Chapter 676
When Will It End?
Once those words are fully traced and made public by the Haotian Mirror, especially in front of these nine enraged ancient dragons... the consequences are unimaginable! It would probably not be as simple as the roof of the Great Thunderclap Temple being ripped off; the entire Western Heaven Spirit Mountain could be completely wiped off the map by the enraged dragon race!
At this moment, seeing that the Haotian Mirror was still shrouded in mist, clearly still tracing the more detailed aspects of that battle, the hearts of the three thousand Buddhas were in their throats. Their faces were ashen, and they prayed frantically that the image would end quickly and that those deadly scenes would not be released!
Lin Zhu seemed oblivious to the anxious and fearful eyes of the Buddhas of the Western Paradise. He leisurely walked forward to the side of the Jade Emperor, his gaze fixed on the Haotian Mirror, which shimmered with clear light, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Upon seeing this, alarm bells rang in the Buddha's heart! He could no longer care about his Buddha's dignity, and hurriedly stepped forward, forcing a smile on his face. His voice was more urgent and earnest than ever before, and he waved his hands repeatedly towards the powerful dragons, especially the two dragon emperors who had made the move.
"Hold your fire! Fellow Dragon Clan cultivators, please calm down! Calm down! The truth has come to light! Prince Ao Lie was indeed... indeed injured and killed by the White Lotus Child. Our Western Heaven will not shirk responsibility for this matter! But... but there may be misunderstandings or hidden circumstances!"
He was rambling incoherently, trying to control the situation.
"White Lotus Boy... He... he is, after all, a servant boy under the guidance of the Sage. He is still young, his mind is not yet settled, he acts rashly, and he is ignorant of the ways of the world. That's why... that's why he acted impulsively and made a grave mistake, accidentally injuring Crown Prince Ao Lie! This was an unintentional mistake, and he had no intention of making an enemy of the Dragon Clan!"
As he spoke, Tathagata secretly glanced at Amitabha Buddha. Seeing Amitabha Buddha nod slightly, he became bolder and continued.
"If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault; if a disciple is unworthy, it is the teacher's laziness. The White Lotus Boy has made mistakes, and I, as his senior brother, also bear the responsibility for my lax teaching and supervision! I am willing to sincerely apologize to all the fellow Daoists of the Dragon Clan on behalf of my teacher and the Western Paradise!"
"I only beg you, fellow Daoists, to spare the life of the White Lotus Child, considering his youth, ignorance, and first offense! As for the death of Prince Ao Lie… my Western Heaven is willing to spare no effort to pay any price! Whether it be rare treasures or meritorious deeds, as long as the Dragon Clan asks, my Western Heaven will not hesitate to offer them!"
He was trying to soften the dragon clan's murderous intent by using the excuses of "youthful ignorance," "first offense," and "paying the price." He even attempted to shift some of the White Lotus Child's personal guilt to the relatively vague collective responsibility of "lax teaching," and then supplement it with huge compensation, hoping to pay off the trouble.
Amitabha Buddha also clasped his hands together at the opportune moment and chanted a long Buddhist name, his voice majestic and compassionate, carrying the consistent tone of exhortation of Western religions.
"Amitabha... Excellent, excellent. Fellow Daoist Zijin, Fellow Daoist Platinum, fellow Daoists of the Dragon Clan, please temporarily quell your thunderous rage."
His gaze swept over the powerful dragons, then seemed to look at the void with pity, his tone heavy.
"My nephew Ao Lie has suffered such a terrible calamity, his body and soul perished. This humble monk feels his pain deeply and is filled with grief. However, the dead are gone, and the living must go on. Hatred is like a sea of suffering, and revenge only creates new bloodshed. When will this cycle of revenge end? It is better to lay down the butcher's knife and turn back to the shore. I, the Western Paradise, am willing to make amends for my mistakes with the utmost sincerity, to deliver the souls of the deceased, and to resolve this karmic entanglement."
I urge all fellow Daoists to consider the plight of all living beings, to value harmony above all else, and to refrain from allowing this sacred mountain to be stained with even more innocent blood.
Amitabha Buddha's words were grand and dignified, full of Buddhist "wisdom" and "compassion." He attempted to influence the dragon clan with the rhetoric of "laying down the butcher's knife," "turning back to the shore," and "when will the cycle of revenge end?" At the same time, he once again placed the Western Paradise on a moral high ground of "willingness to make amends" and "pursuit of peace."
However, his preaching, which might be effective for ordinary creatures, seemed so pale and laughable in the face of this group of ancient dragons who had fought their way out of the primordial mountains of corpses and seas of blood and believed in the supreme laws of power and blood debt repayment!
Dragons act swiftly and decisively, always seeking revenge and acting directly to their hearts! The strong kill, the weak are killed—it's only natural! Revenge is an instinct and a source of honor etched deep in their blood! What talk of laying down the butcher's knife, what of endless cycles of revenge—in their eyes, these are nothing more than self-consolation for the weak who are powerless to seek revenge, and pretty words for hypocrites to evade responsibility!
"Fuck your motherfucker!"
The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor was the first to fly into a rage. Its enormous dragon tail stopped abruptly in mid-air, but its terrifying dragon might became even more ferocious. It cursed at Tathagata and Amitabha Buddha, its voice like thunder.
"Young and ignorant? First offense? Tathagata, do you think I'm blind or stupid?! This White Lotus Child has been following the Sage of Guidance for at least one or two kalpas, hasn't he?!"
Converted to your timeline, that's tens of thousands of years! Is this what you call youthful ignorance?! He's immature, but are you, his seniors and teachers, also immature?! Lacking discipline? I think it's indulgence and cover-up!
Its dragon claws suddenly pointed at the White Lotus Child, who was lying on the ground, barely breathing, and then fiercely pointed at Amitabha Buddha and Tathagata.
"If a child is not taught, is it the father's fault? Very well! Since you admit to your failure in teaching, then the consequences of this 'father's fault' and 'teacher's laziness' will be borne by your entire Western Paradise! If this little boy is irresponsible, then your Western Paradise will be responsible! Blood debts must be paid in blood!"
The cold light in the Platinum Dragon Emperor's icy dragon eyes intensified as it stared at Amitabha Buddha, its voice like the friction of ancient ice, carrying a chilling killing intent.
"Amitabha, you overestimate yourself and underestimate my dragon clan. Lay down the butcher's knife? Turn back to the right path? Ha... Who do you think you are? The Dao Ancestor, or the Ancestral Dragon of my clan? You think you can make my dragon clan give up avenging our bloodline descendants with just a few empty words of preaching?"
It slowly raised its other dragon claw, the tip gleaming coldly, tearing through space.
"For my dragon race, there is only one situation that will stop the march of revenge—that is, when the enemy is completely annihilated, or when my race sheds its last drop of blood! Today, if you do not give me a satisfactory explanation, I do not mind... slaughtering your entire Western Paradise, and then talking nonsense to you!"
The two dragon emperors exuded murderous intent, while the dragon emperor who had remained silent, whose aura was the most ancient and obscure, and whose body displayed a strange blend of black and white, was not speaking at this moment. However, the dragon emperor whose slightly open dragon eyes revealed a cold indifference to everything, as well as a supreme majesty as if looking at ants!
Its mere glance was enough to freeze the souls of the three thousand Buddhas, even Amitabha Buddha felt a chill in his heart and was secretly filled with apprehension! This Mo Bai Dragon Emperor was probably the most powerful of the nine true dragons!
Amitabha Buddha secretly rejoiced that it had not yet explicitly declared war. Its mind raced, desperately trying to buy time, hoping the dragon race wouldn't be tainted by the terrifying karma of destroying a major sect. At the same time, it insisted on the "accidental injury" explanation; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope…
Just when the two sides were locked in a deadly standoff and the atmosphere was extremely tense!
"found it!"
A clear voice, tinged with a hint of surprise, suddenly rang out, instantly breaking the stalemate!
Lin Zhu had somehow appeared beside the Jade Emperor, almost parallel to the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror.
With an excited expression on his face, as if he had finally discovered a crucial clue, he raised his arm and pointed to the clear light image flowing in the Haotian Mirror, announcing it to the entire audience in a loud voice.
"Look, everyone! The Haotian Mirror is indeed incredibly powerful! It clearly records the entire process of the White Lotus Child 'accidentally' injuring the Little White Dragon Prince! Especially those key dialogues and details that are enough to prove whether it was an 'accidental injury' or a 'deliberate killing'!"
His words were like a drop of water falling into a pot of boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire room!
Amitabha Buddha, Tathagata Buddha, and all three thousand Buddhas stared intently at Lin Zhu with uncontrollable shock, anger, and panic! Their eyes seemed to want to devour him alive!
"Lin Zhu! What...what else do you want to do?!"
The Buddha trembled with rage, his voice shrill as he shouted, "The truth is out! Now that you are safe, why don't you quickly take your people and leave my Western Paradise! This matter has nothing to do with you anymore! Stop causing trouble here and interfering with my Western Paradise's negotiations with the Dragon Clan!"
He was eager to get rid of Lin Zhu, this "troublemaker," fearing that he might cause some more trouble.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu calmly turned his head to look at Tathagata. The playful smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn and... righteous expression!
He straightened his back, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene before finally settling on the powerful members of the Dragon Clan. His voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the silent sky above the sacred mountain.
"Leave? Buddha, you make it sound so easy!"
Lin Zhu's tone turned cold, carrying an unquestionable sense of responsibility.
"I am the God of Law Enforcement of the Three Realms, personally appointed by the Jade Emperor, who is in charge of the laws of heaven! Little White Dragon Ao Lie, regardless of his past, from the moment he joined my ranks and volunteered for battle, his behavior has been subject to my control to a certain extent, and I am also responsible for his safety!"
Now, he has died a horrific death at the hands of those from the Western Paradise, his body and soul utterly destroyed—this is a shocking case!
He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring directly at the Buddha and Amitabha.
"As the God of Law Enforcement, it is my duty to investigate the truth of the case, find the real culprit, and clarify the guilt! How can I leave so easily just because you say 'it has nothing to do with you'? This case concerns the loss of a life, the majesty of the Heavenly Court's laws, and even more so... the trust and survival between the Dragon Clan and my Heavenly Court!"
Lin Zhu spoke those last words with conviction, cleverly linking his identity as an "enforcer" with the "survival of the dragon race," leaving Tathagata speechless.
Amitabha Buddha's expression was now extremely grim.
He clearly heard Lin Zhu use the phrase "the truth will come out" in his words—the very phrase he had used to appease the Dragon Clan and try to determine Lin Zhu's guilt! Now Lin Zhu was using it verbatim in the investigation of the White Lotus Child's guilt, and the irony and insult in it made his chest feel tight!
Upon hearing this, the powerful members of the Dragon Clan focused their gazes on Lin Zhu once again. This time, their gazes held less scrutiny and more inquiry and... a hint of unexpected approval.
The Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor's enormous dragon eyes shifted slightly, and it spoke in a deep, resonant voice. Its voice was still loud, but it lacked some of its previous rage and instead contained a hint of confusion.
"Oh? Prison God Lin Zhu, from what you're saying, there's really more to this 'accidental injury' than meets the eye? It's not as simple as that little bald monk making a mistake?"
Lin Zhu nodded solemnly and pointed to the Haotian Mirror.
Whether there are hidden reasons or not, I cannot determine them by mere words.
Everything should be based on the past as seen through the Haotian Mirror. Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, and all fellow Daoists, please observe and make your own judgments.
The three thousand Buddhas and the White Lotus Child, who was paralyzed on the ground, all looked even more disgusted when they heard that the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor had actually followed Lin Zhu's words to think about the "hidden story". The White Lotus Child was so frightened that he seemed to have forgotten the pain in his primordial spirit for a while.
The Platinum Dragon Emperor snorted coldly, but did not stop him; he simply said in a cold voice.
"Look then! If this White Lotus Child knows that Ao Lie is an important offspring of my Dragon Clan, yet still dares to be so arrogant and cruel, then he is deliberately making an enemy of my Dragon Clan! At that time, not only him, but the entire Western Heaven, even if they are to be entangled in endless karma, I will make you pay an unbearable price!"
Upon hearing this, the White Lotus Child turned pale with fright and trembled violently. He tried to explain, but due to his severe injuries and extreme fear, he could only utter weak "hoarse" sounds.
"In that case, please, everyone... take a look!"
Lin Zhu said no more and nodded slightly to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor understood and gently released his magic power from his fingertips, injecting it into the illusory image of the Haotian Mirror.
The next moment, the Haotian Mirror shone brightly, and the scene on the mirror was no longer limited to Lin Zhu's previous perspective. Instead, it presented the entire process of the White Lotus Child appearing, capturing Ao Lie, and then torturing him to death in the sky above the battlefield of Nanzhanbuzhou in a more macroscopic and clearer way. It was like the most detailed holographic projection, which was reproduced in the sky above Mount Ling in every detail!
The video perfectly reproduces the sounds, breaths, and even some fluctuations of the soul!
The first thing everyone saw was how the White Lotus Child's sneak attack failed, how he took Ao Lie away, how he held the cold "Cold Moon Immortal-Slaying Blade" to Ao Lie's neck, and how ferocious and smug his face was.
Then came Lin Zhu's repeated, almost heartfelt, attempts to dissuade him.
"White Lotus Boy, stop... This is what I'm giving you, and also the last chance for the Western Paradise..."
“Killing him will really cause a huge problem... It’s for your own good, and also for the good of the Western Paradise.”
In the video, Lin Zhu's expression is so sincere that it's almost "foolish." His persuasive posture contrasts sharply and ironically with his sigh of "What a tragedy!" after Ao Lie is killed.
Then comes the crucial part!
The footage clearly shows that just as Lin Zhu was trying to persuade him, and Indra, having learned his lesson, was also trying to persuade him, Vajra Yaksha, Trayastrimsa, and other powerful figures from the Western Paradise rushed over, their faces showing obvious urgency and solemnity, as if they had something important to say.
However, the White Lotus Boy's reaction was—
He turned his head sharply, his face filled with extreme impatience and arrogance at being "offended," and shouted at Vajra Yaksha and the others. His voice was sharp and piercing, echoing across the battlefield and now reverberating in the silent Mount Ling.
"Insolence!! Who gave you permission to come out?! Who allowed you to point fingers here?! I am the disciple of the Sage! Representing the Sage's will! Who are you to presume to teach me how to do things?! Get back here!" (End of Chapter)