The Buddha Opens His Eyes

"Zichong! Zichong, your dad was beaten to death!" A shrill, grief-stricken cry jolted Lin Zichong awake. He sat up abruptly and found himself in a familiar room: white walls painted by rural hands, a simple wardrobe and a large bed, and a cheap desk by the window. On the desk sat a gaming computer scrounged from a secondhand market, a grubby mechanical keyboard, an ashtray, and a plastic mineral water bottle stuffed full of cigarette butts. *How did I end up back in the past?* A look of confusion flashed across Lin Zichong's eyes. His head felt heavy and groggy, as if he were suffering from a terrible hangover. A hangover... Right. Yesterday, he had been drinking with a few childhood friends from the village. Lately, the village had been thrown into utter chaos over the land requisition. Requisitioning land brought joy to some and grief to others. For those who left to work in the cities, getting a sum of money for long-abandoned fields was better than leaving them overgrown. But for some of the middle-aged and elderly who had lived off the land their entire lives, it was a stake through the heart. These uncles and elders had spent their lives scratching a living from the earth. They were thoroughly accustomed to this way of life, lacked the skills to find work in the cities, and were simply too old to endure hard manual labor year after year. Taking their land was no different from taking their lives. Violent clashes erupted between the two sides. The developer had hired a gang of idle thugs armed with clubs and pipes to guard the excavators, and the two sides had clashed violently several times. Many of the able-bodied young men in the village had been taken away by the authorities for brawling with weapons, and the village's resistance quickly dwindled. At this point in his memories, Lin Zichong's mind cleared completely. "Zichong, something's happened to your dad!" The shrill cry sounded again. An old farmer covered in blood and spattered with mud rushed in, his eyes crimson and his face twisted in anguished horror. "Uncle, what did you say?" Lin Zichong startled and sprang from the bed. The old farmer gripped Lin Zichong's wrist with desperate strength, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. "Something happened to your dad! Hurry and go see!" Lin Zichong dashed out like a madman. He sprinted out of the village and reached his family's fields. From a distance, he saw a crowd gathered there, divided sharply into two distinct camps: the villagers and the thugs armed with clubs. Lin Zichong pushed his way through the crowd and saw his muddy old father. The stubborn old man lay in a pool of blood, his white hair filthy with gore and dirt. The back of his skull was a mangled mess of blood and flesh; there was no telling how many blows it had taken. Lin Zichong's face turned deathly pale as sharp pangs tore through his heart. This heart-wrenching agony felt strangely familiar, as though he had lived through it once before. Seeing Lin Zichong arrive, the thug leader immediately shouted, "We didn't hit him! He threw himself at us!" "Yeah, that's right! He ran right into our clubs himself!" "Cut the crap! Anyone else dares make trouble, this is what you get! Boss, let's just call the cops and have the Public Security Bureau handle it. We live in a civilized society, after all." Lin Zichong sank limply beside his father's corpse. This stubborn old man who stood firmly on principle would never straighten his back again. He had died in the fields where he had toiled his whole life, his blood soaking into the earth. "Zichong... your dad died a terrible death. He was beaten to death!" His uncle came over, groaning in grief. "You have to avenge him. You can't be weak like last time..." *Can't be weak like last time...* Lin Zichong clutched his head in agony. He remembered now. He remembered. He remembered the most humiliating event of his life. Back then, he had watched helplessly as his father died on the ridge of the field while the thugs jeered. In his weakness, he had chosen forbearance and submission. He had gone to file petitions with higher authorities, believing he could win back justice. In the end, he caused his mother's death. He had regretted it for years. *Three feet above one's head, there are no gods; justice lies within the blade.* Lin Zichong's eyes turned blood-red bit by bit, his expression contorting with fury. Roaring, he charged toward the thugs. He would avenge his father; he would fight these murderers to the death. The thugs surrounded him. A heavy blow struck from behind and knocked him to the ground. A torrential rain of clubs battered down, and Lin Zichong never got up again. *** Inside a sealed command room. Secretary Zhou switched on the voice channel. Holding a pen, he stood before a blackboard and said evenly: "All teams, report your combat status. All teams, report." "Team One reporting: Wanderer of the Mortal Realm has been executed. We discovered he was secretly colluding with Nanming Branch's Poison Chaser. Realizing his crimes were exposed, Poison Chaser resisted arrest and has been killed. We lost two teammates. Report over!" "Team Two reporting: Sweetheart Red Demon has been executed. No casualties to our team. Report over!" "Team Three reporting: Role Model for Teachers has been executed. We searched his room and uncovered petition materials, which have now been destroyed. No casualties to our team. Report over!" "Team Four reporting: General Instructor Lin Chong's death is confirmed; died in a dream. No casualties to our team. Report over!" "Team Five reporting: Aunt Fang has been executed. Our team lost one member. The battle spilled over to civilians, resulting in six dead and thirteen injured. The situation is under control. Report over!" "Team Six reporting: Farewell My Concubine has been executed. No casualties to our team. The battle spilled over to civilians, resulting in three dead and seven injured. The situation is under control. Report over!" "Team Seven reporting..." Secretary Zhou listened while crossing out the portraits of each executed target. In the end, only four remained: Xiao Yuan, Kou Beiyue, Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay, and Zhao Xintong. Secretary Zhou switched off the headset, pulled out his phone, and sent a message: *Time to wrap things up!* *** Jinshan City. *Ding-dong!* Relentless Raging Waves, an elder of the Baila Branch, heard a notification chime. He pulled out his phone to check the message: *Secretary Zhou: Time to wrap things up!* Relentless Raging Waves pocketed the phone, turned to the squad members behind him, and ordered coldly: "Once I make my move, immediately launch drone surveillance. If you detect fierce combat, report to the two accompanying elders at once, then seal off the surrounding streets." "Understood!" his subordinates replied in low voices. Relentless Raging Waves turned back and cast his gaze toward the residential community in the distance. He had handsome features and pale skin, and had already become an elder of the Baila Branch at thirty-five. Baila City bordered the Capital City, right at the foot of the emperor's throne, giving him an undeniably bright future. Yet Relentless Raging Waves knew that unless a large-scale fall of Dominators occurred, he would not be able to enter headquarters for at least ten years. A branch elder was a regional lord, but no matter how great his power, it had limits. Only by entering the central leadership would he have a chance to serve as secretary to one of the Ten Elders in the future. Secretaries were the representatives and spokespersons of the Ten Elders, wielding unimaginable authority. Now, Elder Cai had promised that as long as he completed this mission, he would be transferred to headquarters within five years. The target was to kill the evil-class practitioners hiding in Chonghua Community in Jinshan City, as well as anyone who came to their aid. "Elder Cai has an ulterior motive here," Relentless Raging Waves murmured under his breath. Who would come to rescue them? Hunting down this bunch of rats lurking in the gutters could draw out Yuanshi Tianzun—this was intelligence relayed by Dark Night Rose. Elder Cai's true target was Yuanshi Tianzun. To avoid scaring him off while ensuring success, Elder Cai had arranged three Dominators for this operation. Two of them lay concealed in secret, and under the veil of concealment, Yuanshi Tianzun would never notice them in advance. Once the boy showed himself, they would strike together. At that point, using the pretext of "colluding with evil classes and obstructing law enforcement officers," they would execute him on the spot. Not even the Alliance Masters could find fault with it! Relentless Raging Waves's body dissolved rapidly into mist, and a billow of white fog drifted toward Chonghua Community not far away. *** Inside the bedroom, two desks stood side by side with two computers positioned together. "Fuck, lost again!" Kou Beiyue slammed his mouse in anger and glared at the chubby young man beside him. "Can't you focus when playing? Are you completely useless?" "Boss, didn't you throw the game yourself by being cocky?" Little Fatty protested aggrievedly. "You picked an ADC but didn't push towers, played jungle but didn't join team fights, messed around when ahead, wandered aimlessly when behind, and ran straight into the enemy tower whenever teammates yelled at you. How can you blame me..." Kou Beiyue slapped him over the head several times. "You dare talk back? You still dare talk back!" He got up in irritation. "I'm going to the living room for some juice. What do you want?" Ever since Master Wuhen entered seclusion, Xiao Yuan had followed Yuanshi Tianzun's instructions and forbidden the two of them from going out to deliver packages. "Happy water!" Little Fatty answered without hesitation. Kou Beiyue headed for the door, but turned back right at the threshold, giving him two more swats on the head to vent his lingering annoyance. "We're pulling an all-nighter tonight. You'd better play properly. If we lose again, your punishment is making midnight snacks." Kou Beiyue grumbled as he entered the living room, which was pitch-black. His and Little Fatty's room was on the north side, while Xiao Yuan and Zhao Xintong's was on the south, separated by the living room. Lately, he felt that staying here wasn't bad at all. Every night he could play games with his brother, and stepping out the door brought Xiao Yuan's room into view. That girl Zhao Xintong was a neat freak, so she handled all the cleaning, working briskly and thoroughly. He cherished this current life and hoped it would continue forever. Kou Beiyue walked up to the refrigerator. Just as he reached to open it, he heard Zhao Xintong coughing from the opposite room. It was a violent, hacking cough that sounded desperate and agonizing. *Huh? Is that girl sick?* Kou Beiyue thought instinctively. Right after, coughing erupted from Xiao Yuan's room as well. *Thud...* A heavy fall sounded behind him. Kou Beiyue turned in shock and saw Little Fatty collapsed on the floor, his breathing faint and shallow. No matter how slow he was, he realized something was terribly wrong. He scanned his surroundings on high alert, his gaze locking onto a dark figure seated on the living room sofa. "Decent constitution. A Bewitching Demon, are we?" the figure on the sofa said with a faint smile. "You..." Kou Beiyue was terrified and instinctively drew a weapon from his inventory. "Cough, cough!" Clutching his throat, he began to cough violently. First came a burning fever across his forehead, followed by dizziness and nausea. The feeling reminded him of getting food poisoning and a high fever when he was a kid. *Clatter...* The weapon fell from his hand. Slumping against the refrigerator, Kou Beiyue slowly slid to the floor. Straining to look toward Xiao Yuan's room, he rasped weakly, "Xiao Yuan... run..." Inside her room, Xiao Yuan forced herself out of bed, using every ounce of strength to shatter a dream-entering jade talisman. Beside her bed lay her smashed phone. She would never ask Yuanshi Tianzun for help again. In the other room, Zhao Xintong's trembling hands retrieved the phone beneath her pillow. As her consciousness blurred, she dialed Yuanshi Tianzun's number. *** Inside the illusion, Master Wuhen held the heart in one hand while twirling prayer beads with the other, chanting the Diamond Sutra. Behind his head hung a blazing, pristine sun. The pure and domineering golden light vaporized every vengeful spirit that plunged from the sky. The divine power of the sun was the most overbearing force in existence, repelling spiritual energy of all attributes and remaining untouched by any spellcraft. Therefore, even the concealment born of the Lunar Origin could not erase the presence of the sun's divine power. The only thing capable of overcoming the divine power of the sun was the divine power of the sun itself. While the Southern Sect Leader could certainly conjure an even stronger sun, its repelling nature made no distinction between friend and foe. Doing so would be tantamount to helping Past Without Traces. A full moon hung high and still amid the clouds as lunar power surged wildly, spawning an endless tide of vengeful spirits. As soon as one wave was vaporized, another followed, until the fight turned into a contest of endurance. Whoever ran dry of spiritual energy first would perish. Yet the darkness on the heart in Master Wuhen's palm was gradually receding, the crimson hue regaining the upper hand. He was on the verge of suppressing the evil thoughts within the black sphere; once the heart fully returned to its crimson color, he would become a Phantasm God. And a Phantasm God capable of suppressing evil thoughts, at that. Neither Ling Tuo nor the Southern Sect Leader showed any impatience. One continued the battle of attrition, while the other remained quietly hidden. Right then, Master Wuhen snapped his head up and looked into the distance. He had sensed Xiao Yuan's plea for help. But just as he tried to follow that thread of connection, the link between him and the dream-entering jade talisman was veiled. Only then did the Southern Sect Leader's eerie, genderless voice drift from the void, laced with a cold sneer: "Did you truly think you could win? "That would be underestimating the Lord of Taiyin's foresight. "Past Without Traces, would you like to see what became of your disciples and followers?" As the words fell, several scenes materialized in the void: Wanderer of the Mortal Realm with his head blown apart by a gunshot; Role Model for Teachers with his heart pierced through; Sweetheart Red Demon engulfed in flames and reduced to cinders; Aunt Fang decapitated; Lin Chong dying in agony within a dream... The heart in Master Wuhen's palm blackened at terrifying speed. The golden Buddha that had been present from the very beginning opened its eyes. Benevolence was gone from those eyes, replaced by monstrous murderous intent. Master Wuhen took on a demonic frenzy, throwing back his head and roaring, "Ling Tuo!!" A soft chuckle echoed from the churning dark clouds. *** Capital City. Inside an antique-style theater, Elder Cai stood on a high terraced viewing platform, gazing down at the empty stage. He called out in a loud voice: "Palace Mistress, your subordinate has a matter to report. Past Without Traces has failed in his advancement to Phantasm God and is about to fall into madness. For the safety of the innocent people of Jinshan City, I implore you to take action and slay this villain." From behind the stage curtain came a soft, alluring voice: "Understood." *** At the Xie family ancestral residence. Zhang Yuanqing had eaten his fill of crabs and wine, and was now slinging an arm around Xie Su's shoulders while chatting merrily with the Old Ancestor. "Old Ancestor, once I hide out for a month, I'll come out and marry your Xie family girls. I want to marry ten of them." "You've had too much to drink, far too much." Xie Su patted his prospective son-in-law on the shoulder. "From the Xie family, you can only marry Lingxi." "That's where you're at fault, Father-in-law. Aunt Xie is so beautiful, why didn't you have a few more daughters? You could marry them all to me when the time comes," Zhang Yuanqing said. Xie Su fell silent for a moment, then shoved him away in disgust. "Lingxi claimed you were a devoted man. When did that girl go blind? She truly lacks life experience." The Old Ancestor chided his great-grandson, "A real man takes three wives and four concubines. What crime is that?" Zhang Yuanqing raised his cup. "The Old Ancestor's words are the most agreeable after all! Drink up, Old Ancestor. After this cup, I'm heading back to reality." Right then, the phone in his pocket rang. Caller ID: Zhao Xintong.