chapter 0588 part 1
## 588. Chapter 570: Respect Others' Fate
The young man with the messy hair finished three large bowls of wontons and six or seven steamed buns in one go. Only then did he wipe his mouth and put his palms together towards Emperor Tang in a gesture of thanks.
Beside him, the little milk doll Danxia looked at the wontons in her bowl, which she had only eaten a little over half of, then looked at Chen Xuanzang's completely licked-clean wonton bowl. Her dark, round eyes even held a hint of admiration.
She rubbed her bulging little belly and looked pleadingly at Emperor Tang beside her: "Uncle Tang, I can't eat anymore!"
Emperor Tang patted her head, took the wonton bowl from in front of her, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and unhurriedly ate a slightly broken wonton.
"Hmm, if I remember correctly, your name is Chen Xuanzang!"
The young man with the messy hair, who was Chen Xuanzang, was startled: "Benefactor knows me!"
"I met Duan Xiaoxiao once in the Demon Subduing Division!" Emperor Tang said while eating the wontons: "Isn't she with you?"
"Miss Duan!"
A look of awkwardness appeared on Chen Xuanzang's face. His presence here had a lot to do with Miss Duan.
He was a Lay Cultivator. Although he hadn't shaved his head and become a monk, he had always followed his Master in Cultivation and sincerely considered himself a monk. However, Miss Duan was determined to marry him and have children. Annoyed by her persistence, he had quietly slipped away.
He had originally intended to come to Chang'an to find his Master, but following the Marker his Master had left behind, he hadn't found the person, but his travel expenses were almost gone.
For the past two days, he had been living by begging. Fortunately, due to the Timely Rain a few years ago, the Common People of the Great Tang Dynasty were not short of Grain, which allowed him to arrive at this Small Town, sometimes hungry, sometimes full, and meet this kind person before him.
"Do you like her?"
After listening to Chen Xuanzang's story, Emperor Tang finished the last wonton in the bowl and looked at Chen Xuanzang with interest.
This World was evolved from "He"'s Path to Dao. Chen Xuanzang's thoughts and feelings could very well illustrate the State of Mind of that Buddha back then.
One must know that Miss Duan was an allegory for the Great Bodhisattva, the foremost in the Buddhist School. Gossip was everyone's nature, let alone involving the old affairs between two Great Principle experts. Even Emperor Tang, a Deity condensed from Incense Offerings / Faith Power, couldn't suppress his curiosity.
Under Emperor Tang's Gaze, which was so gossipy it was almost Substantialized, Chen Xuanzang felt a wave of irritation for some reason.
Under Miss Duan's pressure to marry, he hadn't chosen to refuse but had chosen to escape. This spoke volumes. Youthful Affection, to say that he felt no stirrings in his heart under Miss Duan's Pursuit was false.
But his Master's teachings since childhood told him to have Great Love, to Universal Salvation of Sentient Beings, to abandon small love for Great Love. He had his own Responsibility.
Chen Xuanzang raised his Head, meeting Emperor Tang's Gaze, which clearly showed he had guessed correctly. For some reason, he subconsciously turned his Head away, not wanting to answer the question.
However, Emperor Tang had already gotten the answer he wanted from his reaction.
"Monkey, a big Monkey!"
Suddenly, the little milk doll pointed her chubby Finger into the Distance and shouted loudly.
Boom! A loud sound broke Chen Xuanzang's Thoughts. He looked up, following the Direction the little milk doll was pointing.
He saw that at the Street corner in the Distance, a Chinese Scholar Tree exploded with a bang. A Monster Qi steamed up, and a human-sized Monkey leaped onto the Building by the street and fled in a panic.
"Demon Monster!"
Chen Xuanzang subconsciously pulled out a Rattle-drum from his Bundle and was about to step forward to Subdue Demons.
"Just a Mountain Demon that was driven down the mountain. Someone will Deal with it!" Emperor Tang put down his Chopsticks, tapped the table with his Finger, and his Gaze fell on the Rattle-drum in Chen Xuanzang's hand:
"Although this Mountain Demon isn't very strong, it has a hundred years of Dao Cultivation. You dare to go forward to Subdue Demons with just this Rattle-drum?"
"Amitabha Buddha! Exorcism does not necessarily require Swords. Demon Monsters also have Good Thoughts in their hearts. As long as we awaken the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty within them, Demon Monsters can also be Converted!"
"Do you know why Buddhism became the prominent Religion in the World?"
Chen Xuanzang didn't understand why this person suddenly asked this question, but for him, who had thoroughly studied Buddhist Dharma and read countless Scriptures, this question was not difficult to answer:
"Because Buddhist Dharma is boundless and offers Universal Salvation of Sentient Beings!"
Emperor Tang smiled and shook his Head: "The reason Buddhism was able to overtake others in the Great Tang Dynasty later on is because the Ruler needed it. The Buddhist School seeks the next life, viewing the Suffering of this life as Arduous Cultivation and tempering, teaching the Common People only one word: endure.
For the Imperial Court, this Philosophy of Buddhism is undoubtedly more effective in keeping the lower class ignorant, which is why it could flourish!"
Chen Xuanzang looked at Emperor Tang in astonishment. This kind of Explanation was not found in the Buddhist Scriptures he had read: "That's not right. Buddhist Scriptures guide people towards goodness. There are many Evildoers in the World. Only by washing away the sins in the hearts of the People of the World with Buddhist Dharma can the World be purified!"
Emperor Tang looked at the pure-faced Chen Xuanzang before him, as if seeing a college student from his Past Life who hadn't left school and hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society, equally naive.
"Purify the World? Back then, Kṣitigarbha made a Great Vow, swearing not to become a Buddha until Hell is empty. To this day, He is still a Bodhisattva. If your Buddhist Scriptures were effective, then why are there still Vicious Ghosts in Hell!"
Chen Xuanzang put his Palms Together and said: "My Sin, My Sin. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva King making a Great Vow is Great Compassion. The Bodhisattva sits in Yin Mountain Converting Evil Ghosts. We in the Mortal Realm Convert the People of the World. Although there is much evil in the World, this humble Monk believes that under the influence of Buddhist Dharma, there will one day be no more Evildoers in the World, and no more Evil Ghosts in Hell!"
Emperor Tang looked at the pure-faced Chen Xuanzang, playing with the Golden Sarira in his hand, and just smiled.
In the Jambudvīpa World, the reason the Buddhist School and the Daoist Sect stand side by side is because their Fists are hard enough.
What is the greatest thing in this World? Reason? No, it's Fists. Only when your Fists are hard enough do your words have Reason.
Awakening the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in the hearts of Demon Monsters? Look, if Tathagata's Palm wasn't big and hard enough, how many of the Buddhas on Spirit Mountain would have truly Converted?
Do you really think a book of Three Hundred Nursery Rhymes can awaken the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of Demon Monsters? It still relies on Tathagata's big slap.
It's a pity that Tathagata's big slap in this World is still not as hard as my Fist.
"You said one thing correctly. Subduing Demons and Vanquishing Monsters doesn't just rely on Swords. Hmm, Guns can also work!"
"Ah?" Chen Xuanzang looked at Emperor Tang in confusion, following his Gaze towards the Street not far away.
On the Street, teams of Prefectural Soldiers wearing Armor and holding Flintlock Muskets appeared from somewhere, lining up and launching an Attack on the Mountain Demon fleeing across the Rooftops.
"Bang bang bang bang—"
Black Gunpowder ignited, sending up white Smoke. Dense Lead Bullets shot out, whistling as they landed on the Mountain Demon leaping on the Rooftops.
A dozen Lead Bullets landed squarely on the Mountain Demon's Body, embedding themselves in its Animal Hides, splashing out bursts of Blood. However, they did not cause a fatal injury to the Mountain Demon.
Hit by the Lead Bullets, the Mountain Demon grimaced in pain, letting out strange cries at the Prefecture Army Soldiers below the Building. It constantly beat its chest with both hands, its white Monkey Face full of ferocity.
Monster Qi surged. With the strange cries, the Body Size of this Mountain Demon expanded several times. It leaped into the air and pounced towards the Prefecture Army Soldiers.
"Tiger!"