Lin Wujing bowed his head slightly and said, “Buddha Lord, he’s defiant. Even under the torture of the ten-directional Karmic Fire, his skin and flesh have already festered, yet he still refuses to divulge anything. He stayed at Heavenly Gate Pass for quite some time and also had a close relationship with the Fist Saint of the Li Family. I suspect he may have handed the item over to the Li Family.”
“The Li Family…”
The Buddha Lord’s eyes seemed to emit golden moons, like the collapsing of stars into a river, brilliant yet profound:
“If the Li Family has obtained the Saint Relic, they would not perform the soul-scorching ancestral rites in their first attack on Qingzhou.”
Lin Wujing’s eyes flickered as he said, “Is it possible that they regard the item as a treasure beyond those of their ancestral Heroic Spirits? After all, it was left behind by a Saint. Glimpsing even a fraction of it could lead to enlightenment…”
“Had it not been for that youth, Li Qianfeng would have studied under me for a decade and could have descended the mountain to seize the True Dragon throne, spreading the incense fire of our Buddhist Order throughout the great state guarded by the Li Family Town, and converting all living beings.”
The Buddha Lord sighed lightly and said, “But everything was disrupted by the rise of the Demon Star. When Li Junye perished, a star fell and the Demon Star rose to the heavens—this is the calamity of our Dayu Divine Dynasty…”
Lin Wujing’s gaze grew intense and after a moment of silence, he said, “If the Saint Relic is not with the Li Family, it is most likely at Heavenly Gate Pass. However, after the Demon Star’s incarnation dissipated, I investigated Heavenly Gate Pass and did not find the relic, unless it lies with that Demon Star itself.”
“Thieves consorting with Demons, the glory of the Divine General Mansion fading, demons lurking all around—in the face of this impending calamity, retrieving the Saint Relic will allow our Buddhist Order to come forth from seclusion to save all living beings,” the Buddha Lord declared.
Lin Wujing nodded slightly, “I’ll go enlighten him again.”
After bidding farewell to the Buddha Lord, Lin Wujing left the Spirit Realm of the Buddha Lord and headed towards a secret location in the mountains.
Behind Mount Wuliang, a winding path extended into a cave dwelling, where dim light filtered through. Following the damp stone slabs straight down, one could hear the sound of dripping water penetrating the stone.
Upon reaching the deepest part, there was a dungeon with the clinking of chains, and the air was oppressively hot.
There, in a rock pool resembling molten lava, was a figure in tattered clothes, his hands bound in shackles, legs similarly wrapped in chains with a heavy black iron ball attached to the end.
The muscles of his legs were torn and fissured by the chains, as were his arms, and his hair hung disheveled.
In the magma pool below, red serpentine figures swam back and forth, with spurts of scorching lava occasionally splashing onto his body, searing the flesh to emit white steam and pits.
Upon seeing Lin Wujing approach, enveloped in Buddhist light, the largest Red Flood Dragon in the magma pool clambered out, its scales glistening as it uttered in a woman’s voice:
“Salutations, Bodhisattva.”
It lay prostrate before Lin Wujing, its voice delicate and mellifluous.
Lin Wujing looked indifferent and gazed toward the chained figure enduring the scorching, saying:
“Still not willing to confess? Even the ten-directional Karmic Fire cannot redeem you, do you understand the gravity of your sins?”
The chains shifted slightly, and the disheveled figure lifted his head, revealing a pair of bright and mocking eyes:
“Don’t waste your efforts, you’ll never get that item!”
“The Buddha Lord has promised that if you return it, you may join our Mount Wuliang, convert to Buddhism, and he will personally cleanse your misfortunes!”
Lin Wujing said icily, “You’re a lone wanderer, having committed various foolish deeds in your youth. It’s not too late to realize your errors now. With the Buddha Lord intervening, even the Emperor would grant some face and absolve your past sins. Renouncing the world and entering monastic life, you’ll no longer be among the secular!”
“Ha ha…” Your adventure continues at empire
“If I wanted to be an official, why would I have waited until now? If I wanted to be a general, I would have already become a First Rank lord!”
The figure in chains laughed loudly, “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Wealth and rank are like passing clouds, fortune and glory but dust?’ You monks pretend to be so upright every day, but isn’t it all for a bit of incense money? You say your Buddhist Order does not compete, yet you fiercely vie for incense offerings.”
“You claim your Buddhist Order enlightens the world, but if there was no incense money, who would spare a thought for your intentions?”
“You build Golden Bodies for the Buddha, yet leave corpses exposed in the streets, pah!”
Hearing his insult, Lin Wujing gave a cold laugh, “The Buddhist Order enlightens all living beings, that is the Tao! The suffering you speak of is nothing more than them being entangled in their own Karmic Fire, seeking out their own sufferings. It’s the calamity written in their fate. I don’t blame you for not understanding the barriers and illusions, but now you have the chance to transcend the sea of suffering, and yet you do not cherish it. How are you different from those common fools?”
“I am a common fool; why should there be a difference?”
The figure in chains sneered, “Your sermons may deceive those with wavering hearts, but there’s no need to flaunt them before me. Each of us understands this world in our own way. If I was still deluded by you, I would have lived in vain!”
Lin Wujing’s expression chilled, “A mere thief boasts of seeing through the world’s illusions, how laughable. If you did not desire rank or wealth, why go about stealing?”
“Flaunting your lonely pride while committing theft, choosing the most despicable path among thousands, how is this not delusion? What is it if not falling into the path of demons?!”
The figure in chains burst into hearty laughter, “I delight in stealing, I revel in plundering, so what? This world has always been like this; some succeed and become Emperors, while those who fail are deemed bandits and outlaws.”
“I wish to live my life as I please, and if you see me as a thief, so be it, I regard you all as prostitutes!”
“Let the world judge right from wrong; what do I have to fear?!”