অধ্যায় ১৩৬: ভিক্ষাবৃত্তিতে আসক্ত准提 (তৃতীয় পর্ব হাজির!)

looked at his own fat and cowardly Maitreya, and then thought of Guangchengzi, who was tall, elegant, and conversing eloquently with him and his senior brother at that time. Zhunti sighed helplessly.

Was there something wrong with his senior brother's taste?

Senior brother, are you sure that this person in front of me, who looks more like a simpleton than a cultivator, is the future answer for the West?

At this moment, Maitreya's round head raised slightly. Seeing Zhunti's tangled expression, he quickly lowered his head again.

Then, he pulled a fruit out of his pocket and began to nibble on it stealthily.

Zhunti was merely contemplating his senior brother's taste, or rather, questioning whether his senior brother's chief disciple could shoulder the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the West.

After thinking for a while without any result, he turned his head to look at Maitreya, and instantly, Zhunti was almost moved to laughter of exasperation!

You just finished getting beaten and you are already eating?

Should I call you broad-minded and carefree, or just heartless and brainless?

However, Zhunti also wanted to try to understand what was going on in the little head of his senior brother's chief disciple.

"Is it delicious?"

"Delicious, it's just a bit hard to find."

When Maitreya ate, his expression and actions were filled with such piety! It was as if he was worshipping a bodhisattva—so sacred that it couldn't be more sacred. If only he hadn't chewed with such loud, crunchy sounds, it would have been even better.

Maitreya was also lost in eating and answered Zhunti's question subconsciously. Only after casually replying did he suddenly realize that something seemed a bit wrong?

Looking up, he met Zhunti's forced, amicable smile.

"Maitreya, why are you so gluttonous?"

Seeing that Maitreya was still relentlessly obsessed with eating even after taking a beating, Zhunti's curiosity was piqued. He simply sat down next to Maitreya and started chatting with him.

"Second Uncle, in this world, in my opinion, eating is the only true eternity."

As soon as this topic came up, Maitreya was not sleepy at all!

"Living beings multiply, beasts devour one another, and even we need to absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth to maintain our Dao bodies and practice cultivation. Therefore, eating is an inescapable knot in our long journey of cultivation."

"Those living creatures and plants that Second Uncle moved over, they also multiply and devour each other. So, they are allowed to eat, but I am not allowed?"

As he spoke, a flash of inspiration crossed Maitreya's mind!

This idea sounded quite impressive when spoken aloud! Let's discuss it with Second Uncle!

"As long as they are not eaten to total extinction or the natural balance among living things is not disrupted, what harm is there in me eating one or two? Just like the spiritual pheasant in my hand, it eats small insects, and hawks eat it, but after the hawk dies, its body turns into small insects and returns to the earth. So, why shouldn't I eat it?"

"The only drawback is that the creatures Second Uncle brought back are too scarce, making me stand out too much."

Maitreya patted his belly, a simple, foolish smile blooming on his chubby face.

"This is not difficult either. If I eat all these spiritual pheasants, I will just go to the East and bring back some more. Such creatures are rare in our West, but in the Eastern lands, they can be seen everywhere."

"If others have it and I don't, I will just take some back. Without harming others and without violating the harmony of heaven and earth, that's all."

Listening to Maitreya's nonsense and far-fetched theories, for some reason, a tiny spark in Zhunti's heart slowly poked its head out.

"That's right! Originally, these things were obtained from the East, and this item is nothing rare in the East. Although not everywhere, it is certainly not scarce. Our West is barren and lacking in living beings, so we can just take some more from the East!"

"These living beings were naturally born and nurtured, and were brought by me to the West to live and multiply. Doesn't that mean they are destined to be with the West? Can matters of affinity be called robbing?"

If Xiaobai were to hear this theory, he would definitely be dumbfounded.

What is this? Isn't this the playbook of a certain country from his past life that forced the whole world to work for it?

I don't have it, but you do, so I invite you to develop it together with me.

What? You disagree? Do you look down on me? Are you trying to plot against me in secret? Do you want to usurp the throne and threaten world security?

What? You don't? Who admitted it? Open the door and let me inspect!

Oh! The stuff in your house is not bad! Move it back for me! I need to inspect it thoroughly!

Originally, when Xiaobai explained the development plan to Zhunti and Jieyin back then, he used his proud, self-reliant country from his past life as a blueprint.

Moreover, this approach was indeed the most conducive to the recovery and development of the West. After all, although this recovery method was not as fast-acting, every brick and tile was built by oneself, preventing any sudden collapse of the towering edifice. As long as the direction did not stray into extremes, the West would sooner or later become self-sufficient and grow prosperous.

However, with Maitreya stirring things up like this, Zhunti's train of thought slowly began to change.

I don't have it, but others do. Isn't taking the good things from others and bringing them back making them mine?

Fellow Daoist, this poor Daoist sees that you are destined to be connected with my West!!

Senior Brother Jieyin really did not choose the wrong child in this one!!

At this moment, Jieyin's gaze towards Maitreya also began to slowly change.

Children will be children, being a bit gluttonous is normal, completely normal!

"Second Uncle, don't look at me like that, I'm scared."

Maitreya watched helplessly as Zhunti's complexion changed from pale with anger to glowing with health, and the look in his eyes towards him shifted from initial disappointment to admiration.

Second Uncle doesn't have any bad habits, does he??

Maitreya looked at his own plump and round figure and quickly wrapped his clothes tighter around himself.

"Maitreya."

Zhunti spoke slowly.

"Disciple is here."

"Your idea is quite interesting, quite interesting indeed! Hahahaha!"

Zhunti stood up and walked away with a head-raised laugh.

"Right, tell your senior brother that I am going to the East and will be back soon, don't worry."

"Yes!"

Maitreya watched his Second Uncle walk away into the distance, patted his oily hands against his belly a few times, creating a rolling wave of fat.

"Why does Second Uncle look as if he has suddenly figured out something profound?"

Maitreya touched the remaining hair on his head and sighed once more.

Ever since he began following his master, his cultivation had been soaring by leaps and bounds, but his hair was falling out faster and faster as well!

Forget it, tonight I'll ask Master for help and simply shave it all off!

Not long after, such a rumor spread across the Eastern immortal realms.

An emaciated old Daoist holding a small tree was seen searching everywhere in the East with glowing eyes, muttering words under his breath.

"This poor Daoist sees that you are destined to be with the West, so you might as well come with this poor Daoist!!"

However, hindered by the fact that the Daoist only took away some plants and living creatures without ever harming anyone, the cultivators simply assumed the Daoist had gone mad and did not argue much with him.

As for Xiaobai, he had a massive headache dealing with the relocation of the Wu tribe and paid no attention to such matters at all. Besides, even if Xiaobai had known, he wouldn't have cared too much. After all, Xiaobai had already planned out the development path for the West for Zhunti and Jieyin; as long as the West followed the steps, development was merely a matter of time.

Never did he expect that Zhunti would be led completely astray onto the path of begging by Maitreya!

Moreover, Zhunti, who was somewhat shy at first, gradually grew thick-skinned after doing this kind of thing repeatedly.

Eventually, his hands were no longer satisfied with just plants and living creatures; they even began to secretly reach towards the Demon tribe!!