Begone, Worldly Desires
“Here is the blueprint for the Buddhist statue.”
“Thank you, Master.”
This was the main gate of the inner hall.
Since I was a woman, I wasn't allowed inside. Thus, the Library Hall Leader had personally brought the blueprint out to hand it to me.
To think the only places a woman could enter were the Disciplinary Hall and the prison. What a misogynistic temple.
Scratch.
“By the way... what exactly is the principle behind what you are doing right now?”
“Ah, this?”
As I answered, I placed my hand on the head of the monk sitting in front of me.
Whoosh.
“Ohhh... my worldly desires are melting away...”
As expected, it's highly effective.
From what I observed of that prisoner in the dungeon, most of a man's worldly desires stem from that sort of thing.
So, as a test, I had channeled the true qi of the Guihua Preservation into the welcoming monk at the entrance, and the results were perfect.
Shrug.
“It suppresses yang energy. Since it's only temporary for martial artists, there are no side effects.”
Actually, it wasn't completely without side effects. There was the minor issue of a certain part of the body failing to rise.
But then again, monks have no use for that part anyway, so it should be fine, right?
Step, step.
“How can a monk of Shaolin allow himself to be touched so easily?!”
“Ugh?!”
“Disciplinary Hall Leader...!”
Myeonggyeong, who was carrying stonemasonry tools on his shoulders, barked at the welcoming monks.
Perhaps because he was the Disciplinary Hall Leader, the welcoming monks broke into a cold sweat, trembling in fear.
Grin.
But that didn't apply to me.
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
“Ugh... Understood, Benefactor.”
Myeonggyeong was currently acting as my assistant, by the direct order of the Abbot himself.
“You... you aren't going to seek revenge later or anything, right?”
Shake.
“If one refrains from action out of fear of retaliation, how can that be called obedience? It is true that I do not like this, but I have no choice but to comply.”
Hooh...
I had felt this with Namgung Seon as well, but the stubbornness unique to the orthodox faction was truly something else.
To stubbornly push forward with one's principles even when it puts oneself at a disadvantage. It was somewhat cool, though I had no desire to copy it.
Step, step.
“Let us hurry, Benefactor. If we are to craft the statue, it is best to start as soon as possible.”
“Sigh, do I really have to do this?”
No matter how much I thought about it, it felt unfair. I had literally only laid a finger on it.
Pat.
“Haha, do not worry too much, Benefactor.”
“Library Hall Leader?”
“Nephew Myeonggyeong has already attained harmony. Although carving a stone statue is arduous labor, with a Grandmaster by your side, it should be manageable.”
“Really?”
Right, they said this middle-aged monk was the candidate for the next Abbot, didn't they?
A Grandmaster should be able to shape hard stone as if it were clay.
Could this be the reason why the Abbot assigned Myeonggyeong to me?
Step, step.
“We have arrived.”
Myeonggyeong led me to the exact spot in the outer hall where the collapsed statue had been.
“Whoa...”
The debris of the old statue was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a massive block of granite stood there to greet us.
To think I have to carve that thing by hand to make a Maitreya Buddha...
“I will assist you, but it will not be an easy task. The monks will not welcome you, and you will become a spectacle for the pilgrims. Are you prepared?”
A week had passed since Yeonhwa and Myeonggyeong began sculpting the Maitreya statue.
Chitter-chatter.
Monks and visitors alike gathered in front of the half-finished Maitreya Buddha.
And at the center of it all was a beautiful woman with long hair and striking red eyes.
Strike a pose.
“The Panda Warrior finally opened the true scripture! But alas, the only thing reflected within was his own face!”
“You mean there were no words?”
“Then isn't it a scam?”
“Poor warrior...”
“But the warrior soon understood the meaning hidden in the scripture. That he must not rely on secret techniques, but believe in himself!”
“That's so cool!”
“Everyone harbors a Buddha in their own heart... This aligns perfectly with the teachings of Bodhidharma.”
“So, did he live happily ever after with the Tiger Warrior?”
Chuckle, chatter.
Contrary to Myeonggyeong's solemn warning, Yeonhwa had become the most popular person in Shaolin Temple within just a few days.
Roar!
“Benefactor! Why am I the only one doing the sculpting?!”
“I don't have sword qi, so I can't do delicate carving.”
“Furthermore, what is with this appearance of the Maitreya Buddha?! Is this truly a Buddhist statue?!”
The nearly completed Maitreya Buddha looked vastly different from a typical Buddhist statue.
It was female, not male, with long flowing hair, and facial features that could only be described as peerlessly beautiful.
It bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain someone standing right here.
Scratch.
“I couldn't help it. There was no model... I mean, no one to base it on.”
Like any other art form, sculpting goes much faster when there is a model.
Thus, Yeonhwa had reluctantly volunteered to be the model for the Maitreya Buddha.
“Even so, this is not right! What will the believers think?!”
Murmur, murmur.
“I think it looks nice.”
“Theoretically, the Maitreya Buddha has no fixed form... so there should be no issue, no matter how it is crafted.”
“Though the chest and hips seem a bit too large?”
Maitreya is the future Buddha.
Therefore, no matter what form it took, it could not be deemed incorrect.
After all, no one knows whether the future Buddha will be a woman or a man.
Step.
“Excuse me... Benefactor Yeonhwa.”
Parting the crowd, a few monks cautiously approached and spoke.
“Yes?”
“When will you begin the Vexation Banishing technique? We have been waiting for a while...”
“Ah, that? I don't have anything to do anyway, so let's go.”
“Thank you. Reading the scriptures goes much smoother after receiving it.”
Shake head.
“Sigh... the precepts have truly fallen to the ground...”
Myeonggyeong shook his head at the sight of the monks failing to maintain their dignity. Of course, his hands did not stop sculpting.
Step, step.
“You seem troubled, Nephew Myeonggyeong.”
The one approaching him was Haegak, the Library Hall Leader.
“Library Hall Leader. Have you come to nag me again?”
“Haha, I can barely manage my own affairs. Who am I to give advice?”
Haegak was originally famous for nagging, but after meeting Yeonhwa, he had changed, interfering much less.
Glance.
“I know. I am aware that Benefactor Yeonhwa is bringing a positive influence to Shaolin. Even though she does not follow a single precept.”
“Does that displease you?”
“Originally, special people do not need precepts. A phoenix does not fly by looking at signposts.”
“Then you mean you are worried about the disciples of Shaolin.”
Nod.
“If a genius treats the precepts lightly, the mediocre will surely follow suit. Without realizing that those rules are what they need most.”
“Ho... is that why you, a genius yourself, follow the precepts so obsessively? You two are polar opposites.”
“It is a matter of conviction. Therefore, I will never acknowledge her.”
A few more days passed, and the Maitreya Buddha was finally nearing completion.
“Sigh...”
In the outer hall, the Abbot and several high priests had gathered.
They were there to inspect the soon-to-be-completed Maitreya Buddha.
“It is truly unconventional.”
It was an impression closer to disapproval than praise.
No matter how much the Maitreya Buddha lacked a fixed form, sculpting it into a peerless beauty was highly unusual.
However, there was a reason they couldn't openly criticize it.
Chitter-chatter.
“It's so well made.”
“She's so pretty!”
“Inspiration is striking me...”
It was because the statue was immensely popular among the patrons visiting the outer hall.
A Maitreya Buddha without the true scripture was merely a tourist attraction anyway.
Since it was fulfilling that role perfectly, complaining now would just seem like nitpicking.
Step, step.
Murmur, murmur.
“Ah, Abbot! Hello.”
Walking a bit further, they encountered Yeonhwa and the crowd.
Monks and visitors alike were huddled together, eager to hear her speak.
Cross arms.
“The patrons aside, why are the monks of our temple following Benefactor Yeonhwa around?”
“We were following her for our cultivation.”
“Cultivation?”
“Though they seem like simple stories, they contain the teachings of the Buddha. We felt listening to them would be of great help.”
“Ahem...”
Of course, she hadn't told the stories of the Galactic Swordsman or the Panda Warrior with that intention.
It just so happened that she had struck a chord with them.
Step.
“Benefactor Yeonhwa. The statue is almost complete... Did you actually read the crafting manual from the Library Hall?”
The Abbot was phrasing his suspicion as politely as possible.
“Ah! That is...”
But to Yeonhwa, it was a sharp blow.
Since she had left the sculpting entirely to Myeonggyeong, she hadn't even glanced at the manual.
Rustle.
“Hehe, shall we take a look?”
At Abbot Haeryun's words, Yeonhwa hurriedly pulled out the manual.
She then opened it and began to recite the written passage.
“Jeondeungmirae, Yuchasimbeop, Muryangjinkyung...”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
The four-character idioms seemed entirely unrelated to sculpting a Buddhist statue.
Tilt head.
“Benefactor. Why are you reading it like that? Naturally, you should read from right to left, and top to bottom.”
“Ah, right.”
The monk next to her pointed it out, tilting his head.
In ancient China, texts were read from top to bottom, starting from the right.
As a modern person, Yeonhwa had unconsciously read from left to right, which naturally resulted in a completely different meaning.
Freeze.
Wait.
But thinking about it again, it made sense even when read horizontally.
Yeonhwa unconsciously began to read the manual horizontally once more.
“Jeondeungmirae, Yuchasimbeop, Muryangjinkyung...”
"To pass the lamp of enlightenment to the future, I leave this cultivation method here. Its name is the Infinite True Scripture."
Flash!
As Yeonhwa began to recite, a faint light started to seep from her body.
“B-Benefactor!”
“Light is coming from her body!”
“What?”
At those words, Yeonhwa looked down at her own body.
“Whoa! What is this?!”
Flash!
Soon, her vision was dyed in brilliant white.