Master Yuan's predictions were seldom erroneous, and this time was no exception.
Upon reducing himself to a skeletal frame, the Shipi Arhat flashed with Buddha Light, and his flesh was fully restored. Then, he laughed heartily at Tao Qian,
"Good disciple, you truly are one of our own."
"The timing of this information is impeccable. We originally planned to take a big bite out of the Gao Family of Tiannan and call it quits, since Gao Huan is indeed a tough old monster to provoke."
"However, now that you've discovered the Gao Family's weakness, this is fate. How can we pass up such an opportunity?"
"In two days, when the ritual gathering concludes, I will join the Nine Venerable Transcendent Bodhisattvas in overseeing the provincial city. I believe we will be more than capable of tying up or killing the Gao Family's three ancestors, along with some other old rats hiding in the dark."
"You two proceed to Tiannan Province and exterminate the Gao family members, then refine a few more Bodhisattvas... Once Tiannan falls under our control and Gao Huan is dead, we can urge Lord Cheng to attain the Realm of Ultimate Happiness. Then, we will have the confidence to return to our temple and ask for more support."
"Excellent!"
"Fate has arrived, it should be so."
In just a few words, the Shipi Arhat had settled on a plan to obliterate the Gao Family and annex Tiannan Province, as well as to refine a group of warlord demons.
It seemed to be an easy task.
In reality, if this situation had not been covertly guided by "Duo Bao Master and Disciples," it would likely have succeeded.
However, the path ahead was now shrouded in chaos and uncertainty. Even Tao Qian could not predict it and had to plot as he went along.
The Three Arhats, upon receiving the leak from Tao Qian, greatly appreciated the previous courtesy and benefits as they had not been wasted, and the rewards were substantial.
Now, they had fully accepted Wu Gou Buddha Son as one of their own.
Borrowing the "Golden Cymbal" was not enough; the Three Arhats couldn't resist and made three more grand promises to Tao Qian.
"Good disciple, if this plan succeeds, you shall be the main contributor. When the time comes, I will vouch for you and grant you access to our Demon Buddha Temple's Hidden Scripture Pavilion. There, you will find all kinds of scriptures and Heavenly Book Immortal Records, numbering in the thousands, at your discretion to choose from. I see you lack some Slaughter Divine Power, so you could choose from the Buddha Scriptures of the 'Vajra Department,' which are suitable for your practice."
"You are the only True Inheritor of Qingjing, and your status will be exceedingly high in the future. It is proper for you to have several attendants. After this matter, I can arrange for some Heavenly Girls and Buddha Birds from our temple to serve at your behest."
"Esteemed disciple, you are not far from the Realm of Ultimate Happiness. Certainly, this realm will not impede you. However, there are bound to be some twists and turns, with the risk of Mutated transformations. Once Tiannan Province is integrated into the Buddha Country and the number of believers suddenly increases by tens of millions, the Buddha Treasure I am currently refining, the 'Merit Blood Lotus Pond,' will have the chance to be perfected. Then, I can lend it to you once to suppress any Mutations and step into Ultimate Happiness."
...
Three grand promises were successively made around Tao Qian's neck.
He, as the disguised Wu Gou Buddha Son, gladly accepted them all.
Smiling amiably and maintaining his dignified demeanor, he chatted merrily with the Three Arhats, Lord Cheng, and even the Beautiful Corpse.
Afterward, he almost threw up.
But there was no choice; although Duo Bao was concealing him from behind and the Haotian Divine Mirror was aiding him, it was still not simple to successfully deceive the three powerful Arhats. Tao Qian racked his brains hard to avoid giving himself away.
Because of a private agreement, Tao Qian didn't stay at the grand banquet at Little Leiyin Temple for too long.
After fooling the Three Arhats, he returned to the quiet room in the monastery. As soon as he sat down, the Golden Radiance Token in his arms trembled slightly, and Duo Bao's voice entered his mind.
"Good disciple, your skills at deceiving are indeed quite good, almost as if you have sixty percent of your master's skill."
"Your part is done, and I have also handled things on my side."
"Those three Gao fools were truly gullible. Once they learned of the existence of the 'Great Compassionate and Merciful Transcendent Bodhisattva,' they immediately felt they had perceived the Heavenly Mechanism and could plot to destroy the Qiantang Demon Buddha's sub-temple."
"Now they must be pestering Gao Huan, that old monster who lacks much Mind, begging him to bring out his treasures, such as the 'Ten Thousand Marvels Sky-reaching Treasure Banner'... Tsk, that treasure is quite something. If there's a chance the day after tomorrow, your master might just make a move to grab it."
After listening, Tao Qian's face lit up with joy.
He considered a few thoughts before immediately replying, "It's not impossible; once my identity is exposed, I will have to flee anyway. Lord, if you are confident, send an avatar or something to lie in wait. At the crucial moment, use your 'Ten Thousand Treasure Secret' to lure the treasures. There's no treasure that can't be taken."
"Hah, do you think I'm a junk dealer, as if some mere mortal provincial city could have any treasures worth mentioning?"
"Let me count, the three Gao heirs will probably be able to borrow the Ten Thousand Marvels Sky-reaching Treasure Banner and the Nine Nether Binding God Rope from Gao Huan. The Jie Robes in Shipi's hand is a good treasure, the Bodhi Branch in Kongchan's hand, his newly refined White Bone Glaze Tower, the Merit Blood Lotus in Lian Sha's possession, plus the Eighteen Great Transcendent Bodhisattvas... Hmm? Actually, they do have some appeal; I'll take this deal."
Duobao True Monarch said.
In the quiet room, the three were silent.
What a character!
While most people think of snatching treasures as an opportunistic looting,
That's not Duobao True Monarch's style at all. His first thought was to capture everything in one swoop. It must be noted that the owners of those treasures he muttered about were on the same level of cultivation as he was.
Tao Qian, Master Yuan, and Yunrong all kept their silence.
Especially the latter, who seemed to witness for the first time that Duobao was such an expert Master, couldn't help but to muse,
"No wonder my grandmother told me that my husband's master, the future Sect Master of Spirit Treasure Sect, is the most covetous of treasures in the world."
"She warned me a thousand times to refuse lending the entire Haotian Divine Mirror, only to permit borrowing some of its Divine Light Power."
"If I agreed to loan the whole thing, I'm afraid the treasure might be conned away."
"I thought it was just my grandmother's bias, but now it seems it might be true."
Yunrong thought this to herself.
Whether Duobao predicted these thoughts or he was extremely self-aware and guessed it in an instant remains unknown.