Chapter 25

Hearing the Six Senses finally couldn't help but ask himself why he didn't ask what was on the other side of the fence, Tang Xiaojiu glared, suddenly remembering that the other party was inside his body. Glaring wouldn't do any good, so he gave up and said irritably, "Can't you just finish what you have to say in one breath? Do you really have to wait for me to ask a question before you answer, to get your kicks?"

Six Senses couldn't help but laugh and said, "Tang Xiaojiu, I have parasitized over thirty hosts, from wild beasts in the deep mountains to all sorts of monsters and ordinary people who don't practice cultivation. Among all of them, you are the most interesting, and you happen to be the one I'm looking for. This is the best outcome."

Six Senses was always calm and composed, with little extra emotion. It was the first time Tang Xiaojiu had heard him laugh. He raised his hands to the sky and drawled, "Thank you for your high regard. You've even parasitized animals? So you've done everything, been a monster, and been a beast!" He was still angry with Six Senses and seized the opportunity to mock him.

But Six Senses didn't care at all and said, "Ha, you think calling me a beast is an insult, right? But do you know? Everyone in this world has gone through countless cycles of reincarnation. Some were humans in their past lives and are beasts in this life. Some are beasts in this life and will be humans in the next. It's not just one lifetime as a beast; there are many who have been beasts for lifetimes. Being a beast isn't that unusual."

Tang Xiaojiu was taken aback. He didn't know how to refute this and changed the subject, "Enough talk. Tell me about the other side of the fence."

Six Senses said, "Before I tell you, I have a question. Before you met the snake demon I controlled, had you ever seen a demon?"

"Everyone I've seen is human; you're the demon," Tang Xiaojiu thought, but then he remembered that Lai Liqi and Puguang the fat monk were not much better than the snake demon. Thinking of this, he recalled Lu Zheng, who was killed by the demon, and remained silent.

Seeing his silence, Six Senses guessed his thoughts and said, "Heh, you think I killed your companion, so you're not talking to me? Actually, you're wrong. The one who killed your companion was the snake demon, not me. When I separated from the snake demon, I destroyed his spirit as a side effect. In a way, I avenged you!"

Tang Xiaojiu said coldly, "Save your lies for the ghosts. The mud in your pants, is it all shit? The snake demon was under your control, so how can you say it's not your fault? Don't tell me you didn't erase his consciousness and are just like you are now, inside my body!"

Six Senses suddenly sighed and said, "Tang Xiaojiu, I am not human. I told you before that the pearl I inhabit is called the Six Senses Pearl, and I am a divine thought left in it by someone a thousand years ago."

Tang Xiaojiu shook his head and said, "I don't understand."

Six Senses said, "Just listen for now. You'll understand later. At first, the Six Senses Pearl contained only a divine thought, which had several tasks to complete. The first task, as you know, was to find you. This divine thought can remain in the Six Senses Pearl without dissipating, but it's difficult to complete the tasks. So, the divine thought had to drive the Six Senses Pearl to parasitize others, using their bodies to complete the tasks."

Tang Xiaojiu interrupted, "So, it's like if I want to eat meat, it's just a thought, but to actually eat meat, I need my hands. You're the thought of wanting to eat meat, but you're stored in a pearl, and to actually eat meat, you need to find a hand!"

Six Senses, though the analogy was crude, found it somewhat adequate and said, "That's not a bad way to put it. As long as you understand the meaning. I don't remember the first host the Six Senses Pearl found, as I didn't exist then."

Tang Xiaojiu said, "What do you mean you didn't exist? Aren't you that divine thought?"

Six Senses said, "At first, it was just the divine thought, but over time, I somehow came into being. I am the divine thought, but I am more than just the divine thought. The tasks the divine thought has to complete are what I must do. Do you understand? It's a bit complicated, even for me, so it's okay if you don't understand."

Tang Xiaojiu laughed, "What's there to not understand? Do you think I'm as stupid as you? No matter who is who, it's like the divine thought is your father, and you are the son of the divine thought. Your father gave you several tasks, and you have to do them!"

Six Senses was taken aback by Tang Xiaojiu's quick thinking and said, "Hmm, you have a point. So, after I came into being, I first parasitized a wolf, but the wolf died of old age before becoming a demon. Then I found another dying demon and saved him, and started looking for you. Eventually, the demon was killed by a human, and I had to find another host..."

"...After many twists and turns, I ended up in the snake demon. At that time, he was just a small snake, but a unique one. With my help, he cultivated into a demon. You were right; I didn't erase his consciousness. To be honest, I can't erase anyone's consciousness. I can only take control when they are weak, just like now with you. I only take control when the host requests it or when their consciousness is very weak, like in a dream."

"The snake demon only let me take control when he was in great danger, to use some spells he couldn't. After he successfully condensed his inner pearl, his power increased, and his consciousness became a spirit. Even in his sleep, I couldn't take control. But the snake demon kept his promise and, after transforming into a human, came to the human world to help me find you. And he did find you!"

Tang Xiaojiu hesitated, "So, Lu Zheng wasn't really killed by you?"

Six Senses said, "Yes, your companion was hit by the snake demon's poison mist. I was just dormant inside him at the time. I only woke up when I saw you. Your companion, once hit by the poison mist, had little chance of survival. The monk, though a high priest of White Tiger Temple, couldn't treat that kind of poison. Of course, the monk who fought later was the snake demon."

"You don't know, but the monk's Vajra power is famous. The snake demon was beaten and sealed with a Vajra Seal. That's when he had to ask for my help to break the seal and use you to threaten the monk to escape. You might remember, the snake demon's eyes were red, but when I took control, they turned blue."

Actually, the snake demon's poison was fierce, but not that deadly. It was related to the Six Senses Pearl, which he wouldn't admit.

Tang Xiaojiu, hearing this, jumped up in anger, "So, the one who broke my ribs wasn't you, but the one who broke my hands was you!"

Six Senses said indifferently, "So what? In that situation, we couldn't escape without that move. The monk's power was too high. The snake demon couldn't withstand a full-strength Vajra Fist. Besides, I used my power to heal your bones. I knew the snake demon was useless, so I used his life force to heal you. Otherwise, your arms wouldn't have recovered so quickly!"

Tang Xiaojiu was furious but also remembered that the first time the snake demon saw him, his red eyes turned blue and looked at him as if he knew him. Later, during the fight with the monk, the snake demon's eyes turned red again, and when he broke free from the monk's seal, his eyes turned blue again, matching what Six Senses said.

Despite this, Tang Xiaojiu still had doubts about Six Senses' words. These were just Six Senses' words, and he suspected that Six Senses was leaving something out about Lu Zheng's death. He decided to keep it in mind for now and asked, "You said the monk is from White Tiger Temple? What kind of temple is that? I've never heard of it, only Green Dragon Temple!"

Six Senses said, "White Tiger Temple is not in the human world but in the cultivation realm on the other side of the fence. It's one of the ten temples of the Buddhist sect. Of course, you haven't heard of it. That's why I asked you about your first encounter with a demon. You always interrupt. I ask you, have you ever thought about where the snake demon came from?"

Tang Xiaojiu asked, "A demon? Isn't it just born from a demon's mother?"

Six Senses said, "You're wrong. Demons are not born from demons but are cultivated from animals. It's like humans can cultivate to become immortals or buddhas! The place I'm taking you to is where all beings cultivate, on the other side of the fence."

Hearing this, Tang Xiaojiu didn't pay much attention to the fence but gasped and asked, "You mean, there are really immortals and buddhas in this world?" He thought to himself, "Why don't those damn immortals and buddhas use lightning to strike you, you rotten pearl?"

Six Senses said, "Since you've seen demons, why don't you believe in the existence of immortals and buddhas?"

Tang Xiaojiu slapped his left leg hard, thinking that if he could become an immortal, it would be much more impressive than being a general! Though smart, he was still a young boy. After the initial shock of seeing a demon, his fear gradually turned into curiosity.

The slap was quite hard, and Tang Xiaojiu winced in pain. Six Senses chuckled, "Foolish boy, do you think I'm in charge of the left side, so you won't feel pain? If you keep this up, you'll suffer."

Tang Xiaojiu smiled flatteringly, "Of course not. I just want to ask, can someone like me cultivate to become an immortal or a buddha?"

Six Senses said, "In thousands of years, only the Buddha has cultivated to become a buddha, and only the Daoist has cultivated to become an immortal."

Tang Xiaojiu deflated, "Then why should I bother cultivating!"

Six Senses said, "Fool, who says cultivation must lead to immortality or buddhahood? Cultivating great powers, moving mountains and filling seas, being free from the constraints of heaven and earth, living as long as the heavens, and ruling over all beings—wouldn't that be great?"

Tang Xiaojiu was captivated and said, "That sounds a thousand times better than becoming an immortal or a buddha!"

Six Senses said, "If you want that, why not follow me to that place?"

Tang Xiaojiu asked, "The place on the other side of the fence? What's the fence? Six Senses, where are you really taking me?"

Six Senses firmly said, "Cut-off Compassion Mountain!"

Hearing this name, Tang Xiaojiu felt a strange sensation. His heart stirred with a sense of familiarity in his unfamiliar memories. It was as if a path appeared before him, and he felt that this path led not to his own destination but to Six Senses'.

He was wary of Six Senses, who was only a voice, but deep down, he felt a complex, indescribable feeling that made him trust every word Six Senses said, from the bottom of his heart. This implicit, uncontrollable trust also made him feel an unprecedented worry.

He repeated "Cut-off Compassion Mountain" twice, suddenly remembering when he told Lu Zheng they would wander the world. He didn't know where they were going, but he had the courage to leave Green Dragon Temple and the dilapidated temple. Now, knowing his next destination, he found himself missing Green Dragon Temple and the small, broken temple, realizing that with a destination, he had somehow lost the courage to go.

But whether he had the courage or not, he was already on this involuntary path and had to continue. Tang Xiaojiu thought of Lu Zheng and realized that he had always thought he was protecting Lu Zheng, but now he understood that only when protecting Lu Zheng did he feel safe. Lu Zheng gave him all his meaning. Now that Lu Zheng was in another world, he felt an unprecedented loneliness. He silently repeated Lu Zheng's name many times and then firmly pushed it to the deepest part of his memory, never to think of it again.

His next destination was Cut-off Compassion Mountain!