Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The Ajati Matriarch?

Even after returning to Earth, he still heard this term, and Meng Qi was even stunned for a moment, as if he was still in the Real World.

Yet, as he thought over it carefully, based on his limited knowledge of history, the Ajati Matriarch did not suddenly appear on Earth, but rather could be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, where research suggested that it was the White Lotus Sect which had changed to the maitreya belief.

In other words, the Ajati Matriarch already had prior knowledge of Earth.

Moreover, within Earth’s history, there was not just the novels Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods, but also Taoism and Buddhism, as well as Li Dan’s Tao Te Ching.

Apparently, the influential figures of the Nirvana Realm were not unaware of Earth’s existence… Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. It was easier hiding something among the masses. If the Devil Buddha was to pick a secretive hideout to leave his reflected self, any secret place would have attracted attention, and a lot of effort would be required to hide this place well, whereas by just cutting connections and throwing it at Earth which had once been patronized by the people of the Nirvana Realm, nobody would even think of investigating an ordinary and unremarkable person.

Seeing Meng Qi nod his head, the neighbor’s face instantly lit up, “Are you also the Ajati Matriarch’s disciple?”

“It’s just that I have heard of this divine name before,” Meng Qi snapped out of his musings and answered jovially.

With a pious expression, the neighbor said, “The Ajati Matriarch is the beginning and end of everything, the God of Gods. She teaches us that all men are brothers and all women are sisters, to respect and love each other, to support one another, and wait for the mother’s descent to free us from this bitter place and return to our true home.”

It was obvious that these sayings were taught by someone, and the neighbor must have memorized it countless of times to be able to recite it so fluently. He ended with, “Little Meng, I can’t deny that this life of mine has been rough. I didn’t do well academically, did business at a loss, and apart from never touching drugs, I ate, drank, gambled and womanized. I’m almost forty but I still don’t own a car or a house. I still take money from my parents, and the prospect of marriage is nonexistent. Everyone mocks me, looks down on me. Living is pointless, but ever since I worshipped the Ajati Matriarch and joined the sect, I was suddenly part of a brotherhood, I received sincere support from them. They even helped me with my bachelorhood. I am getting married at the end of this year.”

“You are no longer young. Aunty and uncle have long been worried about your marriage prospects. Why don’t you join the Luo Sect? As long as you want to be enlightened and turn over a new leaf, there will be good girls willing to be with you.”

Incredible, entering a discipleship can ensure you a spouse? This strategy is indeed the best! The corner of Meng Qi’s mouth twitched, and he suddenly thought of his situation and smiled bitterly: Come to think of it, my wife was in the Luo Sect, but I lost her…

Lost in thought, Meng Qi narrowed his eyes and saw that the neighbor had a weak Power of Vow that was being sucked into the void.

Is the Ajati Matriarch really recruiting disciples here?

“My apologies, I’m already part of another discipleship,” he replied seriously. “Our teachings aren’t very much different from yours, but more inclusive, all men and women are siblings!”

“Ah…” the neighbor looked lost, he did not get it. He saw Meng Qi extend his right hand, and Meng Qi’s long fingers with a layer of luminous light gently touched his forehead.

With a bang, he felt lights dancing in his vision. His vision became black and white, and the world suddenly looked like an illusion.

Meng Qi grabbed his biggest karma thread which shone with light from the Power of Vow, and immersed within it, quickly spreading to the end.

The earth’s environment was quite pure. Many gods were just legendary imprints, bearing no power in the world. Naturally, the karma threads related to the Power of Vow were very simple, allowing him to immediately latch on and move upstream!

In the void, there were little ripples. A dash of chaotic colour twinkled on the karma thread, pausing at each node, but it quickly chose to move on.

In a house in a nearby district, a group of people held their Lection characters, and recited silently while sitting in front of the statue of the Ajati Matriarch. Dots of shapeless light gathered around the statue, and suddenly the statue became dull, as if cloaked by darkness, as if the sun had been covered, temporarily falling into the shadows.

After that moment, the statue returned to how it was before.

The statues in the county, the urban areas and the provincial capital had all fallen dim before brightening up, one after the other.

…

A covert black car drove on the highway, then took a left turn, and after showing its identification documents, drove into a heavily guarded garden.

It was a vast garden, with sentries posted every few yards. There were surveillance cameras and high-tech gadgets everywhere.

Inside the car, besides the driver, there were two men and a woman. A man in a tuxedo with an imposing look sat at the front passenger seat and held the identification documents. The woman in the back seat was young, with light refreshing makeup, looking admiringly at the man beside her.

That man wore pure white, vintage-style clothes. His hair was silver, but there were no creases on his face. There was a sage-like vibe about him. His stance was calm and his eyes were closed, as if indifferent about entering a restricted territory.

“Hierarch, you are indeed an Immortal Being of the Present World. Even my heart was thumping in my chest, but you acted like it was nothing,” the girl looked at him expectantly.

This was because they were about to meet one of the highest ranking officials, someone who held the fate of the country in the palm of his hand. If he could strike a deal with him, the Luo Sect would reach new heights!

Without opening his eyes, the hierarch smiled gently, “I have already devoted myself to the mother, and everyone is brethren, so what is there to be nervous about?”

“Yes, our faith is lacking,” realization dawned on the man in the front passenger seat. “Hierarch, the sick person agreed to meet us this time because his condition still worsened even with the help of modern medicine, so he sought help everywhere in his desperation, and turned to the supernatural instead. How confident are you?”

The driver and him were the subordinates of the high-ranking official, but after witnessing the Hierarch’s magical powers, they were completely convinced, and became the Ajati Matriarch’s believers.

The girl raised her eyebrows. The man’s sudden question made it seem like he was questioning the hierarch’s abilities. Clearly he had not been in this discipleship long enough!

The hierarch waved his hand, his eyes still tightly shut on his clear face, “Since the Shang Dynasty fell, the sky and earth were detrimentally damaged, the gods, Buddhas, and the celestial beings were all restricted, and could no longer use their godly powers in this world. If you had asked me that question twenty years ago, I would have replied that I was not at all confident, and could at most give him some comfort, but today the end is closing up on us, limiting our mobility. The Ajati Matriarch showed pity on us, descended to Earth, and my strength is no longer how it was back then.”

Saying that, he opened his eyes, and it was just chaos. His pupils which could no longer be seen shot out two feet long light rays of the Power of Vow.

“The Ajati Matriarch, the Void Hometown,” the other three people were awestruck and reverent while they chanted. The car’s journey was unusually smooth.

He was indeed an Immortal Being of the Present World!

After the thorough inspection, the car stopped in front of a mansion which had guards at every corner, looking at them.

The Hierarch was oblivious. With steady steps, he casually strode forward. Although his eyes were shut, he was as familiar with the place as if it was his home, and he did not trip.

After yet another thorough inspection, including body-checks, the Hierarch finally stepped into a study, where a plump man with dyed black hair sat on a sofa authoritatively. His secretary was beside him, and several bodyguards surrounded him.

“Due to my title, you had to go through many inspections. Forgive me for the trouble,” the plump man smiled and stood up to welcome them.

The Hierarch did not open his eyes, but smiled, “You bear responsibility for the country, which cannot be taken lightly. My wait was understandable.”

After some small talk, they sat down. The plump man glanced over at his subordinates, and asked with a smile, “Our country’s history runs deep and long. While the traditional ways had its dregs, they also have valuable importance. I’ve heard rumours that Mister Wang had healed several pancreatic cancer patients?”

It was not a question, it was a statement. Someone had already verified the truth of the rumor.

“All the credit belongs to the blessings of the Ajati Matriarch,” the Hierarch took out a red cloth from his pocket, and slowly opened it to reveal a white lotus. Within that lotus was a gentle-looking jade statue, carved to look like a beautiful lady, her expression maternal, her gaze merciful.

The expressions of the bodyguards beside the plump man changed instantly. They had not detected the red cloth or the statue during the body-checks.

How did he smuggle it through?

The Hierarch carefully arranged the jade statue of the Ajati Matriarch, then stood up and bowed respectfully, “May the mother take pity upon us, and cure those before you.”

Spears of colorful light shot out from the jade statue. The plump man and his subordinates were amazed and shocked.

The light rays converged on the plump man’s body. He immediately felt a weight lift from his body, his aches and pains gone, the wrinkles on his skin visibly smoothed out.

A few moments later, the light retracted, and the plump man examined himself. Surprised and happy, he exclaimed, “Mister Wang is indeed an Immortal Being in the Present World!”

The expression of the people around changed to admiration.

The Hierarch smiled and opened his eyes, which were still full of chaos, “It was just a small trick. Your praise is unwarranted.”

As his voice died down, the jade statue of the Ajati Matriarch suddenly dimmed, as if a layer of darkness shrouded it.

Immediately after that, above the head of the Hierarch appeared a hand white as jade, which engulfed his head.

“Help!” the Hierarch was in sheer terror, and reflexively screamed for help.

The long and powerful hand gripped his head, pulling him into the void!

Instantly, the glow returned to the jade statue, but the place where the Hierarch had stood was empty. He was nowhere to be seen.

It was then that the surrounding bodyguards snapped back to their senses and pulled their weapons out.

Even with their long training and mental preparation, their faces were still in utter shock. What just happened was like a scene right out of a movie, and they still couldn’t tell whether it had really happened.

The Immortal Being in Present World’s terrified gaze and twisted expression in his final moments was etched deep into their minds.

What just happened? The plump man was still quite shaken up, as if he had returned to his younger years, listening to his father tell stories of demons and ghosts.

“Go check the security cameras, see if they caught anything,” he ordered without losing his composure.

…

With his hair in a mess, and his saintly composure gone, the Hierarch noticed a flight of stairs in the darkness, and saw a young man with his hands in his pockets. He looked young but his eyes were deep and fathomless, with a faint sorrow, as if he was an ancient being who had experienced the force of time.

Thinking back to when he was snatched into the void, the Hierarch gulped uneasily, and faked a steady voice, “May I ask what God are you? I am a sworn disciple of the Ajati Matriarch. Please let us talk in a proper manner.”

The Ajati Matriarch was a real God, the top among many celestial beings! Her name was enough to shock many fairy gods. The Hierarch felt proud, but after what had happened he did not dare act too mighty. That mysterious tactic was indeed unheard of.

Meng Qi smiled, “The Ajati Matriarch and I have been at war with each other for many years. I am not unfamiliar with her, you do not need to speak.”

At war with the Ajati Matriarch for many years? The Hierarch immediately cowered, his heart beating out his chest.

Could it be that he was in the presence of the Ajati Matriarch’s biggest enemy?

The figure who had been long at war with the Ajati Matriarch was not someone he could look in the eye!