Chapter 182. Fate (2)

Although I heard the name Hyeonam, I wasn’t greatly surprised.

I had been considering the possibility since earlier.

Because I felt a strange incongruity from that young Lama monk.

I couldn’t easily gauge his realm.

Then it was one of two things.

Either he was an ordinary monk who hadn’t learned martial arts at all, or he was a master at least equal to me.

If it was the latter, it meant he had reached the end of the Peak Realm or the Heavenly Ladder Realm at an age not even thirty yet.

I only grew this fast thanks to the experience of my past life added to various miraculous encounters.

Reaching such a realm at that age was impossible unless one was an overwhelming genius.

Therefore, I was thinking that he might be the Blood Disaster.

Future Blood Disaster. I looked at Hyeonam.

A benevolent smile like before was painted on his face.

Naturally, the scenes I saw a moment ago came to mind.

Is he not crazy yet?

Then I had to stop him from going crazy.

Just as I was thinking that, Hyeonam spoke to me.

“We plan to return to the Palace now.”

“Then we will shamelessly follow you.”

We moved our steps following Hyeonam and the Potala Palace Lama monks.

After moving for a while with the sunset sky behind us.

By the time the surroundings were submerged in darkness, we entered the interior of the Potala Palace.

Hyeonam guided us somewhere.

“This is a place we give to guests who visit our Palace. Since the sky has already turned dark, it will be difficult to meet the elders of the sect.”

“We are only grateful that you have given us a place to sleep despite us being uninvited guests.”

“Thank you for understanding. Amitabha.”

Hyeonam expressed courtesy with a clasped hand bow and left just like that.

***

The morning of the temple began quickly and quietly.

From early dawn, a secretive presence was felt outside.

It wasn’t something like a sneak attack.

Quietly opening the door and stepping out, the sight of Lama monks coming and going through the Palace with quiet steps caught my eye.

The only noise echoing in the silence was the regular and small sound of a wooden fish coming from somewhere.

I turned my head following the sound and looked upwards.

The Potala Palace was located on a mountain.

The main dharma halls or pavilions of the Palace were located on the upper terrace, and the place where we slept was, strictly speaking, the outskirts of the Palace.

Comparing it to other sects or clans, it could be called something like the Outer Hall.

While looking upwards for a moment, a presence was felt from behind.

Turning my head, my companions were coming out one by one.

The Tang guy stretched and muttered in a drowsy voice.

“Yaaawn. It seems monks don’t have morning sleep either.”

While exchanging morning greetings with my companions appropriately. Someone approached this way with quiet steps.

It was Hyeonam.

Hyeonam, meeting our eyes, did a clasped hand bow.

“Amitabha.”

“We greet Monk Hyeonam.”

“I came just in case, but I didn’t know you would be awake this early.”

“I think we are late compared to the monks.”

“Oh my, it seems you woke up to the sound of offering prayers. Hahaha.”

I shook my head.

“We aren’t the type to sleep in much either. But what brings you here?”

“The Dalai Lama is looking for you.”

“Us?”

The Dalai Lama could be called the Palace Head of this Potala Palace if expressed in Central Plains style.

Or he could be seen as a concept similar to the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple.

But for such a person to personally want to meet outsiders who suddenly visited last night wouldn’t be a very common occurrence.

It would be enough to send just one of the moderately high-ranking monks.

To my question, Hyeonam said with the same smile as yesterday.

“Yes. He said there is no need to wake you up forcefully, but if you happen to be awake, to bring you along.”

Saying so, Hyeonam took the lead to guide us.

As we climbed the Potala Palace chasing Hyeonam, various sights caught our eyes.

The sight of Lama monks quietly training martial arts in a spacious area was visible, and the scene of Lama monks offering prayers in a dharma hall of a form completely different from the Central Plains was also reflected.

Despite training martial arts and offering prayers, it didn’t feel particularly noisy.

After walking while observing the scene for a while.

I casually spoke to Hyeonam who was walking ahead.

“Monk Hyeonam seems to have reached a truly high realm for your age.”

“Hahaha. You flatter me.”

“I ask in that sense, but what do you think about killing?”

Hyeonam, who was walking ahead, stopped his steps.

Instantly, silence fell over the area.

All that could be heard was the small sound of a wooden fish and the sound of chanting sutras.

Through that silence, Hyeonam turned his body.

Why was it?

Clearly, Hyeonam was wearing the same benevolent smile as yesterday.

But for some reason, it felt eerie.

Did I feel that way because I knew he was the future Blood Disaster?

Before finding the answer to that question. Hyeonam opened his mouth.

“Why do you ask such a thing to a Buddhist disciple like this small monk?”

I answered pretending to know nothing.

“Ah. Doesn’t Buddhism value non-killing? So I asked the monk who seemed to have high merit. Do you think one should not kill even if it is an extremely vicious bastard?”

“Amitabha. Our Potala Palace also forbids killing.”

Just as Hyeonam answered that and was about to turn his body again. I threw a question at him again.

“Ah, then what do you think of this? Actually, there is a monk in the Central Plains very famous for killing. In fact, I asked the monk because of him.”

“……A monk famous for killing, you say?”

“That is right. He said that life is a series of pain and anguish. Therefore, saying he would send living beings to paradise, he used to kill people indiscriminately.”

This was something the future Blood Disaster used to say all the time.

“How does it look to you, Monk Hyeonam? Is this person’s interpretation of the sutras correct?”

To my question, Hyeonam responded while maintaining his smile.

“It seems like an interesting interpretation in many ways, but this small monk’s virtue is not high enough, so I am worried I might give a wrongful answer.”

Saying so, Hyeonam turned his back completely.

“So how about asking the Dalai Lama for the answer to that question?”

As if time was delayed, Hyeonam moved forward with faster steps than before.

I thought while looking at Hyeonam’s back walking ahead.

The appearance of helping pitiful people and smiling benevolently.

And the appearance of discussing killing just now.

Does it look strange because I suspect him?

Or is there really something?

While worrying about this, we arrived in front of a building located near the top of the Potala Palace.

“The Dalai Lama is inside. Amitabha.”

As if his role was over, Hyeonam expressed courtesy with a clasped hand bow and left just like that.

At the same time, a voice came from inside.

“Hahaha. Please come inside comfortably.”

Willingly opening the door and entering, an old monk with a benevolent impression was seated.

“We greet the Dalai Lama.”

“Amitabha. Welcome. Hahaha.”

After each exchanging greetings with clasped hand bows. The Dalai Lama pointed to one side and said.

“Please sit comfortably, everyone. Hahaha.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After taking seats where the Dalai Lama pointed, I asked the Dalai Lama.

“But what brings you to call for us?”

To the straightforward question, the Dalai Lama smiled gently.

“Hahaha. Is having a conversation with people who came from afar anything special? This monk is actually curious. What brings you all the way here from that distant Central Plains?”

I couldn’t answer that we came because of Hyeonam. I decided to make up an appropriate excuse.

“Stories that the martial arts of the Potala Palace are truly high and mysterious are spread widely even in the Central Plains. Therefore, we came to witness the martial arts of the Potala Palace.”

“Hahaha. You came this long way because of martial arts……. I think I know the reason why you realized such high martial arts at a young age.”

As expected, the Dalai Lama seemed to infer the level of me and my companions to some extent.

“However, the martial arts of our Potala Palace are only learned to train the mind and body and protect practitioners. We forbid fighting just to compete in strength.”

Although he was extremely polite, it could be seen as a type of eviction order.

Perhaps the Dalai Lama called us in precisely to kick us out.

Thinking we might cause a disturbance if he sent mediocre people to kick us out.

Normally, I would have just left, but since Hyeonam’s matter remained, I couldn’t leave like this.

“We also learn martial arts for the same reason. There are too many villains in the world. We picked up the sword to protect innocent living beings from them.”

At my answer, the Dalai Lama smiled faintly and gazed at us.

That empty expression was harmless beyond measure, but brilliance flowed in his eyes.

After examining us for a moment, the Dalai Lama nodded.

“That intent is truly excellent, but the scent of blood is too thick. It seems you have killed everyone you could have saved as well.”

“If we leave such people alive, it is obvious they will torment innocent people again while we are gone.”

“Amitabha.”

The Dalai Lama, who chanted a Buddhist name, spat out unexpected words.

“All life repeats life and death, moving through the Six Realms. It can be seen that the next life is determined according to the karma accumulated in the present life.”

Samsara of the Six Realms.

Quietly listening to the Dalai Lama’s story, a memory came to mind.

It could be seen as shallow knowledge picked up from somewhere.

Did they say the successive Dalai Lamas, the head of the Potala Palace, are all the same person?

Specifically, it was like the next Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.

Seeing the Dalai Lama mention reincarnation like this now, it seemed the Potala Palace valued the Samsara of the Six Realms very highly.

“In infinite reincarnation, the present life is merely a moment. How about pursuing a greater realization rather than clinging to what is visible?”

“It sounds like you are telling us to ignore the secular world, but then why is the Potala Palace helping the living beings of Lhasa?”

“Amitabha. If one does not practice what one knows, can one truly say one knows it? We cannot simply leave the living beings in front of our eyes to accumulate karma.”

Listening quietly, a thought occurred to me.

“……Is subduing villains without killing them also because of that? Is it not to save living beings, but to prevent them from accumulating more karma?”

“It could be seen as both. Hahaha.”

The Dalai Lama, who smiled gently, added.

“In that sense, the benefactors have already accumulated too much karma. So how about letting go of that anger in your hearts a little, starting now?”

It seemed as if he noticed that I was hiding a massive rage deep inside.

Rather than being surprised, a snort was about to escape.

This was why I didn’t particularly like Taoism or Buddhism.

I didn’t care even if that karma the Dalai Lama spoke of was true.

If I could just clean up all the trash in the secular world, I intended to fall into the Asura Realm with a glad heart.

Just as I was about to spit out a word. An unexpected person opened her mouth.

“If one does not accumulate more karma, does something change?”

I turned my head to look at Junior Sister Choyeon.

She was looking at the Dalai Lama with an impassive expression.

“What happens to the karma already accumulated in the past?”

Not only me, but all my companions were looking at Junior Sister Choyeon with amazed expressions.

A girl who was once in danger of living like a puppet.

A girl learning her emotions little by little.

Perhaps, Junior Sister is regretting the things of the past.

The things of killing trash with us.

No, the past further back than that.

The things of killing children of her age to save her brother after being taken by Red Moon Falling Flowers.

The Dalai Lama answered Junior Sister’s question.

“How could past karma disappear? However, if you stop even now and accumulate merit, wouldn’t it get a little better? There is such a child in this Palace too.”

The gazes of me and my companions turned to the Dalai Lama again.

“There was an incident where a Lama monk of this Palace picked up an orphan. That uneducated child used to kill rats or rabbits and such near the Palace without knowing his sin. No matter if it was done out of ignorance, karma is karma. We could no longer ignore it.”

“Then what did you do with that child?”

“We made him face the wall and taught him sutras every day. The child repented his sins on his own, and now he is diligently accumulating merit and erasing his karma.”

The Dalai Lama smiled with a very proud expression as if he cherished that child very much.

But watching that smile, ominousness soared of its own accord.

“Is that child’s Dharma name perhaps Hyeonam?”

Hyeonam said.

That since he was picked up when young, he has no secular name.

It felt like a thorn was stuck in my throat.

The story that he killed small animals without knowing anything when young.

The Dalai Lama probably gave it as an example to persuade us or for Junior Sister Choyeon.

In the sense that even if one accumulated karma when young, one can improve by taking refuge in Buddhism and accumulating merit.

But it sounded different to my ears.

Because I knew the future Blood Disaster who slaughtered people as if it was nothing.

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