Half Temple

As the group conversed, they arrived before the main hall of the Great Buddha.

Daoist Yuyang led the way, and with a glance, he spotted the Old Monk still sitting before the chessboard, wearing a pensive expression.

"Why are you still here? Get lost."

Daoist Yuyang did not hesitate to rebuke him sharply.

He had thought this monk intended to confess honestly, but instead, he seemed bent on making Daoist Yuyang lodge a false accusation, and even exposed it right to his face.

Was framing someone the kind of thing Daoist Yuyang would do?

Especially since Chu Xingchen was notoriously protective of his disciples. If Chen Baiqing complained to his master, Daoist Yuyang would truly be unable to hold his head up in front of Chu Xingchen in the future. And if you added Chu Xingchen's sharp tongue to the mix...

Daoist Yuyang now looked at the Old Monk with not a shred of goodwill left.

Before, seeing that the Old Monk at least had the cultivation of a Buddha, he had treated him with courtesy. But since this monk didn't follow the rules, he saw no need to give him any pleasantries either.

The Old Monk now leisurely raised his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.

"This is my last dwelling place..." the Old Monk said, pointing pitifully to a corner. "May I roll over there? Would that suffice?"

Daoist Yuyang snorted coldly, simply gesturing to shoo the monk away.

The Old Monk sighed with an expression of helplessness, slowly rising to his feet. His gaze swept over the newcomers before settling on Li Junzi. He cupped his hands lightly and inquired,

"Might I ask for your esteemed name, benefactor?"

Li Junzi had just arrived and didn't understand the underlying complexities, but she knew that anyone present here couldn't possibly be just an ordinary monk without cultivation. So, even though she couldn't sense any aura from this monk and he seemed utterly ordinary,

she still prepared to return the courtesy politely. Before she could speak, however, Daoist Yuyang interrupted.

"Pay no mind to this monk. He's either trying to trick you into saying something or asking you to convert to Buddhism. His methods are numerous and intricate. Have little contact with him."

Upon hearing this, Li Junzi glanced sideways at Chen Baiqing.

Chen Baiqing also nodded simply and directly.

Li Junzi understood in her heart. She wasn't familiar with Daoist Yuyang, nor with this monk, so she couldn't judge their words. But Chen Baiqing was trustworthy.

Thus, she halted her movement, standing quietly in place, and did not respond to the Old Monk's words.

The Old Monk smiled. "That brush in your hand is the Broken Brush from Gentleman Mountain in the Southern Continent, isn't it? The brush of the former Sub-sage."

Li Junzi's expression grew slightly wary.

"Don't worry, a Confucian cultivator's treasure is useless to me," the Old Monk said with a tone of reminiscence. "It's just that during my travels in the past, I conversed with that Sub-sage. Feeling this aura again now inevitably brings some nostalgia."

"To be able to wield this brush, I imagine the next Sub-sage will likely be you."

"I never thought I'd have the fortune in this lifetime to converse with two Sub-sages."

As if afraid Li Junzi wouldn't believe him, the Old Monk softly chanted a Buddhist mantra.

The Broken Brush in Li Junzi's hand trembled slightly, and a similarly majestic Confucian aura surged forth, as if in greeting.

The Old Monk bowed once more, this time directed at the Broken Brush:

"You still remember this old monk. I am deeply honored."

Li Junzi pondered for a moment, then finally bowed to the Old Monk:

"You flatter me, senior. I am still far from being a Sub-sage. Whether I can attain it in this lifetime is still unknown."

For the Broken Brush to respond, it likely wasn't just a simple conversation; they must have at least engaged in discourse.

In terms of seniority, he was undoubtedly far above Li Junzi.

Having met a senior, it was only proper to pay respects.

Seeing Li Junzi finish her bow, Daoist Yuyang stepped forward slightly.

"Quite shameless, aren't you? Now that you've finished establishing connections, step aside."

A Sub-sage might hold great authority in the mortal world, but among cultivators, it's not so exaggerated. There might be respect, but it only goes so far.

When this monk says 'in the past,' it's only 'the past' from Li Junzi's perspective.

It's entirely possible this monk was already a Buddha back then. With that level of cultivation, going to converse with some Sub-sage could actually be considered doing the Sub-sage a favor.

Now, putting on this act of humility and even bowing to the brush is naturally just shameless behavior.

Pretending to be weak and insignificant, all while harboring schemes.

Having had his face rebuffed several times by Daoist Yuyang, the Old Monk showed no annoyance. He obediently scurried to the side, clearing the space.

Daoist Yuyang gestured for everyone to rest and spoke up:

"I originally didn't want to bring everyone to see this annoying monk, but the turmoil hasn't completely subsided yet. This place is the safest."

Yun Chuan and the others naturally agreed, not daring to say otherwise, and found places to rest on their own.

Chen Baiqing led Li Junzi to take a seat, simultaneously taking out a tea set from his spatial ring:

"I've already notified Master of your arrival. Fourth Junior Sister is also in the Western Continent and should arrive together with Master. Have a couple of cups of tea to relax, so Fourth Junior Sister won't worry when she sees you."

"By my estimation, they should be here soon."

Hearing this, Li Junzi felt a stir of excitement and said with a smile,

"Thank you for the trouble."

Chen Baiqing gently pushed the teacup toward Li Junzi:

"We're practically family. Speaking of trouble is too formal."

Li Junzi reached out and held the warm teacup:

"It's always me troubling all of you. This time is no different. If I don't express my thanks a few more times, I really won't be able to bring myself to ask next time."

Chen Baiqing smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, then began asking Li Junzi about what had happened after she came to the Western Continent.

It served to start a conversation.

Daoist Yuyang wasn't particularly interested in this, but he casually took the teapot Chen Baiqing had brewed and savored the tea by himself. He even personally refilled Li Junzi's cup when it was empty.

After finishing, he would place the teapot back in front of Chen Baiqing for him to brew another pot.

Under normal circumstances, Daoist Yuyang wouldn't ask Chen Baiqing to make tea for him.

Chu Xingchen could, naturally because he was Chen Baiqing's master, while Daoist Yuyang was just an uncle-master. Making tea was...

The Old Monk had tasted Chen Baiqing's tea before, as part of a wager.

Naturally, now he could only look on somewhat wistfully, unable to have any.

If only he had said those words the day after tomorrow instead.

Although Chen Baiqing wasn't like Cui Hao, who could catch any topic without letting it drop and always find a unique angle to continue the conversation, he was perfectly capable of engaging in simple, comfortable small talk.

Li Junzi naturally understood that Chen Baiqing was facilitating the conversation, but because he did it so skillfully, the relaxed smile on her face never faded.

Chen Baiqing paid no mind to the Old Monk's gaze behind him, simply waiting.

After an indeterminate amount of time, three streaks of rainbow light descended from outside, landing before the main hall.

Chen Baiqing looked over. Leading was his master. To his master's left was his fourth junior sister, and to the right was his second senior brother.

Seeing the arrivals, Chen Baiqing first offered an apologetic smile to Li Junzi, then went to greet his master.

Chen Baiqing walked up to his master, a smile appearing on his face, his tone gentle:

"Master, you're here."

Chu Xingchen nodded lightly with a smile, but immediately his brows furrowed. He looked at Chen Baiqing a couple more times, then reached out and gently touched Chen Baiqing's head, his voice carrying a hint of anger as he asked:

"Brother Yuyang, is there something you need to explain to me?"

Daoist Yuyang gently set down his teacup... These master and disciple were a bit too sharp. He quickly spoke up:

"Ask the monk over there first."

Chu Xingchen looked back at Chen Baiqing, only to see him lower his head slightly.

His gaze swept sideways and saw, beneath the faceless Buddha statue, an Old Monk standing with a steady aura, now offering an ingratiating smile, as if in apology.

The next moment.

All things dissolved into a deep azure radiance.

Boom!

The sole remaining Great Buddha Hall was instantly obliterated, reduced to half its former structure.