My father is a Confucian sage, but the system forces me to be a crude warrior

Chapter 395 Is Buddha the Tao?!

Emperor Jianhong remained calm as his massive imperial carriage pressed against the ground, leaving two parallel ruts.

"Long live Your Majesty!!"

Hundreds of officials paid homage.

"Everyone is safe."

Emperor Jianhong raised his hand and sat down expressionlessly.

Empress Bai followed behind Emperor Jianhong.

As soon as the two sat down, the White Queen's eyes eagerly searched for something in the crowd.

Her gaze fell upon a young monk in the square.

The hand beneath the sleeve gently gripped the hem of the garment.

When Emperor Jianhong saw this scene, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He calmly reached out and placed his hand on Empress Bai's hand.

"After today, we can bring him back to the palace."

His voice had a magnetic quality and contained a mysterious charm.

The White Queen dared not raise her eyes, keeping them lowered.

A faint sigh escaped from his lips.

Only then did the voices of the officials behind him finally ring out, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The eunuch Si Zhongxiao, holding the pen, carefully walked up behind Emperor Jianhong and bowed to wait.

Emperor Jianhong's eyes swept over the officials, and he noticed one seat was empty, which surprised him.

Why hasn't Lord Wenqing arrived?

Upon hearing this, the officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

It's quite unreasonable that not a single official would attend such a grand occasion, especially since even the emperor was present.

"Your Majesty, a family member of Duke Wenqing is injured, and it is possible that the treatment for the injury has delayed him for some time."

An official cautiously stepped forward to report.

"Oh~" Emperor Jianhong suddenly realized, then a faint hint of annoyance appeared on his face:

"I know that the old Taoist priest and Lord Wenqing had some misunderstandings the other day, but I never expected that someone would be injured because of it?"

"Your Majesty, the problem shouldn't be too serious."

"Hmm." Emperor Jianhong nodded calmly and then said nothing more.

.........

As the dragon carriage left the square, all eyes turned to the gate of Hoanji Temple.

Now, only one person has yet to appear.

That was another key figure in this conference, Abbot Hongji.

After waiting for a long time, Elder Jiyuan of the Daoist sect looked up at the monks of Fa'an Temple with a blank expression.

His voice carried to the ears of everyone in the square as he spoke:

"It is said that Fa'an Temple originated from an ancient Buddhist sect, but such a claim is untenable."

"I have come here today to discuss this matter."

“If you monks are not up to the task, summon the abbot.”

After these words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent.

Isn't it supposed to be about the Dharma?

Why attack someone's heritage right from the start?
Is this how one discusses the Dao?
Sure enough, after he said this, the monks below the stage showed anger on their faces.

"Even if Elder Jiyuan's cultivation is extraordinary, how dare he insult our Buddhist sect?!"

A monk stepped forward, his face showing anger. He raised his bald head and stared straight ahead:

"If I cannot receive a satisfactory answer today, my Buddhist community also has wrathful Vajras!"

The Daoist Jiyuan looked at him with disdain, not taking the monk seriously, and simply looked up towards the interior of Fa'an Temple.

He lightly brushed the dust off his clothes, then his eyes gleamed.

Today, he is about to do something that has never been done before and will never be done again!
"Shhh!!"

With a flash of light, his body vanished from the spot.

The next moment, it appeared out of thin air in the middle of the square.

Then, an unfathomable aura emanated from him.

From this moment on, the entire field of light was enveloped by his overwhelming aura.

The aura of a second-rank official is not something that these small fry in the square can withstand.

His voice carried a strange, enigmatic charm:

"Since the beginning of the creation of this world by the First God, the world has fallen, and the Five Ancestral Gods have unified the Nine Provinces."

"After the Great War of the Ancestral Gods, the Dao Ancestor transformed into the Daoist sect."

"The Taoist school has experienced many vicissitudes, just as the Confucian sage changed the laws of heaven and earth, and the world could not tolerate the gathering of vast fortunes in one place."

"Therefore, in order to conform to the way of Heaven, our Daoist practice is to transform one Qi into three Pure Ones, which are divided into the Sword Sect, the Qi Sect, and the Talisman Sect."

"Now that the sect leader of the Fu Sect is dead, our Sword Sect will soon be able to guide him back to the Daoist path."

"After the Qi Sect transformed into the Three Pure Ones, its whereabouts became unknown."

The Abyss Daoist's gaze sharpened as he looked at the crowd ahead:

"At just the right time, Buddhism began to show its potential."

"The specifics of what happened back then have gradually faded with the passage of time."

"But in my humble opinion, the predecessor of Buddhism is the Qi Sect of Taoism!"

The sound was vast, rippling outwards across the square like waves.

Everyone was stunned by the shock.

Buddhism? Originating from the Qi School of Taoism?

What do you mean by that?

"Buddhist philosophy emphasizes equality for all beings."

"Our Taoist school also believes in the indifference of Heaven and Earth, treating all things as straw dogs."

"The Buddhist path practiced by Buddhist monks is to alleviate the suffering of all people in the world."

"To master the Daoist Chaoyuan Sword Qi, one must endure the arduous process of refining the most yang and yang energy of heaven and earth, suffering the scorching pain every day."

……

As he spoke, the Daoist Jiyuan became more and more fluent. With one hand behind his back, he looked down at everyone and spoke for a good half hour.

He explained in detail all the reasons why Buddhism originated from Taoism.

"Finally, there is luck."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Daoist Jiyuan's lips:
"Back then, the fortune of the Taoist sect was divided into three parts: the Sword Sect took 40%, the Talisman Sect took 30%, and the Qi Sect also took 30%."

As he spoke, he waved his hand gently.

A huge mirror then emerged from his sleeve.

Before long, the mirror gradually grew larger in the wind, becoming 33 feet and 3 inches tall.

"Look, everyone, Fa'an Temple is a Buddhist lineage, and the fortune within it is exactly the same as that of our Taoist sect."

"So, how do you explain that?"

……

silence.

The entire scene became completely silent.

Only in that enormous mirror, the mysterious yellow aura shrouding Fa'an Temple!
Everyone was dumbfounded.

"So... Buddhism really did evolve from the Qi Sect of Taoism back then?"

"That's it, that's it."

"Is this primordial aura the essence of destiny?"

"It looks... absolutely exhilarating!"

"........."

Of course, there are also intelligent people in this world.

Among all the officials.

Qin Shoucheng spat out the melon seed shells in his mouth with a "pui" sound, looked at the Daoist Jiyuan in the air, and cursed:
"Utterly shameless! I thought it was some kind of Taoist or Buddhist gathering."

"It's nothing but a pretext to take advantage of someone's misfortune and seize their fortune!"

"A dignified Taoist sect with a history of ten thousand years has lost all sense of shame for such a small amount of fortune!"

……

Hearing his words, many officials' lips twitched slightly.

They could naturally glean some clues from the words of Daoist Jiyuan.

Regardless of whether Buddhism evolved from Taoism or Qi Sect.

Even if he is, it's not your Sword Sect's place to clamor for his return...

Ultimately, isn't what they're after just the fortune of Buddhism?
"Your Majesty, if the Sword Sect were to obtain the fortune of Buddhism..."

Si Zhongxiao, standing to the side, also wore a solemn expression. He bowed his head respectfully and whispered in Emperor Jianhong's ear:
"I'm afraid it will pose a threat to our Great Holy Dynasty in the future."

Emperor Jianhong glanced at him sideways and said indifferently:
"Dogs talk too much."

"Yes." Upon hearing this, Si Zhongxiao's forehead was covered in a fine sweat. He dared not say another word and respectfully stepped aside.

……

"Fellow disciples, I do not wish to fight among yourselves and become a laughing stock for outsiders."

Daoist Jiyuan slightly raised his chin, looking down disdainfully at the monks in the arena:

"Therefore, today, let us return to the mountain gate together."

"If it were later, I might have to resort to some forceful measures."

His voice was already chilling when he said this:
"You may decide for yourselves."

……

Young monk Yingchen was among the monks.

He looked up at the Daoist Jiyuan in the air with a somewhat blank expression.

Although he was young, he understood that the Taoist priest in front of him was talking nonsense.

“All the Bodhisattvas and Arhats of our Buddhist sect are seated in front of the hall.”

"Furthermore, the Bodhisattva Xuanshu sacrificed his own creation to ensure the safety of all people."

"How did it become the Daoist Qi Sect?"

Xiao Yingchen was lost in thought, recalling bits and pieces of his life since he could remember.

I just can't understand why this Taoist priest would say these things here.

"Amitabha." A pair of warm, large hands gently patted the shoulders of the young monk Yingchen.

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Yingchen quickly looked up.

What comes into view is Master Hongji's kind smile.

But this kind smile was tinged with a dark aura.

The black aura lingered around his skin, giving him a lifeless appearance.

"Master."

"You're here!"

Young monk Yingchen frowned and pointed to the sky: "Tell him quickly that our Buddhist sect did not originate from the Taoist Qi sect."

"That benefactor may have mistaken you for someone else. Please go and tell him to go back."

"hehe."

Hongji nodded with a smile.

Then, he gently shook his head, his gaze fixed on the sky, muttering to himself:

"My great calamity has arrived."

"Yingchen, the heavy responsibility of restoring Buddhism will now fall on your shoulders."

Upon hearing this, Yingchen felt a sudden urgency, for some reason.

He wanted to say something more.

But then they saw their master slowly heading towards the plaza.

The gaze of Daoist Jiyuan also happened to fall upon this place.

Eyes facing each other.

"You've finally come out."

The eyes of Daoist Jiyuan gleamed with a sharp light.

The moment he saw Master Hongji, his spiritual energy surged rapidly within him.

The sword technique involuntarily produced a bright light.

“Benefactor of the Abyss.”

The monk Hongji's voice drifted outwards:
"The teachings of my Buddhist lineage are clearly written in the Sutra Repository."

"No matter the reason, these words cannot come from your mouth."

"If you wish to perform a ritual, this humble monk can perform one for you."

"But if one resorts to sophistry, even the Buddhist community has its own..."

His voice trailed off for a moment.

Then his resolve hardened, and a burst of golden light erupted!
"Wrathful Vajra!!"

"Teng!!"

It shone with golden light.

As a speck of gold paint appeared on his forehead, it then spread throughout his body.

Thus, a golden statue of Master Hongji was born.

However, there was a strange black aura swirling around the golden statue...

At the same time, there was a "buzzing" sound.

A golden light of merit emanated from behind Master Hongji's head.

His figure was like that of a true Buddha reborn.

"Do you really want me to take action?"

Upon seeing this, Daoist Jiyuan was secretly pleased, but his face remained expressionless, revealing only a hint of sorrow:

"We are all born of the same root, so why are you doing this to yourself?"

Why bother?

The kind expression on Master Hongji's face was gone.

Instead, it exudes a chill:

"If you are willing to make a move, you may enter this realm of cause and effect of this humble monk to compete with me."

As he spoke, he casually made a gesture.

The golden wheel of merit behind the head slowly rotates.

Before long, a crack appeared in the sky above.

"Hehe." Daoist Jiyuan chuckled softly.
"Junior Brother Hongji, there's no need for that."

"The Buddhist sect values ​​all sentient beings, and our Taoist sect also does not wish to harm the innocent."

"Aren't these ideas aligned? How can you say they don't come from the same school?"

He was rather thick-skinned, and at this point he directly asked Master Hongji to call his junior brother...

As he spoke, a glint of light flashed in Daoist Jiyuan's eyes:
"I have not come here for a magical duel."

"This humble Taoist can transform himself into the ladder of the Dao!"

“If a Buddhist can reach the summit without turning to Taoism, then everything I have said today is just empty talk.”

"But if after climbing the ladder one is willing to convert to Taoism, then that proves the meaning of those four words."

With that, he suddenly flew into the sky.

Golden light flashed.

His body had disappeared.

Instead, a floating staircase hundreds of feet high was erected!
There are a total of 108 steps.

Each step is adorned with exquisite reliefs.

The relief sculpture, from top to bottom, reveals four large characters.

"Buddha is the Way!"

With the appearance of these four words.

"This ladder is a secret technique passed down within our Taoist school."

“Each step represents my understanding of the Dao.”

"Once you climb the ladder, there is no turning back."

"Either convert to Taoism, or..."

The voice paused for a moment, then said indifferently, "Either I reach the summit, or my Dao heart is shattered, and I will be driven by others."

……

This statement came out.

The people in the square below the stage were stunned for a moment, and then looked at the endless staircase with greedy expressions!

"So, if I successfully reach the summit, that Daoist Jiyuan can become my subordinate?"

"Hiss... I'm starting to feel something..."

"what to do……"

A murmur of discussion slowly arose.

The whole scene was extremely noisy.

Only the Buddhist monks stared intently at the steps.

At this moment, the golden wheel behind Hongqi slowly dissipated.

The gold paint on his body gradually faded away.

"Cough cough."

A mouthful of black blood mixed with black mist spilled from his mouth.

"Master!"

Upon seeing this, the young monk Yingchen immediately stepped forward, his face somewhat pale.

"It's just a slight musty smell, nothing to worry about."

The old monk waved his hand solemnly.

He looked up at the golden staircase.

In fact, he had long since lost the ability to fight.

The stagnant, putrid energy had already taken root in his body.

He used all his Buddhist power to purify the stagnant and corrupting energy.

Just now, I used the Buddhist golden body and merit wheel with all my might.

But to his surprise, Daoist Jiyuan didn't make a move against him at all.

"This disciple is willing to give it a try!"

A bald monk, panting heavily, approached Master Hongji:
"Although our Buddhist community does not value reputation, we will not tolerate such slander from others."

"This disciple is willing to vindicate the Buddha!"

Hongji looked at the steps, his gaze solemn. After a long while, he slowly nodded and said:
"This staircase seems to have no end, but just as Daoist Jiyuan said, there are only one hundred and eight steps."

"When climbing the ladder, simply keep your mind focused on the Buddha's teachings and guard your spiritual center."

"Remember, do not believe any noise."

"Disciple, please remember this!"

…………

The Duke's Mansion.

As Zeng Shilin slowly withdrew his righteous energy.

Guanglingzi, extremely weak, also entered Zeng Anmin's sea of ​​consciousness to nourish his spirit.

"Cousin, how are you feeling?"

Zeng Anmin stared intently ahead.

Zeng Rongyu slowly opened her eyes, then got up and stretched, her face beaming with a smile:

"I'm all better now! Thank you, Uncle, thank you, Minister!"

After saying that, her face suddenly froze, and she stared blankly out the window:
"The Taoist steps?!"

Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin both looked in that direction at the same time.

A golden staircase stretched endlessly towards the sky, slowly unfolding.

“That’s… Fa’an Temple…”

Zeng Shilin's expression changed slightly: "The Taoist-Buddhist Assembly!"

After saying that, he took Zeng Anmin's arm and walked outside:

"Hurry up, it's almost over!"

(End of this chapter)