The Word of Heaven

Chapter 357 Origin of the Name
This is an extremely clever way to change the subject.

All eyes turned to Gu Zhuo, filled with intense, tense curiosity, awaiting the answer.

You've only solved the second question, and you're already invincible, even killing the Heavenly Dao Sect's founder, who was practically a being of the Heavenly Dao itself. If you could solve the third question... what kind of realm would that be?
After ascending to immortality, one enters a wondrous realm. And what wondrous realm awaits one after ascending to immortality?

At that time, we'll be invincible even in the heavens, right?
In the midst of contemplation, doubts inevitably arise.

For example, given the abbot's own level of attainment, how could he possibly enable someone to achieve such a breakthrough? This seems rather illogical.

All these questions can only be answered by Gu Zhuo himself.

The rain was still falling outside the eaves, pattering softly.

Gu Zhuo didn't give an answer, but instead asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, everyone wondered if you were thinking of giving a lecture.
Chu Jun was the first to speak, as always.

“I had thought about this before, and I was thinking about you, that is, you yourself.”

She paused for a moment and said, "Later I felt that the third question shouldn't be so cliché, so I abandoned the idea, but now when I think about it again, I can only give this answer."

Gu Zhuo said gently, "Seeing the world, seeing all living beings, and then seeing yourself—this is indeed a gradual path."

Chu Jun understood and stopped talking.

Xie Yinglian wondered, if this deduction was wrong, then what direction should she take? What other possibilities were there?

Frustrated and still clueless, she simply squatted down and stared at the raindrops spreading out on the bluestone slab, trying to find a flower in them.

Pei Jingge didn't even think about these things.

"I'm not your student, and I have no interest in taking your classes."

She looked into Gu Zhuo's eyes and said, "You only need to answer one question for me."

Gu Zhuo said, "Hmm?"

Pei Jingge asked expressionlessly, "Are you still you?"

Gu Zhuo was not surprised.

That year on Baidi Mountain, he heard her express her concerns about this. What were her exact words?

After asking these three questions, will you become two versions of yourself?

The Daoist Master of the past, and you in the present.

Gu Zhuo remembered it very clearly.

"I am still me."

He smiled and said, "Bai Yuan is me, and Gu Zhuo is of course me. There can't be two of me in this world."

Pei Jingge seemed displeased, and said in a slightly cold voice, "We've already died once, are you still clinging to each other and unable to tell the difference?"

Gu Zhuo reminded him, "I haven't been using the name Bai Yuan anymore anyway."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Yinglian suddenly raised her head and asked with a puzzled look, "So why is the name Bai Yuan so taboo? It can't just be for the sake of avoiding the taboo, can it?"

This is a secret that even Pei Jingge doesn't know.

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "Of course it's not about avoiding taboos. I'm a member of the Daoist sect, so why would I avoid the taboos of the Qin state?"

Chu Jun asked, "Then why is that?"

Gu Zhuo's tone was tinged with helplessness.

“My surname is Bai. Back then, I happened to have a slight reputation in the cultivation world, so the Bai family thought that I was actually an illegitimate child who had been separated from his family.”

He said, "For some reason, the Bai family is absolutely convinced of this..."

I couldn't finish my words.

Xie Yinglian interrupted him somewhat irritably, saying with dissatisfaction, "Don't give me any reasons. This is clearly the most important point. You've already decided to say it, how can you ignore it?"

Pei Jingge and Chu Jun exchanged a glance and realized that they had thought of the same thing.

"The reason is..."

Gu Zhuo's tone was unusually complex, not one of emotion or sigh, but rather one of utter speechlessness: "I once helped Wang Ji."

Xie Yinglian was stunned, thinking that this seemed to make sense.

If it weren't for the shared suffering, why did you help Wang Ji back then?
This is enough to make the Bai family firmly believe, and even think that you are sending a signal, right?
Pei Jingge felt no joy at guessing the truth; she only found it amusing.

After pondering for a moment, Chu Jun asked, "The whole world knows about Senior Wang breaking down the door, so the Bai family has done a lot of things to avoid repeating the same mistake?"

"Ah."

Gu Zhuo thought about what had happened back then and fell silent because he had nothing to say.

The Bai family had already realized the predicament of the Qin state and was constantly trying to save themselves, and he was one of the few straws carrying their hopes.

In this situation, too many unscrupulous methods were used in this matter.

For example, when he was invited to a banquet, there were always people who tried to chat with him privately, and their words were serious and meaningful.

For example, he always receives unexpected gestures of goodwill, and in the end, it all comes back to the Bai family, and just before that, someone had tried to suppress him.

Regardless of the specific example, they all ultimately come back to the Bai family and share the same goal—to win his heart.

There can only be one outcome.

"And then?" Xie Yinglian asked.

This is certainly not a glorious thing, but how can it be enough to let the name Bai Yuan be buried by the dust of history?

There will inevitably be unforeseen changes.

"This is really bothering me."

Gu Zhuo said, "Moreover, as my status in the Taoist sect rises higher and higher, it becomes even more troublesome."

If Yu Sheng were present at this moment, he would probably add a comment, saying that this is why he has become so unreasonable—he had tried to reason with him for this reason back then, but no one in the Bai family listened.

"In order to resolve this matter, I made a rather direct decision."

Gu Zhuo's tone was completely calm.

Chu Jun's expression changed slightly, her eyes filled with absurdity, and she asked hesitantly, "This... could this be the beginning of the discord between the Daoist sect and the Great Qin?"

Xie Yinglian, however, was full of admiration and couldn't help but applaud.

Pei Jingge gave a half-smile.

Gu Zhuo nodded slightly, hummed in agreement, and said, "Although a conflict was inevitable given the circumstances at the time, this was indeed the starting point for everything."

"And then what?" Chu Jun frowned deeply and asked seriously, "Given the Bai family's habits, there's no reason why they wouldn't use your status and methods to get things done."

Gu Zhuo said, "It's because I used it."

No one heard this, except for Pei Jinge, who had lived on Baidi Mountain for a long time and had some inferences about it.

"It's an extremely boring tactic. Its only purpose is to prove that I have absolutely no connection with the Bai family."

Gu Zhuo paused, thinking of his wife, and decided not to say anything: "Anyway, that's how things turned out."

Chu Jun and Xie Yinglian both understood his concerns and naturally did not press him further. They felt a little regretful, but not much.

That's all for now.

Then someone else held up an oil-paper umbrella under the eaves and pushed the wheelchair so that Gu Zhuo could chase the wind.

That person was Pei Jingge.

Xie Yinglian glanced at the two figures obscured by the rain, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What do you think will happen in the end?"

Chu Jun said without changing her expression, "What do you mean, 'how'?"

"Tsk."

Xie Yinglian rolled her eyes and said, "Is it interesting to pretend you don't understand in front of me?"

Chu Jun said calmly, "I really don't understand."

Xie Yinglian sneered, "So, you only have the Great Dao in your heart?"

"Or else?"

Chu Jun turned around and walked towards her former cave dwelling, saying, "Compared to the Great Dao, these are all trivial matters."

Xie Yinglian watched her retreating figure and asked sarcastically, "Do you know you're slandering your own master?"

Without hesitation, Chu Jun replied, "My master is no ordinary person. His Daoist heart is eternal, and he is kind to all things in heaven and earth. How can others slander him?"

Xie Yinglian was speechless. She thought to herself, "Why don't you speak louder so that Gu Zhuo can hear this flattery clearly?"
Thinking of this, she suddenly became a little annoyed and quickly caught up with Chu Jun.

So, who do you actually support?

"Support what?"

"Your Highness, why doesn't Chief Pei choose one, or do you support both?"

"...I really don't understand what you're talking about."

"You can't possibly support Lin Wanyi, can you? You have to understand that she's our peer. Do you even know what 'peer' means? If she succeeds in taking the position, won't we become the juniors? We'll have to bow down and give way to her from now on!"

"Thank you, I should, I pity you."

"Yes~"

Xie Yinglian trailed off, her eyes full of smugness, thinking, "You finally couldn't hold back, could you?"
Chu Jun turned around, her skirt billowing in the wind, staring into Xie Yinglian's eyes, and asked, word by word, "How do you want to die?"

Xie Yinglian naturally didn't want to fight with her, who was full of anger. Without hesitation, she changed the subject, her expression instantly becoming serious. She asked in a deep voice, "Have you noticed that your master didn't actually answer your first question? Why don't we go after him and find out what happened?"

……

……

"Is it okay?"

"Ok?"

"Chu Jun and Xie Yinglian started fighting."

"Fortunately."

Gu Zhuo listened to the sounds coming from behind, but his expression remained relaxed and unhurried.

Pei Jingge was silent for a moment, then asked seriously, "So what do you think?"

Gu Zhuo didn't react immediately and said, "Me?"

Pei Jingge's voice was devoid of emotion as she said, "I don't care about the third question left by the abbess."

Gu Zhuo honestly replied, "I like them all."

Pei Jingge was slightly taken aback and said, "I thought you would be more tactful."

"They are all people who almost died a second time."

Gu Zhuo smiled, his smile light and frank, and said, "Hesitating on such matters is a waste of life."

Pei Jingge asked seriously, "What if you don't agree?"

Gu Zhuo said, "We'll figure out a way to deal with that later."

Pei Jingge was naturally dissatisfied, but when she thought about why he would say that, she fell silent.

Raindrops continuously splashed on the bluestone slabs, the wind chimes under the eaves swayed beautifully, and the blue of the distant undulating mountains gradually deepened and darkened under the twilight, becoming as black as ink.

She stared blankly at the scene, not wanting to say anything about life and death, before finally snapping out of her daze after a long silence.

Then, Pei Jingge spoke at length.

"Actually, I should thank Xie Yinglian. If it weren't for her nonsense, I wouldn't have thought of saying what I'm about to say to you... What I want to say is actually very simple. I have no reason not to like you. The reason I said I didn't like you that day was because I wanted you to live. For me, living is the prerequisite for everything. But there is one exception, and that is ascending to immortality... I know why you, His Majesty, and Buddha joined forces to kill Yuan Dai, so... if, and I mean if, you can ascend to immortality and leave this mortal world, then at least don't stay here for me."

"why?"

"There are no so many whys. If you insist on an answer, it's simply because I like you the way you are."

Gu Zhuo remained silent and calmly accepted the situation.

Pei Jingge said earnestly, "But whatever decision you make, you must live."

For her, this statement was very difficult, because the opposite of life is death.

……

……

On the evening of the ninth day after the spring rain had passed, someone walked out of Qingjing Temple alone.

On the tenth day, the whole world was shocked and in an uproar.

That person was Gu Zhuo.

Everyone knew his final destination on this trip.

(End of this chapter)