With these words, Ye Qingyun turned to walk away.
Quick, slip away!
If they snap out of it, I am done for.
"A mere ant, wasting our time."
Unexpectedly, Song Chenglong directly lashed out with a palm strike toward Ye Qingyun's back.
Since he was a useless mortal with no connection to the experts on Fuyun Mountain, he might as well just be killed.
Ye Qingyun was completely unprepared and did not even sense the fatal blow coming from behind.
Just as Song Chenglong's palm was about to hit Ye Qingyun's back—
Suddenly!
An invisible wave surged around Ye Qingyun.
Song Chenglong's palm instantly froze three inches away from Ye Qingyun's back.
It could not advance even a fraction of an inch.
Song Chenglong's expression changed drastically.
Chapter 32: Lay down the butcher's knife and attain Buddhahood on the spot
Song Chenglong felt an indescribable, immense force binding his entire arm.
Not only could he not inflict the slightest harm on Ye Qingyun,
he could not even twitch a muscle.
Bang!
Another massive surge of force erupted.
Song Chenglong let out a yelp as his entire body was sent flying backward.
Thud!
Song Chenglong landed in a miserable heap on the ground—face first.
He knocked out one of his front teeth, and blood streamed from his nose.
"Son!"
Song Xiaotian was shocked and rushed over to help Song Chenglong up.
Hearing the commotion, Ye Qingyun turned around in a daze.
"What on earth happened?"
He wore a look of utter confusion.
"Someone come! Men, come quickly!"
"Stop him!"
"Do not let him get away!"
Song Xiaotian shouted.
Immediately, numerous martial artists of the Song family rushed forward, surrounding Ye Qingyun tightly, glaring at him with hostility.
Ye Qingyun was dumbfounded.
I didn't do anything! Why are they suddenly not letting me leave?
"Well, well, Ye Qingyun, you almost fooled us!"
Song Xiaotian glared at him, his eyes fierce like a falcon's.
Ye Qingyun still tried to keep his composure.
"I'm really not Ye Qingyun. You've got the wrong person."
Song Xiaotian let out a cold snort.
"Still saying you're not Ye Qingyun? My son has been beaten and injured by you!"
Ye Qingyun looked at Song Chenglong, who was now missing a front tooth, feeling baffled.
When on earth did I hit him?
Besides, I'm just an ordinary mortal with no cultivation; how could I possibly beat up a martial artist like Song Chenglong?
Isn't this framing an innocent man?
At that moment, the gray-haired rabbit tucked inside Ye Qingyun's embrace smiled mischievously.
Heh heh.
It was yours truly, Lord Rabbit, who made a move.
How dare he lay a hand on my master?
He must be tired of living.
"If the master suffers even the slightest scratch, Lord Dog will probably tear me limb from limb when we get back."
The gray-haired rabbit muttered inwardly.
"Take him down!"
At Song Xiaotian's command, a group of Song family martial artists lunged at Ye Qingyun.
"I'm done for!"
Terrified of getting beaten, Ye Qingyun hurriedly closed his eyes, covered his head, and squatted down.
Yet the moment he squatted—
A series of miserable cries echoed all around.
"Ow!"
"Oh, mother!"
"Ah!"
...
Accompanied by a flurry of crashing and thumping sounds, the surroundings soon quieted down into a chorus of groans.
Ye Qingyun waited for a long time, but no attack ever landed on him.
"What's the situation?"
Unable to help himself, he opened his eyes and looked around.
At this sight, Ye Qingyun was dumbfounded once again.
Why were all these Song family martial artists sprawled out haphazardly on the ground?
Furthermore, every single one of them was bruised and battered, looking as though they had been severely beaten.
Yet these people had clearly come to beat me up, right?
Could it be an extortion scam?
Still, this was the first time Ye Qingyun had ever seen so many people pull off an extortion scam while beating themselves up so ruthlessly.
"Ahem, well, you see, this has nothing to do with me. You all just fell over yourselves—I didn't lift a finger, don't pin this on me."
Ye Qingyun raised both hands to show he was innocent.
But who would believe that?
"It seems you truly are hiding your true capabilities. I will have to step in and subdue you myself!"
With a gloomy expression, Song Xiaotian radiated a powerful aura.
He was indeed going to take action personally.
Song Xiaotian possessed the cultivation of the Late Core Condensation Realm, just a step away from entering the Great Perfection of Core Condensation.
Such cultivation was enough to rival the elders of the three major sects.
Ye Qingyun wore a bitter expression.
He had originally thought the cultivators in this world were quite benevolent.
Who would have thought vicious ones still existed?
It seemed everywhere was the same, filled with both good people and bad.
Not daring to be the least bit careless, Song Xiaotian went all out from the start.
A gigantic palm descended with a roar, carrying the momentum of a thousand jun.
Where had Ye Qingyun ever witnessed such a spectacle? He was frozen on the spot with fright, utterly unable to move.
"I'm going to die."
Just as Ye Qingyun thought he was finished—
Suddenly!
That gigantic palm shattered with a deafening crash.
Immediately following, a rebound force slammed directly into Song Xiaotian.
"Ah!!!"
Crying out in agony, Song Xiaotian vomited a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.
"Father!"
Song Chenglong cried out in alarm.
Even his own father was no match for this Ye Qingyun?
Could this person truly be so formidable?
Stumbling backward, Song Xiaotian crashed hard into a wall.
Boom!
The entire wall collapsed.
Vomiting blood repeatedly, Song Xiaotian turned as pale as a sheet, his eyes filled with terror.
"This person's cultivation is unfathomable. Truly terrifying beyond measure!"
Panic gripped Song Xiaotian's heart.
He had executed his absolute full strength.
Yet it had been completely useless.
He hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of how Ye Qingyun attacked before he was heavily wounded.
Moreover, Song Xiaotian could tell that the other party had likely held back.
Otherwise, he would probably be a corpse right now.
Song Xiaotian was terrified.
He was thoroughly terrified.
Especially when he thought of the reactions of the Taihao Sect and the Chancellor's Estate, Song Xiaotian understood everything in that instant.
It must be because of this expert!
The Taihao Sect and the Chancellor's Estate must have both feared this expert, which was why they distanced themselves from the Song family.
His strength was bound to be at a level that even those two factions had to submit to.
How laughable that he and his son had even plotted to kidnap him.
They truly had no idea whether they were living or dying.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Young and impetuous, Song Chenglong prepared to risk his life against Ye Qingyun.
Song Xiaotian hurriedly grabbed his son's arm.
"Father?"
Song Chenglong looked at his father in bewilderment.
"Do not show further disrespect to the expert! Kneel and beg the expert for forgiveness at once!"
Song Xiaotian said sternly.
"What?"
Song Chenglong was dumbfounded.
Kneel and beg this guy for forgiveness too?
"Dad, have you lost your mind?"
Slap!
Song Xiaotian delivered a direct slap across Song Chenglong's face, making his vision swim with stars.
Without hesitation, Song Xiaotian dropped to his knees before Ye Qingyun.
"The expert is above! We, father and son, were blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai, offending the expert. It is truly a grave sin."
"We only beg the expert to spare our lives!"
With that, Song Xiaotian began kowtowing to Ye Qingyun.
Seeing this, Song Chenglong had no choice but to follow suit and kowtow alongside his father.
Though deeply resentful inside,
given how powerful Ye Qingyun was, Song Chenglong had no choice but to swallow his pride.
Ye Qingyun was also pondering to himself.
Why did this father-and-son duo suddenly kneel, kowtow, and beg for mercy?
The problem was, Ye Qingyun had no idea what he had even done.
"Wait, it must be that my noble character has reformed them."
Aside from that, Ye Qingyun could think of no other possibility.
At this thought, Ye Qingyun placed his hands behind his back and assumed the posture of an expert.
"Do you know your wrongs?"
"We know our wrongs! We know them!"
"Our father and son were gravely mistaken, completely and utterly wrong!"
Filled with remorse, Song Xiaotian repeatedly acknowledged his faults.
Ye Qingyun nodded slightly.
"To know your wrongs is what matters; as the saying goes, 'He who knows his faults can mend them, and there is no greater virtue.' "
"Making mistakes is not terrible—lay down the butcher's knife and attain Buddhahood on the spot."
"Everyone is given a chance to be forgiven."
Hearing these words, the father and son felt as though evening drums and morning bells were ringing in their ears, shaking their very souls.
Especially behind Ye Qingyun, where an illusory projection of a Buddha manifested, instantly bathing the entire Ye Manor in Buddhist light.
"Bu... Buddhist supreme principles!"
Utterly terrified, Song Xiaotian immediately brought his palms together in piety, his face filled with devout reverence.
Chapter 33: Master, I have attained enlightenment!
Ye Qingyun failed to notice the Buddha projection behind him.
Seeing Song Xiaotian kneeling on the ground with palms pressed together in such a pious display, he simply assumed the man was a devout Buddhist.
"Since you believe in Buddhism, that makes things easy."
"Watch me reform you two."
Ye Qingyun felt entirely confident.
"Song Xiaotian, Song Chenglong, you father and son have committed countless evils and accumulated much karmic retribution. In the end, these retributions will come back to haunt you."
Ye Qingyun tried his best to portray a buddha-like demeanor.
Imagining the appearance of eminent Buddhist monks, he tried to mimic them as best as he could.
Perhaps because of this, the Buddha projection behind Ye Qingyun grew increasingly solid.
Even the features of the Buddha projection began to faintly resemble Ye Qingyun himself.
This left the Song father and son even more dumbfounded.
"This is actually an eminent Buddhist expert!"
The father and son were filled with shock.
Buddhist monks were extremely mysterious entities.
While Buddhism existed within the Tianwu Dynasty, it never amounted to much.
Legend had it that in the Western Territory beyond the Southern Wasteland, Buddhism flourished.
There even existed a Buddhist Realm where everyone revered monks and the Buddha, and the status of Buddhist practitioners was incomparably noble.
Never did the Song father and son expect that Ye Qingyun was also a follower of Buddhism.
Judging by his appearance, he was undoubtedly an unfathomably profound existence within the Buddhist fold.
For a moment, deep regret washed over the two.
Had they known the man was this formidable, they never would have provoked him.
"Expert, our father and son... we haven't really done that many bad things."
Song Xiaotian said somewhat evasively.
Ye Qingyun shook his head.
"The Buddha is everywhere. What you have done, and what you haven't done, the Buddha sees it all. Nothing can escape the eyes of the Buddha."
Before his voice faded, the eyes of the Buddha projection behind Ye Qingyun suddenly gleamed with light, shining directly down upon the Song father and son.
The father and son trembled all over.
Under the gaze of those Buddha eyes, the two felt as though their very souls were being purified.
Every single deed from their past surged before their eyes.
Every evil act they had committed appeared with utmost clarity, one after another.
The faces of the father and son turned ashen.
Only then did they deeply realize how many wicked things they had done in the past.
Overwhelmed with shame, the two bowed their heads low.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingyun wore a peculiar expression.
"Where did this golden light come from? So mystical?"
He turned his head to look, but could not detect any abnormalities whatsoever.
While everyone else could see the Buddha projection, Ye Qingyun alone remained blind to it.
"Expert, we father and son know we were wrong!"
"We know our wrongs, truly we do!"
The father and son repeatedly kowtowed to Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun nodded with satisfaction.
"Although you two have committed many evils, my Buddha is merciful; everyone has a chance to be forgiven."
"Starting from today, you must perform more good deeds and keep benevolent thoughts in your hearts. This will certainly eliminate the past karmic retribution of you both."
Upon hearing this, the Song father and son instantly became thrilled.
As long as the karmic retribution could be eliminated, they were willing to do anything.
Let alone merely performing good deeds.
Perform good deeds?
Wasn't that far too easy?
"We will remember this!"
Song Xiaotian said.
"I haven't finished yet."
Ye Qingyun continued, "Most importantly, you must chant Buddhist scriptures every day."
"Buddhist scriptures?"
The father and son stared blankly at each other.
"Master, we don't understand Buddhist scriptures at all."
Song Xiaotian said.
"No matter. This humble monk... ah no, I will impart a scripture to you right now. Remember to recite it three times daily: morning, noon, and night."
The father and son were overjoyed.
"Thank you, Master!"
Ye Qingyun uttered an acknowledgement, then immediately began chanting the scripture.
"This scripture is called the Heart Sutra."
The father and son hurriedly fetched paper and brush, wearing expressions of intense concentration, resembling students taking notes in a classroom.
"Ahem."
"When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita, he perceived that the five aggregates are all empty, and thus was saved from all suffering and distress."
"Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness are also like this."
"Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness: not produced, not destroyed, not defiled, not pure, neither increasing nor decreasing."
"Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness..."
...
"Gate gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha."
A complete Heart Sutra was recited fluently and smoothly by Ye Qingyun just like that.
When he finished reciting the sutra,
the Buddha projection behind Ye Qingyun shone brighter than ever before.
A brilliant beam of Buddhist light soared straight into the highest heavens.
Boom!
In that instant.
Within a radius of a thousand miles, anyone who glanced upward could witness this golden pillar of light.
All factions across the Tianwu Dynasty were stirred into motion.
"This is Buddhist light!"
"Such a concentrated and pure Buddhist light—could an eminent monk have achieved sudden enlightenment?"
"It could even be the reincarnation of a Buddha!"
"Hurry and check what is going on!"
...
In an instant, numerous individuals rushed toward the direction where the Buddhist light had erupted.
Meanwhile.
Far away in the Western Territory, far from the Tianwu Dynasty.
This was a paradise of Buddhism.
In the mouths of outsiders, it was also known as the Western Paradise.
An incense-filled temple shone with brilliant light as streams of people came and went.
In the quiet rooms of the temple's courtyard,
an aged monk who had been in meditative seclusion for forty-nine years suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hmm? Buddhist aura soaring into the sky from the southern lands?"
Flashing outward, the aged monk gazed toward the south with a pair of piercingly bright eyes.
Vaguely, he seemed to catch sight of the golden Buddha behind Ye Qingyun.
"Grandmaster!"
The monk's appearance startled the many eminent monks in the temple, who hurried over.
"Hurry! Send people to the Tianwu Dynasty in the Southern Wasteland! The Buddhist Saint Son has manifested there!"
"What? The Buddhist Saint Son?"
The monks were shocked.
The Buddhist Saint Son—that was someone the Western Territory Buddhism had searched bitterly for many years without success.
Even within the Bodhi Buddhist Realm, merely three suspected Buddhist Saint Sons had appeared, not yet fully confirmed.
Yet now, the grandmaster claimed the Buddhist Saint Son was born in the Southern Wasteland outside the Western Territory?
How could this be?
Yet none of the monks dared to doubt the grandmaster's words.
For this elder was the most senior monk in the Xichan Temple and one of the supreme figures across the entire Western Territory's Buddhism.
His words were absolute Buddhist principles, defying anyone's doubt.
Without delay, the Xichan Temple immediately dispatched monks speeding directly toward the Southern Wasteland.
Not only Xichan Temple, but various Buddhist factions throughout the Western Territory also dispatched their own disciples, hurrying toward the Southern Wasteland.
All of them came solely to unravel the secret behind that beam of Buddhist light.
As the instigator of it all, Ye Qingyun remained completely oblivious to the massive sensation his recitation of the scripture had caused in the distant Western Territory.
"Did you two memorize it?"
The Song father and son were thoroughly stunned.
Immersed in the scripture Ye Qingyun had just chanted, though they did not yet fully grasp the profound truths contained within the sutra,
merely listening to it once made them feel as though they had suddenly attained great enlightenment.
Their outlook on life had fundamentally transformed from that moment on.
"Master, I have attained enlightenment!"
The father and son cried out in unison.
Chapter 34: Increasing the effort
Whether the Song father and son had truly attained enlightenment remained unclear to Ye Qingyun.
However, he knew his little life was at least secure.
"Good, as long as you've attained enlightenment."
Ye Qingyun nodded and said.
The Song father and son now truly resembled devoted Buddhist disciples, their faces filled with pious reverence.
As they looked at Ye Qingyun, their gaze was akin to looking upon a deity.
"Master, we really created too much bad karma before."
"Indeed, Master, please offer us more guidance."
"Master, why don't we take you as our master?"
"Master, why aren't you saying anything?"
...
Crowding around Ye Qingyun, the Song father and son addressed him as "Master" with every breath.
It left Ye Qingyun somewhat at a loss.
"There's no need to take me as master. You just need to remember my words, keep reciting the Heart Sutra every day, and your karmic obstacles will naturally vanish."
Ye Qingyun said with a serene expression.
"Many thanks, Master! Thank you, Master!"
The father and son bowed repeatedly.
"Then this humble monk... ah no, I shall take my leave first."
"We, father and son, shall see the Master off!"
"Nonsense! We should escort the Master all the way back to Fuyun Mountain!"
Ye Qingyun: "..."
And so,
Ye Qingyun was respectfully escorted back to Fuyun Mountain by the Song father and son.
Along the way, they continued to consult him on Buddhist doctrines.
What did Ye Qingyun know about Buddhism?
He could only rely on his glib tongue to spout nonsense, casually tossing out ambiguous and pseudo-profound remarks.
In any case, from Ye Qingyun's perspective, wasn't Buddhist doctrine just a bunch of vague and ambiguous mumbo-jumbo anyway?
Upon reaching Fuyun Mountain, Ye Qingyun waved his hand at the Song father and son.
"You two go back. Remember to chant the Buddhist scriptures more often and do more good deeds."
"We will firmly engrave the Master's teachings in our hearts!"
The father and son bowed in unison.
"Right, until we meet again."
Ye Qingyun headed up the mountain.
Filled with joy, the Song father and son returned to the Song Manor.
That very night, the father and son set up a Buddhist shrine within the manor.
They even commissioned a golden Buddha statue, and the face of the Buddha statue was modeled directly after Ye Qingyun's appearance.
They had essentially enshrined Ye Qingyun as a living Buddha.
Had Ye Qingyun known, he probably would have vomited blood on the spot.
Throughout the night, the Song father and son chanted the Heart Sutra in the shrine, the sound of their recitation echoing through the entire Song household.
Their piety knew no bounds.