Scripture of Days Past

The gatekeeper slowly emerged from the darkness, then said in a solemn voice, "It's still not too late to back out now."

Chu Qiguang shook his head with a determined expression and replied, "I wouldn't pass up this opportunity for anything!"

The gatekeeper and Lin Lan led Chu Qiguang into a black stone room. At its center stood a desk with three sheets of paper laid out side by side.

The moment Chu Qiguang looked at the three sheets of paper, he felt a burning sensation from his Ring of Ignorance, hotter than ever before.

"What book is this?" Chu Qiguang asked.

"I can't tell you their names. All I can say for now is that these three sheets of paper come from three different books related to the Vajra Monastery, the Religion of Inaction, and the Heavenly Sword Sect," the gatekeeper replied.

Chu Qiguang's eyes instantly lit up, and he shot Lin Lan a grateful look.

She knew that he had been searching for historical records on the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Religion of Inaction, and the Vajra Monastery. Clearly, she had influenced the gatekeeper's selection to help him.

A shy smile appeared on Lin Lan's face under Chu Qiguang's grateful gaze.

"Why are there only three pages?" Chu Qiguang asked.

"All the books on the second floor are infohazards, so they're stored as individual pages," the gatekeeper explained. "Read one page first, and let's see if you can handle it. Go on, pick one."

Under the guidance of the Ring of Ignorance, Chu Qiguang chose the page related to the Vajra Monastery.

After he made his choice, the gatekeeper placed the other two pages into separate black iron boxes and locked them away.

"We'll be watching you while you read," the gatekeeper said. "If you begin to show any abnormal reactions, we'll stop you immediately."

Chu Qiguang nodded, sat down at the desk, and began reading the page before him.

The entire page was covered in tiny text, as though the author didn't have enough paper to use.

***

It's said that the monks of the Vajra Monastery often cultivate on the tall mountains of Dian Province. In order to glean the true meaning of Buddhism, they are willing to endure all kinds of pain and torment, even being burned by flames. The more powerful monks can often hear guidance from the Buddha during their cultivation, but their unorthodox cultivation methods and their obsession with light and heat eventually led them down some twisted paths.

***

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, May.

The imperial court has just announced that it will no longer select talent through the imperial examinations and will instead select talent based on recommendations.

I have studied hard all my life for the imperial examination, and this feels like a punch to the gut.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, June.

I announced that I was going to become a Buddhist monk, and my father's reaction to the news was very strange. It seems he would rather see me dead than allow me to turn to Buddhism, and I can tell that he's already prepared to kill me.

Ever since the imperial examinations were abolished, he and my mother have been plotting to kill me. However, Zen Master Law Wisdom of the Vajra Monastery has already agreed to take me as his disciple, so I no longer have to fear my parents.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, August.

I've finally arrived in Dian Province, and the Vajra Monastery is just up ahead. My master has been instructing me in Buddhist scriptures of late, and the more I learn, the more placid and serene I feel. Thousands of years ago, someone had already discovered the true meaning of life. Compared with that, status, material wealth, glory... all of it is completely insignificant.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, September.

The Vajra Monastery is... very strange, and so is my master. I once saw him sit completely still in front of a Buddhist scripture for an entire day. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me that he was communicating with the Buddha.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, end of September.

I finally know what's happening. Everyone in the Vajra Monastery is sick. They've contracted the Buddha's malaise. Those who contract this condition will gradually become Buddhas before finally transcending to the Buddha Realm. In order to contract it, one must first read Buddhist scriptures, the more, the better.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, October.

Master is becoming more and more erratic. He often speaks to flames and claims that the Buddha is within the fire. I told him I couldn't see the Buddha, and he said that was because I hadn't read enough scriptures.

Twelfth year of the Yonding Era, November.

Master no longer allows me to snuff out the oil lamps at night, and he's always staring into the lamp. I don't know how late he sleeps at night, but whenever I wake up, I always see him staring obsessively into it. He says the Buddha is speaking to him from within the flame. I tell him that I can't hear anything, and once again, he says that's because I haven't read enough scriptures.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, December.

The oil lamp burned out last night, and as soon as it did, Master began screaming. It was an inhuman sound. In fact, I don't think even a wild beast could've produced such a scream. I hurriedly got out of bed and relit the oil lamp, and Master immediately took it in both hands, holding it as though it were a priceless treasure.

Twelfth year of the Yongding Era, end of December.

Master is now blind in one eye after being scorched by a flame. The abbot tells me not to worry. He says that Master's Buddha's malaise has become more severe, and that he's about to become a Buddha. I'm really happy for Master. At this point, there are dozens of oil lamps in the room that remain lit throughout the day. On top of that, there's also a giant furnace, and Master spends all day sitting in front of it, constantly shoveling coal into the fire.

The brighter the fire burns, the wider his smile becomes. He says he can hear the Buddha's voice and see him. He has begun chanting a Buddhist prayer in a voice so high-pitched that it doesn't sound human. As I listen to his chanting, I can feel myself getting closer and closer to the Buddha. However, I have still yet to contract the Buddha's malaise. It seems I still haven't read enough scriptures.

Thirteenth year of the Yongding Era, March.

Today is the scripture-viewing day. All the monks in the monastery are very excited as they wait for the abbot to bring out the Sumeru King Scripture. Apparently, there are several scriptures above the Sumeru King Scripture, namely the Naga Mahesvara Power, the Many Appearances of the Vajra, and the Secret Vajra Guardian Scripture. All of them are said to contain the true meaning of Buddhism, but unfortunately, they have all been lost to time.

I have finally seen the Sumeru King Scripture. The Buddha is inside. I wanted to turn to my master and tell him what I had seen, only to discover that he had already become a Buddha. He was smiling at me, as if to encourage me, and I could hear the entire Buddha Realm cheering for him. I watched as he slowly ascended to the Buddha Realm. Unfortunately, the abbot only showed us the Sumeru King Scripture briefly before putting it away, but that doesn't matter. I've already contracted the Buddha's malaise, and I can hear his voice.

It was something like... Nan wu he luo tai you lang luo ye ye, which means "Boundless wisdom and fire are buried where all the Buddhas are gathered".

As Chu Qiguang read through the contents of the page, he could feel the air around him growing hotter and hotter. After reading the final sentence, he heard a shrill scream ring out right beside his ears.