Chapter 1309: The Great Daoist Brush Master's Scheme

There was a small path about a hundred meters to the right of Ye Guan and the Ancestral Dao. There was a carriage moving slowly on the path. It wasn't just an ordinary carriage.

It was a human-drawn cart because the ones pulling it were not horses, but two men.

These two men were shirtless, and their muscular bodies seemed as solid as steel. They were clad in simple clothing that only covered their lower bodies. Thick iron chains were fastened around their necks, and the chains' other ends were attached to the carriage.

Those two were no ordinary men; their physiques were solid, and their cultivation bases were high.

Ye Guan was slightly surprised by the sight.

He turned to the Ancestral Dao, whose face had darkened. "Barbarian slaves!"

Ye Guan curiously asked, "Barbarian slaves?"

The Ancestral Dao's gaze was cold as he stared into the distance. "Barbarian sslaves are just another name for slaves. Back then, there were two superpowers—the Other Shore Hall in the south, and the Barbarian Temple in the north.

"The southern Other Shore Hall was ruled by several True Saints, worshiping the Other Shore, while the Barbarian Temple was ruled by the Barbarian Ancestor, who believed in himself and cultivated his own Dao.

"Their conflicting beliefs eventually led to the two sides waging war on each other for thousands of years..."

Ye Guan glanced at the two barbarian slaves in front of the carriage and said, "So the North lost."

"Yes." The Ancestral Dao nodded slightly. "At first, they weren't losing. The North had the upper hand, as its people were fierce and powerful. But then, the legendary Other Shore Ark suddenly appeared—even though it had never appeared until then—and severely injured the Barbarian Ancestor.

"This led to the collapse of the barbarians. However, it wasn't too bad; they simply retreated to the Barbaric Lands and survived. Later on, someone appeared, and he preached about equality for all beings, about how one ought to have a heart for the universe's sake, and about bringing peace to the world.

"It sounds absurd, but he somehow convinced the Barbarian Temple."

"And then?"

The Ancestral Dao said flatly, "Under his leadership, the barbarians stormed the Other Shore Hall and killed three True Saints. Just when they were about to win, the Other Shore Ark appeared again.

"What happened next? The Great Daoist Brush Master was imprisoned in the Ten-Tier Universe[1] and was personally suppressed by the Sea of Suffering.

"Meanwhile, countless people from the Barbarian Lands were enslaved by the Other Shore Hall, becoming barbarian slaves."

Ye Guan fell silent. He hadn't expected that lunatic—the Great Daoist Brush Master—once promoted equality throughout the vast expanse!

But what shocked him even more was that the Great Daoist Brush Master had failed against the Other Shore Ark. That sounded weird. Even though he thought that the lunatic was reckless, he still acknowledged the Great Daoist Brush Master's strength.

Ye Guan believed that the Great Daoist Brush Master was stronger than Fan Zhaodi.

The Ancestral Dao added, "That bastard ruined the Barbarian Temple."

Ye Guan asked no more. Instead, he closed his eyes.

"Master Pagoda, what do you think about my arrival here? Doesn't it feel like the Great Daoist Brush Master orchestrated it?"

Little Pagoda was stunned.

"Why would you think that?"

"I have a gut feeling that something is off. The Great Daoist Brush Master's philosophy is entirely different from Fan Zhaodi's. Fan Zhaodi seeks disorder, while the Great Daoist Brush Master aims to establish a new order. There is no reason for him to assist Fan Zhaodi..."

Little Pagoda fell silent for a moment before saying,

"Now that you mention it, that does make sense."

Ye Guan narrowed his eyes.

"If this really is his scheme, then his goal is clear—to make me fight with the Other Shore Hall. If I ended up losing, my father or my aunt will have to step in.

"Those True Saints won't be able to defeat them, which means the legendary Other Shore Ark will appear...

"The Great Daoist Brush Master wants to use me. He wants to use my aunt's hand to destroy the Other Shore Hall and the Other Shore Ark."

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

"Why are my enemies always unnaturally powerful? It must be his fault... he must be manipulating things in the shadows..."

Everything suddenly became clear to him. His enemies were always too powerful.

Without a doubt, Ye Guan was being targeted. He was being used.

"I think your analysis is correct. Something is definitely off. The Great Daoist Brush Master must be trying to use you for something—no, I'd say he wants to use your aunt.

"Of course, he dares not scheme against her openly, so he decided to manipulate you instead. When you're on the verge of death, your father and aunt won't just sit by.

"The moment they step in, they'll slaughter everything in their way. If the Other Shore Ark targets you, your family will have no choice but to intervene because the Other Shore Ark is definitely out of your league."

Ye Guan's gaze turned cold.

"That bastard."

Clearly, the Great Daoist Brush Master was playing chess, and Ye Guan was just a pawn.

The question is... are there others pulling the strings from behind the scenes?

Little Pagoda suddenly asked,

"What are you going to do?"

Ye Guan was silent for a moment before replying,

"I must obtain the Other Shore Ark. I can't escape this game."

Little Pagoda couldn't help but curse,

"Damn it..."

"But I don't have to follow the Great Daoist Brush Master's plan."

"What do you mean?"

Ye Guan looked at the distant carriage.

"Now that my destiny aura is gone, it means anyone can scheme against me. From now on, I have to be extremely careful with every step I take."

Little Pagoda suddenly said,

"But if you do that, you might have to make a move against your own conscience."

"Only with great strength can one act as one pleases. Without strength, wanting to act freely is just foolishness."

With that, he walked toward the distant carriage.

Surprised, the Ancestral Dao quickly followed. "Whoever is inside that carriage has the power and influence to make use of barbarian slaves, so they're definitely not an ordinary person. Don't be a hero. We can't afford to stir up any trouble."

The Ancestral Dao was scared.

After being schemed against by Fan Zhaodi, his current strength was less than one percent of his peak, which meant that he was too weak.

If Ye Guan made a reckless move, he would immediately flee.

Ye Guan said nothing and quickly caught up with the carriage. Just as the Ancestral Dao thought that Ye Guan was going to save the slaves, Ye Guan suddenly said, "Stop please."

The carriage came to a halt.

A voice echoed from inside.

Ye Guan couldn't understand it, so he turned to the Ancestral Dao.

The Ancestral Dao tapped his finger on Ye Guan's back, and a stream of information containing the Other Shore's common language pervaded Ye Guan's mind.

A voice echoed from the carriage. "What do you want?"

Ye Guan cupped his fists and said, "Miss, my... foolish brother and I got lost here. Would you be willing to give us a ride?"

The Sea of Suffering's boundaries were vast.

If they were to travel on foot, it'd take them ten days or more to walk out of its boundaries. Plus, Ye Guan couldn't really trust the Ancestral Dao.

He had to take control of his own path!

The lady inside the carriage was silent for a moment before opening the curtain.

A stunning face appeared before Ye Guan and the Ancestral Dao.

Even though Ye Guan had seen many beautiful women, te lady's flawless features still left him momentarily stunned. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

The lady stared at Ye Guan for a few moments before saying, "Get in."

Ye Guan immediately stepped into the carriage.

The Ancestral Dao also hurried to get on the carriage, but the lady looked at him and said, "You walk."

The Ancestral Dao was slightly stunned. "Why?"

The lady glanced at him and replied,

"

Ugly

."

The Ancestral Dao was dumbfounded.

As Ye Guan stepped into the carriage, a faint fragrance struck his nose. The interior wasn't very spacious, capable of accommodating only about four or five people.

The walls were covered with bright silk fabric, trimmed with luxurious golden edges.

There was also an antique wooden bookshelf filled with various ancient texts within the carriage, giving the entire carriage an air of classical elegance and opulence.

There was a small stove in front of the lady along with a tray of fruits and snacks.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Ye Guan sat across from the lady and cupped his hands in thanks.

"Thank you very much," he said.

The lady gazed at Ye Guan. "You're from the other side of that sea?"

Ye Guan was slightly taken aback, but he nodded. "Yes."

The lady calmly said, "Heretic."

Ye Guan frowned slightly.

The lady stared at him and asked, "Do you know someone called the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

Ye Guan nodded.

The lady slowly said, "He was from over there. After arriving here, he preached about equality among all beings and led the Barbarian Temple to attack the Other Shore Hall...

"In the end, he was defeated and expelled from the Other Shore. As a result, the people from across the Sea of Suffering are labeled as heretics by the Other Shore Hall.

"According to the holy laws of the hall, all heretics must be burned in the sacred flames."

Ye Guan was silent.

The Great Daoist Brush Master truly knew how to cause trouble.

He had ruined the Milky Way's reputation.

The lady stared at Ye Guan. "Are you close with him?"

"Not really, but I know him."

"How is he now?"

"I heard he's cleaning toilets."

"Cleaning toilets? What does that mean?"

Ye Guan countered with a question. "Do you guys still hate the Great Daoist Brush Master after all these years?"

"He's still considered the vilest heretic and is public enemy number one here. You're lucky you ran into me. You'd eventually encounter the Other Shore Hall's guards, which would make things troublesome for you."

Ye Guan looked at the lady. "Why are you willing to help us?"

"I'm curious about the world beyond the Sea of Suffering."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "If there is anything you'd like to know, I'll answer."

The lady stared deeply at Ye Guan. "The Sea of Suffering is extremely powerful, and a True Saint can't even cross it. How did you manage to get here from the other side?"

Ye Guan fell silent.

The lady was silent as well, waiting for his answer.

After a long pause, Ye Guan replied, "My brothers sacrificed themselves to bring me here..."

1. previously translated as Ten Tiers of Civilizations ☜