Nightwatcher

# 294X. *Mahayana*

“All things in the world have heart. If one holds compassion, and resonates with the hearts of all things, then why be restricted by the words of man?”

The old monk clasped his hands together, remaining calm and unperturbed by Xu Qi'an's words.

*Then why the hell are you speaking to me in the Great Feng Mandarin rather than a western region language eh?* Xu Qi'an thought to himself, then said bluntly:

"Let’s cut to the chase. How will we compete? Don’t waste my time with philosophical nonsense."

"You are too attached to appearances. Why must there be a competition?" The old monk smiled faintly.

"It was clearly your Buddhist sect that proposed this competition. Isn’t your unreasonable behaviour a disgrace to the face of Buddhism?" Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Moments ago, you mentioned at the mountainside: 'A monk should let go of all earthly attachments.' If all earthly attachments are gone, then what is ‘face’?" The old monk's face remained serene as he slowly spoke.

"Fine, then how does master plan to test me?" Xu Qi'an held back his impatience.

He began to feel troubled. Worse than a person who always argues is someone who doesn’t speak like a normal person. An arguer will at least cling to your words to counter-argue, but someone who doesn’t talk sense will ignore everything you say and only speak their own lines. If you can’t understand, it’s your problem. But even if you try hard to understand, it’s pointless, because they’ll still ignore you.

"Life itself is a form of cultivation. By entering this secret Buddhist realm, you are also cultivating," the old monk smiled.

"How should I cultivate? Please, master, enlighten me."

"Cultivation depends on the individual. Why ask me?"

*Cultivate your mother’s c***! Fine, you don’t want to speak sense? I’m done with this.* Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a surge of anger, turned around, and began to walk away.

But a barrier blocked his path.

"I have an idea," Xu Qi'an sneered, gripping the hilt of his sabre, "I wonder if a master who claims to renounce all worldly things can take just one of my strikes?"

"Amitabha, then let us try,"

The old monk lowered his gaze, his voice calm. "I am but a remnant fragment of thought left behind by Bodhisattva Wenyin before attaining enlightenment."

*Bodhisattva Wenyin, a first-rank Bodhisattva?!*

Xu Qi'an’s expression didn’t change as he released his grip on the saber. "Master, where were we in our conversation just now?"

The old monk replied honestly, "You asked if I could take one strike."

"Master!"

Xu Qi'an harshly scolded, sitting down cross-legged across from the monk, clasping his hands together in mock prayer, and criticising him:

"Is the Buddhist sect only about fighting and killing? Does your sect rely on violence to save all beings? Master, let's actually get onto the same page."

...

"Did Running Dog... just wimp out?" Lin'an whispered, turning to look at Huaiqing.

Huaiqing shot her a sidelong glance, her expression cool, her tone even, "He merely changed his strategy. The *Art of War* says: the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy’s plans. The same applies in a duel."

Lin'an suddenly understood, thinking she had been narrow-minded. Running Dog wasn’t scared; he was wisely changing his approach.

*He was just scared... Lin'an, you’re just too gullible!* Huaiqing shook her head, glancing pityingly at her younger sister.

Upon hearing that the opponent was a remnant of a 'Bodhisattva', Xu Qi'an wisely de-escalated the situation. This move surprised many of the spectators.

That was incredibly astute.

However, this act made his image more vivid and entertaining. At least among the noblewomen, they found this Silver Gong quite amusing and interesting.

"He certainly knows how to adapt. If he had tried to solve this through violence, he would have certainly lost," Nangong Qianrou snorted coldly.

*This kid...* The Gold Gongs shook their heads helplessly, some finding it amusing but aware that the setting was inappropriate for laughter.

Sometimes, it felt like Xu Qi'an wasn’t a martial artist at all, able to back down without any pressure or psychological burden. Yet, paradoxically, he was also an outstanding martial arts prodigy.

"Father, what’s the hidden challenge of this round?" Yang Yan asked.

The Gold Gongs all looked at Wei Yuan, awaiting his answer, as if assuming Wei Yuan, though not an insider of Buddhism, would somehow know what the third round entailed.

Wei Yuan ignored them.

At this moment, from the royal pavilion, a girl in a fiery red palace dress cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey, baldies, what’s the challenge for this round? Is it an Old-Monk formation?"

The girl had a round face and watery peach-blossom eyes, giving off a seductive and alluring aura at first glance.

Although Arhat Du’e did not want to respond, since the one asking was a princess, he explained out of courtesy, "In the third round, there is no content."

This statement left all the dignitaries present astonished.

"What do you mean by ‘no content’?" Lin'an slammed the table with both hands, expressing her dissatisfaction.

Arhat Du'e simply shook his head, smiling without elaboration.

The Gold Gongs suddenly realised the truth. No wonder Wei Yuan hadn’t said anything—there was no real challenge in this round. But how could they win if there was no content?

In the midst of everyone's confusion, Huaiqing spoke, her clear voice as crisp as jade clinking together, pleasant and substantive:

"An untitled challenge?! Does this mean that no matter how Silver Gong Xu responds, the Buddhist sect can either refuse to acknowledge it or deem it invalid, trapping him in the secret realm until he admits defeat?"

Her words woke the crowd from their reverie.

In various pavilions, civil and military officials’ expressions shifted.

Upon closer reflection, they realised it was true. No matter how difficult a challenge might be, as long as there was a set goal, it could be overcome.

But the most frustrating and unsolvable dilemma was a challenge with no content. The Buddhist sect could always veto Xu Qi'an’s approach, whether he chose martial combat or a battle of wits.

The Buddhist sect was perpetually in an invincible position.

"This is nothing but trickery! If you want a competition, then lay out the terms. Whether it's a battle of wits or strength, you Buddhists can make the call. What is this nonsense?"

"A win through trickery isn’t an honourable victory."

"Prime Minister Wang, His Majesty is not here. You should speak up."

One hot-tempered military officer slammed his cup in anger, pointing at Arhat Du'e and the others, cursing them openly.

Whether in a battle of wits or martial prowess, they weren’t afraid. The capital was filled with experts; both sides could compete based on their abilities. But this third round was a dead end. If Xu Qi'an couldn’t solve it, could anyone else?

"What's going on? The officials in the pavilion seem very angry."

"It sounds like they’re accusing the Buddhist sect of cheating?"

"How did the Buddhist sect cheat? Ugh, it’s killing me not to know—does this third round have some hidden trick?"

Amidst the murmurs, a man from the Jianghu spoke up with a solemn expression, his voice loud and clear: "Everyone, I overheard just now. Here's the situation..."

Martial artists had keen hearing, and although the common folk couldn't make out the conversation, those near the front could hear it clearly. Immediately, the hidden trick in the third round was revealed to all.

"Shameless!"

A scholar exploded in fury, "I've studied for over a decade, yet I've never encountered such despicable behavior. For the dignified Buddhist sect to resort to such vile tactics just to win a duel—it's truly disgraceful.

"Could it be that they're afraid of our Scholar Xu's sabre skills and thus deliberately use such underhanded means? In any test or contest, one should face it openly. A person should not, or at least cannot..."

"Even the imperial examinations have questions!"

The commoners, now riled up, began to vocally condemn the Buddhist sect's shamelessness. They cursed, wishing they had rotten eggs and vegetables to throw at the monks.

Thanks to Xu Qi’an's earlier display of skill, the commoners had shifted their view from “the Buddhist sect is formidable” to “the Buddhist sect is nothing special.”

This shift in confidence and pride was something Xu Qi’an had instilled in them.

Now, seeing the Buddhist monks setting a trap to sabotage Xu Qi’an, the commoners were enraged and began to push against the imperial guards, as if ready to rush in and take down the bald monks themselves.

“Amitabha, no question is also a question. Life is full of uncertainties, will there always be a ‘question’ at every turn?”

Arhat Du'e's serene voice spread across the venue, carrying a calming force that seemed to soothe the hearts of the masses, making them momentarily quiet and feel he had a point.

It was the power of a seventh-rank monk—a Dharmacarya.

Not just the commoners but even the nobles in the pavilions restrained their anger, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

"Shameless!"

Suddenly, an indignant shout broke the silence.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and saw a handsome, unfamiliar scholar descending from one of the pavilions. He walked calmly into the square, sneering at the monks.

"No wonder you monks are bald. Turns out it’s because you've stuffed your heads with filth! On the outside, you appear virtuous, but inside, you're full of corruption. Disgraceful!"

Monk Jingchen furrowed his brows. "This benefactor..."

"Who’s your benefactor? This Xu won’t give you even a single copper coin. You go around calling everyone benefactor—shameful!"

"You..."

"You what? You monks sure are brash, are you also all just figments of the Buddha's pre-enlightenment delusions,?"

*Figments of the Buddha’s delusions?!* Jingchen was taken aback, then flew into a rage. This was outright slander!

"Benefactor, as a scholar, speak only in insults. Is this the virtue of the scholars of Great Feng?"

"I never insult people—all those I insult are not people."

The monks’ faces darkened with anger, their eyes glaring daggers at Xu Xinnian.

“What? Not happy? You monks came all the way here to challenge us, and the Great Feng, being a land of courtesy, only sent a Silver Gong to meet you. That alone was showing you respect.

“But who knew your faces are thicker than the walls of the capital. No wonder the battle at Shanhai Pass was won twenty years ago—it was thanks to your thick-skinned faces. Even after ten years, the allied armies of the southern and northern barbarians couldn’t breach the defenses of your faces.

"And you all act like you’re unaware of this. No matter how much you look in a mirror, you’ll never get it."

"How dare you!"

Monk Jingchen stood up abruptly, his robes billowing as his eyes blazed with the fury of a wrathful vajra, his aura intimidating.

Xu Xinnian, undaunted, snickered. "What a fine master empty of worldly desires—empty my fucking arse, pah!"

Monk Jingchen's expression froze.

Arhat Du'e spoke calmly: "Jingchen, your mind is disturbed."

Monk Jingchen’s face went pale, and he slumped back down, hands clasped in prayer, his voice trembling. "Your disciple has become too attached."

The Western Buddhist delegation had arrived with the intent to exact retribution, already harbouring anger. After two rounds, Xu Qi’an's triumph had placed immense psychological pressure on the monks.

Now, Xu Xinnian’s sudden insults slandering their very moral character — even a Buddha would feel a flicker of anger, so how could these mortal disciples not?

Xu Xinnian scoffed and walked back to his seat.

All eyes were on him, filled with a mixture of surprise and admiration. His words might have been uncouth, but they were satisfying. He’d rendered the monks speechless with his scathing remarks.

That felt good!

Moreover, the nobles, who prided themselves on decorum, would never dare to say such things in public, making Xu Xinnian the mouthpiece of their inner thoughts.

*Smart!* Lady Wang silently praised. She saw through Xu Xinnian’s strategy. The insults were merely a façade; his true goal was to unsettle the monks, deliberately provoking them to break their focus and leave them vulnerable to a decisive blow.

Not only did he vent their frustrations, but he also dealt a heavy psychological blow to the monks.

Additionally, Lady Wang speculated that Xu Xinnian's bold move served another purpose—to showcase his talents before the capital’s nobility and perhaps even the Emperor himself, laying the groundwork for a promising future after the imperial exams.

"He has some wit."

At that moment, Lady Wang heard her father, Wang Zhenwen, comment in a calm voice.

A smile bloomed on her lips.

*What a thrill!* Xu Xinnian returned to his seat, immensely satisfied. Indeed, there’s nothing more exhilarating than hurling insults.

The little interlude over, the contest resumed, though the crowd outside still felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

…

Under the Bodhi tree, Xu Qi'an sat facing the old monk, discussing the Dao. He nodded along, going “Mm-hmm, ah yes,” saying, “Master’s words are indeed profound, enlightening me greatly,” while in reality, he was pondering the solution to the third trial.

The Buddhists were truly cunning. This round had no explicit question, meaning the right to interpret it lay entirely with the Buddhist monks. Would they let him win?

The answer was obvious: no.

How to break the stalemate? After careful thought, Xu Qi'an devised two strategies: first, to convince with reason; second, to convince with reason.

*In my current state, I can’t even muster a second slash. Even if my energy were restored, without the support of... it would be impossible to break the barrier.*

The old monk in front of him was a fragment severed by Wenyin Bodhisattva before attaining enlightenment. Thus, the first "convincing with reason" needed to be carefully thought through.

The second "convincing with reason" meant using any means other than physical force to deal with the old monk.

If he dealt with the old monk, this trial would be broken.

*There’s no way I can out-argue him on Buddhist teachings. This old monk is a fragment of thought of a Bodhisattva, far beyond the level of a novice monk like Jingsi. He can only deceive me, never the other way around… How do I deal with him?* Xu Qi'an pretended to listen to the sermon while plotting his response.

“Master, you mentioned you are a fragment of thought of the Wenyin Bodhisattva. What thought is that?” Xu Qi'an suddenly asked.

“The highest state of Buddha,” the old monk replied.

*The highest state of Buddha… Starting with such a profound topic. I had hoped to tackle the obsession itself, but it seems that's not possible... Wait, perhaps I should first hear what he has to say and then see if my 'keyboard warrior' knowledge can offer any loopholes!*

Xu Qi'an followed up with another question: “What is the highest state of Buddha?”

The old monk remained silent for a long time before saying, “I don’t know. But Wenyin believed it was the Buddha. And so he severed me off, cutting off this obsession. From that moment, his heart was as clear as glass, free of mortal stains, and he attained the Bodhisattva path.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an fell silent. He knew little of this world's Buddhist teachings, but had some understanding of Buddhism from his previous life. However, there were significant differences between the two.

The most obvious being that in this world, there was no Buddha Tathagata, only a Buddha.

“Why is the highest state of Buddha the Buddha? Does that mean other Buddhas are not true Buddhas?” Xu Qi'an frowned and asked.

At that moment, a detail occurred to him: in the Buddhist hierarchy, second-rank are Arhats, first-rank are Bodhisattvas, and above that is the transcendent Buddha.

There seemed to be no other Buddhas.

The old monk answered, “Buddhism has the Arhat phala, and the Bodhisattva phala. Only the Buddha attains the supreme phala. Thus, the Buddha is the highest state of Buddha, a unique existence. The Buddha is the Buddha, and there is only one.”

“There is nothing to say that Arhats and Bodhisattvas cannot attain the supreme phala,” Xu Qi'an said.

The old monk glanced at him and shook his head. “You are not of the Buddhist sect, so it’s understandable you don’t comprehend the phala.”

Xu Qi'an adopted a disciple’s posture, clasping his hands together. “Please, Master, enlighten me.”

*Please let me freeload more Buddhist knowledge.*

“Do you know why Bodhisattvas are Bodhisattvas and Arhats are Arhats? In Buddhism, fourth-rank are *Sadhu*, ascetic monks, and such individuals must make a great oath.

“The size of the oath is closely tied to their *phala* — the fruit of their achievements. Those who vow monumental oaths attain the Bodhisattva phala, while those with lesser oaths attain the Arhat phala. Furthermore, the Arhat phala is divided into three levels: Executioner of Evil, Non-returning, and Grand Arhat.

“Once a phala is condensed, it cannot be changed nor improved.”

Xu Qi'an was stunned, remaining silent for quite some time. The amount of information in those words was overwhelming, and it took him several minutes to fully digest it.

*So Bodhisattvas and Arhats are essentially unrelated. They are both advancements from fourth-rank Sadhu… Wait, after fourth-rank is second-rank or first-rank, so what about third-rank Vajra?*

*Fourth-rank Sadhu skip over the third rank and directly achieve Arhat or Bodhisattva phala… Does this mean the third-rank Vajra belongs to a different Buddhist system?*

Xu Qi'an's mind sparked with realisation, forming a new theory: eighth-rank warrior monk—third-rank Vajra!

*What the… Eighth-rank directly jumps to third-rank? The Buddhist system is so strange, it doesn't follow a gradual promotion path at all.*

Reviewing the Buddhist hierarchy, Xu Qi'an suddenly understood many things.

*In Buddhism, from ninth-rank to first-rank, the eighth-rank warrior monk corresponds to the third-rank Vajra. No wonder Master Hengyuan, despite his formidable combat prowess, was only an eighth-rank warrior monk—because his next rank would be a Vajra.*

*Moreover, no wonder second-rank is Arhat, first-rank is Bodhisattva, and the Buddha is above even that, in the beyond-rank category. The reason for this naming convention is that once a phala is determined, it cannot be altered.*

*So in this world, unlike in my previous one, where there are numerous Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, there is only one Buddha: the Buddha.*

*The world respects only one Buddha… Wait a minute, fuck, this is Theravada Buddhism!*[^1]

*I know how to break this trial!*

Xu Qi'an slowly rose to his feet, fixing his gaze on the old monk. His lips curled into a smirk, which gradually grew into a wide grin, until it erupted into full-blown laughter.

“Hahaha…”

He laughed so hard his body bent forward and backward, laughing wildly and arrogantly.

“What’s he laughing at? Has he gone mad?”

The crowd outside looked up in confusion at Xu Qi'an, who stood beneath the Bodhi tree, laughing uncontrollably.

“Is he about to admit defeat…?” someone asked worriedly.

The Buddhist monks frowned slightly, unsure of the reason behind Xu Qi'an's outburst.

In the pavilion, the civil and military officials, the noblewomen, the Imperial Guard, and everyone present showed expressions of bewilderment.

Those who were familiar with Xu Qi'an felt a surge of concern, fearing that something had happened to cause him to act so erratically.

Emperor Yuanjing, standing beside the Jianzheng, looked up at the laughing figure in the painting with a frown. He glanced back at the Jianzheng, only to find that the Jianzheng had stopped drinking, now watching Xu Qi'an with a solemn expression.

Wei Yuan tapped his fingers unconsciously, gazing at the Buddhist Mountain without saying a word.

…

“What is the benefactor laughing at?”

Under the Bodhi tree, the old monk voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

Xu Qi'an clutched his belly, struggling to suppress his laughter. His expression became arrogant and insolent as he said, “I’m laughing at the narrow-mindedness of Buddhism and the hypocrisy of the Buddha.”

*Arrogant!*

The old monk’s face darkened with anger, and the Bodhi tree began to sway even though there was no wind.

Outside, Arhat Du'e, who had remained expressionless throughout, finally frowned. If even Du’e reacted this way, there was no need to mention the rest of the Buddhist monks.

But Xu Qi'an’s next words extinguished the old monk's raging anger under the Bodhi tree.

“Master, you claim not to know the highest state of Buddhism? Then allow me to tell you!” His voice was firm and powerful.

Golden light flashed in the old monk’s eyes.

“I once believed that Buddhism was profound and that every Arhat and Bodhisattva was a person of great compassion. But now I realise they are nothing more than selfish individuals. It turns out your Buddhist sect practices Hinayana Buddhism,[^2]” Xu Qi'an declared loudly.

Hinayana Buddhism?!

This unfamiliar term had never been heard before, and while it sparked anger among the monks, it also piqued their curiosity. If there was _Hinayana_ Buddhism, did that mean there was _Mahayana_ Buddhism as well?

“Hmph, what Hinayana Buddhism? He’s clearly spouting nonsense just to belittle our Buddhist sect.”

“What does a martial artist know of Buddhism? How dare he declare such unfounded distinctions of Mahayana and Hinayana? Senior uncle, this man is insulting our Buddhist sect and cannot be easily forgiven,” the monks rebuked Xu Qi'an angrily, certainly not admitting to his statement

...

“Are you saying that I—”

“Master, where do you hail from?”

“The Western Regions.”

“And why do Buddhist monks cultivate?”

“To attain phala and transcend the sea of suffering.”

“This is Hinayana Buddhism. Cultivation solely for oneself, even attaining phala is for self-gain, benefiting oneself but not others,” Xu Qi'an said.

The old monk was taken aback. This time, he fell into deep thought for a long while and, surprisingly, did not become angry. Instead, he asked, “The benefactor claims this is Hinayana Buddhism. Then, what is Mahayana Buddhism?”

“You are not a monk of the Western Regions; you are a monk of Jiuzhou, a monk of the entire world. A monk’s cultivation should not be for personal liberation but to help all beings in the world escape the sea of suffering.

“Four hundred years ago, why did Confucianism seek to extinguish Buddhism? They weren’t destroying Buddhism; they were destroying Hinayana Buddhism.

“Hinayana Buddhism is ultimately limited to one sect and one school. Only Mahayana Buddhism can save all beings. So, what is Mahayana Buddhism?”

The old monk’s breathing quickened, and his eyes, once indifferent and serene, were now turbulent. His voice trembled as he asked:

“What is Mahayana Buddhism?”

Outside, the Buddhist monks stared intently at Xu Qi'an, their breathing also becoming rapid.

“Why is there only one Buddha?” Xu Qi'an questioned.

All the monks, including the old monk, suddenly felt their breath catch.

Arhat Du'e stood up abruptly, as if he already knew what Xu Qi'an was going to say.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qi'an slowly said, “All beings in the world are Buddhas. Across the three worlds and ten directions, there are countless Buddhas. This is Mahayana Buddhism. Why should there be only one Buddha in this world?”

It was like a bolt from the blue!

*All beings are Buddhas….* The old monk sat petrified, as if turned to stone.

“All beings are Buddhas, all beings are Buddhas… Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism… If it were Mahayana, and all beings were Buddhas, could Confucianism still have destroyed Buddhism?” Monk Jingchen muttered to himself, as if his life’s beliefs had been shattered and his Buddhist heart suffered a tremendous blow.

“I’ve been practicing Hinayana Buddhism, I’ve been practicing Hinayana Buddhism… Hahaha… So, all beings can become Buddhas. Yes, all beings are Buddhas. This is Mahayana Buddhism…”

Suddenly, a monk went mad. He rushed into the crowd, his expression wild and crazed.

His Buddhist heart had shattered.

---

[^1]: *Theravada* “doctrine of the elders”, also known as *Hinayana* “lesser vehicle, the older Buddhist school and practiced primarily in South East Asia and India. Contrast with *Mahayana*, “greater vehicle”, the most prevalent form of Buddhism, and the one practiced in China and East Asia. Note that Tibet has its own branch of Buddhism known as *Vajrayana*, which is seen in Tibet and Mongolia.

[^2]: While Theravada is the preferred and more common name in English, Hinayana (or its chinese equivalent, 小乘), is the more common name and more appropriate here to contrast.