Xuanzang's Discussion of the Way / Gabriel's Temptation

"Well then, I'm off!" Vignette said with a lovely smile.

"Yes, please give our regards to the new chef. We're looking forward to her cooking; we're all roughnecks and can't possibly prepare anything fancy," the guard leader said.

Inside the kitchen of the domed palace, Yukino Yukinoshita and Asuna, wearing simple aprons made of coarse linen, were busy preparing dinner.

A short while later, there was a knock on the kitchen door, and Vignette walked in.

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Yukino rarely showed a smile.

Asuna stepped forward and took the girl's hand, saying, "Vignette, you're here! Thank you so much for letting us stay here; you've really been a great help."

They were teleported directly to the battlefield. As people with Asian features, they had no idea where to escape to. If it weren't for the fact that they happened to meet Vignette and others there, and that they knew they were all online friends and received protection, they might now be forced to hide in the mountains and camp.

In exchange, they will be in charge of the meals here, mainly preparing modern cuisine for Gabriel who is not used to military food, and also taking care of the meals in this palace.

Fortunately, with someone away, the girls were still quite confident in their cooking skills.

"You're welcome. Seniors, you must be very busy taking care of everyone's meals in the castle. I'll come and help out, and I can also learn how to cook from you," Vignette said with a smile.

Asuna hugged Vignette tightly and said, "Ah, you're such an angel!"

"Waaah..." Vignette, who was being hugged, squinted her eyes shyly, but she seemed to prefer being praised for being a good devil.

"Ahem, let's begin then," Yukino said, regaining her composure.

"I know, which side should I be in charge of, senior?" Vignette replied.

Yukino assigned tasks, saying, "I'll leave this to you. And... Yuihama, sit down!"

"Eh..." The little girl sitting on the small stool next to her was about to stand up and go with the girl to help with cooking, but at a command, she had no choice but to obediently sit back down, pouting as she continued peeling the melon.

Chapter 319 The Xuanzang Master Discusses the Dao

There were also cooks who had accompanied the army in the kitchen, but they were just ordinary commoners in the 8th century. Their cooking skills, by the standards of modern palates, were simply unbearable. Perhaps they were only slightly better than Yuihama, remaining at a edible level.

However, they were indeed indispensable. Normally, the slaughter of animals required the recitation of prayers by a religious leader (imam) before it could be done, and the cooks had to be believers. But this was during a time of war, so such strict rules didn't apply. As long as the food conformed to Islamic teachings, it was acceptable.

After all, the baiji dolphin still swims freely in the Yangtze River, rhinoceroses still inhabit the land of China, and three-meter-long Barbary lions were brought to the Roman Colosseum to fight against Emperor Nero and many trained warriors, although they lost more often than they won. Yet, their kin still live freely on the African savanna.

Before the Age of Exploration, the indigenous people of Australia lived alongside various marsupials and megafauna. Meanwhile, the Native American Druids of the Americas, undisturbed, were simultaneously competing with nature and cultivating nearly half of humanity's superior crops.

With a unique talent for plant cultivation, they spent thousands of years cultivating corn cobs the size of a thumb into the golden corn of later generations, as well as sweet potatoes, potatoes, tobacco, peanuts, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, sunflowers, and zucchini.

Fruits such as pineapple, avocado, and strawberry are also cultivated.

At this moment, these delicious fruits are sealed away on the other side of the sea because of its closed nature.

"Yukino, let me help too! It's so sneaky of you guys to be so happy." Yuihama, sitting on a small stool, couldn't help but raise her hand in protest. Since arriving here, her relationship with Satania has been getting better and better.

"Yuihama, cooking for the people here isn't like eating at home or in the cafeteria, where you can just leave whatever you don't like aside."

You have to take the local customs and eating habits into account. If you cook something carelessly and it's discovered that you put inedible ingredients, you'll anger the locals and get kicked out.

"Because we need to cook for Gabriel and the others, we brought in all the ingredients from the city to the kitchen. Some of the ingredients are also contraindicated for other people, so if you don't know how, you can just help peel them in the back." Yukino Yukinoshita said to her friend.

"Huh? What do you mean? Are the people here picky eaters? Don't they like green peppers or carrots? Yukino, can you teach me? Please~ Yukino ~! Yukino- chan~!" Yuihama confusion, pleading with Yukino in a coquettish manner. After all, the people here weren't good at cooking, and she felt that if she tried her best, she might even gain some recognition.

"Alright then, I'll tell you." The black-haired girl couldn't resist the chubby girl's insistence, so she switched to Yuki Encyclopedia mode and started explaining things to everyone.

"Islam values food culture and has exquisite and delicious halal cuisine. Although many rules were not fully established at that time, and due to the scarcity of resources, the recipes were far less complete than those of later halal cuisine, the most basic principles of not eating unclean things and not eating carnivorous wild animals had been established."

They do not eat unclean or dead animals, nor do they eat animals that died accidentally, nor do they eat blood. Because pigs give people a very unclean impression, they also do not eat pork.

However, they can eat domesticated animals, such as cattle, sheep, camels, chickens, ducks, and geese, but not ruminant animals, such as donkeys and horses. They can eat wild roe deer, rabbits, deer, and wild swans flying overhead.

They don't eat carnivorous fish or shellfish, but they can eat grass carp and shrimp.

"Oh, Miss Yukino, are you not only a gourmet but also a scholar well-versed in scriptures?" The cooks looked at the girl and applauded.

"Waaah, that's enough, Yukino, please stop, please, I know I was wrong," Yuihama pleaded, her eyes darting around, her head practically steaming.

"Is that so? Good that you understand." Yukino said with a smile. Of course, they also don't drink alcohol or do anything that would harm their health, so they don't smoke either. But these things are none of their business, so there's no need to worry about them.

At this moment Shirou and Xuanzang arrived at the city gate.

The soldiers at the city gate recognized the black-haired woman leading the group and teased, "Oh, isn't this the Xuanzang Monk? What happened to you? You've returned to secular life and brought your young man here?"

"Sorry, you guessed wrong, sister. Is it your shift today? You won't arrest me, will you?" Xuanzang asked with a smile.

"The Prophet Muhammad said, 'Whoever mistreats a non-believer who is living in peace with me has mistreated me. Go in.'"

So the two continued walking towards the central palace.

The palace gates were heavily guarded; before they could even approach, they were stopped by guards wielding knives. "Hey, halt! What are you doing here, woman? Hmm? A Buddhist?"

The gatekeeper raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw the prayer beads hanging around Xuanzang's neck.

"Monks, please leave. This palace is under the protection of the mosque. Don't you Buddhists not allow yourselves to enter?"

Xuanzang stepped forward and said with a smile, "Please be patient and announce that I am escorting our prince to pay respects to the distinguished guests in the castle."

"A prince?" The guard woman was stunned. When she looked at Shirou beside her, she almost jumped up and asked again, "The prince of the Eastern Kingdom!? The one who was kidnapped and fought over?"

"Hmm." Xuanzang stepped aside, deliberately showing off the precious sword hanging at Shirou's waist.

The female guard rushed forward and took Shirou's hand.

"?" Shirou looked at the other person with a puzzled expression. Because of his shorter stature, he felt that the other person was a little scary.

"I shook hands with the prince! Oh dear! I'm never washing my hands again!" The woman shook her hands up and down, looking at them happily. She left those words behind and quickly ran inside, saying, "Wait here! I'll go inform him."

"Speaking of which, aren't you angry about being treated like this? The people of this land? To you, they're also heretics, aren't they?" Shirou asked.

Xuanzang smiled slightly, clasped his hands together, and said calmly, "No, the Buddha said there are three thousand worlds, and naturally there are three thousand heretics. The Buddha guides those with affinity, and Buddhist temples are mostly built in secluded mountain locations; they never force laypeople to enter the temple. The Buddha is compassionate and only wishes that this chaotic world can produce less bloodshed. This is also the purpose of my journey."

Looking at the suddenly enigmatic Master Xuanzang, Shirou said with some skepticism, "Is that really so? As I understand it, didn't you dedicate your life to persuading the Tang Dynasty emperor to abandon Daoism and embrace Buddhism?"

The black-haired girl gave a knowing look, then laughed and said, "Oh, Shirou, is that all you want to know about me? Very well, it's good that you want to be like your master. That's a good quality of a disciple, and your master is very pleased."

"If I were to become a Buddhist now because of you, what would they do?" Shirou countered.

"Haha, that's quite a problem," the female monk said with a laugh, scratching the back of her head.

"In the early Tang Dynasty, fake Daoist priests and alchemists were obsessed with alchemy. They used Five-Stone Powder and mercury to make elixirs to present to the emperor as longevity medicines. The Hinayana Buddhism only saves itself. From noble families and high-ranking officials to poor people, everyone was only interested in wealth and status. Although Chang'an seemed magnificent, it was actually a place of chaos and corruption. For a time, no guideline could be found to lead the people to goodness."

I was dissatisfied with this, but at that time only a few Mahayana Buddhist scriptures were transmitted. After reading all the scriptures, understanding their profound meaning, and memorizing them thoroughly, I could no longer make any progress. That's why I traveled to India to seek the authentic scriptures and bring back the Mahayana Buddhism that could save people to China.

After completing my studies, I made a grand vow to spread Buddhism and save all sentient beings, regardless of who they are. I will not change my attitude because of different beliefs, nor will I force these people to change their minds, nor will I abandon my faith because of them. Because I firmly believe that Buddhism can bring people something important."Xuanzang said with a confident smile, his eyes revealing a firmness that no force could shake.

Upon seeing that look, Shirou seemed to understand something and nodded.

As far as he knew, Xuanzang in history was a respectable and devout monk, as well as a very ambitious individual who dedicated his life to spreading Mahayana Buddhism in China.

He proved himself in India's Buddhist holy land, gaining the unified recognition of more than ten Kings and Buddhism, which was practically like winning the Bell Prize. He could have lived a very good life there if he wanted.

However, he still chose to risk returning to his homeland to spread Mahayana Buddhist scriptures and help sentient beings. It is precisely because of this that he has been remembered for generations, and people a thousand years later still talk about his deeds.

After returning to the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin and Li Zhi repeatedly asked Xuanzang to return to secular life. On the one hand, Xuanzang was exceptionally intelligent and determined, otherwise he would not have been able to accomplish such a great feat. On the other hand, they also hoped that he could make good use of what he had seen and heard during his journey to the west.

After all, he knew the King of the sixteen kingdoms of India, and he also knew many nobles and high-ranking officials along the way in the Western Regions. He also had a very high reputation among the Buddhists in the Western Regions.

He was simply the most sought-after high-level intellectual in the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty, and the most ideal diplomatic ambassador.

It can be said that as long as Xuanzang agrees, he will have great potential in both civil and military affairs, and being granted a title and rank will be within reach.

However, the Master Xuanzang refused them all.

Both emperors deeply regretted this, as Xuanzang had demonstrated his loyalty to his country and his noble character of not being corrupted by wealth and honor through his actions.

Unlike those who would abandon everything and change their allegiance in pursuit of wealth and status—after all, such people have existed since ancient times and are unlikely to be eradicated in future generations.

If such a person possesses specialized skills, or even holds a high-ranking official position, they can often inadvertently cause terrible damage to the country.

However, as long as his actions do not harm the interests of the country and its people, people will not condemn him for this, nor will it diminish his contributions to the world in the slightest.

For example, Yoichiro Nambu studied at the University of Tokyo, then went to the United States, achieved great success, and became a U. S. citizen. Even though he later became Nobel Prize laureate and one of the founders of string theory, he was not as respected in Japan as other scientists who also went abroad for further studies and then returned home.

While choosing which country to join is a matter of personal freedom, his actions merely demonstrate that he truly values his own freedom more than his compatriots and fellow countrymen. He can share wealth and prosperity, but not hardship.

But people have their own internal scales, which means they might lack a bit of respect and trust. This is perhaps the difference between having talent but no virtue, and having both talent and virtue.

True virtue resides in one's own mind, while morality is something that must be cultivated externally. If a person is too self-centered, they will neglect those around them. And if you don't like others, they won't like you either. Whether you seek personal gain or reputation, both require sacrifice.

Seek benevolence and you will find benevolence; seek righteousness and you will find righteousness. That's all

This was an era of widespread slaughter. Whether it was the Arabs or Charlemagne, the rise of their respective empires was inevitably accompanied by ruthless suppression, and bloodshed and cruelty were unavoidable. Even though women became the dominant figures in the world, this did not change anything. They were merely soldiers guarding the city gates, each exuding a chilling aura, clearly having blood on their hands.

Shirou came into this world, everyone he has met, from Great Emperor like Charlemagne to soldiers and lowly guards at the city gates, has had blood on their hands.

Each of them possesses a strong sense of pride in their faith and is extremely devout. One can sense in their eyes a fervent desire for others to accept their faith and understand the light within them.

Just like the Master Xuanzang spent the first half of his life traveling thousands of miles to India scriptures, and then spent the second half of his life translating these scriptures into Chinese and spreading them, dedicating his life to persuading emperors to abandon Daoism and embrace Buddhism.

Finally, Xuanzang founded the Yogacara school, also known as the Faxiang school, which is the most organized, analytical, and scientific school among Buddhist schools. The Yogacara school was the first to propose the concept of 'Alaya- vijnana', which is a unified force in the human mind, advocating 'no external world, all phenomena are consciousness'.

This is the Buddhist idealism: because people have a mind, they can perceive everything in the outside world. You see a chocolate because your Alaya consciousness makes you perceive it as a chocolate.

To a dog, that's poison; eating it will make you feel unwell, and in too much, it can be fatal. This is because dogs collectively perceive it as poison.

To a cat whose taste buds cannot perceive sweetness, it is bitter charcoal. Because of a cat's unified subconscious, it perceives that it is indeed a piece of charcoal.

Therefore, all the laws of the world originate from human consciousness, and the essence of humanity, the 'root' of everything, is emptiness. The ultimate state of Buddhism is precisely the state of 'emptiness'.

"All beings are equal; everyone is the same, yet everyone is different. Perhaps everyone believes in what they want to believe, which gives them motivation and courage, and allows them to live on strongly," Xuanzang said with a light laugh.

The woman's voice was like a clear spring that cleansed the soul of all confusion, gradually flowing into the heart.

Ever since seeing the white god, Shirou's heart has been shrouded in mystery. The boy is now lost in thought:

Religious beliefs are indeed difficult for him to understand personally. However, if it's about the yearning for justice, then in some ways they might be the same.

Even without religious scriptures, there are always certain things and truths that people would uphold even at the cost of divine intervention.

It's like the unwavering loyalty to your friends, the affection for your family, the selfless dedication of parents to their children, and the undying love with your sweetheart.

Chapter 320 Gabriel's Temptation

Ever since meeting the white god and returning to the present world, Shirou has been filled with a sense of confusion that he can't understand. What if he single-mindedly pursues justice and strives to make everyone happy, but the result is wrong?

What should he do? He didn't think he could do better than the white god.

Rather, all he could do was risk his life to protect those around him; he had clearly felt his own powerlessness countless times.

The god possessed power that allowed him to do many things he desired but could not achieve. He saved world after world, and even Human Evil was subdued by the god.

Then, the Counter Force told him that the white god would eventually be overwhelmed, and the world that the god had saved would also be destroyed because of the god.

He is the white god who merged with all the worlds, an unexpected clone created from Shirou Emiya's yearning for happiness. He was approached by the Counter Force and had to defeat that white god for the sake of all the worlds.

But here's the problem: the white god is countless times stronger than him, and he failed. Even if he defeated him, the world wouldn't necessarily become a better place. Faced with such a world, what could he, without power, do?

If everything could be changed, could the actions of the white god also be turned into a path to a happy future? In his heart, he truly felt that sacrificing himself wouldn't be so bad, though of course, that would be very unfair to his family and companions.

But even without the intervention of the white god, parts of the world would still be destroyed, such as the apocalypse of 2030, the arrival of the Crimson Moon, the Land of Steel, the Velber, and World War III...

Should we believe in the Counter Force, or should we believe in the side of the deity closest to us?

However, after listening to Xuanzang's words, the young man reflected on himself and realized that perhaps he could be more honest and act according to his own choices.

At that moment, a glint flashed in Shirou's eyes. Although he still had the physique of a middle school student, his eyes seemed to be even brighter than before.

"It seems you've grasped the key point. That's it! Don't rush, there's no need to completely follow others' ideas. You'll find the answer through your own choices." The black-haired woman paused, looked directly into Shirou's eyes, then smiled and continued:

"It is my duty as a monk to carry forward the beliefs in my heart and to save all sentient beings. Human beings also have their own beliefs, and they only need to make their own choices. Buddhism can only guide them, but how to put it into practice is up to them."

Shirou felt as if a lotus platform and Holy Light had appeared behind the black-haired woman at this moment, and her words seemed to be not only directed at him now, but also as advice he would receive at a more important moment.

Everyone has their own beliefs, even if it's not a religion. It could be the unwavering loyalty to your friends, the affection for your family, the selfless devotion of parents to their children, or the undying love with your partner.

These beliefs may not be absolutely correct in the future, and may even be considered foolish and ignorant by posterity. But for me, these beliefs are incredibly important, even more important than my life.

"It's wonderful that you've come to some understanding. From a Buddhist perspective, everything is empty; the troubles we face now are like fleeting clouds. After all, humans and wild animals have limited lifespans; no one becomes immortal because of their greatness or lack thereof, not even in the cycle of reincarnation. The ultimate destination of the universe is 'annihilation,' and the ultimate destination of humanity is 'emptiness.'"

"Shirou, there's only one thing I really want to say to you: don't think of yourself as so important. You don't need to bear the weight of the world alone," Xuanzang said lovingly to the boy.

At that moment, Shirou felt a great sense of relief. Perhaps the woman had already attained enlightenment and was only here to say these things to him.

"Haha, didn't I look like a good teacher just now? Shirou, have you decided to become my formal disciple?" the black-haired woman asked with a laugh and a wink.

"If that line hadn't been there," Shirou muttered helplessly.

"Tch, so people in later generations who have been baptized by science won't easily believe me?" Xuanzang said with a sneer.

"Science is not omnipotent, nor is it absolute truth, even in a world without any mysteries," Shirou said.