"Master, this place is called Buddhist Mountain?" asked Lin Feng, putting his palms together before the Buddhist Ancestor.
"Call me Kasyapa," replied the Buddhist monk, smiling politely. His Buddha's halo was dazzling. Everything was pure around him. Lin Feng's demon Qi was also supppressed.
"Buddhist Patriarch Kasyapa," greeted Lin Feng respectfully. He didn't think Buddhist Ancestors could be called Godly Ancestors.
He didn't know whether the path of the Buddha was a different way from the ordinary path of cultivation, but Tian Chi was a Buddhist cultivator, so Lin Feng guessed they were all similar. Buddhist cultivators attached a particular importance to the Dao.
"Did you just arrive from the Country of Eternity?" asked Kasyapa, stepping closer to Lin Feng. When he passed in front of the Buddha statues, he put his palms together.
Lin Feng looked at him more carefully and noticed that one of the statues depicted Buddhist Ancestor Kasyapa!
It meant that Buddhist Ancestor Kasyapa had a high status in Buddhist Mountain, so people probably worshiped him.
"Buddhist Patriarch Kasyapa, I'm going to leave the mountain," said Lin Feng politely.
Kasyapa nodded. He burned three incense sticks and put them in a bowl on an altar. He turned around and looked at Lin Feng serenely. "Where will you go?"
"Anywhere. I'll just wander with my sword," said Lin Feng confidently, showing he didn't think much about the different influential groups of the World of Battles.
But his negative thoughts were oppressed by the Buddha lights.
"Do you want to do like those people? Walk and kill people randomly?" asked Kasyapa.
"No. I am not a good person, but I am not evil. I have morals and principles. Why would I kill people for no reason? At least, for the time being."
"For the time being? When will you start slaughtering people for no reason, then?" asked Kasyapa.
Lin Feng turned his head away. His heart started pounding. But he replied, "Well not for no reason, but at least when someone hurts my family, my wives, my children, and so forth," he replied. He suddenly looked sharp, and the Buddha lights were pushed away. Lin Feng's demon Qi emerged and drove them back.
Buddhist Patriarch Kasyapa was astonished, and suddenly looked worried.
From what he understood, Lin Feng was mostly concerned for his wives and children, but he didn't understand. Why? Kasyapa understood life, death, reincarnation, enlightenment. He didn't understand, so he asked, "Why are you so concerned for your wives and children?"
if Lin Feng knew why himself, he probably had a clear and simple answer. Kasyapa looked grave and solemn.
Lin Feng looked at him and also looked grave and solemn.
"I'd like to ask you a question, Buddhist Ancestor," said Lin Feng calmly.
"Please enlighten me, Benefactor," said Kasyapa, putting his palms together. He looked honest and kind.
"Where are you from?" asked Lin Feng. He looked perfectly serious and honest. He wasn't making fun of Kasyapa.
Kasyapa blushed. Buddhists were too embarrassed to talk about such matters. "Just tell me what you want to say," answered Kasyapa, shaking his head. He felt awkward.
Lin Feng shook his head and said, "Buddhist Ancestor Kasyapa, if you understand how you were born, your life is useless and pointless. You don't need to ask me why I care so much about my wives and children.
"The world is boundless. If you are emotionless, you are also cold and detached, and that's scary.
"Buddhists say they want to deliver all living creatures from suffering and torment. What is suffering, though? And torment? How can you achieve such a thing?" asked Lin Feng. Kasyapa didn't know what to say. He looked pensive.
"Master, one last thing. That's what life is about; life, death, reincarnation, they're all inevitable and interconnected. So dying for your loved ones, for money, for beautiful women, for your family, everything is normal!"
Lin Feng appeared very grave and solemn; he looked like a Buddha himself, and Kasyapa looked like one of Buddha's disciples. He listened carefully to Lin Feng, as he were learning from him.
Kasyapa put his palms together in front of his chest. He seemed confused. He regretted that he had asked Lin Feng those questions. It felt like he had punished himself by doing so.
—
One hour. Two hours. Lin Feng and Kasyapa didn't say anything. The silence lasted for eight hours. It was daytime again, and Kasyapa was still lost in thought.
Lin Feng didn't hurry to leave. He thought discussing these life and death principles with the Buddhist Ancestor was fun and interesting. He remembered the first time he had arrived in the Continent of the Gods, when he had chatted with Ancestor Kong and played chess at the same time. That had been very beneficial.
Now, he had just arrived in the World of Battles and he was chatting with a Buddhist Ancestor about complex Buddhist concepts. Thanks to this discussion, Lin Feng would also improve. It was an enriching experience. He would understand the Dao even better!
Time passed slowly. Buddhist Ancestor Kasyapa finally understand what Lin Feng meant all of a sudden. He suddenly felt much younger. He recalled when he was still a young Buddhist monk.
"Benefactor, thank you for your teachings, Buddha be praised!" proclaimed Kasyapa, putting his palms together and bowing before Lin Feng respectfully.
A Buddhist Ancestor was bowing in front of Lin Feng! Lin Feng was shocked. "Buddhist Ancestor, don't do that. I am grateful that you understand why my wives and children are so important to me. At least, you can be sure you're not one of the people I'm going to slaughter in this world. Hehe!" Lin Feng joked.
"I feel remorseful. I've lived for such a long time and I've never really thought that wives and children were the foundations of life," sighed Kasyapa, smiling wryly and shaking his head. He started thinking he had taken Buddhist principles too literally.
He knew that killing was a bad thing and that life was difficult, but he had neglected the fact that life was hardly incompatible with procreation.
Without women, he couldn't exist. Nobody could. Without love, the world was doomed. Without love and women, there could be no life and no reincarnation.
Lin Feng was right. Being emotionless was scarier than women and love!
Lin Feng had also understood those things thanks to Empress Xi back in the days. Qiu Yue Xin and Duan Xin Ye had suffered from Empress Xi's emotionless Dao back then. Luckily, Lin Feng had rescued them and taught Empress Xi a good lesson.
Love and children were the foundations of the world!
"Benefactor, were you a Buddhist cultivator back in the days?" asked a voice from behind Lin Feng. Lin Feng was surprised. It wasn't Kasyapa's voice.
He turned around and saw another old man wearing a kasaya. "Teacher, may Buddha preserve us," exclaimed Kasyapa.
"You're a Buddhist Ancestor and you don't understand love. Your punishment for that is that you have to hit the gong every Buddhist minute for a hundred years," ordered the old man, pointing to the top of the tower.
Kasyapa didn't look angry at all. He just nodded, feeling guilty and embarrassed. "I am happy to receive this punishment for my lack of knowledge," agreed Kasyapa. Then he turned around and climbed the flight of stairs leading to the top of the tower.
Lin Feng studied the flight of stairs. Kasyapa had to climb up that flight of stairs. Buddhists and cultivators were different.
"Benefactor, you haven't answered my question. Did you practice Buddhist cultivation in the past?" asked the old man kindly.
Lin Feng looked at him, a bit surprised. This was another Buddhist Ancestor. He seemed much, much stronger than Kasyapa. His Qi and his strength were more powerful than Kasyapa's.
"I did indeed, but just basics," said Lin Feng, smiling slightly and scratching his nose. How could he compare his level in Buddhist cultivation to the knowledge of a Buddhist Ancestor?
"Hehe. No problem! Do you want to show me?" asked the old man, shaking his head and smiling.
Lin Feng felt awkward. He had studied both Buddhism and demon cultivation at the same time. If he used Buddhist cultivation, his demon cultivation also showed up. Wouldn't the old man be shocked if he saw that?
"Show me," the old man urged cheerfully.
Lin Feng felt helpless so he had no choice. He tried to hide his demon strength in his soul.
Boom boom boom!
Suddenly, a hundred zhang demon Buddha appeared outside of the tower. It was surrounded by golden Buddha lights and demon lights. They were intertwining.
When Kasyapa saw that from the top of the tower, he was astonished. Buddhist and demon dual cultivation? Did such a thing exist?
The old man's expression was also shocked. He had never thought that there were people who practiced Buddhism and demon dual cultivation.
"Here, the Ten Thousand Buddhas skill is for you," a voice in Lin Feng's head said suddenly. Lin Feng looked at the Buddhist monk. He stretched out his hands and dazzling Buddha lights surrounded Lin Feng.
Lin Feng heard an explosion in his head and he lost consciousness.