So that was it.

This Cinder Pool gathered all the pasts that had been abandoned and severed by people throughout Shijiu Zhou, and the past she had severed in the Gate of Cause and Effect had naturally come here as well. Day by day in this pool, absorbing the spiritual energy and Buddha light gathered by Monk Yichen’s cultivation, it gradually became this strange existence between heaven and earth, gaining spiritual intelligence.

Yichen treated all things with a compassionate heart. A moment of benevolence prevented him from killing her, and by answering her doubts and resolving her confusion, he instead enabled her to gain enlightenment and become a demon.

This sequence of events suddenly reminded Jian Chou of when she first entered the cultivation path, how her unintentional words had caused Fu Chaosheng to “hear the Dao”…

How similar this time was to that time?

Presumably when Monk Yichen enlightened her with a single word, it was also at the right moment, allowing her, such a special existence, to become a “demon” in this world.

All things called “demons” are different from humans—they are existences originally without spiritual intelligence in heaven and earth that have transformed and taken form.

This segment of past that Jian Chou had severed becoming a demon with a single thought sounded inconceivable.

But thinking carefully, previously there was Shangren Buyu’s true body perishing while his heart demon ascended; in between there were the rules of the Extreme Domain Reincarnation gaining spiritual intelligence and transforming into Lord Qin Guang; and later there was Fu Chaosheng hearing the Dao one morning and becoming a demon.

Compared to these, this was hardly worth mentioning.

However, Jian Chou recalled what Monk Yichen had mentioned earlier about “its thoughts being extremely firm and its intent extremely persistent,” as well as what the female demon had asked in front of the Heavenly Kings Hall…

“Even I can be abandoned—what matters or things in this world can’t be forsaken by you people?”

For a moment, she felt somewhat confused.

Monk Yichen continued to detail the events before and after, including calculating that the female demon had gone to the snowy regions, thus reminding Liao Kong to be extremely careful, and explaining the changes during these twenty years and why they had never discovered traces of the Sumeru Mustard Seed.

It was because this demon was truly clever, actually discovering the Two Extremes Pool at the border between the Yin and Yang sects.

Where yin and yang converged in a line, chaos was born, and the Sumeru Mustard Seed within that chaos was like being placed in a newly born universe—not a trace of its aura could leak out.

It wasn’t until Jian Chou and Xie Buchen escaped using the Great Five Elements Prohibition-Breaking Technique that it caused strong fluctuations in the mustard seed, which Yichen detected.

Finally, he only said to Jian Chou: “That female demon has been confined by Senior Brother Wugou in the Thousand Buddha Hall and should naturally be dealt with by the benefactor. However, this poor monk observes that the benefactor seems quite hesitant, apparently still having unresolved confusion. Moreover, since the day is already drawing to a close, why not have both of you stay the night in our monastery? Benefactor Jian Chou can also carefully consider how to handle this matter.”

By rights, this demon had previously appeared in the snowy regions and nearly caused her to die under Xie Buchen’s sword. If not for Liao Kong’s rescue, she would likely have been separated from her head. Subsequently, this demon had stolen the Sumeru Mustard Seed and hidden it in the Two Extremes Pool, clearly never intending to show her mercy, wanting to eliminate both her and Xie Buchen together…

So at this moment, she shouldn’t have any hesitation and should directly choose to erase its existence, eliminating future troubles forever.

However, that subtle and confused feeling in her heart truly couldn’t be dispelled.

Jian Chou thought of that gaze across the chasm watching her in the Gate of Cause and Effect that day, and also of those eyes faintly hiding coldness and hatred above the holy temple in the snowy regions, and even more of the deep mockery hidden when that female demon questioned her and Xie Buchen earlier…

Was she wrong to sever her past?

Jian Chou didn’t know the answer.

So at this moment, she didn’t express any objection to Monk Yichen’s suggestion, only nodding: “I shall follow the Master’s words. I’m afraid we’ll be troubling you.”

“Cause and effect are entangled and must ultimately be resolved.”

Monk Yichen was naturally calm and peaceful. Seeing the sun setting in the west, he flicked his finger and actually lit a dim yellow lotus lamp beside this Cinder Pool, then walked back the way they had come.

“To speak of it, such a strange event of a single thought becoming a demon is something this poor monk has witnessed only once in his lifetime. In past years, there have been countless pasts harboring obsessions, yet only this single thought became a demon. This shows that Benefactor Jian Chou’s segment of past was truly extraordinary.”

Though she didn’t know what Yichen meant by lighting a lamp above this Cinder Pool, Jian Chou didn’t think much about it.

Hearing his words, she naturally wouldn’t mistake Monk Yichen for shirking responsibility. She knew this “Heart Master” was simply lamenting her past.

She only sighed with complexity: “Master Yichen jests.”

Yichen also smiled but said no more.

Having sat and discussed the Dao with Jian Chou’s past, he naturally wouldn’t be unaware of what turbulent undercurrents existed between these two seemingly peaceful people behind him.

However, since the two of them remained silent about it, Yichen pretended to know nothing at all.

The three quickly returned to the monastery below.

The residences of Chanzong’s disciples and elders were all in the back mountain area, mainly meditation rooms. Jian Chou and Xie Buchen naturally had no exceptions and didn’t mind where they stayed. Following Yichen, they casually chose meditation rooms and settled down.

However, one chose the eastern end and the other chose the western end, clearly not wanting to waste words with each other.

All the furnishings in the room were simple and plain.

A hanging Buddha image, an incense table, an incense burner, an arhat bed under the window, and a purple meditation cushion on the floor. A rosewood Buddha shrine was placed on the wall side of the incense table, with an Amitabha Buddha statue enshrined inside.

Apart from these, there was nothing else.

Jian Chou bid farewell to Monk Yichen and entered the room. After glancing around, she walked toward the Buddha shrine and reached out to pull a bamboo scroll from the dark compartment beneath it.

Opening it to look, it was a volume of the “Heart Sutra.”

She had long memorized this sutra by heart, so there was nothing worth reading. She put it back.

Standing in the meditation room, she gazed at the Amitabha Buddha statue in the shrine. Her heart, which should have quickly calmed down, unexpectedly felt an indescribable restlessness.

For most cultivators in these Shijiu Zhou, only twenty years had passed.

But when she calculated with her fingers, she had clearly spent nearly four hundred years of bitter cultivation in that Buddha tower while inside the Sumeru Mustard Seed!

How austere it was?

And how lonely?

At that time, she could still move her heart and endure, even discussing and debating the Dao with Xie Buchen. But now that she had emerged and was in contact with this incredibly real and vibrant world, she felt restless and uneasy instead.

Among the three Buddhas of Buddhism, Dipankara Buddha was the past Buddha, Shakyamuni was the present Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha was the future Buddha. At this moment, her gaze fell on this Amitabha Buddha statue, yet she could only think of what Monk Yichen had said earlier.

Everything from her memory passed through her mind.

Jian Chou ultimately still felt that this meditation room carried an inexplicable stuffiness. After meditating on the cushion for about an hour, she got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.

She casually found a night-patrol novice to ask for directions, then changed direction to visit Liao Kong.

She still remembered meeting him in the Red Kill Small Realm when he was just a little novice, yet his extremely good luck made everyone gasp in amazement.

Later, when Gu Qingmei activated the Earth-Binding Great Array set by Xie Buchen, she accidentally trapped him and Meng Xizhou together. It was she who, axe by axe, shattered the entire array and saved them.

During the chaos at the Holy Temple in the snowy regions, it was Liao Kong who risked his life to save her. How could Jian Chou forget this kindness?

The favors she granted others—whether others remembered them was their business; the favors others granted her—whether she remembered them became her own business.

Probably because this Little Wise Monk was still recovering from injuries, the area around his meditation room was particularly quiet.

Jian Chou followed the direction pointed out by the night-patrol novice earlier, walking through this monastery. Seeing ancient bodhi trees surrounding her, with clear springs occasionally gathering into pools, and faintly hearing the chanting of Chanzong disciples doing evening lessons, her heart strangely calmed down.

When she reached that meditation room an hour later, there was someone inside.

It was Abbot Wugou, whom she had seen before.

Jian Chou paused slightly outside the door, then imitated Chanzong’s etiquette, putting her palms together and bowing: “Jian Chou greets Abbot Master.”

Abbot Wugou had a square, broad face and maintained a meticulous seriousness even at this nighttime hour when no one was around.

Seeing Jian Chou bow, he was slightly surprised.

But then he understood and invited her inside: “Benefactor Jian Chou need not be so formal. You must be here to see Liao Kong?”

“I had previously heard that Junior Brother Liao Kong was severely injured in the snowy regions and entangled by evil forces. Though this matter has various root causes, it ultimately arose because of me. Since I’m troubling your sect today, how could I not come to visit?”

Jian Chou entered the meditation room and immediately saw Liao Kong sitting cross-legged on the arhat bed.

The originally handsome little monk now appeared somewhat gaunt.

The black qi surrounding his body was exactly what she had seen in the snowy regions—identical to what was on the bodies of Yashan Kunwu’s deceased disciples, only this evil qi was deeper and more ferocious.

Perhaps because it had been battling for over twenty years, this evil qi appeared much fainter now.

Abbot Wugou had come today for his routine check. Perhaps seeing Jian Chou frown, he spoke up: “The Great Dao requires eighty-one tribulations for completion—where are we in that process? His injury wasn’t originally very severe, but his will wasn’t firm enough, so he was invaded by this evil qi. It’s been twenty years now, and he’s gotten through most of it. Consider it closed-door bitter cultivation.”

So Liao Kong was more or less safe now?

Jian Chou glanced at Abbot Wugou beside her, feeling that this master who appeared stern and rigid was saying this to put her mind at ease.

In the end, it was that female demon’s scheme.

If Chanzong wanted justice and to avenge Liao Kong, they should directly kill the female demon transformed from her severed past.

But Monk Yichen had clearly easily subdued her, yet didn’t act against her. Instead, he still let her handle it, only hoping she would consider carefully.

“The Chan and Mi sects of Buddhism are truly worlds apart…”

She couldn’t help but sigh.

Hearing this, Abbot Wugou paused in fingering his prayer beads, looked at her, but shook his head with a serious and solemn expression, his eyes carrying several traces of cloud-like oppression.

“Ever since the northern migration and split, the new Mi sect in the snowy regions has not been among our Buddhist schools.”

To Chanzong and the old Mi sect, they were all heretics.

Jian Chou vaguely understood the meaning of this sentence, but since this was ultimately their Buddhist internal affair, though she heard it, she didn’t say anything more about it.

In this room, she only gazed at Liao Kong for a long time.

Abbot Wugou only said: “When tribulations come, they will arrive sooner or later. Liao Kong’s intervention to save you was not wrong. It was that female demon’s scheme that caused you and Benefactor Xie from Kunwu to be trapped together in the mustard seed. His cause was originally good, but mixing with other factors led to evil consequences. However, now that the female demon has been confined in the Thousand Buddha Hall, she has tasted her karmic retribution. Regarding Liao Kong’s tribulation, Benefactor Jian Chou need not worry.”

He was actually comforting her instead.

Jian Chou couldn’t express her feelings. After a long silence, she only said “Thank you, Abbot, for your guidance” before bowing and taking her leave. She neither made any further promises nor offered to provide assistance.

With three masters presiding over Chanzong, if there were a solution, they would have saved Liao Kong long ago. How could it be her turn?

Coming out of Liao Kong’s meditation room, Jian Chou looked up at the sky, seeing the brilliant starry river in the night sky. Around her were the delicate sounds of insects and birds, different from the extremely cold snowy regions, possessing their own vitality.

When passing under a bodhi tree, she encountered a little novice.

He was thin and small, probably having entered the sect not long ago, sprawled on a tree branch holding a short stick with a net attached to the front, reaching toward a kingfisher on the branches.

“Don’t run around anymore, I’ll definitely catch you this time!”

While carefully approaching, he muttered to himself quietly.

Seeing he could almost reach it, he suddenly leaned forward and lunged toward the kingfisher with the net.

Unexpectedly, this branch was too thin and couldn’t bear the force of his forward lean. With just a slight tilt, the little novice was caught off guard and tumbled downward!

The person and bird both looked about to fall to the ground together.

Fortunately, Jian Chou was right below. With quick eyes and fast hands, she reached out to grab the little novice’s collar, while her other hand spread to catch the small kingfisher falling down.

“Wah!”

Only then did the little novice cry out in belated shock, though it didn’t seem like he was startled by falling, but rather scared by Jian Chou’s sudden appearance.

Jian Chou looked at him, then looked back at her palm.

The tiny kingfisher also seemed frightened, pitifully calling twice and huddling in her palm. However, its folded wings had a white cloth comically tied around them, emitting a faint medicinal scent.

She was startled and immediately understood that she had misunderstood.

She had originally thought this boy of such an age might be catching this bird for play, not expecting that she had been petty-minded.

“Are you alright?”

She released her grip, setting the dazed little novice firmly on the ground before asking.

The little novice hadn’t been in the temple long and though he didn’t know Jian Chou’s identity, he knew distinguished guests had come to the mountain.

Seeing her face so close, he immediately blushed, quickly stepped back two paces, chanted “Amitabha” twice, then replied: “Thank, thank you, benefactor, for saving me. This little monk is fine.”

“Yours?”

Jian Chou didn’t mind and reached out to hand over the kingfisher.

The little novice’s eyes immediately showed several traces of delight and gratitude. He quickly cupped it with both hands, carefully protecting it in his palms, then hurriedly thanked Jian Chou again.

“This little monk was trying to change its medicine, but didn’t expect it to be naughty and run out again.”

“Good that nothing serious happened.”

Jian Chou smiled.

The little novice was still shy and didn’t dare talk much with her, so he quickly took his leave and hurried away. However, in his haste, he left behind the short stick with the small net, lying on the ground.

Jian Chou bent down to pick it up, looked at it twice, and fell into thought.

Like this net, like the medicine and swords in this world, some people used them to kill and harm for profit, while others used them to save and relieve suffering.

Now she held this net, this medicine, this sword in her hand—how should she choose?

Human thoughts and ideas were the most mysterious things between heaven and earth.

In the Gate of Cause and Effect, she was unwilling to indulge in the past, unwilling to indulge in pain, and even more unwilling to be bound by the past. So between past and present, she drew a chasm, severing her past self from her present self.

Love, hate, affection, and enmity remained with her.

Because that was who she was then and wouldn’t change because of severing the past.

What was severed was only that past self who was troubled, burdened, and fettered by love, hate, affection, and enmity—that self who wasn’t enlightened enough.

But she became a demon…

There were many inconceivable things in the world. This kind of thing sounded like some principle of the world that was originally formless but suddenly became a spirit or demon.

In Jian Chou’s view, this was merely a choice that was necessary then and she didn’t regret now.

However, a new problem now lay before her.

She had severed once before. Now, should she abandon and kill, or keep and save?

Jian Chou slowly leaned the short stick with the small net against the bodhi tree. In this night with distant ocean waves, she slowly walked on, unconsciously arriving again at the path where Monk Yichen had taken them to the Cinder Pool during the day.

She stood still for a while, lowered her eyes, smiled, and walked up.

Below the tall and smooth cliff face, the pool water carrying ashes still flowed, lotus flowers bloomed in the pool, and myriad forms and phenomena on the water surface still flickered like phantoms.

By the pool’s edge, a lotus lamp stood majestically.

In this deep black night, its dim yellow light carried several traces of warmth, enveloping this entire Cinder Pool with an indescribable compassion and gentleness.

Jian Chou remembered this was the lamp Monk Yichen had lit by the pool at sunset.

All of this wasn’t particularly unusual, since she had already seen it during the day.

But the moment she approached, she suddenly realized—

There was still a tiny bit of difference.

Her silent steps suddenly stopped as Jian Chou looked with some surprise beside that lotus lamp.

Inside the lamp was full of lamp oil with a warm yellow flame in the center.

But on the edge of the lotus lamp holding the oil, a little person about two inches tall was actually sitting!

He had a white, chubby body with a red bib hanging around his neck, quite adorably naive, but his pair of dark rolling eyes revealed a clever spirit.

Extremely small, about the size of an ordinary person’s thumb.

At this moment, sitting on the edge of that lotus lamp, he held the rim with both hands while his two legs dangled outside, swaying in mid-air.

Almost the instant Jian Chou saw him clearly, he had already noticed and jumped up as if startled. He immediately reached out to firmly embrace the lotus lamp several times larger than his body, while looking in Jian Chou’s direction.

Several traces of surprise flashed through his clever eyes.

“Oh, it’s you! Eh, no, it’s not…”

He was very small, and his voice was especially small—impossible to hear without careful listening.

Moreover, halfway through speaking, he had already discerned clues from Jian Chou’s demeanor and aura, immediately realizing something was wrong. His mouth opened a bit wider, understanding dawning.

“So it’s her present self! She really looks quite formidable…”