bookbashuk Chapter 35 Harvest
Chapter 35 Harvest
Looking at its appearance, Zhong Xuan suddenly recalled the scene of cultivators fighting for spoils at the Water and Land Gathering.
Brother Monkey is eyeing the good stuff Zhang Chengming has.
He smiled and nodded slightly: "That's right, then go quickly."
Once the monkey received permission, it darted over and crouched down beside the corpse, beginning to search it.
The movements were surprisingly practiced, indicating that he had done this quite often at the Water and Land Gathering.
Zhong Xuan withdrew his gaze and began to survey the surrounding battle situation.
The flames on the monks and officials had been completely extinguished. Although they were severely burned and many had their skin charred black, they had at least survived.
Several of the less seriously injured were helping each other to their feet, their gazes toward Zhong Xuan filled with awe.
His gaze was like that of a junior disciple looking at the head monk, showing no disrespect whatsoever.
Yuantong, who had been rolling and screaming in the fire, struggled to his feet.
Despite being wrapped in bandages, he still insisted on walking up to Zhong Xuan, clasping his hands together and bowing deeply.
"Please convey my gratitude to that female benefactor for saving my life."
Zhong Xuan nodded slightly in response.
Then, he walked to Zhang Chengming's body and glanced down at it.
Reflected in the lake of his heart, the body's life force had been completely extinguished, but his gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the wooden fish in Master Jingyuan's hand.
Within the wooden fish, a wisp of green smoke faintly drifted, still connected to the corpse on the other side like a gossamer thread, seemingly hinting at the possibility that the spirit might return and revive at any moment.
The monkey was squatting beside Zhang Chengming's corpse, one paw pressed against the chest of the man in the purple robe, while the other rummaged in the talisman pouch at his waist, muttering, "This...this...and this..."
Just then, Abbess Jingyuan walked over carrying a wooden fish.
She moved with light steps, her white dress fluttering slightly in the night breeze.
As she approached the young man, she stopped and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha."
She looked up at Zhong Xuan, her gaze gentle yet profound, and slowly said, "This person's yin spirit has not yet dissipated; it must be taken in by a destined person. After much consideration, this humble nun believes that it is most appropriate for this karmic debt to be borne by the young benefactor."
After saying that, she gently handed the wooden fish forward.
The wooden fish radiates a warm, Buddhist light, tightly enveloping the inner spirit within it in the reflection of the energy.
Zhong Xuan looked at the wooden fish, then at the nun.
A faint knocking sound could be heard from the wooden fish, as if something was struggling inside.
He reached out and took it. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, the wood was warm and smooth, yet it also had a faint chill to it.
If the cause and effect of murder are established, then acknowledge the cause and effect of murder, and proceed accordingly.
At this moment, Abbot Jingchen also stepped forward, slowly turning the prayer beads between his fingers.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "This person's Yin spirit is not weak; after all, he was once a True Man of Longhu Mountain."
"In my humble opinion, we must take him to Mount Ling and ask a virtuous monk to resolve the matter with Buddhist teachings, only then can it be truly resolved—otherwise..."
Before he could finish speaking, a venomous voice suddenly rang out from the wooden fish: "To end it?!"
The sound was shrill and piercing, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, or like a vengeful ghost wailing in the night.
Even the yang-abundant martial monks felt their scalps tingle upon hearing this.
"You destroyed my physical body, and you expect things to end well?!"
"My ancestral temple at Longhu Mountain holds my life lamp and soul fire! If it extinguishes tonight, the entire sect will know!"
"All of you without powerful backers or influential connections will be wiped out by Longhu Mountain!"
"Just wait until you're begging to die, unable to live or die!!"
The last sentence was drawn out extremely long, and the resentment and malice almost solidified into a tangible form.
Even the wooden fish trembled slightly, as if the evil spirits inside were struggling.
Everyone's expression changed simultaneously. Abbot Jingchen frowned, while Yuantong and the martial monks exchanged bewildered glances.
The officers who had just been rescued were so weak in the knees that they almost collapsed again.
Longhu Mountain is a legitimate Taoist sect recognized even by the Heavenly Court!
Having been unlucky before, will they be punished again in the future?
Master Jingyuan's expression remained unchanged; she simply raised her right hand.
She then brought her index and middle fingers together and gently tapped the wooden fish.
Golden light emanated from his two fingers, transforming into several mysterious runes, which gently landed on the wooden fish, like a seal being stamped.
The wooden fish vibrated slightly, and the sound inside stopped abruptly, as if someone had choked it.
The surroundings became quiet.
Yet that chilling resentment still lingered around the wooden fish, impossible to shake off.
The group looked at each other, and no one spoke.
After a moment of silence, Abbot Jingchen stopped fiddling with his prayer beads.
He looked up at Zhong Xuan, his gaze deep: "Benefactor, Jin Guang Temple and Ling Shan have a long history. If you are willing to return to the temple with me, I can act as a go-between and ask a high-ranking monk from Ling Shan to help resolve this calamity. Not only will you be spared the pursuit of Long Hu Mountain, but you can also choose to cultivate one of the six supernatural powers in my temple and ascend to the Western Paradise as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Abbess Jingyuan frowned almost imperceptibly.
She glanced at Jingchen, then turned to Zhongxuan and said softly, "My Shuiyue Nunnery enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva. If you wish, I can take you directly to the South China Sea to seek an audience. The Bodhisattva is merciful and will surely guide you on the right path."
"Moreover, this humble nun observes that you possess extraordinary potential and have an affinity with the Buddha. If you are willing to enter my nunnery to cultivate, this humble nun is willing to impart all her knowledge to you and help you attain enlightenment as soon as possible."
After saying that, the two looked at Zhong Xuan, and sparks seemed to fly between their eyes.
The monkeys over there had keen hearing; even though they were squatting next to the corpse, their ears were perked up high.
It turned its head to look at its brother, its eyes filled with worry.
Another choice? Why do these people always make me choose?
Zhong Xuan originally wanted to think about it more carefully.
He was not particularly willing to take the initiative to get to know Lingshan or Guanyin Bodhisattva.
But right now, these two are indeed helpful.
The position of the head of the Pure Dust Sect is helpful for the continuation of incense offerings in the Kingdom of Jisa.
He was also quite moved by Master Jingyuan's skills.
If the mountain god in the future causes harm to the masses, perhaps they can ask her for help, or learn the skill themselves.
As he was pondering, he suddenly looked up and saw a bright moon on the horizon.
The cool moonlight shone on him, and his gaze shifted downwards to his chest.
The heavy touch was from the small Chaos Bell that had been given to him because of the patriarch.
He reached into his robe and gently touched the bronze bell.
Although it is unknown whether it is true, as that person said, that it has the ability to suppress karma and destiny.
But holding it in his hand now reminded him of that day on the back mountain of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
At that time, he had nothing of value and faced the choice of "a short-lived destiny, which can only be granted to one person".
He and his monkey brother could only express their wishes and leave the rest to fate, having no say in the matter.
At this moment, he was carrying this treasure in his arms, with Brother Monkey standing beside him.
Therefore, the region's two major Buddhist powers' favor is unlikely to be what it used to be.
Zhong Xuan smiled slightly, looked up at the two of them, and said, "I wish to learn the Venerable Abbess's Buddhist teachings and techniques to protect the Dao; I have also heard of the Abbess's reputation and am quite curious about your temple's supernatural powers and Buddhist treasures."
This was said frankly, without any attempt to conceal anything.
Both Jingchen and Jingyuan were taken aback.
Zhong Xuan continued, "On the contrary, I would like to ask you two to teach me—in this situation, how can I achieve the best of both worlds?"
When he said this, his eyes were clear, his face was smiling, and he was neither humble nor arrogant.
It was as if he wasn't seeking advice from two Buddhist masters, but rather having a casual chat with an old friend.
Jingchen and Jingyuan exchanged a glance.
If someone with a shifty, cunning look said this, they would definitely be seen as a greedy and insatiable person.
But this young man was elegant and handsome, with clear, mirror-like eyes and a free and natural tone.
On the contrary, it makes people feel that he is straightforward and frank, which makes them like him.
The two remained silent for a moment, each pondering, and both vaguely sensed the other's competitive intent.
This young man is very perceptive; you can't fool him with empty words.
Abbot Jingchen raised one hand, uttered a Buddhist chant, and slowly spoke: "Your Buddhist teachings and techniques are indeed outstanding. Although our Jin Guang Temple reveres Buddhist principles and our disciples mostly cultivate their minds, we also have temple-protecting supernatural abilities passed down through generations."
He paused for a moment: "Besides the few protective skills of the monks, there are still two cultivation methods among the six supernatural powers in the temple."
"Firstly, it is the ability to understand others' minds, enabling one to know the good and evil, greed, anger and ignorance, doubt and regret, and desires in the hearts of all beings; it can also discern the sharpness or dullness of their faculties and know their needs and confusions."
"The second is the divine eye, which can see the cycle of birth and death, suffering and happiness, and karmic retribution of sentient beings in the six realms; it can pass through walls and see the world in the ten directions; it can see future fortune and misfortune, and the root causes and conditions of sentient beings."
As he spoke, Chief Jingchen's gaze fell on Zhong Xuan's face, his expression carrying a hint of self-satisfaction: "You may choose one of these two supernatural abilities to cultivate, but you must not be greedy for more, lest you fall into obsession."
Zhong Xuan was delighted to hear this.
If this Mind-Reading Technique is combined with his Tai Xuan Illumination Technique, he will surely reach an even higher level.
The monkey over there was also eavesdropping, and its eyes lit up when it heard about the Heavenly Eye.
Just then, Abbess Jingyuan suddenly spoke up: "Although Brother Jingchen has recently attained the ability to read minds, this humble nun would like to ask if anyone in your temple has mastered the ability to see into the heavens?"
Jingchen's expression froze, and his hand, which was fiddling with the prayer beads, paused.
He sighed after a long pause, and said quietly, "There isn't a single one."
Master Jingyuan nodded slightly, said no more, turned to Zhong Xuan, and said calmly, "Although my Shuiyue Nunnery is also a Buddhist place, it is not easy for a group of nuns to run it. It is not comparable to the ancient temple of Jinguang Temple with a history of thousands of years."
"However, before I converted to Buddhism, I was a practitioner. After entering the nunnery, I transformed all my magical powers into the power of Buddhism. I practiced diligently day and night and have gained some understanding of various wonderful methods of praying for blessings and disaster relief."
"But your temperament is more suited to my eldest disciple in the nunnery. Her Buddhist name is Quanzhen, she is quick-tempered, but her swordsmanship is extremely skillful. She has slain a river demon and protected the people of this region."
In terms of magical combat skills, she is far superior to this humble nun.
No sooner had he finished speaking than two nuns behind him couldn't help but interject, "Senior Brother Ye is incredibly skilled! He slew that black snake demon in just three sword strikes!"
"I heard that she was a swordswoman in her youth, from a family with strict discipline, and her swordsmanship was superb!"
Their words were blatantly filled with admiration, showing no trace of the reserve one would expect from monks.
The head monk Jingchen's expression darkened slightly.
Master Jingyuan glanced back at the two of them, and they immediately shut up and lowered their heads to chant Buddhist prayers.
She turned back to look at Zhong Xuan, but said nothing more.
He simply smiled and gently pushed the choice back to her.
Zhong Xuan chuckled to himself.
These two, one used the Six Roots Supernatural Powers as bait, and the other used their magical combat skills to lure him.
But no one was willing to be the first to suggest a solution that would satisfy both sides, clearly just passing the problem back to him!
He was about to speak when he suddenly remembered something and changed the subject: "Sir, could you lend me a squad of officers?"
Jingchen was taken aback: "Oh?"
Zhong Xuan looked at Zhang Chengming's corpse and slowly said, "When this man came here, he temporarily stayed at the Qingyang Temple in the east of the city. There may be real demons there. I want to take his body back for burial and also investigate that temple."
Jingchen frowned: "What! There are demons in Qingyang Temple?"
Abbess Jingyuan also looked solemn: "Would this humble nun need to accompany you?"
Zhong Xuan shook his head and said gently, "It's just a minor demon. I wouldn't dare trouble you, Master. Let me interrogate it thoroughly, and I'll come back tomorrow to explain to you both."
The two exchanged a glance and, seeing his composed demeanor, which did not seem arrogant, said no more.
The head monk Jingchen took out a token from his sleeve and handed it to a warrior monk behind him: "Take my token and go and summon a squad of soldiers to follow this benefactor."
The warrior monk accepted the order and left.
At this moment, Abbess Jingyuan stepped forward and said to Zhong Xuan, "Since you have accepted this wooden fish, I will teach you how to operate it."
She raised her hand and pointed, and a golden light entered Zhong Xuan's brow.
Suddenly, a mantra appeared in his mind—how to use magic to activate the wooden fish, how to suppress the yin spirit within, and how to prevent it from escaping.
Zhong Xuan closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded to the nun in thanks: "Thank you, nun."
Master Jingyuan smiled slightly and returned the greeting with her palms together.
Before long, a group of officers and soldiers arrived quickly.
The leader was a burly man with thick eyebrows, who clasped his hands in a salute to Zhong Xuan.
Zhong Xuan nodded and waved, saying, "Let's go."
He turned around, and the monkey quickly followed, packing a small pile of things into a bundle. It presented the bundle to Zhong Xuan like a treasure, grinning and revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Brother! So many good things! Take them all!"
Zhong Xuan looked at the pile of things, then at the monkey's smug look, and couldn't help but reach out and pat its head: "Yes, it's all yours. You deserve the most credit."
Upon hearing this, the monkey smiled so much that its eyes narrowed into slits.
As they walked, he took out each item one by one and showed them to Zhong Xuan.
Zhong Xuan did not refuse and carefully examined each item:
A thick booklet, the cover of which reads "Zhengyi Chengming Fufa Lu".
The other booklet was thicker, but the cover was blank.
A bulging talisman bag, its opening slightly ajar, revealing a thick stack of talisman paper inside.
A set of talisman-making tools was stored in a small sandalwood box.
Several bottles of pills, a small bag of silver, a travel permit, and some odds and ends.
"Fire Talisman!"
The monkey exclaimed in surprise, seeing half a Samadhi True Fire Talisman in the talisman bag that Zhong Xuan had opened.
Zhong Xuan nodded, still carefully examining the palm-sized black silk bag.
The bag is embroidered with cloud patterns and runes of Longhu Mountain. It was specially made by Longhu Mountain. Inside are dozens of unused talismans, including immobilization talismans, five thunder talismans, golden light talismans, and even a half-finished Samadhi True Fire talisman. All of them were drawn by Zhang Chengming himself and have rich spiritual power.
He used his inner lake to sense the energy and could see a thin, flexible layer of energy flowing around the bag like a membrane, which clearly had the functions of preventing moisture and fire, and protecting the spiritual power of the talisman from leaking out.
"If we really get entangled with him, these talismans will become a problem."
Zhong Xuan was surprised and carefully put the talisman bag away.
He then opened the sandalwood box, which contained a jade inkstone, a wolf-hair purple bamboo talisman brush, a small box of cinnabar, a stack of cut peach wood yellow talisman paper, and a bronze talisman holder engraved with the mountain-suppressing talisman of Longhu Mountain.
The entire set is of the highest quality, neatly stored in a brocade pouch.
"You can draw while you're fighting?" The monkey peered eagerly over to see.
"With training from such renowned masters, it's no wonder he possesses such abilities," Zhong Xuan affirmed.
He patted its head again and put the two items back into the bundle.
More than the tools, he was interested in the knowledge that followed, namely the two thick booklets.