Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1345 Ancient Interpretation
'I don't remember.'

These four words, though seemingly light and airy, felt like four mountains crashing down on the face of Master Pang in the evening glow. This dignified Master Pang, at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm, turned visibly pale, his body stiffening in the courtyard as he stared blankly at the old man.

What do you mean?
Can not remember?

He, Pang Queyun, was the current head of the Pang family, a man of considerable status, holding a position in the Qingxuan realm. His ancestors had cultivated at Changtang Lake, yet he was still inferior to Qu Caotan—the Qu family, in the Lingbao Dao lineage, were descendants of the esteemed Xu Xiang! Only then did Pang Queyun address him as "Your Excellency"...

Now, Qu Caotan... don't you remember?
Is it that you dare not remember... or that you really can't remember...?

He was both shocked and horrified:
'Then what about the Pang family! Since that's the case, you old scoundrel—you still dare to send my eldest son to guard the Yun and Pu passes!'

Almost instantly, along with terror, a surge of anger rushed into his mind. He lowered his voice and gritted his teeth:
"Senior, what does this mean...?"

Master Qu turned his head, gazed at him, placed his other hand on the brush and ink on the table, gently moved it aside, and slowly rolled up the painting, saying:

"Can't Mr. Pang see my good intentions?"

Pang Queyun felt as if he had been doused with cold water; his eyes immediately narrowed. He then saw the old man slowly stand up and say:
“Young Master Pang… I sent him to the west, and for that reason, I feel guilty. Otherwise, I would have returned to my grotto to study the immortal traces long ago and would never have revealed a single word to you, Master Pang. Why would I be waiting for you here?”

These words were like a remedy, instantly refreshing the person before them and easing their tension. They simply said:

"So that's what the old master meant by all this..."

Qu Caotan glanced at him and said indifferently:
"The matter of the Ji River is a matter of common knowledge to all three sides."

This statement was even more damaging than the previous one, freezing the middle-aged man in place, both in words and actions. He remained stunned for several breaths before stiffly sitting back down.

"There were rumors in the grotto-heavens earlier... that the Heavenly Immortals are now so awe-inspiring that all sides will surely react, and easily submitting to Mingyang might make them scapegoats... Several grotto-heavens deeply believe this, and even if they don't harm Mingyang, they can't expect anything good to happen... How could this be... How could this be..."

He was drenched in sweat, rolled up his sleeve, wiped his face, and said:
"This... means... we're now at their mercy..."

Qu Caotan paused for a moment, then said:
"This matter is between me and you, but must not be known to any third party. You see... there are many disputes in the city now. Long Kang, Jiang, Yu... and even the Fu family will not submit to anyone."

Pang Queyun was about to speak, but the old man waved his hand to stop him. Qu Caotan said:
“I know what you’re trying to say, but things are not that simple. If this matter doesn’t spread, then it’s just something you and I know. But once it does spread, there will be complaints and unrest. People will start arguing amongst themselves. Isn’t that shameful? If it’s brought into the open, how will that person see it? Will it look good?”

Master Pang pondered for a moment, then thought to himself:

'Oh right...and Dong Mu...Tian...'

The old man did not answer him, but said:
"Although I went in place of Tianxia, ​​I do not understand Tianxia's true intentions. There are some things that Tianxia will not care about if Chuncheng makes a light move, but there are some important people who will not like it... It is said that the Daoist of the Fu family has already come out of the cave and will arrive soon... How can we ruin his plans?"

Pang Queyun got up, paced back and forth a few times, and said:

“I understand… If that’s the case, then it really is best to just sit back and watch the outcome.”

Qu Caotan nodded approvingly, put the scroll into his sleeve, gave him a deep look, and said:
"That's all I have to say. I'm going back to my grotto now. If there's any trouble, please take care of yourself!"

……

Jin region, Lingshan.

The brilliance of the grotto-heaven disappeared into the sky, while the energy of the Kan water, like a dragon, crisscrossed the four directions. This ancient and weathered immortal mountain, standing on the ground, sank into endless gray, becoming dim and desolate.

All the immortals and Buddhist monks have fought to this day, yet no one has harmed this mountain in the slightest.

The weather was neither windy nor rainy, but rather a continuous mist, not so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. You could vaguely see continuous water droplets flowing down the mountainside, and the swaying grass and trees were submerged in the mist, which was either deep or shallow, like a very elegant ink painting.

A person stood quietly atop the mountain.

This man was a rather handsome monk, dressed in black, with his hands clasped together, his eyes closed, and blood trickling from his lips. His once simple robes now bore several wounds, through which one could vaguely see the pulsating organs inside.

A gray light flickered rhythmically between his palms.

Below the mountaintop, a monk stood with his head bowed and hands clasped behind his back.

The man looked quite old, with drooping eyes and uneven eyebrows. A copper chain hung around his neck, and the end of the chain seemed to be under heavy pressure, unable to lift itself. He looked down at the ground, causing the copper chain to sway and collide with his iron-like body, making a crisp sound.

He stood there quietly, silencing the entire mountain forest. The shimmering light around him seemed to try to reach out, but it always disappeared into the mountains, unable to disturb the black-robed monk high above.

After an unknown amount of time, the black-robed monk slowly opened his eyes.

Kong Shu's eyes remained clear and innocent, devoid of sorrow or joy. Unlike before, however, a gray tinge had appeared between his brows, flickering several times like a breath before slowly fading away.

This coveted golden land overlooking the river, which had been sought after by the seven auspicious beings, ultimately fell into the hands of the [Guangxiang Tanjiazi], who greatly admired the Dharma realm.

The dust has settled.

The gray sky seemed to hang precariously. He looked around and saw a middle-aged man among the mountains and forests. A smile appeared on the man's face as he stepped forward.

"Thank you, senior brother."

These two words, like the resounding toll of a bell, shook the people in the mountains. The monk stood there blankly, lost in thought.

Kong Shu watched him silently for a long time before hearing a hoarse voice from the middle-aged monk:

"No need to thank me... Guanhe... should belong to the Dharma realm in the first place."

The grayness in the mountains gradually thickened. With the collapse of the cave [Dalingchuan], a strong aura of evil energy emerged from the void. Kong Shu stepped down, propped up the collapsed stone table in the mountains, and looked at the middle-aged man.

他 说:

"Senior Brother, please."

The middle-aged man lowered his head and slowly moved to the table, listening to Kong Shu quietly say:

"Kong Shu hasn't returned to Liaohe for a long time. What about you, Senior Brother? Since you're cultivating compassion in Yan, have you ever returned to Liaohe for a visit?"

This middle-aged man was none other than the compassionate Maha-Beigu!
Hearing his words, Bei Gu closed his eyes and said:

“You left… Kongyan left too. Later, I watched you all leave Liaohe one by one… even my junior brother went out. Liaohe Temple was left with only an empty shell, deserted and no one was there. I dared not go back.”

These words, mingled with the darkness of the world, made Kong Shu raise his head, and he said softly:

"Junior brother..."

These words brought a rare moment of calm to the middle-aged man, and his tone softened as he said:
“The wrathful path once offered him the land of liberation, but he refused to go.”

"I know."

The black-robed monk's eyes held a complex expression:

"His mind was pure. Back then, all the sects sent people there. Although he didn't utter a single word in response and seemed on the verge of collapse, he ultimately remained silent until the very end under the repeated questioning and enticement of the Seven Phases. He was even able to enter and exit the Land of the Seven Phases..."

Bei Gu said:
"He went back."

Kong Shu raised his gaze, silently staring at his former senior brother, watching as the aged mouth opened and closed, uttering a hoarse voice:
"He returned to the temple, but there was no one there. So he swept the courtyard, repaired the main hall, removed the weeds from the few acres of land, offered three sticks of incense to his master, and then picked up his baggage again and headed south."

"Later, he took a small bamboo raft and went out to sea."

Kong Shu's gaze gradually lowered.

Two top figures in Buddhism, two of the most outstanding Buddhist practitioners in the mortal world, sat around this ancient mountain when the cave collapsed and the group of practitioners dispersed. They actually started discussing the actions of a minor monk far to the north.

Empty Pivot:
“He has his own path. When my junior brother went south, it was my senior brother who took care of him. I feel very guilty. Fortunately, he is still here and has not disgraced our master’s path.”

Sure enough, Bei Gu began to weep, large and small teardrops falling from his cheeks and shattering into tiny, sesame-seed-like droplets on the ground. He said:

“I set the worst example. Kong Lu won’t see me, and Kong Yan… can’t go out. For so many years… I’ve only longed to see you, but I dare not set foot in the Dharma Realm… Kong Heng…”

Kong Shu looked up at the sky, seemingly unwilling to mention his junior brother Kong Heng in front of everyone. He simply nodded slightly. Ke Bei Gu lowered his head even further, as if burying it in his chest. In the moonlight, only his bulging spine, seemingly about to burst out of his flesh, was visible. He said:

“I couldn’t understand Master’s sutras, yet I was the first to cause trouble. Kong Shu… Kong Shu… I’m sorry too…”

Kong Shu remained calm:

"Senior brother, I've already let it go."

A low gasp escaped from Bei Gu's throat, and Kong Shu whispered:

“Back then, after I had finished reading all the scriptures, all the Mahayana came and debated with me. I refuted them all, but the Seven Aspects could not convince me, nor could my master. He said that he would not teach and let the world understand, but I dare not agree with that.”

He looked up, his face serene:

"Are our spiritual attainments something we've all come up with on our own? Over tens of thousands of years, only the Northern Buddha has achieved enlightenment, allowing people to understand Buddhism. Does he expect everyone to be like the Northern Buddha? If the Northern Buddha's enlightenment was about teaching people to understand without being taught, then what about the master-disciple relationship? What about the lineage? The ironclad rule of Liaohe today is not about strict self-discipline, but about escapism—Brother, not teaching is not out of respect, but because the ancient Buddhist teachings have produced the modern Buddhist teachings. We are both shocked and ashamed, and from now on we dare not bear the consequences of 'teaching' again."

Kong Shu laughed:

“Although Junior Brother Kongheng doesn’t read scriptures, his heart is the purest. He once asked me, Yan Xiu cultivates Buddhism extensively, and Zhao Xiu eliminates suffering. No matter how wrong they are, they are ultimately driven by the desire to prevent all beings from suffering. What about us? What are we doing?”

“His words were still immature, but now I can answer him. I, Kongshu, will not stand idly by. I am willing to bear the karma that my master is unwilling to bear. I am willing to teach the beings that my master is unwilling to teach. I will not retreat to the Liao River, nor will I shrink back into that small temple.”

His expression remained unchanged. Unlike his senior brother, who, despite the carefree life on the Liao River, had no desire to return, his eyes held only a resolute determination like that of eternal ice.

“I am willing to walk with the Lord of the Realm—He said that He will protect my name and I will enter the Dharma Realm to cultivate, to use the present to reflect the past, and to use the past to teach the present.”

He said quietly:
"So I left. I know that my master valued me the most back then, but now that I have found the Dao, I will never turn back."

"Senior Brother, you should let go of this as soon as possible."

The middle-aged man raised his head slightly, then lowered it again. He couldn't understand his junior brother's ambition, but he could hear the determination in his tone. The monk said hoarsely:

“I entered Liaohe earlier. I was just a wild man from a desolate place, and I didn’t even know how to read. It was my master who brought me to Liaohe. Back then, I was ignorant and learned to read slowly. I was also lazy when reading scriptures and reverted to my bad habits. I would wander around the mountains and catch wild animals, but I told him that I had been rescued. I was punished with a good beating.”

"Even a wild man knows gratitude. Back then, my master was always engrossed in his books, and I stayed up all night grinding ink and fanning him. He once said to me by candlelight:"

"The demon's offspring will reside in the supreme land."

His words exploded like a thunderbolt from his mouth, making his lips tremble and the light in Kong Shu's eyes dimmed sharply—the Six-Day Talk was a secret, but those of them from Liaohe knew it best.

The Seven Phases interpreted the Supreme Land as a celestial land and grotto heaven, but they knew there was another answer, an answer that could not be spoken.

Sandalwood Forest.

"Later, one by one you left... I dreamt that my master came from the horizon, and he said to me..."

Bei Gu slowly raised his head, his neck making a grinding sound as if he were carrying an unbearable mountain on his back, yet his expression was one of extreme pain.

"I never imagined... that I would teach all the devil's children and grandchildren such a lesson!"

"Boom!"

The thunder in the sky was deafening, causing the vegetation on the mountain to tremble. The sand, the trees, and the green steps all seemed to weep, their voices hoarse with grief:

"Junior brother, how can I let go?"

Kong Shu's calm expression wavered; he quickly closed his eyes and remained silent.

A moment of tranquility descended upon the mountains. The light from the grotto had already pierced through the void and fallen down, while a continuous curtain of water poured down, stretching into a water column that reached the heavens and the earth. The dark river water surged up from the foot of the mountain, as if it were the end of the world, about to devour everything in sight.

"I'm sorry to him."

The black-robed monk finally stood up from the rain, looking at the angry, surging water in the mountains. He parted his lips slightly, his voice calm:
“I wish to restore the world and teach all people. Whether I prove my faith in Guanhe, in the Supreme Land, as a son of Liaohe, or as a grandson of the Heavenly Demon, I will prove my Way and I will teach the people of today.”

“One day, my path will be fully realized.”

The black-robed monk raised his head, his eyes reflecting the water falling from the sky. The river had almost submerged the entire sacred mountain. He watched the endless, furious river reach up to his ankles, his voice devout and calm.

“I will kill my demonic offspring to repay his kindness in bestowing the Dao upon me by the Liao River.”