Chapter 013 Probing

Faced with Wang Bo's blunt question, Duan smiled and said, "What are you talking about? I'm just an exorcist. How could I possibly be connected to a great being like Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

Wang Bo gave her a long, hard look but could detect no flaw in her eyes or expression.

That was only natural.

If she had nothing to do with Guanyin, Wang Bo naturally wouldn't see any cracks.

If she were an incarnation of Guanyin, as a bodhisattva who had lived for untold ages, she would have countless ways to conceal herself, and Wang Bo would likewise see no flaw.

"Let's just say I believe you."

Wang Bo nodded slightly, stopped paying her any attention, and quickened his pace.

But Duan stubbornly followed, asking curiously, "Hey, why do you think I'm connected to Guanyin Bodhisattva? What gave me away? Do I seem that merciful?"

Wang Bo thought for a moment and said, "The Wudang Flying Ring."

"What does that have to do with my heirloom?" Duan grew even more curious.

"In another world, Guanyin gave Chen Xuanzang a Tightening Spell to help him subdue the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong. In the near future, you will be killed by Sun Wukong, and your Wudang Flying Ring will become the Tightening Band on his head."

Wang Bo did not hide anything; he directly stated what he knew. He wanted to test what exactly was the relationship between Duan and Guanyin.

Wang Bo did fear the Tathagata Buddha, but that didn't mean the Tathagata could crush him with a single slap.

After all, Wang Bo had some confidence in his ability to survive.

As long as he wasn't killed outright, he could quickly leave this world.

At worst, he could wait until his strength reached a certain level and then come back to cause trouble for the Tathagata.

Moreover, the Tathagata might not even bother to strike him down.

Of course, the main point was that the Duan before him was not the Tathagata. Wang Bo suspected she might be an incarnation of Guanyin, but even if she were—

Even if Guanyin herself appeared before Wang Bo, he wouldn't be too afraid.

He couldn't defeat the Tathagata, but that didn't mean he couldn't defeat Guanyin... Well, Wang Bo admitted that even if he couldn't beat Guanyin, he wouldn't lose too badly.

That was the real reason Wang Bo dared to test Duan so brazenly.

"I will die at Sun Wukong's hands?" Duan seemed to doubt reality. "How could I die at Sun Wukong's hands? Isn't Sun Wukong just a legend?"

Wang Bo gave her another long look and could tell she wasn't lying. He thought for a moment. "It seems you really have nothing to do with Guanyin."

"I never had anything to do with Guanyin," Duan said. "I am who I am. How could I be connected to that merciful one?"

Wang Bo thought it over carefully. That made sense. To make Chen Xuanzang comprehend the love of all beings, Guanyin didn't necessarily have to act personally. Perhaps Miss Duan was just a pawn in the Buddhist plan.

If Chen Xuanzang could comprehend the love of all beings, then this pawn would be useless and might never be activated.

But as things stood, Chen Xuanzang had been unable to comprehend that love; he always fell short. So Duan, the pawn, was smoothly activated.

Her death would make Chen Xuanzang break through his limits and embark on the Journey to the West.

Wang Bo even suspected that if Duan failed, there might be a Miss Li, Miss Wang, or Miss Zhang to follow, helping Chen Xuanzang comprehend the love of all beings.

After all, the Journey to the West had been planned from the start, and no mistakes were allowed.

Thinking this, Wang Bo couldn't help but look at Duan with pity.

Duan was unnerved by his gaze and couldn't help stepping back. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing." Wang Bo shook his head, instantly turned into a streak of light, and vanished from Duan's sight, leaving the mechanical cart far behind.

Since Duan was a pawn of the Buddhist sect, Wang Bo decided not to get involved.

If he provoked the Tathagata, that would be no joke.

As for saving Duan and interfering with the Buddhist Journey to the West plan, Wang Bo had never intended to do so from the start.

After all, he and Duan were strangers who had met only once. Why should he save her?

Moreover, in this world, death was not the end. Don't forget that the underworld existed here. After Duan died, she would surely go to the underworld.

And sacrificing herself to help Chen Xuanzang comprehend the love of all beings would surely be a great merit.

The Buddhist sect would not let her sink into hell.

Perhaps they would even appoint her to a high office, giving her a bright future.

It was like in the world of "The Journey to the West: The Post-Buddha Sequel": the Buddha reincarnated as Qiao Ling'er, and Biyou and White Lotus protected him. After Qiao Ling'er became the Tathagata, Biyou became the Dharma-Protecting Chan Bodhisattva, and White Lotus directly became the White Lotus圣母 Bodhisattva.

Maybe Duan wouldn't become a bodhisattva, but she wouldn't fare too badly either. She might become some kind of emissary or hold some other position.

If his interference caused Duan's bright future to be cut short, she might even resent him.

For that reason, Wang Bo couldn't be bothered to meddle.

After shaking off the mechanical cart and Duan, Wang Bo arrived in Luoyang, the Tang capital, in an instant.

Although the current Tang capital was Chang'an, Luoyang was not too shabby. It was even more prosperous and flourishing than the divine capital Luoyang in the world of Detective Dee.

The reason was probably that this was a world with immortals and Buddhas.

Though demons roamed the mortal world, on one hand, exorcists eliminated them, and on the other, immortals and Buddhas watched over it. The humans of this world were more prosperous than those of ordinary worlds.

Moreover, this was not a time of chaos but the brilliant Zhenguan era, one of the most prosperous periods in history.

The people of this era were happy.

After entering Luoyang, Wang Bo bought a large mansion, hired some servants and maids, and disguised himself as a wealthy merchant—exactly the same behavior as in Chang'an.

But this time, Wang Bo did not widely befriend exorcists. Instead, he digested the cultivation method he had obtained from Zhu Ganglie's mind.

This was a very profound cultivation method, far surpassing Daoist techniques like the Pure Yang True Method that led directly to ascension.

Extracting its essence and merging it into the Solar Divine Art was not something that could be done overnight.

Wang Bo had to study it carefully.

But before that, Wang Bo also went to Chang'an and moved the portal he had hidden there to Luoyang.