Chapter 217: What is Compassion

“No, don’t kill me, no…”

As Mu Feng’s expression grew colder, Old Monk Jingxu let out a panicked cry, his eyes widening in terror.

Buzz…

Without a word, Mu Feng raised the heavy Black Inscription Heavy Sword high, then brought it down with a gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, it was right above Old Monk Jingxu’s head.

A single strike blew his head apart!

Over the years, this old monk Jingxu, in his pursuit of the so-called Great Bliss Meditation, had ruined countless innocent women and destroyed many families. Today, he would carry out heaven’s will, show no mercy, and make this evil old bald donkey’s soul vanish forever!

“No…”

Feeling a sharp, burning pain on his scalp as Mu Feng’s heavy sword pressed down, Jingxu let out a desperate scream, his face full of despair and unwillingness.

Unlike other powers, Great Bliss Meditation was vast and profound, mysterious and obscure, with slow progress in its early stages. Especially the second level—many people struggled to break through it their entire lives, not for any other reason but because they couldn’t find enough Cauldrons or gather sufficient Primordial Yin. However, once they broke through, their strength grew by leaps and bounds.

Each breakthrough reversed one’s fate once, so within the Buddhist Sect, Great Bliss Meditation was also known as the Nine Revolutions Great Method. Cultivating to the ninth level would turn one into the legendary Nine Revolutions Golden Body, eternal and imperishable, becoming a transcendent Buddha who leapt out of the River of Fate.

Just half a step, only the last half step!

Old Monk Jingxu was filled with unwillingness. After nearly a hundred years of effort, he was only half a step away from breaking through to the second level. Perhaps after gathering the Primordial Yin of the Black-clad Woman tonight, he could break through, reverse his fate, and greatly increase his strength. Who would have thought that Mu Feng, this god of death, would suddenly appear?

“If you do not enter hell, who will?”

Mu Feng’s face was expressionless as he applied force. However, just as the heavy Black Inscription Heavy Sword was about to smash the old monk’s head into pulp, something unexpected happened.

The Heavenly Zen Wheel, which had fallen to the ground, suddenly shone with a brilliant green light. Then, two fingers reached out from the void and gently pinched the powerful Black Inscription Heavy Sword. The next moment, a short, withered old monk stepped out from the green light. Behind him followed two children, about ten years old, with shaved heads.

One held a lantern with a green candle inside; the other held a Buddhist scripture, on the cover of which were written the two large characters ‘Heavenly Zen.’

The withered old monk was very, very old, with gray eyebrows and a gray beard that nearly dragged on the ground. He wore a plain, tattered robe and a pair of white-soled black cloth shoes. He didn’t look like a dignified, enlightened monk but more like an old errand-runner who had swept floors in a temple for years.

“Master, save me, save me…”

Seeing the old monk with the beard dragging on the ground, Monk Jingxu was overjoyed. He tried to get up and bow but found he still couldn’t move.

Master?

Hearing Jingxu’s words, Mu Feng quickly understood the identity of this unimpressive-looking old monk, his expression turning grave.

If Jingxu, the disciple, was this powerful, how much more formidable must his master be?

The old monk looked unremarkable, neither aggressive nor imposing. Mu Feng couldn’t even sense a ripple of power from him. But the more this was the case, the more solemn Mu Feng’s expression became. Clearly, it wasn’t that the old monk was an ordinary person, but that the gap in their strength was so vast that Mu Feng simply couldn’t detect the other’s power fluctuations.

Just the fact that he had stopped Mu Feng’s heavy sword with two fingers showed how powerful this old monk was!

“Sinful creature, sinful creature…”

Looking at Jingxu, who lay paralyzed on the ground, his joints shattered and his arms gone, the old monk shook his head and said slowly to Mu Feng, “Esteemed patron, this humble monk Tianyin greets you. My unworthy disciple’s current state is entirely his own deserved punishment and the result of my poor guidance. However, as monastics, we value compassion. Lay down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot. Since Jingxu is already in this state, would you spare his life, patron?”

The old monk, whose Dharma name was Tianyin, was respectful and polite as he spoke, releasing the Black Inscription Heavy Sword and pressing his palms together in a bow to Mu Feng.

Seeing his master personally intercede, the paralyzed Jingxu finally relaxed, a look of relief on his face.

For thousands of years, his master rarely went out, and very few in the Great Thousand World knew of him. But no one understood his master’s cultivation level better than he, the disciple. With the master arriving in person, he had managed to snatch his life back from the gates of hell. No matter how strong Mu Feng was, even if he were a hundred times stronger, he wouldn’t be able to kill him!

“No!”

To everyone’s surprise, faced with the old monk’s personal plea, Mu Feng flatly refused without a moment’s hesitation. “May I ask Master Tianyin, what is compassion?”

“All beings in heaven and earth have life and spirit. Not killing, not sinning, saving people from suffering, and being merciful where possible—that is compassion!” Master Tianyin’s face was calm, his palms pressed together. Though Mu Feng had refused him outright, he showed no trace of displeasure, nor any hint of killing intent. No hostility could be felt from him.

“Good, well said!”

Mu Feng nodded, then asked, “May I ask the master, how can one avoid killing? Is it enough to just eat vegetarian food and chant Buddha’s name?”

Having witnessed the atrocities of this bald donkey Jingxu, Mu Feng was filled with strong killing intent, determined to kill him. Even in front of his master, Tianyin, Mu Feng showed no fear, not hiding his murderous aura in the slightest.

Hearing this question, Master Tianyin fell silent for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he asked in return, “Patron, what do you think? How can one avoid killing, and what is true compassion?”

“In this world, with one less evil person, there is much less sin. For diligent, ordinary people who live honestly, we should offer great help when they face difficulties. For evil-doers and even Devil Leaders who commit every crime, we should show no mercy and execute them immediately. Never wrong a good person, and never let a bad one go.”

Mu Feng spoke word by word, looking at the unfathomably powerful Master Tianyin, and continued slowly, “For a deeply sinful evildoer, failing to kill when it is deserved is a crime, an injustice to ordinary people. Put nicely, it’s called compassion; put bluntly, it’s indulgence and covering up! So, in my humble opinion, killing when it is deserved—that is how to avoid killing, and that is true great compassion!”

Mu Feng’s words were righteous and imposing. With each word, the energy within him surged. The Black Inscription Heavy Sword in his hand buzzed again, aimed once more at Jingxu’s head, ready to strike.

“Audacious! What fiend dares to defy the Dharma of our Heavenly Zen Sect?”

“Nonsense! These are demonic lies meant to deceive!”

Hearing Mu Feng’s words, Master Tianyin remained silent, but the two children behind him flew into a rage.

One raised the lantern in his hand, and the small green candle inside suddenly shone with boundless light; the other opened the Buddhist scripture, and sacred chants filled the void. An unparalleled, immense pressure descended upon the land, locking onto Mu Feng’s Spiritual Soul fluctuations!