Chapter 248: Returning to Secular Life
"To cultivate to the complete twenty heavens is to become a Tathagata?"
Qin Mu's eyes lit up. The Great Thunderclap Monastery was indeed the supreme sacred ground of the Buddhist path, and the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra was truly a supreme art worthy of being ranked alongside the Great Yu Demon Sutra and the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword.
The three great sacred grounds were indeed not living off their reputations.
The Yan Kingdom was suffering from a snow disaster, but here it was spring-like all year round. Many refugees from the Yan Kingdom had fled here, settling in various temples, and quite a few had converted to Buddhism.
"The Great Thunderclap Monastery's actions here are somewhat like taking advantage of others' misfortune," Qin Mu said softly, surveying the temples on the mountaintops.
Blind shook his head. "Mu'er, don't bother about their intentions; just look at what they do. The Great Thunderclap Monastery saved these people's lives—that is a good deed. Whether they intend to use this to expand Buddhism and spread its teachings, what they did was still a good thing. If you dwell on the Great Thunderclap Monastery's thoughts without looking at their actions, you'd be no different from Li Tianxing."
Qin Mu felt a chill of realization and nodded in agreement.
A person's life is a great cultivation, and it's easy to be led astray by extreme thoughts. Any idea that hasn't been carefully considered or scrutinized can cause deviations in one's mind.
These days, staying by Li Tianxing's side, Qin Mu had been unconsciously influenced by him.
This former leader of the Demon Cult had a deep demonic nature and a biased mindset, but as a grandmaster, his words carried reason. It was easy to unknowingly absorb his thoughts and ideas without caution.
Dragon Qilin arrived at the Golden Summit, the fiery clouds beneath him lowering until they touched the ground. The Golden Summit rose above the clouds, with mist flowing at their feet, and the ground was paved with white jade, matching the color of the clouds.
Arriving here felt like stepping into a celestial realm.
Qin Mu looked around and couldn't help but admire it inwardly. The Loulan Golden Palace was luxurious but had a nouveau riche feel, while the Great Thunderclap Monastery was also luxurious but much more solemn, showcasing the dignity and culture of Buddhism everywhere.
On the Golden Summit, pagodas stood tall, with one towering pagoda being the most magnificent. Long-browed monks sat inside it, some perched on its spire and eaves, continuously chanting sutras, their Buddhist sounds resonating.
"Could that be the Thousand Buddha Pagoda?" Qin Mu wondered.
A white-robed female Bodhisattva approached, holding a pure vase, and bowed slightly. "Demon Cult Leader, Horse King God, Madam Si, and this old Daoist friend, the Tathagata has been waiting for some time. Please follow me."
Qin Mu said, "Thank you, elder sister."
"Elder sister?"
The female Bodhisattva chuckled. "Cult Leader Qin is joking. Please."
Qin Mu and the others followed her steps. On the Golden Summit, eminent monks radiated brilliant Buddhist light, sitting in the clouds with golden halos behind them, dazzling to behold.
The old Tathagata sat at the highest point, his physical form vast, with attendants to his left and right. Below him were various Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajras, and Dharma Protectors, along with some of the old Tathagata's junior brothers, whose cultivation was extremely powerful. There were also monks who had attained enlightenment from non-human races, not appearing to be human.
Qin Mu and his group approached, and Qin Mu greeted him, saying, "Senior brother."
The old Tathagata quickly rose and returned the greeting, "Senior brother."
As he stood, the many Dharma Protectors, Attendants, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Vajras all rose and said in unison, "Senior brother!"
After the greetings, the old Tathagata raised his hand, inviting Qin Mu to sit. Qin Mu looked down and saw that the seat was a cushion; if he sat, he would be much lower than the monks floating in the air.
"Mu'er, just sit," Grandpa Ma said.
Qin Mu sat down and felt a gentle force lift him and the cushion, placing him on Dragon Qilin's back, which looked quite impressive.
The old Tathagata looked at Grandpa Ma and smiled. "Disciple, have you resolved your worldly attachments and plan to return to the mountain?"
Grandpa Ma said, "Return to the mountain? There is a Mount Sumeru in my heart, but there is no Buddha in that mountain."
The old Tathagata laughed. "When there is no Mount Sumeru in your heart, you will be the Tathagata. Well said. Let go of the wife and child in your heart. I will soon enter parinirvana and achieve perfect enlightenment. You can take charge of the Great Thunderclap Monastery."
Grandpa Ma shook his head. "If I take charge, I'll kill all the bald donkeys on the mountain."
The faces of the Dharma Protectors and Arhats changed drastically, and they shouted in anger, assuming wrathful expressions.
The old Tathagata said, "You are still stubbornly lost. Last time you came to the mountain, I hurried back but was still too late. You should know that I still have the bond of master and disciple. You cut off your arm and sent it to me. I thought you would eventually resolve your worldly affairs and return to the Great Thunderclap Monastery, so I ordered the monks to place your arm in the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, hoping you would find your way back. You should understand my intentions."
Grandpa Ma said solemnly, "I know. But my wife and child also died at the hands of the Great Thunderclap Monastery. This blood feud must be avenged."
"Foolish child!"
The old Tathagata struck him with a sharp rebuke. "Wife and child are but dreams and illusions, mere stinking skin bags! If you have Buddha-nature, you should know that all karmic ties and fruits of fate ultimately come to nothing."
Grandpa Ma was furious and shouted, "Nothing, my ass! I cut off my own arm, and you're still not satisfied? You had to kill my wife and child too! You say wife and child are pink skeletons, demonic entanglements—what's wrong with me loving pink skeletons? Calling you master is out of respect, because I need something from you. If you keep blabbering, old monk, I'll overturn this place, bathe your Golden Summit in blood, and kill all the bald donkeys on your mountain!"
The monks on the mountain changed color drastically, unable to sit still.
Qin Mu hadn't expected Grandpa Ma to suddenly explode like this. Grandpa Ma was usually steady and composed, the most stable person in the village, the one Cripple admired and feared most. But now, Grandpa Ma was unstoppable.
On the Golden Summit, dark clouds suddenly gathered. A moment ago, there had been gentle breezes, auspicious clouds, and golden light, full of good omens. Now, killing intent filled the air.
Qin Mu coughed and laughed heartily. "Stealing the spotlight, stealing the spotlight. Tathagata senior brother, let me introduce you. This is my Grandpa Ma, commonly known as Lord Ma, two generations above me. This is Grandma Si, two generations above me. This is Grandpa Blind, two generations above me. Fellow senior brothers, no need for excessive courtesy."
The old Tathagata laughed heartily, and the dark clouds dispersed. He smiled. "Cult Leader Qin, you and I have great affinity. You obtained the Khakkhara, which was originally my walking staff when I roamed the world. You got it, so you and I originally had the fate of master and disciple. I once planned to go to the Great Ruins to seek a karmic connection from the old Daoist friends of the Crippled Village and take you into the Great Thunderclap Monastery. But fate was severed. When I met you again, you were already the Demon Cult Leader of the Demon Cult. Truly, time and fate play tricks on people."
Qin Mu smiled slightly. "Tathagata is joking. I have come to ask the Tathagata to subdue demons and vanquish evil. Inside Grandma Si is a great expert, the former leader of our Holy Cult, Li Tianxing. He has turned into a demon seed planted in Grandma Si's Dao heart. Therefore, I dare to ask the Tathagata to subdue this demon and eliminate a public menace for the world."
A Venerable said softly, "World-Honored One, this Grandma Si is the former Saintess of the Demon Cult, Si Youyou. On the night she married Li Tianxing, she killed her husband, slaying Li Tianxing. She is not a good person either, a demon among demons."
Many Dharma Protectors and Arhats chimed in, "This is the Demon Cult's family affair. How can we interfere?"
The old Tathagata raised his hand and smiled. "All sentient beings are equal. Buddha is a sentient being, and demons are also sentient beings. Since Cult Leader Qin has invited me, I naturally should help."
Another Venerable's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "When we give sutras to people, we still collect some oil money. This time, subduing the demon, can we..."
The old Tathagata waved his hand to silence him and said, "Madam Cult Leader, may I see your true face?"
Qin Mu hesitated and shook his head. "Tathagata, it's better not to."
Blind tapped his bamboo staff and said, "Old Tathagata, it's better not to see Grandma's true face, or it might ruin the cultivation of the monks on your mountain."
"Love and attachment are but fleeting clouds; peerless beauties are but pink skeletons. Daoist friend, you underestimate the cultivation of the monks of the Great Thunderclap Monastery."
The old Tathagata smiled. "I want to enlighten Cult Leader Li. He loved and gave birth to love, which created a demonic barrier in his heart. I will teach him to see that the object of his deep affection is nothing more than this."
Grandma Si giggled. "Blind, Grandpa Ma, why don't you undo my seal? Cult Leader Qin, peel off this ugly skin of mine. I want to meet these hypocritical monks and see their resolve!"
Blind frowned slightly and whispered, "Grandpa Ma, what do you think?"
Grandpa Ma hesitated, looked at the eminent monks on the mountain, and said, "The old Tathagata's Buddhist teachings far surpass mine. He should have this ability. Mu'er, what do you think?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, "We have no choice but to try. Two grandpas, be on guard. Don't let Cult Leader Li escape."
Grandma Si giggled. "I've been sparring with this old bald donkey for who knows how many years. Such an interesting thing—why would I run? Even if you chase me away, I won't leave!"
Grandpa Ma sighed and withdrew the spirit Buddha soul from between her brows, nodding to Blind.
Blind reached out and grabbed, and streams of silvery true qi like dragons flew out from Grandma Si's body, returning to Blind.
Qin Mu stepped forward and gently sliced open Grandma Si's skin. From within the skin, a stunningly beautiful woman stood gracefully, her black hair cascading like a waterfall. She slowly raised her head, her bright eyes glancing around, moving from the face of one eminent monk to another.
The Golden Summit fell into dead silence.
Even the chanting from the Thousand Buddha Pagoda paused at that moment. The eminent monks' mouths went dry, their hearts pounding wildly, and their prayer beads spun frantically.
Suddenly, a Bodhisattva's golden halo dissipated, and he fell from midair, tumbling into the valley below the clouds.
After a long while, a heavy thud came from below.
Thud, thud. A few more heavy thuds followed, from several Arhats and Vajras who had fallen one after another.
The old Tathagata's expression changed slightly, and he quickly looked around. The monks' eyes were fixed, staring straight at the stunning beauty, their prayer beads spinning faster and faster, rustling loudly.
"Humph!"
Just as the old Tathagata was about to shout, a furious roar rang out. An Arhat charged toward Grandma Si, shouting, "This is a demoness who deludes sentient beings! She is a demon! The moment I saw her, demons sprang up in my heart! I must kill her!"
"I will kill this demon for the world!" Another Vajra brandished his vajra club and charged, manifesting three heads and six arms, rushing toward Grandma Si.
Suddenly, an old monk stepped in, blocking the Arhat and Vajra. He tore off his monk's robe, snapped his prayer beads, and laughed wildly like a madman. "I've always been good at killing and arson, never seeking true enlightenment. All these years of eating vegetarian and chanting sutras—I realize I've wasted the first half of my life! Seeing this beauty, I know I've wasted my entire life! I'm returning to secular life!"
A few more Arhats rushed forward, and the Golden Summit fell into chaos.
The old Tathagata's yellow robe fluttered. Suddenly, the Thousand Buddha Pagoda erupted with loud chanting. A thousand Buddhas recited in unison, snapping the monks on the Golden Summit back to their senses. They sat down, feeling ashamed.
"What's the point of eating vegetarian and chanting sutras? What's the use of achieving true enlightenment? You still die! Better to enjoy pleasure while you can! I'm returning to secular life!" Suddenly, an old monk leaped up, jumped off the Golden Summit, and fled into the distance.
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