Chapter 540: Chapter 6: Greatly Changing the Past, Zhang Daoling’s Father is Hongjun
In the span of a thought, Lu Xuan returned to the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, appearing once more on the desolate mountain.
The moment he appeared, he saw the mother and daughter, Ao Xianzhi and Zhang Buyi, prostrate themselves, weeping with overwhelming joy.
"Senior!"
Cao Mengde and the others were utterly dumbfounded, with no idea what had just occurred. Only Zhuge Kongming, Lu Nian, and Zhang Jiao had an inkling, realizing with a faint sense of dread that history itself had been altered.
’This old Daoist... he left and returned in the blink of an eye, and in that instant, the past was rewritten. Everything has changed!’
The expressions on the faces of the Immortal Mother and the Innocent Ancient Buddha were grim. The former forced a smile.
"Are you satisfied now, Fellow Daoist?"
"Not enough. Far from it," Lu Xuan said faintly. He gave a cold snort and once again stepped back into the River of Time, this time traveling a thousand years into the past.
This time, he waited before the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He caught the soul of Senior Brother Zhang as it came through for reincarnation, shaped it into human form, and raised the boy himself.
In the year Zhang Daoling turned eighteen,
Lu Xuan met with him one last time, his tone serious.
"Daoling."
"Father!" Zhang Daoling bowed with formal respect.
Lu Xuan was inwardly amused, but his expression remained unchanged as he simply nodded.
"I am not your biological father."
"The grace of raising me is greater than that of giving me birth!"
"Remember what you’ve said today," Lu Xuan said with a smile. "Now, I wish to accept you as my disciple. Are you willing?"
He paused, then immediately dismissed the idea.
"Your innate talent is extraordinary. We have spent eighteen years together, and our bond is deep, but it is not fitting for me to be your master... How about this? I shall accept you as a disciple on my master’s behalf. What do you say?"
Zhang Daoling was stunned and hastily waved his hands in protest.
"Father, you mustn’t! The hierarchy would be a mess... a complete mess..."
"It’s not."
Lu Xuan’s smile was radiant.
"You may call me Senior Brother, or you may continue to call me Father—whichever you prefer. After this, I must depart. We shall meet again if fate wills it."
Zhang Daoling stood stunned for a long moment before prostrating himself. Tears streamed down his face, his eyes turning red.
"Father... I..."
He lowered his head.
"I will do as Father commands!"
Lu Xuan’s grin widened, though he felt a pang of guilt. He quickly consoled himself. ’Even when Senior Brother Zhang figures everything out, it’s not like he’ll be strong enough to beat me...’
’Yep, nothing to be afraid of!’
He smiled, glanced at a passing old farmer, and cleared his throat. He then patted Zhang Daoling on the head and said softly,
"My master is the mystery of mysteries. All that your eyes can see—that is my master, and thus, your master."
Zhang Daoling was taken aback.
"Master... is Heaven and Earth?"
"You could say that."
Lu Xuan said with a faint smile,
"The heavens are your teacher, the earth is your teacher, the mountains and rivers are your teacher... Even that old farmer is your teacher."
Zhang Daoling instinctively glanced to the side and saw an old farmer carrying a hoe. The farmer grinned at him, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
Lu Xuan continued,
"Your teacher is Nature. Your teacher is all that you see and all that you know. You shall kneel to Heaven and Earth, and pay homage to Time itself."
Zhang Daoling did as he was told. When he looked up again, Lu Xuan had vanished without a trace.
He felt a sting in his nose and kowtowed heavily toward the spot where Lu Xuan had stood.
"Father..."
There was no reply.
A certain passing old farmer winced as if his teeth ached, and shook his head slightly.
"That little rascal..."
Returning to the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, Lu Xuan leaped out of the River of Time.
Only a blink of an eye had passed since he left, but...
"Father!!"
Zhang Daoling suddenly prostrated himself, his eyes rimmed with red.
"After a thousand years... Father, you’ve finally reappeared!"
Cao Mengde and the others were aghast. Zhang Jiao and his followers gasped, and in the next instant, their memories shifted.
This was especially true for Zhang Buyi. She had once asked Zhang Daoling if he had any family, and at the time, his reply had been, "I have no father and no mother; I was born of Heaven and raised by Earth."
But now,
in Zhang Buyi’s memory, Zhang Daoling’s answer had become, "I have a father. He is not my biological father, but he is greater than any biological father could be. Alas, he has been missing for a thousand years."
History had been altered.
The Innocent Ancient Buddha had a strange look on his face, while the Immortal Mother’s eyes were wide with terror. She stammered,
"Fellow Daoist, do you have any idea who his master is?"
As she spoke, the Immortal Mother kept glancing up at the sky, watching intently for the sound of a sneeze or the sight of falling sparks.
Lu Xuan shrugged. "I don’t care," he said plainly.
"I’m aware his true master’s origins are likely extraordinary, which is precisely why I changed the narrative. He now acknowledges Heaven, Earth, and Nature as his teacher. What’s wrong with that? Is his teacher greater than all of creation?"
The Immortal Mother glanced up again. The Celestial Vault was quiet. There was no sneeze, nor were there any sparks falling from the Eight Trigrams Furnace.
She breathed a sigh of relief and gave a wry smile.
"You, Fellow Daoist... you may have just stumbled upon the truth by accident. In fact, Zhang Daoling’s true master *is* Heaven, Earth, and Nature—the entirety of all that is seen..."
Their conversation left everyone else completely baffled and lost in a fog of confusion.
Lu Xuan merely glanced at Zhang Daoling, Ao Xianzhi, and Zhang Buyi, who were still bowed to the side. He then smiled and turned a playful, mocking gaze upon the Innocent Ancient Buddha.
"So, old monk, what now? Do you still wish to contend with me? I find myself quite interested in your White Lotus Sect..."
He paused, then chuckled drily.
"The Vacuum Homeland... is that a Dao Artifact in the making? Perhaps I should take that for myself as well?"
"You mustn’t!" The corner of the Immortal Mother’s mouth twitched. Terrified that this unfathomable Hongjun Daoist would continue to act recklessly, she forced a bitter smile.
"If you are willing, Fellow Daoist, you could even join the White Lotus Sect..."
"Are you asking me to live under someone else’s thumb?"
Lu Xuan sneered.
"I am a rogue of Heaven and Earth, unbound by anyone, unshackled by anything. I was born free!"
His tone was imperious as he glanced at Zhang Daoling.
"My son, go and establish your Celestial Master Dao. Have the Five-Dou Dao put in more effort and poach the followers of the White Lotus Sect!"
As the Immortal Mother and the Innocent Ancient Buddha looked on with grim faces, Zhang Daoling bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Father!"
"I may call you ’son,’ but you need only call me ’Senior Brother.’"
With that, Lu Xuan turned to Zhang Jiao and issued a decree.
"Your name is Zhang Jiao, is it not? You once said you wished to establish the Taiping Dao. Then go and do so. The Five-Dou Dao will support you, but you, too, must fight for the followers of the White Lotus Sect!"
Zhang Jiao did not dare to disobey. He quickly bowed and respectfully agreed. Little Lu Nian, on the other hand, glared, about to leap forward in protest, but Zhuge Kongming swiftly pulled her back.
Having done all this, Lu Xuan looked at the Immortal Mother with a faint chuckle and asked coolly,
"Well?"
The Immortal Mother’s expression darkened.
"Fellow Daoist, why must you do this? The affairs of the White Lotus Sect are of great consequence and are connected to the Nine Nether... We had no grievances between us. There is no need for this!"
"We do now. If you’re not satisfied, you can start a Daluo Blood War with me."
Lu Xuan spat the words coldly and strode back toward the Daoist Temple.
The Immortal Mother quickly weighed her options and finally called out to Lu Xuan.
"Fellow Daoist, can you wait while I discuss this with the Buddha Mother? If we can come to an agreement, you will join the White Lotus Sect and be honored as an equal to the Buddha Mother. What do you say?"
"Suit yourself! Do as you please!"
With a wave of his sleeve, Lu Xuan sent Cao Mengde’s group of four, the three Zhang brothers, and Zhang Daoling flying in all directions, dispatching them to their proper domains.
With a final BANG, he slammed the gates of the Daoist Temple shut.
Before the gates closed, he didn’t forget to snatch Lu Nian and Zhuge Kongming inside as well.
Gazing at the sealed gates of the Daoist Temple and sensing the state of utter Chaos within, the Innocent Ancient Buddha spoke coldly.
"I don’t understand..."
"You don’t need to."
The Immortal Mother rubbed her brow and sighed softly.
"This man’s origins are a mystery, but he is critically important. He is an ally we must win over... Never mind. I will go find the Buddha Mother first."
She, too, turned and departed.
「Meanwhile, inside the Daoist Temple.」
"Old charlatan! What are you planning to do!" Lu Nian shrieked, grabbing the Jade Void Golden Bell and preparing to strike it.
Lu Xuan paid her no mind. After ensuring the Daoist Temple was completely shielded from all outside perception, he casually tore at the air.
The River of Time gaped open. A beautiful, graceful figure wearing a Phoenix Crown and Brocade Robe, her face filled with curiosity, stepped out from a future era.
"I’m outta here!" Lu Nian turned to flee, utterly terrified.
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