If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1168 The Bodhisattva's Chess Game
When Zhang, the "Sage of Painting," painted the portrait of Xiaoyu, he deliberately made the person in the painting appear older.

The painting depicts not only the adult Xiaoyu, but also Zhang Huasheng, who added a touch of elegance and grace to the figure, a quality that Xiaoyu, as a young concubine, was not meant to possess.

The Shadow God Painting contains "god": the painting contains the essence of a portion of people.

Interacting with it has a calming and soothing effect.

Placing a painting of a deity in one's boudoir and spending time with it over a long period can help a growing girl gradually acquire the spirit and charm of the person depicted in the painting.

For example, a five- or six-year-old girl with yellow hair, innocent and carefree, even wild, is far from being a refined and elegant beauty.

The parents invited a master painter to paint a portrait of a twenty-year-old adult. The portrait could depict a refined lady, a heroic swordswoman, or even a vulgar, fat village woman.

The young girl, with her uncertain future, spent her days in close proximity to the Shadow God Painting, and naturally became imbued with its spirit, since the spirit of the person in the painting was also her spirit.

Ultimately, the young girl might deviate slightly from her true nature, becoming a refined and elegant lady, or a dashing female knight-errant who is more valiant than any man, or a vulgar village girl despite being born into a family of scholars and etiquette.

Because of the unique qualities of the "Shadow God Painting," wealthy and powerful people in China, as long as they have the means and connections to invite a "painting master," will have a "Lady's Painting" painted for their daughters before they come of age, in order to help them adjust their demeanor and cultivate their temperament and charm.

When a bride is given as part of her dowry, including a picture of a demon can reassure her husband's family that she will not be secretly possessed by evil spirits.

There will not be a second "Daji".

According to the Great Goddess Bashe, the reason she picked up Xiaoyu's Shadow God Painting was because she valued the Painting Saint's expectations and "blessings" for Xiaoyu.

She did not imitate Xiao Lifei's appearance in the slightest.

She didn't even find Sha Manyu's own charm appealing.

Only the "most fashionable noblewoman's charm in China" added by the painting master was chosen by her to dilute her own barbarity and bestiality.

She is the transformed form of the Bashe, a wild beast that has been for over ten thousand years, fierce and cruel.

Even the phrase "eating raw meat and drinking blood" is insufficient to describe the daily life of the Bashe (a mythical snake).

If it transforms into a human, it will inevitably retain the original characteristics of the Bashe (a type of snake).

Just like when Xiaoyu cut out the "Kunpeng spirit body", the spirit body Xiaoyu looked particularly "enchanting", with a demonic and evil nature that was clearly different from that of humans.

The Great God Bashe has been imitating the image of "Little Consort Li" for ten years, and now he has successfully transformed into human form. He indeed possesses the graceful demeanor that only noble ladies of the upper kingdoms have.

However, he had completely lost his demonic nature.

This demeanor is modeled after "Little Consort Li," but Little Consort Li is not the Grand Tutor Yu of today; rather, she represents a possible future version of Little Yu during his teenage years.

She did not deliver on that future.

Muzha wasn't seeing things; he was simply too perceptive, with a clear mind and keen insight. The moment he saw Bashe, he immediately thought of the current Grand Tutor Yu.

Someone lacking in intelligence would not have been able to discover the connection between Bashe and Yu Taishi.

The Bodhisattva pondered and said, "Back then, you and the daughter of the King of Shu traveled thousands of miles from Jambudvipa to the Flowing Sands Domain."

The daughter of the King of Shu was also a true noblewoman of the Central Plains. Why don't you take her demeanor as a model?
You should know her better.

"I still need to go to the Central Plains to find her, how can I become like her in the past?" Bashe shook his head repeatedly without thinking.

After saying that, she seemed to feel that it was too rude to deny the Bodhisattva's advice, so she added: "Back then, she was just the daughter of the King of Shu, and Shu was not the Central Plains."

Even after being occupied by the Qin state, Shu was merely a place for exiling prisoners.

Even today, Sichuan and Chongqing are still regarded as a barbaric land by the Central Plains.

Even the daughter of the King of Shu was despised for her demeanor by the "Western Barbarian Qin Kingdom".

The Qin state, considered barbarian by the Central Plains, was despised for its lack of etiquette.

More than ten thousand years have passed in the Central Plains, and the demeanor of the former Shu king's daughter is no longer suited to the land of China today.

This is the truth. If she were to imitate the spirit of the Shu King's daughter, she would only become a "classical" half-barbarian woman.

"As for the fact that Yu Fengxian stole the treasures I left for the Li family from the Jihe Water Palace, she owes me a great debt of karma!"
What does it matter if I take a picture of her?
Moreover, that image of the Shadow God was depicted as a flying immortal crossing the Eight Immortals shooting down the sun, which was then washed away by a great flood and transformed into the Dragon River.

"It is a gift from heaven, not something I stole," said the Great God Bashe.

The Bodhisattva sighed, "That is true, but Yu Fengxian is not the same as before; she has become a very troublesome person."

Muzha can mistake you for her at first glance, and when others see you, they will inevitably associate you with her as well.

If she sets her sights on you, or implicates you, your plan to repay the 'Shu King's Daughter' will likely face setbacks.

The Great God Bashe asked in surprise, "Yu Fengxian has only been away from Western Shu for two years, how did she become such a great figure that even Bodhisattvas value?"

The Bodhisattva said, "Have you ever seen her when she was the prime minister in Western Shu? Today she has changed stages and arrived in the great land of China, yet she is even more powerful and dazzling than she was in Western Shu."

The Bodhisattva gave a concise and succinct retelling of "The Legend of Yu Fengxian: The Divine Land Chapter".

It also highlighted Yu Zaiheng's recent actions.

"Because of a single sentence from King Qin Guang of the Underworld, she inexplicably gained a clear understanding of the destiny of the Qin Dynasty. Now she has unleashed her power, directly transforming the predetermined fate into a dream world, allowing Hu Hai and the descendants of the Ying clan to endlessly reincarnate and traverse within it."

Many characters in the dream world actually correspond to the hidden dragons in reality, including some of the most important chosen ones in the great calamity.

Yu Fengxian is no ordinary person.

For this reason alone, she is qualified to shed her status as a pawn and sit at the chessboard.

Now, after being tempered and refined in the dream world, many princes have altered their own destinies.

From a useless person whose entire clan was wiped out, he became a pillar of the Qin Dynasty.

The Great God Bashe was greatly shocked. "Back then, I felt that little guy was extraordinary. I never expected that she could go even further. She went to the great land of China and still ruled as a king, doing whatever she wanted, yet no one could control her."

The prediction that "Xisha would destroy Shu" back then is probably true.

The Li family has altered destiny and lost the greatest treasure I left them. Every sip and every bite is ordained by fate.

"Alas, thankfully, she went off to wreak havoc on the Central Plains; the Li family of Western Shu has at least escaped disaster."

After her initial reaction, she asked in confusion, "No matter how powerful Yu Fengxian is, it doesn't conflict with my plan!"

She stirred up trouble in the struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains. My journey to the Central Plains is solely to find the reincarnation of the 'Shu King's Daughter' in this life.

Only after repaying her past kindness to me can I overcome this final tribulation and truly attain enlightenment and ascend to immortality.

The Bodhisattva asked: "Back then, when Empress Dowager Xuan (Mi Yue) conquered the ancient Shu Kingdom, she killed the princes of the Li family of ancient Shu, leaving only the daughter of the King of Shu alive."

The daughter of the King of Shu led the people of Shu on a long and arduous journey to the desolate desert region.

She was also forced to marry the son of Empress Dowager Xuan, which almost ended the lineage of the ancient Shu Li family.

Does she harbor resentment?

The Great God of the Bashe sighed, "If she hadn't harbored resentment and bitterness in her heart, she wouldn't have passed away so young."

The Bodhisattva said, "She left this world with resentment, and in her next life she became an enemy of the Qin state."

For more than 10,000 years, the Qin state was at its peak during the Spring and Autumn Period, and it continued to grow stronger.

She became Qin's enemy; how could things turn out well for her?
Then she died with resentment and hatred.

Due to the karmic entanglement, she is still an enemy of the Qin state in her third life. From the daughter of the King of Shu to this life, she has accumulated grudges for ten lifetimes and is irreconcilably at odds with the Qin Dynasty!
In this life, she is destined to destroy the Qin Dynasty.

The Great God Bashe pondered for a moment and said, "Will Yu Fengxian become her mortal enemy?"

The Bodhisattva nodded slightly and said, "Of course, Yu Fengxian doesn't know about the past of the Shu King's daughter and won't target her specifically."

However, one side was destined to destroy Qin, while the other was determined to save Qin from its current predicament; conflict was inevitable.

The Great God Bashe bowed respectfully, "Please, Bodhisattva, guide me through my confusion."

The Bodhisattva said, "You should hurry to the Central Plains and help him fulfill his destiny!"

The Great God Bashe said, "I have long planned to leave Western Shu. Now that I have completed my transformation, I am ready to set off immediately."

But after I leave, I probably won't come back in this lifetime.

I have long since relinquished the position of River God within the territory of Western Shu. Only the Li family remains, alas, it is also the Li family's fault for being so unworthy.

The opportunity presented to them by the Jihe Water Palace was like a dish served on a table—it was somehow lost.

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "I'll take you somewhere."

Auspicious clouds carried the three of them southward, and soon they arrived at Yingxiang Prefecture, the Guaizi Mountain north of Tianmen Town.

At the junction of Guaizishan and Lianghe, there is a mound.

A temple was built on a mound on the riverbank.

The night was still not over; the temple was pitch black and very quiet.

But none of the three were ordinary people; they could directly see the statues inside the temple.

One can judge the general situation of a temple by observing the incense and prayers surrounding the statue, such as whether the deity is efficacious, whether the incense is abundant, and where the believers are located.

At first, the Great God Bashe was puzzled. He looked at all the statues in the temple and silently calculated for a while before saying with a surprised expression, "It really is Li Qianyue herself, not an evil spirit possessing her statue."

Not only did she not perish, she also successfully became a god.

Although he was just a minor deity who had not been officially appointed by the Heavenly Court, he showed signs of becoming a river god.

Could she be planning to become the river god of Lianghe Beach? Her potential is quite high, and her future looks promising.

Li Qianyue was not granted an official title by the Heavenly Court, but she was not a wicked god or a deity worshipped incestuous ways.

This temple was built because righteous men from eastern Sichuan risked their lives to resolve the calamity of the ghost soldiers at Guaizi Mountain.

Many heroes died at that time. The villagers contributed their labor and the imperial court contributed money. Both the government and the people supported the construction of the temple for worship, and it was a very formal process.

Since they are gods, they will naturally have divine duties.

The Liang River originally had a river god, and even the Qingshui River, which branches off from the Liang River, had a river god.

At this time, Li Qianyue was merely the "God of Lianghe Beach".

When Lianghe River reaches the foot of Guaizi Mountain, it forms a large stretch of riverbank. The area around the riverbank is particularly suitable for growing crops, and many villages have been built around it.

The temple happened to be located on a mound next to the riverbank.

The area where Li Qianyue manifested was limited to a radius of several dozen miles, making her a natural fit to be the "God of the Riverbank".

But Li Qianyue was clearly not normal; she had received enlightenment from the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva also bestowed upon her a "fate to immortality," intending to cultivate her into a river god.

"Yu Fengxian has a foster son, who is a black fish that has become a spirit. That black fish spirit refined the River God's Talisman that you left in the Ji River Water Palace in your early years."

The talisman originally belonged to the Li family, but later the Li family became immoral and incurred karmic debt to Yu Fengxian, so the talisman ended up in Yu Fengxian's hands.

However, Yu Fengxian and the Li family did not become mortal enemies; on the contrary, they had a deep friendship.

Thus, through a complex web of cause and effect, the black fish spirit and Li Qianyue found themselves bound by a predestined marriage. "The Bodhisattva said."

The Great God of the Bashe hesitated and said, "Even if he is the adopted son of the Feathered Phoenix Immortal, he is just an ordinary black fish spirit."

She herself is an unorthodox enlightened being, and would not look down on demons.

She simply looked down on Black King Kong.

Black King Kong had, after all, refined the river god's divine position she had condensed.

She was quite familiar with Black King Kong's background, abilities, and character, and she really looked down on "Wind Howl Bay River Patrol".

It's one thing to have poor aptitude and low skill level, but that black fish is also morally corrupt.

She's truly incapable of anything except for her godmother, Yu.

The Bodhisattva said, "In terms of innate talent and good fortune alone, that black fish spirit is indeed nothing."

But he was lucky; he became Yu Fengxian's godmother.

To put it simply, he has already completed the transformation of the black fish into a dragon by cultivating the Demon Immortal Technique created by Yu Fengxian.

Given Yu Fengxian's current level of cultivation, it's hard to say how much of a future Hei Jingang will have.

In short, he is certainly worthy of a princess of a nation.

Li Qianyue might even benefit greatly from this.

During her lifetime, she faced many hardships and had little good fortune, relying entirely on the luck of the Li family to sustain her.

Now that they've become ghosts and gods, they sometimes have a change of fortune.

It's not impossible that they might become the Li family's backers in the future.

"Very well, I will lend her one last helping hand to settle the karmic debt with the Li family of Western Shu."

The Great God of Bashe casually drew a communication talisman and transferred the River God of Lianghe to a tributary of the Hualong River, leaving the position of River God of Lianghe vacant.

Then she took out a dragon pearl the size of a goose egg from her bosom, stuffed a "fate of immortality" into it, and threw it into the Liang River below.

The destiny of immortality belongs to Li Qianyue; only she can unlock it.

After doing all this, the Great God Bashe bowed to the Bodhisattva and asked, "Please guide me, Bodhisattva. Where can I find the reincarnation of the 'Shu King's Daughter'? What should I do after I find her?"

The Bodhisattva said slowly, "Haven't I made myself clear enough? He hates the Qin Dynasty the most."

There are many heroes in the Central Plains who rebelled against Qin, but with your skill, you will definitely not mistake them once you see them.

Actually, I shouldn't have said anything to you.

The process of finding him through your own efforts and hardships is itself part of the ordeal.

However, now there's this unexpected situation with Yu Fengxian.

If he hadn't met you sooner and begun his destined relationship, he might have faced great misfortune.

After pondering for a moment, the Great God Bashe raised his head and asked with anticipation in his eyes, "After I end my karmic ties with her, will I be able to completely shed my demonic form and attain the supreme Golden Immortal path?"

The Bodhisattva was silent for a moment before saying, "Simply settling the cause and effect and the karmic connection is definitely far from enough."

The reason why it is difficult for those who are different from others to attain enlightenment is mainly because the current "way" of heaven and earth is the "way of humanity".

Heaven and Earth have a heart, and at this moment, the human race is the protagonist of Heaven and Earth. The way of humanity is the way of Heaven, and the heart of Heaven is the heart of humanity.

To prove one's "Tao," one must obtain the approval of "Heaven's Tao."

To be in harmony with the Dao, the approval of the Heavenly Dao is only the beginning; one must also have a very high degree of compatibility with the 'Heavenly Dao'.

In other words, the difficulty for those who are different from the norm to attain enlightenment lies in the fate and fortune of humanity.

It is the fortune of the entire human race, not the fortune of a single nation or dynasty.

Human cultivators have a natural advantage in this regard.

For example, Yu Fengxian was eccentric and domineering, disregarding the Heavenly Court and showing no respect for the ancient gods.

This kind of person doesn't deserve to attain 'the Way' at all.

But she managed to leverage the nearly exhausted national fortune of the Qin Dynasty to influence the fortune of the entire human race.

If it were you, or any other immortal from another race, even if your cultivation was higher than hers and you had completely mastered her Ancestral Dragon Secret Technique, you still wouldn't be able to shake the human race's fortune in the slightest.

Of course, Yu Fengxian wasn't lying.

The key to her ability to influence the fate of humanity lies in her 'selflessness'.

If she intends to draw upon the human race's fortune for cultivation, the human race's fortune will not respond to her.

Heaven has its own will, and so does human destiny and fortune.

(End of this chapter)