CDJMM – Volume 3 – Chapter 15 Compassion of the Buddha (15)

Bai Yuan Zhenren was currently very depressed.

He had finally discovered a good seedling, only for the people of the Buddhist Sect to swoop in and snatch him away, insisting that the child might be a Buddha’s Child.

If they had only said the child was fated with Buddhism, Bai Yuan could have immediately refuted it. But they just had to say he was a Buddha’s Child—now that was hard to argue with.

The Buddha’s Child and the Innate Dao Seed were ranked side-by-side as the two greatest heaven-defying talents in the cultivation world. In every generation, the Buddha’s Child and Dao Son were the undisputed prodigies and spiritual leaders.

The reason Tiandao Sect held its position as the number one sect was because they not only had a sect master born as an Innate Dao Seed, but also a chief disciple with the same fate.

So if Le Jing truly was the Buddha’s Child, then the Daoist sects really wouldn’t be able to keep him. If they dared to try, those bald donkeys would dare to fight them to the death!

But… what if he wasn’t?

What if the Buddhist Sect was wrong?

After all, the Buddha’s Child had always been born in places heavily infused with Buddhist fate. This was Daoist territory—if he truly were the Buddha’s Child, why would he come to disciple the Daoist sect?

And…

Bai Yuan quietly entertained a thought of his own: what if that child was actually an Innate Dao Seed?

Bai Yuan was bitterly jealous of Tiandao Sect. Why should all the blessings fall on their heads? Linqing Sect wasn’t inferior at all—so why couldn’t they recruit an Innate Dao Seed?

Perhaps this time was Linqing Sect’s destined opportunity!

…

Le Jing felt like he had become some kind of rare animal, being intensely observed by a group of Daoists and monks. Especially that Bai Yuan Zhenren, who claimed to be the Linqing Sect’s master—his fiery gaze was like looking at his dream lover. It made Le Jing’s skin crawl.

He didn’t understand why his physical examination required such a massive spectacle, and why he was the only one subjected to it. Su Jian and Kunhuo didn’t even get a side glance.

If Le Jing still couldn’t see the turbulent undercurrents beneath this façade of Dao-Buddhist harmony, then he truly would’ve lost his mind.

Huiwu glanced at the Daoists’ blazing gazes and sighed inwardly.

The method to confirm a Buddha’s Child was a secret never meant to be revealed. But he knew—no matter how he chased the Daoists away, they wouldn’t leave.

They wanted to see the evidence with their own eyes.

They also wanted to spy upon Buddhism’s method of identifying the Buddha’s Child.

And most importantly, they wanted to test the attitude of the Buddhist Sect. Now that a Buddha’s Child had appeared, would Buddhism end its century-long withdrawal? Would conflict between Daoism and Buddhism arise?

Huiwu understood their intentions, but he couldn’t say more.

After all, this was Daoist territory.

And besides…

He lowered his eyelids, hiding the light within.

They had shrunk back for too long. It was time for these Daoists to witness their methods.

With the Buddha’s Child’s reappearance, this was the best moment for Buddhism to regain momentum and restore its honor.

If Le Jing were truly the Buddha’s Child, then now was the perfect time to announce his return to the cultivation world.

If he wasn’t, that was fine too. At the very least, they could display their strength, and prevent the Daoists from underestimating them due to their retreat over the years.

To proclaim the power of Buddhism, their Pure Land Sect’s highest treasure would indeed be the most suitable.

Thus, Huiwu reached into the void and carefully retrieved a seed, placing it in his palm.

“Little donor, please take this seed.”

Upon seeing the seed lying in his palm, all the Daoists around gasped in unison.

The seed was a golden-brown color, surrounded by dense ancient golden Sanskrit characters orbiting it like protective sigils. A grand, ancient aura emanated from it, spreading through the small space with an eternal, primordial vastness.

Someone couldn’t help shouting, “The Bodhi Buddha Fruit?!”

“You actually brought out this divine relic!”

“I heard the Bodhi Buddha Fruit can only be kept and used by each Pure Land Sect abbot. How did it end up in your hands?”

The Bodhi Buddha Fruit was the Pure Land Sect’s sect-protecting treasure. Its history was even older than the sect itself. Its origins were unknown. The most widely accepted belief was that it was the seed from the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha once attained enlightenment.

Throughout recorded history in the cultivation world, the fruit had been the center of many legends. The most famous was the one from a hundred years ago, when the then-abbot Huichong purified and transcended the ten thousand vengeful spirits born of the human-demon war using this very relic.

Someone quickly connected the dots and blurted, “Don’t tell me the Bodhi Buddha Fruit is the only thing that can verify a Buddha’s Child’s identity?”

Huiwu smiled slightly but did not answer.

The moment the seed appeared, Le Jing’s gaze was immediately drawn toward it. His eyes grew warm, and a pure, gentle power surged into his vision, flowing through his entire body.

He had no idea how miraculous he looked to Huiwu at that moment.

The boy’s clear, glass-like eyes perfectly reflected the floating ancient Sanskrit characters above the seed. His expression was calm, without joy or sorrow, like a deity seated upon a lotus pedestal.

Suddenly, the Bodhi Buddha Fruit slipped out of Huiwu’s palm, levitating in midair as golden light burst forth. An invisible wave of pressure swept outward from it in all directions.

Every Daoist and monk present paled instantly, collapsing to their knees as the force washed over them, whether they were Daoist elders or Buddhist masters.

Kunhuo tucked his tail tightly between his legs and lay flat, trembling. From the fruit, he sensed a terrifying aura he vaguely remembered—as if it pierced straight through his heart.

He blinked again, and the vision was gone.

Among the entire group kneeling on the ground, only the boy at the center stood straight and unmoved. He slowly raised his hand, and the Bodhi Buddha Fruit immediately fell into his palm.

The next moment, golden light erupted like a falling sun, radiating boundless brilliance, heat, and power so intense one could not look directly at it.

Kunhuo’s eyes welled with involuntary tears, yet he stubbornly forced them open, watching intently.

He wasn’t the only one.

Huiwu’s shock melted into wild, ecstatic joy. Through tear-filled eyes, he watched the Bodhi Buddha Fruit sprout and grow in the boy’s palm, forming a golden phantom Bodhi Tree. Sanskrit chants echoed, lotus fragrance filled the air, and a massive golden Buddha appeared faintly above.

The Buddha’s Child.

He was the Buddha’s Child.

Huiwu’s tears streamed uncontrollably.

A hundred years.

By the heavens and countless Buddhas—the Buddhist Sect finally had another Buddha’s Child!

The rise of humanity was now possible!

Le Jing had never felt anything so blissful.

His whole body felt like it was floating in warm water—light, weightless, and at ease.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness appeared in a strange space. He lay at the bottom of a golden shimmering lake, feeling an indescribable peace.

He didn’t know how long it lasted.

When he finally opened his eyes, everyone in the room was collapsed on the ground like debris after a typhoon.

The Bodhi Buddha Fruit rested obediently in his palm, dimmed and quiet, completely hiding the fact that it had caused the chaos moments ago.

“Amitabha. With such visions, little donor, you are indeed the Buddha’s Child of our Buddhist Sect!” Huiwu exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. His gaze toward Le Jing shimmered with emotional tears. “Blessed be the Bodhisattvas! This old monk has finally found the Buddha’s Child!”

Le Jing: “…Buddha’s Child?”

“That’s right, the Buddha’s Child!” a young monk chimed in excitedly. “The Bodhi Buddha Fruit acknowledged you—therefore you are the Buddha’s Child of this generation!”

Their voices finally roused many of the others. They immediately erupted into noisy discussion:

“He really is the Buddha’s Child!”

“Who would’ve thought he’d appear here!?”

Someone even said, “Since the Buddha’s Child came to the Ascension Gate, he clearly has the heart to seek the Dao—we should respect his wishes.”

This instantly stirred the hornet’s nest.

A monk retorted, “Daoist friend, that is incorrect! Buddhist and Daoist techniques differ. Letting the Buddha’s Child cultivate Daoism is like hiding a pearl in the dark—wasteful and foolish!”

“That’s right! The Buddha’s Child is naturally suited for Buddhist cultivation. Daoist arts would damage his foundation!”

While monks and Daoists argued heatedly, Le Jing remained silent.

No wonder the fool could see karma.

If the fool was the Buddha’s Child, everything made sense.

The old monk suddenly asked Le Jing, “What does the donor think? Do you wish to pursue the Dao or follow the Buddha?”

Le Jing replied calmly, “I do not care what I cultivate. Whether Buddhism or Daoism, they are merely means to acquire power—for the sake of my goal.”

“This old monk dares to ask—what is your goal?”

Le Jing recalled the fool’s childish words from that day.

‘Not to die’—so simple, yet so profound.

He met the old monk’s gaze and said firmly, “Peace under Heaven.”

The old monk burst into hearty laughter, warmth flooding his eyes. “If that is so, then you should cultivate Buddhism.”

“Since you already harbor the great vow to deliver all beings, you ought to join the Buddhist Sect and cultivate the Great Vehicle. Only then can you achieve Buddhahood, attain the Golden Body, and bring peace to the world.”

“And with your talent, following the Buddha will only bring faster progress and swifter fulfillment of your vow.”

Le Jing wasn’t foolish. If there was a shortcut, why wouldn’t he take it?

From his earlier experience, his body indeed felt closer to Buddhist teachings.

Now the only question was…

“Which temple of the Buddhist Sect will I enter?”

Huiwu answered righteously, “Naturally the Pure Land Sect. Half a month ago, our abbot, Master Huitong, dreamed of you—thus we were able to find you.”

“No, he should come to our Huayan Temple!” the young monk insisted. “We have the most scriptures!”

“We at White Horse Temple hold the Buddha’s true classics!”

And just like that, the monks who were united moments ago in arguing with the Daoists now turned on each other, bickering furiously over who should get Le Jing.

Le Jing didn’t interrupt. They would have to settle it sooner or later.

He simply recalled the strange coincidence between this world’s history and that of Earth.

The fool lived in a country called Liang, with the era name Yong’an—its level of development akin to the Ming dynasty.

Even stranger, Liang Taizu, like Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, came from humble origins and overthrew a tyrannical regime with an uprising to found a new dynasty.

And in the future the fool saw, this dynasty would also fall to foreign invaders—

Just like the Qing extinguishing the Ming, with tragedies akin to the “Ten Days of Yangzhou” and the “Three Massacres of Jiading.”

History repeating itself.

“Le Jing, are you really going to join the Buddhist Sect?”

Le Jing turned, meeting Su Jian’s conflicted gaze.

“Yes.”

Su Jian hesitated for a few seconds, then tentatively said, “Then… should I go to Buddhism too?”