The Word of Heaven

Chapter 329 Destined
The deceased’s wish.

The intention of the living.

It has always been difficult to have both, especially for a sage like the Buddha.

The last sentence, which is not without mockery, is enough to prove that Zen Buddhism once made some attempts.

Otherwise, how to explain the Emperor Wu of Southern Qi who was imprisoned and died alive in the Tong Palace?

If Zen Buddhism today were to have such an opportunity again, would something similar happen?

The answer is probably yes.

Gu Zhuo didn't think about it any more.

The old abbot of Cihang Temple never took his eyes off him, always staying on him, with compassion and hope.

Gu Zhuo asked: "Is it still the same question?"

Hearing this, the old abbot did not answer immediately.

His eyes revealed many emotions, including sighs, regrets, and reminiscences. He asked slowly, "Yes, it's the same question. How is Nirvana?"

Gu Zhuo had already thought about what kind of answer to give.

"Nirvana was never a fantasy, but now it is a fantasy. The Buddha has the answer to this question, but it means nothing in the end."

The old abbot looked stunned. He had never expected to hear such words.

Gu Zhuo turned and left without explaining.

Outside the hall, hundreds of wounded monks stood on the vast stone platform, with bloodshot eyes, anger and hatred.

Further away, Pei Jinge was standing outside the gate of Cihang Temple, holding a long sword with an expressionless face.

This is the biggest problem today.

A person who is about to ascend to heaven is staring at him eagerly.

A Zen Buddhist ancestral temple shared a common hatred of the enemy.

People had never imagined such a scene, because even for Gu Zhuo, facing such a situation would still be digging his own grave.

People had already anticipated the scene at this moment after Gu Zhuo insisted on taking that step, but no one knew where his calmness came from.

There was silence at the top of the mountain.

Gu Zhuo looked at the people in front of him and suddenly recalled that winter, with a very strange feeling.

Dao Xiu was standing in the hall at the time, with his back to countless snowflakes, and only turned around when he arrived.

Gu Zhuo has very few friends in this world, and Daoxiu is certainly not one of them.

They are all practitioners closest to the sky. Even though they have had almost no real friendship in the past, at certain moments like now, they can still develop a sense of empathy.

That feeling is probably loneliness.

The old abbot was silent.

The monks in front of the temple had no reason to leave.

"I remember……"

Gu Zhuo recalled for a moment and said, "The Emperor Wu of Southern Qi was buried in Cihang Temple after his death, right?"

When he said this, his tone was very natural, even casual.

Therefore, when people heard it, they were inevitably shocked and wondered what it meant.
"good."

A certain monk answered subconsciously.

Gu Zhuo nodded gently, and then said: "Take me there."

Everyone was stunned.

There was an uproar and the atmosphere became even more ridiculous because no one could understand.

Gu Zhuo turned a deaf ear and said to the old abbot: "In exchange, I will not annihilate the entire Cihang Temple today."

The old abbot remained silent.

These were words that only he heard.

Because of this, the words "annihilate the whole family" seem more real and have the connotation of negotiation.

Gu Zhuo continued, "Or you can try to awaken the remains of the Buddha and fight with me."

What he said is the final heritage of Cihang Temple and the most powerful means left by the Buddha to future generations.

Or why Emperor Bai was willing to agree to Daoxiu at the last moment of the Weiyang Palace Incident? This is the fundamental reason why there can be Buddhas in the world.

Using this method to deal with Gu Zhuo would most likely suppress him or even kill him.

The question is, is it worth it?
After Daoxiu's death, Zen Buddhism no longer had the dominant position in the world before the next person to ascend to heaven appeared.

In this situation, fighting a life-and-death battle with the Demon Lord would be extremely stupid no matter how you look at it.

That is what Daqin should do.

Yes, as the ancestral temple of Zen Buddhism with a history of nearly ten thousand years, it is certainly impossible that Cihang Temple only has this one method, but those methods are ultimately inferior.

If that's the case, then it doesn't have to be an option.

In a very short period of time, the old abbot had a myriad of thoughts.

Finally, he recalled what Gu Zhuo had said not long ago, about the answer to Nirvana, and made a decision.

"please."

The old abbot's robe was blown by the cold wind.

His tone was so hoarse and difficult, like blood seeping through gravel.

Gu Zhuo said no more.

The old abbot walked out of the hall.

After a moment of stiffness, the monks dispersed to both sides of the road.

A gentle breeze blew, bringing with it the scent of pine wood that drifted from somewhere, lightly caressing Gu Zhuo's sleeves that were not stained with blood.

He walked through the crowd, ignoring the confused and hateful gazes, and looked into the distance.

Pei Jinge is far away.

Across the gate formation of Cihang Temple, the two people's eyes met again.

An unknown conversation took place.

"Do you want to die?"

"Do not want to."

"If you must die at the hands of one man?"

“Death is the worst thing, no matter who dies at my hands. If there is a day when I really have to die, I hope that my death is my own fault.”

"That's a good answer. So how are you going to survive my blade?"

"In the way you expect."

This conversation ends here.

Pei Jinge didn't say anything else.

Everything that needs to be said has been said, and since the attitude is clear, there is no need to question it.

This is also the way she likes to do things.

Compared to the sticky and gooey style, this straightforward approach is more in line with her aesthetic.

She no longer looked at Gu Zhuo who was walking down the mountain path. Her skirt fluttered as she returned to the earth.

In front of Cihang Temple are deacons of the Astronomical Patrol.

Led by Qi Tong who once followed Xi Lixuan.

Pei Jinge turned around, faced the crowd, and gave him an order.

"It's all gone."

"San?"

Qi Tong was stunned for a moment and didn't react.

Pei Jinge said calmly: "You and all the outsiders, go away."

Qi Tong thought of a possibility, suddenly opened his eyes wide, and subconsciously held his breath.

He felt his lips and tongue become extremely dry, as if he was in a desert under the scorching sun, and he persuaded with difficulty: "Master, maybe we can think about this again..."

Pei Jinge's will was always firm before he could finish his words.

Qi Tong lowered his head, his breathing became heavy, thinking about what had happened in Cangzhou City.

If yesterday happened again today, no matter how broad-minded the Emperor is... the Sky Patrol Bureau would have no reason to continue to exist.

Pei Jinge knew what Qi Tong was thinking, but did not explain.

Trust can never be gained through words.

What's more, she doesn't care about these people's trust at all.

"Do you need me to repeat it again?" Pei Jinge's voice was extremely indifferent.

When Qi Tong heard this, he seemed to lose all his strength in an instant, and his body swayed slightly and he almost fell down.

But he finally straightened his back, took a few steps back, bowed seriously to Pei Jinge, and went to carry out the order.

Pei Jinge put his hands behind his back, raised his face and closed his eyes.

The sunlight covered her face, giving it a very faint glow, making her look as beautiful as a dream.

The bells in Cihang Temple are still ringing.

……

……

The country was weak and had no dignity. For nearly a thousand years, the world was ruled by the Qin Dynasty, so naturally no one cared about the history of the Southern Qi Dynasty.

When it is mentioned occasionally, it is regarded as a strange thing and made a joke.

Under such circumstances, Emperor Wu's reputation was naturally negative - the monks of Cihang Temple took this into consideration and, in order to ensure that this devout believer would not be disturbed after his death, they intentionally hid his tomb deep in the temple in an unknown place.

That is a bamboo forest diagonally behind the Tallinn.

The bamboo leaves in the forest are quite lush. In previous years, the scenery was particularly quiet and quiet after the snow, and the chill penetrated into the bone marrow.

Without anyone else following, the old abbot led Gu Zhuo into the bamboo forest alone, along the path covered with dead leaves, to the mossy grave.

There are words on the tombstone, which are the real name of Emperor Wu, but there is no information about his life.

Gu Zhuo stood in front of the tomb.

The old abbot suddenly asked, "What are you doubting about?"

Gu Zhuo said: "I doubt your guess."

The old abbot's eyes revealed complex emotions. He remained silent as he thought about the obscure records about Emperor Wu in the temple.

Gu Zhuo looked at the tombstone, silently sensing the corpse hidden under the soil, without saying a word.

The morning light has faded, and clouds are floating in the sky above Cihang Temple.

Powdery rain floated in the woods, carrying a slight chill that was not like the end of winter but more like deep autumn, and fell on Gu Zhuo's face, bringing a slight dampness.

The sky didn't get dark, but the rain just kept falling.

A thin mist spread from the forest, and everything gradually became hazy.

The old abbot suddenly said, "When the years become long, no matter how incredible and bizarre things are, they will appear, just like there are always a few people among millions of people that you cannot understand..."

Gu Zhuo interrupted him and asked, "Is Emperor Wu the reincarnation of Buddha?"

The old abbot was silent for a moment, then said, "According to the records in the Sutra Library in the temple, this possibility does exist, but it was not confirmed until Emperor Wu died." "This happened many years ago."

He said seriously: "Holding on to the past and verifying the present is like looking for a sword on a boat."

Gu Zhuo thought that what the world lacked the most were foolish people who tried to find a sword by carving a mark on the boat.

The old abbot waited.

The rain is not heavy, but the fog is getting thicker.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Zhuo withdrew his gaze, turned around and left.

The old abbot looked at his back, raised his sleeve to wipe the rain off his face, and his heart finally relaxed.

The history of Cihang Temple will not be preserved today.

That's enough.

No matter what Gu Zhuo discovered.

……

……

There was heavy rain and fog in front of the temple.

Pei Jinge doesn't hold an umbrella and doesn't watch the rain.

Her waterfall-like black hair was slightly wet and tied into strands, and tiny raindrops hung from her eyebrows, which made her look more real, no longer a practitioner sitting on the clouds.

Those who should or shouldn't have left have already left.

When Gu Zhuo returned to the temple gate and met Pei Jinge across the wide gate and rain curtain, it was hard to imagine that just an hour ago, there had been an extremely noisy and bustling scene here.

"Is there any gain?"

Pei Jinge's voice was not cold.

Just like the air at this moment, it is clearly warm and moist, but the raindrops also carry a hint of coldness that penetrates into one's heart.

This is an extremely rare type of weather. It is seen occasionally and usually disappears after two or three hours, but then remains in people’s memory for a long time.

From a certain perspective, the weather is really like the relationship between the two people, which can be described as unreasonable.

Gu Zhuo thought about the past, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "I have gained something."

Pei Jinge didn't like his smile and frowned slightly.

The raindrops suddenly shattered, followed by a cold sound.

The long sword that is most famous in the world is being unsheathed.

This process, which should have been short, now feels extremely long.

“As long as it’s worth it.”

Pei Jinge said indifferently.

Gu Zhuo said, "Do you want to listen?"

The knife is unsheathed, stained with rain.

Pei Jinge lowered his head, looked at his reflection on the bright blade, and said, "If you are willing."

Gu Zhuo simply repeated it.

From the trace of Zen thought left by the Buddha during his lifetime, to the dead man in the old grave in the bamboo forest who was actually speaking and complaining about the suffering he had endured, to the extravagant thoughts and delusions held by Zen Buddhism today.

With so many things to say, no matter how brief they are, they are still long-winded.

Pei Jinge listened carefully, and the emotions in his eyes changed accordingly, sometimes solemn, sometimes surprised.

"It's definitely worth the trip. If it were me, I would make the same decision as you."

"thank you for understanding."

Gu Zhuo said.

Pei Jinge slowly raised his head, looked at him and said, "Unfortunately, this is a question of stance."

Gu Zhuo smiled and said, "I believe that when the White Emperor hears this news, he will be extremely happy to ignore everything that happened today."

Pei Jinge said calmly: "Yes, I believe in your judgment, but what does this have to do with me? I live for myself, not for the White Emperor. I have my own code of conduct. I am unwilling to accept the decision you made today, and I don't like the things you did even more, so I am unhappy, so I will draw my sword and chop you. This is what I want to do, this is the meaning of life, and this is the meaning of cultivation."

Gu Zhuo said: "This is exactly why I am willing to stand here and have this conversation with you."

"Or maybe... all of this is fake, just excuses."

Pei Jinge was quiet for a while, then said, "The truth is, I want to fight you."

Gu Zhuo smiled, a little emotionally, and said, "So that's how it is."

Pei Jinge said softly: "It's just that it's inconvenient to go over there because your realm is really too low. And when your realm is no longer so vulnerable, I won't be able to do anything to you for many reasons."

"Looking back now..."

Her eyes became calmer and calmer: "The reason why I stood over there on Baidi Mountain was for today."

Gu Zhuo said: "Fighting with me, is this important to you?"

Pei Jinge said: "You should still remember that I told you on Mount Langya that I have someone to follow in my cultivation."

Gu Zhuo didn't think about it for too long and said, "That person is me."

"Yes."

Pei Jinge looked at him quietly and said, "My biggest regret in this life is that I was born too late and practiced cultivation too late. I was barely qualified to look at you from afar before the overall situation was settled."

"I want to practice with you in the same era, and fight with you without holding back in front of millions of people. I want to know the gap between myself and the most outstanding practitioner of this millennium."

She paused and said, "Following is real, yearning is real, and awe is even more real, but overcoming your desire is the most real."

When the voice fell, Pei Jinge's breath suddenly dropped.

In just a moment, she was no longer the celestial being sitting above the clouds, and returned to the secular world.

"I have seen the traces you left on the withered mountain. I know how you defeated Eunuch Feng. I also know that is definitely not your full realm. If you want to leave alive today, don't even think of holding back."

"But you lowered yourself."

“I’m more than proud.”

"so?"

“I am still a very generous person.”

Gu Zhuo said no more.

In the past, Pei Jinge would never have bothered to win by relying on her realm, so how could she do that today?
Moreover, now that she has entered the stage of Nirvana, no matter how much she suppresses her own realm, her soul will not decline, and she can always retain her sense of the flow of the vital energy of heaven and earth.

From this perspective, the upcoming battle between the two is particularly fair.

Gu Zhuo chose to accept and walked out of the temple.

Pei Jinge lowered his eyelids slightly.

The moment Gu Zhuo stepped over the line, she clenched her fingers.

A pale knife light suddenly rose.

Shining through thousands of raindrops.

……

……

Gu Zhuo is not an ordinary person.

Faced with the strongest blade in the world, he thought of more than ten ways to break it in an instant. Each of these ways could lead to the final victory, and he completely controlled the battle situation from beginning to end.

And the method he chose was direct.

Everything moved according to his thoughts. Countless mists surged and gathered, swirling around him and then disappeared into the mist.

However, Pei Jinge knew this very well.

Because she not only watched Gu Zhuo's battles, but also fought alongside him, and had extremely rich experience.

Most importantly, she had thought about how to defeat Gu Zhuo countless times in the past.

She can prepare for the unexpected and be fully prepared. Why can't she gain the upper hand?
The broken raindrops suddenly changed, as they were crushed by some force into an extremely thin piece, like a mirror.

then.

The knife light sank into these tens of thousands of thin mirrors, refracting countless times in an instant, constructing a pure white world.

In this pale world, every bit of white is a ray of knife light.

There is no way to dodge.

There is no place to hide.

In an instant, the thin mist was torn into pieces by the sword light, and the clouds and mist were rolled away.

Gu Zhuo's expression was slightly solemn.

After the pale blade light cut through the mist, it took time to fill the gap again, about two breaths.

However, in this brief gap, Pei Jinge had already rushed forward.

In other words, she made this choice the moment she drew her sword, without thinking that her blade would fail to cut through the mist.

The time left for Gu Zhuo passed in a flash.

Pei Jinge was so stingy that he didn't even want to keep this opportunity.

The smell of rust spread at this moment.

The sky and earth turned red, as if falling into hell.

The knife light rose again.

It’s as vivid as splashed ink.

Like blood.

Slash towards Gu Zhuo.

……

……

Zhe Xue was still with Chu Jun, and Gu Zhuo had no sword in his hand.

The blade was slashing towards him from a few steps away, carrying with it a strong smell of blood. His eyes were already solemn.

This may very well be the most dangerous battle in his life.

Gu Zhuo attacked with both hands.

He clasped his palms together and stepped forward, using the Taoist method of dispelling the cloud-trapped blade.

Pei Jinge's eyes were as indifferent as before, and he was not surprised at all.

If Gu Zhuo died from this knife, that would be something she would be surprised about.

She released her right hand without hesitation, and using the momentum of her forward movement, she raised her elbow to hit Gu Zhuo's shoulder.

At the same time, the five fingers of her left hand silently formed a knife and slashed towards Gu Zhuo from below, trying to rip him open.

The knife was about to arrive, and the two of them were naturally very close to each other at this moment.

Each other's eyes are clearly visible.

It was as close as that day on Baidi Mountain.

In front of the stone house.

Once again become them in Yu Sheng's eyes.

(End of this chapter)