Chapter 85 Thousand-Faced Buddha
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Pei Jing’s smile froze on his face, standing face to face with the double-headed serpent.
The double-headed serpent twisted its body, opened its mouth wide, and let out a loud roar before lunging straight at Pei Jing. Its crimson snake fangs were smeared with a murky yellow liquid, which was foul-smelling and highly poisonous. As it dripped onto the wooden floor, it instantly corroded a large area. The serpent’s eyes were cloudy, and its venomous fangs were terrifying.
It attacked fiercely. Pei Jing cursed silently in his heart.
He quickly got up and jumped away. Pei Jing had always had a deep fear of snakes, and now he had a strong opponent behind him.
The entry permit to the city was extremely important!
Pei Jing swiftly gathered his sword energy and thrust it into the serpent’s eye. This angered the double-headed serpent, which had been hiding its body underwater. It coiled tightly around the entire building, causing the redwood beams to snap and the tables to overturn, resulting in screams from upstairs.
Pei Jing couldn’t focus on anything else at this moment. He turned around to grab the entry permit.
“Give it to me!”
He extended his hand through the swarm of butterflies. Ashes fell from their wings, cold and light like moonlight.
After the slight chill, intense pain pierced his consciousness!
The entire main building shook, and a dark giant shadow blocked the light. A sharp and wicked killing intent pierced Pei Jing’s back like a needle!
“Clang!”
The double-headed serpent lunged downward!
The wooden planks shattered. The heads of the serpent attacked from both sides, their muddy yellow vertical pupils filled with ferocity.
Pei Jing endured the pain and finally touched the entry permit, a drop of sweat falling from his forehead.
He believed he was surrounded by enemies from all directions, expecting a fierce battle.
Suddenly, as if commanded, the malevolent butterflies surrounding him paused briefly and then scattered with a crisp sound. Butterfly wings shimmered with a silver glow, flowing through the moonlight, like a dream. Small stars scattered in the air, as if stars from the night sky had descended.
The hostility emanating from the butterflies dissipated.
Pei Jing was frozen in disbelief.
He stared blankly as the heads of the serpent approached, while the swarm of black butterflies surrounding him surged forward.
In just an instant, the ancient giant serpent let out a thunderous roar, its serpentine body writhing violently beneath the water’s surface, creating fierce winds and tumultuous waves.
Mortals on the boat screamed in alarm, while Yu Qinglian and the others cast spells to calm the storm.
However, the double-headed serpent didn’t cause trouble for long. Its flesh was devoured, leaving only bare bones, which then crashed into the water with a splash.
Pei Jing was perplexed. “What’s the deal with these butterflies?”
He felt relieved that he didn’t have to personally slay the serpent, but his vigilance remained high. Killing a monster equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator within a few breaths, these butterflies possessed such power. Did they not go all out in their fight with him earlier? Why? Was it because he was too handsome?
Gripping the Cloud Slayer Sword tightly, he feared that the malicious butterflies would suddenly charge at him again.
However, he overthought it. After killing the giant serpent, those butterflies instantly turned into dust, falling upon the river that now had a deep red hue. Thousands of lotus lamps flickered gently, and the dust scattered like snowflakes, creating a splendid and enchanting scene amidst the blurred night.
The Intoxicating Blossom’s paradise had been drenched in blood, with only a few survivors remaining.
As the calm settled in, everyone had a pale complexion as they watched this spectacle.
On the elevated platform of the main building.
Pei Jing tucked the entry permit into his sleeve, setting aside his doubts and smiling contentedly.
Forget it, now that he had the entry permit, why bother about the rest?
In an instant, the tall building collapsed.
Pei Jing leaped down from above and joined Yu Qinglian and the others.
Stepping on a lotus lamp, Yu Qinglian glanced at Pei Jing’s expression and knew that things had likely been successful. “Now that you have the entry permit, when do you plan to go to Tianyan City?”
After pondering for a moment, Pei Jing replied, “Let’s set off tomorrow.”
Yu Qinglian smirked teasingly, “You’re really eager, aren’t you? Did what I said earlier make sense?”
Pei Jing didn’t know how to respond.
Ji Wuduan also came down but was concerned about something else.
“Did you kill Di Feng?”
Pei Jing casually replied, “I did. Before he died, he threatened me, saying that if I killed him today, when I enter Tianyan City, Shigui Sect would surely annihilate me. But that old man was really foolish, he didn’t even know my name.”
Ji Wuduan and Yu Qinglian nodded.
Pei Jing: “I felt sorry for him, so I told him my name.”
Ji Wuduan: “……”
Yu Qinglian: “……”
Feng Jin and Wu Sheng, who arrived at the same time, heard his words loud and clear.
The four of them stood frozen in place, silent together.
Before even entering the city, Pei Yuzhi managed to make a bunch of enemies for himself. It was truly something he would do.
However, did he completely disregard Senior Xuhan’s advice to avoid trouble?
Yu Qinglian: “Is this what you called being low-key?”
Feng Jin: “I told you, why go through so much trouble to snatch an entry permit? Just charge in with your sword. Either way, you’ll end up with a bunch of enemies.”
Pei Jing: “You’re overthinking it. How could I enter as Pei Yuzhi? With such a renowned reputation, I would definitely attract a lot of attention.”
Soft lights, gentle features of a young man, blood-stained water, piles of corpses, the stench of wickedness drowned beneath the starlight that filled the sky. The surviving individuals stared blankly at them, their internal organs in knots.
Each of those five young men and woman had appearances that were widely known throughout the world.
They stared with wide eyes, opened their mouths, but couldn’t say a word.
Blooming Green Flowers in a Pool of Blood, Blue Butterflies Born from Ivory Bones.
Relic Buddha’s Heart, Phoenix Eyes, One Sword Soaring through the Frost of Wuwang Peak.
Upon returning to the Institute of Celestial Ascension, Yu Qinglian spoke to him alone. “I have a favor to ask of you on your journey to Tianyan City.”
Pei Jing immediately understood. “Is it about the Transient Jade Lotus?”
Yu Qinglian’s expression turned serious as he nodded, “From the fragments of information left by the Elder, I have gained some understanding of Tianyan City. It consists of One Palace, Three Sects, and Five Schools, with immense power in the outer city. And concerning the Transient Jade Lotus, it is related to Zhuihun Palace.”
“The One Palace among the One Palace, Three Sects, and Five Schools?”
Yu Qinglian: “Yes. Be extra cautious.”
Pei Jing: “Of course.”
He returned to his room, taking a secluded path where he encountered Wu Sheng, whose monk’s robe fluttered amidst the flickering fireflies in the grass.
Pei Jing furrowed his brow, sensing that Wu Sheng had been much quieter since arriving at the Institute of Celestial Ascension, unlike before when he often smiled while watching them play around.
This time, it seemed he carried a heavy burden in his heart.
Pei Jing asked, “Wu Sheng, is there something you need my help with?”
Wu Sheng pursed his lips and said, “After careful consideration, I believe I should tell you.”
Pei Jing had a feeling it was about the Thousand-Faced Woman and nodded in agreement.
Every blade of grass and tree in the Institute of Celestial Ascension emanated spiritual energy, with fireflies scattering and flitting about in the midst of the grass.
“After you showed me the mask, I sought out my master to inquire about it. Upon seeing it, my master fell into deep silence and then took me to the Hall of Rebirth in the Shijia Temple. Inside the hall, there were statues of Celestial Buddhas from the Nine Heavens. After the ancient battle of the gods countless years ago, the Lotus Throne of the Buddha shattered, and his meditative consciousness descended into the mortal realm, entering the womb of a pregnant woman. Each fragment of meditative consciousness represents a Buddha’s mind, and we, as disciples of Buddhism, cultivate the mind. In other words, we are the reincarnation and restoration of those Buddhas.
“Inside the Hall of Rebirth, I saw a broken statue of Buddha. Behind the statue was a massive golden wheel, with smiling faces overlapping on it. From a distance, it appeared joyful, peaceful, and serene. My master told me that it was the Thousand-Faced Buddha.”
Pei Jing murmured, “Thousand-Faced Woman… Thousand-Faced Buddha…”
Wu Sheng continued, “I initially hesitated to tell you because it concerns the affairs of the Shijia Temple, and I didn’t want to trouble you. But today, I realized… ” He paused, unable to find the right words, and simply said, “Tianyan City is far more dangerous than we imagined. If that mask appeared in Yunxiao, it’s possible that the source of calamity is lurking by your side. By informing you of this, I hope you can be prepared.
“This esteemed practitioner of the Mahayana Buddhism often roams the Mortal Realm, disguising themselves as men, women, old, and young, assisting people in various forms. With their ability to change appearances in countless ways, they have earned the title of Thousand-Faced Buddha.
“What my master did not anticipate was that five hundred years ago, the meditative consciousness of the Thousand-Faced Buddha descended into a baby girl. Born into a wealthy family, she was their only daughter, cherished and doted upon. However, the excessive indulgence bestowed upon her led to a sense of arrogance and entitlement.”
Wu Sheng paused and continued, “When my master found her, it had already been fifteen years. In that time, a person’s character had formed, and she was perhaps the least Buddha-like Buddha. Miss Qin from the Qin family, lazy and indulgent, obsessed with beauty and wealth. Her extreme preferences made her arrogant and domineering. When my master explained the purpose of his visit, she directly had her servants throw him out of the house.”
Pei Jing fell silent.
The Venerable Senior of the Shijia Temple was probably experiencing being shut out for the first time.
Wu Sheng said, “My master wanted to persuade her to convert to Buddhism, but Miss Qin’s parents were almost driven to despair. Everyone thought he had gone mad. After all, Miss Qin’s temperament had nothing to do with Buddhism. Miss Qin couldn’t stop laughing, but she had been spoiled since childhood and had a keen interest in novel things. She disregarded her parents’ desperate pleas, even if it meant facing death, and followed my master to the Shijia Temple.”
Pei Jing said, “That’s truly… willful and reckless.”
“My master awakened the meditative consciousness within her and bestowed upon her the ability to change appearances at will. Miss Qin was startled at first but then became obsessed with it, transforming into a different young and beautiful woman every day. Her daily routine consisted of going out on the streets with a different face.”
Pei Jing wanted to laugh, but the memory of the crazed and hideous women in the Yunlan Mountain Range silenced him. The rest of the story wouldn’t be so easygoing.
“My master realized that this approach wouldn’t work with her, so he took her out alone, traveling through mountains and valleys, exposing her to the suffering of the Mortal Realm. Fortunately, her nature was still kind. Although she initially complained about the hardships and fatigue, she eventually grew accustomed to them. In a small forest, she had an epiphany regarding meditative consciousness.
“The first time she saved someone, she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep all night. From then on, she began to use her abilities to help and transform others. Once she reached the Foundation Establishment Stage in her cultivation, she couldn’t restrain herself any longer and left a letter behind before venturing out for training.
“However, this time, she never returned after entering the Hall of Rebirth where the Thousand-Faced Buddha statue was housed.”
Pei Jing whispered, “A person like her, from goodness comes the utmost goodness, and from evil comes the utmost evil.”
Wu Sheng sighed and said, “She became trapped in the same forest where she had attained her meditative consciousness. The villagers were ignorant, marrying close relatives for generations, and their offspring were all monsters. She had intended to transform those deformed children but fell victim to the Nascent Soul demonic cultivator who had infiltrated the village.
“The demonic cultivator had long coveted her Buddha nature. Using a mirror, he reflected her image, causing her to transform into an old person and then revert to her original form. The villagers were horrified, and the demonic cultivator accused her of being a malicious monster. Incited by him, the villagers locked her in the cellar.
“She had her dantian shattered and was left disabled, enduring immense suffering in the cellar. Eventually, she succumbed to darkness. By the time we arrived, everyone in the village had their faces torn off, and she was nowhere to be found. Not long after, a City Lord appeared in Tianyan City out of thin air.”
Wu Sheng briefly mentioned the hardships, and Pei Jing knew that they were anything but simple.
Pei Jing said, “Thank you, I understand.”
Wu Sheng pursed his lips, recalling something, and whispered, “Now I understand why that child gave me such a strange feeling when we met at the temple. It was all due to karma.”
Pei Jing didn’t know how to console him and decided to change the subject. “But what about the disciple from the Shaolin Temple who fled with the mask? What happened there?”
Wu Sheng shook his head and said, “That disciple was actually away from the temple for several years, traveling outside as part of his training. He must have come across the mask by chance and suffered its backlash.”
Wu Sheng sighed once again.
Pei Jing gazed into the distance, looking at the mountains, realizing that his previous speculations were incorrect.
How could one harbor such resentment to transform a delicate yet kind-hearted girl into such a state?
Moreover, she was born to be a Buddha.
He couldn’t help but think of Zhang Qingshu and the Queen Mother of the West.
One drowned alive in a water jar by his father, the other consumed by the Azure Bird Clan for two lifetimes.
As for the Thousand-Faced Buddha… what could have twisted her into such a state in the cellar?
At the same time, Pei Jing couldn’t help but mutter, “Why do their experiences seem so similar…?”
***
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He’s connecting the dots!