Grasping the Evil

Chapter 1211: Unaware That Mountain and Sea Is the Edge of the World...

Ning Fan’s spirit sense was very disturbed. His spirit sense was influenced by the Faceless Titan’s sorrow, similarly tainted with sadness and confusion.

His Dao is deacon, with a personality that is extremely stubborn. A stubborn person, if their mind is not disturbed, is hardly influenced by the external world, which is their advantage; but at the same time, a stubborn person once trapped in a dead-end, finds it equally difficult to escape.

At this moment, Ning Fan is in such a situation, trapped in confusion, unable to extricate himself.

He felt a sense of powerlessness, for the first time in his life experiencing the horror of reincarnation, not from true and false, not from self and non-self, not from life and death, not from existence and destruction, but from eternal solitude.

To seek someone with eternal life, yet unable to obtain it, what kind of pain is that...

Why did that Faceless Titan want to find someone? Because he had lost, he had nothing left, he lost everything he wanted to obtain...

"Is that Faceless Titan really my future, or am I his future... Is it I who master him, or is he who masters me..."

"If he is my future, then such a future, I do not want, how to avoid it..."

"Or perhaps, I am not his future, nor is he my past, I am merely a transformation of such a powerful being’s divine skills, even existence itself is fake, all past and future are fabricated... In that case, I would no longer be myself..."

"Haha, what difference does it make whether I am myself or not? All this, I actually don’t care, nor bother to waste thought on it. What I am afraid of is stepping onto the Faceless Titan’s future, losing everything and facing eternal solitude..."

"How to... avoid such a future... Is the future something you can really avoid just because you wish to..."

Ning Fan sighs.

The deeper the understanding of reincarnation, the more Ning Fan realizes, some things, the more you escape, the more you can’t escape.

Therefore, a bit of stubbornness is required, to go against the current, to crash hard into the great circle of reincarnation, even if it’s at the cost of being beaten to hell and back.

Perhaps, one could crash open a thread of life, or maybe not... but only by trying will one know.

If couldn’t crash open once, then crash ten times!

If can’t crash open ten times, then crash a hundred times!

Gradually, Ning Fan swept away the confusion in his heart, but only that thread of sorrow was etched in his heart, unable to dissolve no matter how.

Indeed, no matter how firm his spirit sense, he cannot completely extinguish emotions. He can sweep away all confusion in his heart, yet only the sorrow cannot be driven away.

This is the trouble of having seven emotions in one’s body, but only by having emotions in oneself can one be called a person, rather than a mere immortal and demon.

"Ant Lord, I originally thought I could reluctantly accept the reality of being possessed by you, but you insisted on killing me in my dreams, indeed, I still more want to kill you."

"Bah, even that crafty crane can’t do anything to me, what means do you have to get rid of me? You can at most threaten me with your bewitching technique, come on come on, I dared to kill you in my dreams, I’d prepared to be tormented by you, besides, after being tormented by you several times, I really got some taste for it. Before I was always in seclusion in Hongjun Holy Sect, had never encountered such affairs, don’t tell me, it’s quite wonderful."

"Stop being tough, you are actually still afraid inside, afraid I’ll record your distressed appearance into a jade scroll and spread it across the Real Realms."

"You... you are really shameless! But you don’t have to be tough, do you really dare to run to the Real Realms! I know you don’t dare! You only boast in Purple Dou’s dreams!"

"Arguing about these has no meaning, not trying, how would one know there’s no way to kill you."

Ancient Kingdom Trade Array!

Ning Fan set up the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array, seemingly wanting to buy something from Tongtian (Sky-reaching) Sect to kill Ant Lord.

"Oh? A youngster from Dreamland Realm actually knows the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array! Sadly, sadly, Tongtian Sect may have one or two ways to kill me, but those methods are all in the hands of its Sect Hierarch. Do you know who that Tongtian Sect Hierarch is? He is my third senior brother, even though he left Hongjun Holy Sect in anger back then, the brother-sister relationship still exists. If you say you want to buy a way to eliminate me, the people from Tongtian Sect would certainly know you want to kill me. After all, this life-saving dao was passed solely to me by the master."

"...Why does your senior brother appear everywhere." Ning Fan was speechless.

He was connected heart and spirit with Ant Lord, Ant Lord was in his divine sense, couldn’t speak lies, all malicious thoughts would be revealed.

Being told by Ant Lord, he really can’t go to Tongtian Sect to buy a way to eliminate Ant Lord.

He could imagine the consequences of doing so.

Ning Fan’s inner theater:

Tongtian Sect Hierarch: "Rogue! Actually want to kill my junior sister! From today, Tongtian Sect’s all trade, never will be open to you again!"

"Cough cough cough... Third senior brother won’t use such a tone to speak. He’s a person who doesn’t like wasting words, probably won’t bother to scold you, and directly blacklists your Ancient Kingdom trade privileges..." Ant Lord, seeing Ning Fan’s memory, certainly sees Ning Fan’s inner theater.

She originally thought Ning Fan would be a more aloof person, didn’t expect there to be such a comical side deep within his personality.

"With such a master, it’s hard not to get some silly vibes..." Ning Fan thought of Old Monster, thought of that forever joyous chrysanthemum face. Now having arrived at Ning Fan, after eliminating the different race of Ning Fan, he’d take some time to visit the Four Oceans Sect, using the Four Oceans Sect’s passageway to teleport back to Rain Immortal World for a look.

Mother should have already awakened, if so, Father shouldn’t have that stern expression anymore.

Master should also have saved Mistress, speaking of which Mistress is Dugu’s elder sister as well, seems to be called Little Mei? Uh, that’s not a title I can use, should I call her Mistress or Sister... Calling her sister, Master would probably be angry to the point of spitting blood, better not to anger him...

The cultivations of the Paper Crane Squad, should not have progressed much, as they are too lazy, not fond of cultivation.

Mistress Qiuling, perhaps busy with planting flowers and composing poems, similarly hasn’t improved cultivation much?

Red long dress, is she continuing as Thunder Emperor Bu Zhou, or has she as previously wished, ascended to Ancient Demon Abyss...

Yue Lingkong, indeed, is she still busy planting cucumbers...

With so many women in Seven Apricot City, did they have power struggles at home when he was away? Probably...

And there’s the sable, the large skull, and...

Ding Ding Ding!

The Ancient Kingdom Trade Array suddenly emitted an urgent sound, such a situation was the first time Ning Fan has encountered.

Although he set up the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array, he was worried about exposing the matter of the Ant Lord, thus didn’t start the trading, yet he didn’t know where the sound came from.

"Fool, this is someone who used to privately trade with you trying urgently to find you. As long as there’s been a private trade once, the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array will record each other’s realm, making future trades much more convenient, without needing to go through the hands of the Tongtian Sect. I’ve seen this part of your memory, the other party seems to be the Saint of the Little Mountain Realm, Ning Little Thief, oh Ning Little Thief, look at the unscrupulous things you’ve done! Didn’t you sell those people a lot of problematic Gloomy Wood? They’re likely here to demand an explanation."

This is what they call a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Ning Fan sent a spirit sense to the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array, just started the Formation when he heard a woman’s angry voice coming from the other side.

"You finally revealed yourself! Slaughter! Fox!" Slaughter Fox was Ning Fan’s code name in Tongtian Sect.

The Mistress Qiuling seemed quite angry, the words were practically shouted out, not calling Ning Fan Daoist friend as before, but directly using the code name.

Is it possible not to be angry? She was delighted to have bought a large quantity of Eight Hundred Million Years Yin Chen Wood from Ning Fan, but the goods were all contaminated by Feed Dao Immortal Grain, all were defective! She wanted to strip this unscrupulous merchant, Ning Fan, to the bone!

"Mistress Qiuling, is it? I understand why you’re upset, but could you allow me to explain..." Ning Fan chuckled bitterly, he made a mistake, it’s only reasonable for the other party to be angry.

"Hmph!" Mistress Qiuling snorted, but didn’t say anything further, obviously waiting for Ning Fan’s explanation.

"Before the transaction, I was unaware there was an issue with the batch. In fact, I was also the victim, and after, I struggled greatly to separate the Feed Dao Immortal Grain from my body."

"You truly didn’t know? You weren’t deliberately trying to plot against me with Feed Dao Immortal Grain?" Mistress Qiuling’s tone seemed to ease quite a bit.

"Truly. If you don’t trust me, I can swear the Restrictive Spell." Ning Fan disliked swearing, but he was willing to make an exception this time, since he was at fault.

The hazard of Feed Dao Immortal Grain was immense, he didn’t know if Mistress Qiuling had suffered greatly because of it. If she had, he was willing to take full responsibility and offer adequate compensation to her.

No matter how significant that compensation might be!

Toward enemies, Ning Fan could be brutally ruthless and unscrupulous, but with ordinary people, Ning Fan always adhered strictly to his principles, even a fanatic has their own set of rules.

"I don’t believe in oaths..."

"In that case..."

"But I trust you."

"..." Ning Fan was just about to suggest other ways to assure Mistress Qiuling, but her words stopped him.

"If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have waited so long just to demand an explanation. As expected, you are also a victim. With that in mind, I have a Forbidden Technique which can remove Feed Dao Immortal Grain from your body, I’ll transmit it to you now, please be attentive..."

Bang!

Mistress Qiuling seemed to have a bit of bad luck, the jade scroll recording the secret technique failed to trade successfully the first time, getting destroyed in the chaotic spatial currents, this was the risk of private trading.

She had to send it again, and this time, the jade scroll successfully reached Ning Fan.

[Shanhai Exorcism Technique]: Costs half of one’s Immortal life and cultivation to forcibly expel any impurity from the body.

It’s a powerful secret technique, enough to instantly purge the Feed Dao Immortal Grain from the body, but the price is steep, with its own advantages and disadvantages compared to Multi-layered Soul-sealing.

Ning Fan had already removed the Feed Dao Immortal Grain from his body, so this technique was not useful for him.

Yet the other party’s intention and her way of handling things made Ning Fan’s heart tremble, moving him.

This woman did not come to vent her fury on him.

This woman came to save his life.

Despite not being familiar with Mistress Qiuling, Ning Fan felt like he could see her, see her gallant smile, and her clean and swift handling style.

"Why do you trust that I didn’t deceive you?" Ning Fan sighed.

"Trust is something without evidence. In this world, only those in the Fourth Step can transcend it, those among us are completely at the mercy of others’ Reincarnation Power, unable to differentiate truth from falsehood. To survive, one must have something to trust. After all, it’s a world where belief equates to existence."

"So do you completely trust everyone you meet?"

"Of course not, trust is something that depends on the person, even more so on impression. I have a favorable impression of you, and my intuition tells me you bear no malice towards me." Mistress Qiuling replied.

"Intuition? But sometimes, intuition can deceive."

"If trusting one’s intuition still leads to deception, then it’s a destined calamity. Even if one avoids it, they must face it. Hey! Daoist, aren’t you planning to discuss Dao while keeping the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array running? It consumes a lot of Heavenly Dao Gold during operation, and I’ve been having big expenses lately for replanting trees, if there’s nothing else..."

"Wait."

"Is there something else?"

"Have you been harmed by those Feed Dao Immortal Grains?"

"I’m fine, but the Great Chun Tree I planted was killed by the polluted wood aura from your side..." Mistress Qiuling said sadly.

"I’m sorry."

"It’s fine; you didn’t mean to. I can always plant the Great Chun Tree again anyway. I’ve already planted and killed forty-two trees. Perhaps the next one will thrive..."

"By the way, why do you plant trees, and why specifically the Great Chun Tree?"

"... You really want to chat with me through the trading formation, don’t you?" Mistress Qiuling was somewhat troubled.

She had very few friends, hence she rarely discussed Dao with others. She had a good impression of Ning Fan, so occasionally discussing Dao with him seemed like a good decision.

But the problem was, she! had! no! money!

In the Tongtian Sect, spiritual seedlings of the Great Chun Tree were quite expensive. She had already spent a lot of Heavenly Dao Gold to rebuy the seedlings. Additionally, she spent a substantial amount of gold and silver to purchase uncontaminated Gloomy Wood from other realms. At this moment, she truly had no money left for idle chats with Ning Fan.

Ding ding ding!

Mistress Qiuling was about to find an excuse to send Ning Fan away when suddenly, the formation produced a sound, and something was transmitted from the other side.

She didn’t look at first, but when she did, she was taken aback.

Ning Fan had actually transferred five hundred taels of Heavenly Dao Gold!

Clearly, the person wasn’t even a Saint, yet they were so wealthy!

"Now, Mistress has enough money to maintain the trading formation." Ning Fan’s laughter came from the other side of the formation.

This is just how Ning Fan was. When people respected him by an inch, he repaid them by a yard. Since the other party cared for him first, he reciprocated. Coupled with the previous mistake he made, compensating the other party with five hundred taels at once was reasonable.

"I can’t take your money for free?" Mistress Qiuling furrowed her brows. She didn’t like accepting money from strange men; it gave her a bad feeling.

"There’s no malice in this money, it’s merely for atonement. If Mistress doesn’t accept it, I won’t be at peace." Ning Fan replied.

"... You seem to have let slip your surname. It’s against the rules for both parties in a private trade within the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array to reveal their real identities." Mistress Qiuling said speechlessly.

"Against the rules, so what? Those are the rules of Tongtian Sect, not ours. Let’s get to know each other again; I’m Ning Fan, and you?"

"..." Mistress Qiuling felt a headache.

Why did she have the feeling of being entangled by someone?

"Sorry, I can’t tell you my name." Mistress Qiuling eventually replied apologetically.

"I see..." Ning Fan smiled wryly and shook his head. As expected, she still wasn’t inclined to become acquainted with him.

"It’s not that I don’t trust you; it’s for other reasons. Besides being the owner of the Little Mountain Realm, I also have a secret identity; I’m one of the Mountain Patrol Envoys from the Mountain and Sea Realm. The names of the patrol envoys cannot be revealed to others as they are supervised by Lingual Spirit Immortal. If I break this law, the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground that supervises this law will impose a fire punishment on me..." Mistress Qiuling explained.

Though she could have pretended not to trust Ning Fan to end the conversation, she still made an effort to explain, perhaps worried that Ning Fan would close the trading formation.

Indeed, deep down, she was lonely too and yearned for someone to talk to.

"Then I guess I’ll call you ’Mistress Qiuling’ from now on."

"In the future? Are you saying you intend to chat with me frequently?" Mistress Qiuling was taken aback.

"If you don’t wish, then let it be."

"It’s not that I don’t wish. Apart from occasionally patrolling the mountains and planting trees daily, I have nothing else to do anyway."

"Speaking of which, you’ve mentioned planting trees several times. Is it your hobby? I’ve seen girls who love growing flowers, but I didn’t expect someone to have a passion for planting trees."

"No, planting trees is not my hobby. It’s something that must be done and has nothing to do with preference. Everyone has many things they must achieve in their lives. For me, the expectation of my life is to grow one Great Chun Tree to live."

"Why?"

"I don’t know the reason, but I feel that just as I am waiting for the Great Chun Tree to sprout, it might be waiting for me too, waiting for me to cultivate it successfully, waiting for us to meet."

"That’s quite an interesting reason."

"Interesting? Other Mountain Patrol Envoys say I’m a boring person." Mistress Qiuling said self-deprecatingly.

"Speaking of which, I’ve been troubled by something lately. Clearly, there are people I could confide in, but to prevent them from worrying, I couldn’t talk to them."

"Oh? Then why not tell me? Perhaps I can help you understand." Mistress Qiuling asked curiously.

"I saw my future, or rather what I assume to be my future. It’s terrifyingly powerful, to the extent I feel even stronger than some Fourth Steps..."

"... You are the person who likes to blow your own trumpet the most of anyone I’ve ever met. Are you trying to tell me you’re worried your future will be so strong you’ll have no friends? Do you seek defeat across the Three Realms without success, wishing for a worthy opponent? Not even the masters of the Three Realms are fit to spar with you?" Mistress Qiuling said speechlessly.

"..."

"..."

"I’m not joking."

"... Alright, I believe you. Your future is incredibly strong, strong enough to defy the heavens, able to become a Saint at a thought, able to open the heavens at a thought, able to raise mountains and waters at a thought, able to make chickens fly and dogs leap at a thought..."

"..."

"..."

"...It seems my future will lose everything, and then I keep searching, but I can never find it."

"Are you serious?" Mistress Qiuling’s tone became much more serious.

"...I was confused before, but in the end, I swept away the confusion. My spirit sense won’t be destroyed by any setback, no one can make me bow, nor can anyone take this away from me. Yet, for some reason, there’s a sadness in my heart that I cannot erase. I tried, ordinary methods cannot make that sadness go away..."

"Then try an extraordinary method."

"What method?"

"Hmm..." Mistress Qiuling seemed to clear her throat, "It’s my first time chanting scriptures in front of someone else, you are not allowed to laugh."

Chanting scriptures?

Ning Fan was puzzled, and then he heard a voice from the other side of the Formation, as soft as a mosquito’s chant.

No, it wasn’t chanting, it was softly singing.

When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara practices Prajna Paramita, they perceive the voidness of the Five Aggregates, thus overcoming all suffering.

Sariputra, form does not differ from void, void does not differ from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness.

Sariputra, all phenomena are void characteristics. They are neither born nor extinguished, neither impure nor pure, neither increase nor decrease. Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, no feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind; no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought. No realm of vision to no realm of consciousness, no ignorance nor the extinction of ignorance. No old age and death, nor the extinction of old age and death. No suffering, accumulation, cessation, and path. No wisdom, no attainment.

With nothing to attain, Bodhisattvas rely on Prajna Paramita and thus the mind is unobstructed. Because there is no obstruction, there is no fear, far from perverse views and dreams; ultimately Nirvana.

All Buddhas of the three times rely on Prajna Paramita and thus attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.

Therefore, know that Prajna Paramita is the great miraculous mantra, the great illuminating mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, capable of removing all suffering, truly unfalse.

Thus proclaim the Prajna Paramita mantra, therefore say the mantra: Gate Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha.

"..." Ning Fan was conflicted.

The other was actually singing Buddhist scriptures for him!

He doesn’t believe in Buddhism, or rather, no Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor could believe in Buddhism.

So he doesn’t like Buddhist scriptures, which contradict his Dao.

Yet, Mistress Qiuling’s singing was so beautiful that he couldn’t help but want to hear it a few more times.

No, it’s not simply beautiful, but a longing from the depths of the soul, wanting to hear it once more! Wanting to hear it again! Otherwise, after tomorrow, he might never hear it again...

"Is it beautiful..." After finishing the song, Mistress Qiuling asked somewhat nervously, seeming to care about Ning Fan’s evaluation.

"It is beautiful. Do you believe in Buddhism?"

"I don’t." Mistress Qiuling frankly replied.

"Then why are you singing Buddhist scriptures?" Ning Fan was speechless.

"Can’t I sing if I don’t believe? As long as it’s beautiful, as long as there’s an effect, just look at whether your spirit sense is still sad?"

"Hmm? Really no sadness left? I have heard this Buddhist sect’s Heart Sutra before, it didn’t seem to have such a mystical effect." Ning Fan was surprised.

"Indeed, also consider who is singing. You had a Third Step Saint sing for you, naturally the effect is extraordinary; if you were to find an old nun at a mortal temple to sing for you, it would have no effect even after ten thousand repetitions." Mistress Qiuling said proudly.

"Thank you."

"Well, chatting with you was pleasant, but my little sapling needs watering, let’s chat another day. If you ever feel troubled again, come find me. If you can’t find me at once, try a few times; if I happen to have the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array open, I will receive your contact and will help you again."

...

After closing the Ancient Kingdom Trade Array, Ning Fan’s spirit sense had no discomfort at all. It must be said that Mistress Qiuling’s singing had truly been effective.

He really wants to hear a few more times, even if he doesn’t believe in Buddhism.

"Impressive, you little thief, you actually managed to get a Sixth Era Saint to use the Power of Reincarnation to sing for you, quite a feat." The Ant Lord mocked.

"Was the cost high?" Ning Fan frowned, if singing this scripture required Mistress Qiuling to pay a great price, he would feel a new layer of guilt.

"Not very high, but definitely not easy. Someone who doesn’t believe in Buddhism but uses Third Step Buddhist Law, their Primordial Qi will naturally suffer significant damage, and will need quite a bit of time to recuperate afterward." The Ant Lord gloated.

"..." Ning Fan’s face didn’t look good.

He wanted to immediately restart the Trade Array and send some Primordial Qi supplements to Mistress Qiuling, but then he bitterly stopped this thought.

She’s a Saint, what he has, she may not lack; moreover, she’s busy watering plants, it’s not appropriate to disturb her again.

"Next time we contact, I’ll send her some recovery pills of greater value..."