Chapter 39

As the ascetic monk saw Mr. Le's behavior, it seemed that Mr. Le should know the origin of the jade pendant. Just as Mr. Le was about to reveal the truth, unexpectedly, he slowly poured a cup of wine, calmed down, and after a long pause, said, "Great Monk, do you know my cultivation?"

Mr. Le did not talk about the origin of the jade pendant, leaving the ascetic monk momentarily unsure of his meaning. He clasped his hands together respectfully and said, "Mr. Le's cultivation is not something a poor monk can presume to speak about." He had received guidance from Mr. Le and held him in high regard.

Mr. Le seemed not to really want an answer and continued, "I once mentioned to you that the cultivation of the Sun and Moon Hut is outside the Buddhist and Taoist paths, but I never explained to you what path I cultivate. There are countless paths of cultivation, like a thousand roads in the world, but ultimately, all methods converge to one, which is transcendence. The cultivation of Buddhism and Taoism aims at becoming a Buddha or an immortal. For a human to become a Buddha is the destination of Buddhism; for a human to become an immortal is the path of immortality.

The subtlety of immortals and Buddhas does not lie in the secrets of the heavenly way but in various forms of liberation. The path of asceticism you cultivate comes from the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, specifically the truth of suffering. The Buddha said, 'There are eight sufferings in life: birth, aging, illness, death, meeting with what one hates, separation from what one loves, not getting what one desires, and the burning of the five aggregates.' Since the Buddha sees so much suffering in life, why seek more suffering in suffering? Therefore, deliberately seeking suffering is not the way of Buddhism; liberation from suffering is the way of Buddhism. There are many methods in Buddhism, but the fundamental principle is the liberation from all suffering.

The Daoist school originally had the Xuan School as its head, which evolved into the Heaven and Earth Schools, and from these, the Wind, Thunder, Mountain, Fire, Great Yin, True Yang, Wuji, and Chongxu Schools emerged, making up the eleven schools of the Daoist path in the cultivation world. Their origins align with the heavenly numbers, as cultivators deeply understand the mysteries of the heavens and see the transformations and interactions of all methods, seeking the path of transcendence. Therefore, to be free and unbound is to be an immortal, independent of all things, with a vast array of methods, capable of standing on equal footing with Buddhism."

"Liberation from suffering is the way of Buddhism; independence from things is the way of immortality." The ascetic monk, after some thought, found Mr. Le's words concise and to the point, directly addressing the root, with a few words revealing the essence of Buddhist and Taoist cultivation, giving a sense of clarity and satisfaction.

Although the cultivators in the cultivation world have various supernatural abilities and countless methods of cultivation, tracing their origins, they either come from the Daoist school or the Buddhist school. However, the Daoist school aims at ascending to immortality, while the Buddhist school aims at Nirvana. But Mr. Le said his cultivation is outside the Buddhist and Taoist paths. Could it be that cultivators, besides ascending to immortality or achieving Nirvana, have other attainments?

The ascetic monk's curiosity grew even more. Mr. Le continued, "Becoming a Buddha or an immortal is not what I choose. What I choose is to remain human, my cultivation is in the human world..."

Upon hearing this, the ascetic monk's face showed great shock, and he exclaimed, "So, Mr. Le is a descendant of the Holy School?"

This time, Mr. Le was slightly surprised. He tilted his head and smiled, asking, "How did you know, Great Monk?"

The ascetic monk did not answer but first stood up and bowed to Mr. Le before sitting down again. Mr. Le did not avoid the bow but accepted it calmly.

The ascetic monk said, "When Mr. Le said you remain human, I boldly guessed. I apologize if it was presumptuous. I never imagined that Mr. Le is a descendant of the Holy School, and that the Holy School still has a descendant in the world!"

Mr. Le chuckled, "What's so surprising? The cultivation world thinks the Holy School has no descendants, but they just don't know. Moreover, my intention in being frank was to tell you this. But before I could explain, you guessed it, which makes me curious. How did you guess that I am a descendant of the Holy School?"

The ascetic monk bowed again, "To be honest, Mr. Le, I guessed based on what I heard. I spoke rashly, but I didn't expect to be right. When the Holy School appeared, it left a stunning reputation but no descendants, and few people even saw its true form. If it were announced that the savior who defeated ten great demons, killed six, and sealed four, was not the venerable Tanhua and Xuanyao, many would not believe it.

Given the status of the two venerables, no one would doubt their deeds. But many speculated that the Holy School's victory was due to the two venerables' secret assistance, as it would be hard to imagine one person defeating the ten great demons of the ancient eight tribes and the two great demons of heaven and earth. However, in the Buddhist school, there is a saying left by the venerable Tanhua, known only to the elders, which I used to guess."

Hearing the name Tanhua, Mr. Le suddenly sighed, did not ask what the saying was, but stood up, stood tall on the peak, and looked into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

The ascetic monk, seeing the direction he was looking, which was toward the Buddhist Mountain's Punishment Tower, stopped speaking, clasped his hands together, and waited for Mr. Le's reaction.

"The Buddhist school is vast, and Tanhua had the courage to change the world. After the Holy School planted the fence, although the great demons and spirits could not enter the human world, they still gathered and caused chaos, even joining the major sects and corrupting the disciples, disrupting the cultivation world. To rectify the Buddhist school, uphold the right path, and prevent evil, Tanhua dared to wield the sword. Based on the 'precepts, concentration, and wisdom' of Buddhism, he established the Punishment Tower, transforming the intangible precepts into a tangible sword, punishing those who broke the precepts and the evil spirits, with swift and decisive action, setting a new standard that still stands today. Only those with great cultivation, wisdom, and courage could do this. I have always admired him!"

As Mr. Le spoke, he kept his eyes on the distance, as if he could see the Punishment Tower, and the three 'greats' he used clearly showed his deep admiration for Tanhua.

The ascetic monk also greatly admired this venerable elder of the Buddhist school and said, "In the Buddhist school, the venerable Tanhua is praised as 'the Great Hero,' known as the Great Hero Venerable."

Mr. Le smiled, his laughter full of meaning, "The Great Hero? Possessing great power is being a Great Hero. When the two schools of Buddhism and Taoism were influenced by the demonic winds, many disciples acted abnormally, almost causing turmoil in the cultivation world. But the venerable Tanhua and Xuanyao took different approaches. Xuanyao chose to retreat and seal the Three Mountains of the Dao Sea, avoiding the chaos; Tanhua, however, advanced against the current, contrary to the detached mindset of Buddhist cultivation, truly a unique figure in the Buddhist school.

It is said that there was much criticism within the Buddhist school at the time. But when faced with this great disaster, the venerable Tanhua did not avoid it but faced it head-on, acting decisively, truly a Great Hero. However, great achievements often come with great destruction. As I understand, later, among the Buddhist monks, the venerable Tanhua, the seventh-generation World Venerable, had another title, which was not so flattering."

The ascetic monk, upon hearing this, looked uncomfortable, reluctant to discuss the other title of the venerable Tanhua, but Mr. Le's mention made him feel awkward.

Mr. Le, seeing everything, said calmly, "A man of action seeks a clear conscience. The venerable Tanhua must have known that his actions would be criticized. Even Xuanyao, though he chose to retreat, who knows what considerations he had, but he was still criticized. But these two are great achievers in the cultivation world, both adhering to their principles, how could they care about what others say?

The venerable Tanhua's actions, in the eyes of many in the Buddhist school, were contrary to purity and often involved killing, so many privately did not recognize the seventh-generation World Venerable as the Great Hero Venerable, but called him the 'Karma Washer Venerable,' is that right?"

The term 'Karma Washer' in the Buddhist school actually means killing, but it is different from ordinary killing. If the killed are deserving, in the Buddhist school, it is called cutting off sin. Therefore, the Karma Washer Venerable is essentially the Killing Venerable. The Buddhist school considers killing a great sin, and calling the venerable Tanhua the Karma Washer Venerable is clearly a sarcastic term. However, given the venerable Tanhua's status in the Buddhist school and the strict rules, even if people discussed it in private, they would not openly call him the Killing Venerable.

The ascetic monk, not expecting Mr. Le to have such an understanding of the Buddhist school, including these secrets, was deeply impressed and even more convinced of Mr. Le's identity as a descendant of the Holy School, but also had many questions, and said solemnly, "Indeed, but the title 'Karma Washer Venerable' is a secret in the Buddhist school and not often discussed. May I ask, Mr. Le, how did you know?"

Mr. Le waved his hand, and with the movement, a breeze stirred, and he smiled, "This is not widely known in the cultivation world, but it is not entirely secret in the Buddhist school. Do not ask further. You mentioned the venerable Tanhua, a worthy figure to admire. Since it is a saying left by the venerable Tanhua, it must be profound. What did he say?"

The ascetic monk clasped his hands together, looked up at the sky, and gazed into the distant horizon, saying slowly, "The venerable Tanhua's words were an evaluation, specifically of the predecessor of the Holy School."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Le's expression became more solemn. Although he was a descendant of the Holy School and knew much about it, given the venerable Tanhua's status, his words were highly anticipated. He focused and listened intently.

The ascetic monk said, "The venerable Tanhua once said, 'Outside Buddhism and Taoism, their cultivation has no specific direction, grounded in the human world, and can stand on equal footing with Buddhism and Taoism, known as the Three Teachings.'"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Le's expression changed solemnly!

Since ancient times, there has been the saying that Buddhism is like a mountain and Taoism is like the sea, with the grandeur of the mountain and the depth of the sea symbolizing the two major schools of cultivation, showing their profound and superior nature. The venerable Tanhua's words clearly placed the Holy School's cultivation on par with the Buddha and the Dao. If someone else said this, it would be laughed at and dismissed as the words of a madman. But since these words came from the seventh-generation World Venerable of the Buddhist school, they had to be taken seriously and carefully considered.

After a long pause, Mr. Le sighed, "Alas, there is no more Tanhua in the world! Great Monk, did you guess that I am a descendant of the Holy School from this saying?"

The ascetic monk, seeing the admiration in Mr. Le's eyes, was deeply moved. He had practiced asceticism, with a strong will and perseverance, and thus had a deep resonance with the resolute and brave Tanhua, whom he greatly admired. Therefore, he paid close attention to all the words and deeds of the seventh-generation World Venerable, even entering the 'Three Treasures Pavilion' of the Buddhist school to read books and notes about Tanhua. Hearing Mr. Le's sigh, he was also moved.

To Mr. Le's question, the ascetic monk replied, "No, when Mr. Le said your cultivation is in the human world, the first thought that came to my mind was not the venerable Tanhua's words, but a saying by my teacher, the current head of the Punishment Tower, Master Yunye, who taught me the Vajra power. He once said, 'Cultivation that does not seek to become a Buddha or an immortal but remains in the human world and achieves great success is the tradition of the Holy School.'"

Mr. Le said, "Yunye? Is he the Yunye Elder known as the Vajra God in the Buddhist school? It is said that your Vajra power was created by him, and when perfected, it is called the Indestructible Vajra Body, comparable to the Daoist Purple Gold Jade Body. Truly a genius of the age. I imagine his words were also a reflection on the venerable Tanhua's words?"

Unexpectedly, Mr. Le was also very familiar with his teacher, but the ascetic monk, already knowing Mr. Le was a descendant of the Holy School, was not surprised, and said, "Yes, as Mr. Le guessed, it was during a conversation with my teacher about the venerable Tanhua's words that he said this. At the time, I guessed that the Holy School must have a descendant, but when I pressed him, he seemed hesitant and did not speak further."

Mr. Le's expression showed a hint of surprise. The Vajra God, a high-ranking and respected figure in the Buddhist school, should not know about the Holy School's descendant, but he did not mention this to the ascetic monk. He repeated "Yunye" a few times, then "Tanhua," and "Holy School" several times, seemingly deep in thought.

The ascetic monk, though unsure why Mr. Le suddenly revealed his identity as a descendant of the Holy School, thought that if Mr. Le did not trust him greatly, he would not have told him. Feeling moved, he also wondered about Mr. Le's intentions. Suddenly, he remembered something and blurted