Chapter 631 - 632: People Are Always Like This
Putuo Temple.
A high-seated Buddha stared at Boruo and said, "Courage is not recklessness. Huang Miao and Chen Xiao were present that day. If all we have is ’just kill and don’t worry about the aftermath,’ that’s easy enough to say. But I’m afraid the Karma Buddha isn’t willing to act."
"The Honored Buddha only left this one ambiguous order without fully claiming it. If something changes in the future, are we doing right or wrong?"
"It would be better to say this kind of order doesn’t sound like it came from the Honored Buddha’s mouth."
The words fell. The assembled Buddhas’ gazes turned toward Boruo with scrutiny.
Throughout history, anyone planning something major would never be so sneaky and underhanded. If they weren’t colluding together, this felt like the behavior of a thief sneaking in.
This didn’t look like plotting a murder at all. This was clearly finding a scapegoat to take the blame.
The first rule of handling important business for others is having someone vouch for you — not just a couple of instructions and you’re on your own.
The Buddhist sect’s situation was still uncertain, but Runan was at least still maintaining relations with the Secular Buddhas.
The situation was still favorable — at least nominally stable. To do something that might harm others without benefiting themselves, and could even invite retaliation from the Three Sects...
If they won, everyone would be happy. But what if they lost?
Those present weren’t hot-headed fools. The Buddhas weren’t hot-headed fools either, the kind who’d charge in blindly after a few taunts.
Rather, their own ability to goad others into recklessness was equally superb.
They were all ancient monsters, thousands of years old.
Given the current situation, unless Runan personally gave the order, proclaiming it to the five continents and four directions, with the Buddhist sect’s name as a guarantee — if something went wrong, the Buddhist sect would bear the responsibility.
Boruo spoke calmly.
"First, dealing with the Evil Buddha is fundamentally an internal Buddhist affair. It’s the Three Sects who’ve overreached."
"As for forging the Honored Buddha’s decree... do you think I have a reason to do that?"
"The Evil Buddha must be destroyed. That’s the Honored Buddha’s will. You may follow the order if you wish."
Boruo waved his sleeve leisurely.
"In any case, I’m only responsible for delivering the message. If the Honored Buddha discovers you can only bow and scrape, hesitating even over a small task he’s entrusted you with, then the return of the Mahayana Buddhist Teachings to the Buddhist sect is just a matter of time."
"I know that in your eyes, I’m an oddity. I don’t cling to power, I don’t control the Buddhist sect’s factions — I just follow behind the Honored Buddha and do my work."
"Most of you think I’m a fool. But you should also consider — if you just keep bleeding the sect dry like parasites, no matter how great the Buddhist sect is, it’ll be drained."
"When the Buddhist sect’s sky collapses, whether it’s destroyed or not, who knows — but we’ll be the first to get crushed."
"You seem united, but you can only be united when scheming for power and excluding others. When things truly fall apart, I imagine you’ll all be quick to run."
"After all... clever people never do stupid things."
"And in the eyes of clever people, sharing profit with others is a stupid thing."
"I’ll say this much. What I cling to is not petty gain before my eyes. You are all Tribulation Transcendence cultivators — what does more power matter?"
"Chu Xingchen runs rampant, the Three Sects are united, and other immortal sects watch hungrily from the side. Do you truly believe this Buddhist sect of yours is an eternal golden lotus that will never fall?"
"Or that when the storm comes, the golden lotus will shelter you parasites?"
"What I look to is the future. When the wind blows and the tree topples, the Honored Buddha will remember me as one who followed obediently."
Boruo bowed, then turned and left without a trace of hesitation, his expression thoroughly satisfied.
"Wait!" One of the Buddhas on the high platform called out. "What is your intent with today’s words? Is this truly the Honored Buddha’s meaning?"
Boruo stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
"What’s my intent? I’m a Secular Buddha. No matter what Buddhist scriptures I read, no matter how many suffering beings I save, it will never change the fact that I’m a Secular Buddha."
"If the Mahayana Buddhist Teachings truly return to the Buddhist temple, what difference would there be between me and all of you? Today you’re Buddhas in the hall, tomorrow you’re casual cultivators by the roadside. Think back on everything you’ve done these past years — will the Karma Buddha truly forgive and forget?"
"Right now the Three Sects press down upon us, and most of the Karma Buddhas in the sect stand idly by. The Honored Buddha knows this is not the time for the Mahayana Buddhist Teachings to return. But if you still can’t see the situation clearly and choose to sit back and wait..."
"Then does the Honored Buddha have any other choice? Will a Honored Buddha with no one left truly not smash the pot and sink the boat?"
"Once you and I lose our purpose as Secular Buddhas, then Secular Buddhas are no longer needed at all."
"Kill the Evil Buddha, and there will be no more Mahayana Buddhist Teachings in this world. If the Three Sects truly retaliate, the Karma Buddhas won’t be able to remain idle either. The Buddhist sect will remain the Buddhist sect."
Boruo looked at the lavishly dressed Buddha and said with a light smile.
"Have you sat in your Buddha seats for so long that you’ve forgotten — as cultivators, if you don’t seek life in the face of death, you’ll die without even a place to bury you?"
"This world won’t spare you just because you’ve become Buddhas."
The words fell.
The hall was utterly silent. The Buddhas on the high platform were all communicating through spiritual transmission.
Boruo’s expression remained calm. He didn’t continue speaking, but let them discuss among themselves.
After a moment.
One Buddha spoke. "The day after tomorrow is the meeting. Do you have a plan?"
"Create a diversion in the east while striking in the west. Focus fire on Chu Xingchen first. Each of you hold back — don’t truly inflict serious injuries. Just provoke the Three Sects." Boruo’s smile returned as he continued.
"Once you find an opening, shift your attack to the Evil Buddha. At that point, follow my commands."
"The Honored Buddha will make his move. Two of the Karma Buddhas will also act. Once fighting begins, the Karma Buddhas who are watching from the sidelines won’t be able to keep watching."
As he spoke, Boruo took several tokens from his spatial ring and distributed them among the Buddhas.
"These are your proof. If the mission goes poorly, pin the blame on me without hesitation. All I ask is that you don’t hold back out of cowardice when the time comes."
Having finished, Boruo bowed and turned to leave, his departure without a trace of hesitation.
The great doors opened and slowly closed again.
Each Buddha held one of the tokens Boruo had left behind.
This wasn’t just one or two. One for each person meant the story was theirs to tell however they wished.
"What do you all say?"
"We might as well trust him this once. With so many tokens in hand, afraid he won’t honor his word?"
"The Mahayana Buddhist Teachings haven’t been fully resolved. It’ll be a fatal weakness in the future. Better to settle it sooner."
"Sound reasoning. This must be what the Honored Buddha truly intends."
"It can’t be that Boruo would harm others without benefiting himself. He doesn’t want to stay in the Buddhist sect anymore, surely."
The Buddhas spoke one after another, and gradually accepted Boruo’s explanation.
After all, compared to being responsible themselves, they now had a scapegoat — one who had come to their door willingly.
Moreover, what Boruo said did have some truth to it.
The voices gradually merged into one.
Outside the hall.
Boruo’s expression was calm. He didn’t look back at Putuo Temple behind him, but walked straight ahead.
This way, things were roughly taking shape.
Sometimes the gaps between factions within a sect could be the fatal weakness.
Especially when there’s enough greed and discontent to exploit.
They’d played this move well before, yet no one ever truly learned from it.
People are always like this.
Merely relying on heaven’s favor, that’s all.
[
Dear Readers,
I post multiple high-quality, human-polished Chapters every day. If you enjoy the story, consider supporting the release schedule to unlock massive advanced Chapter buffers!
Support Options:
$6 — Read 20+ Chapters Ahead (High-speed daily updates!)
$8 — Read 40+ Chapters Ahead + Exclusive Character Images
$10 — Read 60+ Chapters Ahead + Character Images + Patreon Community Chat
(Note: These Chapter counts are guaranteed minimums. Because of my rapid update schedule, you will often get even more!)
⚠️ Apple Users: Please subscribe via your web browser (Safari/Chrome) instead of the Patreon App to avoid a 30% fee and massive payment delays.
Thank you for reading and keeping these daily releases going!
Support Here: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]