From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 312 Everyone is evil
It was early afternoon, and snowflakes were still falling lightly.

The sky was a hazy gray, unlike the auspicious seven-colored clouds that appeared when the Arhat Wusheng arrived at this place.

Ding Chonglou invited Juesheng, but Juesheng disappeared without a trace. The monk Juesheng could only follow Ding Qianyun and did not allow his subordinates to follow. They wandered around outside the North City.

When Ding Qianyun saw that Juesheng seemed to have a sense of mutual appreciation when he mentioned peacocks, he asked, "Master, have you ever seen the true appearance of a peacock?"

“I’ve only seen the portrait.” Monk Juesheng shook his head slightly and asked in return, “Benefactor Ding must know a lot about peacocks.”

"I suppose so." Ding Qianyun had indeed thought about Jie Kaiping. He immediately said, "This person's name is Peacock, which I heard was given to him by Qing Guangzi. His original name was Jie Kaiping."

Ding Qianyun stroked his beard and continued, "The peacock symbolizes good fortune, and there are many stories about peacocks in Buddhism. It is also said that in Buddhism, the image of the peacock refers to the Great Bright King Bodhisattva. I wonder if Qingguangzi bestowed such a name with a deeper meaning."

Upon hearing this, the monk Juesheng smiled and said, "The Great Bright King Bodhisattva's original name is Buddha Mother Peacock Great Bright King Bodhisattva."

"So it's female!" Ding Qianyun realized she had learned something.

Knowing he couldn't reason with a martial artist, Monk Juesheng chanted a Buddhist prayer and asked, "Where is Commander Ding? And how does he plan to capture the peacock? I hope I can offer some small assistance."

"No rush. Let's take a walk first." Ding Qianyun simply invited Juesheng to wander around.

Monk Juesheng was well-versed in Buddhist principles and was very unhurried. Since others were not in a hurry, he was not in a hurry either, and simply followed Ding Qianyun to inspect the surroundings.

While chatting about trivial things, the two of them walked to the south gate of Ping'an Prefecture.

The area is filled with disaster victims, and many new thatched huts have been built outside the city, which are mostly places where disaster victims gather.

Besides the disaster victims, the monks were the most numerous. Depending on the sect of the temple, each family set up a soup kitchen and a medicine kitchen.

"You monks are really something else. On one hand, you ask people to donate land and grain, and on the other hand, you work hard to provide disaster relief," Ding Qianyun said with a smile.

“We must provide disaster relief; if chaos breaks out, the temples will all be destroyed.” Monk Juesheng made no attempt to hide his opinion. “There are still virtuous and eminent monks in the various temples.”

The two walked for a while longer and saw a soup kitchen, which was full of nuns.

“They’re from Yunshan Temple.” Ding Qianyun was very knowledgeable; he recognized some familiar faces under the soup kitchen.

There was a nun taking the pulse of a heavily pregnant woman, and standing next to her was Meng Feiyuan.

The nun who treated patients was thin and frail, and her monk's robes were filthy, indicating that she hadn't changed them for many days.

The nun's face was also dirty, but her beauty was undeniable.

"Look, monks are never as pretty as nuns!" Ding Qianyun said irritably.

Monk Juesheng watched from afar and said, "Yunshan Temple has few people, but they have contributed a lot."

"Listen," Ding Qianyun, with his sharp ears, sneered, "That Meng Feiyuan doesn't address the nuns by their proper names, but instead calls them 'little nun,' clearly intending to provoke them! Instead of preparing for battle on the mountain, he comes to provoke someone from outside the secular world! Shameless!"

“Amitabha.” Monk Juesheng was not one to blindly follow others, but he did not refute Ding Qianyun’s words.

"Meng Feiyuan's gaze was fixed intently on the nun's bald head!" Ding Qianyun made a lot of sense. "I reckon Meng Feiyuan was thinking, 'If a monk can touch it, why can't I?'"

"Amitabha." Monk Juesheng, despite his excellent self-control, couldn't help but say, "Benefactor Ding, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

"You must be Meng Feiyuan, right?" Ding Qianyun said.

“Amitabha.” Monk Juesheng shook his head slightly and said, “Benefactor Meng is of good nature and has high talent. He must have been successful at a young age. In addition, he was often away from home and Miss Ying lacked guidance.”

"Heh!" Ding Qianyun sneered, "If Miss Ying were to teach a shameless person like him every day, he might be indulging in revelry every night!"

"Amitabha." Juesheng couldn't hold back any longer. "Please, Benefactor Ding, be mindful of your words."

"I'm just stating the facts!" Ding Qianyun refused to admit his mistake and asked again, "In this competition against the guests from the Buddhist Kingdom, what are Meng Feiyuan's chances of winning?"

The matter of Meng Yuan's duel with Jin Hai could not be kept secret. Most of the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist masters in Lanruo Temple knew about it, and Juesheng, who held a high position in the temple, naturally also received the news.

"I don't know." Juesheng told the truth. He had heard of Meng Yuan's reputation and Jueming's description of Meng Yuan's demeanor, but he had never seen him in person. Moreover, the monk Jinhai was no ordinary person and was probably a formidable opponent.

"After the physical battle comes the intellectual battle. You lost the last debate with Jiu Jie on 'sacrifice.' Are you confident this time?" Ding Qianyun asked again.

Juesheng shook his head again.

"It's not shameful that you can't even out-distinguish a fourth-rank Nine Tribulations expert, but how come you can't even out-distinguish someone of the same rank?" Ding Qianyun frowned.

"Whether you win the debate or not, it's alright." Monk Juesheng sighed. He looked at Ding Qianyun, then pointed around and said, "Benefactor Ding, the snow that reaches your waist hasn't melted into spring water, so you can't win a debate on Zen. The ancient sages have already explained the principles of the world very clearly, but how many people in later generations have listened to them? Therefore, the Zen debates in Buddhism over the past thousand years have just been repeating the principles of the past over and over again. In fact, this Zen debate has already become a competition for superiority. Originally, it was a time for great enlightenment, so it's alright to seek temporary superiority now, but what profound knowledge has been gained from all this debating? In my humble opinion, this doesn't even count as a temporary achievement."

Upon hearing this, Ding Qianyun pondered for a moment and asked, "Then, according to the master's words, what should we do?"

Monk Juesheng remained silent and did not answer.

“I heard that you used to have a lot of dealings with the Ying family’s daughter. I wonder if you have been influenced by her teachings?” Ding Qianyun gripped the hilt of his knife and looked at Juesheng.

"The great principles of the world are all interconnected. Although Confucianism and Buddhism have similarities, such as both being compassionate towards the suffering of all beings, their fundamental nature is different." Monk Juesheng shook his head slightly. "I study the Buddhist path of seeking emptiness, which is different from Ying's teachings. However, I have studied the teachings of the virtuous and strive to emulate them, but I cannot say that I am influenced by them."

"What does the master think of Ying's scholarship?" Ding Qianyun asked again.

“Old Master Ying’s scholarship is certainly excellent, but it is somewhat out of step with the times,” Juesheng said.

"Does the master not approve of Ying's teachings?" Ding Qianyun asked, frowning.

"No." Juesheng clasped his hands together and shook his head slightly.

"I don't understand, please enlighten me, master," Ding Qianyun asked curiously.

"The affairs of the world are like flowing water." Monk Juesheng immediately began to explain, "Being out of step with the times means it is not in line with the times today, but it cannot be said to be wrong. Just like in ancient times, when a hundred schools of thought contended and many methods of cultivation coexisted. Why did the military strategist emerge then? It was because there was regional division and years of war, and the military strategist emerged in response. Today, the lineage of the military strategist has long been broken, leaving only military strategies and tactics, and no more masters of the military strategist have appeared. This is the principle of a tree without roots. The failure of Ying's learning shows that firstly, it did not meet the right time, and secondly, although the theory itself is excellent, it is not that good."

Juesheng, as expected of a high-ranking monk, possessed first-rate knowledge of Buddhist debate and immediately confused Ding Qianyun.

Ding Qianyun, who is usually quite intelligent, couldn't help but scratch his head at this moment.

Seeing Ding Qianyun frowning in thought, Juesheng said no more and instead walked towards the soup kitchen at Yunshan Temple.

Su Qiu, who was leading the group, clearly recognized Jue Sheng, and she quickly bowed.

"Why is the master here instead of capturing the demon?" Meng Yuan had already noticed Juesheng and Ding Qianyun whispering about his affairs.

Ding Qianyun's words were shameless, and Meng Yuan despised them greatly.

"What brings you here, Benefactor Meng?" Monk Juesheng asked curiously.

"I just came to take a look around." Meng Yuan came at Jing Shan's invitation. He originally wanted Su Wen to examine his health, but Su Wen was busy treating the disaster victims and couldn't attend to Meng Yuan at the moment.

Meng Yuan stepped forward and stopped Monk Juesheng, asking, "Does Lanruo Temple still have any herbs and provisions?"

"There's still some grain, but not much medicinal herb left. Even the finished pills have been distributed," Monk Juesheng told the truth.

Knowing this, Meng Yuan didn't insist. The two chatted for a while, then Ding Qianyun arrived and took Juesheng away with a few words.

It was already evening when Juesheng saw Ding Qianyun leading the way, but without any subordinates by his side. This clearly indicated that they were going to pursue the Peacock Venerable.

"The peacock is cunning." Sure enough, this time without Juesheng asking, Ding Qianyun confessed everything directly, "He is also skilled in hiding, so he cannot be found in a short time. We can only try to figure out his nature and explore him little by little."

"It seems Commander Ding has found the peacock's trail," Monk Juesheng said with a smile.

"Not bad." Ding Qianyun smiled confidently and said, "That peacock didn't learn Qing Guangzi's trick of digging rat holes, but it's almost there! It's arrogant and smart, but actually as stupid as a pig!"

"He's at Baoquan Temple?" Monk Juesheng was a wise man, and he immediately understood.

“Not bad.” Ding Qianyun sized up the monk Juesheng.

"That's a really good idea." Juesheng exclaimed. "My grandmaster has been gone for a while, but it's been snowing for the past few days, and no one has bothered to inquire about it. Baoquan Temple is remote, but not too far away. If Peacock uses Baoquan Temple as a temporary place to stay, it would be quite unexpected."

"That's a classic case of being blind to what's right under your nose," Ding Qianyun chuckled. "Unfortunately, his cleverness backfired!"

"What do you need me to do?" Juesheng asked.

“The peacock is not good at fighting, and is even more afraid of fighting to the death and in bitter battles.” Ding Qianyun immediately made the assignments, “but he is also extremely cautious.”

“Indeed, if you want to capture a monk at the fifth rank, bringing too many people will only make him more wary,” Juesheng immediately said.

“That’s right!” Ding Qianyun agreed. “I and three other colleagues will provide backup, hoping to hold them off for a while. This time, Ding will take the lead, with Master assisting.”

“The peacock cultivates the Dharma of Nirvana, making it extremely difficult for external things to disturb it. I'm afraid even I might not be able to disturb its mind.” Juesheng was very modest, but still said, “However, I should be able to stop it for a while.”

"We must also be wary of the peacock's influence on our minds." Ding Qianyun said very seriously, "Most importantly, we must find the peacock's location."

“That’s exactly right,” Juesheng agreed.

The two traveled through the snow, but found no footprints along the way.

They soon arrived outside Baoquan Temple, but instead of entering, they remained outside, keeping watch.

It was late at night, but although there were no lights in Baoquan Temple, it was bustling with activity.

Monk Juesheng clearly heard that it was the abbot of Baoquan Temple who gave the order for all the monks in the temple to clear the snow.

"Has the abbot of Baoquan Temple been controlled by the peacock?" Ding Qianyun asked in a low voice.

Juesheng nodded slightly, "He was the only one controlled."

After waiting for a long time, the snow inside Baoquan Temple was cleared away, and the pile outside the temple was more than a meter high.

The abbot of Baoquan Temple was still not satisfied and made up some stories about the Buddha's incarnation and the inevitable arrival of a true Buddha in the world. He even ordered the monks to pile up snow to build a Buddha statue.

The monks of Baoquan Temple had no choice but to complain for a long time and even talk about the Buddhist principle of not setting up idols. However, the abbot simply wouldn't listen, talking about the Three Buddhas and Maitreya Buddha. The monks could only take their tools and start working outside the gate of Baoquan Temple.

"Have you found it?" Ding Qianyun asked.

Monk Juesheng shook his head slightly.

In the dead of night, with no stars or moon, Juesheng silently and without making a sound had already planted seeds of thought in the minds of the three monks in Baoquan Temple, and through what they saw and heard, he had inspected the inside and outside of Baoquan Temple.

However, the abbot of Baoquan Temple was still troubled by the peacock's thoughts, but he could not find a place where the peacock lived.

Moreover, Juesheng failed to find Ding Chonglou's ambush location.

After waiting for a long time, the monks of Baoquan Temple finally erected the snow-white statue of the Future Buddha.

The future Buddha had a large belly, long ears, a bald head, and a string of prayer beads in his hand.

Juesheng looked closely at the Buddha statue and suddenly felt a chill run through him, as if someone was watching him.

"There are others..." Juesheng was about to remind Ding Qianyun when he saw Ding Qianyun looking straight ahead with surprise in her eyes.

But all that was in front of me was a Buddha statue made of snow.

"What did you see?" Monk Juesheng grabbed Ding Qianyun's hand.

"The snow melts and the flowers bloom, the rice is plentiful. The land is flat, the seven treasures are abundant, the flowers are fragrant, the fruits are sweet, people are prosperous and happy, and all living beings are blissful."

Ding Qianyun kept repeating, "Jade palaces and pavilions, resplendent in gold. Lotuses in full bloom, celestial music playing. Celestial maidens surrounding, palace maids dancing gracefully."

Monk Juesheng took over the conversation and said, "Is there an inner court in the Heavenly Palace, where it is solemn and pure, free from all desires, and is the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Pure Land of the future?"

“Not bad!” Ding Qianyun said.

“Amitabha!” Monk Juesheng laughed. “This is a sign of the future Buddha’s birth! You say the peacock is stupid, but I think you are the stupid one… Amitabha, I almost broke the precepts against evil speech and anger.”

Before he could finish speaking, a sinister flame shot into the sky amidst the gloomy, snowy light of the night.

The flames surged extremely fast, breaking through the snow elephant in the blink of an eye, and then rushed into Baoquan Temple.

"Peacock, prepare to die!" Ding Chonglou shouted, and flames shot into the sky, layer upon layer, until they filled the entire heavens.

When a fifth-grade martial artist takes action, their power is truly unstoppable.

A flash of Buddha's light appeared amidst the firelight, and then it headed towards the back of the mountain.

Monk Juesheng didn't help chase after them; he just looked at Ding Qianyun.

“Let’s go…” Ding Qianyun woke up and was about to get up when Juesheng pressed her down.

The sky full of flames that had been chasing them suddenly went dark, followed by a shout, and then the flames fell.

“Even before it has fully formed, it has already withered away.” Juesheng sighed and looked at Ding Qianyun.

Ding Qianyun's eyes were filled with disbelief. He was about to take a step, but he couldn't move his feet.

“Amitabha.” Juesheng put his hands together. “The benefactor asked about the path of this humble monk. Although I am not a martial monk, the path I uphold is the path of Bodhi and the path of cessation.”

After speaking, Ding Qianyun remained motionless, as if she were dead.

For a moment, all was silent.

Just then, a bright and radiant light appeared in the direction of Wulou Mountain.

Those still alive here feel as if they have escaped the cycle of reincarnation, as if they have entered a paradise.

(End of this chapter)