At this moment, all the spotlights on the stage were on Chen Feng.
He stood proudly on the stage, holding the microphone, his eyes shining brightly, and said calmly to You Laoxiansheng, “The ultimate meaning of performance, as I understand it, is these four words: ‘Fiction Becomes Reality.’”
“Only by comprehending these four words and achieving them can I return to my original simplicity.”
“To achieve these four words, one needs enlightenment.”
“One must understand what ‘resonance’ truly is.”
“You Laoshi, this is my understanding.”
“But if you want me to specifically explain what resonance is, what enlightenment is, or what returning to original simplicity is, I might not be able to articulate it.”
“It’s purely a feeling.”
“That’s it, I’m done.”
Chen Feng put down the microphone.
The scene instantly erupted in thunderous applause.
Everyone was listening with their blood boiling.
But upon closer thought, did Chen Feng say anything substantial?
It seemed like he said nothing at all.
This was the art of language.
You Laoxiansheng nodded with a smile, “I really like the phrase ‘Fiction Becomes Reality.’ Because I also have a bit of personal experience with such insights.
However, such insights are difficult to express.”
“Chen Feng, how about this?”
“I’ll give you an impromptu topic, and you can try to gain some insight.”
“The topic is a monk.”
“I hope you can, right here, gain insight into how to interpret a monk, how to interpret a high monk, and how to achieve enlightenment in such a role.”
“Let me see if your insights are the same as mine.”
“Can you do it?”
As soon as You Laoxiansheng finished speaking, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.
Another impromptu test.
Previously, every impromptu test given to Chen Feng allowed him to shine brightly and gain a large number of fans.
Could he continue the myth this time?
On the live broadcast platform:
“Interpreting a monk? Isn’t that simple? Just put on a wig and recite a few ‘O-mi-to-fo’s, and you’re done, right?”
“Is You Laoxiansheng implying something?”
“After he played Ji Gong, did he truly gain some enlightenment?”
“It’s possible. The ghost master, Master Lin, refused to see anyone a month before his death, and after he died, butterflies circled his coffin, which was said to be very eerie. It’s said that he played too many Heavenly Masters and had already entered the Tao.”
“That sounds a bit mystical.”
“It’s chilling, isn’t it? How will Chen Feng interpret a monk? He can’t just shave his head on the spot, can he?”
“No need to shave. Ji Gong didn’t shave either. He even drank wine and ate meat. ‘Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart,’ you know.”
“Let’s see Chen Feng.”
...
On the stage, facing the challenge posed by You Laoxiansheng, Chen Feng readily accepted.
“You Laoshi, I can try.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the system’s prompt sounded in his mind.
“Ding, the host’s target role ‘High Monk’ has been detected. Congratulations to the host for becoming a true Buddhist and Taoist High Monk.”
“Congratulations to the host for comprehending the true meaning of ‘Universal Salvation.’”
As he embodied the role of the High Monk, Chen Feng’s expression changed.
It became gentle.
His eyes were calm and clear.
Chen Feng immediately sat cross-legged, put his palms together, and loudly said, “Amitabha, Good, good, good.”
On the judging panel, Feng laoshi suddenly smiled.
He picked up the microphone, looked at Chen Feng, and said with a smile, “Chen Feng, you recite a Buddhist chant and put your palms together, and that makes you a monk? I can do that too.”
“No, Feng laoshi cannot.”
Chen Feng smiled faintly and shook his head.
“Why can’t I?”
Feng laoshi walked to the side with interest, sat directly on an empty seat next to him, put his palms together, and said with a smile, “Can’t I do this too?”
Chen Feng shook his head and said gently, “Feng laoshi is merely imitating. Without Buddha in the heart, only an empty shell remains.”
“Haha, aren’t you also imitating?”
Han laoshi, from the other side, couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Chen Feng, You Laoshi asked you to interpret a monk, at the very least you should shave your head, right?”
“Bald head?”
Chen Feng touched his hair and smiled freely, “What is hair? Does this humble monk have hair? Who told you this humble monk’s hair is hair?”
Han laoshi laughed, “If that’s not hair, is it a brush?”
“Perhaps.”
Chen Feng said calmly, “Those who leave home for monastic life are empty of the four great elements; the physical body is merely an external thing. Han laoshi can call it hair, or he can call it a brush; to this humble monk, there is fundamentally no difference.”
Han laoshi: “…”
Chen Feng laughed loudly, “When the sun sets and the incense fades, a bit of the mundane heart is removed; with no fire in the stove, the horse is left aside.”
Han laoshi: “…”
He was utterly bewildered.
What did that mean?
Feng laoshi was also at a loss.
On the live broadcast platform, netizens were in an uproar.
“Holy cow, no way. Chen Feng is so full of Zen meaning as soon as he opens his mouth? It’s giving me goosebumps.”
“I bow down. Suddenly I feel like Chen Feng is a mystery I can’t decipher.”
“He’s so awesome, these Zen sayings just come out of his mouth?”
“...What kind of knowledge base do you all have? You’re blowing so much hot air, you’ve never heard this? Isn’t this just a riddle? ‘When the sun sets and the incense fades, a bit of the mundane heart is removed’ is ‘bald’ (bald), and ‘with no fire in the stove, the horse is left aside’ is ‘donkey’ (donkey). Put them together, and it’s ‘bald donkey’ (bald donkey).”
“Damn, the guy upstairs is a genius.”
“Yes, it’s just a riddle. The answer is ‘bald donkey.’ The key is, what does Chen Feng mean by saying this? Is he mocking monks?”
“No, he’s just using this riddle to show that he’s on the same level as Ji Gong, playing in the human world with laughter and curses.”
“Over-interpretation.”
“There are so many talented people online.”
...
At the live broadcast site, everyone was confused, bewildered by Chen Feng’s words.
Only You Laoxiansheng looked serious, gazing at Chen Feng and suddenly asking, “Chen Feng, I have a question for you.”
“You Laoshi, please ask.”
You Laoxiansheng looked at Chen Feng earnestly: “Those who leave home must observe precepts and abstain from killing. So I ask you, if you eat an egg, does it count as killing?”
As soon as this question was posed, the entire venue fell silent.
No one expected that You Laoxiansheng, as a guest, would test Chen Feng with such a question.
Does eating an egg count as killing?
You could say yes, or you could say no.
Why say that?
An egg is a fertilized ovum, the earliest form of life. If you eat an egg, you naturally extinguish the life of Xiao Ji, which counts as killing.
However, from another perspective, an egg has no blood, no flesh, no soul, no physical appearance; it is not inherently a living thing.
So eating it does not count as killing.
This is a philosophical question.
Would a monk consider such a question?
Most monks would not.
What about Chen Feng?
Chen Feng, who was sitting on the stage, was seen to be silent for a moment, then he turned his head and waved to the host: “Please, host, bring me a boiled egg.”
Host: “…”
What is he doing?
It’s a national live broadcast, and you want a boiled egg?
That’s enough, isn’t it?
At least so far, Chen Feng’s performance has been the most perfect; there’s really no need to make more trouble.
Just as the host hesitated, You Laoxiansheng from the judging panel spoke: “Please, host, get him an egg.”
The host looked back at the chief director behind the scenes with a mournful expression.
The chief director nodded.
Alright!
Get the egg then.
Fortunately, there was a lounge behind the studio, which had all kinds of food.
Eggs, being common, were certainly available.
So, in less than five minutes, the host placed a boiled egg into Chen Feng’s hand.
As he left, the host moved the microphone away and whispered very quietly, “Time’s almost up.”
Chen Feng smiled slightly.
After the host left, Chen Feng held the egg, gently peeled off the shell, then swallowed the peeled egg whole in one gulp, and it went down with a gurgle.
This scene made everyone unconsciously swallow their saliva.
It felt like it would choke them.
On the judging panel, You Laoxiansheng looked confused, his face full of bewilderment.
What exactly was he trying to do?
Just as everyone was puzzled, Chen Feng suddenly closed his eyes, put his palms together, and laughed loudly, “Chaos and the universe are wrapped in one shell, with neither skin nor bone, neither feather nor hair. This humble monk will take you to the Western Heaven, to spare you a knife in the human world.”
When he said these words, he did not hold a microphone.
His hands were also in the prayer position.
Yet his voice was unusually loud, as if it echoed throughout the entire studio.
Everyone felt as if the sound originated right beside their ears, causing their scalps to tingle with fright.
Suddenly, Chen Feng’s body trembled slightly.
After a slight movement in his lower abdomen, he abruptly covered his mouth with both hands, then opened his mouth to spit, and instantly, a Xiao Ji emerged from his mouth.
The Xiao Ji looked as if it had just hatched; its feathers hadn’t fully fluffed up yet, and it stood trembling in his palm, emitting ‘chirping’ sounds.
At that instant, You Laoxiansheng’s entire body shook violently.
And everyone in the entire studio gasped in surprise.