Finally meeting Senior Mingren in person, Yun Xian felt a little complicated.
The good news is that everyone has indeed successfully entered the inner demon of the Smiling Buddha.
The bad news is that everyone's perspective is a camera.
Perhaps it was because Senior Mingren's power level was so much higher than Qi Zhiye's, or perhaps it was because she had been haunted by her inner demons for years, but the illusion now felt incredibly lifelike. Even the grass, trees, mountains, and water seemed indistinguishable from reality. It was also incredibly vast, with numerous monks traveling up and down the mountain steps. Qi Zhiye was passed through by one of them, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Uncle Mingqing...?"
She is called a senior uncle, but is actually a nun who looks to be of the same age as Akihito.
Yun Xian said: "Eighty years ago, everyone was so young."
"Yes." Qi Zhiye watched Ming Qing greet Ming Ren, then hurried away. "Master Ming Qing passed away three years ago," he said.
Not every disciple has a talent as strong as Mingren Mingguang, and the vast majority of people cannot break through the Spirit Severing Stage in their entire lives.
The drizzle was still falling. Now that I had seen Akihito, I had to follow him no matter what.
Just as the girl said, the mountain steps were so long that they seemed to have no end. Ordinary people would have to rest in the middle of the journey. But no matter where you looked up, you could see the vermilion tiles of the Buddhist temple on the top of the mountain and the heavy Buddhist bell.
Akihito and the girl stopped talking and continued walking up quietly. They didn't seem to feel the silence or awkwardness at all. It seemed that they were already used to this way of getting along.
As they walked, Qi Zhiyefang said, "What happened to me just now?"
In fact, judging by his expression, he had almost remembered it, and his expression was not very good. No one else said anything, after all, this was someone else's privacy. Only Yun Xian said, "It's nothing, you were just slightly scammed."
Qi Zhiye: "...are you the only one who saw it?"
Ji Rongxue said, "Everyone saw it." Xue Lingxiu crossed her arms and snorted in a gloomy voice. Fortunately, he was kind and didn't say anything harsh. The other two nodded silently, but Jimo Shu was the only one who was puzzled: "What the hell are you talking about?"
It seemed only the witch hadn't seen it; everyone else had seen it all. Qi Zhiye wanted to get angry, but for some reason he couldn't. Instead, his neck flushed with embarrassment. After a long pause, he said firmly, "If I had to choose again, I would still kill him."
But after killing someone, he didn't know what would become of him. He had been cold and aloof since childhood. While ordinary people would feel compassion for cats and dogs, he didn't. Even when someone in the Buddhist community passed away, amidst the outpouring of grief, he felt no sadness. Mingguang had kept him by his side for over a decade, raising him like his own son, and had spared no effort to prevent him from actually taking a human life.
If the killing precepts are lifted, then I will definitely not be able to stay in the Buddhist sect. Perhaps staying in the Buddhist sect forever is not the best choice, but...
"Don't think about it, don't think about it." Yun Xian skillfully used "I'm already here" and "It's like this" to try to stop his thoughts. "If it's really as the eldest lady said, and his life span is over in another six months or a year, will you still take action?"
Qi Zhiye: “…”
Seeing his unhappy expression, everyone figured out the answer.
The best outcome would have been for Li Xiangxian to surrender and die right after committing the crime, but he was cowardly for a moment and a lifetime, and ultimately ended up in this situation where he was neither up nor down.
As they were talking, everyone returned to the top of the mountain again.
The girl said goodbye to Mingren and walked into the main hall, probably to burn incense. Another young monk came over and said to Mingren, "Sister Mingren, the abbot invites you over."
Xue Lingxiu asked, "The abbot at that time had already passed away?"
Qi Zhiye nodded. The previous abbot had not passed the mantle to Mingren, nor to Mingguang, but instead to a lesser-known, steady disciple, which had drawn considerable criticism at the time.
Akihito nodded and walked towards the council hall where the abbot was sitting.
Within Buddhism, every blade of grass and every tree possesses a spirit that cannot be easily altered. The meeting hall eighty years ago was no different from today. The abbot, wearing a cassock, stood with his back to Akihito, and another disciple stood beside him.
The disciple turned around upon hearing the voice, his brows and eyes gentle, his face as beautiful as a painting, he lowered his eyes and said, "Mingren."
Mingren also bowed and said, "Senior Brother."
Everyone slowly opened their mouths: "......"
Oh my God!
This handsome man turned out to be Mingguang?! No wonder he has to show his old age every day. Otherwise, the story writers would definitely write a dozen love-hate stories about him and the Hehuan Sect every time he left the house.
Yun Xian said woodenly, "I can't accept it."
"Do you think I can accept this?" Qi Zhiye looked at a stranger with the same eyes, and even didn't want to look at him for no reason. "I'm really not used to it!"
Feng Ye said weakly: "If you are good-looking, you are a master. If you are not good-looking, you are a bald donkey. You girls are always like this, it's too much."
Jimo Shu was very fair and impartial: "They are all bald donkeys! Little bald donkey, old bald donkey, big bald donkey, little bald donkey."
Qiao Lingshan: "Lady Saint, this is Qi Xingye's spiritual platform. If you call him a bald donkey again, you might be thrown out."
It was already lively enough with Yun Xian alone in the Heart Demon, and now that everyone was here, it was like setting up a stage for a show. At this moment, the abbot turned around, saw Ming Ren, and asked kindly, "How has your practice been lately?"
Mingren said: "No breakthrough yet."
"You're so young and already approaching the Out-of-Body Stage, so it's naturally difficult for you to break through. Don't be anxious or distracted," the abbot soothed him. "Yesterday, during our routine inspection, you went to Nanshan Town. Did you notice anything unusual?"
Buddhism is located between the two countries of Hongyuan and Faxi, occupying a mountain alone. There are also many Buddhist temples in each country. Every once in a while, disciples will go to the temple to patrol to see if there are any demons and monsters causing trouble.
Nanshan Town is at the foot of the mountain and belongs to the Kingdom of Faxi. Mingren thought for a moment and said, "Not yet."
If any demons or monsters were causing trouble in the world, the believers would have reported it. Other than that, there really wasn't much else going on. After all, Buddhist temples are quiet places, so anyone who wants to fight will automatically stay away. Lately, things have been peaceful, and even the small demons haven't been many.
"That's good." The abbot continued, "The woman who just went up the mountain with you, is she from Nanshan Town?"
"Yes." Mingren was always practicing Buddhism, so he didn't have many friends his own age besides those in the Buddhist sect. Even if he did, they couldn't always come to the mountain to find her. Fangfei was someone she had met while slaying a water ghost. Her family were all devout believers, and they had a great time talking to each other.
"It seems you really like her." Mingguang teased, "You've been running to the foot of the mountain lately."
Mingren laughed: "Brother, don't you also run down the mountain when you can? You stay on the stage all day, and everything has been worn out."
"Well, you dare say such things in front of me?" The abbot glared in feigned anger, and was about to strike them with his staff. Ming Guangming and Ren fled with their heads in their hands. Both of them had smiles on their faces. After a while, the abbot sighed and said, "Forget it. Everyone has been through this. Back then, when I was young, I was also..."
They both knew that if the abbot started to "reminisce about the past", they would have no chance of eating lunch, so they quickly interrupted him: "We know we were wrong, we know we were wrong!"
Qi Zhiye said, "It seems that all abbots are equally long-winded."
"It might be the abbot who's being long-winded, not the person himself." Yun Xian said, "If you become the abbot, you'll be even more long-winded than him. However, we've been here for so long, what exactly is Senior Mingren's inner demon?"
Qi Zhiye’s inner demons are not so complicated with all the family matters and consequences, nor are they so peaceful.
Jimo Shu said, "Wait a little longer."
"No matter what, remember to focus on your practice and don't be distracted by external things. Mingguang, remember this. Mingren, you should do the same. From now on, you'll shoulder as much responsibility as anyone else, and you'll have to juggle more things. Don't neglect even the smallest matter." The abbot looked at Mingren with a pointed look, then asked, "For some reason, I've been having trouble lighting incense sticks lately. I have a feeling something's going to happen. Mingren, are you sure there's nothing unusual going on in Nanshan Town?"
As soon as these words were asked, the entire space suddenly stopped for a moment.
Everyone watched as raindrops stopped in mid-air and fallen leaves clung to tree branches. Not far away, outside the main hall, the young girl Fang Fei stepped out of the threshold, her bright dress fluttering in the wind. The abbot's gaze rested on Ming Ren's face.
In the stillness, only Mingren slowly turned back and glanced at the peaceful and tranquil courtyard outside. She turned back and said firmly:
"No."
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene suddenly changed. The originally continuous rainy day suddenly turned into a thunderstorm. Everyone's eyes blurred and they saw that the meeting hall was filled with densely packed Buddhist disciples, all with solemn expressions.
The abbot sat on the main seat, and Akihito was on his right, his expression difficult to discern.
A disciple said anxiously, "Abbot, the two nations of Hongyuan and Faxi suddenly went to war. It was so sudden! Yesterday, I wanted to report that the two nations seemed to be trying to recruit troops, but I never expected it to happen so quickly..."
There was an uproar below.
"Why did the war suddenly break out? Half a month ago... no, a few days ago, everything was fine!?"
"We won't recruit soldiers anymore, and we won't buy weapons anymore. Because the first people to be attacked are either soldiers or ordinary people!"
"Are you crazy?! Why would a fight between ordinary people lead to a war between two countries? Doesn't the ruler consider the consequences? What was the reason in the first place?"
"...According to my disciples, it was because two families were fighting over farmland. Each family felt the other had encroached an inch on their side, and after days of arguing, one of the men was careless and beat one of the other men to death with a hoe. But the other family was from Hongyuan, not Faxi, so this aroused public outrage, and so... a fight ensued."
It was a ridiculous, absurd, and bizarre reason. Seizing farmland was perfectly normal, a common occurrence in every village during planting season, but killing someone was a different matter. Even if someone was killed, it was a foreigner, which made it even more unusual!
Beating a person to death is a devastating disaster for a family, but to some people, that person is not a human being, but just a fuse that happened to sacrifice his life.
The leaders of both nations have done the same thing: they've played dumb and unleashed hatred within their borders. They've talked about fighting, but instead of saying anything, they've been crying out about how innocent and tragic the deceased was, and how arrogant and heartless the other side was. Their own countries' reputations have been trampled upon. Why? Why?!
Normally, conscription was forced, but now, no soldiers were needed. Citizens, conditioned by decades of this, were furious. As soon as the first person shouted and rushed to the other side of the border, there would be a second, a third... They would just say they were sending troops to protect their own people, and so on and so forth, and war broke out.
These two countries were originally one country, with many believers. The abbot looked serious and asked, "Have you accepted the refugees?"
"We've accepted them. We're already accepting them. We've called almost every disciple who's not in seclusion down to rescue them, but..." the disciple said miserably, "If this war only lasts a few days, it'll be fine. But if it lasts for weeks or months, our temple simply can't take in so many people."
It's not like they can just be rescued. Ordinary people need medicine, food, shelter, and rest. Even if a Buddhist temple is huge, even if all the statues are removed, how many people can it house? How many refugees can it take in? What about the rest? Where can they go? Even if the entire mountain were filled with people, it wouldn't even accommodate one percent of the population of the two countries!
"Let's not worry about whether it's enough or not." The abbot made a quick decision: "Try to treat the seriously injured first. Stop the attack if you can. I'm going to Faxi."
Everyone responded with a “yes” and hurried away.
The abbot stood up, and Mingren also stood up and said, "Abbot, I will go with you."
"Mingren, you are still at a critical juncture." The abbot hesitated and said, "This matter is of no small importance..."
"It's precisely because it's so serious that I'm going." Mingren didn't dodge and said, "If I were to take over as abbot in the future, would I also sit on the mountain and practice cultivation no matter what happens?"
Her eyes were filled with determination. This was her first time handling Buddhist affairs, and as the most accomplished of the younger generation, she had to go.
The abbot looked at her deeply and sighed.
"This has nothing to do with cultivation." He said, "...never mind. Come with me."
“…”
When they arrived at the Kingdom of Dharma Joy, the king was eating fruit in the palace. When he saw the two of them coming, he didn't even bat an eyelid, but spoke in a very respectful tone: "The master is here, welcome! Come, pour tea for the master!"
The two men saluted him. The abbot came over and saw the smoke everywhere. He had no intention of drinking tea. He just said, "Lord, regarding the matter of starting a war, this old monk..."
"What do you mean by war? I don't want one either," the King said calmly. "But the enemy has already attacked. Do you, Abbot, want our people to just sit there and wait for death? They are human beings, they have blood. They are being bullied to the point of being unbearable. Shouldn't we fight back?"
Mingren heard his tone and didn't take the matter to heart at all. He said angrily: "It was clearly you, the Faxi people, who attacked first and injured someone, killing one of them. It would be fine if you didn't repent, but you provoked a war!"
The abbot said, "Akira!"
"What do you mean we were the first to attack? Master, please don't talk nonsense!" The king said solemnly, sitting upright. "You only saw that we used the hoe, but have you ever thought about the circumstances? To force our people to resort to such drastic measures to protect themselves, how do you know if the enemy had knives, sticks, or intended to kill? Does it mean that he's justified if he dies?"
"You..." Mingren had never seen such a unreasonable person in his life. He forced himself to calm down and said, "In the initial farming, who moved forward an inch?"
The king replied, “I don’t know.”
Akihito asked in disbelief, "You don't know? Are you kidding me? Whoever made the mistake first is in the wrong and should repent and apologize instead of continuing to make the same mistake."
"But I really don't know. I didn't ask, and I didn't investigate. But, Masters, does this really matter? For years, Hongyuan has been secretly hijacking our cargo ships, leaving us with nothing but money and countless lives lost. Why didn't you come back then? Is hanging a quicker and more respectable death than being beaten to death with a hoe? As for who's at fault, wasn't it the other side who made the mistake first?"
The king looked at her with a look that Akihito couldn't quite describe, then smiled. It was a smile with a sickly smoothness, like a bowl of vegetable soup with dead flies floating in it. "Ah, two monks. We all know that Buddhism is a pure place, and fighting and killing are forbidden. That's why we didn't destroy the temples, right? If you want to accept the refugees, then do so. We won't interfere."
"We don't care, and you guys should stop caring about us. Okay?" He whispered, "How about this? Faxi donates another golden statue of the Buddha? Pure gold, ten meters. No, twenty meters!"
Mingren stared at him, feeling depressed and unable to express himself. The abbot just looked at the king quietly, without saying a word, and left.
"Hey, don't go! The wizard says a number, and we'll just build it! Is that okay?"
“…”
The voice was left behind. Mingren followed the abbot and saw the strange expressions of the others. They were deliberately treating the two of them as if they were extorting money. He was so angry that he almost felt dizzy. He pursed his lips and said, "Go to Hongyuan Country again..."
"No need to go," the abbot said. "With that intention, no medicine or cure will work. Going is pointless."
Mingren said: "If we capture this king and put him in a Buddhist monastery..."
"Mingren." The abbot looked at her gently, a hint of worry in his eyes. "First of all, we can't do this. Secondly, even if we do this, after he leaves, others will continue his methods. We can capture one or two, but can we capture all of Faxi's advocates of war?"
Akihito was speechless.
"This battle will never end peacefully." The abbot looked toward the horizon and added, "A while ago, people from the Northern Realm quietly entered the Western Realm again. It seems there are unusual movements again."
"..." Mingren was silent for a long while before he said, "Abbot, let me go to the Buddhist temple. I can be a great help. My realm doesn't matter. I'm still young and there's still time. Once a person dies, they can't be saved."
The abbot looked at her deeply, and hesitated for a long time for some reason.
Yun Xian and the others felt time suddenly stop, as if it were happening at any moment of decision. But at this moment, in the silence of time and space, Ming Ren still looked at the abbot with a persistent expression, without the slightest hesitation.
Mingren pleaded, "Abbot! Even if I were on the mountain, I wouldn't be able to calm down!"
"...Okay. Go ahead." The abbot finally said, "Akira, you must remember this. Saving people is saving people. Don't think about who you're saving, and don't develop any discriminatory thoughts. And, most importantly—"
He said in a deep voice, "No matter what, as Buddhist disciples, we can only defend ourselves and must not fight back! Never. Do not hurt anyone. Do you hear me?!"
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