From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 300 I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty.

The night is already deep.

Meng Yuan found the secluded courtyard and discovered where Dugu Ying lived.

This place is far from the garden, quite secluded. At the end of the month, there is no moon, only pitch blackness, and not a single lantern in sight.

Upon entering, one finds the room to be simple, containing only a table, chairs, and teacups, with no other decorations.

It was so plain and simple that it didn't resemble a woman's residence, much less the residence of Yingmei, who loved to wear red cloaks.

A sliver of light from a soybean lamp burned on the table, and Dugu Ying held a book in her hand, flipping through it herself.

Even at home, she only didn't wear a straw hat; the red cloak still concealed her petite figure.

The dim light made Dugu Ying's small face appear even more adorable, but her eyes were somewhat cold, lacking the innocence of a young girl.

"You came."

"I am coming."

He closed the door behind him and sat opposite Dugu Ying, noticing that she was reading Buddhist scriptures.

"What scripture is Miss Ying reading?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile, looking at Ying's adorable face.

"All loving relationships are impermanent and difficult to last. Life is full of fears, and life is as fragile as morning dew. From love arises sorrow, from love arises fear; if one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear." Dugu Ying closed the Buddhist scripture.

This is a cautionary tale, essentially saying that all affection and love are fleeting and impermanent, arising from karmic connections. Life is full of fears, and life is like morning dew, passing in an instant. When there is love in the heart, there will be worries, fears, and other chaotic thoughts. If there is no love in the heart, then there will be no worry, no fear, and no dread.

Meng Yuan didn't know why Yingmei was bringing this up, so he said, "In the morning dew and the light, one sees that the five aggregates are all empty; fear and apprehension are like flowers falling in vain, while great love pervades the world."

Dugu Ying raised an eyebrow and glanced at Meng Yuan, but did not answer. Instead, she put away the Buddhist scriptures and said, "Dugu Kang has corrupted you. I do not understand the debate on scriptures."

Meng Yuan was completely taken aback; he had originally planned to engage in some witty banter as well.

"Is Miss Ying planning to make a move?" Meng Yuan got straight to the point.

The assassination of Zhihe had been planned long ago, since Zhihe was from the Zhihui Institute of Lanruo Temple.

Meng Yuan had been waiting, and he was confident, but he still needed to plan things out carefully.

The reason for killing him was that Zhihe had been involved in the death of Old Master Ying, and Dugu Ying wanted to avenge the Ying family.

Meng Yuan has now been promoted to the position of Commander of the Demon Suppression Division. Although he does not hold real power, he is always by Wang Er's side and has naturally seen the backgrounds of the senior monks of the "Zhi" generation in Lanruo Temple.

This Master Zhihe is a fifth-rank martial monk who is well-versed in Buddhism and has a profound understanding of Buddhist principles.

As for his martial arts skills, they were extraordinary. He had many past deeds, most of which were related to subduing demons and monsters.

I've heard that Elder Zhihe doesn't adhere to the divisions of the three academies and sometimes acts as an instructor, teaching the martial monks of the three academies.

However, I have never heard of this person having taken on any personal disciples, nor have I heard of any hobbies.

More importantly, this Elder Zhihe was aloof and taciturn, rarely interacted with others, and seldom appeared in public; Meng Yuan had never even met him in person.

Regardless, a fifth-rank warrior monk is someone to be taken seriously.

"How do we do it?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Many people contributed to the killing of Old Master Ying back then." Dugu Ying hid her two small hands in her red cloak. Instead of talking about the important matter, she talked about the past. "Of the seven monks from Lanruo Temple who were involved, three died on the spot, one died after being seriously injured, and the other three were not only not rewarded afterward, but were also sidelined by Lanruo Temple."

The candlelight flickered, and black and white shadows flickered on Dugu Ying's small, well-behaved face. She said, "Zhihe is one of them."

"What about the other two?" Meng Yuan asked.

“We still can’t beat them,” Dugu Ying said.

"Fourth-grade realm?" Meng Yuan asked in surprise.

Dugu Ying nodded slightly and continued, "Zhihe has little contact with others. While you were in seclusion, he had already moved out of the Wisdom Academy."

This time, the 108 visitors from the West will temporarily stay at the Wisdom Monastery. In order to make room, many of the monks in the monastery have indeed moved out.

"Where did you move to?" Meng Yuan asked while tending to the lamp wick.

“He is in meditation at Baoquan Temple in the south of the city,” Dugu Ying said.

Before arriving in Ping'an Prefecture, Meng Yuan had already thoroughly researched the local geography and the locations of many Buddhist temples. Behind Baoquan Temple was a spring that flowed year-round, its water sweet, hence the name.

Baoquan Temple is a small temple. It is said that a high-ranking monk from Lanruo Temple once left and built this small temple.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that Baoquan Temple is the property of Lanruo Temple.

“Zhihe built a thatched hut next to Baoquan Spring behind Baoquan Temple for quiet cultivation, and does not receive outside guests,” Dugu Ying said.

"Is he the only one?" Meng Yuan asked.

Nachi is a fifth-rank monk, Yingmei is also a fifth-rank monk, and with my own sixth-rank status, the advantage is in my hands!

However, it cannot be calculated in this way. While martial arts realm can measure the extent of strength, even within the same realm, the strength can vary drastically.

As the saying goes, old ginger is spicier, and since Zhihe and the old monk are older than Meng Yuan and Yingmei combined, they naturally need to be careful.

Not to mention that this person was involved in the massacre of the Ying family, so he must have extraordinary abilities!

"Baoquan Temple is a small temple, one of the many properties of Lanruo Temple. It has always been run by only an old abbot and a few young monks, and is not worth mentioning."

Dugu Ying spoke with great confidence, “I have already investigated, and there is no need to worry about the people of Baoquan Temple. As for whether Zhihe has any companions, he is a recluse with no monks or lay friends, and he has never been visited by anyone while meditating in that thatched hut.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan knew that Yingmei was well prepared.

“Everyone is focused on Lanruo Temple right now, and no one will pay much attention to that little Baoquan Temple,” Dugu Ying said.

Yes, all the monks in Ping'an Prefecture, including those from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, are focused on Lanruo Temple. No one pays attention to Baoquan Temple, a small temple located seventy miles south of the city.

However, since it involves two fifth-rank martial artists, if they were to fight to the death, the commotion would be immense. The entire world's attention is on Lanruo Temple, but there are countless other masters residing there as well.

If a major disturbance is caused, highly skilled individuals from both Buddhism and Taoism can arrive in no time, if not instantly.

Once they arrive, forget about everything else!

Not to mention, this is killing a high-ranking monk or elder of Lanruo Temple on Lanruo Temple's territory! Two third-rank patriarchs of Lanruo Temple, as well as the Western Arhat Wusheng, are all here. Once they find out, there's really nowhere to run.

Meng Yuan remained silent, but kept weighing the options in his mind: Killing Zhihe was not difficult. With his Bodhi Extinction Path and Yingmei's methods, he could use his intentions to outmaneuver the unintentional. Even if he failed, he could retreat with ease.

A martial artist should have an indomitable spirit, but that doesn't mean blindly charging into battle! Their patriarch is nearby; if things escalate, it will be difficult to manage. "The two old bald monks of Lanruo Temple are held back by the Arhat Wusheng." Dugu Ying seemed to have guessed what Meng Yuan was thinking.

"Are they having a magical duel?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

Dugu Ying nodded slightly, "Qing Guangzi was originally a disciple of the Buddha of Freedom. First there was the upheaval in Songhe Prefecture, and now that the Buddha from the West has arrived, can the two old bald monks of Lanruo Temple remain calm? They will definitely have to test the abilities of the Arhat of No Birth."

After the Arhat Wusheng arrived at Lanruo Temple, he visited the two patriarchs of Lanruo Temple accompanied by Wang Er and Zhiguan. Meng Yuan thought that a high monk of such a level must be different. He thought that he must have been engrossed in discussing the Dao after not showing up for two days. He did not expect that they had started fighting in secret.

"I see." Meng Yuan chuckled. "I didn't expect those three monks to have such tempers."

"If it's empty, who can be empty?" Dugu Ying even had a rare smile.

"The Arhat of No Birth has the upper hand?" Meng Yuan had never seen a battle between the top three ranks, and he was genuinely curious.

"The Arhat Wusheng is the foremost disciple of the Buddha of Freedom, and is said to be free from all karmic constraints and not subject to the cycle of reincarnation." Dugu Ying nodded slightly, clearly acknowledging that the Arhat Wusheng was stronger than the patriarch of Lanruo Temple.

“I didn’t see anything happening at Lanruo Temple, so it seems both sides are holding back. But even so, Wusheng Luohan is a bit too strong!” Meng Yuan thought more highly of Wusheng Luohan, and at the same time, he thought of Li Weizhen.

"Indeed, Ping'an Prefecture is a peaceful place. The two old bald monks at Lanruo Temple didn't have it too difficult to attain enlightenment, much easier than Qing Guangzi. In terms of achieving enlightenment through great vows, these two bald monks are probably not even as good as Qing Guangzi who just attained enlightenment!"

At this point, Dugu Ying stared at Meng Yuan and asked, "Do you know what grand aspirations the Arhat Wusheng made when he attained the third rank of Dao?"

To enter the third rank of a Buddhist monk from the fourth rank, one must make a great vow and fulfill it. The level of one's abilities after attaining enlightenment is also related to the difficulty of that great vow.

Moreover, some eminent monks will openly proclaim their grand vows, while others will keep them secret.

Whether it will succeed is also very uncertain.

Meng Yuan had inquired about the deeds of the Arhat Wusheng before, but he did not know why the Arhat Wusheng had made the great vow to attain enlightenment.

"What grand ambition?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

A smile returned to Dugu Ying's small, well-behaved face. With a hint of mockery, she said, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty."

"I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty..."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan felt that although he had the experience of exchanging witty remarks with eminent monks such as Dugu Kang, Jie Kaiping, Juesheng, Jueming, and even Master Zhitong, and had read Buddhist scriptures extensively, he still felt confused.

The so-called "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty" is too vague. Compared to Qing Guangzi's grand vow to build a Buddhist kingdom on earth, the grand vow of this Arhat without birth is too great!

Meng Yuan was truly curious. This "hell" was a place of reincarnation, where people suffered endless cycles of reincarnation. "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty" was the great vow of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. It meant that if there was even one sentient being in hell who had not been liberated, he would never become a Buddha.

This is naturally the Bodhisattva's great vow of compassion to save all sentient beings, or even giving up his own opportunity to become a Buddha. This is the true Buddha!

But this grand ambition was actually fulfilled by the Arhat Wusheng? And he even attained the third rank of Arhat? Shouldn't he have directly attained the second rank, or even the first rank?

Besides, the Western Buddhist kingdoms are not peaceful either; is the saying "hell is never empty" truly not true?
Meng Yuan stared wide-eyed, like Xiang Ling who couldn't quite grasp the situation.

"How did he do that?" Meng Yuan was genuinely curious.

"Great perseverance, great ambition, and great supernatural powers!" Dugu Ying said.

"Don't talk about these empty words." Meng Yuan rubbed his temples.

"Are you afraid now because you heard the saying 'I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty'?" Dugu Ying sneered.

Shouldn't we be afraid? Who wouldn't be? Meng Yuan nodded and said, "The more you talk, the less I understand, and naturally I'm afraid."

“From love arises sorrow, from love arises fear; if one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear.” Dugu Ying spoke of the cryptic exchange she had with Meng Yuan earlier.

Well, so that's where your wit comes from! Meng Yuan laughed in exasperation, and simply said, "Fine, I admit defeat in this witty exchange."

"You're afraid because you're ignorant." Seeing Meng Yuan's helpless expression, Dugu Ying slightly raised her chin and said, "The so-called 'I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty' is nothing but bullshit!"

She stared boldly at Meng Yuan and sneered, "The Arhat of No Birth did not deliver all the suffering ghosts of hell, but instead released all the demons and monsters!"

Meng Yuan's eyes widened again; he never expected that he could prove his Dao in this way.

Since he started learning martial arts, Meng Yuan had dealt with quite a few monks and knew that some monks were the best at misinterpreting Buddhist scriptures, but he never expected them to be so misinterpreting!

Moreover, monks talk about abstract concepts and are very good at talking. The grand ambition of the monk to enter the third rank of the fourth rank and attain enlightenment was to be practical once, but he never expected that being practical could go to such an extent.

"..." Meng Yuan was at a loss for words for a moment, only feeling that the world was so vast and full of wonders.

“If we release all the demons and monsters from hell, wouldn’t that mean hell is already empty?” Dugu Ying laughed.

"This is too empty." Meng Yuan felt a headache coming on, but still asked, "How did he release the demons and monsters from hell?"

"The so-called 'hell' is actually an image, a place of desolation, a place of sorrow where one cannot escape the cycle of reincarnation." Dugu Ying began to explain how the Arhat Wusheng attained enlightenment. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Where is hell?"

“The human world,” Meng Yuan said.

“Not bad.” Dugu Ying nodded slightly and continued, “The Western Buddhist Kingdom is vast, but it is mostly a dangerous place, hot all year round, and full of miasma and monsters.”

A small, fair hand emerged from the red cloak. Dugu Ying smiled and said, "Most of them die before the age of thirty. It's not just humans who suffer; demons suffer too. Xiangling, who gets an egg every day, is considered a young lady. Moreover, they are ignorant and illiterate, and most of them spend their entire lives trapped in sorrow."

“This is indeed hell,” Meng Yuan said.

"The Arhat Wusheng traveled around the Buddhist lands, using his great power to teach Buddhism and martial arts." Dugu Ying sneered, "He had his disciples guide him, and from then on, many forces killed each other. Of the ten humans and demons, ninety percent were gone, and the rest were divided into different classes, all of whom worshipped the Buddha."

Dugu Ying looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Does this count as 'I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty'?"

"Well... I guess so. After all, hell is gone, and it's become a Buddhist kingdom." Meng Yuan was speechless.

"Would that count as a grand ambition?" Dugu Ying asked.

"That's true." Meng Yuan was very impressed, truly impressed from the bottom of his heart.

"Shall we go now?" Dugu Ying stood up.

"Miss Ying, I want to know why you are so determined to avenge Old Master Ying?" Meng Yuan was still a little dazed, but he still asked the question he cared about most.

"Shouldn't we avenge him?" Dugu Ying said.

“But your surname is Dugu,” Meng Yuan said.

"The Ying family has the world in their hearts, and all those with ambition harbor a desire for revenge!" Dugu Ying said coldly.

Meng Yuan asked no more questions, and the two of them slipped into the night together.

(End of this chapter)