劍問蒼天 - 第181章 無字玉壁 - 清風書屋

Ming Li had never imagined that the Venerable Pu Cheng would say such a thing, and for a moment he was struck dumb. In these days at Fan Yin Temple, his state of mind had been utterly different from before—greatly calm and at ease—and in the depths of his heart he liked it very much. Yet he was, after all, a man such as this, and there were still things he could not let go.

He was silent a long while, then slowly raised his head and made a deep bow to the Venerable Pu Cheng. "I know that you speak to me in true sincerity, Master, and wish to enlighten this stubborn fool. But I am a man of the mortal world, drifting with its tides, and in that world there are countless ties I cannot bring myself to sever. Forgive me, Master, but I cannot accept your kindness."

Having said this, he gave a long sigh and made to turn and leave, but the Venerable Pu Cheng spoke: "Benefactor, wait."

Ming Li said, "Master, is there something more?"

A trace of thought passed over the Venerable Pu Cheng's face, and he said slowly, "Benefactor's heart is as firm as stone, and I would not presume to force you. But if you are willing, this temple has a request, and I hope Benefactor will grant it."

Ming Li was slightly surprised. "What is it? Speak freely, Abbot."

Master Pucheng looked at him and said, "When Junior Brother Puzhao came to such an end in those years, it was his own doing and his guilt could not be forgiven; yet at root, that monstrous thing the Blood-Devouring Bead cannot escape its share of blame. And now, though Junior Brother Puzhao has long since passed, this evil thing still remains upon you, Benefactor, and preys upon the young benefactor."

Mingli was silent for a moment, then said, "What does the Abbot mean?"

Master Pucheng pressed his palms together and said, "The young benefactor need not be uneasy; this old monk harbors no ill intent. It is only that the Blood-Devouring Bead holds within it a fierce and violent malevolence that harms others and harms oneself. After Junior Brother Puzhao passed away, for more than ten years, even as this old monk grieved bitterly, I never ceased to dwell on this matter, until Heaven took pity on me and I devised a method that may perhaps restrain the malevolence of such evil things as the Blood-Devouring Bead. I wonder, young benefactor, would you be willing to try it?"

Mingli's expression changed. Though the Blood-Devouring Bead was boundless in power, that malevolent force had, over these ten-odd years, caused him no end of suffering, until even his temperament seemed gradually to have been altered by it. Sometimes he too thought of Puzhao's fate in those days, and thought of what would happen if he himself should come under the sway of that malevolence, and could not keep cold sweat from seeping out. But such a matter could not be spoken of to outsiders; worried though he was, he had no good remedy. Little did he expect that today he should suddenly hear Master Pucheng speak in this way, striking straight at the place of his deepest dread.

Mingli pondered a long while before he said slowly, "To think the Abbot has such a remedy. How would it be done?"

Master Pucheng's face grew solemn, and he said, "The method is in truth simple. Put plainly, it is nothing more than to use the divine power of my Buddha and his boundless compassion to dissolve and subdue all the malevolence in this world. Behind our Brahma Voice Temple there is a place called the Wordless Jade Wall, more than seven zhang high and smooth as jade. Legend has it that the founding patriarch of Brahma Voice Temple attained his understanding of the Buddhist truth beneath that Wordless Jade Wall, and from there established our lineage."