Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

Chapter 125 Master Jiekong's Guidance

"Benefactor Lu, how have you been?"

Master Jiekong looked at Lu Jin and said with a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Master. It's wonderful to see you still in good health," Lu Jin said with a smile.

"Greetings, Master Jiekong!" Li Chang'an said.

Master Jiekong nodded, invited the two to sit down, and poured each of them a cup of tea. The tea was emerald green and steaming hot.

Jie Kong looked at Li Chang'an: "When I attended the Lu family's disciple-acceptance banquet last time, I could tell that this child had a solid foundation and was a promising talent. Recently, I heard that he single-handedly defeated more than a dozen Quanxing demons, which is even more incredible. Benefactor Lu, Sanyi is about to produce a dragon."

Perhaps the old monk will live to see the glory days of the Sanyi Sect again.

"Thank you for Master Jiekong's kind words, but this child still has a lot to learn and improve."

Lu Jin said politely, put down his teacup, and straightened his expression. "Master, I've come today to ask my old friend for some guidance on matters of the mind."

"State of mind?" Jie Kong did not understand.

Lu Jin explained his situation in detail. Because of this revisit to the old site of Sany, many memories were stirred up, and his long-suppressed inner demons began to resurface. So he wanted to ask his old friend for some guidance.

Jie Kong, fingering his prayer beads, listened as Lu Jin finished speaking. As an old friend, he knew about Lu Jin's inner demons. He countered with a question: You

The root of this inner demon lies in the Sanyi Sect. Now that you have taken on a direct disciple and reopened the sect, the lineage should be continuing, and your inner turmoil should have improved. Why has it worsened instead?

Lu Jin was silent for a while before speaking: "I am rebuilding Sany, but after making this decision, I can't help but think of my master and fellow disciples whenever the night is quiet."

Jie Kong said, "In the end, it's still because he can't get over what happened back then."

"Yes!" Lu Jin nodded: "Master, fellow disciples, yes, how can we let go of all these things? They have weighed on my heart for decades, and the more I think about them, the heavier they become—and the source of all this—"

Lu Jin's face hardened: "It's all because of Wugensheng, but he's disappeared. It's like I'm punching a ball of air. This knot can't be untied, so it's become a dead knot."

After listening, Jie Kong slowly nodded; he knew all of this.

Back then, at the foot of Longhu Mountain, the Sanyi Sect besieged Wugensheng. Later, the Quanxing Sect gathered, and the good and evil clashed. Eventually, the Sanyi Sect and Wugensheng made an agreement: he would take full responsibility for all the karma of the Sanyi Sect. From then on, the Sanyi Sect could not act against the Quanxing Sect at will, but could only seek help from him, the sect leader, and the evil child Li Muxuan. At the same time, the Quanxing Sect could not act against the Sanyi Sect either.

He witnessed the entire process, and he also knew that when the Sanyi Sect ambushed Wugensheng, only Lu Jin was left alive.

"Wugensheng has been missing for almost seventy years. Even Zhang Huaiyi is dead, and most of the thirty-six bandits from back then have been buried. Wugensheng may have long since turned to dust. You've searched for him your whole life, but there's still no news. Dwelling on these things is just trapping yourself in old dreams and refusing to come out," Jie Kong said.

Lu Jin pursed her lips and didn't reply.

Jie Kong remained silent for a moment before speaking, "A mental illness requires a mental cure. If rebuilding the Sanyi Sect doesn't lessen your obsession, you won't find a better way to prevent yourself from falling into inner demons. This old monk will give you a method."

Lu Jin quickly asked, "Please enlighten me, Master."

Li Chang'an also looked at Jie Kong, wanting to know what this method was.

"Discard your own methods," Master Jiekong said, enunciating each word clearly.

Lu Jin was stunned.

Li Chang'an, who was standing next to him, also frowned. In his opinion, this was undoubtedly a bad idea.

Master Jiekong calmly explained, "The greater your supernatural powers, the greater your demonic obstacles. All the causes and effects arose because you went to the Sanyi Sect to cultivate against the natural order."

"Reversing life is a method that the Trinity Sect is proud of, and it is also a method that you are proud of. At the same time, it is also a shackle that binds you and traps the Trinity Sect."

"If you ever put down this technique, you might gain new insights. Moreover, without these extraordinary abilities, the influence of your inner demons will also weaken."

Master Jiekong pointed to himself: "This old monk, though known as a highly virtuous monk, is actually burdened with demonic obstacles and lacks the qualities to be worthy of such praise."

"I don't deserve that title."

"Back then, I overestimated myself and wanted to save the demon from becoming a Buddha, but instead I raised a demon. When he was out of control, I wanted to save him with my own death and awaken a trace of humanity in him. But I never expected that he would repent at the critical moment and regain his humanity."

"Although I lost all my martial arts skills, there is gain in loss. I turned back to the Asura realm, and after losing all my skills, my heart is more at peace, and I have truly seen some Buddhist teachings."

"Supernatural powers cannot overcome karma. Karma is endless, hatred is incessant, and calamities never cease. Even the Buddha, with his great supernatural powers, stopped displaying them in his later years and instead taught Mahayana Buddhism."

"If even the Buddha was like this, what about us ordinary mortals?"

Jie Kong looked at Lu Jin and said in a deep voice, "Benefactor Lu, it's a matter of being willing to part with something; otherwise, you won't get it!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin fell silent.

Li Chang'an also fell silent.

Strictly speaking, Master Jiekong was right. The Reverse Life Triple Rebirth was indeed a shackle that bound the Sanyi Sect, a shackle that bound Lu Jin, and even a shackle that bound Zuo Ruotong.

He had actually been subtly and overtly trying to get Lu Jin to let go of Ni Sheng.

However, what he meant by letting go was letting go from the heart.

Truly letting go is easier said than done.

What's more, it's a path I've walked my whole life.

The concept of letting go, as Master Jiekong said, is easier to grasp.

Eliminate the methods cleanly and decisively. Even if you can't let go, you have to let go.

Moreover, once the methods are abolished, even if you can't let go of them in your heart or see through them, your inner demons will hardly cause any more trouble, and you can at least have a peaceful end.

But—that's too simple, too crude.

That's so cruel!

The meditation room fell into dead silence.

Lu Jin lowered his head, staring at the swirling tea in his cup. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "I can't do this until I find Wugensheng's whereabouts. Even if one day I truly can't suppress my inner demons, I still won't be able to do it."

He raised his head, his eyes filled with stubbornness: "I'm afraid that if I fail in my methods, he'll suddenly reappear. What will I use to seek revenge then?"

Jie Kong, fiddling with his prayer beads, sighed, "This is obsession. You value hatred more than your own life, old man..."

"Shang, I can't help you."

Lu Jin had actually anticipated this outcome before he even arrived. Buddhism emphasizes letting go, but he just couldn't let go.

Hearing my old friend say "I can't help" still left me with a lingering sense of disappointment.

The meditation room fell silent once more.

At this moment, Li Chang'an suddenly spoke up: "Grandpa, there's no need to be so pessimistic. Inner demons are nothing more than obsessions."