It was only in Xiaoyue's words that a greater sense of pity and helplessness could be discerned. "For these past twenty years, no matter how dire our circumstances or how much the Lu family oppressed us, the people of my Azure Spirit Realm have never once considered switching faith.
The Buddhist verses descended three years ago sent our Azure Spirit Realm folk into sheer ecstasy." She then gave a bitter laugh: "But twenty years of patient waiting have yielded nothing. To the Venerable Buddhas and the Boundless Beginning Buddha, the wishes of insignificant believers like us must hardly warrant their attention.
Xiaoyue has also considered that the Buddhist sect has billions of followers; if everyone pleaded for a wish, how could the Venerable Buddhas possibly attend to them all? I truly do not know when the Boundless Beginning Buddha will truly manifest—" Upon hearing this, Jingyin instantly showed astonishment, crying out, "Master!
What are you saying?" Xiaoyue shook her head, remaining silent. Zong Shou, standing nearby, suddenly grasped the situation; it was no wonder the people of the Azure Spirit Realm so deeply resented the Lu family if only one in ten could be chosen.
He secretly shook his head again, detecting the hidden resentment in the words of Chan Master Xiaoyue. Yet, regarding the wishes of the Azure Spirit Realm's faithful, never mind that he hadn't known of them before.
Even if he had known, what concern were the pleas of people unrelated to him? Must he grant something just because others asked?
What kind of reason or logic was that? But listening to these words, Zong Shou inexplicably felt a pang of guilt.
However, to forcibly snatch the Azure Spirit Realm from the Lu family's grasp—to snatch food from a tiger's mouth—would mean his conflict with the Lu family would escalate far beyond one or two skirmishes. He violently shook his head, sweeping the distracting thoughts away.
Matters concerning his parents, the struggle for the direct lineage, and the enmity with Lu Wushuang. His entanglement with the Lu family was already troublesome enough; he truly did not wish to involve himself further.
He recalled how Zhao Yanran always said he was hard of exterior but soft of heart. He had always refused to admit it, but if that frenzied woman knew what he was thinking now, she would surely mock him mercilessly.
If Yiren knew, this righteous maiden would most likely devote all her strength to aiding the people of this realm. "Benefactor, please forgive me; it is just that Xiaoyue has lost her composure for a moment." At that moment, Chan Master Xiaoyue regained her composure, smiling softly: "Actually, I sought the Benefactor today for another matter.
Having observed the condition within the Benefactor these past few days, I have gained some insight. If my guess is correct, the Benefactor is also a blood descendant of the Sky-Burning Lu family?" With a slight clanging sound, the food box in Jingyin's hands immediately tumbled over.
She stared at Zong Shou in disbelief, her delicate hands clenched tight, silver teeth grinding together until a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her lip. It seemed utterly inconceivable to her that the person she had kindly rescued might actually be the very fiend she spoke of.
Zong Shou, however, maintained a composed demeanor, calm and self-possessed: "Precisely! I wonder what the Chan Master intends to do?
To take my life here and avenge your compatriots? Or perhaps to drive me away to fend for myself and perish?" "If this were three days ago, perhaps Xiaoyue would indeed have entertained such thoughts." Xiaoyue shook her head: "Does the Benefactor know that just a few days ago, the Lu family's Blazing Heaven Prefecture issued a decree throughout the realm, setting a bounty of ten thousand gold pieces and a hundred years of lifespan for anyone who could find a person burning with white flames?
Life or death was irrelevant. Today, their minions are swarming everywhere, searching even the most desolate and uninhabited corners of this realm.
Therefore, Xiaoyue dares to speculate that the Benefactor's situation within the Lu family is precarious. At the very least, you are certainly enemies, not friends, with the Lord of the Blazing Heaven Prefecture.
The Benefactor’s bloodline is pure, meaning your status within the Lu family must also be significant—" Zong Shou had stayed here for several days and roughly understood that the Blazing Heaven Prefecture was the administrative hub of the Sky-Burning Lu family within this realm. The Lord of the Blazing Heaven Prefecture was the supreme ruler of this realm.
He was an extremely clever person and, without waiting for Xiaoyue to finish, already understood her meaning. Direct confrontation was impossible; they must start from within.
The corner of his lips curved into a wry smile: "You are quite clever, knowing the infighting within the Lu family. However, you have overestimated the Lu family's disappointment in me.
Though I carry Lu family blood, I am an outsider. To them, I am merely a bastard of a collateral line, a stain that must be purged.
I have no intention of vying for the position of the Sky-Burning Sage Emperor. I advise the Chan Master against harboring such thoughts—" This statement held no falsehood.
As far as he knew, quite a few within the Lu family at this moment viewed Zong Shou in precisely that manner. As these words were spoken, Xiaoyue’s expression visibly shifted.
Jingyin, however, let out a breath of relief, a look of ease entering her eyes. "How can that be?" Xiaoyue managed an awkward smile, about to say something, when Zong Shou suddenly frowned, looking toward the figures on the cliff.
Startled, the two women followed his gaze, and moments later, their beautiful faces turned as white as paper. In the distance, countless plumes of dust billowed up.
A massive troop of knights thundered through the dense forest, trees snapping and birds scattering in their wake. They were, unmistakably, two thousand Sixth-Tier Dao Soldiers, charging toward the monastery.
Even upon crashing into the gates before the shrine, the prostrate worshippers did not halt. Instantly, flesh and blood splattered everywhere; several hundred people were brutally trampled into paste by this iron cavalry.
This sight caused the eyes of Xiaoyue and Jingyin, the two women atop the cliff, to widen in fury before they hastily shut their eyes, chanting "Boundless Beginning" under their breath. Zong Shou’s pupils contracted slightly, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.
It required almost no guessing to know why this army had appeared here. Strictly speaking, these people had died because of him.
Following that group of Lu family knights, a vast army of tens of thousands arrived in a steady stream from behind, scattering the tens of thousands of worshippers before the monastery gate in disarray and fragmentation. The Sixth-Tier Dao Soldiers, at least, behaved properly, halting silently outside the monastery gate upon arrival.
The other armored cavalry, however, laughed recklessly. Some even swung their whips, chasing and lashing at the faithful.
What was strange was that although the people of the Azure Spirit Realm were dodging, their expressions were numb, as if they held no regard for life or death. Sometimes they would stand stock-still in the path, making no attempt to evade, allowing the beasts of burden to trample them to death, or endure the lashes.
Zong Shou frowned immediately; this situation was quite unexpected. These people of the Azure Spirit Realm were mostly common folk, lacking any power to resist a great army.
To resist now would only be seeking death. But judging by their state, they clearly did not fear death.
If they feared death so little, why did they not fight back with all their might against these supposed 'enemies'? As he puzzled over this, he heard Xiaoyue speak beside him: "My Buddha teaches that life is like a dream, an illusion, a shadow, or an ephemeral bubble.
Life and death are merely driven by karma. Life must be a continuous line, experiencing countless reincarnations across thousands of lifetimes.
This current life is but one segment of that life line. Therefore, even when encountering suffering, there is no need for anger or hatred; one can endure and await the next life.
Furthermore, devout believers who die can enter their Pure Land of Supreme Bliss. Most of these believers have experienced bitter and tragic events, wishing only for death, yearning for the next life or entry into the legendary Western Paradise.
These people, though wicked, have conveniently had their wishes met—" Listening, Zong Shou could not help but fall into deep thought. He remembered that Buddhist scriptures did not state this.
Buddhism, apart from the concept of reincarnation, also emphasized merit, encouraging people toward goodness. How had it become so twisted in the Azure Spirit Realm?
A surge of indignation rose within him. What he disliked most about the Buddhist sect was that its followers pursued the next life, the future.
But what Zong Shou valued most was the present—seizing the day! "It is because, for us, although life is long, we cannot see even a glimmer of hope.
Living like this is not as good as simply ending it!" After saying this, Xiaoyue bowed to Zong Shou again: "Just now, Xiaoyue did harbor some ignoble thoughts. However, in my current situation, as long as I can help my compatriots in the Azure Spirit Realm escape their present plight, I am willing to try any method, no matter how extreme.
I ask the Benefactor to forgive any offense. I must attend to matters at the monastery now, so please excuse me for not being able to stay longer.
Jingyin has a special identity; her parents both died fighting the Lu family to the death. I ask the Benefactor to look after her for a while—" Before her words finished, a change occurred below.
A man in green armor rode out from the massive army. He glanced coldly at the heavily barred monastery before him, then casually flicked his sleeve.
The dilapidated wooden gate shattered with a loud crash, seemingly acting as a signal, as the armored soldiers behind him poured into the monastery like hungry wolves. In an instant, screams erupted throughout the monastery.
The female monastics inside scrambled to flee in panic. Xiaoyue dared not linger, flashing away from the scene in a burst of light.
Jingyin’s hands clenched tightly once more. Just as she was about to follow Xiaoyue out, she was forcibly pinned to the spot by a sudden, immense surge of power.
Without needing to think, she knew it was Zong Shou’s doing, and she immediately glared at him in fury. Zong Shou, however, curiously turned his head back: "Do you also yearn for the next life?" Jingyin didn't think too deeply and instinctively shook her head: "My Master taught us that for those who cultivate Buddhism, every reincarnation, every lifetime, is crucially important.
One cannot be indifferent or apathetic, and one must strive and resist. We absolutely cannot abandon everything just because we know of the next life.
All the joys and sorrows are part of cultivation and must be experienced carefully." Zong Shou’s impression of Xiaoyue changed drastically upon hearing this. These words resonated strongly with his own temperament.
"Since you do not yearn for the next life, then just watch!" As he spoke, Zong Shou's spiritual sense stretched far out, enveloping the entire monastery while carefully avoiding all spiritual perceptions. A sharp coldness flashed in his eyes, his killing intent growing dense.
He needed seven more days to break through the Spirit Realm and be free of the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Art. He truly did not wish to have his tracks discovered by Lu Wushuang at this juncture.
But if circumstances demanded it, he would have no other choice. He could not allow this entire temple, thousands of nuns, to suffer undeserved disaster because of him—to be rescued only to invite calamity upon themselves.
Compared to being hunted by Lu Wushuang, he was even less willing to feel guilt toward others. However, a moment later, Zong Shou's eyes filled with doubt.
The murderous intent that had been about to erupt gradually subsided. The soldiers below, though appearing aggressive, and with some eyes gleaming with wicked light, maintained remarkable discipline within the temple.
Whether the military regulations of the Sky-Burning Immortal Court were exceedingly strict, or if they feared some unspoken consequence, they were strictly adhering to order within the premises.