Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage-Chapter 45 - Its Harder to Change Oneself than to

Hui Ming responded, “The devout girl truly is considerate and filial.”

Ye Qingxuan pressed her palms together in a salute and smiled, “You flatter me. I still have matters to attend to today. Let’s meet another day to discuss Buddhist scriptures.”

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Hui Ming waved his hand with a smile and said, “No need to see you out.”

After Ye Qingxuan had left, another senior monk emerged from the inner hall and patted Hui Ming on the shoulder.

Hui Ming came back to his senses and quickly chanted in his heart, “My transgressions, my transgressions!”

This senior monk named Hui Xin saw the state of his junior brother Hui Ming and asked, “Has the junior brother been moved by emotion?”

Hui Ming hurriedly replied, “My transgressions!”

But Hui Xin smiled and said, “The desire for beauty is inherent in everyone. There’s nothing peculiar about it, the only thing is to maintain control over one’s Buddhist heart. That maiden is indeed as beautiful as a celestial being…”

Hui Ming quickly raised his hand to stop Hui Xin from continuing and said, “Senior brother, please say no more. I understand everything and will surely discard the six desires to wholeheartedly practice Buddhism. The abbot said I am the one with the greatest potential for enlightenment; how can I betray the Buddha Ancestor over worldly affections?”

Hui Xin joined his palms together and said, “Amitabha Buddha, if the junior brother has such thoughts, it is truly comforting to the senior brother!”

After exchanging a few words with Hui Xin, monk Hui Ming retreated to one side and resumed his meditation and chanting with closed eyes.

Yet every time Hui Ming chanted, he could always hear the girl’s voice. Her voice echoed just that short segment of True Words, piercing his heart, making it difficult for him to remain calm. How could Hui Ming understand that the emotions between a man and a woman, unless one attains Buddhahood, can’t even be stopped by the Buddha Ancestor himself?

Days passed, one after the other, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by. Hui Ming’s heart gradually calmed down; every day he chanted Buddha’s name and read scriptures, and he helped the locals by performing rites for the dead. He was so busy that he began to forget about the woman named Ye Qingxuan.

On the eighth day of the month, Hui Ming sat amidst the smoke, quietly chanting scriptures, as if he were ascending to immortality and becoming a Buddha.

Ye Qingxuan walked into the hall step by step. At this moment, her stunning face bore a layer of sorrow and pain.

“Benefactor Ye,” Hui Ming, blessed with a heart of wisdom, opened his eyes and called out softly.

“Master Hui Ming,” Ye Qingxuan greeted Hui Ming with a bow.

Seeing Ye Qingxuan’s haggard appearance, Hui Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart and asked, “It’s been a month since we last met, why does Benefactor Ye look so exhausted?”

Ye Qingxuan brought her hands together, tears streaming from her eyes, she said, “My mother passed away this morning. I have come to pray to Buddha and to also request Master Hui Ming to help deliver my mother’s soul.”

Hui Ming was taken aback; finding no comforting words to say, he simply brought his hands together and repeated “Amitabha Buddha” several times before stopping.

After greeting his fellow monk, Hui Ming followed Ye Qingxuan to her mansion. As a child of a wealthy family, her residence was grandly decorated, belonging to the local merchant, Ye Yun. At this moment, the mansion was filled with grief and wails, enveloped in an oppressive atmosphere.

Ye Qingxuan, holding back her tears, walked to her mother’s spirit tablet and murmured, “Mother, your daughter has brought a high monk to deliver your soul.”

Hui Ming brought his hands together, chanted a Buddha’s name, then took a meditation cushion passed to him by Ye Qingxuan, sat down cross-legged, took out a wooden fish and other magical artifacts, lighted some incense and ritual paper, and began to chant scriptures.

“In the beginning blue skies, amid the vast, pale landscapes, all souls were delivered by Yuan Shi Tian Zun, the supreme beings of immeasurable virtue. Lord of Primordial Beginning would thus speak of this Sutra. Circling ten times to summon beings from all ten directions, the true Deity of Heaven, the sanctified Heavenly Lord, the Extermination Immortal of wonderful conduct, with countless followers, rode the clouds here. Riding through cloudbanks and celestial realms, with chariots of jade and wheels of crystal, feathered canopies casting shade. The essence of radiant jade light shone with five vibrant colors, illuminating the void of space. For seven days and nights. All celestial beings, the sun and the moon, Star Gods in their orbits, Halting their wheels, Divine Wind stood still, mountains and seas concealed clouds, the heavens clear of all obstructions, all elements bright and transparent. The land of one nation—mountains, rivers, forests, and woods—all evened to one level, no high nor low. The ground became of lustrous jade, devoid of any differing hue…”

As Hui Ming began chanting, he realized the text he was reciting was not Buddhist Scriptures but the “Sutra for Delivering People” by the Jade Pure Lord of Primordial Beginning. He was startled, unable to remember why he had forgotten the Buddhist rites for deliverance. Fortunately, the members of the Ye Family, engulfed in their grief and mostly unversed in Buddhism, failed to notice the discrepancy, but Ye Qingxuan, who listened intently, knew clearly that these were not Buddhist scriptures!

Hui Ming felt puzzled; he had never learned this scripture before and did not know how the “Sutra for Delivering People” arose in his heart, nor did he know who created it. He sighed silently to himself and continued, “By observing long fasts in the first month and reciting this Sutra, for souls departed in past ages, servants to the earthly realms ascend to the Southern Palace. Observing long fasts in the seventh month and reciting this Sutra, one attains the state of Deity, and all deities inscribe one’s name in registers of yellow and white, shaving off death and ascending to higher life. Observing long fasts in the tenth month and reciting this Sutra, for kings and emperors, lords and subjects, fathers and sons, securing peace for the nation, ensuring perpetual Heaven’s favor, unceasing through generations, always to be sovereigns, securing peace in their domains, the people proclaiming an era of tranquility. On the eight festivals, reciting this Sutra, one becomes a true person of the Nine Heavens. On one’s birthdate, reciting this Sutra, the soul and spirit are clear and correct, eternal energies endure. Without suffering hardship, the body is radiant. Protected by the Three Realms, the Five Heavenly Lords welcome, myriad deities pay homage, names inscribed in heaven’s annals, with merit and virtue complete, ascending to the Upper Purity…”

Sitting on the cushion, Hui Ming’s words bloomed like lotus flowers, and suddenly auspicious signs arose, with ethereal, lucky creatures running about, leaving the surrounding Ye Family members open-mouthed and astonished, exclaiming “Great Master.”

Hui Ming continued the chanting for a day and a night, his voice growing louder and louder, eventually penetrating the heavens. More and more people came to listen to the meaning of the scriptures, gathering in ever-increasing numbers; within a single day, everyone in the city had come to listen, including government officials… even Buddhist monks arrived. All listeners swayed their heads and closed their eyes to focus on his voice.

Ye Qingxuan, too, was entranced, her eyes becoming ever clearer, her sorrow receding gradually.

But at that moment, a faint Buddha’s Light flashed across the sky, striking Hui Ming’s forehead.

“Pfft!”

Hui Ming spat out blood, collapsing to the ground, his eyes lifeless and his soul seeming almost ready to leave his body.

“Who is chanting the scriptures?” This voice was profound and majestic, like that of a deity.

Descending from the heavens was none other than a Buddha.

And this Buddha was Tathagata Buddha Ancestor—Amitabha!

This Buddha, only Ye Qingxuan could see; no one else could.

Ye Qingxuan exclaimed in shock, “Why would you injure Hui Ming!”

As the reading of the scriptures came to a halt, all those listening awoke, and a great many of them turned transparent out of thin air, bowed towards the corpse of Hui Ming, and vanished without a trace, as if entering into reincarnation.

Tathagata’s figure appeared for a moment and then vanished without a trace, while Hui Ming lay in a coma.

The Ye Family summoned doctors, but the many doctors could only sigh and say, “Beyond our healing powers!”

“Powerless to save…”

“I am helpless…”

Ye Qingxuan’s eyes filled with tears as she asked, “What happened?”

No one could answer her.

Hui Ming was dead.

Ye Qingxuan, listless, stirred the scripture rollers that contained the Buddhist Scriptures all month, her mouth reciting the Buddhist Sect’s Sutra for Delivering People. In her dreams, she also saw Hui Ming meditating and chanting scriptures in the hall every day. As she looked towards the Western Direction, a light suddenly burst forth in her eyes… She wanted to go to Spiritual Mountain, to seek Buddha.

“Father… I want to go to Spiritual Mountain,” Ye Qingxuan suddenly made up her mind and told her father.

“Why?” asked Ye Yun.

“Hui Ming died because of me; he did so to deliver our mother’s spirit… I want to go ask Buddha,” answered Ye Qingxuan.

Knowing his daughter’s stubbornness, Ye Yun said, “Then go, go! Shall I prepare a carriage for you?”

Ye Qingxuan shook her head, “To seek Buddha requires a sincere heart, I will walk there step by step.”

Ye Yun was startled and said, “This…”

But Ye Qingxuan just raised the Treasured Sword in her hand, “I have this sword to protect me; no one can hurt me. Father, don’t worry, your daughter will be fine.”

Ye Yun could only sigh heavily and said, “Leave early and return soon!”

Ye Qingxuan gave Ye Yun three kowtows, packed her belongings, took the Treasured Sword in her hand, and set out towards the Western Spiritual Mountain.

After his daughter left, Ye Yun gave a faint smile, twisted his fingers to form Dharma Decree, and whispered softly, “Boundless, without calamity.”

After saying this, he transformed into a sharp sword, soared into the heavens, this sword named—Extermination Immortal.

To reach Spiritual Mountain, one must travel a hundred and eight thousand miles, with countless dangers along the way.

Ye Qingxuan bowed every ten steps, her heart steadfastly devoted to Buddha; no one could stop her. She was determined to understand why Tathagata Buddha had hurt Hui Ming. Ever since she first laid eyes on Hui Ming, she had felt an inexplicable sensation in her heart, like affection, but not quite; not love, yet seemingly love…

Finally, after twelve years, she reached the foot of Spiritual Mountain.

Crawling and kowtowing, she hoped to meet Buddha Ancestor, but the guardian monks blocked her way.

“If every time someone dies in the Mortal World, someone comes asking Buddha Ancestor for help, how could Buddha Ancestor possibly be able to handle all that?”

“He was killed by Buddha Ancestor…”

“You, this female devotee, really make no sense; Buddha Ancestor is merciful and compassionate, how could he kill anyone!”

“I…”

Obstructed, Ye Qingxuan could only prostrate herself at the foot of Spiritual Mountain, pressing her forehead to the ground, and wait in silence.

Days passed, feeling like a hundred years, or perhaps a thousand; she had grown old…

“In this lifetime, I have spun all scripture rollers for you, read sutras, traveled a hundred and eight thousand miles just in the hope of seeing you once more.”

“This lifetime, I have awakened, I understand now, I am Xuan Ming, but Hui Ming, who are you?” she raised her head, her face weathered and wrinkled, her hair turned white, hands joined in prayer, laughing, “Buddha? Where is there any Buddha? God, Buddha, Deity, they are but self-proclaimed, after all; in the end, they are just people with slightly greater abilities.”

An Immortal Sword fell into her hands; the sword named Slaying Immortal. Her hair quickly turned to black, as dark as ink.

Unsheathe the sword.

The guardian monk was shocked and before he could retreat, Xuan Ming cut him down with one stroke, his killing aura shuddering into ashes of calamity. Xuan Ming wondered to herself, “How could Tong Tian Sect Master’s Slaying Immortal Sword be here?”

Saying this, she continued her assault up Spiritual Mountain, and all the guardian monks who tried to stop her were shocked and turned into ashes of calamity by her sword.

“Hm? How come the Buddha of the Western Heaven is so weak?” thought Xuan Ming as she attacked Mahavira Hall.

Upon Mahavira Hall only sat the Buddha Tathagata. Xuan Ming was filled with astonishment, yet she was a person of decisive actions, unafraid; the Buddha appeared soulless, merely like a statue. Xuan Ming struck with her sword, and after only slight resistance, he too turned into ashes of calamity.

Having slain Tathagata, Xuan Ming had no time to ponder, only feeling dizzy and the world around her darkening.

“Who am I? And you, the woman who chanted scriptures for me, who traveled a hundred and eight thousand miles through hardship—who are you?”

“Boundless… without calamity.”

A voice came through, the wheel of reincarnation was pushed forward, time was warped, and fate drifted aimlessly…