"I am Buddha!"
Those mere four words carried an immeasurable impact on the venerable Huiming, shocking him profoundly. Each character shimmered like a gem, each sentence resonating like thunder, casting a depth charge into the monk's serene heart, stirring up immense waves.
The old monk dumbly took a bite of his sweet potato. Its delicate, sweet flavor filled his taste buds, yet he remained engrossed in Ethan Shu's words, unable to extricate himself.
Ethan Shu exhaled a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Master, for dispelling my doubts. Since shaving my head and becoming a monk, this question has lingered in my mind."
"Today, I finally have an answer."
"What?"
Huiming was momentarily taken aback.
Ethan Shu chuckled happily, "Master, monks can marry."
Three black lines appeared on Huiming's forehead, and he couldn't help but say, "Hsuan Kong, you debated Buddhism with me for half a day, just to marry?"
Ethan Shu's handsome yet youthful face became solemn, saying earnestly, "Marrying is not a trivial matter; it concerns the reproduction of humanity."
Huiming snapped, "Go! Fetch water!"
"Alright, Master," Ethan Shu replied, quickly stuffing the sweet potato into his mouth and dashing off to continue his water-carrying duties.
"Master, remember to avoid greed, anger, and ignorance!"
Ethan Shu's voice echoed from afar at the temple gate.
"This disciple of mine…"
Huiming felt both annoyed and amused, finally chanting a Buddhist mantra to calm his mind.
"There is no unified Buddhism in the world. Even among the three ancient Buddhist monasteries, each holds its own views and possesses its own Mahayana."
"So, Hsuan Kong's own thoughts are not wrong."
"If he becomes a Buddha, then his thoughts will be another form of Buddhism, right?"
"Just…"
Huiming sighed.
"There are too many stubborn old folks in the Buddhist community."
"I, but a mere Sarira Realm monk, can only be considered a senior monk in Buddhism. Above me are masters, saints, divine monks, and the Tathagata."
(Note: Tathagata means "coming from nowhere and going to nowhere," and is one of the ten titles of Buddha, similar to the World-Honored One, not specifically referring to Siddhartha Gautama Buddha.)
After filling the water cylinders, Ethan Shu recounted to Huiming his encounters with Serena Nie and Clara Ning, as well as the tale of the Blood Ghost Corpse Demon.
"Master, the Blood Ghost Corpse Demon is a scourge no less menacing than The Black Mountain Demon."
"You're guarding the Black Mountain now, but after your passing, the people around Black Mountain will likely suffer greatly."
Huiming pondered and said, "I had intended to use my sarira for a final strike, perishing together with The Black Mountain Demon at the time of my passing."
"Now, besides The Black Mountain Demon, there's also the Blood Ghost Corpse Demon."
"In today's world, with seven kingdoms competing for dominance, wars ceaseless, demonic paths rising, and righteous paths declining, demons cannot be eliminated completely."
Huiming looked at Ethan Shu and said, "Hsuan Kong, go down the mountain."
"Take my token and seek assistance from our fellow monks at the Great Hanging Temple."
"No!"
Ethan Shu rejected outright.
"Why?"
Huiming asked, puzzled.
A gleam flashed across Ethan Shu's eyes as he explained, "Master, you're trying to send me away."
"And then, on the Double Third Festival of the third day of the third month next year, when The Black Mountain Demon marries, you plan to explode your sarira and wipe out all the demons in Black Mountain."
"I know the Great Hanging Temple is far from Black Mountain, not even within the borders of Yan Kingdom."
"With my legs, a round trip to fetch reinforcements would likely pass the Double Third Festival. So, I won't go down the mountain!"
Huiming's white eyebrows fluttered, and he sighed deeply, "Foolish child, why wait to die together with me?"
"My life span is already exhausted; even if I don't use my sarira, I will pass away within a year."
"You're young and have your own destiny and future ahead. Go down the mountain."
"If you don't obey, I'll disown you as my disciple!"
Huiming swung the sleeve of his monk's robe and retreated into the side hall.
Though it seemed cold and heartless, Huiming actually hid away to wipe away tears in secret.
Ethan Shu glanced at the green lamp and shadows in the side hall and whispered, "There are still over a hundred days until the Double Third Festival of the third day of the third month next year."
"Every day, I get rewards from sweeping the floor. With a hundred days, why worry about not eliminating The Black Mountain Demon and the Blood Ghost Corpse Demon?"
Life returned to its usual tranquility.
Ethan Shu fetched water and lit fires, his daily routine starting with sweeping the floor with a broom.
The random rewards from the system were not all useful treasures.
There were all sorts of items, like Aunt Rong's needle, Pan Yinlian's binding cloth, and Granny Wang's watermelon, there's a wide variety of everything and even an Eight-Treasure Chicken once.
Ethan Shu plucked the feathers, cleaned it, and roasted it for dinner that day.
Huiming watched with drooling eyes but didn't eat.
The old monk had practiced Buddhism for most of his life, never touching meat or spices.
Avoiding meat had become his precept.
It couldn't be broken; breaking it would corrupt the old monk's Buddhism and disturb his mind.
The old monk was like this, and even more so for masters, saints, and divine monks with higher and stronger Buddhist cultivation.
Over time, Buddhism and precepts became cages that trapped them.
Yet, they couldn't break these cages; they even had to uphold them.
Once broken, it would be equivalent to ruining the Buddhism and cultivation of these masters, saints, and divine monks.
Ethan Shu understood this, so he only learned Buddhist techniques from the old monk, never studying Buddhist scriptures.
Huiming didn't force Ethan Shu to study Buddhist scriptures.
Instead, he marveled at Ethan Shu's aptitude, where profound Buddhist techniques were learned instantly, almost like a demonic talent.
A hundred days passed, with the stars shifting and time flowing.
Ethan Shu swept autumn leaves and winter snow, repairing the ancient temple atop the mountain in his leisure time.
The temple had only a plaque with the character "Lan"; Ethan Shu took it down and re-inscribed it.
He changed "Lan" to "Hui" (Hui means wisdom) and added two more characters behind it: "Ming" (Ming means bright) and "Si" (Si means Temple).
Together, it became…
Huiming Si (Wisdom Bright Temple)!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。