Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 477 Collapse of Faith
"Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

Fahai looked at the figure on the cloud, a figure he had worshipped countless times, and murmured in disbelief.

Although the Bodhisattva's words sounded incredible to him, his heart was certain that the person before him was the real Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Beside this great master is Niu Guangyi, the current head of the Three Sovereigns Ancestral Masters Association.

Fahai regained his senses, immediately knelt down, and clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Disciple pays respects to the Bodhisattva."

Upon seeing this, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing on the opposite side also immediately knelt down and respectfully bowed.

"Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing pay their respects to Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Niu Yi watched this scene with a smile. Fahai was really persistent, and he also found it troublesome, so he simply called the Bodhisattva over and pointed out the matter.

The Bodhisattva looked down at Fahai and nodded slightly, saying:
“Fahai, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing are snake demons who cultivate on Mount Emei. Although they are demons, they are wholeheartedly good. Therefore, I enlightened her to come here to repay the kindness of the past and help her become an immortal.”

Fahai trembled and knelt on the ground, burying his head so that his face could not be seen. Only a trembling voice could be heard.

"Yes"

Guanyin Bodhisattva turned her head and looked at Niu Yi beside her.

"Fellow Daoist, I'll have to trouble you with the rest of the matters."

"Please rest assured, Bodhisattva."

Upon seeing this, the Bodhisattva slowly disappeared above the clouds, leaving only Niu Yi behind.

She had come here at Niu Yi's invitation, and she was well aware of his purpose. For a stubborn person like Fahai, the simplest way to change him was to start with his beliefs.

Since his faith, his bodhisattva, believes that there are benevolent demons in the world, and the snake demon in front of him has even gained the bodhisattva's favor and been helped to become an immortal, then his long-held beliefs will collapse as they have today.

Niu Yi looked down at Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, who had stood up, and then at Fahai, who was still kneeling there like a stone statue.

Even with his spiritual seal sealing him, Fahai's Buddhist power was beginning to collapse, clearly indicating that he had lost his composure. If it weren't for the spiritual seal, the rampaging spiritual power would have caused Fahai to go into a demonic state.

The direct denial of one's own beliefs by one's own faith is something that could easily cause Fahai's mental breakdown, but Niu Yi still did it.

In his view, it would be too difficult to subtly influence Fahai's stubborn mind. Rather than trying to get this crooked tree back on track, it would be better to break it down and let it take root and sprout anew.

Whether he can recover depends on Fahai himself.

Niu Yi glanced down one last time before disappearing in an instant. Apart from the few people in front of them, no one else noticed what had just happened.

When Xiaoqing and Bai Suzhen saw Niu Yi disappear, they were still somewhat surprised by how the Bodhisattva had addressed him. However, the fluctuations of magical power emanating from in front of them drew their attention back to him.

"Sister, what's wrong with him?"

Bai Suzhen looked at Fahai in front of her and shook her head slightly.

"Let him have some peace and quiet."

As Bai Suzhen spoke, she pulled Xiaoqing away from the place, leaving Fahai kneeling on the ground, motionless for a long time.

Perhaps Fahai never expected that he would encounter such a thing on his very first day at the Patriarch's Assembly. Fahai remained kneeling for three days, without eating or drinking a drop of water, which drew much discussion from the surrounding disciples.

"Taoist Master, are we just going to leave Fahai kneeling there like this and do nothing? I think he's on the verge of a mental breakdown."

On the pavilion, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing stood beside Niu Yi, looking down at the kneeling monk in the courtyard below.

Although Bai Suzhen now knows that the monk Fahai of Jinshan Temple hates demons, her kind heart still makes her feel some pity for Fahai.

The lines of cause and effect in Niu Yi's eyes gradually faded. He glanced at Bai Suzhen beside him and shook his head, saying:
"There's no need to pay too much attention to him. Fahai's life has not been smooth sailing. If he were to fall so easily, he wouldn't have become the abbot of Jinshan Temple at such a young age."

In Jinshan Temple, the monks who were doing their prayers suddenly noticed something. They turned around and saw a golden beam of Buddhist light shooting into the sky and disappearing without a trace.
On the other hand, in Fahai's eyes, he seemed to have returned to the village that was scorched by fire all those years ago.

The only difference is that the village now is not filled with the rat demons of yesteryear, but with the monsters he has eliminated over the years.

At this moment, an old man as thick as a ginseng root glared angrily at Fahai and roared:
"Fahai!!! I have cultivated myself all my life! I have never harmed anyone, and I even sacrificed my own roots to save the lives of an entire village! But you, without distinguishing right from wrong, have ruined my cultivation and prevented me from becoming an immortal!"

Beside the ginseng spirit, a fish spirit also said resentfully:
"Fahai, you call yourself a monk! My whole family was captured by that fisherman, and all I wanted to do was rescue them, but you accused me of harming people and turned me back into a fish! You wicked man, do you even deserve to be called a Buddha!"

"Fahai! Do you still remember me? Back then..."

"Fahai!!!"

Fahai watched as the ferocious-looking demons approached him, and he retreated step by step. He knew that these were his inner demons.

"No, I'm not!!"

Fahai retreated step by step, his eyes filled with panic. He no longer acted as forcefully as before, directly eliminating the monsters in front of him and firmly believing that he had done nothing wrong. Instead, he genuinely felt a trace of doubt and guilt towards these monsters.

A crack appeared in his mind amidst this doubt and guilt, and this crack was constantly expanding, growing larger and larger.
If this continues, Fahai will eventually be devoured by the demonic entity formed from his inner demons, and become completely possessed by evil.

"Alas, you foolish child."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Fahai was suddenly stunned. Even though he hadn't heard the voice for over ten years, he still clearly remembered who the voice belonged to.

"Master! Master!!"

As Fahai called out, a golden light suddenly fell into the burning village, enveloping Fahai.

"Alas, this is also my fault as your master. Perhaps I shouldn't have let you hate these monsters for my own selfish desires, which led to what happened today."

"Fahai, my proudest disciple, you must remember what the great vow you made before me was."

Fahai, enveloped in golden light, stared blankly at the Buddhist golden light that had protected him from a group of demons.

Just then, a cry suddenly reached Fahai's ears.

"Doctor!! Doctor!! Please help me, my mother is dying!"

Fahai suddenly stood up and looked around. At that moment, he seemed to have returned to Jinshan Temple, standing in front of his master, his eyes filled with tears.

“Master, you asked me why I practice Buddhism.”

"I cultivate myself to protect people! So that I will no longer be able to watch people die in pain and despair!"

(End of this chapter)