Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 170

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 170

Hyeon Jin was already surrounded by more than ten Nahan. He was holding out using Baek-ryeon-gak’s martial arts, but the situation was gradually worsening.

One Nahan swung a massive iron mace. Hyeon Jin ducked to avoid it, but at that moment, another Nahan’s spear pierced through his shoulder.

“Kugh…!”

Hyeon Jin screamed. However, he was still fighting. His footwork was as beautiful as if he were dancing. He had taken down several Nahan, but more Nahan continued to swarm toward him.

Yeon Chu-ha was already wounded in several places. His right arm had become almost unusable. However, his eyes were still cold, and his movements were precise.

He was fighting with only his left hand, but his skill was still excellent.

Seol Ho-ryeong faced the Nahan again, but he no longer had the imposing presence from before.

His extremely confused mind had dragged down his genius qualities to the bottom like before, and eventually wounds appeared on Seol Ho-ryeong’s shoulder and thigh.

Tsk.

Woon-hwi clicked his tongue.

Seo Hyo said something to such Woon-hwi.

“…What have you been doing! Not fighting!”

“Be quiet.”

“…What?”

“Don’t raise your voice.”

Clearly Woon-hwi was not fighting. And in this brief moment, Seo Hyo noticed.

That the Nahan were not attacking Woon-hwi.

Why was that?

Woon-hwi, who had been silently watching Seol Ho-ryeong, slowly opened his mouth.

“This is not a test that can be won through force, elder brother.”

Seol Ho-ryeong, who had wiped the sweat from his forehead while kicking away a Nahan, turned his head sharply.

However, there was a voice that came faster than his voice.

「There is one wise person here.」

Once again, a voice echoed in everyone’s minds.

Woon-hwi raised his head to look at the lotus dais.

“This place is Beob Un-jeon. It’s where the wisdom of Buddhist law gathers. It can never be won through force.”

「That’s right. Continue.」

“Before continuing, please stop the Nahan.”

「If I stop them? Can you convince me?」

“I don’t think whether I can convince you or not is important. What’s important is whether you can understand my words.”

Was it an illusion?

At Woon-hwi’s words, it seemed as if a smile bloomed from the faceless Buddha statue.

And immediately all the Nahan stopped moving.

Seol Ho-ryeong, Cheon-seol-mun’s Dong U, and Baek-ryeon-gak’s Yeon Chu-ha and Hyeon Jin, all of them stared blankly at Woon-hwi.

Especially Seo Hyo’s expression was spectacular.

His expression, which contained all at once his own inadequacy in having misjudged this man’s limits until now.

It was truly impressively indescribable.

Woon-hwi slowly picked up the Jinhwa Cheonryeong sword that had fallen to the floor and fastened it to his waist. The Nahan still did not attack him.

He silently looked at the lotus dais and continued speaking.

“Emptiness is the essence of Buddhism. Emptiness is not nothingness, but the principle of dependent origination.”

His voice was small but strangely echoed throughout the entire hall.

The light above the dais flickered.

「Do you know the principle of emptiness?」

The principle of emptiness.

Those truly complex things were the type that could not be explained at once, but still there was no hesitation in Woon-hwi’s answer.

“All phenomena in the world arise and perish due to conditions and causes. Since nothing exists independently, their essence is ’emptiness.'”

「…」

“Therefore, these Nahan now are merely illusions created by our minds.”

「Illusions? Then is that pain also an illusion? One of you has already died, and someone has been severely wounded, so how can you call that an illusion?」

Woon-hwi’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Pain is real. However, attachment to and fear of pain are illusions. Buddha said: All is suffering. Everything is suffering, but there is a way to escape from that suffering.”

「What is that way?」

“It is the Middle Way. The practice of the middle way, neither indulging in desires nor extreme asceticism. This battle is the same. Neither confronting with force nor completely giving up, but understanding the essence of suffering and transcending it – that is the Middle Way.”

When Woon-hwi finished speaking, a strange silence flowed. Seol Ho-ryeong was at a loss for words and looked at his youngest brother. He had no idea that his youngest brother possessed such deep Buddhist insight.

Honestly, even Seo Hyo, who considered himself closest to him here, didn’t know Woon-hwi was to that extent, so there was nothing more to say.

However.

Woon-hwi truly knew many things.

When he lived as the Blood Heaven Middle Emperor in his previous life, he had acquired all kinds of knowledge, and among them was Buddhist knowledge.

However, he did not practice Buddhism. The teachings were impressive, but Woon-hwi did not have enough Buddhist faith to follow those teachings.

Before long, the Buddha statue on the lotus dais, which had been silent, spoke.

「Your words are correct. However, words alone are not sufficient. Show me with your heart.」

Woon-hwi closed his eyes. His breathing deepened.

“They say only those who realize the Four Noble Truths can achieve true liberation. Suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to cease suffering.”

Woon-hwi slowly opened his eyes. Sharp eyes directly faced the Buddha statue.

“This battle now is an illusion arising from our afflictions. An illusion created by greed, anger, and ignorance. The way to defeat this illusion is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.”

He raised his hand. His finger drew the Eightfold Path in the air.

“Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.”

Each time his hand moved, a subtle light formed along its trajectory. Even though he could not use qi, showing this in this Buddhist paradise had meaning in itself.

Though formless, everyone could clearly see with their own eyes the eight characters of the Eightfold Path carved in the void.

The Buddha statue spoke.

「Correct. You understand the core of Buddhist law.」

Woon-hwi continued speaking.

“Among Buddhist teachings, there is a concept called harmonious resolution. This is harmoniously reconciling opposition and conflict. If each of the 108 Nahan symbolizes our 108 afflictions, then we should not fight these afflictions but recognize and transcend them.”

「Then how will you transcend those afflictions?」

A smile appeared on Woon-hwi’s lips. It was a peaceful smile that came from deep insight.

“There are eighty-four thousand dharma gates, but all of them converge to one truth. That is the realization of emptiness. When one realizes that all beings have no inherent nature, afflictions naturally cease.”

Woon-hwi paused briefly and looked around before continuing.

“The Diamond Sutra says: ‘One should give rise to a mind that does not abide anywhere.’ A mind that does not dwell anywhere is the true mind. We must abandon both the thought of fighting the Nahan and the mind that fears them.”

As those words ended, the golden light emanating from the Buddha Statue’s body began to grow even more intense.

「Your enlightenment is true. Show that truth to all.」

Quietly.

Woon-hwi let out a sigh, feeling somewhat displeased with this situation.

「Why? Can you not do it?」

“I can do it, but I feel like a clown, so it’s not very pleasant.”

「A clown… As you said, suffering is real. The Nahan are also real. I stopped their movements, yet do you wish for them to move again?」

“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if they moved again.”

「Is there a reason?」

“Yes. I don’t think they pose much of a threat.”

「…Were not the people here your companions?」

“They are companions, and there are people I must protect, but not all of them are like that. And they’re merely 108 ‘Divine Third-rank’ warriors. It’s not like I can’t kill them.”

At least among everyone present in this place, only the Buddha Statue could tell that Woon-hwi’s words were sincere.

「Then, what is it that you desire?」

“I want to know who you are.”

Those words were a fact that everyone present had momentarily overlooked.

Right now.

Woon-hwi was having a conversation with a Buddha Statue that had appeared in the Secret Realm.

Among all the Secret Realms that exist in this world, there are no records of anyone having a ‘conversation’ with something that appeared inside a Secret Realm.

Even Seo Hyo, who was most knowledgeable about information in this place, had never heard or seen such a case.

They had simply forgotten due to fear of death.

「Is that important?」

“I don’t think it’s something to just pass over.”

「I am the guardian of Beob Un-jeon, Ji-woon.」

“What is Ji-woon?”

Was it another illusion?

It seemed like something resembling a smile appeared on the Buddha Statue’s lips.

「You are not asking who I am, but what I am.」

“This is the first time I’ve seen a being with self-consciousness inside a Secret Realm. Who you are is important, but I think what you are is more important.”

「Your question is deeper than I expected.」

The Buddha Statue paused for a moment, then slowly opened its mouth.

「I am one who waits.」

“What are you waiting for?”

「I am waiting for one who will break the chain of links.」

“What is chained together?”

「The flow of heaven and earth.」

Woon-hwi’s gaze changed strangely.

The flow of heaven and earth is chained together, and he’s waiting for someone to break that chain?

「It seems you have many more curiosities, but I do not wish to tell you more than that.」

“Is there a reason?”

「There is. You do not know what is twisted and what is misaligned. I cannot speak of it before you know that, and if you knew it, you would not need to ask me such questions, so there is no reason to do so.」

He understood.

This much was enough.

「Then now show your enlightenment to the others.」

Woon-hwi spoke in a quiet voice.

“All things are created by the mind. Right now, in this moment, empty your minds. Let go of anger, fear, and attachment. That is the only way to pass this test.”

Woon-hwi’s words were finished, and those who followed them would live, while those who didn’t would die.

The Buddha Statue, who had been watching Woon-hwi, spoke softly.

「Preaching enlightenment is difficult, and accepting it is also not easy. Now let us see.」

The light intensified and then the Nahan that had stopped began to stir.

However, they did not move.

At least everyone present in this place had their own level of mastery, so it didn’t take long for them to practice what Woon-hwi had said.

Even if completely mastering it was a separate matter, at least for this short time, they were people who could realize that enlightenment.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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