Chapter 721: Chapter 704 This is the Buddha

“Actually, seeing King Zhao here, although I felt my heart flutter and sensed our Secret Realm suddenly became a place bustling like a public restroom with people coming and going… but then again, I sighed in relief,” said Master Yuan Cheng. “That proved King Zhao is not a god or Buddha after all, and that I was witnessing these matters myself, rather than having them resolved by a horse dispatched from thousands of miles away.”

Inside the monastery, Yuan Cheng and Yuan Xing sat around with Zhao Changhe brewing tea, while Wuzhui stood happily beside Zhao Changhe, rubbing his face against his, clearly taking great pride in the responsibility of being independent in his tasks.

Yue Hongling was absent, having gone to soak in the hot springs.

The Buddha statue had been moved out of the bustling Secret Realm and remained unmoving in a seated position, which indicated that it had not truly resurrected. It had merely been activated in a special way, and after draining its energy with Destruction, it had completely turned to stone. Fortunately, the faint signs of life remaining on its body proved it hadn’t entirely died, and there might still be a chance for revival.

Hearing Yuan Cheng’s grumble, Zhao Changhe sipped his tea and smiled, “It seems Master also believes that a Buddha who knows all the matters of the world does not exist? Does this shake your faith?”

Yuan Cheng shook his head, “The Buddhist Sect has many branches and interpretations of the Buddha differ. After being destroyed by the former emperor, what’s left of our branch is quite unique.”

“Oh?” Zhao Changhe became interested, “I would like to hear more about it.”

“What we talk about is seeing one’s true nature and becoming aware, thereby becoming Buddha,” Yuan Cheng explained plainly without delving into Buddhist mysticism, “What is a Buddha? It’s just a concept. If I do what the scriptures say, I am a Buddha. If I cannot do it, or if I change later, then even if it is Shakyamuni himself or the Buddhist Law is limitless, one does not deserve the title of Buddha.”

Zhao Changhe nodded in approval, “I like this kind of Buddhism. Is that why your branch is still strong and survives, whereas other branches have nearly been wiped out?”

Yuan Cheng sighed, “Perhaps. Returning to King Zhao’s previous question, does a Buddha who knows everything in the world exist? A Buddha certainly exists, if not now, then in the future, but He may not know everything in the world. Those who know everything in the world do exist, but they may not be Buddhas; they could be King Zhao, or heroine Yue. Of course, if King Zhao and heroine Yue are indeed Buddha and Bodhisattva, that is not out of the question either.”

Zhao Changhe laughed, “The way you put it makes me feel like there’s a political suggestion.”

Yuan Cheng clapped his hands and laughed, “If King Zhao thinks it exists, then it exists.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I am not cut out to be a Buddha, a Buddha of Joy perhaps, as everyone’s understanding of Ultimate Bliss is not the same.”

Yuan Cheng was at a loss for words.

Whenever such topics veered towards matters of men and women, no matter how aligned they seemed at first, the discussion would instantly fall into silence.

Beside them, Yuan Xing couldn’t help but laugh, “So, the Maitreya Sect isn’t extinct after all, the incense burns eternally.”

Yuan Cheng also laughed at this remark, and several old monks around them joined in with laughter.

Zhao Changhe also clapped and laughed, finding this group of monks quite interesting.

He had hardly ever interacted with the Buddhist and Daoist sectors before, and he had not had much conversation with Gui Chen, Xuan Chong, or the Yuxu in this regard, and he had hardly seen Yuan Xing, so he held some prejudices against these Sects—honestly, he felt the same towards the Four Symbols Sect, always thinking their beliefs were silly. Of course, by theoretical standards now, those beliefs had become part of him, and with the Four Symbols turned into kilns, he couldn’t very well curse at them, could he? It wasn’t as if he could curse at himself.

In any case, it looked like there was no need for such prejudices. From the theories of these monks, they actually seemed much better than the Four Symbols Sect or the Blood God Sect… After all, they managed to spread so widely in both worlds, they must have their strengths.

Moreover, Yuan Cheng’s words subtly indicated their stance, “We can listen to you.” Of course, the premise was that you had to fit their definition of a Buddha. The results were yet to be discussed, but it had already hit a snag at the topic of men and women.

Besides the matter of men and women, Yuan Cheng and Yuan Xing truly felt that Zhao Changhe seemed quite the part. In fact, the matter of men and women was not significant itself—had he been part of a couple in perfect harmony, the old monks might not have thought much of it. But this chap had simply too many. Even his Sword Spirits managed to fill mountains and seas; if you say he’s a Buddha, then he’s indeed a Buddha of Joy.

Yuan Xing’s joke was meant to smooth things over and break the awkwardness. With the mood lightened up, Yuan Cheng was able to continue, “Regardless, the monastery thanks King Zhao for his great help this time.”

As for who is a Buddha and such, let’s set that aside for now, it’s not up for discussion. Once we start talking, I might have to lean towards the Maitreya Sect…

Zhao Changhe said, “I must also thank Master Yuan Xing once more, for the map back then was not only the great matchmaker for Hongling and me but even for me and San Niang… Its significance was far beyond what the master could have imagined at that time.”

Yuan Xing felt a mix of laughter and tears. A monk could act as a matchmaker but had never wanted to be one for multiple parties. Let it go.

Zhao Changhe continued, “In fact, helping you is also helping ourselves. The other side clearly aims to stir up trouble between our two families. I know about this Destruction character; it belongs to those who wish for chaos in the world and oppose a unified Divine Continent. This was quite evident before, and you all…”

He paused here, and Yuan Cheng very appropriately said, “King Zhao need not worry, we firmly support the unification of the Divine Continent and strive for the stability of all its people.”

Zhao Changhe always felt that these words had a modern ring to them and really wanted to help them find another way to express this… But on second thought, it seemed about right, and he said, “Your sect maintains faith and leads people toward goodness, which the Imperial court also appreciates. But there are a few issues here that need to be discussed and made clear to you.”

Being able to set this tone with the Imperial court’s approval was a relief… The monks all breathed a sigh of relief. The so-called Buddhist eradication decree was still hanging over their heads and had not been revoked. If Zhao Changhe had said that their sect was completely illegal, the Buddhist sect really wouldn’t have been able to confront the Imperial authority at this time and would have tragically had to go into hiding again. Over time, no one dared say whether it might not become another Maitreya Sect.

Zhao Changhe setting this tone essentially meant the decree against Buddhism was revoked, and everything else was negotiable.

Yuan Cheng then said, “Please speak, King Zhao.”

Zhao Changhe said, “First, you have been hasty, which makes it easy for others to take advantage of you. Such impatience and quarrelsome nature are essentially of the Demon, and I practice the Demon Skill, so I’m quite qualified to speak on this. Even I must ‘slow down’ in order not to let the intent of Blood Evil control me. How much more so for the Buddhist sect?”

The monks whispered in low voices, “Amitabha Buddha…”

Who says this man is at odds with Buddhism? His words were clearly in line with it.

Zhao Changhe added, “Once this intent is exploited, it becomes the root of the current difficulty. This Buddha has absorbed a Power of Faith filled with a lot of dispute and chaos, leading to a heart overflowing with anger, contrary to the essence of the wrathful King Kong. The wrathful King Kong aims to subdue demons and protect the path for the injustice of the world, not for gain or prejudice, or to stir up conflict. It also brings trouble back to Jingxiang, which had finally stabilized, adding chaos for me…”

Yuan Cheng said, “We acknowledge our faults.”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback and seeing the white-browed, white-bearded, aged monk bowing in admission of his fault, he felt disinclined to scold further and simply said, “Second, if the Buddhist sect wishes to continue spreading, certain rules must be established.”

“Please speak, King Zhao.”

“I don’t know where you got this notion of tax exemption for Buddhist properties or exemption from feudal obligations for monks. Maybe it was a practice from previous dynasties, or perhaps you need such support to thrive, but I’ll say this: no way. Building temples and preaching is fine, but taxes and feudal services must be fair for all. Otherwise, land consolidation and population loss will lead to great conflicts eventually. Your temples are grand now, and you don’t lack land, so first make up the taxes for this quarter and make up for the evaded services, which can be converted into money and grain.”

The entire assembly of monks exchanged looks, their expressions bitter.

Under normal circumstances, they might have debated the issue, but now, with a stronger situation prevailing, and with a Demon scheming against them in the shadows, the Buddha himself almost killed, and only saved by King Zhao. Putting aside the gratitude, they needed Zhao Changhe’s continued help. With no grounds for argument and heavy hearts, they could only keep their troubles to themselves.

Evading taxes feels good for a while, but when it comes time to pay back, they probably have to sell off property to cover it. Thankfully, they hadn’t been fined for late payment, otherwise, they might have to dismantle and sell even their temple beams and Buddha statues…

Zhao Changhe sighed, speaking softly, “This business with corvée labor does go against my personal values. When I was in Ba Shu, I found it very discomforting. Aside from the necessary military service, I’ll think of a way to get rid of this practice forever or find a replacement. But the precondition is that we have a stable state and a peacefully thriving environment. If you truly have the heart of Buddha, you should help me with all your might, to ward off troubles both inside and out.”

The monks stood up and bowed, whispering in low voices, “Amitabha Buddha… Who says King Zhao isn’t a Buddha? This is indeed a Buddha.”

Zhao Changhe was about to add a few more words when he suddenly felt something stirring in his heart. Turning his head, he saw Yue Hongling leaning by the doorway, staring at him intently, her beautiful eyes filled with admiration and complexity. It was unclear how long she had been watching.