Devour

Chapter 427: Seeking the Way Against Heaven

After a brief pause, Dharma King Miaoyin glanced at Master Li, who was watching the development of the situation, intentionally or unintentionally. Seeing that the other party had no intention of intervening, he withdrew his gaze and continued talking.

"The boatman was doing nothing wrong in his pursuit of a living, and the passengers crossing the river were also commonplace. This is the 'cause,' but the shrimp and crabs' sudden death is not the 'result!' If the boatman had carefully chosen his route and pushed the boat, and the passengers had also had a compassionate heart, why would the shrimp and crabs have died unjustly?"

"Unintentional behavior is not sinlessness. It's like a child playing with a candle in a granary. Although he had no evil intentions, the fire burned down the house, bringing famine to the entire village. How can we forgive his fault? An unintentional mistake is still a mistake!"

The Dharma King Miaoyin spoke eloquently, and his tongue blossomed like a lotus when discussing Zen and the Dao. The fragrant breeze around him gently blew across his face, and he saw flashes of spiritual light and strange visions appear one after another.

His argument made Chang Yufeng and Guo Xieke look at each other in bewilderment. Although they vaguely felt that his arguments were witty and specious, his logical loop was flawless, making it difficult to debate with him.

Seeing the two from the Prison Sword Sect were also at a loss, Dharma King Miaoyin raised his lips and continued, "If one's heart is empty and indifferent to everything, how is it different from a stubborn stone under one's leg? The Buddha, with great compassion, even manifested himself in a wrathful form to defeat demons and defend the Way. I fabricate right and wrong, using the 'lamp of action' to illuminate the 'darkness of ignorance.' Clinging to nothingness will only lead to apathy. Seeing wrongdoing without saying anything is the true sin!"

Duanmu Jun watched his side suffer repeated defeats, unable to suppress his anger. He said, "The Dharma King's eloquence is so profound, his words are filled with profound truths, leaving no room for rebuttal. I'm afraid this is a deliberate trap to embarrass us. There's no correct answer!"

"Stop your nonsense!" Xian Gen shouted sternly. "If we let Grandmaster Miaoyin tell us the answer, will you all be convinced and leave immediately, never setting foot in the Sword Burial Tomb again?"

Guo Xieke frowned, knowing that facing the highly skilled and talented Dharma King Miaoyin, they would not be able to win by reasoning with just a few sword cultivators.

He secretly extended his palm to signal Duanmu Jun and the others to remain calm, then turned sideways to Master Li for advice: "Master, the Zen wisdom of this Dharma King Miaoyin is extremely insightful. I am ignorant, but I feel I am no match for him in both literature and martial arts. Among all the heroes present, you are undoubtedly the most knowledgeable and accomplished. Please, sage, come forward to solve this problem and guide us through this maze."

Master Li smiled playfully and asked Dharma King Miaoyin, "If anyone can answer this question correctly, will the Buddha's teachings no longer prevent any cultivator from entering the Bone and Sword Burial Tomb?"

Dharma King Miaoyin nodded and said decisively, "Whether it's Master or anyone present, as long as you can answer correctly, we will let you go and will not hinder you."

At the same time, he pondered the pros and cons: "It seems the Master intends to personally take action. If I ultimately lose to the Saint in this discussion of Zen and Taoism, it can be considered an honorable defeat. I'm sure the Venerable Master is aware of this and won't blame me."

However, Master Li did not directly answer the question as the crowd expected. Instead, he turned his gaze to Cheng Bai and asked with a smile, "Does the Holy Lord Baidi think that the topic raised by the Dharma King is difficult?"

It should be noted that Yao Shuang and Chang Yufeng were the younger generations who answered the questions just now. This was because the leaders were afraid of losing face and were not confident enough to speak.

It would not have been a big deal if Master Li had answered the doubts in person at the beginning, but now that he was instigated by others to answer questions after the juniors, it was a bit inappropriate.

Cheng Bai's expression was calm. He glanced at the shrimp and crab carcasses left by the river from a distance. Then he looked directly at Dharma King Miaoyin and said slowly, "I'll be so bold as to try to answer."

Dharma King Miaoyin had once fought Cheng Bai all the way through the Nine-Layered Abyss and felt that Cheng Bai's strength was unfathomable. Seeing him sitting side by side with Master Li, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. "This person has uncanny abilities, his cultivation progresses at an alarming rate, he's surrounded by many experts, and he has a close relationship with the Eastern Confucian Saint. Could he be the Master's secret disciple? There's been a rumor lately that Taowu Academy has nurtured a Seventh Master... could it be him?"

"Acalanatha!" Dharma King Miaoyin suppressed his doubts with a call of his Dharma name, maintaining a friendly appearance. "Donor Baidi, please speak frankly. As long as you can see your mind and nature clearly and gain insight into true knowledge, I have no objection. Please judge the right and wrong impartially, Master."

Cheng Bai, having inherited the eternal essence of the Rubik's Cube and having experienced the baptism of Earth civilization, was indeed somewhat confident. He nodded slightly and replied, "It's not wrong for a boatman to ferry people across the river to make a living. It's not wrong for passengers to wait for the boat to cross the river."

"As for the sudden deaths of shrimps and crabs..." Cheng Bai paused, his voice clear and even, "It's because they were stupid and weak, unable to identify dangerous areas and adapt to changes."

"What did you say?" Yao Shuang's beautiful eyes widened as she cried out in shock, "Baidi! How can you talk like that? Are the shrimps and crabs dead in vain? Do the ignorant and weak deserve to be crushed and trampled to death? You...you...are you cold-blooded! Heartless!"

Bei Tingjun had been speechless for a long time before. After hearing this, he couldn't help but flutter his long eyelashes and said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, this...isn't this too explicit?"

Cheng Bai didn't even glance at them. He faced the Dharma King Miaoyin firmly, as if explaining the ultimate truth of heaven and earth: "People in the world only see shrimps and crabs die, but do you know the cruelty of shrimps and crabs when they prey on weaker plankton? Do you know their instinct to fight and kill each other?"

"The net of heaven is vast and wide, nothing can escape it. Survival of the fittest, the strong prey on the weak. This is the law of nature, not unique to humans. Shrimps and crabs have their own unique ways of coping with harsh environments and reproducing and surviving. They are able to continue their species without relying on human mercy or so-called justice!"

"The shrimps and crabs died because they hadn't evolved the ability to avoid risk. In the eyes of cultivators, this is because they haven't cultivated the strength to resist calamity, thus placing themselves in a position of domination in the chess game of heaven and earth. Sympathy for the weak is the good of human nature, but it doesn't mean we should deny the way of heaven."

Cheng Bai's voice grew deeper and deeper, brimming with philosophical wisdom: "All living things are trapped in the web of karma and reincarnation. The fault lies not in the sins of the mind, but in blind ignorance. Without self-recognition, we cannot understand that the survival of the strong and the destruction of the weak is part of the great law of the universe."

After saying this, Cheng Bai's gaze, like a sharp blade, pierced deep into Dharma King Miaoyin's heart, and he said firmly, "Exploring the essence of 'the law of the jungle,' the weak are like carrying original sin. Heaven and earth are unkind, treating all things as straw dogs! Humans should constantly strive for self-improvement, fighting for their lives against heaven and their souls against earth, precisely to break the shackles of original sin. We spend our entire lives practicing to defy heaven and change our fate. We will never regret our pursuit of the Tao, even if we die!"

"Defy the will of heaven and change your destiny, seek the truth without regrets!" These eight words were like thunder exploding in the sky, lingering in everyone's heart, dispelling confusion and tearing the veil of hypocrisy to pieces.

This is indeed the foundation of a monk's conduct, and no one present disagrees.

Master Li nodded slightly in approval. A glint of insight flashed in Ren Yijian's eyes. Guo Xieke, Chang Yufeng, Duanmu Jun, and the others were all stunned, their faces pensive.

Bei Tingjun chuckled and said, "Your Excellency's wise words, whether others agree or not, are what I love to hear."

After listening to this, Dharma King Miaoyin remained silent for a long time, slowly closed his eyes and meditated. As his facial muscles twitched, the Zen visions around him disappeared.

Then, he let out a long, soft sigh, and a turbid tear slid from the corner of his eye to the ground. Where the water splashed, a red spider lily suddenly appeared.

Xian Gen observed the subtle changes in Dharma King Miaoyin's expression and said in astonishment, "Master, his answer...exactly..."

Dharma King Miaoyin stood up, a trace of fatigue barely concealed, and spoke in a deep voice, "The White Emperor's profound theory. This time, we have touched upon the mysteries of the origin of the Heavenly Dao, which cannot be confined by Zen language. All compassionate teachings are like a dream or shadow. However, 'going against the will of Heaven to seek the Dao' is the supreme seed of Bodhi, but it is also a Shura field. Right and wrong no longer matter. The gates of the Sword Tomb are wide open, let us go!"

He turned and left. Although Xian Gen was unwilling, he had to follow him quickly.

The heroes stayed where they were, still immersed in the lingering sound of the discussion just now, and looked at the gate of the Bone and Sword Tomb slowly opening in the distance, all of them with emotions surging.

Cheng Bai walked forward slowly, gently picked up the red spider lily, and thought: "What has Dharma King Miaoyin been through? He has such a deep obsession in his heart!"

The sky is full of brilliant clouds in the evening, and a cool breeze blows by the river.

"Haha! Those who can travel with Master are all great men!" Guo Xieke laughed heartily and extended a warm invitation, "Night is approaching. Wouldn't it be a pleasure for us to join the Master in exploring the Bone and Sword Tomb and discussing profound truths?"

Master Li happily responded, "Meeting by chance is fate. Fellow Taoists, please come in!"

The heroes walked into the Sword Burial Tomb, still chatting and laughing, as if they were going to an ordinary banquet.