Nightfall

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Qi Nian stared at him and said with complicated sensations, “Why do you hate the Buddhism so much? You and Ning Que, and everyone from the Academy tried your best to eradicate Buddhism. Why?”

Jun Mo said, “The Academy is not enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven or the human world. We do what we think is right. And we have our own criteria. Buddhism did no good to the world. Why should it exist?”

Qi Nian pointed somewhere on the plateau and said, “The pear blossoms bloomed charmingly in the valley without being seen by any human beings. It did no good to the human world. Why should it exist?”

Jun Mo shook his head and said, “The pear tree receives nutrients from the soil and energy from the sunlight. The weeds under the tree might disagree with you. Buddhism never produced anything and only lives on the offerings from human beings. You are of no different from Taoism. They are locusts, while you are maggots, equally disgusting.”

Qi Nian disagreed, “The Buddha land is a paradise. Countless eminent and virtuous monks have been practicing Buddhism for thousands of years. There are nourishment for the mind and gems for the consciousness. I do not expect you to respect us. But you should at least allow us to pass on the legacy.”

“The Buddha land is a paradise for the monks, but hell for other people. The nourishment and gems are only for you. Your faith is beyond reality. To talk about the Tao in the human world, you should at least help the majority live with dignity.”

Jun Mo continued, “If you are trying to convince me with what my Youngest Brother said, I’d like to remind you of some other words of him too. He used to say, ‘There will be food, drinks, and everything needed. We can produce anything as long as we are alive…’ including the nourishment and gems you mentioned, and the Tao.”

Qi Nian was silenced for a long while. Then he asked again, “And?”

“He also said, ‘All the bold donkeys should be killed. You are right, my Brother.’”

Jun Mo added, “By the way, the Brother was me.”

Qi Nian laughed bitterly.

He was crushed by Jun Mo and his iron sword today. The monks from Commandment Hall were either dead or severely wounded. The monk soldiers and the noble armed forces from the tribes could no longer withstand the furious strikes of millions of slaves. Were the Xuankong Temple and Buddhism really going to be eradicated?

Being the World Wayfarer of Buddhism, Qi Nian felt extremely painful and unwilling to see such a result. There were many more who were no less painful to see it including the young monks groaning by the Bodhi trees and the old monks crying over the burning temple. They were never expecting such an end of Buddhism.

The clashing of killing weapons were deafening. Countless soldiers of the uprising army poured toward the mountain trail like black tides, as if they were about to swamp the entire Prajna Peak. Those charging at the forefront were already on the trail.

Seeing the former slaves charging fearlessly and destroying the temples like maniacs, Qi Nian sat down on the mountain trail with his legs crossed, and started chanting resolutely.

He was chanting the Rebirth Mantra, without knowing if it was for himself.

Pacifying chanting spread from above the mountain trail toward the countless plateaus and temples.

Blood stained young monks struggled to get up. They managed to sit down with legs crossed and started chanting together with Qi Nian. The senior monks wiped their tears and also started chanting together. In the ruined main hall of Xuankong Temple, dozens of dying monks from the Commandment Hall also started chanting.

Some melodious chimes were heard all of a sudden, accompanying the chanting. The chanting gradually turned into calling for the Buddha.

The calling for Buddha resounded continuously around the peak. The compassionate, inspiring yet solemn energy from the countless monks and temples assembled among Heaven and Earth.

Deep in the heart of the peak and down at the bottom of the blocked cave, the chained Chief Monk of Scripture opened his eyes slowly. He heard the chanting coming from around the peak and realized the impending doom of Xuankong Temple and Buddhism. He seemed reluctant, but gradually became relieved.

The Chief Monk raised his skinny hands with great efforts and pressed them in front of his chest. The scrawny old monk seemed compassionate. His grey lips shivered. His chanting was faint yet sounded dragons roaring on cloud nine.

Continuous chanting spread from the plateaus to the bottom of the cave and joint with the faint chanting of the Chief Monk. The zen intents of countless monks joint his zen mind. Even though he was the living Buddha in the human world, the Chief Monk could not withstand the overwhelming and complicated intents. Blood gushed from his features while he started glowing in the Buddha’s glory. His flesh melted gradually in the glory and his bones were revealed, horrifyingly.

The beginning of a life was blood, or even blood pus. Buddhism revealed the fact of impermanence to its followers through this. They believed so and practiced accordingly. It was the ultimate purity.

The Chief Monk sat with his eyes closed. His pupils were not trembling at all as if he was already dead. Or perhaps he was still alive, but he was returning to the beginning of life… death. He was becoming the blood pus.

The purest yet filthiest blood pus dripped onto the ground in the cave. It followed an incredibly tiny crack and flowed toward the heart of the mountain, and eventually reached the underground.

It was the fiery magma of the underground world. In the magma, there was a chessboard.

It was the Buddha’s chessboard. Before Sangsang set off in the giant Ark, she threw it into the mountains and sank it into the horrifying fiery magma underground. It was supposed to be sealed there forever unless someone awoke it.

Today was the day. When the Xuankong Temple was being destroyed and countless monks were killed, their souls assembled and entered the chessboard. The Chief Monk sacrificed his human body and helped revitalized it. Therefore the chessboard was awakened!

On the mountain trail, Qi Nian was bleeding while he led the thousands of monks to stand against the countless uprising slaves. In their continuous calling for the Buddha, the surface of the peak started peeling off and dust prevailed.

It was called the Prajna Peak because it was formed by the Buddha’s relics.

The plateaus on the Prajna Peak slid and revealed a vague figure. It looked like the Buddha. White cranes were approaching from the west. Flowers floated down from the clouds. The Giant Sinkhole was illuminated in the Buddha’s glory.

The Buddha was gone. But he was still alive, although no one could find him. Neither Sangsang nor the Headmaster was able to locate him. Yet they could neither completely erase him from the world.

The Buddha was awakened from the chessboard. He watched the human world silently through the possession of the peak, witnessed the tiny human beings attempting to destroy his embodiment, and felt enraged instead of compassionate.

Soldiers from the uprising army stared at the peak in panic. Upon seeing the awe-inspiring face in the Buddha’s glory, they could not help from trembling while colors drained from their faces.

That was the real Buddha.

They never really understood the scriptures but had been practicing Buddhism piously since they were kids, until Jun Mo showed up.

They started to doubt whether the Buddha ever existed, or whether it meant anything even if he existed. Today, the Buddha appeared in the human world.

The awe deeply rooted in their souls kept them from further contemplation.

They dropped the weapons subconsciously, and kneeled in fear toward the Buddha transformed from the peak.

The calling for the Buddha continued and tens of thousands of monks were solemn. No one dared to keep standing upright. Only Jun Mo stood there with his head slightly lowered and looked indifferent.

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