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90% The Storm Calling Buddha / Chapter 54: Heated Debates and Wisdom Sharing

Capítulo 54: Heated Debates and Wisdom Sharing

"Very well... Out of respect for King Guo, I shall entertain your curiosities for a bit. What is your first question?"

Mo Yangling gave the group of old men in front of him a confident smile. His wild hair rested firmly against the back of the cushioned chair provided to him, whilst his palms gripped the armrests. 

He was as relaxed as could be. Even if he was not a scholar and not all that accustomed to debates, he also trusted that he would win no matter what. Why?

Because he wasn't alone. Behind him stood the giants of his world, the knowledge of all the books and poems he had read nestled within his soul.

The gathering of Scholars was not just facing a lone monk, but a man carrying the legacy of an entire world. 

Even if the Monk couldn't remember every writing and every aspect or concept that philosophers of past times had debated, he still vividly remembered most texts that he had read.

For all his flaws, the Monk's memory was impeccable. No matter how many staves or punches to the head he took, that fact had not changed at all throughout his life. 

Currently, his mind was clearer than ever, he felt as if he could easily go back in his memory as if going back in time and re-reading something for the first time. 

'Amitabha... This is not going to be much of a debate, but a show of intellectual force.' 

Off to the side, the Third Princess, Guo Cuifen, was seemingly quite excited to see him. She looked almost giddy actually.

Her father gave her a sideways glance, before shaking his head and turning back towards the Monk.

'This daughter of mine has some odd ideas... Maybe I should encourage this? For all of his oddities, Sage Mo has proven to be both wise and powerful... Certainly a good match for my daughter, some would say he's too good a match even...' 

By that point, the Monk marrying the princess of a kingdom could be seen as 'Marrying Down' in the hierarchy, as someone of his talent and intelligence could easily have any woman he wanted. 

Of course, that would only apply if he managed to convince the Scholars in that Grand Room that he was indeed worthy of the title he had been bestowed.

'For both our sakes, I hope that you do not embarrass yourself here, Mo Yangling. Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive your earlier transgression...' 

And King Guo knew that the Monk wouldn't be given an easy time. He had managed to antagonize all the scholars in the room with his tardiness. The forces behind the Scholars made sure that the best-suited men were sent over...

Their intentions were pretty clear. Demolish any notion that Mo Yangling could be considered a sage of any kind. 

"I shall ask the first question..." Cai Qing was the first to step out, his long white beard and white robes swaying slightly as he stepped forward.

He looked like the quintessential scholarly old man, even carrying around a large brush, which was said to be his main weapon as a cultivator. 

"It is claimed that you have mastered the concept of impermanence, but how could one so young master such a concept, when having seen so little of life and death?"

Right off the bat, the Caizhi Kingdom's scholar went in for the kill, wanting to discredit the very basis of Mo Yangling's title.

There was no pussyfooting around to be found, and all of the scholars seemed to whisper among themselves and nod at the question asked, awaiting an answer.

"Your lack of imagination shows right on the first question.

At the end of the day, this concept can be understood just by witnessing the change of seasons, from summer to autumn.

All you have to do is go outside once per season. Open your eyes, and you should see flowers bloom, and flowers fall. It is as simple as that."

The Monk responded with the same confident smile as before as he remembered quite a few old sayings from back in his world that could have fit. 

Cai Qing seemed to be taken aback by Mo Yangling's answer and just how pointed it truly was. Not only that, but he was completely right in his words.

"W-well, I cannot argue with you. You proposed a very creative way to observe this phenomenon. But to claim that you fully understand a Universal Law at your age... It's still preposterous." 

The white-bearded scholar still decided to emphasize his point of the Monk being too young. He clearly had some sort of strategy in mind, and he clearly expected a different kind of answer from the young sage.

Unfortunately, Mo Yangling wasn't deterred by his way of questioning. He didn't even care in fact. He responded from his own understanding. 

"Universal law does not discriminate based on age, and one's comprehensive capabilities and mindset are the only real limiting factors in understanding one." 

Cai Qing blinked a few times, clearly not expecting that response either. He had wanted the Monk to get defensive about his age, as one would expect.

Unfortunately, the Sage in front of him was not exactly concerned about his apparent youth. He had lived plenty in both of his lives to not consider himself a young man still. 

"Any other questions?" The monk asked as he looked around the room, the Scholars all seemed to be quite taken aback, much like their representative.

Who could blame them? They were expecting to see a child fumble about with pre-written talking points prepared by the Guozhi Kingdom. Instead, he stood there, proudly with his hands resting by his sides, and his neck craned to the side.

"I shall ask next!" Another older man raised his hand from the crowd. A rather fat and short man, with a large nose and thick beard and moustache covering most of his face.

He did not introduce himself, nor did Mo Yangling care for his name. But his question was at least more interesting than the last...

"You seem to understand impermanence quite well... What is your view on life as a whole then? What would you say is the meaning of life if everything is truly impermanent?"

The age-old question. The meaning of life. It was something that alluded to humanity for as long as it had existed.

After all, it was a lot more reassuring to theorize on a possible meaning to life, than coming to terms with the fact that they were all likely nothing more than a mutation.

Of course, the Monk was not one to deny the belief in a higher power either. The thought was both reassuring and a possibility seeing as how he had ended up in a completely different world after death. 

He could see both ends of the spectrum and could understand the widely differing views on the topic. And as for their relation to impermanence...

"To look for meaning in life is to look for a specific raindrop during a thunderstorm. Even when looking at the world with impermanence in mind, that fact still holds true. 

The fragility of life can make it more memorable, and make everything mean more to you in the moment. But it can also take away meaning from your future, for you know it is all bound to turn to dust. 

The true question here is... Is a lack of meaning really such a bad thing? And the real answer is that, once again, the answer depends on your mindset."

The Monk smiled as he remembered the shared amount of literature he had read regarding the matter.

Positive Nihilism. The prospect of understanding that life held no greater purpose, whilst also enjoying it all the more for it.

It was a concept that had greatly intrigued the Monk back in his training days. 

And now, it seemed to be intriguing the many scholars present as well, they all looked at each other with shocked gazes, and murmurs were stilled as they all turned towards Mo Yangling. 

"C-can you elaborate a bit on the last part? I'd like to hear more of your perspective..." The fat old man who had initially asked the question had also lost all hostility in his tone, his gaze turned into that of hunger. 

He, much like most other Scholars there, wanted to know more. He wanted to hear more from the Monk's mouth. 

"Amitabha, to put it simply... Man's entire life is an ongoing search for meaning, and this search is where both his greatness and his despair lie.

To end things on a more positive note though... There's a saying that my teacher used a lot during his time. 

There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."

The scholars stood aghast at the sheer wisdom rolling off the tongue of the young man in front of them. 

Of course, they had no way of knowing just how many philosophers and great men of his world the Monk was quoting.

To them, it was all knowledge and understanding they had not heard of in that form. It felt fresh, it felt new. 

And suddenly, they no longer felt like they were looking at a young poser on stage, but rather, a wise man. One much greater than all of them individually. 

Even the likes of Cai Qing had their minds changed. The old scholar had come into the gathering fully looking to tear down the notion that Mo Yangling was a Sage. 

But currently, he stared slack-jawed at the young man on stage, who clearly showcased his mastery and knowledge. 

'This... This may truly be a learning experience for all of us then...' Cai Qing was, at the end of the day, a scholar first, and a member of the Cai Royal Family second. 

Like with most Scholars present, the pursuit of knowledge stood above everything else. 

Eventually, the next old man raised his hand, like a young student wanting to have his question answered as well.

The monk just nodded at him to go on, realizing that he had captured the audience properly already. 

"I also have a question... Since you understand impermanence, what is your view on immortality? It is, after all, the primary goal for cultivators worldwide..."

_____________________________________________

Heyy, sorry for yesterday! I both got sick(still am), and had more work on my hands than usual at my day job. Anyhow, hope this double upload makes up for it ;)

If you want to support me and read up Chapter 79 you can find me on Patr_eon by looking up 'VeganMaster'


Capítulo 55: Immortality, Society and Last Question

"I also have a question... Since you understand impermanence, what is your view on immortality? It is, after all, the primary goal for cultivators worldwide..."

The old man who raised his hand looked at Mo Yangling with a tired gaze.

It was clear that he had likely spent quite some time trying to understand a way to seemingly link those concepts. 

Unfortunately for him, it was a fool's errand. And he knew it. They were simply clashing concepts.

An immortal stood against all norms, it was outside the boundaries of a universal law like impermanence. Or at least that was what their Scholarly Community had ended up concluding after centuries of research. 

But the Monk saw things quite differently. 

His eyes turned cold at the mention of an 'immortal'. To him, there was no such thing.

"Amitabha, to that I can only say: Do not cling in fondness and weakness to this life. Even if you cling, you have no power to remain."

Even he, who could regenerate from almost anything, didn't have the gall to call himself immortal. 

Even now, in a world full of cultivation and mystery, the Monk was still convinced of that fact. There was no such thing as true immortality.

If something didn't age, then it could still be killed. If something couldn't be killed through normal means then there was likely some way to fully erase their existence as well. 

The world always had some way of balancing things out like that. 

Cai Qing's eyes narrowed a bit as he finally noticed something rather crucial whilst looking around at all of the scholars that he had brought with him. 

They were all talking amongst each other, trying to break down and analyze Sage's profound words and the meaning behind them fully. 

'... We came here to judge him, yet instead, we are learning so much just from a short exchange...'

Still, Cai Qing was left with a rather important question after understanding the Sage's words at face value. 

"Does that mean you do not believe that Immortality can be achieved in this world?" 

His question seemed to shock many of the slower Scholars there, as their comprehension of the Monk's words was a bit less thorough. 

But Mo Yangling's response was thankfully about to give them all of the information they needed. 

"To call oneself immortal is to claim that you stand above the very laws of the universe that have enabled you to become 'immortal' in the first place.

It is simply a dichotomy, a foolish notion, likely born of fear and desperation. All things in the world end or die, it is only a matter of time, circumstance, and fate." 

Shocked gasps broke through the crowd, as even the King to the side couldn't help but scowl. 

It wasn't that the point Mo Yangling was making didn't make sense... It was simply going against the thoughts and aspirations of almost any cultivator in existence.

After all, a majority of cultivators strived to reach the zenith. To reach actual immortality. 

"In that case, how can you claim yourself to be a cultivator? External or otherwise, something must drive you.

And the very nature of Cultivation is to go against the laws of the universe, to go against the heavens..." This time, it was surprisingly the King that had spoken. 

He was the most experienced cultivator among the people present, he could easily see the 'flaws' in the Monk's statement.

After all, no cultivator could claim to follow Universal Laws. That was the main reason why almost no one became a Sage. It was simply improbable. 

Mortals didn't live enough to gain the knowledge to understand the universe, cultivators were predisposed to not following its laws, so they failed to grasp certain aspects of the laws they studied.

It was almost as if the heavens themselves were hampering their growth and understanding, shrouding its laws even further from them. 

It was why the position of 'Sage' was such a big deal, on par with that of a King. This was even more true if the person in question was also a cultivator... 

But how could one be a cultivator if they didn't even follow the very nature of cultivation itself? 

"Oh, but I am no cultivator..." The monk shook his head, causing the King to raise an eyebrow, as his fractured bones still ached. 

"At least, I can't say I think like one. Say, King Guo, how would you classify the mindset of a righteous cultivator?" The monk smiled as he turned his attention to the one that had caused the whole mess with his title. 

"Hum... If I were to put it into perspective like you scholars tend to do. Then the mind of a cultivator is like that of a flowing river, like their Internal Energy. It must be free of impurity and filled with stubbornness and ambition, always heading in one direction, unstoppable." 

The King's response reflected his beliefs clearly, his children looked at him shocked as well when hearing the honesty in his tone. 

They had all been caught off guard at the ease with which Mo Yangling was manoeuvring the Scholars and their enquiries. 

Guo Cuifen was especially impressed by how he had seemingly turned the haughty and stubborn old men who had been pestering their Royal Family into students with just a few insightful answers.

But now, she was unsure what the Monk was getting at, and why her father was engaging as well. She didn't really know much about her father and why he had decided to call Mo Yangling a Sage either...

"A flowing river, good analogy, King Guo!" Some of the scholars present nodded in appreciation at the King's words, any of the disrespect they held towards the man vanished in the wind thanks to Mo Yangling. 

"Good comparison indeed. But I do have one addition... The mind of a cultivator is like a river that is trying to flow up the mountain."

Guo Zhu opened his mouth for a moment, his brows creasing as he wanted to refute the Monk for a moment, but it wasn't like he was wrong. His addition in fact described the state of cultivators world-wide. Both Talented and not. 

The scholars present all seemed to agree with the monk as well, nodding amongst themselves as murmurs continued to spread. 

"Now, onto my point... If the mind of a cultivator must be a river, then mine is that of a stagnant lake of water.

Unmoving, living within the boundaries of the universe's laws. Calm on the surface but also also curious, for one may never know what lies beyond within the murky depths." 

Many scowled at the Monk's words at first, they almost thought that he was insulting himself for a moment. 

The second part of his statement only seemed to deepen their confusion.

"Does this mean Sage Mo is truly not a cultivator?"

"Is this the type of mindset one must have in order to understand more about the world? It feels... Wrong?"

"It also sounds quite strange... Stagnant water often symbolises poison, does it not?" 

The Scholars immediately started debating the Sage's answer, and Mo Yangling couldn't help but smile when hearing them. 

Especially the last one, which came from none other than Cai Qing.

"Stagnant Water is used as a symbol for many things. One of which is certainly poisonous. Some use it as an insult, having a 'poisoned' mindset. 

But in nature, Stagnant Water is an ecosystem that helps develop and support the lives of countless micro-organisms, too small to see even with the trained eye of a Cultivator." 

The monk smiled as he remembered learning about that comparison in the past randomly within a book. 

It has stuck with him ever since. It was a way to look at something which had been seen as a negative thing in a positive light. It was something that was reflected beautifully in nature. 

"Micro-organisms? I don't think I've heard of that before?"

"Something akin to living dust particles? Would something like that really escape the sight of cultivators from around the world?" 

"Would such a being be classified as a demonic beast then? I wonder..." 

The scholars didn't even stop to question whether or not the Monk was telling the truth, they had been fully enraptured by the mere concept of a micro-organism.

They had advanced tools, but a lot of them were mainly made for and used cultivation as a crutch of some sort.

They had advanced furnaces and pill creation methods, but their technology was still far from reaching the heights of the Monk's original world.

'An older civilization does not necessarily mean a more developed one...' The monk was also well aware of that, and there was only one factor that he could think of which may have altered humanity's progression... And that was cultivation. 

Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, that was debatable, but one look at the slums of a regular city would be enough to make most understand that the quality of life could be improved by leaps and bounds just through some basic discoveries made easily accessible. 

'To function properly, a society is only supposed to move as fast as its slowest member, yet Cultivation acted like a raging river, propelling only a chosen few that were talented enough to run whilst others crawled.' 

"You propose a rather interesting thought process, young Sage. We shall look into and study this further in our own time.

We now know that your time is indeed precious, so we won't bore you for much longer. You've given us plenty to think about as it is. 

For now, however, I do have to ask one last thing..." 

Cai Qing stepped forward once more, a brilliant smile stretching on his face as his eyes were brimming with respect. 

He didn't really care about Mo Yangling's age anymore. He only cared about what more he could learn...

"Can you tell us of any other Universal Laws you've observed through your eyes?" 

_____________________________________________

Hello there! Sorry if this took a while, had a busy day. Anyhow, gtg to sleep now

If you want to support me and read up to 25 chapters ahead you can find me on Patr_eon by looking up 'VeganMaster'


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