My enemies became my companions

Chapter 710 Buddha Image (Two Chapters Combined)

The faint scent of sandalwood permeates the temple, flowing gently like a white river, accompanied by the chanting of Buddhist hymns, gradually calming restless minds.

Almost visibly, the restlessness among the throngs of people had diminished considerably.

Chen Yi briefly recalled that Yin Tingxue had mentioned to him twice how she emerged from the world of ignorance. Once, she said that she had a single thought of enlightenment and then left the Five Poisons Dead Tree. The other time, she just revealed that she emerged from it to end her ignorance.

The two are not in conflict.
only……

Chen Yi had some doubts. Since Yin Tingxue left back then because she had cleared her mind, why did everything she saw here now appear to be manifestations of her ignorance?

Has she truly transcended ignorance?

Another point is that, along the way, only she showed no obvious signs of being affected, while neither he nor Donggong Ruoshu showed any obvious signs. It was fine if Donggong Ruoshu was affected, as that silly girl was always carefree, but he was not a broad-minded person. Since his rebirth, he had countless obsessions, yet he had never seen such manifestations.

Chen Yi had previously considered conjuring up a scene of many women sleeping together in the same bed, hoping to lure the enemy into a trap. He had no choice but to play along, but after thinking about it for a long time, he couldn't come up with even the slightest idea, making it hard for him not to notice the clues.

Even if things don't go well, I should at least be able to see this wicked little fox every day. Why can't I achieve my wish of having my way?

The only relevant explanation is Yin Tingxue's status as a saintess, or perhaps...

Chen Yi looked around at the scene again, and a series of doubts arose in his mind.

"The Bodhisattva is truly showing his power!"

"The Bodhisattva has moved again! The Bodhisattva is merciful, descending to earth to save people!"

"Bodhisattva, we pray for a son! My Li family has been childless for so long, please have mercy and grant us a son!"

"What nonsense! She's not Guanyin, and even Bodhisattvas don't have sons!"

Suddenly, several exclamations rang out in the hall, and everyone turned their attention to the crowd ahead. The pace of the crowd in front quickened considerably as they surged toward the main hall.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. Hearing the word "Bodhisattva" at this critical juncture was something that made him wary.

Using his movement technique, Chen Yi silently moved to the side of the hall entrance, walked to a corner, and peered into the hall through the gaps in the crowd.

Deep within the main hall, a lotus platform stood high, and a colossal Buddha statue was bathed in the light of countless candles.

The Buddha statue was a deep and translucent golden color, unlike the golden statues commonly seen in the world, with a restrained radiance.

The Buddha statue places its left hand in front of its navel, holding a medicine bowl. The bowl seems to be empty, yet it also seems to be filled with nectar that can cure suffering. Its right hand hangs down naturally, forming the abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness), with its five fingers rounded, as if relieving suffering and saving lives.

Chen Yi had never been interested in Buddhist things. In the past, when the little fox was reading Buddhist scriptures, he would always fall asleep with his eyelids drooping, wasting the little fox's good intentions. Whenever the little fox would occasionally complain about how hard she was reading but he wasn't listening at all, he would always laugh it off and say that he didn't care. But deep down, when he saw her serious profile and slightly disappointed eyes, an indescribable sense of guilt would always bite him like a little insect.

Gazing at the Buddha statue, Chen Yi composed himself, his gaze sharpening.

However, after experiencing so much, no matter how indifferent he was, Chen Yi recognized the Buddha statue in front of him as the Medicine Buddha statue, which happened to be the Buddha fruit that the Medicine Bodhisattva had prepared for Yin Tingxue.

The Medicine Buddha statue that appears before us in the world of ignorance, and this Dharma assembly, are by no means accidental.

As Chen Yi pondered to himself, he watched as more and more people surged past, and the bodhisattva, who was praised for manifesting divine power, indeed moved visibly.

Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly, naturally he wouldn't miss this detail, but just as he was about to get closer to take a closer look, a voice came from behind him.

"This female benefactor, you have the appearance of a Buddha!" ​​A low exclamation came from not far behind. Amid the noisy crowd, Chen Yi, a martial artist, instantly caught it. He turned around sharply and saw a high monk in a kasaya looking at Yin Tingxue with a face full of surprise.

The old monk, with white eyebrows and beard, wearing a crimson robe embroidered with gold thread, was just a few steps away. His hands were clasped together, and his clear eyes were filled with undisguised astonishment as he stared intently at Yin Tingxue, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.

The old monk had just taken a step forward when a tall shadow suddenly loomed over him, blocking his path between him and Yin Tingxue, completely protecting the girl behind him.

Chen Yi's face was ashen, and he coldly said, "Get out."

In short, simple and efficient.

"How dare you be so disrespectful to Master Huiming!"

A young monk behind the old monk immediately glared at him and stepped forward to argue.

The old monk, known as Huiming, gently raised his hand to stop him, his expression calm. He even said to the young monk, "You must not be rude, and you must not break the precepts. Apologize to this benefactor."

Although the young monk was indignant, he still bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Chen Yi as instructed.

Master Huiming then turned his gaze to Chen Yi, scrutinizing him carefully for a moment. His expression of astonishment deepened, and he blurted out, "Strange, strange! Benefactor, you...you also have the appearance of a Buddha!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi was taken aback for a moment, then a mocking smile appeared on his lips. His eyes swept over the surrounding noise, and his tone was playful: "Oh? I also have a Buddha image? When did Buddha images become so worthless? Or is your temple some kind of sacred mountain where you can find Buddha images everywhere?"

Master Huiming remained unperturbed, merely shaking his head slightly: "You flatter me, benefactor. This place is certainly not a sacred mountain, but the Buddha-like appearances of the two of you are extraordinary. Your presence here truly brings honor to our humble temple."

Yin Tingxue remained expressionless and distant, seemingly having expected this, and remained unmoved.

"This female benefactor possesses the appearance of the Medicine Buddha, with hidden compassion, and has a very deep affinity with the Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata."

Chen Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, concealing a sharp edge. The high monk then turned to look at Chen Yi and slowly said:
“And this benefactor, you have the appearance of a joyful Buddha.”

Upon hearing those three words, Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and Yin Tingxue's usually indifferent expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

This so-called "Buddha image" doesn't sound like a proper Buddhist practice at all.

Master Huiming chanted a Buddhist prayer and then said: "Greed, anger, ignorance, and love, attachments burn fiercely, afflictions are Bodhi, worldly ties are not severed, Buddha-nature is hidden within."

Anyone who heard this would be either modest or delighted.
Chen Yi frowned and impatiently interrupted Master Huiming: "Old bald monk, stop making a fuss and babbling on. We ourselves don't even understand what Buddha's form is, so how can an outsider like you see it clearly? If you don't understand, then don't spout nonsense."

"You!" The young disciple's eyes widened in anger again, almost rushing forward. Master Huiming, however, remained calm, reaching out to stop the disciple. His gaze was deep as he looked at Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue, his tone peaceful yet carrying an undeniable certainty: "Amitabha. Whether you believe it or not, whether this humble monk is speaking falsely, will be clear at the Dharma assembly later. At that time, it is not that this humble monk intends to spy on you two, but rather that in this sea of ​​ignorance and karma, all beings reveal their true nature, which cannot be concealed. The Buddha-nature of you two will also be as clear as the bright moon hanging in the sky."

Chen Yi ignored him completely, too lazy to argue with the old monk any longer, and directly grabbed Yin Tingxue's wrist.
"let's go."

After saying that, he pulled her around, ignoring all the stares and noise behind them, and strode straight through the crowded people towards the temple exit.

Inside the enshrined statue of the Bodhisattva of Sunlight, Donggong Ruoshu clearly sensed that he was rapidly moving away.

She had often eaten his late-night snacks in the past. Donggong Ruoshu had just discovered Chen Yi's presence by relying on her familiarity with his aura. Now that he was about to leave, she was extremely anxious. She used all her strength to slam her head against the wall, making several muffled thuds, but it was all in vain.

Finally, she slumped down again.

Just wait.

Chen Yi pulled Yin Tingxue away from the temple, but they didn't go far. They stopped in a relatively quiet corner near the mountain gate, hidden by trees.

As soon as she stood still, Yin Tingxue broke free from his hand and said in a cold voice, "I have experienced what happened in the temple just now."

Chen Yi turned around and looked at her.

He knew that most of the scenes in this world of ignorance were manifestations of her memories and emotions. It was not surprising that she had experienced similar scenes. But the fact that she could bring it up now meant that, in her complex and difficult-to-understand emotions, she had finally gained a little more trust in herself.
Yin Tingxue turned her gaze to the still bustling temple in the distance and began to speak calmly:

“That year, my mother brought me to this Dharma assembly. It was this same high monk who said in public that I had the appearance of a Buddha.” A very faint ripple flashed in her eyes. “At that time, my mother immediately stood in front of me and dealt with the high monk. I was ignorant at the time and did not know the implications. When I saw people praising me for having the appearance of a Buddha, I even felt a little… fortunate.”

"And then?" Chen Yi pressed.

Yin Tingxue's lips curled into a cold, self-deprecating smile: "And then? Then, at that Dharma assembly, for some reason, I converted those people. Thus, I became entangled in the karma of the Medicine Buddha. This Dharma assembly was called the Medicine Buddha's Great Dharma Assembly for Relieving Calamities and Disasters. Since I performed the Medicine Buddha's work of converting sentient beings, I have unknowingly inherited His mantle and am destined to achieve the fruition of the Medicine Buddha."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi remained silent for a moment.

So that's how it is. The seemingly abrupt transformation of the little fox in its previous life was indeed rooted in this—the imposed Buddhahood.

He had suspected it all along, and now it was finally confirmed.

He suddenly chuckled softly a few times, looking at Yin Tingxue.
"I've never believed in Buddha images or Buddhahood. Little fox, do you remember when I stopped you from helping people back in the Hehuan Sect?"

A strange, fleeting look flashed across Yin Tingxue's eyes, complex and difficult to decipher, but she immediately lowered her head in silence, without replying.

Looking at her like this, Chen Yi couldn't help but chuckle to himself. What, can a little fox be proud and aloof?
She often teases him about this, though it's just a gentle teasing, and she always comforts him softly afterward. If she lets him hold a grudge, it makes her seem like she really cares. So she can only be reluctantly magnanimous, or use it as an excuse to have sex. But she's still unhappy.

However, Chen Yi did not say anything to provoke the unpredictable and easily angered Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. He simply said in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry."

He then waved his hand, said no more, and turned to stride down the steps.

Yin Tingxue stood there, gazing at Chen Yi's back as he slowly descended the steps. The strange look that had flashed across her eyes earlier reappeared, and became even clearer.

It wasn't a feeling of being moved or warmed; on the contrary, it contained a vigilance and apprehension that was more intense than ever before.

Joyful Buddha Image...

I see,

Is he... a Buddha who has come to guide me?
Yin Tingxue's gaze deepened. Chen Yi was already dead; she had killed him with her own hands, and that was undeniable. Yet now, another Chen Yi had suddenly appeared, neither without any obvious form nor lacking in martial arts prowess nor profound Taoist magic...

In this way, those filthy and disgusting memories were also explained.

Yin Tingxue's hands slowly clenched, her vigilance reaching its peak. Chen Yi's appearance and his words and actions, which were similar to her mother's, were nothing more than part of the Bodhisattva of Medicine's plan, with the aim of converting her, the holy maiden of the demonic sect who had always refused to convert.

An indescribable anger and chill welled up inside her, and she gave a bitter smile.

What... those Bodhisattvas and Buddhas who claim to have transcended suffering, they... still have no intention of letting her go?
.....................

Chen Yi didn't take the so-called Master Huiming's claim of having a Buddha-like appearance to heart.

It went in one ear and out the other, causing little ripple in his heart.

He admitted that his lower body was hard and deep, and even his master, Jianjia Zhou Yitang, could not cut it, only soften it, but this was completely different from that bullshit "Happy Buddha".

I am not entirely ignorant. I know that there is a "Buddha of Bliss" in the Western Regions Tantric Buddhism. It is nothing more than an image of a wise king and his consort having intercourse. It is regarded as a combination of Dharma and wisdom. What profound principle of non-duality of form and emptiness is being talked about? It is just like what is written in the Buddhist scriptures: "First lure them with desire, then lead them into the wisdom of the Buddha."

He simply acted according to his own heart, and when desires arose, they spread like wildfire. He didn't know what Buddhist wisdom was. He thought that the pleasure between men and women was just that, nothing more. He never thought that much, much less had any sudden enlightenment.

Of the four schools of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, he was least interested in Buddhism.

Upon further reflection, could the joyful Buddha image that Master Huiming saw in himself be...?

As his thoughts raced, a detail he had almost forgotten suddenly popped into his mind. Chen Yi suddenly remembered the flesh relic soup that the Empress Dowager had made him take.

Having exchanged lifespans in the underworld before, he is currently out of danger of losing his lifespan and his cultivation level is steadily rising. He had forgotten about this incident. The flesh relic soup happened to come from the Western Regions, which may be the reason why Master Huiming saw his joyful Buddha-like appearance.

Having figured this out, Chen Yi couldn't help but smile slowly and say, "This Master Huiming's cultivation isn't quite up to par either."

Just then, the solemn and majestic chanting of Buddhist hymns suddenly rose in pitch, sweeping in like a tidal wave, shaking the very soul.

In the direction of the Mahavira Hall, the enormous Medicine Buddha statue, along with the Bodhisattva statues standing beside it, was slowly and steadily carried out on specially made carrying poles by dozens of strong fire-working Taoist priests and placed on the open-air altar that had been prepared in advance.

The Dharma assembly is about to begin.

(End of this chapter)