"This place is a prefecture and county under the jurisdiction of Tianzhu, and the place name is Yuhua. But the lord of the city is the Tianzhu royal family, who is named the King of Yuhua, so this Yuhua County is also the fiefdom of the King of Yuhua... Your Majesty, Shixian, I only respect the monks and the Tao, and I love the people...Now that the master is coming from the east, even I have heard about it. The king thinks that he is more prepared. When the master and others go to the city, they will be respected."
The master and disciples were not surprised when they heard this.
The Buddhist atmosphere in Tianzhu is flourishing, and an eminent monk from the Tang Dynasty finally came. Not to mention Master Sanzang even took the initiative to visit him. Even if he didn't go, they would find ways to invite him in.
The master and apprentice walked slowly.
But the news from Fengxian County spread quickly, and the vision of gods appearing and rain falling from the sky had long been spread throughout Tianzhu.
Fahai had a brief chat with the old man and then bowed and thanked him.
The old man also returned the gift and then walked away through the woods.
"Master, this old man is weird. He doesn't take the main road, but he only walks on the forest trails... At such an old age, if there is something wrong, no one knows about it." Bajie looked at the back of his father-in-law and said, He added: "The same goes for the young men in his family. How can we let him go out alone?"
The Great Sage said with a smile, "Look at his steps, not only as light as a swallow, but also as fast as flying... He is not an ordinary old man, he is clearly the mountain god of this place, and he has come here to wait... I think so. I want to see Master’s majestic face.”
"Brother Monkey, since you recognized him, why didn't you call him out?" Bajie paused and then said, "I think his words are not true, I'm afraid he has some hidden agenda."
The Great Sage looked at Bajie twice, nodded and said, "You idiot has actually made some progress."
"Senior Brother, I just smelled some demonic energy on him, but seeing that neither Master nor Senior Brother paid attention to it, I didn't act rashly... Is there any other reason behind this?" Xiao Bailong also said. I was a little curious, so I asked my senior brother for advice.
The Great Sage nodded: "Although it is tightly hidden, there is still some evil spirit in this mountain. There must be a fairy living in it, and it is an acquaintance of the mountain god."
"Fairy?" Bajie immediately said in shock: "His mountain god actually colluded with monsters. Is this a crime against Tian Tiao? Why didn't Senior Brother arrest him just now and question him?"
"The goblin... is not a demon." The Great Sage corrected him, "This mountain god is not an evil god either. In addition to having a priestly role, he also has merits and virtues. Moreover, the demon energy on his body is also somewhat pure... Just now he When I was talking to Master, I had already looked around this area. There were no powerful monsters around here. Those little monsters were either influenced by Buddhism or controlled by the mountain god... They had no sinful karma of hurting people, at most they were He is a mountain spirit, but not a monster."
"So, is this old man worried that we will save the little monster in his mountain?" Bajie spread his hands, "Since he knows our reputation, does he still think that we are killing innocent people indiscriminately?"
"Amitabha." Fahai recited the Buddha's name and said: "Seeing with eyes is deceptive, let alone hearing. He came to see him in person, so he felt more at ease... The demonic aura in him was also deliberately brought about as a temptation. "
"Ha." Bajie snorted and said: "He is really bold, and it is also Master's mercy... If you really meet some unreasonable people, just rely on the evil spirit in him to control whether you are good or evil, first take the stick of Buddha , If you can't bear it, go to reincarnation yourself, and if you can stand it, talk again."
Fahai glanced at Bajie, "It's not a crime for those who don't know...let's not be as knowledgeable as this idiot."
"Master, there is no demonic energy in this mountain... But when I looked to the north just now, I saw a demonic aura permeating the air about a hundred miles away. I think there is a powerful demon king there."
When Xiao Bailong heard this, he immediately asked his master for advice, "Master, are you also using your disciples to explore the mountains?"
"Be safe." Fahai waved the nine-ringed tin staff in his hand and said: "We have arrived at the county seat ahead. Let's go into the city to repair it first. When we meet King Yuhua, we might as well ask him about the situation of the monster mountain... If it is really the demon king who is causing trouble, he can just come to his door to save him."
"Hehe -!" The Great Sage laughed twice after hearing this, and then followed the master's words and said: "The goblin who can occupy the mountain and become the king in the land of Tianzhu probably has a lot of origins. I, Old Sun, look at it, and 80% of it is The boy who is the mount of some immortal Buddha has descended to earth."
】
While the master and apprentice were chatting and laughing, they had already entered the city.
The mountain god who had become the father-in-law watched their master and apprentice leave from the top of the mountain, and he felt relieved at this point.
A huge rock on the side suddenly swayed twice, turning into a stone monster and appearing next to the mountain god. He said with a big smile: "I said he is a real eminent monk... No, it's just a small thing for us. No offense, I made you nervous and deliberately tested others."
After the stone monster said that, the soft soil underneath it began to stir for a while, but a gray-haired rabbit came out from it. After a flash of demonic light... it turned into a little girl in her teens. , with two rabbit ears on her head, one straight up, the other half bent... The little girl jumped directly into the arms of the stone monster, found a comfortable position, and then said to the mountain god: " Grandpa Mountain God, you should invite them to stay for a cup of tea...and then ask them some advanced cultivation methods."
The mountain god said: "Our talents are limited, so even if we learn some advanced techniques, what's the use? Do you two still want to become immortals?"
The stone monster thought for a while and said, "Of course I want to. Who doesn't want to become an immortal?"
The little girl also nodded repeatedly and said, "I want to go to the Moon Palace and become the Jade Rabbit."
The stone monster quickly agreed, "Then I will go to the Moon Palace to be the land."
The mountain god glanced at them: Look at your little potential?
"Tianzhu does not need to be outside the border." The mountain god gave them a few words and said: "As long as you stay safe and do not do anything that harms the heaven and earth, your life will be safe... If you can do good deeds every day, you can still accumulate blessings, even if you cannot get positive results. You can also have a good death.”
"Grandpa Mountain God's words are untrue... If that's the case, why were you so wary and fearful of Master Sanzang and his disciples before?"
"They are foreign monks after all, very different from the local monks in Tianzhu..." The mountain god said solemnly: "You two have been incarnate for a long time, have you ever heard of a monk who kills animals?"
The two stopped talking immediately.
The precept to kill is the first precept in Buddhism.
And how many demons did Master Sanzang kill along the way?
How many demons died because of him in the Flame Mountain and Shituo Ridge?
But even so, he is still an eminent monk recognized by the three worlds... In addition to being wary, the mountain god also really wants to see this eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty with his own eyes.
Now that I have seen it, I can only say one thing in my heart: It is well-deserved.
...
What a beautiful Yuhuazhou.
The five masters and apprentices walked to the streets near the city to watch. It was really crowded and very prosperous...Businessmen and sellers, business was booming, vendors were shouting, and travelers were asking for prices. The scene was no less than any other capital that they passed by in the past.
"Master Tripitaka is here!"
There were monks who had met Master Tripitaka in the previous city and were waiting here specially. When they saw their master and disciples, they immediately shouted: "Master Tripitaka is here!"
After this shout, there was a moment of silence in the originally bustling street, and then it became ten times more noisy than before.
Everyone came to watch, and the master and disciples generously let them watch.
Because they already knew the appearance of Master Sanzang and his disciples, even if they saw the faces of Wukong and Bajie now, everyone was not afraid. They only said that Master Sanzang really had profound Buddhist teachings and could transform such demon gods as his disciples.
Some were even brave enough to deliberately get close to Bajie and the Great Sage.
Bajie deliberately teased: "Stop shouting, stop shouting...Don't you have any eminent monks here who can subdue dragons and tigers? Yet you come to wait around me?"
The great sage smiled and said, "Perhaps I have never seen a pig subdue a monkey...".
Everyone saw that Master Sanzang and his disciples were easy-going and friendly to the people, without any pretense, and could actually joke to themselves. They laughed loudly for a while, and they felt that they were getting closer to each other.
Some people have even begun to secretly compare in their hearts, saying, how could those local eminent monks who live deep in Buddhist temples have such a scene?
Ordinarily, let alone meeting someone, just going to the temple to pay them a visit. If there is not a lot of incense, there will be no luck at all.
Master Sanzang stopped for a moment, helped up a child who had squeezed over and rushed out of the crowd but fell to the ground, and asked him: "Where are your parents?"
The child rubbed his arm, pointed back, and said, "They are at the back, they are not as nimble as me...they can get through the gaps between people."
Master Sanzang lifted him up, and with a flick of his hand, he saw a stream of Buddha's light resting on him. He sent him directly to his parents and said, "Everyone, please don't crowd around. Pay attention to the children under your feet. Don't accidentally hurt them."
After everyone heard this, people all over the street who were stumbling around calmly settled down and no longer acted rashly.
"Quiet! Quiet!"
At this time, the city gate order was able to squeeze in to maintain order. The leader bowed to Master Tripitaka and said: "The people admire your Dharma, which makes Master laugh."
"The poor monk will stay in Yuhua Prefecture for a few more days. In addition to defending Buddhism with local eminent monks, he will also give lectures... As for when and where, please wait until the poor monk meets King Yuhua. After that, a plan will be made.”
"I'll be waiting for you." Everyone said in unison.
call--
Seeing that the "commotion" was finally calmed down, the city gate commander breathed a sigh of relief and said to Master Sanzang: "Qiantose had already told me that Master Sanzang had arrived, so he directly invited him to the palace. Just now, the official had sent someone to report to the palace... .”
Fa Hai did not refuse the good offer and followed the city gate order to the palace.
After crossing the suspension bridge and entering the city gate, we saw the bustling restaurants and singing houses on the street... It was different from the streets and markets outside the city, and it gave more of the atmosphere of a large city.
A city like this could be ranked high even in the Tang Dynasty.
Wu Jing had long recorded the customs and customs of this place. When he returned to Chang'an in the future, he also asked the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to see if there were other such great and rich places in the three realms besides the Central Plains China.
But...this alone cannot be called the Paradise.
Before they even arrived at the gate of Yuhua Palace, three princes came to greet them from afar. The eldest prince, who was headed by him, was very calm. He held his fists and saluted from a distance, saying: "The Master has come from afar. I am sorry that I missed you from afar. I hope you will forgive me." .”
After the meeting, there was another round of pleasantries.
The eldest prince said: "My father is old and his legs and feet are not very convenient, so I specially asked the three brothers, Xiao Wang, to welcome me."
"Amitabha." Fahai performed another Buddha salute.
After entering the palace, there are the Changshi's Palace, the Inquisition Hall, the Dining Room, and the Hospitality Hall on the left and right of the palace gate.
When Bajie and Wujing saw the words "Hospitality Hall", they were about to put the greetings inside. The eldest prince quickly stopped them and explained to the doubtful eyes of the master and disciples: "Father, the king has already done this for all the elders." We have prepared a quiet courtyard..."
No one refused.
After arriving at the place of stay and finishing the ceremony, Fa Hai said to the eldest prince: "It's time to go see the prince."
In the past, when I went to meet the kings, the master would go alone, and the disciples did not intend to follow him this time. However, the eldest prince went to invite a few of the great sage brothers: "I also invite all the elders to go with me, father. The king has ordered a banquet to be prepared...and it will be served immediately."
Bajie liked hearing this the most, so he was the first to get up and walk to the master, ready to go with him.
The masters and disciples followed the three princes and walked in. The official who had already seen the ceremony greeted them with a smile: "I have met the three highnesses, Master Tripitaka. Prince Chitose asked me to greet you here. Please -"
Entered the palace gate.
Fahai spoke first and said: "Sanzang, the monk sent by the Tang Dynasty in the east to pay homage to the Buddha and obtain scriptures from the Great Thunder Sound, is now in your place. I want to change the customs and come here to pay homage to Qian Sui."
"Master, you don't have to be polite! Please take a seat." King Yuhua watched from the throne. Seeing the majestic appearance of Master Tripitaka, he became more and more happy and asked the maids around him to lead the master and disciples to their seats.
The three princes also sat opposite to accompany them.
He also asked people to fetch the Guanwen. King Yuhua opened it from scratch and read it carefully to the end. When he saw the seals of various countries, he sighed in his heart: "If you are not an eminent monk, you will not be able to make it this far."
Thinking in his mind, he took his treasure seal, printed a chapter on the next page, embossed it, folded it in eucalyptus, put it in a tray, asked the courtier to return it to Master Tripitaka, and asked: " Master Tripitaka came from the Tang Dynasty and visited various countries. How many miles did he travel in total?"
"The Bodhisattva once said that the journey from Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty to Lingshan Mountain is a total of one hundred and eight thousand miles... Now the poor monk has arrived in Yuhua Prefecture, and beyond that is Lingshan Mountain..."
"Amitabha." The Jade Flower King recited the Buddha's name and couldn't help but said: "I must have gone through a lot of hardships along the way, right?"
Fahai thought for a while and said, "It's not considered hard work. I just walked through the cold and heat fourteen times step by step."
Fahai thought about it at this moment. Although there were some difficulties along the way, they had successfully solved them. Therefore, compared with the monsters blocking the road, it would be better to say that they had formed the path under the feet of their masters and disciples in the past fourteen years. The journey to learn from the experience is even more worth recalling.
After some small talk in the palace, King Yuhua invited them to have a meal in the back garden of the palace.
Not long after eating, King Yuhua said: "Master Sanzang... I have a private matter here. I am going to ask for it. I hope the eminent monk will listen to me."
"My lord, it's okay to say it."
"The three lonely dogs usually don't like to study. They are fond of martial arts all their lives. They spend all day dancing with swords and sticks... but they don't know how to do it." King Yuhua was still a little embarrassed, "Because I heard that the Master has other abilities. If we are not under the Dharma, I wonder if we can accept the three of them as our disciples?"
