Chapter 616: A Show of Force
The demon ape was tossed into the air, a look of bewilderment and helplessness on his face.
Qin Mu observed this and couldn't help but feel puzzled. "It seems the big guy hasn't realized he's already won, or why he won."
He turned to look at Ma Ye, thinking to himself, "Ma Ye is known in the village as an honest man. Choosing the big guy to fight this time, knocking down the Buddha sons of the twenty heavens of the Buddhist realm—this idea is indeed extremely clever. Did Ma Ye do this intentionally, or is the big guy's Buddhist Dharma truly unfathomable? How do I feel like the villagers are the ones feeding Ma Ye these sneaky tricks behind his back?"
Ma Ye had said that the chanting of Buddha's names by the monks disturbed the peace of the Buddhas in the twenty heavens. That idea came from the Mute, only he could be so spiteful.
And sending the demon ape to fight, a style that infuriates people to death without compensation, felt more like the work of the lecherous Blind Man.
The Blind Man's mind's eye excelled at finding gaps to exploit. His spear techniques had few variations; one could even say they had no forms, yet they always struck the opponent's weak points. This was because he could see through the truth and falsehood of all techniques.
Sending the demon ape to fight was perfect. The demon ape naturally spoke little, always spitting out words one by one, deeply embodying the essence of "not debating is debating."
If they had truly debated, the monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple probably couldn't have out-argued the Buddha sons of the twenty heavens. Thus, "not debating is debating" became the key to victory.
And the demon ape was exactly that kind of person.
"Still, the big guy truly has deep roots of wisdom. He has astonishing attainments in Buddhist Dharma cultivation."
Qin Mu looked at the demon ape, filled with admiration. "He doesn't know he won, nor does he know why he won. Though he fought, his mind remained empty and clear, unaware of victory or defeat—this is truly the Buddha son's battle of emptiness. No wonder the Buddhas of the twenty heavens changed how they addressed him, calling him 'Little Junior Brother.' Speaking of which, Grandpa Blind and Grandpa Mute both gave Ma Ye advice. Where have they gone now?"
Granny Si and the Black Tiger God had returned from the Luofu Heaven but were nowhere to be seen, which left him quite puzzled.
"Eat! Strong!"
Qin Mu stayed for a vegetarian meal. The demon ape kept urging him to eat more, occasionally clenching his fists and flexing his thick arms to show Qin Mu how much he ate and how strong he was.
The vegetarian meals at the Great Thunderclap Temple were mostly greens, tofu, and steamed buns. In front of the demon ape sat a huge iron bowl, four or five times larger than an ordinary pot, filled with his favorite pine needles and pine cones.
Qin Mu ate some vegetable dishes and steamed buns, just enough to be full.
Ma Ye put on his kasaya again, returning to his identity as Ma Tathagata, and said to the monks, "The Buddhas have granted us three slots to go to the Buddhist realm to study. Of the three slots to go to the Buddhist realm, Zhan Kong takes one, Ming Xin takes one, and I'm hesitant about the other one."
Monk Jingming laughed and said, "Tathagata, why the hesitation?"
Ma Tathagata said, "Senior Brother, Zhan Kong has roots of wisdom, and Ming Xin is more experienced. Both are excellent for going to learn the Dharma. But learning the Dharma doesn't test wisdom; it tests enlightenment. One must comprehend the Dharma and turn it into divine abilities, into combat power, to subdue demons and monsters in the future and respond to future calamities. Having Buddha nature doesn't necessarily mean outstanding combat power—that's my concern. Both Zhan Kong and Ming Xin have Buddha nature, but they fall short in enlightenment."
An old monk said, "In that case, why doesn't Tathagata go himself?"
Ma Tathagata shook his head. "I am already a Buddha. I cannot cross the world barrier to reach the Buddhist realm directly. So I must find someone among the younger generation with extraordinary aptitude and enlightenment to go in my place, to comprehend the supreme wondrous Dharma and pass it down. This person is giving me trouble."
The monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple also frowned. Although Ma Tathagata said the demon ape and little monk Ming Xin lacked enlightenment, it was actually Ma Tathagata's standards that were too high. The demon ape and Ming Xin's aptitude and enlightenment were already the best among the younger generation of the Great Thunderclap Temple.
It was impossible to select a young monk from the Great Thunderclap Temple who surpassed them!
Ma Tathagata looked at Qin Mu, who was eating his vegetarian meal. The demon ape pinched a handful of pine needles and handed them to Qin Mu, inviting him to eat.
The other old monks also looked over. They saw Qin Mu take the pine needles, knead them into a cake, eat them in two or three bites, and then have a few more bites of steamed bun.
"What do you think?" Ma Tathagata asked the monks.
The monks said in unison, "Good man! Tathagata's Dharma eye is unmatched!"
"Let me go to the Buddhist realm?"
Qin Mu finished his meal and was called over by Ma Tathagata. Hearing his words, he widened his eyes and exclaimed, "I am the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader, and I've had conflicts with the Great Thunderclap Temple before. If I go to the Buddhist realm to study the Dharma, won't the Buddhas beat me to death?"
Ma Tathagata smiled and said, "The Buddhas of the Buddhist realm have no grudges with you, nor with the Heavenly Saint Sect. The Buddhas attained Buddhahood and established the Buddhist realm before the fall of the Kaihuang era. The conflicts between the Great Thunderclap Temple and the Heavenly Saint Sect occurred after the fall of the Kaihuang era. The Buddhas understand reason and won't make things difficult for you."
Qin Mu was still hesitant. "This opportunity was fought for by the monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple. If I, an outsider, go to seek the Dharma and study, wouldn't that cut off the monks' hopes?"
Ma Tathagata shook his head. "Sending you is what gives hope. This trip to the Buddhist realm to study is about learning the supreme Buddhist Dharma of the Great Thunderclap Temple, reaching the Buddha skill of the imperial throne. I fear Zhan Kong and Ming Xin won't grasp the essence, so it's more suitable for you to accompany them."
Qin Mu no longer declined and said, "What should I pay attention to when I go to the Buddhist realm?"
"Local customs and traditions—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. You should know all this well enough without me saying more."
Ma Tathagata said meaningfully, "The Buddhist realm doesn't help the Great Thunderclap Temple in the lower realm, not because it doesn't want to, but because it can't. So you must be wary of open spears and hidden arrows."
Qin Mu's heart tightened, and he immediately understood the subtlety in his words!
The reason the Buddhist realm was so cautious, besides fearing the power of the so-called Heavenly Court, was that the Heavenly Court had likely planted countless eyes and forces within the Buddhist realm!
On this trip to the Buddhist realm to study, the Heavenly Court's eyes and forces would definitely make a move against the monks from the lower realm!
The bloody storms that would follow were easy to imagine.
This was probably another reason Ma Tathagata insisted on Qin Mu going!
The demon ape Zhan Kong, though deeply rooted in wisdom, had more wisdom than experience. Little monk Ming Xin had enough experience, but his past worldly training was limited to joining the army and training in the military. He was far inferior to Qin Mu in terms of schemes, tricks, and handling crises.
Qin Mu had faced more dangers, even confronting demons like Furi Luo directly. His ability to adapt on the fly was outstanding among the younger generation.
Ma Tathagata's purpose in sending him was not only to comprehend the supreme Buddhist Dharma but also to protect the demon ape and Ming Xin.
"Do I need to shave my head?" Qin Mu asked.
Ma Tathagata smiled and said, "Do you see me with a shaved head?"
Qin Mu looked at his head and saw that his hair had turned into fleshy bumps—these were the wisdom beads refined from the three thousand troublesome hairs through Buddhist Dharma.
Ma Tathagata said, "Some people see troubles as obstacles that limit their cultivation, so they remove the troublesome hairs. But Buddhas turn troubles into wisdom. The more troubles before becoming a Buddha, the greater the wisdom after. Even a Tathagata doesn't shave his head, so why should you?"
Qin Mu smiled. "I am taught."
The twenty heavens of the Buddhist realm shone brightly, hanging high above Li City.
These layers of heavens appeared illusory and ethereal, but upon closer inspection, they were extremely profound, with vast, immeasurable spaces. Within the twenty heavens, great Buddhas appeared, and Buddha sounds swirled. One Buddha pointed a finger, and a ray of Buddha light shone down from the twenty heavens. The other Buddhas also pointed toward the temple in Li City, and the Buddha light converged into a stream, forming a pillar of light.
Ma Tathagata led the monks to the pillar of Buddha light, nodded to Qin Mu and the others, and said, "Be careful on the way."
Qin Mu nodded and stepped into the pillar of light with the demon ape and Monk Ming Xin. The pillar of Buddha light slowly rose, soon disappearing into the twenty heavens of the Buddhist realm. Qin Mu and the others, standing on the base of the light pillar, were carried up into the twenty heavens.
Qin Mu, the demon ape, and Ming Xin set foot on solid ground. Looking up, they saw a vast temple complex ahead, with countless pagodas, great Buddhas, and monks.
Beneath their feet was a magnificent, strange mountain. Looking down, they saw a land of Buddha kingdoms, resplendent and golden.
A single layer of heaven alone had a territory comparable to the vastness of Yankang, with Buddha kingdoms standing side by side in peace.
A monk came to greet them, bowing and saying, "Three senior brothers from the lower realm, ahead is Mituo Temple. Please!"
Qin Mu and the others returned the bow. "Thank you, senior brother, for guiding us."
The monk led the way, smiling. "Senior Brother Zhan Kong's Buddhist Dharma attainments are unfathomable. I listened along and was deeply impressed. These two little junior brothers are?"
Ming Xin announced his Dharma name and said, "This is Layman Qin of the Great Thunderclap Temple."
The monk's gaze fell on Qin Mu. "Layman Qin? So that's why you cultivate with hair."
Qin Mu smiled slightly. "May I ask which great Buddha built this Mituo Temple?"
The monk laughed. "Layman Qin may not know, but Mituo Temple was built by King Molun. King Molun is an enlightened Buddha of the Heavenly Court, with countless disciples and profound Buddhist Dharma. Many senior brothers have witnessed Senior Brother Zhan Kong's Buddhist Dharma skills and would also like to test his divine ability skills."
Qin Mu's heart sank. This Mituo Temple was likely within the sphere of influence of the Heavenly Court, a force planted in the Buddhist realm!
"Ma Ye gave me a fine task."
He couldn't help but feel a headache. Just arriving in the Buddhist realm, the Heavenly Court's forces were already trying to give them a show of force—clearly hostile!
Monk Ming Xin said, "Senior Brother, we came to study, not to compete in divine abilities. Once we learn the supreme wondrous Dharma, we'll return to the lower realm. We don't want to offend the senior brothers of the upper realm."
They arrived at the mountain gate of Mituo Temple. The monk laughed and said, "Cultivation and competition reveal strengths and weaknesses. What offense is there? Go on in!" With that, he pushed Qin Mu and the others from behind, shoving them into the temple, and then closed the gate.
Qin Mu, the demon ape, and Ming Xin looked ahead. A mountain path stretched before them, lined on both sides with pairs of monks standing every ten or so steps, holding monk staffs, their faces stern.
At the top of Mituo Temple, a young monk in a yellow robe shouted, "Worship the Buddha, pay homage to the Buddha! Kneel and climb the mountain!"
The demon ape and Ming Xin frowned slightly. Ming Xin whispered, "Sect Leader Qin, what do we do? Do we really have to kneel and kowtow all the way up? Our retreat is blocked."
At the mountain gate, many monks stood with weapons drawn, blocking the way.
"No problem."
Qin Mu smiled. "Don't fight. Just walk up the mountain."
The demon ape and Ming Xin began to climb. The young monk at the top narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Strike!"
The monks on both sides of the path swung their staffs at the three!
Qin Mu's sword pellet suddenly flew out, forming a large sphere about three zhang in radius, shining brightly with sword light swirling. With a hum, it sliced the robes of the monks who swung their staffs. The monks stood there naked, at a loss.
"Fellow senior brothers of Mituo Temple!"
Qin Mu flicked his finger, and the sword sphere roared up the mountain path. Wherever it passed, the monks standing on both sides were stripped naked in an instant. The monks quickly dropped their staffs and covered their lower bodies.
Qin Mu declared loudly, "Have you ever seen a relic this big?"