usatvline Chapter 108 Western Region Saintess VS Ascetic Buddhist Disciple (38)
Chapter 108 Western Region Saintess VS Ascetic Buddhist Disciple (38)
Ultimately, he was still just a mortal. The whippings were excruciating, tearing his skin and flesh apart, like being ripped out of his heart.
"Snapped."
Each lash of the discipline whip made a loud, sharp sound.
Originally, a lot of people were standing outside the main hall, watching curiously. But later, unable to bear watching any longer, they all left.
The fall of God is also a cause for great sorrow.
"Senior brother, how about we skip the discipline whip?"
“Xu Yun has retrieved the supreme Buddhist scriptures, so his merits and demerits are balanced. Let’s let him go.”
Master Chengtong's junior brother couldn't stand it any longer and, as everyone's representative, pleaded for Master Xuyun.
"He himself refused."
"Unwilling to break the rules."
Master Chengtong was more heartbroken than anyone else; he didn't want Xuyun to suffer even a single lash. But Xuyun refused, saying that he had made a mistake and deserved to be punished.
Xu Yun was unwilling to break the rules of Luhua Temple.
He will always be his most proud disciple.
Seeing that they couldn't plead for him, the remaining people also left, unable to bear seeing Xu Yun punished.
Ninety-nine lashes, each one vicious, were delivered. Xu Yun knelt in the outer hall, his hands braced on the ground, his body covered in bloodstains.
"After the ninety-nine lashes were completed, Xu Yun was expelled from Luhua Temple and was no longer a member of Luhua Temple."
At that moment, Xu Yun's tears fell.
He didn't cry during the ninety-nine lashes. He only cried when he heard he was expelled from the sect.
Master Chengtong helped Xuyun up; it was a miracle he hadn't died from those ninety-nine lashes.
Xu Yun is too stubborn and too honest.
"Although you have been expelled from Luhua Temple, I am still your master."
"A teacher for a day is a father for life. Bring her to see your teacher another day."
Master Chengtong's words made Master Xuyun look troubled.
A pang of sorrow welled up in Xu Yun's heart. He didn't know how to tell his master that the person he loved did not love him.
He was unable to bring his beloved to his master so that his master could see her.
At this moment, Xu Yun felt as if he had eaten a green persimmon in August, his mouth was both astringent and numb, and he had no words to express his suffering.
“Xu Yun, there’s no need to be sad or repent.”
Master Chengtong looked at Xuyun gently. He had watched Xuyun grow up and knew his child very well.
Xu Yun was a thoughtful person who liked to keep things to himself and bear them alone.
People often only see his glamorous side, but who can understand the suffering he has endured since childhood, burdened by a deep-seated blood feud, and unable to experience the joys and sorrows of a normal person?
Too precocious, and too repressed.
Early intelligence is not necessarily a good thing; it means seeing the coldness and cruelty of the world too early, but without the beautiful memories of one's youth to support one's growth or serve as a remedy for healing.
Extreme wisdom can be harmful.
Such people are too easily killed by their own inner demons.
Master Chengtong knew that Xuyun sometimes crossed the line of the rules, acting recklessly and seemingly extremely carefree.
In fact, this is the only place where Xu Yun can be willful; it is his self-redemption.
Therefore, Master Chengtong never interfered too much in this matter. He hoped that Xuyun could grow freely and according to his own wishes.
Excessive praise and expectations elevated Xu Yun to a very high level, thus binding his heart.
No one cares about his thoughts or whether he is happy.
The higher you are praised, the greater the responsibility, and the harder you will fall.
Xu Yun was never free for a single day.
Master Chengtong remembered that when Xuyun was five years old, he hid in a secluded corner of the temple and quietly watched the clouds in the sky.
At such a young age, his eyes revealed the confusion and sadness that only adults have.
Later, Xu Yun became increasingly adept at concealing his emotions, and he became a flawless person in the eyes of others. However, Master Cheng Tong could always see a large shadow in Xu Yun.
Those shadows are slowly swallowing up the clouds.
"Being in the Buddhist order is not something you can choose. Your actions today are simply a matter of your heart."
"Although you are no longer a disciple of Luhua Temple, you can still come to Luhua Temple often."
Master Chengtong was not a pedantic person. He believed that cultivating Buddhism is about cultivating the mind and encountering one's truest self. Some people enter the monastic life halfway through their lives, while others enter the world halfway through their lives.
Everyone is free to choose.
"Luhua Temple has never been your responsibility."
"Luhua Temple is just your home."
Xu Yun's tears fell heavily, his amber eyes gleaming with a broken light.
Meeting his master was the greatest blessing in his life. Only in front of his master could he shed all his pretenses and show his vulnerable side.
"Is it her?"
Master Chengtong suddenly asked, looking down.
Following Master Chengtong's gaze, Xuyun saw someone he dared not even imagine.
Mulberry and elm trees.
Sang Yu wore a jasmine yellow long dress, with green pear blossoms embroidered on the gauze skirt, and the hem was a gradient of cool white.
At this moment, she had plenty of energy and blood, her skin was rosy and delicate, and she looked sweet and pink.
Sang Yu stopped on the steps, looked up, and seemed to be looking at Xu Yun's injuries.
Xu Yun subconsciously tried to hide his injuries, but at this moment he was covered in wounds and could not hide them at all.
He didn't want Sang Yu to see him in such a disheveled state.
He didn't want Sang Yu to feel pity for him.
This is all the pride he has left.
Master Chengtong knew from his disciple’s appearance that the woman on the steps was his beloved.
The jade thumb ring and bracelet from the Divine Realm have both been given away. Xu Yun's feelings towards this girl are self-evident.
He probably cherished it extremely, as if it were something he was afraid would melt in his mouth or break in his hands.
After seeing the injuries on Xu Yun's body, Sang Yu walked towards him step by step. With each step she took, the pink butterfly in her hair fluttered gently.
Just like her, so bright and charming.
At this moment, in Xu Yun's eyes, Sang Yu seemed to be bathed in a warm light, making her incomparably beautiful.
"Bang bang bang."
Xu Yun's heart was pounding; he felt as if he had come back to life.
Now, every step Sangyu takes is leading him.
She came for herself.
Thinking of this, Xu Yun suddenly felt that all the pain in his body was nothing.
"Hello, Master."
Sang Yu stood beside Xu Yun and examined him closely. The wounds on Xu Yun's body were even more shocking.
The moon-white robe was directly stained into a blood-red garment with distinct layers.
It looks painful.
"Xu Yun, won't you introduce him to your master?" Master Cheng Tong joked.
The woman before him was too radiant, too vibrant; she was the kind of woman Xu Yun would fall in love with.
"Greetings, Master. My name is Sang Yu."
Seeing that Xu Yun hesitated, Sang Yu assumed that he was too badly injured to speak, so she spoke for him.
As he spoke, he thrust his hand into Xu Yun's, asserting his dominance.
The palm of his hand was probably one of the very few places on Xu Yun's body that was uninjured.
When Xu Yun heard Sang Yu call him "Master," he felt inexplicably embarrassed, as he couldn't believe that everything before him was real.
Judging from the time it took Sangyu to arrive at Luhua Temple, she must have traveled overnight to be here at this moment.
"Hello, I am Master Chengtong, Master Xuyun's teacher."
When Master Chengtong saw Sangyu, he felt much more at ease. Xuyun had suffered too much before, and he hoped that Xuyun's life would be sweeter in the future.
"Alright, young benefactor, you may take Xuyun away now."
"He endured ninety-nine lashes for you."