Da Xing the Mad Monk, clutching a wine jar in one hand and his Great Compassion Fan in the other, staggered and swayed towards Gu Qingfeng, taking three steps with a twist, five with a turn, and nine with a belch. No one knew what the Mad Monk intended to do by suddenly appearing at this moment.
"Just now, this old monk seemed to hear you all clamoring about suppressing the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts on Young Master Gu?
And you also said...
Suppressing the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts on Young Master Gu is to better protect the Great Dao?"
No one answered the Mad Monk's question. At this critical juncture, everyone couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind.
Da Xing the Mad Monk let out another belch, his bleary, drunken gaze falling on Old Ancestor Tai Xuan. He asked, "Old Ancestor Tai, this old monk seemed to hear your voice was the loudest just now. Is that...
*Belch!*
...true?"
Old Ancestor Tai Xuan stared at Da Xing the Mad Monk with a deeply somber expression, his eyes filled with disgust. He responded, "So what if it is?"
"So what?
Hehe!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk grinned, showing his teeth. "Look how scared you are. Could this old monk actually eat you?
I'm just asking casually...
Don't be afraid. After all, you're the renowned Old Ancestor Tai. Even if this old monk wanted to scare you, I couldn't, could I?"
With that,
Da Xing the Mad Monk turned his gaze to the Buddhas of the eight Buddhist sects seated cross-legged atop the Tathagata Pagoda. Finally, his eyes settled on the White-Browed Holy Monk. He asked, "Senior Brother, surely you don't think the same way, do you?"
"Amitabha!"
The White-Browed Holy Monk sat upon the Tathagata Pagoda, eyes closed, hands pressed together in prayer. He responded, "For the sake of the Great Dao, suppressing the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts on the Nether Emperor at this moment is indeed the correct choice."
Da Xing the Mad Monk belched and chuckled. "Senior Brother should know that their so-called 'suppression' is not merely suppression...
It's scheming. The Original Sin Patriarchs are doing it, and the Great Dao Patriarchs are no exception. The difference is that the Original Sin Patriarchs use the excuse of stopping Young Master Gu from letting go of himself, claiming it's for the good of the Daoless Age. The Great Dao Patriarchs use the excuse of suppressing the Spiritual Awareness and Demonic Thoughts on Young Master Gu, claiming it's to protect the Great Dao."
Da Xing the Mad Monk had directly pierced the final layer of window paper, yet no one came forward to rebuke him.
The Original Sin Patriarchs had no need to, and the Great Dao Patriarchs saw no necessity.
Because everyone knew what Da Xing the Mad Monk said was the truth; it was just an unspoken understanding. To rebuke him now would undoubtedly be a case of 'protesting too much,' only earning them an even more hypocritical label.
"Amitabha."
The White-Browed Holy Monk uttered another Buddhist phrase. "Suppression or scheming, it matters not. What is important is protecting the Great Dao."
"'Suppression or scheming, it matters not. What is important is protecting the Great Dao'..." Da Xing the Mad Monk repeated the White-Browed Holy Monk's words. He raised his wine jar, tilted his head back, and took several gulps, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Senior Brother truly lives up to being a highly accomplished monk. Your realm is indeed different."
Then, shifting the topic, Da Xing the Mad Monk asked again, "But...
This Great Dao has long been like a withered tree, rotten to its very roots. Is such a Great Dao still worth your protection?"
"Even if the Great Dao is riddled with holes and utterly decayed, it is still worthy of our protection."
"Ha!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk pressed further. "If Senior Brother had to choose between the Great Dao and all sentient beings, which would you choose?
The Great Dao, or all sentient beings?"
The White-Browed Holy Monk responded, "This old monk protects the Great Dao precisely for the sake of all sentient beings!"
"The Great Dao is already riddled with holes and utterly decayed. Protecting such a Great Dao is not delivering all sentient beings; it is harming them!"
"This old monk firmly believes that the utterly decayed Great Dao will one day transform decay into wonder, return to its original state, and benefit all sentient beings."
"Transform decay into wonder?
Hahaha!"
Upon hearing this,
Da Xing the Mad Monk laughed uproariously as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. After his laughter subsided, he shook his head and sighed. "Senior Brother, oh Senior Brother, why do you remain so deluded even now? Throughout history, it has only ever been all sentient beings who carry the Great Dao, not the Great Dao that carries all sentient beings!"
For some reason, the White-Browed Holy Monk suddenly fell silent.
At that moment,
The sound of applause rang out. It was none other than the Peacock Emperor. Like a noble youth, he looked at Da Xing the Mad Monk present here and clapped continuously, smiling. "'Throughout history, it has only ever been all sentient beings who carry the Great Dao, not the Great Dao that carries all sentient beings!'
Well said!
Truly well said!
I originally thought there had been no true Buddha since the Primordial Era. Now I see I was wrong. You are indeed worthy of being the disciple Lamp-Lighting Buddha favored."
Da Xing the Mad Monk glanced at the Peacock Emperor and asked bluntly, without any courtesy, "Are you the Peacock Bright King?"
"Correct."
"This old monk seems to have heard you say that for this cycle of reincarnation, you seek not to protect the Great Dao, but only to deliver all sentient beings?"
"Exactly."
"Why?"
"The reason you just stated yourself: 'Throughout history, it has only ever been all sentient beings who carry the Great Dao, not the Great Dao that carries all sentient beings!'" Da Xing the Mad Monk merely said one word, "Good," and then fell silent. He then turned his gaze back to the silent White-Browed Holy Monk and said, "Senior Brother, wake up!
Even the Peacock Bright King knows that it is all sentient beings who carry the Great Dao, not the Great Dao that carries all sentient beings. Why do you remain so deluded?"
"The Peacock Bright King has traversed the Three Thousand Great Daos, experienced endless cycles of reincarnation, seeking not true Buddhahood, not the Great Dao, but only to deliver all sentient beings. His attainment in the Buddhist path is no lower than your realm, is it?
Why can't you understand this?"
An old monk from one of the eight Buddhist sects responded, "Whether this person is the true Peacock Bright King is still an unknown!"
Hearing this, Da Xing the Mad Monk immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "To hell with your 'unknown'!
Even the damned Miao Tathagata wouldn't dare say the Peacock Emperor is not the Peacock Bright King!
What kind of old bald donkey from which temple are you?!"
Here,
Miao Tathagata remained seated cross-legged on the palm of that sacred great Buddha, hands pressed together, eyes slightly closed, like an outsider.
Meanwhile, the Buddhas within the Tathagata Pagoda glared furiously at Da Xing the Mad Monk, wishing they could slice him into a thousand pieces!
"Amitabha!"
The White-Browed Holy Monk advised, "Junior Brother, the one truly deluded is you. You have lost your way..."
"Yes!
This old monk has lost his way..." Da Xing the Mad Monk raised his wine jar and took another series of fierce gulps, then belched. "This old monk admits he is lost. You might not believe it, but since losing his way, this old monk feels that his eyes are no longer blind, his mind is no longer muddled, and even his damned legs and feet have become nimble."
"Moreover, after losing his way, this old monk seems to have gradually begun to see the truth of this Calamity."
"If this Calamity is a mountain beyond mountains, then this old monk is currently outside the mountain, watching you all trapped within the forest, dizzy and disoriented."
"If this Calamity is a game within games, then this old monk is currently outside the game, watching you all trapped within it, hopping about like ants on a hot pan."
"If this Calamity is a heaven beyond heavens, then this old monk is currently beyond the heavens, watching you all trapped within one corner of the world, smug and self-righteous."
"Don't think this old monk is trying to scare you, and don't think this old monk is bluffing you. Let me tell you, what this old monk says is the truth."