allonlinenovel Chapter 340 The Cold and Pure Human Buddha Child VS The Adorable and Devoted Demon Cat Emperor [16]
Chapter 340 The Cold and Pure Human Buddha Child VS The Adorable and Devoted Demon Cat Emperor [16]
Chapter 340 The Aloof and Holy Human Buddha Child VS The Adorable and Devoted Demon Cat Emperor [16]
Jiang Xiyu looked at him.
Shiga held the prayer beads in his hand, turned a page, and the beads fell onto the table with a soft sliding sound.
When the sound stopped, the open Heart Sutra was pushed in front of Jiang Xiyu.
Shiga raised his eyes slightly, looking at Jiang Xiyu, who was gesturing for him to learn from him.
Jiang Xiyu was overjoyed and quickly raised his cat paw to gently pat the scripture pages. To show his eagerness to learn, he squatted very upright, but unfortunately, he was so round that it was impossible to tell.
Shiga withdrew his gaze and said, "You only need to memorize this Heart Sutra for now, and I will teach you a section every day."
His expression was indifferent, which inexplicably gave Jiang Xiyu the feeling of a strict teacher.
Jiang Xiyu stepped on the scripture page, feigning modesty, and said, "Wouldn't this be too much trouble for the Master?"
Shiga shook his head slightly.
Jiang Xiyu was relieved and said sincerely, "I will definitely study hard. Thank you, Master."
Fortunately, although he was an illiterate cat, he still had a pretty good memory.
He could remember most of it after Shiga read it only once.
When Shiga recites Sanskrit, his voice is deep, magnetic, and solemn, with an elegant rhythm that is particularly captivating, giving listeners a sense of spiritual cleansing.
He not only taught Jiang Xiyu to read the words one by one, but also patiently explained the Zen meaning behind them.
As Jiang Xiyu deciphered the first line of the Heart Sutra, a faint light flashed across Shijia's eyes, as if a candle flame had fallen into them.
Jiang Xiyu was unaware of the obscurity of these Heart Sutras, and his displayed understanding caused Shiga to gaze at him for a long time.
Although demons can transform into humans, their true nature remains, and they retain some of their animalistic wildness in their thoughts and actions.
Their way of thinking is different from others, and their perspectives on understanding are naturally different as well.
But the cat in front of me has an extraordinary level of understanding.
It doesn't seem like a demon, but rather like someone who has experienced a lot.
Shiga looked at him, remaining silent.
Under that calm and indifferent gaze, Jiang Xiyu thought she had misunderstood and lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.
"Master, did I say something wrong?"
Shiga lowered his gaze slightly and shook his head: "You are right, you are destined to be with Buddha."
Those who are destined to understand will comprehend it without much instruction.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiyu's eyes seemed to smile.
He tilted his head slightly and looked at Shiga for a long time before murmuring, "Compared to having an affinity with the Buddha, I feel that I have a greater affinity with the Buddha's disciples..."
The sound was so soft that it was almost inaudible; even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves outside the window was clearer.
But Shiga heard it.
He recalled some long-forgotten memories: in the realm of Buddha, the Buddha and many Bodhisattvas felt extraordinary compassion for animals. Seeing their weakness, they would keep them by their side to enlighten and guide them in their practice. In the long, endless river of time, most Buddhas accompanied these animals...
The candlelight reflected on the wall flickered slightly, and the scriptures spread out on the table glowed intermittently.
Shiga pondered for a moment, then slowly lowered his gaze and recited the second sentence.
Jiang Xiyu was very pleased, and he moved slightly closer to Shiga.
The faint scent of incense emanating from Shiga made Jiang Xiyu feel inexplicably calmed down.
When the mind is at peace, those sutras will be firmly remembered with just a little thought.
Before Jiang Xiyu knew it, the passage that Shijia had spoken had already passed. Seeing that he had only learned half a page, Jiang Xiyu quickly realized that he was learning too fast. When he finished learning, he would have to leave Cibei Temple on his own initiative.
Jiang Xiyu flicked the tip of its tail in annoyance, then began to pretend to be tired.
He let out a weak "woof" and yawned.
Shiga lifted his eyelids to look at him.
Jiang Xiyu stepped forward and lay down on his scriptures like a boneless person, gurgling to indicate that she didn't want to study anymore.
Shiga paused for a moment, then nodded slightly in agreement.
Jiang Xiyu hadn't yet expended his energy for the day. Remembering that Shijia and others would be sitting here meditating, he quickly got up from the scriptures and lightly jumped onto the windowsill.
He didn't want to bother Shiga.
Shiga seemed to understand his thoughts, and after changing the scriptures, he closed his eyes and sat in meditation.
Jiang Xiyu jumped away from the windowsill and saw Shijia standing motionless, his figure in the flickering candlelight, clear and pure.
Because he is a feline, his way of releasing energy is no different from that of an ordinary cat.
When he got tired, he would curl up on his tail and sit on the roof of the Shiga meditation room.
The bright moon hung high, and its cool light bathed his small body. Gradually, his figure grew taller and more slender. His cat ears hadn't fallen off, and his long, snow-white hair cascaded down his shoulders like a waterfall. A cat tail swayed gently behind him, curving into a beautiful arc.
When the night breeze ruffled the hair on the side of his face, the moonlight truly revealed an exceptionally handsome appearance. If a monk from the temple were to come by at that moment, he would surely mistakenly believe that some bewitching demon had broken into the temple.
But the demon had only been in human form for a short while when it saw that the time was almost up, so it jumped off the roof.
A faint light and shadow flashed by, and when Jiang Xiyu jumped onto Shijia's windowsill again, it was still the same as before.
He leaned on the windowsill and stared at Shiga for a while, then habitually fell asleep there to keep him company.
During the month that Shiga spent converting the souls of the dead, Jiang Xiyu would curl up under the Bodhi tree and wait for him. At sunset, when Shiga emerged from the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Jiang Xiyu would follow him to the lotus pond. At this time, Jiang Xiyu would go to drink water because of the day's wait, and Shiga would clasp his hands together to receive a handful of clear water for him.
Such an action was very pitiful, yet his gaze was so devoid of joy or sorrow, as if he were not the one feeding the water.
Jiang Xiyu's learning speed of the scriptures slowed down, and sometimes it would take him several days to learn just one page.
Shiga did not delve into this matter; he simply taught him patiently before each night's meditation.
This seems to have become the entirety of the story involving the monk and the cat.
This continued every day until one day, when Shiga came out of the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, he did not see the curled-up cat under the Bodhi tree.
Shiga frowned almost imperceptibly.
Why aren’t you here?
Originally, Shijia didn't want Jiang Xiyu to wait under the tree, so at first he asked Jinglian to take Jiang Xiyu and the monks in the temple to work in the fields. Later, in the Wanfo Hall, Jinglian told him that if a cat can't see its owner, it will stay in the same place and wait.
Shiga had never owned a cat before, so he didn't know anything about cats' habits.
So when he couldn't see her, he mistakenly assumed that Jiang Xiyu had gone out to play.
Shiga stood quietly on the steps for a while before averting his gaze and leaving.
He returned along the same route, and as he passed the long corridor, a monk came over and said that a sect of immortals had sent someone to request an audience, and that the person was currently at the foot of the mountain.
The main gate of Cibei Temple is closed. There is a protective barrier at the foot of the mountain, so all those who come here can only sincerely pray and seek an audience at the small temple at the foot of the mountain.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain.
Jiang Xiyu went out to find food, and after eating his fill, he saw that it was almost time, so he went back to the temple to wait for Shijia.
Before they could even go up, they were stopped by a group of cultivators as they passed the temple.