I Lost a Sword in the Mortal World

All things were impermanent; arising and ceasing were their law. When arising and ceasing ceased, the stillness beyond was bliss.

Wangyun had prepared to sacrifice his life for Buddha, but when he saw the Dharma Sect beguiling people and defiling the Bodhisattva's Golden Body, he found he still had ties to this world.

His mouth and eyes had been sewn shut, yet the pain of his flesh was nothing beside the pain in his heart. Death would free him, but what would become of these believers and disciples?

Buddha, I beg you to have mercy on the people of this world. This disciple is willing to enter Avici Hell and bear the karmic retribution of these believers and monks in their place.

But how could there be so many miracles in the world? In the end, he was only an abbot with meager Dharma Power.

In a daze, he saw the past again: the decades he had spent struggling to learn the teachings passed down by his master, building a Golden Body from incense offerings and flesh, writing Buddhist scriptures in his own blood, taking human bodies—

Wasn't all of that the wicked path? Why had he learned such things?

"Senior Brother Bai Yun! Senior Brother Bai Yun!" a familiar voice called beside his ear.

Bai Yun opened his eyes. Sweat had soaked his plain white monk's robes. He looked at the monk with the unibrow before him, let out a long breath, and said, "Junior Brother Huixin, did I fall asleep?"

"The Heavenly Buddha Lord has sent word: if we encounter any Heart Elements or Heart Turbidities, we may bring them into our order." Huixin pressed his palms together and chanted, "Amitabha," then continued:

"I want to go out and find those poor souls, to spare them persecution by