Chapter 8: Smooth Talk and Good Guy Card

  Zhuangzi's thoughts had already changed, and he smiled: "Is that what you're talking about? It's nothing serious. I just heard someone mention it casually, knew the two names, and thought they would have great achievements in the future, so I remembered them. I didn't understand anything else. That's all there is to it. Look at how things turned out - we had to wait three days to sit down and talk properly. I said it was all because of Fuxi Daoist friend causing trouble. See, without him, our conversation is going smoothly."

  The sudden cracking sound interrupted Zhuang Xiong's rant, and he turned his head to glance back, seemingly hearing the sound of something being snapped by Fuxi. Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but sigh, saying: "Look at this Fuxi Daoist friend, can't even hide properly without making a sound, if we let him go gather information, it'll definitely be messed up."

  Nüwa's silver teeth were grinding, making a "creaking" sound. Zhuang Xiong was surprised and said: "Fellow Nüwa, do you have a toothache? Or is there such an older brother who feels very headachy and has a fever?"

  "Shut up first," Nuwa said. Her hands had already left several fingerprints on the stone table, and she took a few deep breaths before continuing, "Now, I'll ask you something, and you just answer, no need to say anything extra, got it?"

  Zhuang Xiong nodded repeatedly like a small chicken pecking at rice, accompanying his words with a smile: "It's not that I'm naturally this way, it's just that after being cooped up for countless years, I've lost some control."

  Nüwa shot him a white look and said: "First tell me, who mentioned us two siblings in their conversation?"

  Zhuang Xiong pretended to be deep in thought and said, "In the past, before I was trapped, Pangu mentioned a sentence that I think must be extraordinary. However, at that time, it happened to be the beginning of heaven, and the world was chaotic, so I didn't hear anything else."

  Nüwa and Fuxi, who were eavesdropping, were taken aback, only to realize that this guy had actually met Pangu before. Suddenly, a majestic image of the great god Pangu conversing with a small bear that looked silly but was actually sinister appeared in their minds. The two couldn't help but shiver at the same time, as this was simply too strange and unbelievable?

  Nüwa asked in a soft and tentative tone: "I wonder when you will transform, and I'm fortunate enough to hear the teachings of Pangu the Great God?"

  Zhuang Xiong felt that since it was Fuxi and Nüwa, the words had already been spoken, and there seemed to be nothing good to hide, so he spoke seriously: "It's not that there's anything to teach, but I was originally the spirit of the earth among the four spirits of heaven, fire, water, and wind. At the time of Pangu's opening of the sky, I obtained great merit and absorbed some of the essence of the gods and demons, taking shape and emerging as the first living being in the world after the opening of the sky. However, at the time when Pangu was transforming into all things, I was under his feet, and as a result, I was suppressed by the three thousand gods and demons and Mount Buzhou transformed by Pangu, only now have I finally escaped."

  Nüwa and Fuxi were stunned for a moment, really didn't know that this silly bear actually had such deep roots. One of the four spirits born before heaven and earth, the first living being in the world, with the merits of Pangu's opening of heaven, any one of them can be called a great opportunity.

  Zhuang Zong thought for a moment, then said: "The two brothers and sisters of the Taoist sect transformed in this Not Weekly Mountain, it's hard to say that they also have a great relationship with Pangu and three thousand gods and demons. To say that we are also from the same source."

  Nüwa smiled and said, "I didn't think we still had such a connection. But where can I compare to a Daoist friend like you? You have profound footwork and possess great virtues, your future achievements will surely be immeasurable."

  Zhuang Xiong sighed bitterly: "Being trapped for so many years, busy with escaping every day, the yuan god's law power has indeed accumulated a lot, but without cultivating moral integrity, it is ultimately just an ant."

  Nüwa slightly furrowed her brow and said: "We have been accumulating our magical powers, polishing our primordial spirits. What is the nature of this path? Why is it so crucial?"

  Zhuang Xiong sighed and said, "Although fellow daoist doesn't know much, you must have cultivated a lot. We usually comprehend the heavenly way and cultivate our dao deeds." Then, he carefully explained his understanding of dao deeds to Nüwa again. He also said, "Only cultivating magical powers is inefficient, if we first cultivate our dao deeds, then when our dao deeds are achieved, our magical powers will naturally be achieved too, without needing to exhaust ourselves accumulating and refining them."

  Nüwa sank into thought for a moment, then said in a low voice: "In that case, this path is indeed crucial and cannot be neglected. However, if we just shut ourselves away and try to figure it out on our own, I'm afraid we won't get anywhere. We need to travel the world, interact with others, and learn from them." Nüwa paused for a moment, then looked troubled and said: "But this chaotic world is full of strife and conflict everywhere, I fear that if we get entangled in it, we'll only accumulate more karma."

  Zhuang Xiong hesitated and said, "Actually, the fastest way is to find Hong Jun. Hong Jun is a pre-heavenly demon god who controls the creation jade plate. The creation jade plate contains 3,000 great paths, which are most suitable for increasing one's Dao line. With Hong Jun's guidance, it would undoubtedly be the fastest method."

  Nüwa exclaimed: "How can there be such a person in the vast wilderness? Why have I never heard of it?"

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said, "That Hong Jun should have appeared in the Great Wilderness, perhaps with a great reputation. However, you two siblings have been living in the Not Weekly Mountains for a long time and have never traveled to the Great Wilderness Continent, so it's no wonder you've never heard of him."

  Nüwa's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she added a few more touches of rouge to her cheeks. She pouted and said, "Fellow Daoist, please don't tease me anymore."

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said, "I'm not making fun of you. In our cultivation, half is due to the practice itself, while the other half depends on actual experience. Fellow Taoist, you also know that staying indoors and trying to create something from scratch won't work. Why don't you go out and take a walk?"

  Nüwa sighed and said, "It's not that my brother and I didn't want to go out and travel, but when we first took shape, our powers were weak. Just as we had achieved something, the great war between the three clans broke out, and only then did we realize how many powerful beings there were in this vast expanse. With my brother's and my abilities, we are truly no match for them. Recently, I've seen that your divine powers are unparalleled and your magical abilities boundless. You're just about to discuss something with me and travel together through the vast expanse - what do you think?"

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said: "Very good, just as I wished. It's just right that we can go take a look and see if we can find Hong Jun."

  Nüwa said with surprise, "Could it be that fellow Daoist still knows the whereabouts of Hongjun? Fellow Daoist was trapped in Mount Buzhou, yet you can have such spiritual and omniscient news. Your Dao cultivation is indeed not shallow."

  Zhuang Xiong smiled wryly, thinking to himself that it was all just a lie anyway. He decided to spin a tale and said with a smile: "I don't have any special abilities, but at the time of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth, he transformed into three pure ones with one breath, dividing his primordial spirit into three parts. I obtained the great virtue of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth, and there must be a great opportunity and good fortune. In the heavenly way, there is still a hint of Pangu's true spirit. At this time, Hong Jun holds the jade disc of creation, taking on the responsibility of teaching and transforming all living things on behalf of the heavenly way. Therefore, the descendants of Pangu's primordial spirit are necessarily the chosen ones. I don't know where Hong Jun will appear, but as long as he is with the three pure ones transformed by Pangu's primordial spirit, it is inevitable that we can see him. I happened to see the direction in which Pangu's primordial spirit departed, and if we follow this direction and ask around, it shouldn't be too difficult to find him. Even if we can't see Hong Jun, the three pure ones are after all transformed by Pangu's primordial spirit, so their cultivation must be profound. Discussing the Tao with them won't be bad either." As he spoke, Zhuang Xiong thought to himself: "I was buried at the foot of the mountain, how could I see which direction the three pure ones flew in? Let's just say that I'll go down the mountain and ask someone about the direction of Kunlun Mountain. It's not like I said anything specific anyway. They all know that Hong Jun is on Jade Capital Mountain, but it seems no one has found him yet. Should I try or not? But then again, I don't have any confidence in finding him, and who knows if he's already established the Purple Mist Palace and hidden in the chaos?"

  Nüwa didn't know that Zhuan Xiong had already turned so many corners in the blink of an eye, and was still admiring Zhuan Xiong's meticulous plan in his heart. He smiled and said: "Fellow Taoist is indeed a good strategist, time is not suitable for delay, when do you think it's appropriate for us to set off?"

  Zhuang Xiong smiled and said, "Even if we're in a hurry, we can't rush at this moment. The three of us have met, so let's discuss the Tao for a while. After our cultivation has improved, we can leave without delay. Otherwise, if our cultivation is too weak, I'm afraid the Three Pure Ones won't be pleased. Besides, you and I are already in the number one mountain under heaven, Mount Kunlun. If we haven't even toured this place, it would be laughable to talk about it later. And if we can find some spiritual treasures, that would add a bit of self-preservation power for us. Leaving is inevitable, but there's no need to rush at the moment. What do you think, fellow Taoist?"

  Nüwa's face turned red with shame, and she said: "Fellow Daoist, you are right. My brother and I have lived in seclusion for tens of thousands of years, and indeed our minds have become somewhat disordered. Please don't blame us."

  Zhuang Xiong said, "These two, Fuxi and Nüwa, are renowned great gods in legend, their intelligence must be at its peak. For tens of thousands of years, who knows how high their Dao has reached? Moreover, Fuxi is skilled in calculations and array methods, while Nüwa's legendary cultivation is the Dao of creation, they must have a deep understanding of the Heavenly Dao. Since we're going to swindle them, why not take something out? Among the three of us, I estimate my Dao is the lowest. If I go to the Three Purities and discuss the Dao with others, they'll probably think I'm just trying to take advantage of them and won't even bother with me. It's better to exchange ideas with Fuxi and Nüwa, after all, sharpening a knife doesn't hinder chopping firewood, and waiting for my Dao to improve before setting out isn't late." He smiled and said, "Where? I was trapped in the Unweek Mountain for countless years, and when I came out, I wasn't even clear-headed, doing a bunch of absurd things. I can understand Nüwa's feelings, fellow Daoist." He also said, "You and I are both transformed from this Unweek Mountain, from Pangu and the 3,000 gods and demons, we can be considered to have the same roots and origins, it shouldn't be so estranged."

  Nüwa took a closer look at Zhuangzi and giggled with her hand covering her mouth, "Brother, when you get serious like this, it really does seem to be the case."

  Fuxi watched the two of them chatting happily, his heart filled with melancholy and impatience. He walked over calmly and interrupted, "Yes, indeed, there's a hint of elegance to him, but no matter how you look at it, this face still can't shake off an air of foolishness. It seems that Brother Dao is truly a good person at heart."

  Zhuang Xiong's face turned green at that moment, and he cursed in his heart: "You're a dead sister control, scolding me for being stupid, and daring to say I'm a good person? You're the good person, your whole family is good people." However, Zhuang Xiong didn't want to ruin the rare conversation atmosphere either. He also understood that Fu Xi wouldn't know about the "good person" card's devastating effect in later generations. That sentence "You are a good person" was simply a must-kill for otaku, and many compatriots had shed tears because of those four words. Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but have an outburst at this time, so he let out a cold hum, glared fiercely at Fu Xi, and remained silent with a chilly face.

  Nüwa was speechless, and in her heart, she couldn't help but blame Fuxi a little. She said: "Brother, how can you say such things to Master Xiong? Master Xiong was born at the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, with vast knowledge and insight. If it weren't for his explanation today, my brother and I would still be unaware of how many detours we need to take. Master Xiong has great kindness towards us, shouldn't you hurry up and apologize to him?"

  Fu Xi's face was filled with reluctance, this dead bear had a foolish look on his face, born with a face that begged to be beaten. Apologizing to him was truly difficult. However, Fu Xi also knew that her sister made sense, Zhuang Xiong's words were unheard of and unseen, but upon careful consideration, they made perfect sense. These few sentences broadened the horizons of the two, pointed out the way, and saved them from many years of futile effort, truly helping them a great deal. Thus, with great reluctance, Fu Xi walked to Zhuang Xiong's side.

  Zhuang Xiong saw that Fu Xi was really going to apologize, how dare he not accept it? He quickly stepped forward to stop him and sincerely said: "Fu Xi Daoist friend, please don't be too polite. If you call me silly, then so be it. My true form is the Great Earth Bear, and I indeed have a bit of a silly air about me. This nickname 'Silly Bear Sister' is actually quite endearing when we're joking around. I really didn't take it to heart. However, those two words 'good person' are absolutely not to be said to me. Those two words are undoubtedly praise for others, but for me, they're like stabbing my heart with a knife."

  Fuxi and Nuwa exchanged a glance, feeling greatly astonished, and couldn't help but ask: "What is the reason for this?"

  Zhuang Xiong's face was filled with an awkward smile, and he lightly coughed twice before saying: "This... I think it's getting late, everyone should head back to wash up and get some rest. We'll have more energy for our tour of the mountains tomorrow. Everyone can also go back and organize their thoughts, and we can discuss philosophy while touring the mountains - isn't that wonderful? Goodnight, you two." As he spoke, he waited for a response from the duo before hastily retreating to his thatched hut and slamming the door shut with a loud "bang". Who would have thought that even in this desolate wilderness, being a good person could still be so detrimental? But it's not like he could say anything about it - it was better to just avoid the issue.

  Fuxi and Nüwa looked up at the sun, which was slightly westward, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. This bear fellow is indeed a wonderful person.

  Is this fellow speaking in praise of someone?