Chapter 281: The Master, Gu An

Chapter 281 The Master, Gu An

Two years had passed since Li Ya and Zhang Bukui last met.

During those two years, the seas remained turbulent, with countless cultivators and demons venturing into the Severed Sea Rift. The battles there never ceased—some found opportunities to break through, while others fell with regret.

Meanwhile, the Taixuan Sect was relatively peaceful, with most disciples focused on their cultivation. Medicine Valley was even calmer, its days passing in tranquility.

On this particular day, Gu An arrived early at Xuan Valley, waiting for someone’s arrival.

Around noon, a black-clad Li Ya descended from the sky, landing beneath the pavilion. This time, he did not climb through the window. Instead, he stood below, gazing at Gu An’s window for a long time without saying a word or taking a step forward.

Lying on the ground nearby, the Blood Prison Great Saint looked at him with a strange expression.

The Blood Prison Great Saint could sense Li Ya’s deep sorrow—his whole being seemed lost and broken.

“Senior Brother Li, what brings you here?”

Lu Jiu Jia approached quickly, his voice filled with pleasant surprise.

Li Ya snapped out of his daze and looked at him, forcing a smile. “I came to see your Senior Brother Gu.”

“He’s upstairs. He doesn’t spend much time in Xuan Valley on most days, but he’s been here all morning today—turns out he was waiting for you.” Lu Jiu Jia sighed.

He could tell something was off about Li Ya, which was why he said what he did.

Li Ya nodded and headed upstairs.

On the second floor, he pushed the door open.

Gu An, seated in his chair, set down

The Secrets of Taixuan

and looked up, surprised. “Senior Brother Li, what brings you here?”

As Li Ya looked at Gu An, his eyes instantly turned red. He closed the door behind him, walked to the table, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth.

Gu An’s smile faded. He tensed up and asked, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Li Ya couldn’t meet Gu An’s gaze because Zhang Bukui had once told him that Gu An was his only elder.

“Zhang Bukui…” Li Ya struggled to speak.

“What about him?”

Gu An shot up from his seat.

Taking a deep breath, Li Ya recounted what had happened to Zhang Bukui.

After hearing it, Gu An collapsed back into his chair, his entire demeanor drained and lifeless. Seeing him like this only made Li Ya feel worse.

“Wait—you said he turned into a Divine Anomaly Wraith? That means… he’s still alive, isn’t he?” Gu An suddenly thought of something and quickly asked.

Li Ya hesitated before replying, “He is, but after becoming a Divine Anomaly Wraith, he’s no longer himself. He’ll turn into a monster that devours the living, forever trapped…”

Gu An pressed, “Did you see him do that?”

Li Ya froze, looking at him.

Gu An’s expression grew calm. “Bukui had a hard life. He was born with demon blood, rejected by both humans and demons, yet he survived all that. Why wouldn’t he be able to survive this time?”

“But…”

“Senior Brother, this isn’t your fault. He chose to enter the Severed Sea Rift himself. Don’t burden yourself with guilt. Besides, I truly believe he can make it through.”

“Gu Junior Brother, I…”

“Look at you. If Bukui saw you like this, he’d definitely laugh at you. You two are brothers who have faced life and death together. Are you planning to die with him? You have to believe in him. He’ll find a way out. If you don’t cultivate properly, he might surpass you. Throughout history, great misfortunes have always led to great blessings. Don’t underestimate him.”

Gu An smiled, his face showing a hint of anticipation.

Li Ya knew Gu An was trying to comfort him, but he couldn’t help wondering—what if Zhang Bukui really did survive?

Gu An had him sit down and asked about his experiences over the past few years.

Li Ya started talking about his life, and Gu An occasionally interrupted with questions. The more he spoke, the more ashamed Li Ya felt.

Zhang Bukui was dead. The pain in Gu An’s heart was surely no less than his own—perhaps even worse, since he also carried Zhang Chunqiu’s legacy.

And yet, despite his own grief, Gu An was still comforting him.

At some point, the Divine Anomaly Spirit silently appeared on Li Ya’s shoulder. It blinked at Gu An, but Li Ya didn’t notice.

The two of them talked for a long time.

By dusk, Li Ya stood up, looking at Gu An. “I came back just to tell you this. Thank you, Junior Brother Gu. I won’t give up hope. I’ll cultivate even harder, and one day, I’ll rescue Zhang Bukui!”

His expression was resolute, his eyes burning with determination.

Gu An, of course, encouraged him.

With that, Li Ya left. This time, he didn’t climb out the window but walked downstairs. Gu An didn’t see him off.

At the bottom of the stairs, Li Ya stopped before the Blood Prison Great Saint. He turned to look at the demon bull and said, “Ox-Head, I swear—I won’t let those I care about fall into danger again. And your master… I’ll protect him too.”

With that, he leaped into the air and disappeared beyond the horizon.

The Blood Prison Great Saint rolled his eyes. “This guy’s got issues. Who’s protecting who here? And why’s he telling me? Am I his dad?”

A month after Li Ya left, another person returned.

It was Shen Xinzi.

He walked toward the Third Medicine Valley.

At the valley’s entrance, he stood still for a moment, gazing at the peaceful scene—people sweeping, watering the soil, playing chess, painting, and children chasing each other.

Everything looked so harmonious.

For some reason, being back here made Shen Xinzi feel an inexplicable sense of relief, and the gloom in his heart faded significantly.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the valley.

Soon, he spotted You Yingying, and she saw him too. Instinctively, she tried to avoid him, but he transmitted his voice to her, stopping her in her tracks.

Shen Xinzi approached with a solemn expression.

You Yingying asked nervously, “What do you want? I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Closing his eyes, Shen Xinzi chanted, “Amitabha. Benefactor, I have come to apologize. I was too reckless and stubborn before. Anyone in this world may judge you—but I am the one person who should not. I am sorry. I will not trouble you again.”

He pressed his palms together and bowed.

You Yingying froze, utterly confused.

Before she could ask anything, Shen Xinzi turned and left.

She watched his retreating figure, muttering to herself, “What did he go through these past years? He looks like he’s been through hell.”

She had always feared Shen Xinzi, but after hearing his words, she felt an unexpected pang of sympathy instead of relief.

Shaking her head, she decided not to dwell on it.

Either way, it was best to stay away from that monk—who knew when he’d go crazy again?

Shen Xinzi walked to the chess-playing area, where dozens of people had gathered.

Gu An arrived as well. They exchanged nods in silent greeting before standing at the back, watching the game.

Suddenly, Shen Xinzi glanced at Gu An and took a step closer, speaking in a low voice. “Valley Master, may I have a private word with you?”

Gu An looked at him before nodding.

“Let’s talk in my room,” Gu An said.

Shen Xinzi had once sacrificed himself to save Li Ya and an entire city, which had changed Gu An’s perception of him.

This monk was stubborn, but when faced with a crisis, he truly acted. His heart was with the people, not just his words.

Nearby, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord noticed them and smirked, turning his attention back to the game. “Your chess is worse than a village kid’s! No—worse than that demon bull’s!”

Hearing this, the Blood Prison Great Saint fumed but held back.

After all, Gu An had told him that the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord was an immortal hiding his true strength.

“Keep playing, then. I hope you never train again. One day, I’ll unleash my full power and make you my mount!” the demon bull muttered to himself, suddenly feeling quite satisfied with the thought.

Meanwhile, Gu An led Shen Xinzi upstairs.

As Shen Xinzi closed the door behind them, Gu An brewed tea.

Looking around, Shen Xinzi noticed a familiar book among the many in the room—

Journey to the West.

Seeing that, he immediately felt a greater sense of goodwill toward Gu An.

Gu An placed a cup of hot tea in front of him and smiled. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Shen Xinzi took a deep breath and said, “Benefactor, it is like this—I have a friend who has always despised evil and spent his life subduing demons and protecting the innocent. But one day, he discovered that he himself was a reincarnation of a demon. What do you think he should do?”

Oh, wow.

The classic

‘I have a friend’

move.

Gu An pondered for a moment before responding, “Does one’s past life truly matter that much? Are there sins so great that even reincarnation cannot wash them away? If he just continues to walk the path he believes in, won’t that be enough?”

“But he really

is

a demon…”

“So what? Are demons inherently evil? Are humans inherently good? Do you plan to abandon this friend of yours? If that’s the case, I must say, you monks claim to see through worldly illusions, but you sure are getting caught up in them.”

Gu An’s tone turned critical.

The moment Shen Xinzi brought up this topic, Gu An’s

love for lecturing

was instantly activated!

Shen Xinzi wasn’t offended—on the contrary, he listened carefully.

Gu An was, after all, someone who had invented

Go

—his insight was naturally profound. Shen Xinzi had spoken with him before and felt that his views on life were incredibly open-minded. In terms of worldly understanding, Gu An was certainly more enlightened than he was.

After all, cultivation wasn’t just about improving one’s strength—it was also about

comprehending

the world.

Gu An continued speaking at length, fully indulging in his role as a teacher.

By the time he finished, he felt utterly refreshed.

Whether Shen Xinzi actually absorbed any of it didn’t matter—what mattered was that

he

had thoroughly enjoyed lecturing!

Shen Xinzi fell into deep thought and muttered, “Can one truly become a Buddha just by putting down the blade?”

Gu An rolled his eyes. “Of course not. That’s just nonsense. Sins need to be washed away through merit and good deeds. Besides, your so-called ‘friend’ hasn’t even

done

anything evil in this life, has he? In fact, he’s saved a lot of people, hasn’t he?”

Shen Xinzi nodded, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing.

He fell silent, digesting Gu An’s words.

Gu An didn’t interrupt and simply picked up a book to read.

The room was quiet for half an hour.

Eventually, Shen Xinzi stood up and bowed deeply. “Amitabha. Thank you, Benefactor, for enlightening me.”

Gu An waved a hand dismissively. “No need for thanks. If you

really

want to show gratitude, then take some time to guide the disciples here in their cultivation.”

Shen Xinzi didn’t refuse. He couldn’t help but feel that Gu An was truly a

man of wisdom

—always considering others before himself.

He then asked, “Benefactor, I noticed that you have many books in this room. Could you recommend one for me?”

Gu An glanced around, contemplating.

Shen Xinzi pointed at the book in Gu An’s hands. “How about the one you’re reading now?”

Gu An’s expression immediately changed. He swiftly closed the book, holding it tightly. “Not this one!”