The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 571 See you before you die

The illusion of silence is now being used to reveal the truth.

Jianzhen first fixed his gaze on the hanging, swaying corpse outside the Buddhist hall, then slowly withdrew his gaze, sweeping over Li Miao, over the limbs scattered on the ground, over the corpse lotus beneath him, and finally stopping on himself.

He raised his hand and touched his right cheek.

Fangs, fleshy muscles, and beneath the tightly closed right eyelid, the eyeball is moving rapidly, as if it might open at any moment.

Jianzhen closed his eyes.

"Is this... the sins I, this humble monk, have committed?"

Li Miao shook his head.

"No, Master, this is not your fault."

“These monks were not killed by you, nor was it done in your own will.”

Jianzhen lowered his head with a wry smile.

“The true nature of mind, the Buddha's teachings, oh.”

"My lord, if someone commits an extremely evil act and then tells you that they were forced or deceived, what would you do?"

Li Miao remained silent for a long time before speaking in a deep voice.

"……kill."

Jianzhen smiled wryly.

"That's right, if you do evil, you have to pay for it."

“This is the living world, not the hell or Western Paradise that we create when debating Buddhist teachings. Every life lost is real and true. How can I deceive myself?”

"Don't worry, benefactor, this humble monk will not go mad because of this."

"But... I feel a little lost."

Jianzhen looked ahead, but his vision went out of focus.

"Because of my stubbornness, I did not follow Bodhidharma's last words and tried to save Buddhism in Japan. As a result, I lost my life, failed my master, and failed my descendants."

"Because of my pedantry, Master Sanfeng was trapped in the Ise Grand Shrine, and he also implicated you in your journey to the East, where you will fight against the first ancestor of the Heavenly Beings."

“This humble monk is actually quite proud. Even if I die, even if I fail my patriarch, even if I implicate my descendants, I have still practiced the Dharma to the very end, without killing any innocent people or committing any sins.”

"result--"

He extended his left palm and closed one of the eyes within the corpse lotus, a tear falling from the corner of his eye.

"In the end, it was all for nothing."

"When the body dies, the Way also perishes."

"After decades of practice, I was quite proud of myself. But now it seems that I am a useless person. I can neither fulfill the instructions of the patriarch, nor save innocent people, nor cultivate my own Buddhist teachings."

"Useless, ignorant, and incompetent."

"Laughable, pathetic, and tragic."

He suddenly opened his eyes and said urgently to Li Miao.

"The true nature I possess now comes from Shintoism, not from my own practice, and I cannot pass it on to you. However, I left behind four original sword techniques while I was alive. These are the results of my attempts to deduce the true nature, and also a reminder and gift I leave to future generations!"

"With your comprehension, as long as you acquire the four original sword techniques, you will likely be able to deduce the true and constant martial arts method!"

"besides--"

He reached out and pointed at Li Miao's chest.

"I cannot see clearly what Bodhidharma left on your heart, but I have some speculations—after he mastered the Six Paths of Enlightenment, he did not stop. According to the information he left behind, he had already gained some enlightenment when he went to Japan!"

"Perhaps that is why the Patriarch was able to injure the Vajra Realm being so severely that the First Ancestor of Heaven and Man had planted a hook in it, preventing him from ever showing himself again for a thousand years!"

"That seed does not belong to any of the methods in the Six Paths of Celestial Being Realm. Just now, this humble monk vaguely sensed that the seed fluctuated slightly the moment you achieved the Silent Illumination Realm."

"Therefore, when you cultivate to the Six Paths and reach the perfect realm of Heaven and Man, that seed should take root and sprout!"

"besides--"

Jianzhen's voice was urgent, without the slightest pause.

"Since Master Sanfeng has fallen, you should not rush to the Ise Grand Shrine. It would be best to join forces with the leader of the Ming Cult to perfect your own cultivation first! You must do your utmost to fix the oversight in your Xuanlan cultivation; do not be careless!"

"This is the profound mantra of my practice. You may refer to it and find it useful."

He suddenly tore off a piece of his shirt, bit his finger, and began writing furiously with his head down.

"The Patriarch is merciful. In his eyes, both celestial beings and ordinary people are of equal importance. So if the First Ancestor of Celestial Beings only posed a threat to celestial beings, he shouldn't have made him risk his life to cross the sea to the east!"

"Judging from the fact that the patriarch passed down Buddhism and the other party cultivated Shintoism, the realm above the heavens and man may need to have some influence on the people of the world. This may be the reason why Master Sanfeng and the patriarch went to great lengths to kill this person!"

"You must be careful, benefactor. The enemy will not wait for the next Heavenly Demon to be born. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders. Be extremely careful! You must not repeat the mistakes of this humble monk!"

Jianzhen had finished writing the manual and handed it to Li Miao.

Their eyes met, and he spoke solemnly.

"It is already a great blessing for this humble monk to be able to meet you after death; I will not ask for more."

“After this humble monk commits suicide, you may dissect my body and perhaps discover something inside.”

"Furthermore, if you have the time, I hope you can bring my body back to Shaolin. You need not mention my name; simply say I am a sinner who has failed Buddha. Place my body before Buddha in reverence, as a warning to future monks." "And...and..."

Jianzhen searched his brains in despair.

He wanted to give Li Miao everything he knew and everything he could entrust to him, and then commit suicide to atone for his sins.

Li Miao slowly shook his head.

"Master, there's no need to say any more."

He suddenly smiled.

"By the way, Master, can you now have any effect on the other half of your body?"

Jianzhen was taken aback, and then hesitated.

"It should work, but it won't be of much use."

"Once this right eye opens, I estimate that I can only delay the attack for a moment, and that will be the end of it."

Li Miao nodded with a smile.

"enough."

He took the Xuanlan Manual, glanced at it, memorized it, and then put it in his pocket.

"Master, aren't we friends?"

Jianzhen hesitated.

"So... right?"

Li Miao smiled.

"Would the master be interested in joining forces with my friend to slay the demon that caused the massacre at Enryakuji Temple and transformed this place into this bizarre sight?"

Jianzhen was taken aback at first, and then suddenly realized what was happening.

Li Miao didn't want him to commit suicide.

If he commits suicide now, it would be an act of atonement.

But if the other half of his body awakens, and he interferes with it, and Li Miao kills it, then they will be working together to eliminate the demon! Li Miao wants him to awaken the evil spirit on the right side, and then work together with him to kill it, so that he can die as a high monk who eliminates demons and protects the righteous path, rather than as a sinner!
Self-deception.

Jianzhen's first reaction was that he was deceiving himself.

"You mustn't, benefactor! You have important responsibilities to fulfill and are already seriously injured. You cannot take such a risk for this humble monk!"

Jianzhen looked anxious.

But Li Miao simply shrugged and laughed.

"It's alright. Didn't the master just say that your talent is nothing but a dog's piss in front of me? It won't take me much effort to beat a dog's piss."

Jianzhen's expression froze.

Is this the same thing?

He was about to offer more advice when he saw Li Miao's smile vanish.

"Master, nothing exists outside the mind."

“I am a warrior, not a high monk, and I do not understand Buddhism. If I were to stand by and watch you commit suicide as a sinner to atone for your sins, my mind would be clouded and my heart would be broken. If I were to lose to the enemy because of this in the future, you would be the real sinner!”

Then he smiled again.

"Besides, Master, you've been holding back for eight hundred years. Don't you want to have a good, satisfying fight with your friend at the very last moment?"

"Let go of Buddhism, let go of guilt!"

"Put down your burden!"

"To hell with the world!"

He raised his fist and laughed loudly.

"There are only two warriors here who want to say goodbye to their friends with their fists!"

Jianzhen was stunned.

a long time.

He slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"it is good!"

Jianzhen slowly closed his eyes, and at the same time, his right eye slowly opened, and a violent aura swept across the Buddhist hall!
In the last moment before his right side took over control, Jianzhen said.

"Thank you, donor."

"This humble monk will act according to circumstances."

"To have met you across eight hundred years is the greatest fortune of my life... We shall meet again before we die!"

Li Miao nodded with a smile.

"I am seriously injured now, so I will have to do my best to help you, Master."

See you before you die!

(End of this chapter)