"Times have changed, haven't they, Fatty?"
Wu Tianzhen looked at Wang Banyue, who was equally bewildered.
How did the Queen Mother of the West even show up?
"Boss, the Queen Mother of the West is a figure in Taoism, and Buddhism itself is an imported force."
"Could there have been conflict during this period?"
Hu Bayi pondered aloud.
Zhang Tian waved his hand dismissively. He felt that conflicts between religions were unlikely.
Xia Guo was not like other countries where religions were constantly at odds.
Xia Guo's Taoism was generally very mysterious, with most practitioners living in seclusion in the mountains.
They rarely appeared in the world, let alone quarreled with other religions.
It was precisely this mysterious nature of Taoism that had given other religions an opportunity in Xia Guo.
If Taoism, like Buddhism, had established large monasteries and recruited disciples widely, would Buddhism still have a foothold in Xia Guo?
Unfortunately, most Taoist disciples were chosen based on affinity or innate talent, not through widespread recruitment.
"It should be a later, separate grievance between them and the Queen Mother of the West."
"I think the biggest grievance might be the system of eternal life. No one can resist the temptation of immortality,"
Zhang Tian said, as this was the only plausible explanation at this stage.
"In Fatty's opinion, it's definitely because of one word!"
Fatty spoke mysteriously.
"Brother Kaixuan, tell us your thoughts quickly."
Wang Banyue's eyes widened.
"Because, love~ It must have been that little monk who charmed our Xi..."
"Get lost!"
Zhang Tian batted Fatty away before he could finish, disgusted by his nonsensical ramblings.
"Boss, if it was about longevity, it still wouldn't make sense. How could outsiders know about the Queen Mother of the West?"
Hu Bayi asked, while Zhang Tian fell into thought.
Hu Bayi's point was valid. If it was about longevity, how could it have been leaked?
Zhang Tian carefully examined the script on the leather scroll.
It mentioned worship twice.
The Queen Mother of the West, as a prominent figure in Taoism, was naturally worshipped by many. Later records indicated that Buddhism also received widespread worship.
This suggested a divergence in their efforts to gain followers and offerings.
"Lao Hu, I think you're right. It was likely a divergence in beliefs."
Zhang Tian spoke, his voice soft but his gaze sharp.
"Boss, it seems Buddhism was trying to subvert people's faith."
Hu Bayi said gravely.
After all, they were inheritors of Taoism, and their allegiance naturally lay with Taoism.
This was understandable.
Zhang Tian nodded slightly.
He didn't think highly of Buddhism either. In many households, during New Year's worship, despite professing Buddhist faith, the shrines often contained small figures of Earth Gods, Kitchen Gods, and even Dragon Kings, all of which were Taoist deities.
Therefore, from beginning to end, the people of Xia Guo inherently believed in Taoism.
"It's not necessarily subversion, just spreading their own faith. Never mind, our discussion won't yield any substantial results. Let's look at Xu Fu's diary."
Zhang Tian decisively abandoned the topic.
Any further discussion might lead to the Jade Emperor, and it was unnecessary.
Zhang Tian then took out the sheepskin scroll.
This was Xu Fu's diary, which the Divine Emperor had kept but never explored.
"Boss, why did ancient people like to make books from sheepskin and cowhide? Doesn't that stuff get smelly over time?"
Fatty posed a profound question.
"Look at this scroll, it's long dried out. How could it smell? Besides, this stuff lasts a long time. If it were made of Xuan paper, it would have blown away the moment we opened it,"
Zhang Tian said, exasperated. Fatty rubbed his head.
"Boss, that actually makes sense."
"Hurry and see what's inside."
Fatty eagerly urged.
The sheepskin scroll before them was ordinary, but it exuded an immense sense of age.
Much of the skin had already corroded.
Zhang Tian casually opened the first page.
All eyes turned to it.
Even Zhang Qilin appeared exceptionally serious.
"The Divine Emperor commanded me (I) to journey east across the Western Seas to seek the elixir of immortality."
"I know there is no such thing as immortality in this world, so I settled on Fangcao Island."
"I discovered that the island had indigenous inhabitants, and with my wisdom, I quickly gained their trust."
"As time passed, I learned of the Emperor's death. I decided to return to the mainland and search for the mystery of the immortals."
Reading this, Zhang Tian was somewhat perplexed.
Xu Fu claimed there was no immortality, yet he sought immortals.
Wasn't that contradictory?
As Zhang Tian flipped further, he found the answer.
"The Emperor did not know that although there is no eternal life, there are those who approach immortality. They are the immortals."
"Immortals exist only within the borders of Huaxia, yet I am determined to find the path to immortality."
"Boss, this guy is insidious. He deceived the Emperor, claimed territory for himself, and now he wants to go back and find immortals?"
Fatty grumbled.
Zhang Tian found it quite normal. The Emperor had been incredibly powerful in his time, ruling such a vast territory as Shenzhou.
If he were still alive and possessed the means of immortals, would any other dynasties exist in the world?
Perhaps there would only be one country in the world, Huaxia.
"Fatty, stop interrupting."
Hu Bayi admonished Fatty.
Fatty quickly covered his mouth.
Zhang Tian continued his translation.
"I returned to Shenzhou and apprenticed myself to an immortal. However, I discovered that this immortal's methods were too barbaric."
"He absorbed yin to nourish yang, strengthening himself, and extracted the hearts of men for his own use."
"Over time, I found my body becoming abnormal, and I knew my time was short."
"I wish that upon my death, five thousand young boys and five thousand young girls be buried with me, and using the immortal's most powerful techniques, my soul may endure forever."
The latter pages of the diary were missing, and the notebook was only half complete.
"Boss, this Divine Emperor is a real sucker. Does he really think that by being buried with these people, his soul will live forever?"
Fatty scoffed.
"Although the Divine Emperor was indeed a bit foolish, his methods, relying on those blood-soaked Buddha heads, did allow his soul to transcend. If it weren't for us, he might still be in what he called paradise."
Zhang Tian said coldly.
He was becoming increasingly curious about that Buddha head.
"Damn, this useless diary doesn't even record where any tombs are buried, truly."
Wang Banyue complained.
The two fatties had already said everything that needed to be said.
"Young Master Zhang, do these so-called immortals truly exist?"
"How can someone be so ruthless as to sacrifice ten thousand lives for their own transcendence?"
Wu Tianzhen found it hard to believe.
He couldn't believe a person could be so cruel, demanding such a sacrifice.
Zhang Tian smiled and shook his head slightly.
"Are you afraid of ghosts?"
Zhang Tian suddenly asked.
Wu Tianzhen was stunned, then nodded slightly.
"Yes."
"But there's something more terrifying than ghosts, and that's the human heart."
After speaking, Zhang Tian said no more, leaving Wu Tianzhen to ponder.
Why should one fear people?