Chapter 201 — Freeloading

The Old Tathagata sighed: "This good man, you share no affinity with our Buddhist gate. Qiong Fuzi, and you elder brothers and sisters, please ascend the mountain.

" Qiong Fuzi and the others hesitated for a moment, looked at the bronze-masked man, then suddenly gritted their teeth, rose into the air, and alighted on Sumeru Mountain, saying in unison to the bronze-masked man: "Old. .

. forgive us! " "Say no more, all of you—I understand.

" The bronze-masked man laughed heartily: "Imperial Teacher Jingping, what do you intend to do with me?

" Imperial Teacher Jingping said without expression: "I will take you into custody and escort you to the capital, to be presented before His Majesty.

" "Escort me to the capital to see the emperor?

" The bronze-masked man's tone was somewhat strange, and he laughed quietly: "Then we shall see whether Imperial Teacher Jingping's sword is fast enough.

. .

" He slowly raised his palm, then abruptly brought it down hard upon the bronze mask. The mask burst into pieces, and the face beneath it was smashed to pulp as well!

"Imperial Teacher Jingping—the Ling clan's rivers and mountains will sooner or later be ruined at your hands.

.

. " His skull split open, and he soon died, yet his body stood there steady and never fell. Duke Weiguo and the others cried out and hurried forward, but Imperial Teacher Jingping stood motionless.

He had not raised a hand to stop the bronze-masked man from killing himself, had not even shown the slightest intention of doing so.

On a distant mountain, Shen Mu watched this scene, and the corners of his eyes twitched. Imperial Teacher Jingping's utterance had in truth been meant to force the bronze-masked man to take his own life. Whoever the face beneath that mask might be, he was certain to be a high-ranking member of the imperial house, of eminent station, a man of vital importance to the emperor.

Had he been taken alive by Imperial Teacher Jingping and escorted to the capital for an audience before the throne, it would not have been merely a matter of the emperor losing face—it would have driven a wedge between sovereign and ministers. Even the question of whether the emperor killed him or spared him would have become a problem.

Once his true identity came to light, the emperor's prestige would have suffered a heavy blow; court and commons alike would have whispered among themselves, wondering whether the man had meant to rebel or had acted on the emperor's secret orders.

Then Imperial Teacher Jingping's prestige would have surpassed the emperor's, drawing more civil and military officials to his side, and the emperor would have grown wary of him in turn. Had the emperor and the Imperial Teacher contended, the state would have been in peril—and the Ling clan with it. As a high-ranking member of the imperial house, he had to kill himself.

He could not leave the Ling clan in a passive position, could not let the Ling clan suffer this disgrace. Therefore he had to destroy his own face, leaving no one able to learn his true identity. And Imperial Teacher Jingping had not stopped him precisely because he too wished the man to die, and had no desire to escort him to the capital.

Even if the man had not destroyed his own face, Imperial Teacher Jingping would have destroyed it for him. Imperial Teacher Jingping did not want to strip the emperor of face, nor strip the Ling clan of face.

This was the best of endings.

Had Imperial Teacher Jingping truly carried this bronze-masked man to the capital, that would have shown he genuinely intended rebellion, that he coveted the throne. As things stood, the Imperial Teacher had no mind for the throne; he merely wished to use the Jingping Kingdom to realize his ambitions—he wanted to achieve the Threefold Immortality of virtue, merit, and words. He wanted to become a sage.

On Sumeru Mountain, the Tathagata saluted Imperial Teacher Jingping: "Imperial Teacher Jingping, this matter being concluded, this old monk takes his leave. " "Go safely, Tathagata.

" Imperial Teacher Jingping returned the salute. The phantom of Sumeru Mountain drifted westward. Qiong Fuzi, Tian Zhenjun, and the others turned to look back, and saw Imperial Teacher Jingping order his men to cut off the bronze-masked man's head and bury it on the spot, while the headless body was placed in a coffin, prepared for transport to the capital. Li Sanren sighed: "Elder Daoist brother Tathagata, had it not been for you this time.

.

. " The Old Tathagata shook his head: "Say no more.

Imperial Teacher Jingping is already displeased with our Great Thunderclap Temple.

Come, let us return to the mountain. I expect that wayward disciple of mine has taken the chance to return to the temple and seize his arm. If we go back in time, we may still run into him.

" The monks on the mountain felt a chill in their hearts.

The phantom of Sumeru Mountain drifted to the peak where Shen Mu and the others stood, and from below came a cold laugh again: "Thieving baldy! " The bodhisattvas, arhats, and venerable ones on the mountain shouted in reply: "Vile spawn of the demonic path! " The Old Tathagata shook his head, brought Sumeru to a halt, cast his gaze downward, and abruptly pressed his palms together: "Elder brother. " A look of surprise crossed the Old Tathagata's face.

He nodded and led the assembly away.

"Cult Leader, why did you bother returning that old bald donkey's salute? " the Right Protector Envoy Xue Bi'e grumbled: "Now that your true identity is exposed, seen clearly by that old thieving baldy—trouble is bound to arise!

" "As the Holy Cult Leader, since he greeted me with the courtesy of an equal, I could not fail to return it.

" Shen Mu smiled: "I am the Holy Cult Leader—I could not keep the secret forever. Besides, I cannot let you all lose face, nor let the Holy Cult lose face.

" They all called out: "We would rather have no face at all!

"