"A wild brute from the mountains?"
The sweeping monk leaned on his broom and smiled, "Cult Master Quinn, do you think calling yourself a brute is enough to wash your hands of all responsibility? You killed three hundred sixty-seven Buddha-Children of our Buddha‑Realm, slew the Moon Palace Heavenly Prince’s Buddha, and five other Buddhas besides. You’ve polluted most of my Great Brahma Heaven, turning it half into Youdu. How could you just brush this off?"
The sweeping monk stared at him in silence for a long while, then finally smiled and said, "If I blamed everything on you, it would be unjust. Even though you’re being honest and humble, deep down you wouldn’t accept it. The ones you killed were all agents of the Heavenly Court planted in the Buddha‑Realm. Indra King Buddha only unsealed the Golden Willow Leaf on your brow because he wanted to use your hand to purge the Heavenly Court’s influence. And letting Fenix Greenwood Keane (your second self) out also put your life at risk. You’re clever—you saw through this early on, so you dared to go on a killing spree, utterly unrestrained. Because you knew, no matter what you did, you wouldn’t be punished. Indra King Buddha would definitely protect you."
Quinn Shepherd lowered his head and said, "I wouldn’t dare to dodge the blame. Indra King Buddha may have wanted to use me to get rid of the Heavenly Court’s agents, but those Buddha‑Children truly did die by my hand. And polluting the Buddha‑Realm’s supreme holy land—yes, that was my doing too."
The sweeping monk swept with care and said, "If you’re capable, you might comprehend what Battle‑Void did. If your insight is a bit weaker, you’ll grasp what Brightheart managed. If your obsession is too deep, you might learn nothing at all. I’ve given you the True Sutra—and saddled you with the chamber pot of blame as well (a Chinese idiom meaning you’ll be the scapegoat for all the blame)."
The sweeping monk smiled, "You guessed right—the blame can’t be dumped on you. I don’t quite approve of Indra King Buddha’s plan, but I didn’t oppose it either. Bow your head."
Quinn Shepherd bent down. The sweeping monk took out the Golden Willow Leaf and carefully pressed it to Quinn’s brow, smiling, "But this blame—I can’t shoulder it. If I did, the Buddha‑Realm would be finished, destroyed and replaced by the Heavenly Court. So you and Indra King Buddha have to carry it. Indra King Buddha is my junior brother; he can take the biggest, stinkiest 'chamber pot' (a Chinese idiom for scapegoat or bearing all the blame). As for you, you’ll carry a small 'black pot' (another idiom for a lesser share of blame)—not enough to crush you, but enough to stain your name."
Quinn Shepherd breathed a sigh of relief and touched the Golden Willow Leaf on his forehead, feeling much more at ease. It wasn’t just the leaf—it was also Brahma King Buddha’s words that reassured him.
"Don’t blame Indra King Buddha. He’s doing it for the Buddha‑Realm—and he has his own past and old wounds to bear."
The sweeping monk walked ahead, sweeping the ground and smiling, "He has to carry the chamber pot (meaning he’ll be the scapegoat), and it’s enough to keep him busy for ages—almost impossible to wash clean. The Heavenly Court knows I allowed this, but they don’t have the grounds to punish me. They’ll only go after Indra King Buddha. As for this Great Brahma Heaven, I won’t cleanse the remaining Youdu demonic qi from it; leaving it as evidence that the Buddha‑Realm stayed out of the conflict. That way, our Buddha‑Realm is also seen as a victim."
The sweeping monk replied, "It’s already on your head—firm and secure. The blame is on you—there’s no escaping it."
Quinn Shepherd thought for a moment, then asked, "King Buddha, you have no way?"
"There is."
The sweeping monk smiled, "But I can’t use my way. I still have to leave the Heavenly Court a shred of face. If I personally sent Indra King Buddha out, even that would be gone. So you’ll have to figure it out yourselves—don’t drag me or the Buddha‑Realm into it."
Quinn Shepherd scratched his head, then suddenly burst out, "So basically, we helped the Buddha‑Realm clean out the Heavenly Court’s agents, saved the Buddha‑Realm from falling under their control, and now all the blame gets saddled onto me and Indra King Buddha (dumped on our heads, as the saying goes). The Buddha‑Realm and King Buddha get all the benefits, and we have to go on the run. Is that about right?"
The sweeping monk looked up at him, smiling with narrowed eyes. "Exactly."
Quinn Shepherd stood there dumbfounded. After a while, he asked tentatively, "Are all elders this scheming?"
"They are."
The sweeping monk chuckled, "But we call it wisdom and thorough understanding—not scheming."
Quinn Shepherd’s face turned ashen. "Is there a difference between wisdom and scheming?"
Quinn Shepherd lowered his hand and said, "I’m carrying the blame for you now, King Buddha—a hefty 'black pot' (Chinese idiom for being the scapegoat or bearing blame). It’ll take ages to wash clean."
Quinn Shepherd touched the Golden Willow Leaf on his brow, itching to pull it off and check in the mirror to see if there really was a great Buddha sitting in his eye. But he remembered that if he activated his arts, he might turn into the monstrous Fenix Greenwood Keane, so he forced himself to hold back.
"That great Buddha can work together with Tu Bo’s seal to help you suppress Fenix Greenwood Keane, so he can’t break free and backlash against you. And inside that Buddha is my Emperor’s‑Throne True Sutra. I won’t pass it to you directly—you’ll have to comprehend it yourself. How much you grasp is up to you."
Indra King Buddha took him up into the air. Looking around, he saw the corpses of Dharma King Morlun and several Buddhas. He felt both joy and shock: "I always knew his eye was strange, but I never thought its power would be so fierce—even Morlun has died. Morlun’s Buddhist cultivation was shallow, but his strength was formidable. This chamber pot (scapegoat’s burden) is no small thing, but I can bear it!"
As he swept, a courtyard appeared ahead, though Quinn hadn’t noticed when. Inside, Indra King Buddha was meditating, deep in contemplation.
The sweeping monk walked in, Quinn Shepherd following close behind. The monk continued, "Now that things are more or less settled, it’s time for you both to leave. Junior brother, please rise—I need to sweep away the dust on your heart, so it doesn’t pollute my little clean retreat."
Indra King Buddha let out a heavy breath, looking lost. The Buddha‑Realm’s supreme holy site had become another Netherworld—soon, restless spirits would gather, and maybe even Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, would come for a stroll! Leaving the Youdu demonic qi behind means this sacred land may attract the dead and become a haunt for Netherworld powers. Does this chamber pot (the burden of blame) have to go on my head too? Can’t you share it?
The sweeping monk replied, "It’s taken care of."
Indra King Buddha probed, "The chamber pot’s been hung?"
The sweeping monk replied, "It’s already on your head—firm and secure. You won’t be able to shake it off."
Quinn Shepherd replied gloomily, "I came here for the True Sutra, but didn’t get it. Now I have to go back empty-handed, carrying a big pot of blame (Chinese idiom for being the scapegoat). How can I explain myself to the World‑Honored One? I’m ashamed to face him—might as well let the Heavenly Court arrest and execute me."
Indra King Buddha let out a breath and smiled, "A little chamber pot—I’ll bear it, as long as the Buddha‑Realm and our lineage survive. Senior brother, is it a big one? How long will it take to wash clean?"
The sweeping monk hesitated, "You never said you wanted to wash it clean, so this pot’s a bit big—and there’s plenty of filth. But it can be washed off, eventually."
He left one thing unsaid: ‘Wait until the regime changes, then it can be washed clean.’
"Junior brother, you should return to your Indra King Buddha‑Realm and get ready to flee—take Quinn Shepherd with you, let him send you out of the Buddha‑Realm," said the sweeping monk.
Indra King Buddha glanced at Quinn Shepherd’s still-dark face and smiled, "He’s sending me out? He has that kind of power? Senior brother, you’d better send me out yourself. Your powers far surpass mine—you can wander the ten thousand worlds in dreams, surely you have a way to get me out safely."
The sweeping monk said nothing, just swept the ground. Suddenly his broom brushed Indra King Buddha’s foot, and the world spun. When Indra King Buddha came to, he and Quinn Shepherd had been swept out the door and were standing before the ruined monastery.
The monastery’s gate was broken—Quinn Shepherd had smashed it. A young monk poked his head out from behind a half-collapsed brick wall and called, "Layman Quinn, you don’t need to worry about Battle‑Void and Brightheart. Once they master the Emperor’s‑Throne True Sutra, they’ll come back. Sending them off was much easier than sending you two. I’m rebuilding the wall and fixing the gate, so I won’t see you out."
Behind Indra King Buddha, the dim halo at the back of his head brightened again, Buddha-light shining all around. He laughed, "My senior brother says this chamber pot—a Chinese idiom for being the scapegoat or carrying all the blame—is big and stinky. I’d like to see just how big and stinky it is. Quinn, don’t scowl—it’s my fault you’re caught up in this…"
Quinn Shepherd made as if to tear off the Golden Willow Leaf from his brow. Indra King Buddha quickly bowed in apology, "No need to take it off. You can beat me up if you like, and I’ll run away. I apologize here and now—one day I’ll make it up to you."
Quinn Shepherd lowered his hand and said, "I’m carrying the blame for you now, King Buddha—a hefty black pot. It’ll take ages to wash clean."
Indra King Buddha took him up into the air. Looking around, he saw the corpses of Dharma King Morlun and several Buddhas. He felt both joy and shock: "I always knew his eye was strange, but I never thought its power would be so fierce—even Morlun has died. Morlun’s Buddhist cultivation was shallow, but his strength was formidable. This chamber pot (scapegoat’s burden) is no small thing, but I can bear it!"
Quinn Shepherd’s expression softened. He nodded.
Indra King Buddha took him up into the air. Looking around, he saw the corpses of Dharma King Morlun and several Buddhas. He felt both joy and shock: "I always knew his eye was strange, but I never thought its power would be so fierce—even Morlun has died. Morlun’s Buddhist cultivation was shallow, but his strength was formidable. This chamber pot is no small thing, but I can bear it!"
He flew with Quinn Shepherd over the Golden Sea, suddenly stunned—his halo nearly flickered out. The Buddha‑Realm’s supreme holy site, the Golden Sea, had lost most of its Buddha-light, now thick with Netherworld demon-qi. Sacred mountains and islands lay in ruins, monasteries sunk beneath the waves!
It was a catastrophe!
Indra King Buddha let out a heavy breath, looking lost. The Buddha‑Realm’s supreme holy site had become another Netherworld—soon, restless spirits would gather, and maybe even Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, would come for a stroll! Leaving the Youdu demonic qi behind means this sacred land may attract the dead and become a haunt for Netherworld powers.
Quinn Shepherd shook his head, "King Buddha, I’ve already got a big black pot…"
Indra King Buddha let out a heavy breath, looking lost. The Buddha‑Realm’s supreme holy site had become another Netherworld—soon, restless spirits would gather, and maybe even Tu Bo, the Earth Sovereign, would come for a stroll!
This pure land might have to share half with Tu Bo!
Quinn Shepherd replied gloomily, "I came here for the True Sutra, but didn’t get it. Now I have to go back empty-handed, carrying a big pot of blame (meaning I’m the scapegoat). How can I explain myself to the World‑Honored One? I’m ashamed to face him—might as well let the Heavenly Court arrest and execute me."
Indra King Buddha took a long breath, refusing to look at the devastation in Brahma King Buddha‑Realm. He took Quinn Shepherd to his own Buddha‑Realm and said, "Just now, senior brother said you had a way to send me out of the Buddha‑Realm. May I ask, Quinn, what method or power do you have?"
Quinn Shepherd replied gloomily, "I came here for the True Sutra, but didn’t get it. Now I have to go back empty-handed, carrying a big pot of blame. How can I explain myself to the World‑Honored One? I’m ashamed to face him—might as well let the Heavenly Court arrest and execute me."
Indra King Buddha understood and smiled, "I’ll teach you my Indra King Buddha Sutra. It’s not as grand as the Emperor’s‑Throne True Sutra, but it’s still the Lofty‑Heaven Sutra. My senior brother’s True Sutra is vast and hard to grasp, too complicated. Mine is much simpler, bold and direct—easy to learn and quick to see results. Once you’ve learned it, you can tell me your method for leaving the Buddha‑Realm."
——Jiang Miao: Maha? Maha maha! Maha… Maha! Maha——, Maha (＾－＾)V