“You claim to sacrifice yourself to guide me into Buddhism. Yet, you’re unwilling to sacrifice yourself, unwilling to guide me—what kind of compassion is that?”
Xu Ming smiled as he looked at Shi Xin.
In truth, he didn’t actually intend to dual cultivate with her.
Sure, Shi Xin was undeniably beautiful, but Xu Ming wasn’t that desperate.
He wouldn’t see a pretty woman and immediately start scheming to get her into bed—that would make him no different from a lustful dog.
Besides, even though Mo Zhuer was only ranked tenth on the Beauty Ranking, she was in no way inferior to Shi Xin in looks. They simply had different styles.
It was just that more people preferred Shi Xin’s particular aesthetic over Mo Zhuer’s.
Not to mention, Mo Zhuer possessed the Luo Shen Physique, which could bring immense pleasure to a partner.
If it was purely about enjoyment, Xu Ming highly doubted that dual cultivation with Shi Xin would surpass what Mo Zhuer could offer.
That said, the idea of corrupting a pure and untarnished Buddhist nun... well, that was somewhat exciting.
But Xu Ming wasn’t that wicked.
The only reason he said those things was to make Shi Xin retreat on her own.
After all, what he proposed was complete nonsense.
He didn’t believe Shi Xin was foolish enough to fall for such flawed logic.
Sure enough, after hearing his request, Shi Xin fell into deep thought and didn’t bring up the idea of him joining Buddhism again.
Besides, he still had to carry on the family line—there was no way he was becoming a monk. His mother would be the first to object.
—
By the time they reached the mountainside, Shi Xin finally looked up at Xu Ming.
“I cannot agree to your request.”
Hearing her rejection, Xu Ming actually gained a little respect for her.
At least she wasn’t as much of a saint as he had initially thought.
Otherwise, this journey would have been even more of a headache for him.
“Oh? Then tell me—why can’t you agree?” Xu Ming asked, genuinely curious about her reasoning.
Shi Xin gazed at him seriously.
“Stopping you from committing evil by making you commit evil—this is not right.
The fact that you demand my body in exchange for entering Buddhism proves that you have no real intention of seeking the path. You only want my body.
If that is the case, even if you were to enter Buddhism, you would not be sincere in your devotion.
If you truly had the heart for Buddhism, you wouldn’t have made such a request in the first place.
And even if I were to agree to your demand, from that moment on, my practice would be in violation of one of the Eight Precepts of Buddhism.
So tell me—would that be right or wrong?”
Xu Ming chuckled.
“That makes sense. But let me ask you this—earlier, you begged me to spare those people’s lives.
They only pleaded for mercy because they were on the verge of death. They only vowed to change their ways because they feared dying.
So how are they any different from me, who just made such a request?”
“…”
Shi Xin’s lips parted slightly as if to respond, but she quickly closed them again, left momentarily speechless.
Xu Ming didn’t push her further.
Arguments like this had been torn apart online in his past life within seconds.
People could cite scriptures, throw out twisted logic, and debate (or, more accurately, roast) someone until they had no words left.
And in this world, Buddhist teachings didn’t seem as well-developed as in his previous life.
If Shi Xin wanted to debate him on this, it would be a tough battle.
—
“Benefactor,” Shi Xin finally spoke again after some time.
“Oh? What wisdom does Master Shi Xin have to impart this time?” Xu Ming asked with a smile.
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There was a hint of mockery in his tone, but Shi Xin didn’t seem to mind.
She simply spoke calmly.
“What you said earlier is merely speculation. What if those people truly intended to turn over a new leaf?
On the other hand, the requirement you set for entering Buddhism is to commit evil first. That is not the same.
Moreover, Benefactor Xu possesses remarkable wisdom and understanding.
If you were to join Buddhism and dedicate yourself to its teachings, you could accomplish great things.
If I could persuade you to enter Buddhism, that alone would be a great merit in itself.”
Xu Ming yawned. “That’s your merit, not mine. Besides, you just said ‘what if’—what if they don’t truly change? You’re not them, so how can you know if they are really turning over a new leaf?
“But they did evil first. If I kill them, even if they do want to change, how does that matter? I’m avenging others.
“Regardless, by killing them, they won’t harm anyone else, and they’ve paid the price for their own crimes. No matter how you look at it, it’s a win. Why take the risk of letting them go?”
“An eye for an eye never ends,” Shi Xin shook her head.
Xu Ming smiled. “If the world doesn’t repay harm for harm, then evildoers will grow bolder. Should the good always live with a sword at their throat while villains go free?”
Shi Xin: “...”
She fell silent again.
Even though Xu Ming’s words were full of hostility, Shi Xin found herself unable to refute him. Worse, she almost thought Xu Ming had a point.
But if that’s true, then what was the purpose of her master’s teaching about ‘encouraging people to be good’?
Xu Ming sensed a ripple of spiritual energy from Shi Xin and felt a sudden shock. Wait... could she be getting swayed by my words? Has she... fallen into a mental trap?
If she gets too caught up and something goes wrong, would Leiming Temple come after him?
Leiming Temple was a huge monastery! If they targeted him, he’d never be able to explain himself!
“All that stuff I just said? I was just talking. Don’t take it too seriously,” Xu Ming quickly added. “I actually think your point of view makes more sense. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to your beliefs.”
Better to just go along with her rather than make things worse.
Of course, becoming a monk? Not in this life. Never.
Shi Xin, however, tilted her head and asked, “Benefactor Xu, you made such strong points earlier. Why back down now?”
“Because I think your reasoning makes even more sense,” Xu Ming replied.
Shi Xin shook her head. “It’s not that my reasoning is stronger; it’s that you’re worried something will happen to me. You’re worried that I won’t help you once we leave, so you’re deliberately saying this to smooth things over.”
Xu Ming thought to himself, Ah, so she figured it out.
Just then, a voice came from the distance.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the top scholar!”
Xu Ming turned to see four figures walking toward him.