Chapter 67: The Other Shore, The Painted Eyebrows

Upon hearing the silence from Yi Kong, a flash of anger passed through Jue Mie's eyes. However, this was Shaolin, and she had witnessed the fanaticism of its followers. She dared not lose her temper recklessly.

Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to lower her status and speak to Yi Kong, so she ignored him and swung her sleeve, turning to leave.

Lin Yi followed closely behind her master, clutching the Broken Heaven sword tightly in her hands.

Yi Kong, seeing the nun's rude behavior, was also unwilling to speak to her. He ignored the abbot's instructions and turned to leave.

Yi Kong wasn't known for his patience. He was the only one in Shaolin who dared to occasionally defy the abbot. If he could challenge the abbot, what was this menopausal old nun to him?

Lin Yi followed behind Jue Mie, asking, "Master, shall we go inside the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda to have a look?"

"Let's go in and have a look. I want to see what these so-called Buddha miracles are all about," Jue Mie replied.

They followed the crowd and arrived at the entrance of the pagoda.

"These white marble steps and railings are quite nice. Hmph, I wonder how much public wealth was scraped together to build this," Jue Mie said as she touched the cold railings with an unfriendly tone.

"Look at the door; it's so thick and solid. The wood quality is excellent, probably cost quite a bit of money," she added.

Once inside the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the first thing they saw was a multitude of Buddha statues, large and small, with names of the worshippers engraved below each statue.

Jue Mie first approached the statue of Avalokitesvara and bowed several times. Then she straightened up and said to Lin Yi, "Look at this, there are over a thousand Buddha statues on just this floor alone. The abbot must be a man with a business mind to come up with such an idea."

Lin Yi remained silent, knowing that if she spoke, Jue Mie would only get more upset, potentially inciting even more anger.

The two of them climbed to the top and then came down again. Although Jue Mie, the old nun, kept complaining, her amazement could not be hidden.

The way the pagoda was constructed and its overall quality were beyond anything she had ever seen before. If using modern terms, the level of construction had already surpassed the standards of that era.

Despite intentionally nitpicking, she could find no major faults.

After exiting the pagoda, the old nun was visibly displeased. She looked around and said to Lin Yi, "Let's go find that abbot."

They walked to the small temple that had once belonged to Shaolin, now the residence of Huo Yuan Zhen.

Looking at the couplet hanging at the entrance, the old nun read it aloud, "Self-cultivation and self-restraint, do not come here, not the other shore. Mind is Buddha, know that the East Land is the Western Heaven. Hmph, the couplet is well-written, but in the opinion of this nun, it's merely a pretense, deceiving oneself."

"Amitabha, Master, what do you mean by that?" Lin Yi asked.

After a Buddhist chant, Huo Yuan Zhen appeared at the temple door and looked at the two nuns before him.

"You are?" The old nun sneered upon seeing that Huo Yuan Zhen was young.

"I am the abbot of this temple, Yi Jie," Huo Yuan Zhen replied calmly.

"Oh, you are the abbot? You're so young, probably not much older than my disciple here. No wonder you've done so many unorthodox things," the old nun remarked with disdain.

Huo Yuan Zhen smiled, "Your words confuse me, Master."

Jue Mie circled around Huo Yuan Zhen, hands clasped behind her back, then said, "Do you understand the meaning of the couplet you have hanging at the door?"

"I may be simple-minded, but I can offer a basic explanation," Huo Yuan Zhen answered with a modest smile.

When the surrounding pilgrims saw the abbot had arrived, they gathered around. However, upon seeing the old nun seemingly causing trouble, they stood by and watched, knowing that this was pure self-inflicted trouble.

They were curious to see how Yi Jie, the abbot, would handle the situation.

Seeing that many people had gathered, Jue Mie was pleased. She had intended to expose Huo Yuan Zhen's true face and reveal who he really was in front of everyone.

"Alright, then, let me ask you this: Do you know what the Other Shore means?"

"The Pure Land," Huo Yuan Zhen replied immediately.

"You know it's the Pure Land, which means you've read some Buddhist scriptures. But today, I will give you a lesson to help you understand the true meaning of the Other Shore, and let you know that what you've done will never allow you to reach the Other Shore."

Huo Yuan Zhen remained silent, calmly watching the old nun.

"Let me tell you, young monk, the Other Shore is a yearning, a pursuit, a state of being. Only by cultivating the true fruit of enlightenment and understanding the true meaning of the Buddha's teachings can one reach the Other Shore and escape the ocean of suffering. Do you understand?"

Huo Yuan Zhen looked at the old nun. "Master, is that all your explanation?"

"Exactly," Jue Mie replied confidently.

Huo Yuan Zhen looked around and spotted Su Can among the crowd. He waved his hand and called, "Su Can, come here."

Su Can happily ran over.

He addressed the old nun, "Master, this is a secular disciple of our Shaolin. He has suffered greatly since childhood, living by begging, and has only been in Shaolin for less than two months, just beginning to come into contact with Buddhist teachings."

Hearing that Su Can had grown up begging, Jue Mie immediately showed disdain, not even sparing him a glance.

Huo Yuan Zhen continued, "Everyone here knows Su Can. Let's ask them—since he came to Shaolin, how has he changed?"

"Nothing to say, Su Can used to beg, but after joining Shaolin, everything has gotten better. We all like him."

"Yeah, Shaolin is a place that leads people to goodness. A while ago, Su Can even helped carry water for my family, saying that the abbot taught him to do a good deed every day."

The crowd cheered and praised, not sparing any compliments. Su Can couldn't help but feel elated.

Huo Yuan Zhen then turned to Jue Mie, "Master, the reason I say this is to let you know that Su Can is merely a new addition to Shaolin, not even a formal disciple. I don't teach him much—he simply practices some basic Buddhist teachings and physical training. Since you have given your interpretation of the Other Shore, let me have my secular disciple speak with you, Master. Su Can, tell this Master, what is the Other Shore?"

Excited at the chance to show off, Su Can grinned and jumped in, eager to teach the old nun a lesson and show off a bit.

"Master, the abbot wants me to tell you, so here it is."

Jue Mie sneered, clearly uninterested. She believed that someone like Su Can, who had grown up begging, couldn't possibly understand the Buddhist scriptures, let alone give her a lecture. She thought Huo Yuan Zhen was simply using him as a shield because of his own ignorance.

But to her surprise, Su Can said, "The Buddha said, in Sanskrit, 'Bodhisattva,' which means 'to cross to the Other Shore.' The meaning is to leave the cycle of birth and death. When there are waves in the water, that's the realm of this shore. When there are no waves, flowing freely like water, that is the Other Shore. The realm of life and death is this shore. The realm beyond life and death is the Other Shore. The abbot taught us that by cultivating to perfection and achieving Nirvana, one can reach the Other Shore."

After Su Can finished speaking, the crowd applauded.

"Su Can said it well."

"It's the abbot who teaches well. What a great insight."

Su Can beamed with pride and bowed, almost in tears from joy.

Huo Yuan Zhen spoke up from behind, "Master, my disciple here, due to his difficult past, has a mischievous personality. If he has taught poorly, please do not blame him. This little rascal—stop making a fool of yourself here and go see how the food in the kitchen is prepared. There are many pilgrims today; we cannot be negligent."

"Got it!" Su Can quickly ran off.

Huo Yuan Zhen called him back, "By the way, make sure to prepare extra food. These two Masters might not have eaten yet. Hmm, don't overdo it; I suspect this Master might not be too hungry."

Su Can glanced at the old nun and grinned mischievously, thinking, The abbot is really wicked, making me teach her. Surely, this old nun is furious now, but she won't even feel hungry.

Sure enough, after Su Can's public lesson, the old nun's face turned pale with anger. Her hands clenched into fists, the joints turning white, and you could hear the "crack" sound as she was on the verge of exploding.

"Good! Good! Good! Yi Jie, your teachings are truly excellent!" Jue Mie spat through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with venom, as if she were ready to attack at any moment.

Huo Yuan Zhen took a step forward and said to Jue Mie, "Master, anger harms the body. A monk should remain peaceful and unaffected by external forces. Acting too aggressively is not in line with the true spirit of Buddhism. And considering your age, it would be best to remain calm. What do you think, Master?"

At this point, Lin Yi could no longer hold her laughter, and a small giggle escaped her lips, which caught Jue Mie's attention. The old nun glared at her fiercely, causing Lin Yi to quickly cover her mouth. But the smile in her eyes could not be hidden.

Jue Mie was forty years old, hardly old, and with her martial arts skills, she could easily pass for a woman in her thirties. However, the killing aura in her eyes was somewhat chilling.

She despised being called old. If anyone dared to say such things, they would certainly face her ire. People around her knew this, and spoke carefully, even complimenting her on her youth.

But today, hearing Huo Yuan Zhen call her old, calling her a Master, she couldn't help but feel anger rising within her. Lin Yi, however, found the whole situation amusing.

Yi Jie thought for a moment before answering, "Hmm, an elegant young lady just leaving her boudoir, painting her eyebrows in front of the mirror, I noticed some traces of painted eyebrows on you these days. Could it be that you're from the Emei Sect?"

Jue Mie loved beauty, and though she wore a monk's robe, it was made of satin fabric. She would occasionally paint her eyebrows lightly. Yesterday morning, she had indeed done so, but had no idea that Huo Yuan Zhen would notice.

"What? Emei refers to eyebrows, and another Emei refers to a sect. What connection could there possibly be?" Jue Mie asked, her voice cold with anger.

Yi Jie had already been told by Yi Kong about their origins. Now, with this old nun attempting to use the sect to pressure him, he wouldn't give her an easy time. But he pretended to be polite and said, "It's true, there is no connection. Painting eyebrows is something worldly women do. How could it be linked to the Emei Sect? I was being rash. May I ask, Master, from which sect do you come?"

After a long hesitation, seeing that everyone was waiting for an answer, Jue Mie finally spat out the name of her sect, "Emei."