Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 146 Tu Junfang: I, this humble Taoist, will bear the consequences of past sins.

In the distance, the old Celestial Master walked slowly with Ding Shian and Lü Qian behind him. He held his ceremonial tablet horizontally in his hand, and his golden robe shone brightly and solemnly in the morning sun.

In the past, the ordinary man who laughed and cursed in the eyes of others seemed to be a celestial being descended from the heavens and a reincarnated master at this moment.

The old Celestial Master's every move was casual and natural; as his robes swayed, a serene and harmonious Taoist aura flowed and emanated.

Above his head, the radiant golden lotus crown remained unmoved by the wind, reflecting the colorful glow of the rising sun.

As you approach from a distance, the old Celestial Master's appearance becomes clearer, and his otherworldly aura grows stronger.

White hair and white eyebrows, wearing a golden robe, the red sun shines on the immortals.

Behind him, Lü Qian, dressed in a purple robe, and Ding Shian, dressed in a red robe, bowed their heads and followed closely behind the old Celestial Master, arriving before the crowd.

On the high platform forged from bones and flesh, Tu Junfang, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, opened them. He slowly rose from the bone stool and bowed to the three old celestial masters below according to Taoist etiquette.

"Gentlemen, I am Tu Junfang, a disciple of the Three Demonic Sects of Taoism, and I have also served as one of the Three Corpses of Quanxing."

After the ceremony, Tu Junfang, under the scrutiny of the crowd, waved his robe sleeves in the morning sun, and his red, black, and purple Taoist robes fluttered in the wind on the high platform.

The three-colored Taoist robe, now bathed in sunlight, had lost its malevolent aura from the previous night. In the golden sunlight, the three colors complemented each other, exuding a serene and naturally noble air.

Tu Junfang calmly looked at the diverse crowd below, "Today, I, Tu Junfang, hereby invite the Celestial Master to witness, and I also ask all of you to witness, that I, Tu Junfang, hereby withdraw from the Quanxing Sect!"

"From now on, there will be no Quanxing [Three Corpses], only Tu Junfang of the Three Demons Sect."

After speaking, he bowed to the crowd below and sat down again on the bone platform.

The stark white bones and dripping flesh beneath him no longer appeared terrifying against the backdrop of the Taoist's serene face.

Under the morning sun, it seemed as if the bones were shining and the flesh was decaying, making Tu Junfang on the high platform appear even more serene and natural, like an enlightened immortal.

"If you want to leave Quanxing, there are only two paths. Let me ask on behalf of everyone."

Among the ten elders who seemed to be there as mere background figures, Mu You from Jianghu Xiaozhan stepped forward, holding a folding fan in his hand, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Tu Junfang on the high platform.

"Tu Junfang, are you going to walk the path of having everyone witness your actions and settling your karmic debts?"

Jianghu Xiaozhan makes a living by buying and selling information and killing people for hire, so it naturally needs to present a neutral and upright image in the world of supernatural beings.

Therefore, Xiaozhan is often asked by various parties to help as an objective witness and notary.

Even now, for Tu Junfang's performance at the Celestial Master's Mansion, Xiao Zhan still needs to come down to maintain order, so as to ensure the fairness of the ceremony in the eyes of the supernatural world.

"yes!"

On the high platform, Tu Junfang's calm voice carried across the entire area with the mountain breeze, while the Taoist's cheerful and carefree voice gradually rose in pitch, his tone devoid of joy or sorrow.

"When I first became obsessed with demonic things, I entered the Quanxing sect, which brought me immense karmic burdens and tarnished the reputation and tradition of the Three Demonic Sects."

"I am here now, awaiting your arrival to settle your karmic debts!"

The deafening sound resounded throughout the entire venue and echoed between heaven and earth, allowing everyone to witness the Taoist's determination.

Mu You unfolded his folding fan and said in a deep voice, "Alright!"

"According to the rules, anyone can participate in Tu Junfang's withdrawal ceremony within seven days, starting from this moment."

At this point, the bald, easy-going middle-aged man turned serious and scanned everyone present. "Any past karmic debts can be settled during this time."

"Master, what do you think?"

After speaking, Mu You turned and gestured to the old Celestial Master, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, perfectly embodying the image of an upright and incorruptible notary.

"Naturally, fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; only self-reflection will suffice."

The old celestial master nodded, holding his clapper, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful. "The karmic debts that Tu Junfang has incurred must be repaid by himself."

"On behalf of the Celestial Master's Mansion, I am here to witness the resurgence of the Taoist branch, the Three Demonic Sects. Naturally, I will not interfere in the personal grudges between you."

Upon hearing this, Mu You nodded and continued singing the play in cooperation with the old master. He then turned around and looked at everyone again.

"Alright, everyone, have you heard me clearly? Now, the ceremony for Tu Junfang's withdrawal from Quanxing officially begins!"

As Mu You's words spread in all directions, the crowd below the platform began to whisper among themselves.

"Senior brother, Tu Junfang has harmed many fellow disciples. Should we go up against him?"

"No, the scale is too grand; it's not something we disciples and juniors should get involved in."

The speaker glanced at the senior figures standing behind the platform, a flash of anger and hatred crossing his eyes. "Moreover, the Three Corpses' methods are strange and must be guarded against."

"Notify the senior members of the sect to bring over the fellow disciple who is afflicted by the Three Corpses."

"Since Tu Junfang wants to take the path of righteousness, then we should naturally use righteousness to overpower him as well."

"Being afflicted by three corpses and reduced to a cripple, the suffering he endures is not something that can be easily overlooked. Tu Junfang's desire to peacefully withdraw from Quanxing is impossible!"

"When the time comes, all sides will bring their persecuted disciples. Even if it's within the Celestial Master's Mansion, Tu Junfang will definitely give us an explanation!"

"good!"

The crowd was bustling, and many people began to use various means to contact the sects behind them.

Ultimately, Tu Junfang's reputation as the "Three Corpses" within the Quanxing sect was not for nothing.

Just as Liu Xingyang of Baiyun Temple said that day, in recent years he has become more and more unrestrained in his actions, truly no different from the sorcerers of Quanxing, and naturally he has also incurred a lot of debts to repay.

As Tu Junfang sat atop the bone tower, he looked down at the various gazes below—some filled with admiration, others with disgust, and still others with hatred...

The world is full of diverse people and human nature is multifaceted, but I have only one heart and only one path.

Settle the past karma and usher in a new life!

On the high platform, Tu Junfang's aura became increasingly smooth and natural, and the tranquility emanating from within became even more natural.

"Fellow Daoist Tu is proving the Dao."

Below, Lü Qian, holding a whisk, looked at Tu Junfang as if sensing something, and then smiled and waved the whisk.

Ding Shian also looked up at Tu Junfang, "He is also facing his own life-or-death crisis."

"If you cross that threshold, the natural path leads to heaven; if you cannot, there is no regret, only goodness!"

"You young people, you're all so fancy at having fun, you know how to do it much better than we old folks did back in the day."

The old celestial master held the wooden clapper in his left hand and stroked his beard with his right, nodding approvingly. "It all depends on whether Tu Junfang has the good fortune."

"Oh, someone has already found us so quickly? Well, it's good to finish early so we can start today's Luo Tian Grand Ceremony competition."

The three looked across the platform, where a group of menacing-looking people emerged from the crowd.

Two elderly men led the way, accompanied by three emaciated disciples bound in chains, and went straight to the foot of the high platform.

"Tu Junfang, we don't care if you want to leave Quanxing, but the three corpses of my disciples are caused by you. You either get rid of them, or you can forget about escaping this karmic debt."

Of the two old men, the one in front clasped his hands together and shouted at Tu Junfang above.

"That's just how it is."

On the high platform, Tu Junfang's voice rang out again, followed by three wisps of almost ethereal blue smoke and white mist drifting out from his body.

Three wisps of mist, pale as ink and like smoke, or like drifting clouds, formless and intangible, floated down from the high platform, swirling around the three bound youths.

"Whoosh—"

The swirling mist transformed into three gigantic mouths in the blink of an eye, devouring the three before passing right through them. In that instant, the ethereal mist became filthy again.

Amidst the pale ink-colored clouds and mist, vibrant ink hues rose, as if three streams of ink had been splashed onto the clouds, staining a corner of the mist.

"Fellow Daoist Tu is truly a man of great courage. He is devouring the three corpses of others, comprehending the three poisons of others, and experiencing the greed, anger, and ignorance of others."

Lu Qian's eyes widened slightly upon seeing this, surprised by Tu Junfang's actions. "He's using someone else's three corpses to hone himself."

"But after so many cycles of reincarnation, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Tu will still be able to stay true to his original aspirations and see through the myriad aspects of the mortal world."

Tu Junfang's method is very similar to the concept of reincarnation in a single thought and enlightenment through a hundred lifetimes as described in the scriptures.

By constantly experiencing the myriad transformations of the mortal world and thereby tempering one's Dao heart, one can attain a perfect and clear Dao heart.

However, this method is extremely dangerous, as a person's life is somewhat insignificant, and the path of reincarnation is far too long.

If I try to navigate the mortal world with my own heart, I might easily forget myself and become lost in it.

"I have already eliminated their three evil spirits. As long as they no longer give rise to greed, anger, and ignorance, and the three evil spirits no longer manifest and disturb them, what happens to them afterward is none of my concern."

On the high platform, Tu Junfang was surrounded by the dark inky clouds that had been withdrawn. He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his voice as steady as ever.

"Moreover, having gone through the tribulations of the Three Corpses, your disciples' character should have improved, and their cultivation during this period will be twice as effective."

"Alright, I'll wait here."

Seeing the calm looks in the eyes of the three disciples, the two elders didn't hesitate and led their disciples to the side.

"Is there anyone else? This humble Taoist priest awaits you here!"

In an instant, Tu Junfang opened his eyes, his gaze calm and undisturbed. After a ripple passed through his eyes, his gaze became even more profound and distant.

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Chapter One!

One-quarter of 10,000 words, still three-quarters short.

Using my heart to cross the mortal world, this is Tu Junfang's method of enlightenment.

I'm asking for a gift!