Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 19 Preaching, Different Paths
Back mountain.

"Master Ruoxu? You..."

The white-robed monk remained seated nonchalantly on the riverbank rock.

Only by the moonlight could one see that Ruoxu's face was somewhat translucent.

The once constant, dazzling golden light now seemed somewhat dim, even appearing precarious.

"It's nothing, it was just a sneak attack by evil spirits."

"I'll settle the score later."

Ruoxu maintained the demeanor of a high monk at this moment.

"Later? Are you going again?"

Xu Xuan was surprised. Are all monks this ruthless?

"It's natural."

Ruoxu's tone was matter-of-fact.

Originally, it was the reappearance of the White Lotus Holy Mother in the world that attracted the attention of many powerful forces.

Many unsuspecting little demons and monsters took the opportunity to cause trouble.

Although the righteous path is declining while the demonic path is rising, the righteous sects still have to barely maintain the balance of the world.

As a special successor of the Pure Land School, Ruoxu naturally had an obligation to take action.

Unfortunately, they were very unlucky and encountered a large fish.

Since the cause and effect have been established, it is natural to send the other party to the Pure Land for a visit; this is the Buddha's principle.

"Logically speaking, this humble monk usually resides in the Pure Land, is not involved in karma, and has the merit of suppressing evil. I don't know why I would encounter a human tribulation."

"This White Lotus Holy Mother is indeed quite skilled, managing to make the world's calamity as fierce as boiling oil. It seems that great chaos is imminent."

Xu Xuan felt inexplicably guilty.

Regardless of what the White Lotus Holy Mother is like, could this cause and effect be a way to lure me into the path?

Suddenly, my desire to join the Pure Land School faded somewhat.

Although the path to spiritual practice is hard to find, there will always be opportunities in the future.

The idea that I didn't kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me is truly cruel if you were in that situation.

Xu Xuan did not consider himself a saint; he had greed and delusions, and all the seven emotions and six desires that a person should have.

But that doesn’t stop him from wanting to be a good person, or rather, a good demon.

Furthermore, Ruoxu was a good monk and should not have suffered any more calamities.

Having figured all this out, I felt a sense of relief. The desire to obtain the Pure Land teachings that had been lingering in my heart vanished without a trace, like ice melting away.

Then his tone changed.

"Then why has the master returned at this moment?"

"I'll take some things and then explain to you the methods of cultivation after you enter the Tao."

“Master, I am really not suited to join the Pure Land School.”

Ruoxu looked at Xu Xuan with a smile.

“Benefactor Xu, do you feel burdened by karma and do not wish to cause trouble for this humble monk?”

"Master, you have telepathy?!"

Xu Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. Could it be that Bai Lian from Pure Land Town would appear in the next second?

"The ability to read minds is something that Buddhist disciples who practice hand gestures or meditation may accidentally realize. As far as I know, no one in the Buddhist community has grasped this supernatural power at this time."

"Moreover, it's not that miraculous. Most cultivators can control their thoughts, and those with strong spiritual power can also block supernatural perception."

"In historical records, it is only of some use to see into the hearts of ordinary people."

“True Buddhist masters do not need this method; they emphasize mind-to-mind transmission. The Buddha, who views the three thousand worlds as clearly as the lines on the palm of his hand, has no need for this method.”

Ruoxu recounted these inner workings of Buddhism in a serene and unhurried manner, his tone as clear and bright as a gentle breeze and a bright moon.

"How did you figure that out?"

"When you first arrived, your lively mood was obvious without needing to be read. But after I spoke of your tribulations, you immediately became depressed, and then your emotions were as empty as the moon entering your embrace. It's clear that you've let go."

Xu Xuan suddenly realized that he had indeed lost his sense of caution after entering the Dao.

It's perfectly fine to display one's divine abilities in front of students, but in the world of spiritual practitioners, one must still practice self-discipline.

"Then the master should know that he is truly unworthy of the title of junior brother."

Ruoxu clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name, his eyes filled with admiration.

The extraordinary phenomena that led Xu Xuan to the path of enlightenment were merely the catalyst that brought him to the path, but a Buddha-nature is a rare thing in this world. "More than ten years ago, I had an epiphany due to a tribulation of love and stepped outside the gate, where I was taken in by the previous Pure Land sect leader who was about to pass away."

"My state of mind back then was exactly the same as yours now."

Xu Xuan thought to himself that it was only natural for a monk to encounter a love tribulation.

But I'm a 23-year-old instructor at the academy and I still don't have a partner. In this day and age, I'd be considered an old man. How am I any different from him?
"It's not like a love tribulation."

Ruoxu was speechless, realizing at a glance what his junior brother was thinking.

"The true Dharma of Buddhism can directly lead to the attainment of heavenly status and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, which is what hundreds of millions of sentient beings in the world yearn for."

"It is precisely because you have just let go that you are the best successor of Buddhism."

Xu Xuan could only...?
"Neither increase nor decrease, neither purity nor defilement, is emptiness."

what?
"Compassion is the Bodhi mind, the Buddha mind was formed long ago."

what?
"No, Master, I truly have a great karmic connection to this."

Xu Xuan sensed that something was wrong; it seemed that the master's primordial spirit had been injured by the demons of the Northern Border.

"That's right, but which cultivator is without karma? Whether it's Buddhism, Taoism, or evil spirits, all cultivators form karmic connections with heaven and earth."

Even after hundreds of thousands of eons, the deeds one has done will not perish. When the conditions come together, one will reap the consequences.

To avoid accumulating negative karma is not to fear karma.

Moreover, since you entered the Dao before my eyes during this time of decline and rise of demons, this is a virtuous act of cause and effect.

As Ruoxu spoke, golden light began to emanate from his body, as if he had suddenly realized something, and scriptures kept appearing in the void.

In the midst of illusion, a pure land appeared and then disappeared behind the academy.

A moment later, the golden light receded, the monk's spiritual power stabilized, and his complexion and vitality returned to normal.

"You see, this is a case of good causes leading to good results."

This statement is well-reasoned and there is no way to refute it.

Xu Xuan was speechless for a moment, and could only bite the bullet and say something.

"What if... what if my actions in the future contradict Buddhist teachings and I betray the Pure Land School?"

After pondering for a moment, Ruoxu asked.

"But our paths are different?"

"We have different paths."

"Then let's discuss the principles."

"Discussing the Dao?"

Xu Xuan was puzzled. "I've already become a White Lotus Demon, what Dao can I possibly discuss?"

“Indeed, senior brother, I have already established my Pure Land. I will suppress you for five hundred years first, and we can naturally distinguish who is superior by discussing Buddhism and Taoism every day.”

I understand. When your senior brother has the bigger fist, you have to listen to him.

This monk, this Buddhist community, this state of mind.

"Hahahahahaha."

Xu Xuan felt an urge to laugh for no reason, so he did.

There is no longer any resistance to joining the Pure Land School.

This is what it means to be a true practitioner. On the path of cultivation, there is no distinction between high and low; the one with the greatest strength wins.

So he bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

Late at night, in the ancestral temple of Donglin.

Clang~~~~~Clang~~~~~Clang~~~~~
In the Ancestral Hall, thousands of lamps spontaneously lit up in front of the Eastern Dharma Protector Bodhisattva, their golden light illuminating the vast expanse of space.

The old monk guarding the mountain, sitting idly in front of the hall, understood that this was an unusual phenomenon indicating that a Pure Land Buddhist with a deep affinity for Buddhism had re-entered the Buddhist path.

I wonder who received it while traveling; they are truly blessed.

This good news at a time when the Tao is declining and the demons are rising is truly exhilarating. We await its return to its ancestral home and its spread throughout the world.

Hopefully, this can make up for the loss of fortune caused by the White Lotus's betrayal of the sect.

Thinking of this, his cloudy eyes seemed to see a scene from three hundred years ago, the Buddhist disciple who broke the principles of the Pure Land School.

"That child...why bother?"

(End of this chapter)