The winter is mild, and the sunlight is as clear as tea.
The cushions and green plants in the room were a soft mess. The window was half open, and the broken scriptures were rustling in the wind, and the atmosphere was strangely calm.
But in the center of this peace, the scene is like hell.
Yang fire is not like ordinary fire, and the abbot is not an ordinary person. Wrapped in the flames, his appearance remained the same, not rotten or black. It seemed that the abbot had no breath at all, and it seemed that he was just dozing with his head down, which gave people a glimmer of painful hope.
Juehui sat by the wall in a daze, like a dried corpse without a soul. The young monk Zhixing was pale, his lips were trembling, and his whole body was shaking. Shi Jingzhi fumbled to hold Yin Ci's hand, his fingers were wet and cold.
Four pairs of eyes looked at Monk Juefei in the fire, and no one said a word. Everyone held their breath, as if waiting for an impossible miracle.
There are no miracles in the world.
After a while, Abbot Juefei's body began to disintegrate starting from his feet.
The living body shattered slightly, dispersing into snow-white, fine ash. Then the ash was burned through, completely turning into nothingness. Just like that, Abbot Juefei remained sitting quietly, collapsing from bottom to top bit by bit, returning to the breeze swirling in the room.
Half an incense stick of time passed, but it felt like half a hundred years had passed.
The ashes burned out, and the golden fire finally died out. There were no relics or bones on the couch, only a charred burn mark.
Comprehend the fate of this life, and look back without being stained by the dust.
Everything happened unexpectedly and ended silently.
The air was stagnant for a moment. The fact that "Abbot Juefei is dead" was as heavy as a mountain, but it was suspended in the air for a long time and could not land on the ground - it was only a short time ago that the abbot was still safe and sound, talking to everyone.
Even though Yin Ci had seen all the world, he was once again bitter about the impermanence of life.
Seeing the sadness on Monk Juehui's face, Monk Zhixing took two steps back. The burnt mark was like a heavy hammer, shattering his mind. The young monk was close to collapse, and stumbled towards the door, wanting only to escape from here.
“Bang!”
A stream of true energy shot out instantly and hit Monk Zhixing as a warning.
Seeing Zhixing stop, Shi Jingzhi withdrew his hand expressionlessly and looked at the charred burn mark again.
"You..." Monk Zhixing gritted his teeth, still a little dazed. "I have seen this golden fire, you—"
"Know what you do and be careful with what you say!" Monk Juehui finally stood up shakily, his voice hoarse.
"Master, you know Yin Ci is the man in white from the ghost tomb! He just stopped his companions and clearly knew what happened. There are many heroes in the martial arts world, but we have only seen the former leader who can use his physical body to make gold and fire..."
Monk Zhixing spoke very quickly, his voice a little choked, as if he could only breathe again if he caught a little bit of certain hatred.
Yin Ci knew that feeling. Despair was approaching, and people could not change their fate, so they could only grasp at straws to escape collapse. The abbot's death was too sudden and without any signs. Even the Buddha could not calm the confusion and sadness of the young monk.
He could only turn them into anger and hatred.
Unfortunately, Monk Juefei had anticipated this point—
Juefei could have said something else.
Abbot Juefei was able to hold on for so long, and he probably realized the cause of death. He could have made it public and let the monks find the murderer. Even if he didn't cling to hatred, with the turmoil in the martial arts world ahead and Jianchen Temple looking leaderless, he could have left a will and arranged his affairs after his death.
But he didn't.
Abbot Juefei used all his strength to leave a simple sentence related to others.
Awareness, knowledge and action: what I am doing today has nothing to do with the Kushan School.
… So don’t let anger blind you, and don’t wrongly accuse the innocent.
"Senior brother said that today's incident has nothing to do with Kushan Sect."
Monk Juehui spoke in a steady tone, but his clasped hands were trembling slightly.
"Brother Juefei is the most accomplished person in the temple. Could his judgment be worse than yours?"
Monk Zhixing's eyes were red.
He opened his mouth, but in the end he had nothing to say. It was as if his knowledge and actions were suddenly drained away. He looked blankly into his master's eyes, but he didn't see any sign of appeasement or muddle-headedness.
His master had complete faith in the deceased abbot.
Zhixing's anger was in vain. He could only hold back his tears, looked away, and stared at a pot of smashed green plants on the ground. The sunlight splashed on the green leaves, and Zhixing used the vivid color to hook his eyes, not daring to look at the couch.
Jue would tense up his face and turn around after a while: "Young friend Yin, may I ask what happened just now—"
Yin Ci answered straightforwardly: "Before the Yang Fire ignited, the lifeblood of the abbot was severed. The abbot had profound skills and used his physical strength to suppress it, which is why he was able to hold on for so long."
Monk Juehui was silent for a long time.
Finally, he sighed softly: "Amitabha, donors, please get down the mountain quickly. I will announce this matter after you are far away."
After saying that, Monk Juehui walked towards the door, but was stopped by Shi Jingzhi's true energy.
"Master, please stay."
Although Monk Juehui was also somewhat dazed, he did not show anger like Zhixing did: "Master Shi, do you have anything else to say?"
"If Ah Ci hadn't noticed anything unusual just now... I would have come up to check on the abbot's pulse, and the master would have come closer to check on his condition."
Shi Jingzhi let go of Yin Ci's hand, slowly clenched his fist, and his voice sank.
"I am used to using Yang Fire, and I can fight fire with fire, so nothing will happen. But Master, you are too concerned, and facing that kind of Yang Fire, I'm sure your life will be in danger. Jianchen Temple has lost two highly respected monks at once, and it must be seriously injured and unable to take care of itself."
"From Master Zhixing's perspective, I just touched Master Abbot, and he died of yang fire, and Master Juehui was killed as well. Even if I claim that I'm not stupid enough to kill him right then and there, even Zhixing who is present here will doubt my sect. Who in the martial arts world will really believe me?"
Jue Hui frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
"I have no choice but to kill Zhixing in order to buy time to escape from the mountain... If I do this, not only will the reputation of the Kushan Sect be ruined, but the Jianchen Temple will also regard my sect as a thorn in their side."
He still said this openly. Zhixing had never heard such a straightforward declaration of murder before, and immediately took a step back.
Shi Jingzhi did not look at Zhixing.
His face lost its usual politeness and smile, and a wicked look appeared between his eyebrows. He stood in the mess, giving off an air of majesty without even getting angry.
"… But looking at the current situation, I always feel that something is wrong. If the murderer only wanted to make things difficult for Kushan Sect, he could have killed some ordinary people and framed them with a weak target. It would be a bit too much to specifically kill an abbot with profound martial arts skills."
His tone was too matter-of-fact, and Zhixing couldn't stand it any longer: "Master Shi, what do you think of human life?"
"Zhi Xing!" Jue Hui shouted, "This is the abbot's room, are you going to get angry here? Master Shi, please continue."
"The murderer wants to kill two birds with one stone, not only to save Jianchen Temple, but also to throw dirty water on Kushan Sect. In my opinion, 'disrupting Jianchen Temple' is probably the most important purpose... Master Juehui, I have a request."
Monk Juehui looked at Shi Jingzhi deeply and said, "Master Shi, please speak."
"Please go into seclusion now, completely seal off the temple, and cut off all contact with the outside world."
Jue Hui: "Why?"
"Let me explain."
This time, it was Yin Ci who responded to him, not Shi Jingzhi.
When the first burst of true energy was sent out, Yin Ci knew what Shi Jingzhi was thinking. It must be said that the sand table play for a few days was not in vain. The cheap master's reaction was faster, and his insight into the overall situation was gratifying.
It's almost calm.
If he continued to talk, he might irritate the two monks. He was enough to be the villain of Kushan Sect.
Yin retreated to the door and leaned against it, completely blocking the two monks' way out.
He took a breath and deliberately made his tone sound arrogant: "During the Sutra Cleansing Meeting, we had to guard the temple strictly, but the abbot and the head monk died at the same time, which would inevitably lead to chaos. Until the chaos subsides, continuing to close the temple is the best option."
Jue Hui frowned, then slowly came to his senses: "Are you two asking me to fake my own death?"
"If the murderer knew you were alive, he might attack you again. It would be better to take advantage of the situation and show some mercy. This will not harm Jianchen Temple."
Hearing this, Zhixing was stunned.
He looked at Shi Jingzhi for a while, then at Yin Ci, his anger and confusion growing in him: "If the murderer was inside the temple, wouldn't he be exposed right away?"
Yin Ci: "No poison can ignite this kind of yang fire, but magic arrays and curses can. Master Juefei is a master of his generation, so it is impossible for him not to notice the traces of magic array on his body. From this point of view, it can only be a curse, and it must be an extremely hidden and vicious curse."
Juehui suddenly realized, "Brother spends all day meditating in the room. If he wants to perform magic, there is no chance in the temple."
Yin Ci nodded and said nothing more.
Monk Juehui was able to become the abbot of Jianchen Temple, so his understanding must be good.
The last time Master Juefei came down the mountain was at least ten years ago. Just by ruling this out, we can narrow down the scope of the murderer. The caster would definitely not be stupid enough to stay in the temple.
It's just that the other party had planted the curse at least ten years ago, and his patience and malice were frightening. No matter what the murderer's plan was, it must not be a small matter.
Realizing this, Juehui's bitter face finally relaxed a little, with a look of both joy and sorrow: "Amitabha, monks do not tell lies. It's not impossible to close the temple, but if someone specifically asks about it, it's really hard for our temple to lie."
"Furthermore, if our temple does not express its position on this matter and conceals Senior Brother's last words, the path of the headmaster will be much more difficult."
Shi Jingzhi went on to say: "No problem."
"This is creating karma." Monk Juehui's waist bent a little more. "I want to sacrifice Kushan Sect to protect myself and deceive the world. Senior brother will be the first one who will not forgive me."
Shi Jingzhi looked at the burn marks on the couch again. The black area did not let in any light, and it seemed like a cave leading directly to hell.
He stood still for a moment, lifted up his clothes, and half-knelt down.
Shi Jingzhi's clenched fists did not loosen, and his expression remained calm. He looked straight into Juehui's eyes, without any intention of escaping.
"Master Shi?!"
"Master, please understand and let the masters of Jianchen Temple bear with this injustice this time. Buddhism is a pure place, and there is no love, hatred or vengeance. If the master trusts me, I will investigate the cause of Abbot Juefei's death for Jianchen Temple."
Shi Jingzhi spoke each word with great emphasis, his tone extremely serious.
"No matter what, this incident was caused by me, and now that it has become a bad result, I am willing to bear the responsibility alone. The murderer is ruthless, and the martial arts world is facing a turmoil caused by people who value flesh. Jianchen Temple is one of the pillars that stabilize the martial arts world, and it must not be damaged again."
Juehui was stunned for a moment, and sighed: "Brother has been involved in worldly affairs for a lifetime, and is very careful about the cause and effect of everything. This time when you all came to the mountain, he wanted to end his relationship with the "Wu Mu Sutra"... Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes, and he cannot escape the cause and effect of karma."
In just a few incense sticks, Monk Juehui's face looked haggard, as if he had aged ten years.
"Okay, I promise you. I will take over this evil fate."
Shi Jingzhi then stood up.
"Master, I will tell a lie. I will spread the news that the abbot and Master died in the Yang Fire, and I was hastily attacked by Master Shi and had a lucky escape."
Zhixing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interrupted.
"I was already mentally unstable, and was scolded by my master and the abbot every day. Now it's just, just another violation of the precepts. If I stay out of this, this matter will become a demon in my heart."
"Master, in the murderer's plan, I was supposed to cause chaos. This is also cause and effect, right?"
After saying that, Zhixing took a deep breath.
He took out a stick of Buddhist incense from the abbot's small table, and before Monk Juehui could answer, he bowed his head to Shi Jingzhi and said, "Master Shi, everyone is in the Sutra Washing Hall right now. There is no time to lose, I will secretly take you down the mountain."
He raised his voice again, his voice trembling a little: "I'm determined to tell this lie. Master Shi, you... you must not die, otherwise I don't know how big my inner demon will be."
This time he looked directly into Shi Jingzhi's face, there was no wavering in his eyes, only sadness and determination.
Shi Jingzhi smiled slightly, then nodded seriously.
"Ah Ci, go call Yan Qing and Su Si... Please, Master, lead the way."
Who knew the roles would be reversed, and this time Huan Jue would speak: "Master Shi, please stay."
"Grandmaster?"
"Let me ask you, you are willing to beg for mercy in order to save our temple. What are you asking for? For yourself, or for justice?"
Shi Jingzhi did not look back.
"Naturally, it's for 'myself'."
He still answered frankly and without hesitation.
With the incense of Buddha's heart, the inner strength returned and the inner demon disappeared. It took them several days to climb the mountain, but less than an hour to get down. When they reached the place of the Greedy Lord, Zhixing stopped his Qinggong and landed on the rocks.
"The remaining incense is enough for you all to leave the mountain."
Monk Zhixing said in a hoarse voice.
"There are many people on the mountainside, and the temple is about to be closed. Please forgive me for not seeing you off. Master Shi, I was confused just now, and my words may have offended you. I hope Master Shi will forgive me."
Shi Jingzhi returned the greeting: "Take care, little master."
The incident was urgent, and Yan Qing and Su Si were confused. Just as they were about to ask, Yin Ci pulled them by one hand each and quickly left the mountain.
Just as the crowd left a short distance, they heard extremely sorrowful cries behind them.
Monk Zhixing was left alone on the mountain of Tanzhu, standing between the empty sky and earth, and finally burst into tears.
After a few sticks of incense.
In the shade of the mountain, outside the stone gate, the four people from Kushan Sect stopped panting. After leaving Huilian Mountain, the white snow and green pines were still the same as before. There was no one around, and everything was still quiet and desolate.
Yin Ci walked up to Shi Jingzhi and pulled his hands out of his sleeves.
Shi Jingzhi's nails were very short, but now they were deeply embedded in the wound. The wound burst open, and the blood stained the white cloth used to bandage the wound. At the moment when Yin Ci found him, Shi Jingzhi still clenched his fists tightly and did not loosen them.
For a moment, Shi Jingzhi lowered his head as if he had done something wrong. But this time, Yin Ci did not get angry at all because of his self-injury.
"Master, come here."
Yin Ci rarely opened his arms and hugged him actively—not to deal with the enemy, nor to study his moves.
“… Ah Ci, I don’t really want to cry, and I can’t cry.”
Shi Jingzhi hugged back tightly, almost greedily absorbing the other's body temperature.
"Master Juefei's last act was not only for the Kushan Sect, but also to free Jianchen Temple from the conspiracy... But his kindness to us was not false at all, and he had no purpose. I can't understand it."
"I see."
"I am very depressed."
"… I see."
Shi Jingzhi closed his eyes and said nothing more. He tightened his embrace, like a swaying cattail clinging to a rock.
Ask your mind about Buddha’s heart, and ask your attachments about greed, anger, and ignorance.
Fortunately, no one asked about my sorrow or joy.