475: Even a Bodhisattva would have to kneel!

He even laid the hem of his brocade kasaya perfectly flat by his side, without a single wrinkle.

He knelt there so "honestly" beside the Monkey King, his position precise and his spacing even, perfectly forming a row with Erlang Shen, Nezha, and the Monkey King.

"Hiss—"

The expression on the Monkey King's simian face was extremely strange; he wanted to laugh but felt it wasn't right, and he wanted to speak but didn't know what to say, so he could only scratch his cheek and transmit his voice to the two beside him:

"This... he just knelt? So readily? Without even a struggle?"

Lu Jiuyuan looked at Golden Cicada, who was kneeling properly with an expression that said, "I am very honest, Your Majesty, please speak," and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

"You are an honest man," he said indifferently. "Unlike those three little brats."

"Since the Great Heavenly Venerate has questions, This Humble Monk shall listen respectfully," Golden Cicada replied in a calm voice:

"Your Majesty is Heaven, is the Dao! Listening while standing or listening while kneeling are both listening to the Dharma. External appearance and posture have nothing to do with one's true heart."

"A fine 'external appearance and posture have nothing to do with one's true heart'," Lu Jiuyuan nodded slightly. "Then you shall listen while kneeling."

His gaze swept over the four people kneeling in a row, and he spoke slowly:

"The four of you, gathered here today, each have your own reasons and your own thoughts."

"Erlang Shen asks about feelings, Nezha joins in for fun, the Monkey King watches the show, and Golden Cicada... is here to mediate."

Lu Jiuyuan paused and looked at Golden Cicada:

"But why do I feel that you are more like someone here to watch the show... You little monk, you have quite a playful heart, wanting to see just how many fish I can catch?"

The fingertips of Golden Cicada's joined hands tightened imperceptibly, but his expression remained calm:

"The Great Heavenly Venerate is joking. This Humble Monk indeed sensed an anomaly and, worried about the peace of the Three Realms, came here for that reason."

"Oh?" Lu Jiuyuan leaned forward slightly, and an invisible Aura spread silently; although it was not specifically aimed at anyone, it made all four who were kneeling feel their breathing stall slightly:

"Now that you have seen it—Erlang Shen wielding his blade, Nezha holding his spear, and the Monkey King carrying his staff, all arriving aggressively—how do you intend to 'mediate' this? And how do you intend to 'stop' it?"

"In This Humble Monk's humble opinion, there is no need to mediate, nor is there a need to stop."

"The Great Heavenly Venerate has already used the most direct method to make them understand what 'the immensity of Heaven and Earth' is, and what 'power and reason' are."

"Since they already understand, their hostility will naturally dissipate, and their obsessions will naturally ease. What remains is for them to ponder and realize on their own."

"For This poor monk, coming here and witnessing this scene, witnessing the profound meaning of the Great Heavenly Venerate's teachings, is already Karma. Why is there a need for more words?"

The Monkey King listened, grimacing, and transmitted his thoughts: "Good grief! Master's mouth can talk the dead back to life!"

Nezha was also secretly impressed: "When it comes to witty repartee and saying the right things, it has to be Golden Cicada! If I, Nezha, had this ability, I wouldn't have been dragged back and made to kneel so crisply just now..."

"Joke, my Master is the number one rebel of Lingshan! He's the guy who sleeps while the Buddha preaches! He's not an honest man at all!"

Just as Golden Cicada finished speaking, billions of gentle and compassionate seven-treasure rays of light suddenly pierced through the clouds in the Hall of Miraculous Mist, spreading silently into the hall.

A pure and holy sandalwood scent filled the air, faintly accompanied by Buddhist chanting; it was not ostentatious, yet it naturally soothed the mind.

The four kneeling in the hall, along with the Three-Headed Flood Dragon playing dead on the floor, could not help but feel their minds quiet down, and even their breathing became light and slow.

A figure quietly appeared amidst this pure and peaceful phenomenon.

Wearing a precious crown, with beaded tassels hanging from the shoulders, draped in simple and elegant white robes, covered with a sky-blue silk veil, the face was gentle and compassionate, and the eyes contained infinite wisdom and pity.

The left hand held a pure vase, with a willow branch in the vase dripping with green, and the right hand formed a Dharma-preaching mudra; there was no pressure around the body, yet there was a natural power that made all beings in the Three Realms feel at peace.

It was none other than the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate, Savior of Sufferings, Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva's gaze swept peacefully across the hall, pausing slightly on Lu Jiuyuan upon the throne, nodding in acknowledgment, before her gaze fell upon Erlang Shen, Nezha, the Monkey King, and Golden Cicada, who were kneeling in a row.

"Who is trespassing in the Hall of Miraculous Mist?"

"Hum—!"

An invisible force, unimaginably vast yet indescribably profound, like the will of the entire world quietly condensing, landed gently on Guanyin Bodhisattva's shoulder without a trace of worldly fire.

Her left hand holding the pure vase sank imperceptibly, and a clear flash of astonishment passed through her Wisdom Eye.

Then—"Puff." A very light, dull sound.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate, Savior of Sufferings, Guanyin Bodhisattva, was actually pressed by this gentle yet irresistible force, causing her knees to bend slightly, and involuntarily, she knelt gently onto the smooth white jade floor of the Hall of Miraculous Mist in a posture that was slightly hasty but still elegant!

"!!!"

The four "rebels" kneeling widened their eyes in unison, forgetting even to transmit their voices!

The Monkey King's simian mouth opened wide enough to fit a Flat Peach, and his eyeballs nearly popped out of his Fiery Eyes of Truth.

Nezha covered his mouth with his small hands, forcibly stifling an exclamation, his little face turning red.

Erlang Shen suddenly looked up, and the closed Heavenly Eye on his forehead also widened into a circle.

Golden Cicada's face, which had always been calm and waveless, collapsed, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Even the Three-Headed Flood Dragon, which had been groaning on the ground, was too scared to even cry out in pain, its dragon eyes widened into circles.

Guanyin Bodhisattva... also knelt?

Lu Jiuyuan, however, seemed even more "surprised" than they were.

He let out an "Ah," as if he had just realized what happened, a look of apology instantly appearing on his face as he stood up from the throne, walked down the steps, and came before Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"Bodhisattva, what are you doing? When we meet normally, a simple bow is enough; why such excessive courtesy? Please, get up quickly!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and made a gesture of helping her up.

That gentle, invisible force instantly dissipated.

Guanyin Bodhisattva felt her body lighten, and the boundless gravity that felt like several worlds pressing down on her finally dissipated.

She stood up naturally.

Holding her pure vase, she stood steadily, knowing that she had appeared directly in the Hall of Miraculous Mist, violating a taboo and being taught a lesson by the Great Heavenly Venerate!

"Great Heavenly Venerate..." Guanyin Bodhisattva said apologetically: "This poor monk came in too much of a hurry and failed to report in time; I was reckless!"