Chapter 281: Torment Of Inner Demons

Yan Qianli’s expression twitched as he struggled to find words to describe this feeling.

From a philosophical perspective of Buddhist teachings, the old monk’s words were indeed profound.

But in reality, the Bodhi Wisdom Tree in their temple was a treasure of the Heavenly realm. If they dug it up to give to him and planted another, would that second one also become a heavenly treasure?

Could they start wholesaling treasures like that?

Yan Qianli remained silent, watching the monks around Abbot Great Compassion leave the hall, waiting to see if they would actually go and dig up the tree. If they didn’t, how would the old monk explain it? And if they did dig it up, wouldn’t there be objections from so many senior monks gathered in the hall?

Would they all achieve enlightenment?

If they were being this adorable, then he might as well forget about the Bodhi Wisdom Tree and just ask for the Fire Lotus Platform; it was of a lower grade anyway.

Abbot Great Compassion seemed to know what Yan Qianli was thinking. He casually lit a stick of sandalwood incense, murmured Buddhist chants, and said, “Amitabha. Master Yan, please wait. They’ll need some time to dig up the tree.”

Yan Qianli: “…”

He couldn’t hold back and asked, “Are you really giving it to me for free? No other conditions?”

Abbot Great Compassion smiled and replied, “Master Yan’s intention to seek Buddha is the best exchange. If one day Master Yan attains enlightenment, what’s a mere tree to our temple?”

Yan Qianli felt like this was too good to be true. Could the old baldy have some ulterior motive behind this? Or perhaps he simply recognized that Heavenly Dao was with him and was trying to impress him?

He deliberately asked, “Are you trying to convert me to buddhism?”

“Master Yan possesses Buddha-nature, and Buddha guides those who have affinity. It’s neither for me to convert, nor is it something I can convert,” Abbot Great Compassion replied calmly while offering a palm-up salute and holding a rosary in one hand. He continued in a low voice, “If Master Yan has some free time, would you like to listen to a sutra?”

Yan Qianli said, “Spare me the act. Isn’t converting people to buddhism the greatest merit you can earn?”

“Amitabha,” Abbot Great Compassion nodded and said, “Guiding beings to attain Buddhahood is indeed a great merit. Whether it’s the ‘greatest’ is subjective.”

“Isn’t someone who dies already ascending to enlightenment or ‘buddhism’? If I kill people, aren’t I also accumulating immeasurable merit by helping them ascend? Is this why you’re saying I have Buddha-nature? Hahaha… the unity of Buddha and demon, the unity of Buddha and demon! I understand!”

Chu Ge: “…”

Qiu Wuji: “…”

Even we want to punch you, being in cahoots with this guy is really not easy. On the other hand, Qianqian makes a pretty good troublemaker; just hearing him makes you want to roll up your sleeves and give him a good beating. Bet he’d do well in internet forums in the future.

The surrounding old monks opened their eyes, each showing signs of anger.

Indeed, this big demon is here to cause trouble. How can he have Buddha-nature?!

But Abbot Great Compassion’s expression remained unchanged, responding calmly, “Without liberation, one will only fall into the sea of suffering after death. How can there be enlightenment?”

Yan Qianli rubbed his chin, “I understand now. Monks like you, great and virtuous, with clear minds and insight, attain liberation freely and naturally, returning to true enlightenment or bliss after death. If I were to kill you, would that not also achieve a great merit, since you are already so enlightened?”

Abbot Great Compassion: “?”

The old monks nearby couldn’t hold back anymore, “Abbot, why are you bothering with this irredeemable demon? Why not just ask him if he stole the ‘Great Bliss Pure Land Sutra’ directly!”

Chu Ge: “…”

Qiu Wuji: “…”

Yan Qianli burst into laughter, “So you were suspecting me of being a thief, trying to indirectly accuse me.”

Abbot Great Compassion waved his hand, “I never suspected Your Excellency of such deeds. After all, it’s widely known that Your Excellency has no interest in women, and such dual cultivation techniques are beneath you. Moreover, the demonic path has many techniques for gathering essence, and I’ve heard that Master Yan also practiced them in his earlier years. Even if you were to resume such practices, you wouldn’t be interested in these slow and symbiotic methods.”

Yan Qianli laughed, “You monks even have this stuff in your temple, yet you dare to shout and scream about it. If I go out and spread the word, you’ll all lose face.”

Abbot Great Compassion shook his head, “The Pure Land sutra is also a branch of Buddhism. It disappeared many years ago and merged into the demonic path, adopting different practices. Although our temple opposes this path, as the ancestral home of Buddhism, we must preserve various scriptures, including so-called heretical teachings. Even if outsiders were to know, there’s no shame in it.”

Yan Qianli was briefly stunned and decided not to argue further.

Arguing incessantly with someone who remained unfazed was like striking the air; he felt powerless.

However, Abbot Great Compassion decided to address the previous topic, “If Master Yan were to kill me, I might have been able to reach the ultimate enlightenment, but that wouldn’t be your merit; it would be mine. On the contrary, you would become entangled in karma and unable to attain liberation.”

Yan Qianli sneered, “I’ve killed so many people. Who are you to say I can’t attain liberation?”

Abbot Great Compassion smiled faintly, “Because I am giving something to you, and it’s already waiting outside.”

Yan Qianli turned to look, and two monks were carrying a jade tree to the entrance. They both bowed and said, “Abbot, the tree has arrived.”

Abbot Great Compassion nodded, “Very well, you may go and rest.”

The monks bowed and left.

Yan Qianli stared in amazement at the jade tree at the entrance, feeling the profound meaning of the Dao and the unmatched aura emanating from it. There was no need for further verification; he couldn’t deceive anyone. This was undoubtedly the treasured Bodhi Wisdom Tree of the Hongfa Temple, said to be a branch of the tree from the heavenly realm, containing countless Buddhist teachings and serving as the foundation of the temple.

And now, they had dug it up and placed it in front of the hall, with fresh soil still clinging to its roots.

Yan Qianli was left half-open-mouthed, his gaze sweeping over the senior monks in the hall. Finally, he saw quite a few of them with displeased expressions, though they were forcibly suppressing their emotions.

Is this Abbot Great Compassion suppressing the dissatisfaction within the temple and giving away the foundation of his temple to a big demon who came to the mountain gate at night?

Yan Qianli, who was full of mischief and troublemaking intentions, was completely dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say.

Abbot Great Compassion slowly said, “If Your Excellency were to break in and kill me to take the tree, you might find it quite straightforward, and it might even become a boast-worthy achievement. But if I willingly give it to you, and you still want to kill me, looking back for thousands of years, wouldn’t you have doubts in your heart? This is the torment of inner demons, entangling one for countless lifetimes, preventing liberation and causing eternal suffering.”

Yan Qianli’s heart skipped a beat.

Is he talking about my plan to resurrect my master?

The gazes of Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji also became somewhat sharp.

This old monk… has some insight.

Yan Qianli took a deep breath and said indifferently, “I don’t know if you’ve lost your mind or misunderstood something… You give the tree today and the demonic path will claim the temple tomorrow. Don’t you understand people’s heart?”

Abbot Great Compassion smiled, “Your Excellency knows that’s not what this is about.”

He then asked, “What does Your Excellency really want?”

“Fire Lotus Platform.”

Abbot Great Compassion nodded, “Your Excellency also knows that I can’t give you the tree today and the temple tomorrow, so if you want the Fire Lotus Platform, it’s possible. What are you willing to exchange for it?”

Yan Qianli thought to himself, If you had said this earlier, I would have found it more normal. What was all that nonsense before? He asked, “What do you want?”

Abbot Great Compassion smiled slightly, “Give me the Bodhi Wisdom Tree you just obtained in exchange.”

Yan Qianli: “???”

Abbot Great Compassion looked around and smiled warmly, “See, the expressions on the faces of the monks have improved, and they are all happy. Your Excellency’s request is also satisfied. Isn’t everyone delighted?”

Yan Qianli stared blankly at the old monks around him who had strange expressions. He knew his own expression was even stranger.

Everyone was confused by this old monk.

“So… what do you want for yourself?” Yan Qianli absolutely couldn’t believe that such a thing could happen. He became even more vigilant, “Just say it, don’t beat around the bush with me.”

“The Lotus Platform is flesh, Your Excellency is the eagle, just as the Buddha feeds the eagle, so can I,” Abbot Great Compassion explained calmly, “Do you understand the difference between this and what Your Excellency mentioned earlier?”

Yan Qianli solemnly asked, “I don’t know. Please explain.”

“Your Excellency wants the lotus platform to save lives, not to take lives,” Abbot Great Compassion counted his prayer beads, softly chanting a mantra, “Buddha feeds the eagle, it’s for the sake of sentient beings’ lives, and I do the same. In fact, with this thought, I might save tens of thousands of lives. This is called ‘deliverance.'”

Yan Qianli felt a chill run down his spine, “Why do you know that I want to save someone?”

Abbot Great Compassion’s gaze finally fell on Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji, and he smiled slightly, “I said it in my very first sentence… Your Excellency came to the door, and it’s like seeing Prajna. It’s a great virtue of heaven, and I’m overjoyed. Whether it’s a heavenly tree or an earthly lotus, they are born of the heavens, not my possessions. It would be a source of shame to not let you borrow these heavenly items to save people.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om