Chapter 43
"Sister, I... I really don't know what to say. Let me kowtow to you first."
More than twenty years have passed! Now, finally, a ray of light has pierced through his dark life!
It allowed him to see the light ahead for the first time, making him feel that the future was promising and stop constantly doubting himself!
In an instant, a variety of thoughts came to Qiao Pingsheng's mind, and he was about to bow to Shen Shuan.
"Sister, I... I really don't know what to say. Let me kowtow to you first!"
Shen Shuan was shocked and startled by Qiao Pingsheng's sudden remarks. She quickly put her arms like iron and forcefully stopped him from moving.
"Brother, I can't take it, I can't take it! My little sister is more than ten years older than you."
But Qiao Pingsheng's eyes were slightly red, and he insisted on bowing. He met Shen Shu'an's eyes and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Shen, your guidance today has cleared the clouds from my heart and brought me back to my senses. Your few words are truly transformative!"
Shen Shuan gritted her teeth, straining her arms so hard they were almost trembling: "You really can't do it, brother."
"I have a detailed plan to share. Why don't you wait until I've finished before you pray?"
Qiao Pingsheng hesitated for a moment, and unconsciously softened his grip.
But the next second, everything went black before his eyes, and he was immediately lifted up and pressed into a chair by Shen Shuan.
"Brother, don't move, let me explain it to you in detail."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Taoist practices you're currently cultivating are all true teachings of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, aren't they?"
Qiao Ping'an was puzzled, but still obediently nodded: "Yes."
Shen Shuan nodded and continued, "The true teachings of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion are infinitely wondrous, possessing the ability to deduce heavenly secrets, predict fate, and bring good fortune while avoiding calamity."
"But they have one downside: they're not suitable for you."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Pingsheng was both surprised and suspicious. He couldn't care less about anything else and quickly asked, "Sister, what did you mean?"
Shen Shu'an smiled slightly, her eyes full of wisdom: "Brother, think about it, with your talent, what if you switched to cultivating incantations?"
"Note that the incantation I'm referring to is not that incantation, not the ones you just recited, but a curse."
Shen Shu'an said with a serious expression, "Brother, just thinking about it terrifies me!"
Upon seeing this, Qiao Pingsheng couldn't help but think along the lines provided by Shen Shuan.
Just thinking about it made him gasp.
"Hiss, this..."
Back then, he wholeheartedly hoped that everyone would be well, but even so, everyone ended up suffering so much.
If he were to actually practice incantations in the future, coupled with his naturally cautious nature, he could simply find a place where no one could find him when encountering an enemy, and then secretly cast curses for months...
No, not even months.
Qiao Ping'an recalled his past experiences, and those past tragedies and self-pity have now become the source of his confidence!
As he pondered, he forced himself to straighten his back and straighten his waist.
"Sister, maybe I really can do it."
As soon as the thought crossed Qiao Pingsheng's mind, a golden light flashed in his eyes.
Shen Shu'an was overjoyed, her eyes filled with encouragement: "Brother, this isn't just a 'maybe'; you're practically born with a silver spoon in your mouth!"
He's absolutely a genius at sorcery!
But after thinking about it, Shen Shu'an still didn't say it aloud, because it sounded a bit like an insult.
Encouraged, Qiao Pingsheng nodded, but then suddenly remembered something and hesitated, saying, "But, sister, our Tianji Pavilion is a legitimate and orthodox sect in the Central Continent. If my master finds out..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Shu'an quickly interrupted, "Hey, hey, you're overthinking it, bro. No, I mean, brother."
"You're thinking too narrowly. Let me ask you, how do you distinguish between the demonic path and the righteous path?"
Qiao Pingsheng: "This..."
Before the other person could continue thinking, Shen Shu'an stated directly, "The basis for judgment is not the magic or lineage a person possesses, but rather their actions!"
"The demonic path has the 'Indulgent Love Sect,' which disregards the lives of others and forcibly abducts people for dual cultivation in order to improve their cultivation. On the righteous path, there is also the 'Joyful Union Sect,' which is upright and in accordance with etiquette and morality, and invites people to dual cultivation."
"So, bro, I told you you're looking at things too narrowly!"
"If you switch to practicing incantations, explain the reasons to your master. If your master truly cares about you, he will never object!"
As Shen Shu'an finished speaking, his words were firm and righteous, and the justice and composure on his face were dazzling.
Qiao Pingsheng was one of those who was dazzled by her insight. He felt admiration and said with shame, "I was wrong just now. As expected of you, Sister, your insight is truly profound!"
Hearing this, Shen Shu'an couldn't help but smile slightly: "Ahem, it's just so-so."
"But sister, why do you know so much about me?"
"If I remember correctly, this is the first time we've met today, and there are many things I've never mentioned to Wanqiu before."
At this point, Qiao Pingsheng was extremely puzzled; he had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
Now, he solemnly clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Shen Shu'an, seeking an answer.
Shen Shu'an: "...Me,"
"etc."
Xuan Yi, who had been silent all along, suddenly appeared and interrupted Shen Shu'an.
Shen Shu'an was taken aback: "Can't I say? Didn't you say I could?"
Xuan Yi shook his head: "No, let's draw up a contract first."
As he spoke, he looked at Qiao Pingsheng and said, "Fellow Daoist, the three of us will establish a Heavenly Dao Covenant here today."
"What happened today must not be revealed to others, including your closest relatives."
"If asked, you must first make the other party swear an equal oath to Heaven before you can speak. Also, if you practice sorcery in the future, you must not cast spells on the two of us with malicious intent."
Xuan Yi paused, then explained to Qiao Pingsheng, "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that this matter is different."
"Fellow Daoist, I understand, I understand!"
Qiao Pingsheng met Xuan Yi's calm eyes and nodded deeply.
How could he not understand? He understands better than anyone.
Of all those present, who knew better than him?
"Fellow Daoist, even if you hadn't brought this up, I would have definitely brought it up."
"Now that you brought it up first, I'm actually relieved, lest my sister misunderstand and think I don't trust her."
"It's just that things in this world are unpredictable, so this provides an extra layer of protection!"
Qiao Pingsheng fully understood, agreed with, and approved of the idea.
As he spoke, he raised his hand to draw blood to swear an oath, for this world was imbued with the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao.
Once a vow is made in accordance with the will of Heaven, it is recorded by Heaven, and any violation of this vow will result in a severe price to pay.
They might vomit blood on the spot, experience a decline in cultivation, or be struck by heavenly lightning... In severe cases, their path to enlightenment would be severed, and their body and soul would be destroyed.
With that, Qiao Pingsheng stood up, raised his hand and extended four fingers, palm facing upward: "I, Qiao Pingsheng, hereby take the lead in swearing an oath to the Heavenly Dao..."
It allowed him to see the light ahead for the first time, making him feel that the future was promising and stop constantly doubting himself!
In an instant, a variety of thoughts came to Qiao Pingsheng's mind, and he was about to bow to Shen Shuan.
"Sister, I... I really don't know what to say. Let me kowtow to you first!"
Shen Shuan was shocked and startled by Qiao Pingsheng's sudden remarks. She quickly put her arms like iron and forcefully stopped him from moving.
"Brother, I can't take it, I can't take it! My little sister is more than ten years older than you."
But Qiao Pingsheng's eyes were slightly red, and he insisted on bowing. He met Shen Shu'an's eyes and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Shen, your guidance today has cleared the clouds from my heart and brought me back to my senses. Your few words are truly transformative!"
Shen Shuan gritted her teeth, straining her arms so hard they were almost trembling: "You really can't do it, brother."
"I have a detailed plan to share. Why don't you wait until I've finished before you pray?"
Qiao Pingsheng hesitated for a moment, and unconsciously softened his grip.
But the next second, everything went black before his eyes, and he was immediately lifted up and pressed into a chair by Shen Shuan.
"Brother, don't move, let me explain it to you in detail."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Taoist practices you're currently cultivating are all true teachings of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, aren't they?"
Qiao Ping'an was puzzled, but still obediently nodded: "Yes."
Shen Shuan nodded and continued, "The true teachings of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion are infinitely wondrous, possessing the ability to deduce heavenly secrets, predict fate, and bring good fortune while avoiding calamity."
"But they have one downside: they're not suitable for you."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Pingsheng was both surprised and suspicious. He couldn't care less about anything else and quickly asked, "Sister, what did you mean?"
Shen Shu'an smiled slightly, her eyes full of wisdom: "Brother, think about it, with your talent, what if you switched to cultivating incantations?"
"Note that the incantation I'm referring to is not that incantation, not the ones you just recited, but a curse."
Shen Shu'an said with a serious expression, "Brother, just thinking about it terrifies me!"
Upon seeing this, Qiao Pingsheng couldn't help but think along the lines provided by Shen Shuan.
Just thinking about it made him gasp.
"Hiss, this..."
Back then, he wholeheartedly hoped that everyone would be well, but even so, everyone ended up suffering so much.
If he were to actually practice incantations in the future, coupled with his naturally cautious nature, he could simply find a place where no one could find him when encountering an enemy, and then secretly cast curses for months...
No, not even months.
Qiao Ping'an recalled his past experiences, and those past tragedies and self-pity have now become the source of his confidence!
As he pondered, he forced himself to straighten his back and straighten his waist.
"Sister, maybe I really can do it."
As soon as the thought crossed Qiao Pingsheng's mind, a golden light flashed in his eyes.
Shen Shu'an was overjoyed, her eyes filled with encouragement: "Brother, this isn't just a 'maybe'; you're practically born with a silver spoon in your mouth!"
He's absolutely a genius at sorcery!
But after thinking about it, Shen Shu'an still didn't say it aloud, because it sounded a bit like an insult.
Encouraged, Qiao Pingsheng nodded, but then suddenly remembered something and hesitated, saying, "But, sister, our Tianji Pavilion is a legitimate and orthodox sect in the Central Continent. If my master finds out..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Shu'an quickly interrupted, "Hey, hey, you're overthinking it, bro. No, I mean, brother."
"You're thinking too narrowly. Let me ask you, how do you distinguish between the demonic path and the righteous path?"
Qiao Pingsheng: "This..."
Before the other person could continue thinking, Shen Shu'an stated directly, "The basis for judgment is not the magic or lineage a person possesses, but rather their actions!"
"The demonic path has the 'Indulgent Love Sect,' which disregards the lives of others and forcibly abducts people for dual cultivation in order to improve their cultivation. On the righteous path, there is also the 'Joyful Union Sect,' which is upright and in accordance with etiquette and morality, and invites people to dual cultivation."
"So, bro, I told you you're looking at things too narrowly!"
"If you switch to practicing incantations, explain the reasons to your master. If your master truly cares about you, he will never object!"
As Shen Shu'an finished speaking, his words were firm and righteous, and the justice and composure on his face were dazzling.
Qiao Pingsheng was one of those who was dazzled by her insight. He felt admiration and said with shame, "I was wrong just now. As expected of you, Sister, your insight is truly profound!"
Hearing this, Shen Shu'an couldn't help but smile slightly: "Ahem, it's just so-so."
"But sister, why do you know so much about me?"
"If I remember correctly, this is the first time we've met today, and there are many things I've never mentioned to Wanqiu before."
At this point, Qiao Pingsheng was extremely puzzled; he had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
Now, he solemnly clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Shen Shu'an, seeking an answer.
Shen Shu'an: "...Me,"
"etc."
Xuan Yi, who had been silent all along, suddenly appeared and interrupted Shen Shu'an.
Shen Shu'an was taken aback: "Can't I say? Didn't you say I could?"
Xuan Yi shook his head: "No, let's draw up a contract first."
As he spoke, he looked at Qiao Pingsheng and said, "Fellow Daoist, the three of us will establish a Heavenly Dao Covenant here today."
"What happened today must not be revealed to others, including your closest relatives."
"If asked, you must first make the other party swear an equal oath to Heaven before you can speak. Also, if you practice sorcery in the future, you must not cast spells on the two of us with malicious intent."
Xuan Yi paused, then explained to Qiao Pingsheng, "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that this matter is different."
"Fellow Daoist, I understand, I understand!"
Qiao Pingsheng met Xuan Yi's calm eyes and nodded deeply.
How could he not understand? He understands better than anyone.
Of all those present, who knew better than him?
"Fellow Daoist, even if you hadn't brought this up, I would have definitely brought it up."
"Now that you brought it up first, I'm actually relieved, lest my sister misunderstand and think I don't trust her."
"It's just that things in this world are unpredictable, so this provides an extra layer of protection!"
Qiao Pingsheng fully understood, agreed with, and approved of the idea.
As he spoke, he raised his hand to draw blood to swear an oath, for this world was imbued with the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao.
Once a vow is made in accordance with the will of Heaven, it is recorded by Heaven, and any violation of this vow will result in a severe price to pay.
They might vomit blood on the spot, experience a decline in cultivation, or be struck by heavenly lightning... In severe cases, their path to enlightenment would be severed, and their body and soul would be destroyed.
With that, Qiao Pingsheng stood up, raised his hand and extended four fingers, palm facing upward: "I, Qiao Pingsheng, hereby take the lead in swearing an oath to the Heavenly Dao..."