain, it was a treasured place.
Dongcheng Hanguang nodded. “I can see that. But that boy is stubborn. What if he doesn’t go then, Great Master?” he inquired helplessly.
“His birth destiny is done, and his fate is set. He has no choice.”
Great Master Wuwei smiled casually and reached for the car door, ready to leave.
Dongcheng Hanguang suddenly thought of something else. “Great Master, who changed Tianlan’s birth destiny?” he asked.
Great Master Wuwei made a short pause, turning to look at Dongcheng Hanguang with meaningful glances.
Then he got into the car, and as the door was about to close, a small voice came into Dongcheng Hanguang’s ears.
“I changed it.”
