A building collapsed on a remote mountain cliff. The noise was not much louder than that of burning a pillar in the warehouse. However, when Jiang Wen rushed to the mountain house, Abbot Hongbian had already arrived here with his people.
The monks of Xitan Temple made way for a passage. Jiang Wen crossed it with light and steady steps, facing the ruins that had turned into a mess. Abbot Hongbian lowered his head and chanted sutras. The monks also looked nervous, and all their attention was focused on Jiang. On Wen's body, but on Jiang Wen's face, there was never a trace of emotion.
The monks next to them were all stained with traces of smoke and fire. Their expressions had not yet calmed down from the panic of the fire in the warehouse. Then they were faced with a more serious situation. They may have imagined various possibilities, but they probably did not expect Jiang Wen. Came back so quickly.
"Amitabha, it's all my fault that I didn't think well and was taken advantage of by thieves..."
Abbot Hongbian finally spoke with a sad face, still trying to put the blame on himself. He was very worried about Master Anren's safety at this time, but what he was most worried about was Jiang Wen suddenly losing his mind. If Jiang Wen's martial arts mania is so great, Fa, I am afraid that the entire Sidan Temple will become an endless purgatory.
But Jiang Wen didn't say anything, and stared blankly at the ruins in front of him. To outsiders, it seemed as if his mind had been taken away by a catastrophe, and he couldn't shake off the shock for a long time.
Abbot Hongbian was worried about his safety and stretched out his hand to push Jiang Wen awake, but was restrained by a white, strong arm with perfect lines.
"Monk, please be patient. Donor Jiang Liu'er is not in a trance. Look at his concentration. He is clearly thinking and searching."
Old Abbot Hongbian turned around and found that Dharma King Miaobao had also followed him up the mountain.
The Tibetan lama explained Jiang Wen's behavior in fluent Chinese and gave some positive psychological comfort to the monks, "The young monk, Mr. Jiang Liuer, the almsgiver, was preaching Zen in the Huayan Third Temple today because he noticed that the mountain I rushed here because something unexpected happened, but unfortunately it was still a step too late."
The lamas following behind Dharma King Miaobao now even more respected the living Buddha as a god. They all clearly saw that it was Dharma King Miaobao who sensed something happened on the mountain with his supernatural powers, and then reported it to Jiang Wen, asking him to come back quickly.
But some comfort will not bring any real help to everyone, because both Jiang Wenping's self-proclaimed and everyone's knowledge indicate that they are from the Jingnan Palace, and there are even more rumors about the girl living alone in the mountain house. She was the favorite of the Prince of Jingnan. Now she was attacked by thieves for no apparent reason and was abducted from the temple in panic. No matter how she put it, it would not be easy.
"Donor Jiang Liu'er, have you discovered anything?"
Dharma King Miaobao was quite friendly towards Jiang Wen. Seeing how intently he looked at him, he slowly stepped forward to ask. However, Jiang Wen just squeezed out a hint of doubt, then slowly approached the house that collapsed into ruins and squatted down. Digging through the rubble - this made the monks at Sidan Temple even more uncertain.
The south wall of the mountain house clearly showed signs of being struck and shattered. After the demolition, a section of the wall still stood among the ruins, indicating that this was the first place to be destroyed by external forces, and not like other walls. , is a fragile structure implicated in the collapse of beams and columns.
Several broken green bricks are not far away. The cut surfaces are smooth and the fractures are delicate. Combined with the deeply visible knife marks on the beech door frame, it is obvious that they were smashed by someone with a heavy knife edge, and this mountain has both such knife marks. With his skills, physical strength, and ruthlessness, Jiang Wen only knew the "Goose Wing Sword" He Dao Wang, and the identity of the other party was clearly revealed.
He had already concluded in his mind that these people were truly desperadoes, and they had found their own weakness by accident.
But what Jiang Wen is worried about is different from what others think. Although Luo Shuang'er's safety is worrying, it may not necessarily fall into the hands of the other party.
Jiang Wen also took precautions before leaving, so he had entrusted Master An Ren to guard him nearby to prevent anyone from disturbing him without opening his eyes.
Judging from Jiang Wen's perspective, Master Anren's martial arts were not weak. Even if he was unable to win when attacked, he could still resist the enemy and hold on until rescue. Unfortunately, Prince Pingxi's actions were ruthless and shameless, and they even used means such as setting fire to disrupt the line of sight. It completely diverted everyone's attention...
Some things are unclear to outsiders, but Jiang's thinking has always been calm and clear when he heard about this matter. He was not easily blinded by the tragic situation that turned into ruins in front of him. Now it is not only Luo Shuang'er who has disappeared, but also Master An Ren. , if the thief came to kidnap Luo Shuang'er, blackmail Jiang Wen or seek other interests, then it was impossible for him to kidnap a smelly and hard old monk.
If you want to see someone alive, you want to see their corpse if they die. Where is the corpse?
The traces of the fight at the scene were quite complete. There were footprints on the ground, and the footwork had its own characteristics. Jiang Wen could even use this to reconstruct the scene of four people besieging the old monk in his mind, but even though Jiang Wen had searched carefully , no bloody remains of Master Anren or even a trace of blood on any one person were found, which is inconsistent with the scene where there is no trace at all.
Then again, Luo Shuang'er has now recovered from her internal injuries. She possesses Hanshan Internal Skills with strange origins, and her boxing and light skills are excellent. She also learned the secret sword skills that Jiang Wen taught her two days ago. They are not monks. The delicate woman in his eyes could not sit still and wait for death.
Therefore, the biggest possibility now is not that the thieves succeeded in plundering people, but that Master Anren knew that he was outnumbered because he was outnumbered, so he broke out with Luo Shuang'er and fled into the deep mountains and dense forests behind the peak. Therefore, the thieves also Tracked away, leaving only a mess.
Based on this inference, Jiang Wen quickly searched under the ruins and found several tracks that meandered straight into the mountains and forests. The number and direction were exactly in line with Jiang Wen's inference. The monks in Xitan Temple also showed expressions of sudden realization and nervousness. His expression finally softened.
"The footsteps disappeared on the other side of the cliff. The thief must have crossed the mountains from here. Without further ado, Jiang must track him down now."
Jiang Wen calmly went to Abbot Hongbian and put forward his own idea, "But Jiang knows very little about Jizu Mountain. It is easy to get lost if you go there rashly. Can Abbot send someone to guide me?"
At this time, it was imperative to enter the mountain.
Jiang Wen could completely understand that Prince Pingxi's obstructive behavior meant that the other party did not want him to continue the fight. At least it would not be in the interest of Prince Pingxi to end the dispute in Xitan Temple as soon as possible.
Things must be viewed from both sides. The more the enemy cares about something, the more afraid it is. It also means that you have hit the opponent's weakness. Judging from the current situation, Prince Pingxi hopes that His Holiness Miaobao can take advantage of the opportunity to take away the Avatamsaka Sutra, and does not want to see the possibility of a comeback in Sidan Temple. Therefore, it is understandable that he should focus on himself. .
Now that Prince Pingxi's palace has released its trump card, he may not have any explosive moves - as long as Luo Shuang'er can be retrieved as soon as possible, everything will be done in time.
Abbot Hongbian looked at him with a slight hesitation. He was not surprised by Jiang Wen's thoughts at this time. However, when he looked at the monks around him, he only saw faces that were frightened and uneasy, so he hesitated. Don't know how to answer.
"Master, is there any difficulty in this matter?"
King Miaobao asked, obviously feeling the rush of the atmosphere. Even under the bright sunshine at noon, there seemed to be a gloomy cool air moving among the crowd.
Abbot Hongbian said with difficulty: "You two don't know that there are cliffs behind Full Moon Peak, and there is only one path that leads directly to the valley path of Jizu Mountain. Moreover, the mountain roads are surrounded by dense forests and are confusing, and there is a miasma at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. , many supernatural beings are difficult to guard against, and no living person has set foot there for hundreds of years. Going there rashly may be a disaster, but Tan Yue may have better take the long term..."
Jiang Wen did not waver in his determination, and continued to frown and asked: "Abbott, why is it difficult that the road is difficult? There are so many people in Xitan Temple, and none of them know the mountain road?"
Abbot Hongbian sighed with emotion: "Not only in Xitan Temple, but also in Jizu Mountain, only my junior brother Anren dares to say that he can climb up and down Jizu Mountain freely..."
After Jiang Wen heard this, he became more confident in his judgment and more determined in his intention to enter Jizu Shanyin, so he invited Zai San. However, Abbot Hongbian was in a dilemma and could not seem to find a feasible solution.
"Amitabha, saving one life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. Master Hongbian is determined to save people, why not let the old monk lead the way?"
There was a hoarse response from the crowd, and an old monk dressed as a wandering monk stepped out from the crowd and volunteered to Abbot Hongbian and Jiang Wen, "Donor, do you still remember Lao Monk?"
It wasn't until the old monk came closer with a green bamboo stick that Jiang Wen realized that this man had a kind face, so his expression showed a little surprise.
"Master, is it you? I thought you would just drift away at the foot of the mountain, but I didn't expect to see you again on the mountain!"
The old monk opposite had a relationship with Jiang Wen before. This relationship was not much, but it was he who mercifully gave up the ancient hollow tree at the foot of the mountain, which gave Jiang and Luo a place to live. , I don’t know why I haven’t seen him for so long, but the old monk’s face seems to be more weathered and haggard.
"It turns out to be Elder Qingzhu from Chongshan Temple in Nanning!"
Abbot Hongbian chanted the name of the Buddha and obviously recognized this old monk who was dressed differently from the monks in the temple. He quickly said, "The elder has been meditating deep in Jizu Mountain all year round. He should have been the most suitable candidate, but he has been practicing hard recently. It will hurt your body, and if you don’t cultivate properly, your life will be in danger, how can the old monk bear to speak."
"It's an urgent matter to transfer people, how can we care so little!"
Seeing the resolute attitude of Elder Qingzhu, Abbot Hongbian explained the reason to Jiang Wen. This Elder Qingzhu from Guangxi has been practicing asceticism in the mountains for twenty years to reduce the blazing fire of heretic troubles. Over the years, he has suffered from cold, hunger, He can do anything from pulling out hair to lying on thorns. He has also gone deep into Jizu Mountain to endure hardships and practiced hard. He did not eat or drink, which is admirable. However, this time he has just finished the ascetic training. If he enters the mountain forcibly, he will easily die on the spot.
After hearing this explanation, Jiang Wen could only hold back his newly excited mood and fell into trouble again.
"Abbott, then let me take the donor there!"
A clear and clear voice sounded, mixed with the sound of breathing that was a little hurried, and another novice monk squeezed out from the crowd. It turned out to be the young monk Pinzhao who had disappeared for several days.
The old monk Dajing came to the cliff with Pinzhao. He smiled brightly at Jiang Wen and said, "Donor, the road to Jizu Shanyin is full of strange things. Apart from Master Anren, this child should be the only one who knows about it."
Abbot Hongbian's eyes lit up, he grabbed Pinzhao's hand and exclaimed: "It's good to be back! Pinzhao!"
Elder Qingzhu also smiled and nodded: "Amitabha, I forgot that this young master is also a suitable candidate. Old monk, I am old and frail, and I am afraid of delaying my journey. It is best to have such a good candidate."
Then the old monk gave another important message, "I know a road that can lead directly to the bottom of the valley. Today I will take you to take a shortcut down to the mountain col, which is a small effort."
Jiang Wen was overjoyed and lamented that he had finally turned a corner, and now he had gone from being unable to do anything to now having a lot of talents. It was all an unexpected gain.
Without these help, Jiang Wen knew that going into the mountains was not a trivial matter. There were no savages in Shennongjia, so there would have been so many people who got lost.
Once you get lost in the mountains, you may not be able to get out even if you walk for days and nights. Naturally, the more reliable the guide, the better. Pinzhao is young and strong, and walks vigorously. It will be much easier to catch up with the person in front. .
"Donor Jiang Liu'er, young monk, please go with you."
This time the voice rang out, and the person who volunteered was even more unexpected. It turned out to be the Dharma King Miaobao who was standing by just now, and now he also took the initiative to get involved in this matter.
Jiang Wen said with some confusion: "His Holiness, this matter is Jiang's private matter, so there is no need to bother."
But Dharma King Miaobao showed a smile: "That's wrong. If the benefactor Jiang Liu'er is uneasy, the monk may not feel at ease. If the benefactor Jiang Liu'er is not going well, the monk cannot be alone. Isn't this reason enough? "
After Jiang Wen listened quietly, he glanced at Dharma King Miaobao with a strange look. He felt that the lama in front of him looked innocent, and he was a little too arrogant.
For Dharma King Miaobao to say and do this, he clearly saw through the fact that someone was using him to deal with Jiang Wen. Since ancient times, birds have always been good, and once the balance of power created by Jiang Wen disappears, he will inevitably be the next one to be targeted.
At present, the focus of attention is still focused on the Sino-Tibetan discussion of Buddhism. The Dharma King Miaobao does not want to be a gun in the hands of others, so the best way is to volunteer to go into the mountain together and let the main forces on both sides disappear at the same time. No matter what the mastermind behind the scenes has, The fight stopped.
Sure enough, this time even Abbot Hongbian on the side showed a relieved smile.
"Okay, then King Law will accompany you."
…………
The mountain road behind Full Moon Peak is winding and narrow, going straight up and down like a ladder hanging from the sky. This is a shortcut mentioned by Guangxi monk Qingzhu Elder, and it is also a naturally formed mountain road. Although the speed of going down the mountain from here is much faster, but for ordinary people, I'm afraid it won't be possible at all.
The scenery in the mountains next to me is also very strange at this time. I can see the clouds on the top of the mountain are steaming and the rain has not yet rained, and the white clouds are flying high from the valley, condensing among the dangerous peaks and cliffs, surrounding the strange rocks and rocks. Stay for a while, and the silk threads are curling around.
When a few people climb down the rock, they feel like they are walking on the clouds. As long as there are clouds and mist drifting over, there will be light dew on the fluff of the grass and leaves on the cliff. There is also humid and hot water vapor in the breath of the few people. They look up and look forward. The road just feels vast and indifferent, like falling clouds and mist.
Fortunately, this team that went into the mountain to search for people was composed of Jiang Wen, His Holiness Miaobao, Pinzhao, and Elder Qingzhu. Pinzhao and Elder Qingzhu used their hands and feet together like apes, so they could naturally pass between the difficult rocks without any hindrance, and Miaobao The Dharma King showed extraordinary attainments in Qinggong, and his speed during the dangerous peaks was not even slower than Jiang Wen's.
The mountain of Jizu Mountain rises steeply, with several ridges standing like chicken feet. The tail of the mountain forms the most steep ridge, towering into the clouds and famous for its shape in the southwest border.
In the Buddhist Kingdom of Tiankai, there are forty strange mountains, thirteen dangerous peaks, thirty-four cliffs, forty-five secluded caves, and more than one hundred streams and springs in the entire Jizu Mountain. Tao, the tall and precipitous mountains have created a temple complex that shines brightly in the morning sun, and also cast deep shadows to block the canyons and streams hidden in the shadow gaps, hiding unknown details.
Only when Jiang Wen came to see the sun did he realize that the place where the sun does not shine is so inaccessible that it is actually covered with extraordinary tropical rainforests. The ecological environment is almost primitive and wild. Countless huge tree crowns are connected to each other. The front and back are only a short distance away, and they are already like Dark as night.
"Jizu Sanin has such an appearance, it really opened my eyes..."
The towering trees in front of us block the sun, and wrist-thick strangler vines can be seen everywhere tightly intertwined. Among the trees, there are several bright red strange flowers that are taller than people. The woven balls were hung on the trees and swayed, turning into pillars, door couplets and red lanterns to welcome the distinguished guests.
Jiang Wen slowly admired the scene in front of him. He felt that even if he traveled to the Jurassic era, he would only see such a mammoth scene. A mortal would instantly turn into a drop in the world, unable to bear even a single trace. The thought of confronting the greatness of creation.
"This shortcut is more deserted than the usual road, so everyone just needs to be more careful."
According to Elder Qingzhu, the intersection between this road and Chang Road was exactly where he mentioned he was staying. As he said, no traces were found along the way. Therefore, the group of people walked deeper and deeper, accompanied by strange birds and sounds in their ears. The intermittent chirping of poisonous insects maintains an unusual silence.
Jiang Wen occasionally looked up, looking for a sky that was not covered by branches and leaves for a long time, but all he could see were dark and covered cliffs, stacked up one after another as if they were about to collapse, and his body was covered by shadows. The suffocating shadows, and the clouds that had accompanied them down the mountain before, suddenly changed, like a thick white curtain hanging upside down above their heads, and seemed to be falling towards their heads with the increasingly dense beats of gongs and drums.
"Donor Jiang, the clouds above are transformed by the miasma in the valley. It is usually harmless, but it will kill people invisible when it lands at the bottom of the valley. Fortunately, the miasma only appears in Jizushanyin at 2 o'clock in the morning. If we could not find it earlier, People must find a place in advance to avoid the poison of miasma."
Pinzhao explained to Jiang Wen in advance, and Jiang Wen also listened very carefully and could fully understand this spectacular scene of "morning clouds in the morning and rain in the evening". Once the romantic color is stripped away, all that is left is naked. Naturally terrifying.
Pinzhao then took a deep breath, pointed to the slippery and mossy rock behind him and said, "Donor, it's hard to find the road here. No matter where you go, you must make sure you can see the wall of Full Moon Peak. It's best to stick close to it." You can avoid getting lost by walking along the mountain wall. If Master Anren is fine, he will definitely take the same route as us."
Jiang Wen nodded lightly and turned to look at the panting Elder Qingzhu. After all, he was old and frail and had not recovered from overwork. It would be a rare thing if he could retain his strength and climb the cliff again along the path.
"Amitabha, I'm not in serious trouble. Now if I want to enter Jizushanyin to search, I have to find a place to stay. It just so happens that I know a place where I can get shelter from the wind and rain, so the few of them came with me, and then Old monk, I won’t detain you all.”
After Elder Qingzhu mixed the mixture and took a breath, he stepped forward to clear the way with a bamboo stick in hand. Jiang Wen did not expect that this old monk's asceticism would be so hardcore. He actually went to the wilderness of the primitive rain forest to survive for ten and a half months - no wonder he would be able to survive The ancient trees in the hollow are used as cultivation and relaxation, but they are nothing compared to the two.
As a senior traveler, Elder Qingzhu planned things with great foresight. The group of people set out in the afternoon, and when they arrived at the bottom of the mountain, the sun began to set. If they delayed until dark, it would be difficult to move forward. They really needed to plan well. One place serves as a base camp.
"Okay, let's do what Elder Qingzhu said. Everyone should also pay attention to search for traces on the road, and pay more attention when you see fallen vegetation or broken branches."
As Jiang Wen spoke, he stepped forward. The bamboo stick in Elder Qingzhu's hand was very useful at this time. It could not only knock on rocks to explore paths but also find paths to open paths. The King of Han Qingdao in Jiang Wen's mobile phone also came in handy. They were used to chop down the thorns that were growing along the way, and the group of people slowly walked towards the depths where no one cared.
After a few people walked and stopped, Elder Qingzhu finally led everyone to the landing point. They saw that the dim sight was still there, but the number of dense forests in the distance was slightly reduced, and many thick and strange dwarf trees grew irregularly in the forest. Because the mountain shape here is no longer gentle, and more shrubs are wrapping around it, turning into green garden walls, blocking the climbers from peeking into the wall in the middle of the night.
"This is the only way. You can start searching. Don't worry about the old monk. I will go back on my own when I regain my strength."
In this primitive, barbaric and inexplicably harmonious atmosphere, Jiang Wen stepped forward to carefully identify the traces, and soon discovered that what appeared in front of him not only looked like a wall, but was clearly a wall covered with green bamboo shoots and intertwined vines. The entangled ruins are interdependent in a strange and ancient way and have not fallen down.
He exclaimed, as surprised as if he had found porcelain in the mud. Looking carefully, he found that this strange rain forest was full of identical green walls, which should have been stone foundations, steps, roof ridges, The place at the gate has now become a medium for climbing and reproduction!
If these buildings are enough to be called magnificent today, but after the prosperity is gone, they only feel like jade skin festering. In the end, what is left is a graceful skeleton covered with dark green corpse spots, which is in contrast to the extremely aggressive barbarism in front of them. As one body.
"Donor, this was originally the ruins of a monastery built by monks from the former Song Dynasty. It has been left to dust for hundreds of years without any repairs. Only these lonely walls have not collapsed completely. As long as a shed is built, you can still barely live in it."
In a trance, the ancient relics left by the monks of the former Song Dynasty were right in front of him. Jiang Wen seemed to be able to see the figures of the monks who had gone to the mountains to spread the Dharma through ragged roads. But in a trance, everything disappeared again, because the figure of the Dharma King Miaobao was walking alone, staying. In front of a slightly weird dwarf tree.
"His Holiness, did you find anything unusual?"
Jiang Wen also stepped forward to take a look. His Majesty Miaobao was gently pushing aside the branches and leaves of the dwarf tree, revealing the mottled relief statue underneath that had been covered for a long time. Weird lines were winding around it.
"Donor Jiang Liu'er, although this picture has long been unclear, the young monk recognized it as a story in the Buddha's Jataka, and it was engraved with a picture of Sakyamuni Tathagata riding a white elephant and reincarnating..."
Jiang Wen and Dharma King Miaobao looked at each other and both vaguely sensed something was wrong. They quickly pushed aside the vines in other places and found that the carving patterns of these thick stone pillars were different. The stone carvings had also fallen off, leaving only the top cover vaguely. It’s debatable, but most of them are Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a blue lion and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva riding a white elephant. There must be a stone gate relief carved between the two Bodhisattvas.
There is no need to say too much about what follows. Jiang Wen could guess from Elder Qingzhu’s obscure expression and the dignified expression of Dharma King Miaobao that this carving on the stone pagoda is definitely not an ordinary stone building, and it must be in the style of a stupa.
The "dwarf trees" in front of us are all of the same shape, stretching into the depths of the dense forest. Roughly speaking, there are no less than a hundred of them. In other words, the dense trees standing in front of us in the forest are countless people who have been buried in Jizu Mountain Yin for hundreds of years and have not been seen yet. The remains of the monk are unknown to the whole day!
"Donors don't need to worry. All the monks from the former Song Dynasty died here for unknown reasons. The remaining monks built stupas for them, so many stupas were left behind. The old monk has repeatedly entered the mountain for twenty years, in order to restrain these Buddhist ancestors. His body was left to comfort his soul in heaven.”
Elder Qingzhu tried to comfort a few people in an attempt to relieve everyone's uneasiness. However, the weirdness in front of them became more obvious with the excavation. For example, the carvings on the nearby stupas were very different in thickness. Some of them could be seen at a glance as being hastily carved. It was so rough and crude that it looked more like someone was about to be buried in it in a hurry.
"Come and look! There's a body here!"
But before they could let go of their nervousness, they heard Pinzhao's shouts from the woods not far away. Several people hurried forward and found a corpse lying on the ground under a towering tree, with his right hand bent. Bend in his arms, he wanted to take out the hidden weapon, but his life silently ended at this moment forever.
After seeing it carefully, Dharma King Miaobao said firmly: "No, this corpse has been dead for at least more than a month, and the exposed bones cannot be covered. It is definitely not the person we are looking for."
Jiang Wen also nodded and said: "The bones are thick and there are signs of recovery from multiple blows. It seems that he should be a master sent by Prince Pingxi before. He died suddenly here. The cause of death is unknown."
The three of them were looking at the corpse in the woods, trying to find more clues, but suddenly they heard an unusual noise coming from behind. It seemed that some ferocious creature was approaching quickly. The branches under their feet were trampled and crushed, and their postures were twisted and weird. , there was a strange figure with a bloody thorn hula, and it jumped from the grass towards the elder Qingzhu who was sitting in meditation!
The figure of Dharma King Miaobao flashed one after another, and he and Jiang Wen attacked in separate directions, using a powerful fist and palm move. His momentum was like a stick, a pillar, a house, or a mountain, and he blew up the green bamboo at the critical moment. The elder was rescued, but found that the blood-stained figure flew upside down into the grass, still screaming for help.
"They are all crazy...run..."
(End of chapter)
