"In my eyes..." Cheng Hong's eyes, like black swimming fish, were clear and vast. He said calmly, "There is the wind and snow of heaven and earth, the flowers, grass, rain, and dew. Naturally, there are also people."
Dan Ya's smile curved slightly, his emotions gradually calming. He was no longer a green youngster who couldn't handle a single thing. If it weren't for Cheng Hong's precise strike that hit him at his weakest point, breaking his defense, he wouldn't have lost his composure and been so dazed in public.
Therefore, once he regained his senses, the inherent sharp aggression within his nature would emerge. He wanted to take out his anger on the one who had stabbed him.
He hurt, and he wanted the other person to hurt too.
"Since the Master's eyes can encompass all things in the world, why then distinguish between black and white? Isn't Buddhism the most hypocritical?"
"The equality of all things that Buddhism mentions refers to the equality of Dharma, with no higher or lower. Moreover, the Dharma that this poor monk speaks of can ferry those who are lost and ignorant, those who are neither good nor extremely evil. But she… she wants them," Cheng Hong's serene gaze held a stubborn strength, like the chirping of cicadas in the deepening quiet, and he said word by word, "But she wants them."
He was not afraid of being disturbed by malevolent spirits and ghosts, but she was.
He distinctly remembered "him" in the first life. He knew her bottom line, yet even if it meant becoming her enemy, even if it meant gambling their affection, he had to transform into a demon-slaying Vajra to eradicate the chaotic evil soul that created a menace to the world around her – the Human Emperor.
The Human Emperor was originally an evil soul born from the resentment of the world, from chaos. Therefore, its nature was inherently evil, its actions extreme and unreasonable. He led Gu Junshi down his path of lawlessness; his influence on her thoughts was too profound, ultimately leading her down a path of madness that would destroy heaven and earth.
After the Human Emperor willingly perished, Gu Junshi completely broke ties with him. Even though she knew the Human Emperor had died willingly, even though she knew he had done all of this for her, she still hadn't forgiven him.
When she mentioned the Human Emperor in front of him, she always appeared indifferent and cool. He was misled by her apparent "disinterest," which is why he didn't hesitate or try to stop her.
But when the Human Emperor's soul scattered before her, though she didn't cry or get angry, her expression became so lost… as if she couldn't find her home.
It was at that moment that "he" finally understood that she cared about him, that she had always cared deeply about the Human Emperor.
When she spoke of him, her words were dismissive and cold because she was awkward. When she was with "him," she didn't bother searching for the Human Emperor because she knew the Human Emperor would never leave her; he would always remain by her side.
But in the end, the Human Emperor and "he" betrayed her together.
It was a betrayal, perhaps.
One couldn't live anymore, and the other killed the person she cared about.
After this, she completely abandoned the last shred of warmth in her heart. After she left, it was as if she had completely forgotten "him" and never looked back, not even once for "him."
The tea has gone cold; there's no need to reheat it. It won't taste the same. The person has left; there's no need to keep them. It won't feel the same.
Through the long, slow passage of time, "he," from a naive young monk with a Bodhi-like heart, from a disciple filled with joy to one with a heart like an ancient well, and finally to a revered and powerful abbot with profound Buddhist teachings, "he" had always been seeing through everything.
"He" tried to learn from the Buddha, lying by the Ganges River, not eating, not bathing, trying to attain enlightenment through physical suffering, but to no avail. He finally understood that physical cultivation would still be confined by the physical body. Clinging to a single thought also meant being confined by that thought.
Therefore, "seeing through" does not equate to "letting go."
To see clearly all the comings and goings of what originally was, that is to see through. But to achieve completeness and a clean heart, that is to "let go."
Unfortunately, "he" was never complete, nor clean, in his life, and thus he never let go.
This was "his" obsession. His repeated questioning of Gu Junshi about her earthly sins above the Boundless Sea was not solely to make her turn back. She couldn't turn back, and he couldn't turn back either. At that point, "he" simply wanted her to realize the suffering of all living beings caused by her, to feel a sliver of compassion and understand the pain of all sentient beings…
But in Cheng Hong's eyes this life, the "him" of the first life was both wrong and not wrong.
"He" was wrong to have sent the Human Emperor away with his own hands out of selfishness. The Human Emperor could die, but he shouldn't have died by "his" hand. In fact, Cheng Hong felt that the Human Emperor had deliberately chosen to die by "his" hand precisely to cause Gu Junshi to break ties with "him."
This evil soul schemed against him even in death.
Cheng Hong, who saw through all of this, felt that in this life, he would never repeat the mistakes of the "him" from the first life.
Therefore, to Cheng Hong, someone like Dan Ya with malicious intentions was a form of filth attempting to trespass into the pure land he had designated for Gu Junshi.
Is this bald monk playing favorites? But on what grounds is he making decisions for Gu Yi? Is he intending to abandon his role as a pure Buddhist disciple and become Gu Yi's lover?
Dan Ya maliciously speculated about Cheng Hong's thoughts, those unbound and jealous thoughts like thick black ink, staining his heart bit by bit.
From the moment he learned that she might be able to see the ugly, disgusting shadowy monsters he carried, he knew what kind of image he held in Gu Yi's eyes.
Compared to Liu Jiang Fusheng, who was as pure and clean as a white lotus, what was he? A pile of filthy, foul-smelling rotten things?
Dan Ya let out a self-mocking laugh.
His mind suddenly cleared. He took a deep breath. Why should he argue with Cheng Hong? After all, what standing did he have, and what standing did the other person have?
The person by Gu Yi's side was clearly Liu Jiang Fusheng.
What were they, two "outsiders," fighting about?
However… although he understood the logic, being pointed at and told that he was foul-smelling filth and unworthy, being told that the impurities on him would defile another's pure soul and body, he couldn't help but feel rebellious and think, "What business is it of his?"
Dan Ya put on his usual gentle and amiable smile: "In what capacity is Master speaking these words? The sages of the Three Teachings are based on a single principle; to depart from the mind is to speak heresy."
Having finished speaking, he was too lazy to listen to the other's lecture. He raised his arm, gathering the momentum of the wind and swirling his sleeves. A long sword crackling with electricity appeared, its cold light reflecting in Dan Ya's long, dark eyes, exuding an aggressive aura.
Cheng Hong lowered his gaze. His benevolent expression was also deep and spirited. With a turn of his wrist, he raised a string of prayer beads, as if enveloped by a mysterious force, as if bathed in spring light, caressed by the spring breeze, nourished by the spring rain, and illuminated by the slanting sunlight on the Spirit Gathering Terrace.
Gu Junshi focused her gaze, her eyes shifting, time flowing like dappled light through dense forests.
It was the string of prayer beads she had given him as "treatment fees" a few days prior.
She knew he would accept it, but she hadn't expected him to cherish it and carry it with him, replacing his previous prayer beads that obviously had a long history of use.
It's strange how people are; a particular object or a certain touch can evoke memories of things they thought they had long forgotten.
She seemed to remember that in the first life, when their relationship was at its best, he was handsome and treated her well. She had been in a rare mood to admire his alluring beauty, like jade flowers in mist, bright as the moon. Since ancient times, demonesses loved Buddhist disciples. She had teased him quite a bit, almost provoking him.
So she apologized to him and asked what gift he wanted as compensation.
With the magnanimous mindset of a domineering CEO, she would buy him whatever he wanted.
But Cheng Hong had always been detached and indifferent to external possessions. So, she asked, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said he didn't want anything.
But she never intended to take back her words. She said that if he didn't want anything now, he could keep this gift and claim it later when he thought of something, and she would personally present it to him.
A long time after they fell out over the Human Emperor, he, clad in a mournful, tattered monk's robe, came to ask for the gift. He said nervously and incoherently, "You still owe me a gift. You said that no matter how long it took, as long as I asked, you would personally deliver it."
He said, "I want a string of prayer beads."
Upon hearing this, she paused for a moment, then touched her forehead and smiled slightly. But after withdrawing her hand, the indifference and coolness that appeared in her eyes made his throat dry. The wind stirred the heavy corners of his robe, and he stood there blankly.
In front of him, she took out a string of prayer beads. As he reached out with joy and trepidation, as she placed them in his palm, the prayer beads were crushed into powder. The golden dust scattered into dust before Cheng Hong's eyes.
She said, "What a coincidence, I happened to have prepared a string of prayer beads for you. But this gift, I can give it to you, or I can destroy it."
At that moment, Cheng Hong's eyes turned red.
From then on, his world… sank into darkness.
She didn't know that when he asked her for the prayer beads, it wasn't because he wanted a string of prayer beads, but because he knew she intended to give him a string of prayer beads as a gift.
But he had been patiently waiting, waiting and waiting, and she never brought them. He had always been patient, the most serene and long-sitting person in the entire Maha Zen Monastery. But every minute and every second he waited for her felt like time was out of order; a minute wasn't a minute, a second wasn't a second. They were terrifyingly long. It was the first time he felt that sitting in meditation was a torment.
So, in the end, he shamelessly went to ask for it.
But it turned out that when she withdrew her hand of charity, even begging for it wouldn't get it.
From then on, Cheng Hong no longer used prayer beads but switched to a Zen staff.
The "Cheng Hong" of the first life and the current Cheng Hong were essentially the same person, but due to different experiences, they had become different people.
The current him did not use a Zen staff; he was still using prayer beads.
Looking at the current Cheng Hong, Gu Junshi did not misjudge. He was not the "Cheng Hong" from the first life that she had encountered. Since he wasn't, why, when she gave him the "treatment fee," did she instinctively give him that string of prayer beads?
Perhaps because she still owed him a gift?
Who knew.
Gu Junshi gave a casual, light laugh and instantly cast these past memories aside. She continued to focus on the duel between the two on the arena stage.
Perhaps knowing each other's strength, Dan Ya and Cheng Hong went all out from the start, not intending to resolve it in a leisurely manner.
Gu Junshi became interested upon seeing this. Recalling Cheng Hong, he had once led twenty-eight Heavenly Great Sages with their cultivation to围剿 (surround and suppress) her as the top scholar. She must have been extremely sinful, while he was the embodiment of profound Buddhist teachings and the light of righteousness.
Both his cultivation and character were recognized role models and exemplary figures in the entire cultivation world.
As for Dan Ya, although it was unknown what kind of person he was before joining the Great Evolution Sect, he definitely wasn't someone who did good deeds and benefited others. Even now, dressed up and appearing respectable, looking somewhat like a righteous person, he secretly harbored a villain's heart. However, it couldn't be denied that his strength was indeed worth anticipating.
Who would win?
Gu Junshi couldn't predict the outcome.
Dan Ya launched the first offensive. His blade light, with the force of thunder, tore through the silence of the air. The vibrating, mournful sound was like a ghost's wail, and the gust of wind it generated made one shiver.
Meanwhile, Cheng Hong quickly formed hand seals, releasing Buddhist Dharma power. Golden runes appeared one after another above his head, forming a circle, as if drawing upon infinite Dao energy. Each golden rune carried an ineffable Dao force.
After forming the seals, Cheng Hong unleashed them. The runes merged and bloomed with even more brilliant golden light, charging towards Dan Ya. He brandished his Cloud Thunder Sword, and the lightning from above struck down, the sword wind crisscrossing.
Brilliant light erupted between the two. Hurricanes and halos reflected on their faces. Both of them possessed unparalleled looks. During the battle, their focused and serious eyes made the female cultivators watching the battle on the arena stage's heart flutter, and the male cultivators clenched their fists.
This time, only two monks from the Maha Zen Monastery had come: Cheng Hong's senior brother and Cheng Hong's junior nephew.
But these two monks had significant backgrounds. Cheng Hong, due to his high seniority, had his senior brother as the Chief Abbot of the Maha Zen Monastery, holding the command of the Zen Hall. His junior nephew was a Hall Master.
Although Cheng Hong looked young, between boy and man, his senior brother was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a stern and steady expression. His junior nephew looked even older, with the appearance of knowing fate, but he had a kind face. Together, these uncle and nephew formed a stark contrast.
"Junior brother is using the Great Compassion Mantra," said the Chief Abbot senior brother.
The junior nephew chuckled, "Uncle Master is serious now."
The Chief Abbot senior brother said, "Whether this disciple named Dan Ya is fortunate or unlucky to make Junior brother serious is debatable."
The unrestrained electric light carved black marks on the arena. Dan Ya, facing an opponent like Cheng Hong, naturally had to put in more effort. As he moved, his sword light slashed continuously, creating all sorts of trouble for Cheng Hong.
Cheng Hong's white robes fluttered as he spun the prayer beads in his hand, silently chanting. In the next moment, golden light reappeared. The speed of his hand seals quickened, and the converging rune seals formed a "giant palm" that slammed down towards Dan Ya.
Dan Ya's sword light was pulverized into dust. He looked up at the "giant palm" formed by the rune seals above. He thrust the Cloud Thunder Sword towards the ground, and the electric light radiated even more intensely, like a sharp axe, striking upwards and cleaving open the "giant palm."
His figure flashed again. The formation at the center of the arena, scorched black by lightning strikes, had begun to take shape. A light screen rose from the crisscrossing lines. Cheng Hong sensed a large amount of spiritual energy being absorbed to fill the formation. Simultaneously, a sea of fire erupted within the formation, and three fiery spirit dragons and snakes emerged. They twisted their bodies ablaze with eighteen-foot flames and fiercely spewed fire towards Cheng Hong.