I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 50 Ullambana Festival
silence!

Deathly silent!
After Chen Jinggang finished speaking, he wondered if the two of them would hide on the way to the Cold Pool.

Qingjue and Qinghui jumped out in coordination, each holding a wood-chopping axe from the kitchen, flanking the other from the front and back, their eyes revealing a fierce aura.

It's really here!
Not only did they come, but they also came at a very opportune time!

Chen Jing carried the empty buckets without making any move; he neither ran away nor intended to resist with the carrying pole.

Qingdeng did not follow the pre-arranged plan from the previous night. He was first hacked twice with an axe to clear his name and incidentally made a name for himself at Jinshan Temple.

Qingjue and Qinghui walked slower and slower, seeing an unexpected scene unfold and receiving no new instructions. They were caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to act or not, making the atmosphere extremely awkward.

Smart people are good at predicting, especially self-defined smart people.

Chen Jing waited for a moment without any further developments, then looked down at Qing Deng beside him and realized that this part of the plot was indeed stuck!

Youyou said, "Since we can't kill Qianye without anyone noticing, why not make use of them and have Qingjue and Qinghui, those two expendable pawns, expose their identities and attract hatred? That way, we can preserve ourselves and achieve our goal. Junior Brother Qingdeng, you wouldn't think of that, would you? You wouldn't!"

"Does anyone really believe that things will unfold according to their plan, without even preparing a few contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances?"

Chen Jing prepared numerous traps and ambushes beforehand when he told fortunes for the NPCs Zhou Qing and Zhou Silang. He put on this show to deal with the cultivators who were also players.

Do you look down on me, Chen Jing?
Or is it because you're new to the business and lack experience?

Chen Jing looked at Qing Deng, whose forehead veins were throbbing, and tentatively decided on the latter.

Qingjue sensed the sarcasm in Chen Jing's words, raised his axe and said coldly, "How dare you be so arrogant even when you're about to die."

After weighing the pros and cons, Qing Deng waved his hand impatiently at Qing Jue and the other two, took a deep breath and said, "You two go down the mountain! Senior Brother Qianye and I have important matters to discuss."

"........."

"Crash!!"

The two went to the cold pool to fetch water without saying a word, and carried the water up the mountain path.

As he climbed step by step, Qingdeng's emotions completely calmed down. After a pause, he spoke first and asked, "Senior Brother Qianye, why don't we have a frank conversation? You also accepted the mission for the Ullambana Festival, which is why you used your identity token to seize the body of the only novice monk of the Kalan lineage?"

Chen Jing shook his head: "I have no mission. I only came here for a part of the true teachings of the Yogacara school."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng's eyes lit up for no apparent reason, and he quickly said, "Then we actually have no conflict. Last night, Qingjue and Qinghui sneaked into Jialan Temple and saw with their own eyes a pale golden mane lion, which let out a soul-stirring roar. Monk Faji definitely has mastered the true Dharma. You can get the true Dharma by increasing your favorability with Monk Faji."

"Just pretend to be injured before the Ullambana Festival on the 15th of July, and the spot for the Dharma Debate Assistant will definitely be in my hands. Once I win the Dharma Debate at the Ullambana Festival, the reward for the mission is the entire lineage of the Yogacara School. I can make a copy of this lineage for you, so that you will have more options."

"Furthermore, I can provide compensation in the real world. I am Xu Shiyi, the third heir of the Sihai Consortium. You should have heard of my name. You can ask for a satisfactory price."

The words "The true Dharma is in the hands of the monk Faji, and the Ullambana Festival will be held on the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month" reveal quite a lot of information.

A golden light flashed between Chen Jing's brows as he searched and analyzed Xu Shiyi's information. He looked Qing Deng up and down, a half-smile on his face, and said, "You're definitely not Xu Shiyi. These words are ostensibly an attempt to bribe me, but secretly a way to stir up hatred."

"Regardless of status, no one wants to have another enemy lurking in the shadows. You probably aren't Xu Shiyi's enemy either, otherwise it would be easy to expose your identity if you reversed the deduction. I guess you know Xu Shiyi, or you might even be relatives or friends. On the surface, you have a good relationship, but in reality, you harbor some jealousy and hatred."

Once one's real-world identity is exposed, it means that the enemy has a way to solve the problem at its root, and cultivators can master the means of committing the perfect crime.

Although Qing Deng pretended to remain calm, his micro-expressions did not escape Chen Jing's notice, and he guessed at least a few things correctly.

"Don't be nervous. I was just saying it casually to observe your reaction. I won't be embarrassed if I'm wrong, and I can eliminate a wrong option. I'll also teach you a lesson: you don't only expose your identity if you tell the truth."

Chen Jing regained control of the conversation, smiled, and continued, "I don't actually mind getting something for nothing, but why should I believe you can win the debate at the Ullambana Festival? By AI? By plagiarism? Looking at the history of Buddhism, someone like me is at most a marginal figure, and I can easily handle you. You don't even have the qualifications to stand on the debate platform."

Qingdeng felt a surge of anger at being toyed with, and glared at her, saying coldly, "What are you going to do? At worst, we'll both die."

Chen Jing put down the water bucket to rest and said, "Don't get excited. You are Elder Jinchi's disciple. With the knowledge left by famous figures in Buddhist history, it shouldn't be difficult for you to win him over."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to use him as a pretext to suggest who should attend the Ullambana Festival based on the outcome of the debate, right?"

"I'm willing to cooperate with you, so it's not difficult for me to agree."

"Fair competition, experience the debate firsthand, and the spot will naturally go to you if you beat me."

"In exchange, we'd like to each stay safe and well during this time, and not get in each other's way. What do you think?"

Chen Jing proposed a solution, but Qing Deng did not immediately agree.

Although he could get an opportunity without paying almost no price and it was definitely not a loss, he was proud. He didn't like the feeling of being arranged by others. If he were someone who could accept being arranged, why would he risk entering the world of cultivation to make a living?

After Chen Jing finished speaking, he didn't say another word. When the last bucket of water was poured into the water vat, Qing Deng suddenly spoke up and replied, "It's a deal. The quota will be determined by the debate."

"........."

When Chen Jing returned to Jialan Temple, Abbot Faji had just finished his meditation and asked, "Has the problem been solved? Even if I get up at night frequently, it's impossible for me to encounter this every time."

Chen Jing nodded: "It's resolved! However, I might encounter other dangers. Master, why don't you teach me how to scare away these petty thieves?"

The monk Faji did not give a direct answer, for true teachings cannot be easily transmitted.
Even if Chen Jing had the talent to ask "Where does Buddha-nature come from?", without observing under the Mahayana celestial image for seven or eight years and confirming that he had become a staunch follower of the Yogacara school, there would be absolutely no possibility of him transmitting the Dharma.

Changing the subject, he asked, "Your three-month term of menial work is coming to an end. Do you have any plans?"

Chen Jing didn't try to hide anything and replied, "Go to the scripture hall to listen to the Dharma, go to the scripture library to study the scriptures, and try to practice Buddhism."

Upon hearing this, Abbot Faji couldn't help but frown: "Didn't you have doubts, saying you didn't know where Buddha-nature came from? Why did you go to the scripture hall to listen to the Dharma?"

Chen Jing naturally knew that the Buddha's nature was a false doctrine, but he still calmly replied, "Perhaps we'll find it as we listen!"

(End of this chapter)