549: The identity of the mysterious old man

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "In this world, I fear there are few who still recognize this old man! To think you could actually know who I am?"

"Based on the couplet on both sides of your fortune-telling stall and your profound wisdom, I could already make a rough guess!" Tang Ku was about to reveal the old man's identity when the old man waved his hand to interrupt him.

"It is enough that you know in your heart; there is no need to say it out loud!"

The old man laughed, "As long as you remember your original intention, to save the collapsing building, and to ensure the Human Race is not invaded by external evils, that is enough. You do not need to remember who I am, do you understand?"

Tang Ku thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

He bowed deeply to the old man, then turned and left with Wu Zhen.

"Master, who exactly is this old man? Why is he worthy of you being so polite to him?"

Wu Zhen asked, full of curiosity.

"Did you see the couplet on either side of his stall?" Tang Ku asked with a smile.

Wu Zhen recalled for a moment, then murmured, "It read: [Sleeve Universe is vast, the sun and moon within the pot are long]. I only know that Sleeve Universe is a Divine Ability you have used, but where does the sun and moon come from inside the pot?"

"The so-called 'Sleeve Universe is vast' means knowing the past and future, encompassing everything; 'the sun and moon within the pot are long' means that even in a tiny space, one can see the sun and moon of heaven and earth, possessing the art of immortality!"

Tang Ku smiled, "This person is truly remarkable!"

"He's just a Mortal, not even an immortal or a god, how can he be worthy of that!" Wu Zhen said curiously, "Isn't this just a toad yawning, just bragging?"

"Heh, it's actually not bragging!" Tang Ku narrowed his eyes and said, "If you think carefully about this person's reputation, you should have heard of it... Have you ever heard the proverb: 'Jiang Ziya is here, let all gods retreat'?"

Wu Zhen was startled, "I heard people in the Central Plains talk about it long ago. This Jiang Ziya is an incredible figure. Although he was a Mortal, he eventually conferred titles upon the gods, and the immortals and gods in heaven all..."

Halfway through, she suddenly looked at Tang Ku with a shocked expression, "Master, you mean he is... he is..."

"Jiang Ziya's real name is Lü Shang, also called Lü Wang, and those who respect him call him Taigong Wang..." Tang Ku smiled, "Do you remember what he told me to call him?"

"He said to call him Lü Taigong..." Wu Zhen exclaimed, "Is he really Jiang Ziya?"

"Sleeve Universe is vast, the sun and moon within the pot are long—this was the couplet he used when he was fortune-telling in Zhaoge City back then!" Tang Ku looked at the Heavenly Dao, "That was a long time ago!"

"Then he is here to..." Wu Zhen seemed to understand something and couldn't help but say, "Wait for you specifically?"

"Correct!" Tang Ku said, "He was afraid that I would forget my original intention. Once someone like me falls into the Demonic Path, it would be a disaster for the entire human world. The old man possesses a compassionate heart, and his purpose was to admonish me; it is truly great kindness and love. Hmm, but what he doesn't know is that, with my abilities and state of mind, Qi Deviation is basically impossible. After we discussed it, he understood this point. As for what comes next, he will not interfere; he will only watch me silently as I do it!"

Wu Zhen said, "With your power, even if you really fell into the Demonic Path, what could he do? He wouldn't be able to interfere!"

Tang Ku smiled, "Don't think of him so simply. If I fell into the Demonic Path, he would have a hundred ways to make me wish I were dead, and he might even be able to pull me out of the Demonic Path!"

"You're exaggerating a bit!" Wu Zhen scoffed, "I admit his divination skills might be very powerful, but as a mere Mortal, how could he possibly deal with a True Buddha?"

"Have you ever thought about how he, a mere Mortal, escaped from the power that destroyed the Heavenly Court?" Tang Ku narrowed his eyes, "Don't forget, that power almost completely wiped out the active forces of the Heavenly Court. How could a Mortal survive in such a situation, and looking at him, it seems he has lived quite well!"

"Perhaps, perhaps like Erlang Shen, he wasn't there when the Heavenly Court was destroyed. Isn't it said that Jiang Ziya could only enjoy worldly wealth and could not achieve Immortal Ascension?" Wu Zhen said in a deep voice.

"As far as I know, he protected the Zhou Dynasty for eight hundred and eight years. Based on this Karma alone, it would be enough for him to achieve Ascension. And I don't think the people who destroyed the Heavenly Court would be unaware of his name. Given his ability, the enemy would definitely want to get rid of him quickly. Yet, he had the leisure to come to Baoxiang Kingdom to open a fortune-telling stall? And judging by the time he opened the stall, it was before the Heavenly Court was destroyed. Thinking about it carefully, he knew long ago that the Heavenly Court would disappear! And is such a major event something a Mortal could calculate?"

The higher the level involved in future events, the harder they are to calculate; this is well-known in the divination world. The stronger one's magic power, the more detailed the calculations can be.

As a mere Mortal, how could Jiang Ziya achieve this?

"Did you see the purple Qi on him?" Seeing Wu Zhen thinking hard, Tang Ku couldn't help but remind her.

"I saw it. It's much thicker than the purple Qi on old man Wei Zheng... Hmm, no, that's not right. The purple Qi on Wei Zheng is like a firefly, while his is like the sun... They simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath!" Wu Zhen said.

"Purple Qi is the aura of a sage as described in Confucianism, just like when Laozi left Hangu Pass, the purple Qi came from the east for three thousand miles!" Tang Ku said in a deep voice, "Those who seek the Dao do not necessarily have the aura of a sage, but those who seek the Dao and possess the aura of a sage will invariably become Saints of great virtue and wisdom! Like the Master of Heaven, Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Lord, and that Yahweh from the West... they are all seekers of the Dao who possess purple Qi."

"You mean to say, he has the potential of a Saint?" Wu Zhen exclaimed, "How is that possible?"

Tang Ku smiled and stroked her head, "If one day you fully comprehend the Buddha Dharma, you will also have the chance to become a Saint. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?"

"I'll pass. What's so good about becoming a Saint? Being pure-hearted and having few desires isn't as fun as being an ordinary person in the human world!" Wu Zhen laughed, "Master, look, that Princess is coming. Giggle, your luck with women is quite good during your scripture-seeking journey; it's either a princess or a queen."

"You forgot to mention all those female demons who all want to use my primordial yang to achieve immortality!" Tang Ku rolled his eyes, "I only saved this Princess once. It's normal for her to have a good impression of me, but she really isn't my type!"

The Master and disciple teased each other. Over there, Princess Baihuaxiu had already arrived in front of them, escorted by a group of guards. The Princess said to Tang Ku, "The Holy Monk actually came to find this old immortal. Did you know who he was long ago?"

Tang Ku smiled, "Not only did I know, but I also know his background and origins. Hmm, let me give you a piece of advice: absolutely, absolutely do not offend him! But don't take him too seriously either. Just treat him like an ordinary fortune-teller on a daily basis!"

The Princess seemed to understand but was still a bit confused. Tang Ku laughed, "With him here, I guarantee your Baoxiang Kingdom will last for several hundred years without declining. You just need to remember that, and that is enough!"