Jiwu shook his head and stared deeply at Uchiha Tunan, his gaze piercing through the night.
"Ordinary people cannot see through you, but I can perceive the darkness lurking beneath your hypocritical mask.
But you're right about one thing—you are pure. So pure that I am unsure whether I can bring myself to cross you."
Uchiha Tunan tilted his head slightly, gazing at the night sky. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Master, don't you think that a dark and windy night like this is perfect... for killing?"
Jiwu's expression remained unchanged. "You intend to kill me."
Uchiha Tunan's smile did not waver. "Do you think I would?"
"No, you won't."
"Why?"
Jiwu's voice was calm. "Because you still need to maintain your mask of hypocrisy while you're weak."
Uchiha Tunan sneered, shaking his head. Turning to look into Jiwu's eyes, he asked, "Is good and evil determined by one's soul, or by one's actions?"
Jiwu frowned, pondering the question.
Uchiha Tunan continued, his tone steady.
"A man with a kind heart but bloodstained hands. A man who harbors wicked thoughts but helps others do good.
Between these two... who is the good person, and who is the bad one?"
Jiwu fell silent for a long time before sighing. "If you are the latter, and I am the one who judges, then you are a good man.
Tell me your story—I am curious. Why is your heart so dark?"
Uchiha Tunan lowered his head, his voice carrying a melancholic weight. "It all began back in the Academy..."
As Uchiha Tunan recounted his past, time slipped away unnoticed. Jiwu listened intently, sometimes furrowing his brows, sometimes unable to conceal his sorrow.
When Uchiha Tunan finished, Jiwu exhaled deeply, his expression heavy with melancholy.
"That... is far too cruel a fate for you."
Uchiha Tunan gave a bitter smile, turning his gaze toward the horizon where the first pale light of dawn began to break.
"The moment I killed Mine, I was forever swallowed by darkness.
But if I hadn't killed her, how could I have honored the memory of Qianling? How could I have upheld the Will of Fire, which I have always believed in?"
Jiwu looked at Uchiha Tunan's thin frame. He reached out a hand, placing it gently on the boy's shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort. "Fate is difficult to comprehend. It was not your fault."
Uchiha Tunan abruptly slapped Jiwu's hand away, his entire body trembling. His voice erupted in a furious roar.
"If I was right... then why does the world treat me with such cold indifference?
Why do you, my master, always remain wary of me?"
Jiwu stood frozen, shame flickering in his eyes. "I... I still lack enlightenment."
Uchiha Tunan took a deep breath, regaining control of his emotions. He waved a hand dismissively. "Forgive me. I lost myself for a moment.
Actually, I have been reading the Buddhist scriptures you gave me, Master."
Jiwu's expression softened with guilt. "Have they helped you?"
Uchiha Tunan shook his head. "Not particularly. But I now understand... what a Buddha is."
A subtle gleam flashed in Jiwu's eyes. He doubted that Uchiha Tunan had comprehended such a profound concept merely by reading scriptures, yet curiosity got the better of him.
"Then, tell me—what is a Buddha, in your heart?"
Uchiha Tunan's voice carried a rare reverence. "A Buddha is a symbol of wisdom and enlightenment."
Jiwu nodded, neither affirming nor refuting the statement.
Uchiha Tunan pressed forward. "I read a phrase in the scriptures: 'Put down the butcher's knife, and one becomes a Buddha.'"
Jiwu chuckled lightly, explaining, "That saying is attributed to the ancient monk Shengyan. It has been widely passed down through generations.
It is said that Master Shengyan was the monk closest to enlightenment. But throughout history, countless monks have tried to unravel the mystery of this phrase—only to find themselves at a loss.
No matter how one thinks about it, the phrase seems to make no logical sense."
Uchiha Tunan nodded thoughtfully. "Because the phrase itself is a deception—it is meant to mislead people."
Jiwu feigned a look of shock and chastised, "Child, do not slander the great monks of old.
Such a profound teaching cannot be false. It is simply that we, in our ignorance, have not yet understood it."
Uchiha Tunan met Jiwu's gaze with unwavering seriousness.
"This phrase was never meant for those who seek enlightenment—it was meant for those who wield the butcher's knife.
It exists to give the killer a reason to stop.
A man who has killed many may feel he has sinned beyond redemption, that he has no choice but to continue down his bloody path.
But if, at the moment he is about to kill again, he remembers this phrase—perhaps, just perhaps, he will hesitate.
That is the wisdom of Master Shengyan."
Jiwu was stunned into silence, deep in contemplation.
After a long moment, he raised a question. "Your explanation is logical, but monks cannot deceive the world. If they do, they will suffer retribution in hell.
Master Shengyan himself was an early monk—he set the very rules we follow. If he had truly known this secret, then wouldn't that mean he, too, would fall into hell?
It doesn't make sense."
A faint smile touched Uchiha Tunan's lips.
"That... is precisely the enlightenment of Master Shengyan."
He slowly stood up, facing the first rays of dawn, spreading his arms as though trying to embrace the light.
"As the saying goes: If I do not go to hell, then who will?"
Jiwu felt a chill run down his spine. His voice trembled, muttering as if entranced.
"If I do not go to hell... who will...?
Wisdom... Enlightenment... Buddha..."
The morning sun painted the sky in golden hues. Uchiha Tunan's lips curled into a subtle smirk.
"The world is simple. If one is lost in confusion, they will never see it clearly.
God has given us eyes and ears—why, then, do we insist on blinding ourselves?"
Jiwu slowly nodded, closing his eyes.
The lingering darkness in his heart suddenly vanished.
The first light of dawn shone brilliantly.
But in Jiwu's eyes, softened by Uchiha Tunan's silhouette, the light seemed warm.
"Night and day coexist.
When one side of the world falls into darkness... the other must be illuminated.
It's morning now."
A soft chime echoed in Uchiha Tunan's mind—
[Ding! You have gained Jiwu's recognition.]
Uchiha Tunan tilted his head slightly and smiled. The morning sun bathed his face in warm light, making him look almost innocent.
"Good morning, Master Jiwu."
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
Jiwu remained seated, watching him disappear into the distance.
After a long time, Jiwu let out a deep sigh, rising to his feet and stepping back into his monk's quarters, still whispering to himself.
"Wisdom... Enlightenment... Buddha... If I do not go to hell... then who will...?"
Meanwhile, back in his own room, Uchiha Tunan exhaled in relief, a satisfied smile on his lips.
He had spent so much effort deceiving Jiwu because, when he had awakened his Sharingan, he had glimpsed an immense chakra presence within the monastery.
He had thought Jiwu was merely an old monk—but now, he realized he was far more.