Chapter 2676

Zhu Yanyi clicked her tongue twice, then said with a sigh, "This Evil Buddha is truly bold."

Yan Aohan also admired the Evil Buddha. At least, everything the Evil Buddha did was the result of his own meticulous planning. In fact, if they hadn’t come to the Evil Buddha Realm to settle the karma, the Evil Buddha’s plan might have succeeded. Not to mention anything else, he had at least trapped the Heavenly Dao, and the Immortal Demon Flower had taken effect. That was an absolute fact.

However, sometimes, for a person to succeed, besides their innate talent, they also need luck. It had to be said that the Evil Buddha’s luck wasn’t very good. Or rather, it wasn’t that the Evil Buddha was unlucky, but that when she appeared, someone who could counter her also appeared. That person was Zhu Yanyi.

Zhu Yanyi gained a deeper understanding of the Evil Buddha in her heart: "To tell the truth, as I watched things unravel step by step, I felt that the 'Wisdom' I saw before was an old man I had imagined."

Yan Aohan looked at Zhu Yanyi in surprise: "Isn't Wisdom dead?"

Because he was dead, he was abandoned. And because he was dead, the current Evil Buddha acted without restraint.

Zhu Yanyi patted her forehead: "I was deluded."

Yan Aohan shook his head in disagreement: "It’s not that you were deluded. It’s just that your mind isn’t as complex as the Evil Buddha’s, so you are destined to be calculated occasionally. But things are fine now. You understand everything, so even if he wants to scheme against you, it’s impossible."

Zhu Yanyi nodded and said, "Actually, I never thought about her schemes. What I don’t understand is why she would go to such lengths to become an Evil Buddha."

Since ancient times, evil has never suppressed good. This wasn’t just a saying; it had always been so. Yet now, the Evil Buddha insisted on being evil, which was truly baffling.

"You’re still纠结 (obsessing) over things you can’t figure out." Yan Aohan looked at Zhu Yanyi with a faint smile.

Zhu Yanyi stuck out her tongue: "No, I’m not obsessing. I’m just a bit confused."

It was just confusion, so she wasn’t truly obsessed.

Whether Zhu Yanyi or Yan Aohan, they were only occasionally confused by the Evil Buddha. They had no intention of truly understanding her. Moreover, Zhu Yanyi knew that if they wanted to know the truth behind these topics, the Evil Buddha would have to speak it herself. Otherwise, no amount of investigation would help.

So, confronting the Evil Buddha was inevitable.

Finally, the time to face the Evil Buddha had come. Zhu Yanyi had been a bit nervous at first, but when she truly faced her, she found herself incredibly calm.

After learning the Evil Buddha’s location, Zhu Yanyi arranged for Ma Tianliang and the others to cultivate in the Suiyuan Pharmacy. Then, she and Yan Aohan set off together.

Zhu Yanyi had thought she would need to search thoroughly, but in reality, as soon as they arrived at Dafo Mountain, the Evil Buddha was already waiting for them. She had brought only one monk, who was Xingzhi.

Zhu Yanyi raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed the Evil Buddha knew many things.

"We meet again." The Evil Buddha looked at Zhu Yanyi with a kind face. If Zhu Yanyi hadn’t known what the Evil Buddha had done, no one would have associated the man before them with the word "evil."

"Yes, we meet again. It’s been a hundred years since we last parted. It really makes one understand how short a hundred years of life is." Zhu Yanyi smiled, showing no surprise.

"I’ve set up a chessboard in a pavilion ahead. How about a game?" The Evil Buddha agreed with Zhu Yanyi’s sentiment. "You people often say, 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' Let this be a welcome ritual for you."

"A chess game is fine, but please don’t say anything about 'friends coming from afar.'" Zhu Yanyi shook her head in denial. "To tell the truth, I’m afraid of you saying such things. It’s too unrealistic."

Even if they had known each other before, they were now on opposite sides. There were no so-called friends. Zhu Yanyi knew this, Yan Aohan knew this, and the Evil Buddha knew this too.

The Evil Buddha did this only to see Zhu Yanyi’s reaction. Indeed, her reaction did not disappoint her.

"You are still so sharp." The Evil Buddha chuckled softly. "Then let’s play a game of chess, and I will answer all your questions. How does that sound?"

"That trade isn’t a loss. Agreed, let’s play a game." Zhu Yanyi smiled and accepted.

Hearing Zhu Yanyi agree, the Evil Buddha made a gesture of invitation and led the way. After walking for a while, the Evil Buddha said, "This is the peak of Dafo Mountain. Do you think I look like a righteous Buddha standing here?"

"No." Zhu Yanyi looked the Evil Buddha up and down, then shook her head. "I’m not contradicting you just to contradict you. You truly don’t."

Zhu Yanyi never lied. Although the Evil Buddha before her looked kind, she was still far from a Buddha. "Perhaps you believe everything is like Buddhism, so you consider yourself a Buddha. But a true Buddha is never self-proclaimed. The character for Buddha is composed of 'person' and 'fu' (not). In plain language, 'person' and 'not' means people speak, people spread the word. In other words, a Buddha is proclaimed by others. Only when others in their hearts recognize everything the Buddha has done will they proclaim her a Buddha. It’s not that you proclaim yourself a Buddha and become one.

A Buddha is the spiritual寄托 (reliance) for thousands of families. You are not such a person. So, while you have a kind face, you lack the true compassion of a Buddha. You have the intention to follow Buddhism, but you do not accept everything Buddhism stands for. Therefore, you can only be an Evil Buddha, not a Buddha."

At this moment, Zhu Yanyi began to understand the origin of the Evil Buddha. She had the heart to follow Buddhism but found it difficult to become a Buddha. So, she could only make herself an Evil Buddha for fun. But people say, "Put down the butcher’s knife, and you become a Buddha on the spot." Why was it difficult for her to become a Buddha when she had the heart to follow Buddhism? More precisely, why was it difficult for her to enter the correct path? Was there something else that others hadn’t thought of?

Hearing this, the Evil Buddha raised an eyebrow slightly, then pondered for a moment before saying, "Let’s go. Since I cannot truly become a Buddha, standing here makes me feel a bit stifled."

"If there is a Buddha in your heart, you are a Buddha." Zhu Yanyi said a Zen phrase.

The Evil Buddha did not look back at Zhu Yanyi. She only said, "Although there is a Buddha in my heart, it is difficult to approach the Buddha. If there truly were a path to Buddhahood, why would I be made to suffer?" Her words seemed to carry a bitter taste, along with an indescribable sadness.

Although her tone was so peaceful, Zhu Yanyi sensed the helplessness and despair within it. Why was she being made to suffer? Who was making her suffer? Zhu Yanyi was curious, but she only moved her lips slightly and did not ask.

The pavilion was also on Dafo Mountain, but it was located on the edge of a cliff. If the Evil Buddha hadn’t led the way, Zhu Yanyi might have found it, but it would have taken some time.