We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

Since even an "outsider" like the owner of Baoqing Workshop dared to interfere, it shows that the number of people involved in this calamity was not very large.

This is a very common tactic used to suppress Buddhism and Taoism.

Judging from the classic Legend of the White Snake, most viewers who have read this story will feel a sense of disgust towards Buddhism.

After all, from God's perspective.

The marriage between Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian was something they both wanted, Heaven wanted it, the gods and Buddhas didn't object, and the residents of Lin'an City didn't object either... It can be said that almost no one had any objections to this beautiful marriage.

But there was one person who refused, and that was Fahai.

As for Fahai of Jinshan Temple, from the moment he entered the Buddhist order and displayed his talent, he represented much more than just himself.

Rather, it represents the entire Buddhist community.

As the saying goes, "love me, love my dog," and vice versa.

Therefore, the audience's aversion to Fahai naturally extends to Buddhism as well.

However, in Shen Bailian's view now, the Buddhist sect is completely indifferent to this level of "smearing," otherwise they would not have sent Guanyin to act as the director.

On many occasions and at many times, although the Buddhist community and the Heavenly Court did not reach a specific agreement, they had an unspoken understanding.

They take turns playing the good cop and the bad cop to earn merit from the heavens.

After all, in the extraordinary world, force is always the only standard for measuring the right to speak, as the saying goes, truth is only within the range of cannons.

Overall, Shen Bailian felt somewhat more at ease about the attempt to interfere and seize the Heavenly Dao's merits.

After all, no matter how many times his strength has increased, even if he can destroy a city (a modern metropolis on Earth) with a single blow and overturn thousands of miles, the gap between him and a god is still like an insurmountable abyss.

Not to mention the unfathomable Heavenly Emperor.

It should be understood that ordinary immortals and gods may only experience a mortal tribulation once every few thousand or tens of thousands of years.

However, according to the Taoist classic "Gao Shang Yu Huang Ben Xing Ji Jing", before ascending the throne, the Jade Emperor first went through 3200 kalpas to become a Golden Immortal, and then went through 132 million kalpas before becoming the Jade Emperor.

With such a long period of time and the massive influx of resources, even a pig could become an immortal or an ancestor.

What's more, it's the "favored son" of Heaven?
Furthermore, given the numerous immortals and gods under the Jade Emperor's command, if the Heavenly Court were to take this matter seriously and vow to destroy Shen Bailian, this troublemaker, then he might not actually dare to intervene.

Under the influence of these immortals and gods, the divine skill [Close at Hand, Yet Far Apart] will most likely malfunction.

The same applies to Buddhism.

That's good now. Even the owner of Baoqing Workshop, a cowardly fellow, dares to brazenly interfere in this "Legend of the White Snake" calamity. That means that the big shots don't even care about this matter.

They just sit behind the scenes and wait for their share of the profits.

“Although the owner of Baoqing Workshop is somewhat weak, if you can get her help, rescuing your wife shouldn’t be a problem, although you might have to pay a price.” Shen Bailian ignored Li Gongfu beside him and looked at Xu Xian, continuing to speak.

As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and behind those free lunches often lies a price that is difficult for ordinary people to bear.

Shen Bailian didn't believe that the fox spirit would help Xu Xian for free out of sympathy for being a fellow demon.

However, he couldn't handle such a price; it was up to Xu Xian, the "protagonist" of this incident, to deal with it. Only the one who tied the knot could untie it.

Xu Xian's mission is not simply to defeat Fahai and rescue Bai Suzhen from his clutches, but also to gain Bai Suzhen's forgiveness.

It is obvious that Bai Suzhen is now dissatisfied with Xu Xian's attitude towards her.

To accomplish these two things, Xu Xian would most likely have to give his life.

There's a saying that goes, "Sacrificing a piece of driftwood to heaven grants boundless magical power." Here, the driftwood refers to Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen, while the boundless magical power comes from their own flesh and blood.

Xu Shilin!
According to the original story, after Xu Shilin successfully passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar, he used his power to force people to rescue Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen from Jinshan Temple.

Presumably, Xu Xian now understands this point.

Shen Bailian looked at Xu Xian with great curiosity. He was very curious whether the real Xu Xian would choose to exchange his life for another or give up.

After all, 99.999% of the world's population finds it difficult to break free from the constraints of their times, especially in terms of their thinking.

Xu Xian was no exception.

As the saying goes, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. To leave a newborn child without his or her biological parents is, in some ways, a more serious matter than being unfilial.

Therefore, Shen Bailian was extremely curious about whether Xu Xian would choose his child or his wife.

"How about we leave it at that?" After weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, Li Gongfu looked at Xu Xian under the moonlight with some hesitation.

Although he didn't say it outright, his meaning was quite clear.

That is, to save the child and abandon the rescue of Bai Suzhen, from a rational point of view, this is the most reasonable choice.

but.

"Young Master Shen, can I trust you?" Xu Xian seemed not to hear Li Gongfu's words. He bit his lip, his eyes narrowed, and he immediately made up his mind, looking intently at Shen Bailian.

"Of course," Shen Bailian readily agreed.

He knew that Xu Xian had made up his mind. In fact, if Xu Xian was unwilling to make this decision, Shen Bailian would have to find a way to make him willing to do so.

After all, whether Wenquxing's mortal tribulation can proceed smoothly is related to whether he can return to Diyuanxing in a short time.

Although Shen Bailian felt that the time flow between the two worlds should be roughly the same based on the world's energy level, what if it is different?
What if the flow of time in this world is slower than the flow of time in the Earthly Star universe?
If Shen Bailian were to return and discover that several decades or even centuries had passed on Earth Origin Star, things would be in serious trouble.

just in case……

After all, the day when those dormant gods will be revived is not far off.

Once those gods revive, there is a 99% chance that there will be no place for pure-blooded humans to survive in the Earth Origin Star universe. His family, his teachers, his friends, his classmates... all his "feelings" will perish along with the demise of the pure-blooded humans of Earth Origin Star.

Therefore, this time, the mortal tribulation of the God of Literature must be carried out according to the original outline and plot, without any mistakes.

"No." Xu Xian shook his head, glanced reluctantly at the child in his arms, hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickered slightly, as if crystal-clear liquid was gathering.

After a moment, he suddenly made up his mind, walked up to Li Gongfu, and handed over the infant still in swaddling clothes.

"Brother-in-law, I'm entrusting Shilin to your care from now on."

"Xu Shilin?" "Yes." Xu Xian looked at the child who was blinking his big eyes, neither crying nor fussing, and said gently in a soft voice, "Long before this child was born, my wife and I had already discussed it. If it was a boy, his name would be Xu Shilin; if it was a girl, her name would be..."

"I see." Li Gongfu nodded, took the baby from Xu Xian's arms, and said with some surprise, "Strange, why is this child so quiet?"

However, Li Gongfu didn't think much of it at the time, assuming that the child was just a bit introverted by nature.

He focused more of his attention on Xu Xian.

"Can't we give up? The child is still young. If you go directly, there's a good chance... What will happen to Shilin then?"

Li Gongfu still vividly remembers his deceased wife's instructions. Compared to the safety of Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, he is more concerned about Xu Xian.

If something were to happen to Xu Xian, he wouldn't know how he would face his deceased wife when he reached the underworld a hundred years later.

I can't explain it.

Therefore, Li Gongfu wanted to try persuading Xu Xian again, using Xu Xian's own flesh and blood as a test, to see if he could change Xu Xian's mind.

Although the probability is very low, what if it happens?
"I'm very relieved that you, brother-in-law, are taking care of the child."

“That may be true, but what if people gossip?” Li Gongfu continued, “You probably don’t want this child to go through what you went through, do you?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xian fell silent.

The facts are indeed as Li Gongfu said.

No matter the era, it is extremely common for orphans to be bullied. Xu Xian and his sister once experienced this.

Before settling down, Xu Xian often went hungry and, being an orphan, suffered bullying from many children. On that day, if it weren't for Li Gongfu's help, Xu Xian and his sister might have frozen to death in the city gate tower.

All I can say is that it’s fate.

"It's alright. With Brother Shen taking care of us, I'm sure no one in Lin'an City will dare to gossip, let alone bully us."

As he spoke, Xu Xian forced an extremely unsightly smile onto his face.

"Old Shen, lend a hand." Upon hearing this, Li Gongfu immediately looked at Shen Bailian, who was standing to the side without moving, and gestured with his eyes, the meaning of which was already very clear.

They just wanted Shen Bailian to speak up, help smooth things over, and offer some advice.

"It's no use. As the saying goes, there's no greater sorrow than a broken heart." Responding to Li Gongfu's gesture, Shen Bailian shook his head helplessly and continued calmly:

"Old Li, no matter how much you try to persuade him today, it will be a waste of time. If Xu Xian doesn't come here today, he will never forgive himself and will live with guilt for the rest of his life."

You surely understand this principle better than I do.

“I understand the reasoning, but…” Li Gongfu stammered a few times, his voice barely audible, before his eyes and brows gradually dimmed.

This is only the second time in his history that he has shown this posture.

The first time was a few days after Xu Xian's sister, who was also his legal wife, passed away.

"Brother-in-law, you have to believe me." Seeing Li Gongfu's attitude, Xu Xian felt extremely bad, but he wouldn't regret his choice. He could only pat Li Gongfu on the shoulder and comfort him.

“I will definitely come back alive, just like before. And you not only raised me, but also gave me the confidence to start a family and build a career. I'm sure my sister will be extremely satisfied when she sees this.”

"Hmm." Li Gongfu had no choice but to nod in agreement. They were all adults and should be responsible for their words and actions.

It wasn't that he didn't try to persuade him; it was simply that Xu Xian refused to listen to his advice.

"Old Shen, I want to ask you every question, and I hope you can answer me truthfully..."

"Are you asking me if the owner of Baoqing Workshop is also a hidden prodigy in Lin'an City?" Shen Bailian looked at Li Gongfu with a mysterious smile on his face, as if he had guessed what Li Gongfu was thinking.

His gaze was deep, as if he could see into the darkest corners of people's hearts. A mysterious smile appeared on his lips, a smile that contained both insight into the world and deep concern for his friends.

Li Gongfu was taken aback; this young man was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

His eyes flickered, revealing his inner struggle and unease. He knew that once this question was asked, it might uncover a truth that even Master Fahai could not easily subdue.

However, one cannot help but wonder: if the owner of Baoqingfang is indeed a powerful demon, then it means there is still a possibility that Bai Suzhen can be rescued.

If not, then all your hopes will be dashed.

"Then I can tell you with certainty that the owner of Baoqing Workshop is also a prodigy, and his strength far surpasses that of your wife and Xiaoqing. Even Fahai might not be his match."

Now, would you still dare to go into that tiger's mouth?

Shen Bailian's words were like meticulously carved jade, heavy yet clear, shaking Li Gongfu's soul.

"Move, move! We have to move after this is over!" Upon hearing this, Li Gongfu froze on the spot, roaring inwardly.

If it were just one or two extraordinary individuals who liked to come to Lin'an City, it could be considered a coincidence.

But now that one by one they are coming to Lin'an City, and they are all ancient demons, then it is purely because there is a problem with the feng shui of Lin'an City.

It easily attracts evil spirits.

Moving is imperative.

However, even if we are to move, it can only be a plan. Everything will have to wait until things settle down before a decision is made. After all, home is where family is.

Li Gongfu did not want to flee alone in a sorry state.

"What is there to be afraid of?" As the saying goes, there is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Xu Xian is in this state now. He loves Bai Suzhen more than anything in this world.

Even one's own flesh and blood cannot compare.

Procreation was merely his duty; Bai Suzhen was his true love.

"Alright, I will definitely take good care of Xu Shilin." Shen Bailian smiled with satisfaction: "You can go with peace of mind. Now that you know her name, she probably won't make things too difficult for you."

"Hmm." Xu Xian nodded, his heart easing slightly. Since Shen Bailian had already said so, the owner of Baoqingfang would probably not make things too difficult for him.

With that, she took one last look at the child, then turned and walked out the door without hesitation.

"Wait a minute, I'll go too." Li Gongfu said, and immediately ran to Shen Bailian's side, about to hand the child in his arms to Shen Bailian.

(End of this chapter)