Chapter 259: Countermeasures
“Right, right, yes, yes, yes.”
The Old Dragon King highly approved of my statement and couldn’t help but praise me.
He then said to Little Third Son: “You, damn it, learn properly from your big brother. Even I, your father, can’t teach you these things; I myself stumbled through my cultivation in a confused state. You really need to pay attention, okay? If we’re talking about someone with such ability as your big brother, a person of such miraculous nature, I haven’t seen many in all my years.
Forget about you recognizing your big brother as your big brother; even if you recognized your big brother as your godfather, I, your biological father, wouldn’t say a word.”
Hearing the Old Dragon King’s words, Little Third Son’s expression brightened. He directly kowtowed to me, then with a shameless grin, opened his mouth and said, “Godfather above, please accept your child…”
“Go to hell!”
Before he could finish speaking, I kicked him flying. “Damn it! Brat, did I agree for you to worship me? Do you think just anyone can worship me?”
Seeing Little Third Son kicked away, the Old Dragon King chuckled awkwardly, his body twitching continuously.
I glared at him impatiently. “I call you ‘Grandpa’, and you want your son to call me ‘Dad’? No, what do you mean by that, Brother Long? Can’t you just have him call me ‘Uncle’ first?
We don’t just accept anyone as a little brother. This is a big deal, accepting a disciple. Without giving me a hundred or eighty Dragon Pearls, you expect Little Third Son to easily become my disciple? Brother Long, your little plan is too damn thoughtful, isn’t it?”
The Old Dragon King chuckled sheepishly, but upon hearing me call him “Brother Long,” he seemed happier than if I had accepted Little Third Son as my godson.
He laughed heartily, “Hahaha,” and directly placed his hand on my shoulder. “Little brother, what are you talking about? I understand these social graces. I’ll gather my three brothers and mobilize our forces to help you. However, the output of Dragon Pearls is rather scarce; adult dragons only produce one every few years, or even centuries. Little brother, don’t rush this matter; I’ll prepare it for you as soon as possible.”
Seeing that the Old Dragon King had misunderstood, I said helplessly, “Is that what I meant? If I wanted Dragon Pearls, wouldn’t I just snatch them from you? Why go through all this trouble? I mean, you old man, don’t get any ideas about me. Hmph, I don’t fall for that.”
When I accept a disciple, no amount of money is useful. Character is always the top priority. Everything else is secondary. Otherwise, if they obtain my teachings and then commit evil deeds, I’d have to spend effort to destroy their path. I find that troublesome.
“Yes, yes, yes, no need to rush about that. Isn’t there a saying in the mortal realm: a master observes a disciple for three years, and a disciple observes a master for a lifetime. Even ordinary people wanting to take on a disciple need to undergo scrutiny, let alone someone of your stature. No rush, little brother, no rush. It’s fine even if you observe Little Third Son for three hundred years. Just trouble yourself to help me raise this child. When you’re in a good mood someday, and this child’s speech and actions meet your Dharma Eye, then you can consider it.”
As soon as the Old Dragon King finished speaking, Little Third Son flew back anxiously. Seeing me again, he wanted to worship, “Godfather, godfather, why did you kick me?”
“Damn it! Don’t rush to call me dad yet. I haven’t agreed. If you call me that again, I’ll kick you to another world.”
As soon as I said this, Little Third Son dared not call me that anymore. At the same time, the Old Dragon King beside me was shocked beyond measure. This was understandable, as most cultivators only knew of the existence of the Three Realms and could travel freely between them. They had only heard of worlds outside the Three Realms and had never been there.
They all knew of the existence of the Three Thousand Great Worlds, but they didn’t know what each world was like.
I continued to teach Little Third Son, “Remember, don’t get carried away once you have some ability and feel omnipotent. There are always mountains beyond mountains and immortals beyond immortals. Don’t be like those country bumpkins in the mortal world who hear about cultivating immortality, connecting with this immortal or that immortal to gain divine abilities.
‘Those who see me through form, those who seek me through sound, these people walk the evil path and cannot see the Tathagata.’ Those fools mistake their true self, their naturally complete self, for the immortal others tell them about, and then use what they consider immortals to help others do this and that. They have gone astray in their cultivation.
I observe that you, my boy, also have this inclination, wanting to use your mortal body to help your cultivation. You should abandon this thought as soon as possible; don’t even think about it. Otherwise, it will make you neither human nor ghost. A perfectly good dragon will eventually become lost and become something driven by others in the eyes of the world. And to be driven by mortals who cannot even control their own emotions or thoughts, that’s too damn disgraceful!”
Hearing my words, Little Third Son’s cold sweat soaked his entire body uncontrollably. You don’t need to think to know that after I spoke directly to his inner thoughts, he instinctively felt a wave of fear. But it wasn’t entirely bad; at least by understanding this, the evil qi within him was expelled with this momentum.
Layer after layer of black qi evaporated from his body as Little Third Son’s state of mind changed. I did not interrupt him.
After waiting quietly for a while, Little Third Son exhaled a turbid breath with relief, and then his entire being seemed much more spirited.
He spoke to me from the bottom of his heart, “Godfather, no, it’s Big Brother. Thank you for saying such things to me. Little Third Son understands. From now on, whether I call you Godfather or Big Brother, you have given me a chance to live again. I will respect you in my heart just as I do my own father. Thank you, Big Brother.”
I waved my hand. “No need to mind, it’s a small matter. From now on, cultivate well, walk the righteous path, and seek answers from within for everything. Absolutely do not generate the desire to seek externally again, otherwise, you will not attain liberation.
All thoughts are created by the mind; the body is the vessel that carries thoughts. None of your thoughts arise or move will escape your own true heart and true nature; they will be recorded without discrimination and will influence your life. But if you can illuminate the mind and see your true nature, see your true self, and know your original appearance, then even though you are a dragon, you will be no different from a Buddha and will ultimately achieve the Great Dao. Remember this.”
Little Third Son solemnly cupped his fists towards me. “I understand, Big Brother. I am grateful for your teaching.”
Since the misunderstanding had been cleared, and the Old Dragon King and I had become buddies again, I naturally couldn’t stand by and watch the pollution of their sea continue to develop.
I said to the Dragon King, “Brother Long, as the master of this sea, aren’t you going to do something about those bastards polluting the ocean? If you let them continue to do evil like this, let alone your Third Concubine turning into a big-butt monster, I’m afraid, I’m afraid you yourself will inevitably be harmed one day.”
The Old Dragon King sighed. “Alas, I am also helpless in such matters. Although I am the master of a sea in the lower realm, I am under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Realm. If I act arbitrarily in some matters, it will inevitably bring disaster. If things go wrong and the Heavenly Court blames me, my entire clan could face annihilation. This… Old brother, sometimes I am willing but powerless.”
Hearing this, I pondered for a moment and immediately came up with a plan. I said to Little Third Son, “Third Son, Big Brother has a mission for you.”
“What is it, Big Brother? Please, just command me.”
“Here’s what you do: whenever you’re free, go near those people who are dumping trash into your sea and sneeze. You can also fart if you’re bored. The Heavenly Court certainly won’t manage these things, right?”
“Yes, Big Brother, the Heavenly Court won’t manage these things, but why are you telling me to do this?”
“Damn it, you’re dumb. You’re a dragon, aren’t you? If you keep sneezing and farting over there, the wind alone will be enough for those mortal villains to handle. They might even suffer from frequent wind and water disasters. If they dump trash once, you go there; if they dump trash again, you go there. After a few times like this, they’ll behave.
Also, when you have nothing else to do, collect that trash and clean it up properly, then throw it back at the feet of those who were dumping it into the sea. If they want to pollute, let them suffer first.
If there’s really no other way, you can use some Samadhi True Fire to refine it. Do I really need to teach you such a simple matter?”
