Chapter Eighty-One: Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem

Once Liaochen unleashed his sword light, it targeted the exact spot between the old monk’s eyebrows.

The old monk showed no intention of resisting whatsoever; instead, he simply chanted a low "Namo Amitabha Buddha!" and then closed his eyes, assuming the expression of someone waiting to be executed, remaining completely motionless.

Buddhist scriptures state that a Bodhisattva, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, has no hindrances in the heart. Because there are no hindrances, there is no fear, and by moving far away from upside-down dreams, one attains ultimate Nirvana. With a mind free of distracting thoughts, there is no fear. By staying far away from numerous afflictions, one can attain true enlightenment and the supreme fruit.

The old monk sought supreme, right, and equal enlightenment, but Liaochen was utterly exasperated. If you want to become a Buddha, I won't stop you, but using me as your stepping stone—did you really think things would go your way?

With a thought in his mind, his sword intent followed his will. In the blink of an eye, he abruptly pulled back the sword light, instead slapping an immobilization talisman right between the old monk's eyebrows. The old monk had originally intended to stretch out his neck for death, never expecting Liaochen to suddenly change his mind. The sword light had approached with ferocious momentum only to be recalled midway, leaving him with nothing but an immobilization talisman instead.

"What is the meaning of this?" The old monk’s face drained of color, yet his entire body was bound by the immobilization talisman, rendering him unable to move. Just as he was about to circulate his inner Buddhist energy to shatter the spell, Liaochen flicked his finger with preemptive speed, striking the old monk’s spiritual platform. The old monk's spiritual platform instantly dimmed, and the Buddhist energy he had just mustered vanished completely without a trace.

It wasn't that Liaochen was too cunning; rather, the old monk was simply too naive. Who on earth fights a battle halfway only to desperately seek death, and do so by willingly stretching out their neck with zero resistance? It was probably because the old monk had spent years in quiet cultivation of the Buddhist dharma with little exposure to worldly conflicts that he remained so naive.

Liaochen swiftly sealed all the major acupoints across the old monk's body, and then used talismans to suppress any possibility of the old monk channeling his magic power. Only then did he take the golden alms bowl and the Bodhisattva prayer beads from the old monk’s hands, saying, "These are truly fine things! Old monk, why don't you also take refuge in the Three Treasures of my Taoism? How about it?"

Since the old monk had tried to persuade Liaochen earlier, Liaochen naturally had to "persuade" him right back. With his mouth unable to speak, his body unable to move, and his entire reservoir of Buddhist energy completely sealed away, the old monk had no other recourse. He could only forcefully suppress the rising anger in his heart, close his eyes, and remain silent.

Shamelessly continuing to provoke him, Liaochen said, "Since the old monk doesn't object, this poor Daoist will assume you have agreed. Once my soul returns to my physical body, I shall come back to convert you, alright?"

With a hearty laugh, he quickly set up a simple concealment array around the old monk, summoned his peach-wood magical sword, and vanished into the depths of the sea of clouds in an instant.

While Liaochen was still speeding along his journey back, within Xuanguang Temple, his physical body had begun to age rapidly due to the lack of soul support. Yunlingzi, standing helplessly by the side, was flustered and at his wits' end, practically on the verge of tears, when a stream of light finally shot into the temple. The peach-wood magical sword instantly returned to its place, and Liaochen slowly opened his eyes.

"Master!" Yunlingzi cried out in astonishment as he looked at Liaochen.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!" Naturally aware of why Yunlingzi cried out, Liaochen put on a very solemn expression and chided him, "Those who cultivate the Dao should keep their minds calm and steady. Shedding the mortal shell and changing one's bones is nothing out of the ordinary; why make such a fuss over nothing?"

"I was just afraid that Yunhua and the fox wouldn't recognize you anymore when they get back," Yunlingzi argued with a wronged expression.

"Heh!" Liaochen chuckled. "Cut the nonsense. Aside from the fox, the craftiest person in this temple is you. If you didn't want to see your master looking old, just say so."

With a thought, his snow-white beard and hair instantly reverted to raven-black threads, and his parchment-like skin regained its luster.

"That's better, otherwise it always felt wrong!" Yunlingzi stroked his chin, looked over Liaochen's restored youth, and continued, "If Master had stayed looking like that just now, Yunhua would have cried her eyes out!"

Liaochen asked with genuine perplexity, "If I grow old, why would Yunhua cry? Your master hasn't attained ascension and transformed into feathers!"

"Uh!" Yunlingzi immediately clamped his hand over his mouth and explained, "Nothing, it's just that I'm not used to it."

"Alright, your master has matters to attend to. You stay here; I'm going out to take on an apprentice and bring him back. You'll have a junior martial brother soon." Without dwelling on it further, Liaochen casually instructed Yunlingzi.

"Ah! Is that junior martial brother Yunhua went to find this time coming up the mountain?" Yunlingzi asked.

"No, it's an old monk," Liaochen waved his hand and said.

"Ah!" Yunlingzi's jaw dropped so wide an egg could fit inside. He asked with extreme uncertainty, "An old monk is going to be my junior martial brother?"

"Indeed. From now on, you shall help your master teach him." Without waiting for Yunlingzi to finish his questions, Liaochen once again mounted his flying sword and swiftly vanished into the horizon.

Daoism has the Three Treasures: the Dao Treasure, the Scripture Treasure, and the Teacher Treasure. The first refuge is the Supreme Dao Treasure, wishing all sentient beings to constantly attend upon the Heavenly Lord and escape the cycle of reincarnation. The second refuge is the Supreme Scripture Treasure, wishing all sentient beings, generation after generation, to hear the True Dharma. The third refuge is the Supreme Teacher Treasure, wishing all sentient beings to study the highest vehicle and never fall into heterodox views.

Since the old monk had wanted Liaochen to take refuge in the Three Treasures of Buddhism, Liaochen naturally had to return the favor in kind and forcefully compel him to take refuge in the Three Treasures of Daoism. Otherwise, how could Liaochen follow his heart's desires and achieve complete mental clarity?

Concealing his presence and flying swiftly on his sword all the way, Liaochen soon returned to the spot where the old monk had previously blocked his path. Seeing that the hasty concealment array he had set up remained completely intact, he finally set his mind at ease. He had been worried that the old monk might have accomplices who would rescue him, as having to snatch him back would have been quite troublesome.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Lord, this poor Daoist has come specifically to guide the old monk into the Dao," Liaochen walked casually into the concealment array and said loudly toward the old monk.

The old monk kept his eyes tightly closed, showing not the slightest reaction to Liaochen's return.

"Speaking of which, the old monk and I share a deep enmity over the blocking of my Dao, yet I am certain I never offended the old monk in any way. I wonder why the old monk acted thus?" Liaochen looked at the old monk and asked probing questions.

Unfortunately, the old monk still kept his eyes tightly closed, clearly having no intention of answering Liaochen's queries.

"If the old monk won't speak, does this poor Daoist not know how to figure it out? Considering that you will soon become a disciple under my gate and take refuge in the Three Treasures of our Daoist school, your master will spare you for now," Liaochen waved his hand "magnanimously," declaring that he was forgiving the old monk.

Yet at this moment, the old monk could no longer suppress the fires of anger burning within his heart, and his entire body trembled violently. If not for his mouth being unable to open, he probably would have wanted to bite Liaochen to death.

Seeing the old monk's appearance, Liaochen burst into a hearty laugh and said, "The old master's spiritual cultivation is sorely lacking! As the Buddhist *Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom* says: 'A person of anger knows neither good nor non-good, discerns neither sin nor blessing, understands neither benefit nor harm, and fails to reflect upon himself, thus he is bound to fall into evil paths.' Now that the old master has already fallen onto an evil path, and your Buddhist cultivation is gone, why not simply abandon Buddhism and enter the Dao under my guidance?"

As soon as Liaochen finished speaking, the old monk's face instantly turned ashen. Decades of Zen mind and cultivation had been utterly wiped out in a single stroke, filling his heart with boundless desolation. Finally, the old monk opened his tightly shut eyes and glared fixedly at Liaochen.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Lord! Since the old monk is entering the orthodox lineage of our mysterious gate and practicing the marvelous arts of the Three Purities, you still need to keep some hair. The old monk should know that our bodies, hair, and skin are received from our parents. How can an unfilial person ever cultivate the Dao?"

With that, Liaochen actually reached out and stroked the top of the old monk's head. A burst of white light emanated from Liaochen's palm, and the ritual scar (the *jieba*) burned onto the old monk's head instantly vanished. Threads of white hair began to sprout from his scalp, growing until they reached a length of about a foot before finally stopping.

"There, now the old monk can receive the Daoist cap. Once you and I return to the mountain, this poor Daoist shall broadly invite fellow practitioners from all over the world to witness the ceremony of Master Huiding abandoning Buddhism to embrace the Dao. And we certainly won't leave out your senior martial brother Huiming. The old monk can rest assured about that!"

Liaochen indeed held grudges easily. The enmity of blocking his path was not a trivial matter. If Buddhism failed to give a proper account, how could Liaochen ever let the matter rest so easily?