Chapter 43: The Buddha

"He became a Buddha."

The old abbot's calm statement sent a chill down Li Huowang's spine.

He snapped his head upward, glancing at the surrounding five massive golden Buddha statues. Just moments ago, they had appeared solemn and serene, but now, to Li Huowang, their expressions seemed to twist into something entirely different.

He shifted uneasily but hesitated when he noticed the bright midday sunlight streaming through the open doors. Looking back at the old abbot, Li Huowang found the man as composed as ever, seated calmly, showing neither joy nor sadness. It was almost as though he hadn't spoken those chilling words at all.

"Wait... I might be overthinking this. It might not be what I'm imagining."

Taking a moment to collect himself, Li Huowang asked again, "Abbot, the monks of Zhengde Temple have a grudge against Dan Yangzi, don't they?"

"Indeed," the abbot replied. "In the past, he kidnapped and killed indiscriminately, causing havoc wherever he went. I sent the martial monks from our Dharma Hall to apprehend him many times, but he always managed to escape.

"Your efforts to eliminate such a man are commendable and bring great merit."

"Then, Abbot, how could someone so vile become a Buddha? How is that even possible?"

The abbot responded with a chant of "Amitabha" before offering his answer. "What he was before does not concern what he has become. This old monk holds Buddha in his heart, and in my heart, he is Buddha."

Li Huowang's temper flared. The old monk was dodging his questions, speaking in riddles instead of giving straightforward answers.

The abbot continued, his tone steady and unperturbed. "Dan Yangzi has transcended into the vastness of existence. What he is now depends on what you believe him to be. What you think he is, he becomes. After all, the karma of his being now lies with you, not with this old monk."

Hearing this, Li Huowang finally understood what the abbot meant.

"You're saying Dan Yangzi has turned into some kind of formless entity that can change based on people's thoughts? Like that 'You Lao Ye' thing?"

"Exactly."

"But why? How did he turn into that... that monstrous thing? The so-called cultivation techniques he used were nonsense I made up! The poisons he ingested should have killed him outright!"

Li Huowang's voice rose in frustration, unable to fathom how his fabricated methods had led to such an outcome.

"This old monk does not know," the abbot admitted.

The sheer honesty of the response caught Li Huowang off guard. "You... don't know?"

"This old monk is not a future Buddha and cannot claim omniscience. A monk does not lie. If I do not know, I will say I do not know."

Li Huowang mulled this over for a moment before voicing the question that had been weighing on him the most.

"Abbot, is there a way to get rid of Dan Yangzi for good? He was our enemy, and letting him linger like this is dangerous for everyone."

The abbot closed his eyes, reflecting deeply. After a pause, he raised his right hand. "Come closer. I need to examine something."

Seeing the abbot's aged, wrinkled hand, Li Huowang hesitated.

"Master Xuan Yang, if you suspect this old monk of intending harm, then you should never have entered this temple in the first place."

After a moment's thought, Li Huowang stepped forward, lowering his forehead to meet the abbot's palm.

A strange hum resonated through the air. Colors around him seemed to intensify, and his entire body felt weightless as if floating.

The sensation was fleeting. When everything returned to normal, Li Huowang was left with an inexplicable emptiness in his chest.

He was certain now—this old abbot had access to some esoteric Buddhist abilities beyond his understanding.

"This matter is serious," the abbot finally said. "I must consult with the other elders. Please stay at the temple for the night, and we will give you an answer tomorrow."

Hearing this, Li Huowang tensed up. "I have friends waiting for me outside the temple. If I don't return, they'll worry."

The abbot remained serene, his tone unchanged. "Come or go as you wish. Zhengde Temple will open its gates at dawn. Master Xuan Yang, I trust you will not go back on your word. You know as well as I that this unresolved matter is a grave threat to you and all living beings."

Leaving the temple hall, Li Huowang stepped into the sunlight. He turned back briefly to see the abbot already facing the enormous golden Buddhas again, chanting prayers with unwavering focus.

Looking up at the noonday sun, then at the tranquil temple grounds, Li Huowang couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As he turned to leave, the old abbot's smooth bald head began to shift.

Beneath his five-Buddha hat, the skin slowly split open, revealing a massive vertical eye the size of a fist. The grotesque eye glared unblinkingly at Li Huowang's retreating figure.

The abbot's voice grew louder, his chants resonating through the hall:

"Form is not self... If it were self, form would not suffer affliction. I wish this form... I wish not this form... Thus know..."

By the time Li Huowang navigated the maze of temple corridors and rejoined the bustling crowd outside the main gate, he felt as though he had returned to the world of the living.

Standing among the throng of worshippers, he glanced back at the path he had taken. "Should I trust him?" he muttered, doubt gnawing at him.

"Hey! Daoist! Over here!"

A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning, he saw the old beggar-monk from before waving at him excitedly.

"You're at Zhengde Temple? They let you stay?"

The beggar beamed proudly. "Yeah! A monk said I could stay here and help out. I finally get to be a proper monk!"

"Well, that's good for you," Li Huowang replied. "Stay here and do your best. At least it's better than scavenging for wild vegetables or eating offerings left for the dead. By the way, I never asked—what's your name?"

"Just call me Monk. I like being called Monk. If you ever visit the temple again, come see me!"

Li Huowang chuckled softly. "As you Buddhists say, it depends on fate."

After bidding farewell to the beggar-monk, Li Huowang left Zhengde Temple and returned to the inn where his companions waited.

The moment he walked in, they swarmed around him with questions, but Li Huowang raised a hand to stop them.

"I need all of you to help me with something," he said. "Go out into the city and gather information about Zhengde Temple."

Though the monks had seemed trustworthy enough during his visit, Li Huowang wanted to hear what the townsfolk had to say before deciding his next move.

By sunset, the group returned one by one, sharing their findings.

"Everyone says Zhengde Temple is the largest and most revered temple in Xijing City."

"The monks there are strict about discipline. I heard one monk was caught eating meat, and they expelled him immediately."

"Even the emperor comes to the temple to pray sometimes. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of him during a visit!"

Li Huowang listened carefully to their accounts but kept his thoughts to himself. There was no need to frighten them with the possibility that Dan Yangzi still existed in some monstrous form.

After weighing everything, Li Huowang saw no better choice.

If he couldn't trust the monks, his only alternative was to face Dan Yangzi alone—an almost certain death sentence.

Having made his decision, Li Huowang resolved to return to Zhengde Temple the next day.

Annotations & Cultural Context:

Zhengde Temple: Historically, large Buddhist temples in Chinese cities often served not just as places of worship but also as cultural hubs and symbols of imperial patronage. They were centers for both religious practice and social charity, much like how the monks of Zhengde Temple distribute porridge to the poor.

Five-Buddha Hat: A traditional headpiece associated with senior monks in some Buddhist traditions. It signifies their spiritual rank and devotion.

Form is not self: This phrase reflects the Buddhist teaching of "Anatta" (non-self), which asserts that there is no unchanging, eternal soul or self. Instead, all things, including one's sense of self, are impermanent and subject to change.