Chapter 9

Dharma Kong privately told Dharma Ning,

The disciples of Bright Moon Hermitage are not ordinary women.

Especially Ning Zhenzhen, who practices the most profound Wisdom Enlightenment of Bright Moon Hermitage and has already achieved success.

Her mind is like the moon, reflecting all things, unaffected by the heart, and she will never fall in love with a man.

No matter how much you like her, it is destined to be a futile joy.

Dharma Ning, however, frankly said that his affection for Senior Sister Ning was not a private love, but simply a pure admiration for her, finding her so beautiful that it broke his heart and made him dare not have any disrespectful thoughts, feeling content just to look from afar.

Dharma Kong said no more.

Persuasion was useless.

When he himself liked a woman, his friends tried hard to dissuade him, but he paid no attention. After a few more attempts, he even became resentful and suspected that his friends also liked her.

This is human nature.

The two walked around the lake and then returned to their respective residences. Dharma Kong went to the small courtyard of Wisdom Nan in Prajna Temple, and Dharma Ning returned to his master's place.

Inside the wooden house of Lotus Snow, under the soft lamplight, the two women's faces were as beautiful as lotus blossoms, their beauty captivating.

Lotus Snow scolded, "Zhenzhen, don't be so stubborn. Why offend Dharma Kong?"

"Aunt, what can't I offend him about?" Ning Zhenzhen pouted.

"He has done us a great favor. This is not the attitude to have towards a benefactor."

Ning Zhenzhen didn't want to argue with Lotus Snow: "Aunt, how is your injury?"

Gratitude is gratitude, and she would find a way to repay it, but there was no need to greet him with a smile.

"It's getting better," Lotus Snow smiled, sighing, "The Spring Revival Spell is indeed wondrous."

Ning Zhenzhen asked, "How long will it take?"

"This can't be rushed," Lotus Snow said, "My injury is severe, and it will take a year or two."

"So long?" Ning Zhenzhen frowned.

Lotus Snow laughed.

Ning Zhenzhen said sheepishly, "As long as you can be cured, it doesn't matter if it takes a bit longer... I'm just anxious."

Ever since she entered Bright Moon Hermitage, Lotus Snow had taken care of her, like a teacher, a sister, and a mother. She wished she could take Lotus Snow's suffering upon herself, and seeing even a slight improvement made her hope for a quick recovery.

"Zhenzhen, seriously, you should be more polite to Dharma Kong. The Spring Revival Spell is wondrous, and you might need his help to heal in the future."

"Ask him?" Ning Zhenzhen laughed lightly.

She had asked him to heal the Yin Treasure Tree and to heal Lotus Snow, but neither was for herself.

If she were seriously injured, she would never ask him!

Lotus Snow shook her head helplessly.

---

The next morning, the sky was overcast, as if it were about to snow.

When Dharma Kong returned to the Medicine Valley from Prajna Temple, Ning Zhenzhen directly bid him farewell.

Under Lotus Snow's watchful eye, she smiled brightly, her white clothes making her smile even more radiant and her beauty even more captivating.

Dharma Ning happened to come from his residence, seeing that she hadn't eaten breakfast and hurriedly tried to persuade her to stay for a meal.

Ning Zhenzhen smiled and shook her head, then left gracefully.

"Dharma Kong, what exactly is the conflict between you and Zhenzhen?" Lotus Snow couldn't help but ask Dharma Kong.

The three were sitting at a pine-wood table by the lake, eating breakfast.

The gloomy weather made the valley even clearer, with a deeper green.

A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of the lake, lightly brushing their faces.

When Dharma Ning heard this, his eyes widened, and he looked at Dharma Kong with a puzzled expression, a bun in his mouth.

He really hadn't noticed any tension between them.

On the contrary, he thought their relationship was quite good, both smiling, and even bitterly suspected that there was a hidden affection between them.

Dharma Kong laughed, "There's no real conflict, perhaps just a clash of personalities."

Lotus Snow felt a bit of a headache.

She understood that some people just hit it off, while others just don't get along, no matter how they try.

"Is Zhenzhen not beautiful?"

"Beautiful, but too clever."

"What's wrong with being clever?"

"Hasn't Senior Sister Ning achieved Wisdom Enlightenment?" Dharma Kong laughed, "Facing someone who can see right through your thoughts, wouldn't you feel uneasy, Aunt Lotus Snow?"

Lotus Snow chuckled and shook her head.

It was just that both were exceptionally intelligent, and two clever people together could indeed be troublesome.

---

After breakfast, Lotus Snow continued to plant flowers on the cliff.

She wanted to cover the valley's stone walls with flowers, so that wherever you looked, you would see swaying blossoms, a sight of unparalleled beauty.

Some flowers were delicate and hard to transplant, so Dharma Kong used the Spring Revival Spell.

In just a week or so, Lotus Snow had already planted flowers on the top ten meters of the cliff, gradually expanding downward.

Dharma Ning was busy mixing mud and soil, preparing the flower beds, and enjoying himself.

As they were busy, the handsome young monk Dharma En quietly approached the base of the cliff, came to Dharma Kong, and clasped his hands, saying, "Brother Dharma Kong, the Patriarch has summoned you."

Dharma Kong took his eyes off the flowers on the cliff: "Am I going to be scolded?"

"No, no," Dharma En laughed, shaking his head, "Brother, we need to hurry."

Dharma Kong didn't ask more.

It wouldn't help to ask. Even if he were to be scolded, he still had to go, and there were other matters to attend to.

He followed Dharma En directly to the pagoda forest behind Vajra Temple.

The pagoda forest spread out like a forest, extending to the snowy peaks in the distance.

In front of the pagoda forest was a three-story dharma platform, built of bluestone, ancient and weathered.

On the top level stood six old monks, dignified and solemn, their presence awe-inspiring.

They all had white beards and eyebrows, their expressions serious.

A bodhisattva bed was placed in the center of the dharma platform, on which sat a venerable old monk in meditation.

The old monk seemed to be in deep meditation, but Dharma Kong knew at a glance that his life force was gone.

Wisdom Nan slowly descended the steps, stood in front of Dharma Kong with his hands behind his back, and said coolly, "With a beauty by your side, has your heart been moved?"

Dharma Kong clasped his hands, "My heart is like an ancient well."

"Lying through your teeth!" Wisdom Nan snorted, "Red powder, red powder, it sounds good, but how many can truly achieve it? We old men can't, let alone you, a young man in the prime of life!"

Dharma Kong smiled but said nothing.

Wisdom Nan said, "You may not care, but don't harm Dharma Ning!"

"If the Patriarch doesn't trust me, do you not trust Aunt Lotus Snow?"

"That's true," Wisdom Nan nodded, "Bright Moon Hermitage... Try your Great Brightness Spell and see if you can help Brother Wisdom Wen."

Dharma Kong looked at the remaining five old monks.

Wisdom Nan said, "They are all from Prajna Temple... You need to show your skills, otherwise, where will you get your freedom?"

Dharma Kong had kept a beautiful woman in the Medicine Valley.

Although the woman was a talented disciple of Bright Moon Hermitage, and the Medicine Valley was Dharma Kong's territory, Dharma Kong was still a disciple of Vajra Temple.

Many of the old monks disapproved and gossiped to Wisdom Nan.

If Dharma Kong could demonstrate the true power of the Great Brightness Spell, he could silence those old men.

"Yes," Dharma Kong heard the unspoken meaning.

Whether in his past life or in this world, the strong were respected. In his past life, strength was power and money; in this life, it was martial arts.

His martial arts were weak, and his talent was poor, so his future was bleak, and he was a failure.

Being skilled in herbs alone was not enough.

"Ha ha..." A plump old monk descended the dharma platform, came to Dharma Kong, and smiled kindly, "Young man, your Patriarch has praised you highly."

Dharma Kong clasped his hands, "Venerable Wisdom Kong."

Wisdom Kong smiled and returned the gesture, "A young woman staying with you for a long time, what kind of propriety is that... Don't forget your identity, no matter how poor your talent, you are still a disciple of Vajra Temple!"

At the end, his smile disappeared, and he became serious and stern.

Dharma Kong remained calm and silent.

He felt a small mountain pressing down on him.

This Wisdom Kong should have reached the third rank, or even the second, a master in the Divine Essence Realm, capable of using mental power.

Unfortunately, this mental power was ineffective against him.

The image of the Medicine Buddha in his mind flashed, dispelling the pressure.

"Hmm?" Wisdom Kong frowned.

"Venerable Wisdom Kong, I understand," Dharma Kong said calmly.

Since he had agreed and received the gift, he had to cure her, not send her back halfway.

His OCD would keep him from sleeping well.

"Brother, what a show of power!" Wisdom Nan snorted, "If you want to keep a Bright Moon Hermitage disciple by your side, you need the ability! She asked Dharma Kong to heal her because his Buddhist spells are wondrous!... What, are the rules of Vajra Temple stricter than life itself?"

"Ha ha... Wondrous?" Wisdom Kong laughed, shaking his head.

"You can't use it, but that doesn't mean others can't!" Wisdom Nan said smugly, "Don't be narrow-minded, let your mind be clouded by delusions!"

"Wisdom Nan, don't let Dharma Kong follow in his master's footsteps," Wisdom Kong said with a smile.

Wisdom Nan shouted, "Nonsense!"

Wisdom Kong laughed, "Brother, I know you feel guilty about Yuanzhi and have transferred that guilt to this young man, so you dote on him even more, but even doting has its limits. Too much doting can harm him!"

Wisdom Nan immediately flew into a rage, his white eyebrows, which usually hung down, suddenly rising and floating to his temples.

This was a sore spot for him.

Dharma Kong shook his head inwardly.

It seemed the Patriarch had indeed shielded him from a lot of pressure.

Was it because his master's martial arts were revoked due to a woman?

The original owner didn't have the courage to ask, but every night, when the moon was in the sky, Yuanzhi would sit under the moonlight, his expression strange.

The original owner didn't know what that expression meant.

Dharma Kong now analyzed that it was both painful and sweet.

A tall, robust old man on the dharma platform shouted, "You two! Bickering all day, this is a sacred place, be quiet!"

Wisdom Nan was about to say more.

A middle-aged monk rushed in from outside, came close, and clasped his hands, "Elders, when will the dharma assembly begin? Everyone is ready."

"Wait a bit," Wisdom Nan said impatiently, "Can't you wait a little longer?!"

The middle-aged monk looked troubled.

The dharma assembly required the combined efforts of a hundred monks, chanting the Sutra of the Deceased to help Brother Wisdom Wen reach the Western Paradise, and the sooner it started, the better.

The longer it was delayed, the weaker the soul became.

"Wisdom Nan, why not let them come in and chant the Great Brightness Spell together, to assist Dharma Kong?" the tall, robust old monk said slowly.

Wisdom Nan frowned, "Brother Wisdom Tong, don't you trust Dharma Kong?"

"Whether his Great Brightness Spell is truly wondrous or not, having help is always better," Wisdom Tong said calmly, "This involves Brother Wisdom Wen's rebirth, and it's not wise to take risks."

Wisdom Nan's face darkened, his eyes narrowing, ready to lash out.

Dharma Kong formed a hand seal with his left hand, raised his right palm, closed his eyes, and moved his lips.

The raised right palm gradually brightened, drawing everyone's attention.

A bright light slowly emerged from his right palm, shining like a full moon reflected in a clear spring.

It gradually intensified, forming a full moon, and a pure white light shot towards the bodhisattva bed where Wisdom Wen lay, coalescing into a palm-thick beam of light in the air.

Everyone's eyes widened.

This scene was beyond their imagination.

Although the Buddhist scriptures mentioned a bodhisattva using the Great Brightness Spell to emit light, helping the deceased to reach the Western Paradise, everyone assumed this was a mental visualization, not something in the external world.

Moreover, the light they imagined was not like this.

A light slowly gathered above Wisdom Wen's head, forming a palm-sized image of Wisdom Wen.

He looked peaceful, clasped his hands in a bow to Dharma Kong, then transformed into a white rainbow, shooting up and breaking through the thick clouds, disappearing from sight.

They couldn't help but look up, seeing the golden and rosy light through the small hole in the thick clouds.

The hole quickly closed, and the unusual sight disappeared.

Dharma Kong released the hand seal, lowered his palm, and opened his eyes, looking thoughtful.

The six old monks stared at him in amazement.

Because of their deep understanding of Buddhism, having spent their later years in intensive study, the impact of this scene was even greater.

"Ha ha..." A loud laugh broke the silence.

Wisdom Nan laughed, patted Dharma Kong on the shoulder, "Good boy, guiding Brother Wisdom Wen to the Western Paradise, great merit!"

He glanced at Wisdom Kong and Wisdom Tong, snorted, and pulled Dharma Kong up, flying away from the pagoda forest.

Wisdom Kong, Wisdom Tong, and the other five were still in shock.

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