The Word of Heaven

Chapter 245 Dao Xiu Ye

No different from the last time, Master Jianxin was still sitting by the lake.

It seemed that the Immaculate Monk was sent away early again, leaving only two people in the field.

The autumn wind blows, but it does not bring the Zen tranquility.

The still water in the lake has become turbulent.

Master Jianxin motioned for Gu Zhuo to sit down and said directly: "The new leader of the Tianming Sect is hiding in the Yuangou Temple."

Gu Zhuo's expression remained unchanged, and he said, "I'm just an outsider, should you tell me about this?"

"Now that I've told you, I have my reasons."

Master Jianxin did not intend to explain further, and said to himself: "This person has the legacy of Yingxu, and his heart of Tao is unobstructed, so he acts arbitrarily. Life and death are all in a thought. More importantly, he has the ability to kill people."

Gu Zhuo understood.

Master Jianxin looked at him and said seriously, "Donor, you and my Buddha have a connection. Even though this connection is still a little off, it is still a connection after all. I naturally hope that you can be safe."

Gu Zhuo thanked him.

Some meanings were never expressed out loud, they were beyond the words, but how could he not hear them?
The bigwigs of Yuangou Temple believed that the leader of Tianming came from afar not to heal his injuries or illnesses, but for himself.

There is logic in this inference. For example, the deep hatred between the Tianming Sect and the Qin Dynasty is enough to make people believe it.

Master Jianxin said, "Don't go to the tea garden in the next few days. Just stay here with me and practice meditation."

Gu Zhuo said: "Perhaps the monk of Cihang Temple is interested in meeting me."

Master Jianxin was silent for a moment, then said, "This isn't Cihang Temple, so what's the harm in meeting him?"

"Right."

Gu Zhuo smiled, looking calm as usual, and asked, "Are the three eminent monks the only ones coming this time?"

Master Jianxin did not hide it, shook his head and said: "Low-key does not mean simple, of course there are many entourages."

At this point, he suddenly recalled the scene when he was accompanying the distinguished guests today, and added: "One of the younger generations gave me a vague feeling of being a little special. He should be a disciple accepted by Cihang Temple in recent years, but I really didn't recognize who he was."

Gu Zhuo was a little surprised and asked, "Master, who do you think you should recognize that person?"

"of course."

Master Jianxin chanted a Buddhist name, then suddenly changed the subject and said, "Do you know what I am most proud of in recent years?"

Gu Zhuo wondered if he would accept the Immortal Monk as his disciple?

Master Jianxin didn't even need to use his magical powers to guess what he was thinking. He cleared his throat and said calmly, "Actually, I'm not the most proud of him. I can only say that I'm relatively proud. After all, Wuque is indeed pretty good."

Gu Zhuo was silent for a moment, and a picture appeared in front of his eyes as he spoke.

That was when Master Jianxin spent the whole day doing nothing. He wandered around Yuangou Temple, chatting with everyone he met and showing off his disciples, until everyone in the temple was annoyed.

In order to show off more accurately, he even carefully studied the talented people in previous summer festivals, and did not miss even those rising stars who were overshadowed by the dust.

Thinking of this, Gu Zhuo finally confirmed that the relationship between the master and the disciple was really good, so he thought of a question.

"Master, what do you think of Wuque's practice?"

"Let nature take its course."

Master Jianxin answered without hesitation, saying: "Isn't it good now?"

Gu Zhuo thought about it and didn't say anything more.

This conversation ends here.

The time is approaching. As an important figure in Yuangou Temple, Master Jianxin must attend the upcoming Dharma preaching event in Cihang Temple, so there cannot be much time left for this conversation.

It is not necessarily that he deliberately set aside these two quarters of an hour, but he had originally planned to meet with Gu Zhuo. However, the friendly attitude revealed in the conversation was obviously because of the Immaculate Monk.

As for the attitude of Yuan Gou Temple itself, I think it still takes stability as the premise of everything, otherwise it would not have specifically mentioned the existence of the Lord of Heavenly Destiny.

Staying out of the storm is never easy.

After watching Master Jianxin leave, Gu Zhuo sat by the lake for a while before turning around and stepping into the Zen room.

The building is deserted and quiet.

The entire Yuangouhou Temple was busy preparing for the visit of Monk Cihang. The Zen and tranquility that remained between the temples in the afternoon were gradually driven away by the footsteps and drifted towards the tiny existences scattered in the corners.

Gu Zhuo had a familiar feeling.

He sat in the Zen room, not looking at the bookshelf filled with classics, facing a pond.

It is not called a pool, but more like a square puddle.

The pool was overflowing with water, having already overflowed the shallow fence. Miraculously, however, the water did not drip onto the ground, but was instead confined into a convex mirror.

Observing yourself in this pool of water can help you to clarify your mind and temper your heart.

Gu Zhuo does not need to use this method to refine his Tao heart and eliminate any impurities that may exist.

Yes, at this moment he was just staring at himself in a daze.

"You are very good-looking, there is no doubt about that."

A smiling voice sounded in Gu Zhuo's ears.

It does not come from the heaven, earth, and all things.

He was silent for a moment, his eyes moved away from the pool and looked outside the meditation room.

The door of the meditation room was not closed.

A young monk stood outside the door, bathed in the gentle afternoon sunshine, but his smile was even warmer.

Just like the tone of his voice when he spoke, it sounded particularly sincere and very convincing.

Gu Zhuo looked at the monk, and the emotions in his eyes gradually faded until they were as dull as water.

The young monk asked, "Let's chat?"

Gu Zhuo said hello.

The young monk walked into the meditation room, rubbed his hands with the clear water in the pool, and then patted his face.

Drops of water slid down his cheeks, and he looked young no matter how you looked at him.

Gu Zhuo said: "No wonder Master Jianxin couldn't see clearly."

The young monk smiled and said, "Although Jianxin has the potential to enter the state of immortality, he is still a little short of someone like Pei Jinge."

Gu Zhuo nodded gently, and then said: "However, as long as Master Jianxin has the old abbot's help, relying on the mountain gate formation of Yuangou Temple, it is not impossible to fight against Yuhua."

The young monk sighed, somewhat helplessly, and said, "Yes."

Gu Zhuo looked at him and said calmly: "Is this the reason why you came here?"

"Maybe……"

The young monk returned the look, smiled and said, "Long time no see."

He is still young, but he is old.

This is all true, because he had heard a bell many years ago, and its name was Dawn and Dusk.

The bells sounded the signal to go home.

So, he helplessly watched his youth turn into old age, and has lived like this until today.

People called him Daoxiu.

……

……

Dao Xiu is one of the strongest men in the world today, and is recognized as second only to the White Emperor.

This is a fact known to the world, but no one knows how strong he is, and how far away he is from the undisputed number one. Is he within reach, or just around the corner?

Nowadays, many people are thinking about this issue nervously, but no one would think about how powerful Master Daoxiu is when facing other people and sects. The only exception is that there is a Yuhua in charge of that sect.

Yuangou Temple is not Yishui and cannot be an exception.

A person like Daoxiu completely disregards his manners and the possible impact, and is determined to join a sect. Who can stop him?
The answer is clear.

No one can.

"Didn't expect me to come to see you?" Dao Xiu asked with a smile.

Gu Zhuo said, "I have thought about it, but not much."

Dao Xiu sat down beside him and said, "This inference makes sense. Under the current circumstances, I should be in charge of the overall situation at Cihang Temple, but there are always some unreasonable things in this world, aren't there?"

Gu Zhuo thought about Lin Wanyi's stubbornness in Wangjing, Pei Jinge's obsession with the past, and Bai Nanming's pride in letting everything that had happened for thousands of years come to an end. It was undeniable.

Dao Xiu looked exceptionally gentle.

"My reason for coming to see you this time is very simple."

"I am very curious about the story between you and Her Royal Highness the Princess, but I don't think this is a secret you would tell me."

"I am still extremely curious about you. The curiosity comes from what choice you will make."

His eyes were gentle and compassionate, just like his tone: "A rainstorm is coming, do you want to walk with an umbrella or stand under the eaves?"

After a moment of silence, Gu Zhuo suddenly asked, "If you were me, what would you choose?"

Dao Xiu had not thought about this question before he finished speaking, so his answer was very real.

"I'll choose what I want."

Gu Zhuo waited quietly.

Dao Xiu said: "Then, I will find that it is a dead end, and I will be forced to choose between two things I don't want to do, because this is the reality of life."

When he said this, he seemed to be lost in old memories, with a look of melancholy in his eyes.

Gu Zhuo said: "It sounds like you have made a similar choice."

Dao Xiu was silent for a long time, then said, "That happened a hundred years ago."

Gu Zhuo was a little surprised because he really didn't know.

Daoxiu has never been a man of few words.

Now that I have said it, I will not remain silent any longer. "Why are Cihang Temple and Qin State going their separate ways now? Because back then, I never wanted to stand on the side of the Qin State. What I wanted to do most was to keep myself safe."

"It's hard to believe you really mean that."

"Because I killed so many people? May the Buddha have mercy on me. If those people didn't die at my hands, they would have died at the hands of others. Rather than letting others bear this sin, I might as well do it myself."

"That sounds like an excuse."

Gu Zhuo's evaluation was very objective and without any reservations.

Dao Xiu smiled, without any thought of defending himself, and continued: "The facts prove that my reluctance to take sides was correct. Whether it is Zen or Taoism, in the eyes of the monarch, they are just tools to rule the people. Every qualified monarch must do what he does after the rabbit dies."

"However, compared to the Taoist sect ruling the world, the Zen sect directly became the future of history, and all this became acceptable."

The monk said with emotion: "Life is a boring, rotten and miserable process in which one is forced to constantly compromise until the edges and corners are completely smoothed out."

Gu Zhuo remained silent.

Dao Xiu's eyes fell on the pool water, watching the wonder of the water overflowing but not leaking, and said: "What is the greatest meaning of cultivation? Many years ago, I thought it was to become a Buddha and leave a name that would last forever. Later, as my realm became higher and higher, I saw the wonderful scenery that ordinary people in this world could not see, and I felt that the real meaning was to see more scenery, but in the end all these thoughts became the past."

"In my eyes now, what I seek in spiritual practice is neither fame nor life. Fame and life will eventually disappear in time."

“It’s also not the magnificent scenery that once fascinated me, because the scenery will eventually be seen through.”

“There is only one thing that is truly important and precious.”

Daoxiu finally said: "The great freedom of self-selection."

In fact, before going to Yuangou Temple, he had never thought of saying such words, because these were his true feelings.

However, for some reason, when he sat next to Gu Zhuo, his Zen heart, which was as quiet as the sky, was inexplicably moved, causing him to say these unreasonable words.

This was also the first time he talked about these things with others - he didn't talk about them on the day he said goodbye to the Emperor's hundred-year friendship because they both knew it well and could just put everything into the wine.

The words had been spoken, so Daoxiu naturally would not feel any regret.

Gu Zhuo seemed to be thinking about something. After a long period of silence, he confirmed again that ascension was the only way to great freedom.

"I have already answered your question."

Dao Xiu raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a warm smile, and said, "I want to know your answer."

The Zen room was quiet.

It was deep autumn, the sun was setting earlier and earlier, and was now setting in the west.

The golden sunlight slanted down, not being able to pass over the bodies of the two people in front of the pool, leaving a long black mark.

Gu Zhuo looked at Dao Xiu quietly.

Dao Xiu smiled gently and said, "I admire you because you are in the same predicament as I was back then, so I will tell you what consequences your choice will bring."

"If you stand on my side, I will never come to Yuangou Temple, and you can get the peace you want."

"If you decide to maintain the status quo, then the rest of your life will be dark and you will live in a quarrel that will never end until you die."

He said, “Choose.”

Gu Zhuo said: "It doesn't sound that scary."

Dao Xiu said sincerely: "Only when reality really arrives, you will know whether the truth is terrible or not."

After a moment of silence, Gu Zhuo said, "How will the truth come out?"

"Very direct."

Dao Xiu stretched out his hand, his fingertips fell on the clear water, and said: "When the sound of the sutras in the lecture hall reaches a deep place, the Buddhist bell in Yuan Gou Temple will be sensitive to it. At that time, the bell sound will echo endlessly, and the mountain gate formation will appear in the world, and the Buddha's light will come out, just like the morning sun rising again."

The tranquility of the pool water disappeared as it suddenly poured out in all directions.

Amid the ticking sound, the color of the floor gradually darkened.

The water had already reached the two of them.

Gu Zhuo's expression remained unchanged.

"The beauty of the Yuan Gou Temple's mountain gate formation lies in the word 'Gou'. The dirt left by life in the world will be fully revealed in the Buddha's light."

Dao Xiu said: "At that time, your existence and my existence will become particularly vivid, and people will be curious about why you can stand side by side with me."

In the Zen room, the gentle voice swayed in the afternoon autumn breeze, as if it was about to travel far away in the next moment, crossing layers of mountains and forests and numerous palaces, and merging with the sound of scriptures lingering in the lecture hall.

The Buddha's light will soon shine everywhere.

Gu Zhuo's mood became calmer.

"so……"

He looked at Dao Xiu and said, "Is this really worth the trip?"

……

……

A long silence.

There was no sound in the Zen room; it was terrifyingly quiet and heart-pounding.

During this conversation, Gu Zhuo didn't say much and just listened.

Those who don't know him would naturally think that he is respecting his predecessors.

Respect is of course nonsense.

Gu Zhuo was indeed surprised.

In his eyes, Daoxiu really shouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to come here.

This is related to the fact that Yuangou Temple must have been unhappy about this, but the more important thing is that there was no need for it. Even if the current Zen Buddhism cannot be said to be of the same blood, at least they would not pull each other's clothes. Besides, all those who died on that mountain were monks.

It is a very intuitive truth that sympathy for one's own kind is felt.

Dao Xiu must have known all this, but he came anyway.

In the previous conversation, Gu Zhuo couldn't figure out this question, so he asked.

Daoxiu's silence itself is an answer.

“I thought it wasn’t worth it.”

Gu Zhuo said calmly: "Or maybe you want to confirm a fact with your own eyes."

A sigh sounded.

Dao Xiu withdrew his right hand.

The pool water stopped overflowing, but the tips of both men's shoes were already wet.

Gu Zhuo said: "Is this a trap set by His Majesty the Emperor? If it is a trap, can you let me watch it and see the truth and falsehood behind it?"

Dao Xiu looked regretful and said, "It's a pity that I can't see it clearly for the time being."

Gu Zhuo said: "But you still have a way."

Dao Xiu looked at him, his eyes once again showing admiration, and said: "That is also the last resort."

"This method is my death."

Gu Zhuo said: "As long as I die, everything will be revealed."

He said this very quietly, not in the calm and peaceful way, but in the kind of quietness that comes from being aloof from everything.

Dao Xiu was silent for a while, then said, "The Taoist master once said something very interesting. He said that the will of heaven is like a cat hidden in a box. Only when you open the box yourself can you judge whether the will of heaven has arrived by the cat's life or death. Before that, the will of heaven always exists."

"Frankly, I don't understand why God would bother with the life and death of the cat in the box."

The monk said: "But I always agree with this statement, because something like God's will gives practitioners the greatest fear that it seems to exist but does not exist."

Gu Zhuo smiled with emotion and said, "Fortunately, the will of heaven that you are worried about is not without trace."

Having said this, there is nothing more to say.

Dao Xiu understood that Gu Zhuo’s answer was not agreement.

For Zen Buddhism, there is no difference between silence and denial, because the killing is real and there must be a result.

There was a soft snap.

From Daoxiu's finger snap.

As the sound traveled far away, the autumn wind was filled with a bit of Zen, and it traveled far into the lecture hall.

But in an instant, everything happened just as Daoxiu had said before.

The sound of scriptures in the lecture hall suddenly became heavy and thick.

It's like the wooden pillar in a bell tower that strikes the bell.

The three eminent monks from Cihang Temple seemed to instantly go to the wooden pillar in their spirits, dreaming back to their youth, and working together to ring the bell.

then.

The bell rings.

The deep and loud bell sound suddenly echoed among the pavilions and towers of Yuangou Temple and fell into the ears of countless monks.

It was not until this time that the bigwigs of Yuangou Temple finally reacted, but it was too late to stop it.

The next moment, Buddha's light descended from nowhere.

It's like the sun is rising again.

The incense and vows stored in Yuangou Temple for thousands of years turned into firewood, and countless auras of heaven and earth followed suit, strengthening the Buddha's light.

Amid countless gazes.

The brilliant Buddha light shines somewhere in the mountains.

In the lecture hall, the expression of the monk Wuque changed drastically and his face suddenly turned extremely pale.

That was where his master lived.

Gu Zhuo is there at the moment.

(End of this chapter)