Chapter 633 — The Heavenly Lord's Frame-Up
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
"There is." The sweeping monk laughed. "But I cannot use my own method; I must still leave the Heavenly Court some face. If I sent King Buddha Sakra out myself, that face would be gone. So you two must find your own way. Do not involve me or the Buddha Realm."
Shen Mu scratched his head, then suddenly blurted, "In other words, we helped the Buddha Realm purge the Heavenly Court's influence and spared it from falling into the Heavenly Court's grasp, and then all the blame is piled on my head and King Buddha Sakra's — while the Buddha Realm and the King Buddha get off scot-free and reap every benefit? And on top of that we must flee to the ends of the earth? Is that how it is?"
The sweeping monk looked up at him, smiling. "That's right."
Shen Mu stood dumb as a wooden chicken. After a moment, he ventured, "Are all the older generation this treacherous?"
"That's right." The sweeping monk chuckled. "Though we call it 'transcendent wisdom,' not 'treachery.'"
Shen Mu's face was like black iron. "Is there any difference between transcendent wisdom and treachery?"
The sweeping monk continued sweeping and laughed. "In truth, you and I have long been fated — we have met many times. Rest assured, I will not let you suffer too much. The Emperor's Throne True Scripture I shall not pass to you directly, but Shen Fengqing swallowed one of my primordial spirits, and that primordial spirit has transformed into a Great Buddha hidden within your Third Sacred Pupil."
Shen Mu touched the golden willow leaf on his brow. He very much wanted to peel it off and look in a mirror to see whether a Great Buddha truly sat within his eye. But at the thought that a single stir of his cultivation method might turn him into the monstrous giant infant Shen Fengqing, he had no choice but to endure.
"This Great Buddha can join with Lord Tu's seal to help you suppress Shen Fengqing, so that he cannot break through the seal and turn on you. Moreover, this Great Buddha contains my Emperor's Throne True Scripture. I will not transmit it to you directly; you must fathom it yourself. How much you comprehend is your own affair."
The sweeping monk swept with great care and said, "If you have the ability, you may comprehend what Zhankong could comprehend. If your insight is somewhat poorer, you may still comprehend what Chenghuai could fathom. And if your obsession runs too deep, it is also possible that you comprehend nothing at all. I have given the True Scripture, and the chamber pot is fastened in place."
As he swept, a courtyard appeared ahead, no one knew when. In the courtyard, King Buddha Sakra was deeply absorbed in fathoming something.
The sweeping monk swept his way inside, and Shen Mu followed step by step behind him. The sweeping monk continued, "Since matters are now more or less settled, it is time for you to leave. Junior brother, please rise. I must sweep away the dust left upon your mind, lest it defile my pure little abode."
King Buddha Sakra suddenly woke from his enlightenment. He looked at the sweeping monk, then at the black-faced Shen Mu, and said in surprise, "Elder brother, is the matter settled?"
The sweeping monk said, "It is settled."
King Buddha Sakra ventured, "The chamber pot is fastened?"
"It is already fastened on the crown of your head. Very firm, very steady — you will not be able to pull it off."
King Buddha Sakra let out a breath and laughed. "A mere little pot — I shall bear it, so long as the Buddha Realm is preserved and the lineage of the Way is secured. By the way, elder brother, is this chamber pot large? How long before it can be washed clean?"
The sweeping monk hesitated. "You never said it had to be washed clean. So this pot is a bit large, and there is rather a lot of filth in it... But it can still be washed clean."
There was one more sentence he did not speak aloud: "When the heavens are changed, it can be washed clean."