Chapter 346: Forty-Nine Heavens

Chen Ji left.

The crowd watched Chen Ji and the young monk walking away, chatting and laughing, wanting to speak but hesitating. They wanted to ask Chen Ji about the debate: why could evil people achieve Buddhahood? Had he anticipated a second debate with Wuzhai? Had he prepared for it beforehand?

But before they could gather their thoughts, Chen Ji had already gone far.

Qi Zhenwu stood in Bright Reflections Pavilion, looking back at the half-extinguished candles in the main hall. "Today's events have escalated significantly," he said. "Brother Chen Ji has cut off one path of cultivation for Yuanjue Temple."

Qi Zhaoning asked, puzzled, "Brother, it's not that serious, is it? It was just a lost debate."

Qi Zhenwu shook his head. "As long as 'no-self' remains unchanged, this path of debate will be open to all in the future, except for the Buddhist monastic order."

Shen Ye sat behind a desk and laughed heartily. "Master Qi, this is because the Buddhist order has set itself too high, and it's lonely at the top. Although Brother Chen Ji didn't leave any poems at the literary gathering today, this debate alone is enough to make this event famous for all time. Future generations will refer to it as the 'Bright Reflections Pavilion Case'."

Lin Chaojing, unwilling to hear more about Chen Ji, sat back down at his desk. "Never mind them," he said. "Let's continue the literary gathering. Whose turn was it to compose a poem just now? Shouldn't the poetry clock be reset?"

But Shen Ye picked up his brush-filled Xuan paper, stood up, and said, "Enjoy yourselves, everyone. I must take my leave."

Lin Chaojing tried to persuade him to stay. "Brother Shen, why not linger a little longer? Our literary gathering is only halfway through."

Shen Ye laughed. "Even the Buddhist Acolyte said that literary gatherings are 'covering truth with vulgarity.' How could I, Shen, have the face to engage in such mundane affairs again? From now on, I will no longer participate in literary gatherings. Let's just drink, no more poetry."

Lin Chaojing, looking a bit uncomfortable, still tried to persuade him. "Then let's just drink."

Shen Ye shook his head. "I still need to rush to Wenyuan Bookstore to print the record of this debate, so that everyone in the world knows about this grand event. One joy shared is better than one joy kept!"

With that, Shen Ye left without looking back, and more than half of the southern literati who followed his lead also departed. Bright Reflections Pavilion was left nearly empty.

Qi Zhaoning stood by the threshold, looking at the distant secluded path, only now turning to Qi Zhaoyun. "Sister," she asked, "Is he really Li Changge?"

Qi Zhaoyun said helplessly, "You should just call him Chen Ji. He has his own name."

Qi Zhaoning grew excited. "Then tell me, if 'The Four Dreams of Bianliang' had a sequel, wouldn't I also appear in the play? Last time, Li Changge and the Princess..."

As she spoke, she suddenly realized that in the story of Li Changge, the illegitimate son in 'The Four Dreams of Bianliang,' there was another protagonist.

Li Changge, holding the reins, walked through the dark, long 'One-Line Sky' path at Luhun Villa, passing through a torrential blizzard, a truly moving sight. Li Changge had debated not only for himself but also to obtain the immortal medicine from Huangshan Daoist Temple for the Princess.

And she, Qi Zhaoning, even if she appeared in a new story, would only be an observer.

Qi Zhaoning mumbled softly, "The Princess... King Jing was clearly guilty of treason, so why didn't His Majesty grant her death directly and instead let her live? Sister, as long as she's alive, Li Changge's heart will only be for her, won't it?"

Qi Zhaoyun's expression changed, and her tone became stern. "Zhaoning, matters of life and death cannot be decided by one's personal preferences. That's a human life."

Qi Zhaoning rolled her eyes. "They were the ones who conspired rebellion, not me."

Qi Zhaoyun said with a helpless expression, "Zhaoning, don't be willful. Since he is the one you admire, and Grandfather is also fond of him, you just need to let things take their natural course."

Qi Zhaoning retorted petulantly, "When did I say he was the one I admire? He is him, Li Changge is Li Changge, they are different! Besides, he did so much for the Princess, but nothing for me. Why should he?"

Qi Zhaoyun glanced at her. "Then let Zhenzhu become engaged to him."

Qi Zhaoning raised her delicate eyebrows and instinctively said, "Why should Qi Zhenzhu... Never mind. I won't participate in literary gatherings anymore; all the poems are simply vulgar."

At this moment, Lin Chaojing, seated at the desk, was about to propose a toast when he saw Qi Zhaoning, holding her pink skirt, lead her maid out of Bright Reflections Pavilion. Qi Zhaoyun and Huang Que exchanged a glance, then also left Bright Reflections Pavilion, one after the other, with unspoken understanding.

The literary gathering ended unhappily.

In the winding bamboo path of the Qi family estate.

Qi Zhenzhu exclaimed excitedly, "Master, you actually have such a skill!"

"Just now, I thought you were going to lose the debate, but then Wuzhai spat out a mouthful of blood and actually fell from the Dao-seeking realm to the innate realm. It's my first time seeing an official's cultivation realm drop!"

"If I had known there would be such a good show, I would have called brother-in-law and the others to watch!"

Qi Zhenzhu chattered incessantly along the secluded path in the Koi Garden. Becoming particularly animated, he even stopped to imitate Chen Ji, softly saying, "Let go."

Chen Ji looked at him helplessly. "That's enough."

Qi Zhenzhu laughed. "Later, I'll show brother-in-law and the others. Oh, and I've also heard the stories told by the storyteller at the tea house. Did you really lead the Princess's horse that day...?"

As he spoke, Qi Zhenzhu's smile gradually faded, and he finally realized he had spoken out of turn.

Chen Ji stopped by a bamboo grove and said to Qi Zhenzhu, "You go have a drink first. The Buddhist Acolyte from Yunzhou and I have reunited after a long time, and I'd like to speak with him alone for a few words."

"Ah, alright, alright, I'll go drink first," Qi Zhenzhu said, turning and fleeing in a hurry.

After Qi Zhenzhu was out of sight, Chen Ji turned to the young monk. "Are you still accustomed to living at Yuanjue Temple?"

The young monk grumbled incessantly, "I'm not used to it. Yuanjue Temple has too many rules. Every day, I have to wake up at the hour of the Tiger (3-5 AM) to attend morning lessons in the Mahavira Hall. We have to stand in positions according to our monastic age, and if you stand in the wrong spot, you're punished. A large group of monks chanting scriptures for an hour before we can eat, and after eating, we have to transcribe scriptures. After transcribing, we sit in meditation for two hours, and after meditating, we have to recite scriptures. If you make a mistake reciting, you have to kneel until you get it right... It's completely unlike when I was in the prince's residence; back then, if I really wanted to laze in bed, no one would bother me."

Chen Ji chuckled. "You're the Buddhist Acolyte from Yunzhou. Do you have to be like them too?"

The young monk mumbled, looking down, "That's what I said too, but every time I say it, the old monk tells me that all sentient beings are equal, and I can't argue with them... Why don't you go and debate with the old monk for me? He definitely won't be able to win against you."

Chen Ji laughed heartily. "I'm afraid if I go to their territory and they can't win the debate, they might just resort to violence against me."

"That's true," the young monk mumbled. "But Buddhism emphasizes sudden enlightenment. How can one achieve sudden enlightenment when they're not even fully awake at the hour of the Tiger in the morning? Plus, I don't have any friends at Yuanjue Temple, not even anyone to talk to."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Is it because your mind-reading ability allows you to see the evil in their hearts, so you can't be friends with them?"

The young monk shook his head. "No, it's because they're afraid of me, so they don't want to be friends with me."

Chen Ji understood.

The young monk looked at the moon above and sighed, "How many people's hearts can withstand direct scrutiny? Recently, an official brought his family to Yuanjue Temple to offer incense. The official wished for his wife to die soon, and the wife also wished for the official to die soon. Don't you think that couple is strange? The monks in the temple have a heart for seeking wealth, and those who have committed countless murders come to the temple to pray for Bodhisattva's blessings."

Chen Ji said nothing more, standing silently by the moonlit bamboo grove, listening to the young monk's complaints. He turned to look at the innocent young monk beside him, feeling as if the boy was trapped in a mire of purgatory.

Being able to see into others' hearts was also a source of distress.

The young monk murmured, "I wish I didn't have mind-reading."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Young monk, what is the evil in my heart?"

The young monk looked at him. "What's in your heart isn't evil; it's suffering."

Chen Ji froze.

For some reason, when Chen Ji's innermost thoughts were mentioned, the young monk's innocence receded, as if he had matured in an instant.

He gazed into the distance and said, "Just now you told Wuzhai to let go, but you yourself are carrying a mountain as vast as Mount Kailash. Benefactor, if a mountain is too high, even eagles won't fly up it. On such mountains, there are only gods, not people."

Chen Ji remained silent for a long time.

The young monk looked back at him. "Why don't you let go?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "If I could let go, I would have become a monk too."

The young monk shook his head. "Many people become monks precisely because they can't let go. If one could truly let go so easily, why would they need to become a monk?"

Chen Ji mused, "Should I really become a monk?"

The young monk thought for a moment. "Then come to Yuanjue Temple. You're brave; you could secretly take me over the wall to play at night."

They looked at each other, then suddenly threw their heads back and burst into laughter, unable to stop. They didn't even know what they were laughing about.

However, the young monk's smile gradually faded. He pointed at Chen Ji's chest and said seriously, "Benefactor, that isn't entirely about love."

Chen Ji listened to the rustling of the bamboo grove. After a long time, he softly said, "I know."

He found a patch of grass by the bamboo grove and sat down, looking up at the young monk and changing the subject. "Why don't you move out of Yuanjue Temple? The east and west wings of my house are still empty."

The young monk's eyes lit up, then dimmed again.

Ignoring his moon-white kasaya, he imitated Chen Ji and sat on the grass. "I can't. I'm a hostage of the Esoteric Sect in the Ning Dynasty. I don't get to decide where I live. If the supervising monk can't find me one day, they might even ask the imperial court to issue a warrant for my arrest. Since coming to the capital, I've wanted to return to Luocheng every day, but before I could, I heard some bad news... I'm sorry for troubling you."

Chen Ji looked up at the moon in the sky. "It's alright, not so difficult to bear."

The young monk asked, puzzled, "When I first saw you, I thought you had already severed greed and anger. My master said that it's remarkable for any mortal to sever even one. But looking closely at you now, I see you have a deficiency; it's as if you were born without greed or anger, leaving only 'infatuation'. Infatuation is attachment, and 'attachment' is the very word Wuzhai avoids most. Yet, in your destiny, only 'attachment' remains... It cannot be severed, no matter what."

Chen Ji laughed heartily. "If it can't be severed, then don't sever it. If everything were severed, wouldn't I lose my humanity? By the way, can you tell me what King Jing was thinking before she died?"

The young monk shook his head. "I cannot say. My master said that even with karmic connections from past lives, one must not explicitly reveal another person's thoughts by name to a third party, or one will incur karmic debt. This isn't just about hiding names; if I say something and you know who it refers to, karma will be created. There was once a Western Regions monk who abused his mind-reading ability and was poisoned to death by someone; that was karmic retribution. Furthermore, purple energy also enveloped King Jing, making her impossible to see through."

Chen Ji was direct. "Then I won't ask."

The young monk smiled happily. "You're different from the senior monks at Yuanjue Temple. Every time officials or nobles come to burn incense and worship Buddha, they want me to hide in the side hall of the Mahavira Hall and secretly see what those high-ranking officials are thinking. It was like that when Grand Secretary Xu came, and also when Grand Secretary Chen came, but the Grand Secretaries had purple energy around them, so I couldn't see anything. Later, they weren't satisfied, so they wanted me to look at mid-ranking and low-ranking officials. When I refused, they deliberately forced me to attend morning lessons and transcribe scriptures, saying that if I was willing to help them see into people's hearts, I could be excused from these chores."

Chen Ji frowned. "I'll figure out a way to help you leave Yuanjue Temple."

The young monk's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Then, the young monk's gaze dimmed again. "No, don't. You're already carrying enough burdens; don't concern yourself with me. I'm not just being polite; I'm a hostage, and I can only cultivate at Yuanjue Temple."

Chen Ji looked at the young monk, then dropped the subject. "You came down from the Forty-Nine Heavens. Can you tell me about the Forty-Nine Heavens?"

This was Chen Ji's closest moment to the Forty-Nine Heavens; he couldn't ask anyone else, only this young monk.

Since coming to this world, the Forty-Nine Heavens had clung to him like a curse, day and night. Yet, the place he came from clearly wasn't like the Forty-Nine Heavens people spoke of.

The young monk rubbed his bald head and began to speak to Chen Ji. "Everyone says I came from Tushita Heaven, but I haven't attained enlightenment yet, so I don't remember where I came from, why I came, or where I'm supposed to go. I asked my master, but he told me to come to the Central Plains and find the reason myself."

Chen Ji was surprised. He idly plucked a weed from the ground and twirled it in his fingers. "In this vast sea of people, how can one search when they know nothing?"

The young monk said awkwardly, "That's what I thought too, but Master said that if I can't find it in this life, I should continue searching in the next, until I do. He also said that I've already searched for three lifetimes, and if I still can't find it in this third life, then I'll search in the fourth, fifth... tenth life. I'll surely find it eventually."

Chen Ji found it strange. "Odd, when will this search end? Do all who come down from the Forty-Nine Heavens lose their past memories?"

The young monk quickly corrected him, "No, no, no, only reincarnated Buddhist Acolytes are like this. Senior Brother Xu Shu isn't; he remembers everything clearly. The old monks at Yuanjue Temple constantly urge him to cultivate well and return to the Forty-Nine Heavens soon. He says 'yes, yes, yes' with his mouth, but in his heart, he doesn't... Oh, I almost let it slip, I can't say. Anyway, he not only doesn't want to go back himself, but he also advises me not to go back."

Chen Ji was torn between laughter and tears. "Wait a minute, you can't call him Senior Brother anymore. You have to call him Senior Uncle, otherwise, you'll be a generation higher than me."

The young monk said, "Oh. Okay."

He was quite receptive to advice.

Chen Ji asked, puzzled, "Both of you came from the Forty-Nine Heavens, so why does he have memories while you don't?"

The young monk candidly replied, "I also envy him, so I asked him about it. But he said this world is very fair. Although he has memories, he doesn't have innate divine abilities. While I don't have memories, I do have divine abilities, so I don't need to envy him."

Chen Ji pondered, looking down. Xu Shu had already explained the "difference" between them. It seemed the other had also revealed that there was more than one way to descend from the Forty-Nine Heavens.

But why was Xu Shu unwilling to return to the Forty-Nine Heavens, and why did he advise the young monk not to return either?