The Demon Ape was tossed into the air, his face blank and helpless.
Quinn Shepherd watched, growing suspicious: "Looks like the big guy still hasn’t come to his senses. He doesn’t even know he’s won, or why he won."
He turned to glance at Grandpa Mark, thinking, "Grandpa Mark is famous in the village for being honest. This time, sending the big guy out to topple all the Buddha-Children of the Buddha Realm’s Twenty Heavens—now that’s a brilliant move. Did Grandpa Mark plan this, or is the big guy’s Buddha-dharma really that unfathomable? Why do I feel like it’s the villagers feeding Grandpa Mark bad ideas behind the scenes?"
Grandpa Mark had said the monks’ chanting of Buddha-names was driving the Buddhas of the Twenty Heavens crazy—and that trick came from the Mute Smith. Only the Mute Smith would come up with something so underhanded.
And sending the Demon Ape out to fight, with that infuriating style that kills without paying for it, is exactly the kind of move Grandpa Blind would pull.
Grandpa Blind’s Mind-Eye is good at finding openings. His spear technique doesn’t use many moves—in fact, you could say it doesn’t use moves at all—but he always hits the opponent’s weak spot. That’s because he can see through every technique’s strengths and flaws.
Letting the Demon Ape take the field—he hardly talks, just spits out one word at a time. He’s mastered the art of winning with silence.
If it came down to a real debate, the monks of Great Thunderclap probably couldn’t beat the Buddha-Children of the Twenty Heavens. So winning by not debating became the key.
And the Demon Ape is exactly that kind of person.
But the big guy really does have deep Buddha-root—his mastery of Buddha-dharma is astonishing.
Quinn looked at the Demon Ape, filled with admiration. He thought, "He doesn’t know he’s won, or why he’s won. Even in battle, his mind is perfectly clear, untouched by victory or defeat—that’s what it means to be a true Buddha-Child Battle-Void. No wonder the Buddhas of the Twenty Heavens have changed how they address him, now calling him Junior Brother. Speaking of which, Grandpa Blind and the Mute Smith both gave Grandpa Mark advice—where have they gone off to?"
Granny Sue and the Black Tiger God had returned from Luofu Heaven, but were nowhere to be seen, leaving Quinn puzzled.
"Eat, get strong!"
Quinn stayed for a vegetarian meal. The Demon Ape kept urging him to eat more, occasionally flexing his fists and thick arms to show Quinn how much he ate and how strong he was.
The meals at Great Thunderclap Temple were mostly vegetables, tofu, and steamed buns. In front of the Demon Ape sat a giant iron bowl—four or five times bigger than a regular cauldron—filled with his favorite pine needles and pine cones.
Quinn ate some vegetables and steamed buns, just enough to fill up.
Grandpa Mark put his kasaya back on, resuming his identity as Ma the Tathagata, and said to the monks, "The Buddhas have given us three spots to study in the Buddha Realm. One goes to Battle-Void, one to Brightheart, but I’m hesitating over the third."
Monk Jingming smiled and asked, "Tathagata, what’s holding you back?"
Ma the Tathagata said, "Senior Brother, Battle-Void has deep Buddha-root, and Brightheart is even more accomplished. Both are excellent choices to study the dharma. But studying the dharma isn’t just about Buddha-root—it’s about insight. Only by turning what you learn into divine arts, turning it into real fighting power, can you defeat demons and calamities in the future. You may have Buddha-nature, but not necessarily exceptional battle power. That’s my worry—Battle-Void and Brightheart both have Buddha-nature, but when it comes to insight, they’re a bit lacking."
An old monk said, "If that’s the case, why doesn’t Tathagata go himself?"
Ma the Tathagata shook his head: "I’m already a Buddha, so I can’t cross the world’s barrier and reach the Buddha Realm directly. I have to send a junior with extraordinary talent and insight to study in my place, comprehend the supreme dharma, and pass it down. That’s what makes this choice so difficult."
The monks of Great Thunderclap Temple all frowned. Ma the Tathagata said Brightheart and the Demon Ape lacked enough insight, but in reality his standards were simply too high. Brightheart and the Demon Ape were already the very best among the temple’s younger generation.
To pick a young monk from Great Thunderclap Temple who surpasses them is basically impossible!
Ma the Tathagata looked at Quinn, who was still eating his vegetarian meal. The Demon Ape handed him a bunch of pine needles, inviting him to eat.
The other old monks looked over as well, watching Quinn take the pine needles, knead them into a cake, eat it in a few bites, and then have a few more mouthfuls of steamed bun.
"Well?" Ma the Tathagata asked the monks.
The monks all replied in unison, "A true and worthy man. Tathagata’s wisdom is unmatched!"
"You want me to go to the Buddha Realm?"
Quinn, having finished his meal, was called over by Ma the Tathagata. Hearing his words, Quinn’s eyes widened in shock. "I’m the Heavenly Demon Cult Master, and I’ve had my share of grudges with Great Thunderclap Temple. If I go to the Buddha Realm to study, won’t the Buddhas beat me to death?"
Ma the Tathagata smiled: "The Buddhas of the Buddha Realm have no personal grudges with you, nor do they with the Cult of the Heavenly Demon. They became Buddhas before the Kaihuang Era fell and founded the Buddha Realm. The feud between Great Thunderclap Temple and the Cult of the Heavenly Demon happened after the Kaihuang Era’s fall. The Buddhas understand reason—they won’t give you trouble."