Tathagata Buddha was staring incredulously at Confucius for a long moment before he spoke in a deep voice, "I originally thought Confucius hadn't made up his mind, but it seems I was slow to realize."
He looked at Confucius coldly and said, "So, you have indeed made your decision..."
Confucius smiled and did not deny it.
Tathagata Buddha's expression turned indifferent, "It's truly unbelievable; Confucius, who advocates loyalty to the ruler, teachers, and parents, is actually going against the 'Heaven.' How ironic does that sound?"
Tathagata responded with cold eyes, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
Confucius, however, didn't mind, and said with a smile, "Compared to loyalty to the ruler, teachers, and parents, Meng Ke's belief that the populace is paramount and the ruler is secondary has benefited me greatly."
"Furthermore..."
He paused, his lips curving into a meaningful smile, "Do you really think he can become that 'Heaven'?"
