Chapter 574 (1/2)
Chapter 574
Chapter 574: Studying Buddhism
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
”That day, a b.l.o.o.d.y aura shot into the skies . I was on the Tile Mountain and was terrified . The bell in the 17th temple of the Lanke Temple gave a warning sign . It rang at the same time the aura appeared for three days and three nights . ”
Master Qishan turned around and looked at Ning Que . He said, ”And just a few days ago, the Buddhist bell in the 17th temple rang again . The ringing of the bell could be heard in Tile Mountain . That was when I realized that the b.l.o.o.d.y aura had appeared once more . ”
Ning Que's expression did not change when he heard that . However his body, hidden in his black Academy uniform, tensed up involuntarily . His mind was in a mess and his awareness grew .
The Buddhist bell in the Lanke Temple had rung due to Lotus' Practice of Taotie . It must have rung a few days ago because it had sensed that he had done something to Long Qing in the Red Lotus Temple under the autumn rain .
Maser Qishan had obviously guessed the truth behind the incident, but he did not choose to unveil it . He said benevolently, ”I am old and dying . While I cannot say that I have seen through both good and evil, I have understood some things . However, not many in the world can do the same, for example, the Xuankong Temple and the Haotian Taoism . ”
”To the Haotian Taoism, the Buddhism Sect is not part of them, much less the Devil's Doctrine . Ning Que, you have to understand that the heavens cannot be beaten by a man . No matter how strong Mr . Ke was, he could not be stronger than the heavens . And no matter how tall the Headmaster is, he cannot be taller than the skies . There are some things that shouldn't be touched, and if you have touched them, forget them . ”
Ning Que knew that the master meant well and that he was trying to persuade Ning Que to not delve any deeper into joining the Devil . No matter what kind of situation he was to face, he shouldn't use the evil and b.l.o.o.d.y Practice of Taotie .
After that autumn rain, he had often felt the strong lingering sweet taste of blood in his mouth . It was as if Long Qing's blood and flesh were still stuck in the gaps in his teeth and he was absolutely disgusted .
Because of the emotional trauma he had since he was a child, he believed that he could control himself and not use the Practice of Taotie . However, he could not stop cultivating his Youngest Uncle's Great Spirit . Then would he eventually take the path that Youngest Uncle had?
Master Qishan said, ”Tell me about Lotus . ”
Ning Que lowered his head in silence . Even if the master had guessed the truth, he did not intend to acknowledge it because he did not want to take any risks .
Master Qishan sighed, ”I was the one who had brought Younger Brother Lotus to the Buddhism Sect decades ago . How could I not sense then, that he had pa.s.sed his legacy to you? I just want to know what happened to him afterwards . ”
Perhaps the regret in the Master's voice had touched Ning Que, or maybe it was because Ning Que respected the relations.h.i.+p between the Master and Lotus . After some hesitation, he began to tell him about the bizarre story in the depths of the Wilderness .
”The side hall was filled with bones and dried corpses . Master Lotus sat in the middle of the pile of bones . . . ”
The Lanke Temple was quiet in the autumn rain . A certain temple had lit incense and the scent stubbornly wafted through the rain to the corridor at the back temple . The cold atmosphere turned into a solemn one .
After listening to Ning Que's tale, Master Qishan stayed silent for a long time .
He inhaled the faint incense scent and lifted his thin arm . His fingers danced across the air, trembling as if he wanted to grasp something . However, the scent of sandalwood could only be smelled and not touched . Just like a memory, it could not be gripped .
”Even in such desperate circ.u.mstances, he could still come up with such a good idea . It is truly Younger Brother's character to use you all to escape . Even though he still died in the end, he did manage to get himself out of the Confinement and he should be glad about that . ”
A complicated smile appeared on the Master's wizened face .
Ning Que thought of everything that had happened to him at the Front Gate of the Devil's Doctrine then, and Lotus' fragments of consciousness deep in his sense of perception . His emotions fluctuated wildly .
He looked toward Sangsang who was lying on a futon in the depths of the Buddhist temple . He said, ”Before Lotus died, he said that both Taoism and the arts of the Devil both lead to joining the G.o.ds . Now that Sangsang is cultivating in both Taoism and Buddhism, and her body seems to possess a natural celestial characteristic, would she be like Lotus and become mad if she continues cultivating?”
Master Qishan looked into the temple and said calmly, ”To make black chess white with just a thought is what the Buddhism Sect call 'will' . It is powered by itself . If she does not wish to become Lotus, she won't . ”
Then, he turned to look at Ning Que and asked, ”But you . . . what do you wish for?”
Ning Que thought about it and then said, ”I do not know either, but it's definitely simpler . ”
”The more simple and pure it is, the more powerful it is . Sometimes, it is also scarier . ”
Master Qishan looked at him and said warmly, ”Why didn't you come with Sangsang to listen to my preaching? If you think that I do not preach well, there are many Buddhist scriptures hidden in the Lanke Temple; you can try to read them on your own . Buddhism can rid you of heart demons and remove blockages . They are very beneficial to you right now . ”
”Master Lotus once said that Buddhist scriptures are as wide as the sea . But if you look deeply into the surface of the paper, you'll discover that all dharmas are just made up of one word: tolerance . Second Brother had also said that there were 3000 dharmas, but they were just teaching people how to lie to themselves . ”
”Tolerance and self-deception are the same thing,” Ning Que said . ”I am good at tolerating, so I do not need to learn that . As for self-deception . . . I am worried that if I deceive myself for too long, I will forget my original intentions and not be able to wake up from thinking that those are all real . ”
”Mr . Second has cultivated in Etiquette, so he would naturally not understand the ways of the Buddhism Sect where both fathers and rulers are disregarded . ”
Master Qishan asked, ”If life is but a mere dream, why wake up from it?”
Ning Que said, ”Even if it is a dream, we still have to be serious about it so that we can live freely . Even if life is but just a dream, we have to pretend that it isn't . ”
Master Qishan asked again, ”Then how would you know if the world in the Buddhist scriptures is a false dream and not reality?”
After his statement, Ning Que had thought of how he had boasted to Chen Pipi at the back of the mountain of Academy, that he was someone who would occasionally sprout wisdom even if he did not read books . He was just feeling rather self-satisfied with what he had said .
However, he found himself unable to answer the Master's next question . That was when he ascertained that the occasional wisdom from someone who did not study was indeed occasional . He had no right to partic.i.p.ate in any talks about Zen .
He said helplessly, ”Master, why do you wish for me to study Buddhism and partic.i.p.ate in Zen conversations? Sangsang is ill, she cannot be cured unless she studies Buddhism . This is the fate she has with the Buddhism Sect . I do not think that I am fated to study Buddhism . ”
Master Qishan smiled and said, ”Would the fate that the Buddhism Sect speaks of be so simple to understand? It seems that you have not studied Buddhist scriptures . I can teach you this on behalf of the Headmaster . ”
Ning Que felt that something was wrong .
”Master, you seem to think highly of me, but I really don't think there is anything special about me . ”
”Master, you seem to think highly of me, but I really don't think there is anything special about me . ”
He turned around to look at Sangsang who was in the temple and said, ”As compared to her, sometimes, I think I am as dumb as a pig . No matter how much I cultivate in Buddhism, I cannot become a master in the Buddhism Sect . ”
”She is the most special one, and you, are also a special one . ”
Master Qishan followed Ning Que's gaze and looked at Sangsang . He praised, ”The Lady of Light is pure in both body and heart . Her will itself, is a Divine Skill . If she wills it, she will understand Buddhism and reach the Knowing Destiny State in three years . ”
Ning Que shook his head without waiting for the Master to finish his statement .
”I know of someone who has done this faster than me, so I don't think I am special . ”
Master Qishan answered, ”But it is rare to find someone like that . ”
Ning Que said, ”No matter how rare they are, they still exist . So I am not special . ”
Master Qishan looked into his eyes and asked in confusion, ”You seem to worry that you'd turn to be the special one . ”
Ning Que said, ”Others would always be jealous of those who are outstanding . It's really annoying and I have no wish to be someone like that . ”
Master Qishan laughed and said, ”This is because you were in the Academy . ”
Ning Que smiled and said, ”That's right . For example, my Eldest Brother reached the Seethrough State and Knowing Destiny State within a short time . Talent like this would be considered special . Even if I slap the Big Black Horse silly, I would still be unable to catch up . ”
”Mr . First is of such extraordinary talent, so we can't use him to make comparisons . ”