Master Jueming finally brought Gu Xu and Luo Chuan into the temple.
Stepping into the mountain gate, a wide stone road winds up. The pines and cypresses on both sides cover the buildings with red walls and golden tiles, which are well-proportioned, like a picture scroll.
"I'm bringing you in now, but I'm risking my life," Master Jueming said as he walked. "The recent arrest warrant says that anyone who dares to shield and conceal traitors will be punished with the same crime."
"Master, don't be ridiculous," Luo Chuan chuckled, "Don't think I don't know that you, Lingshan Temple, actually don't care about the court's rules at all. If you hadn't owed the court a favor recently, I'm afraid even the emperor wouldn't be able to invite you. Come out and catch the criminal."
Master Jueming snorted, not wanting to quarrel with Luo Chuan anymore, and pointed to a side road: "Go this way."
Luo Chuan looked at Gu Xu beside him: "The emperor invites you first."
After a while, the three of them walked into a secluded and empty side hall at the end of the road.
This side hall seems to be rarely visited by people on weekdays.
There are no Buddha statues, no incense, and a lot of cobwebs on the ceiling. Sunlight slanted in through the half-closed window, and countless dust danced lazily in the beam.
Gu Xu saw many portraits of old monks hanging on the walls of the side hall, with their names and dates of birth and death marked next to them.
Only the one at the far end was covered with black cloth, making its true appearance invisible.
The three of them each sat down on a futon.
Luochuan habitually took out the tea set and tea leaves from the space artifact, poured three cups of tea, handed the first cup to Gu Xu with both hands, drank the second cup in one gulp, put the third cup on the ground, and pushed it casually In front of Master Jueming.
"This is the Mengding Mountain tea known as 'immortal tea' from the Daqi Dynasty. Would you like to try it?"
Master Jueming raised the teacup, took a sip, put it aside and frowned, "It's not as fragrant as the tea pulled from the trees in my small temple."
"I didn't expect that there is a good tea hidden in Lingshan Temple that even I don't know about." Luo Chuan deliberately showed an extremely exaggerated expression of surprise, "Master, why don't you take it out and share it with us?"
Master Jueming no longer paid attention to Luo Chuan's teasing.
He looked at Gu Xu beside him: "Gu Xiaoyou, you——"
"——Emperor." Luo Chuan interrupted him and corrected him.
"Okay, Emperor," Master Jueming changed his words obediently, "the phrase 'Unless hell is empty, I will never become a Buddha' you mentioned earlier are actually the last words left by Ksitigarbha, the third-generation abbot of Lingshan Temple.
"According to the records in the temple, Ksitigarbha's cultivation was unparalleled and he ascended to the upper world in just one thought. However, he kept suppressing his cultivation until his life span was exhausted and he passed away in the temple. He was still unwilling to step out of that world. step.
"He calls this world 'hell' and hopes to use his own power to save all the sinful and suffering sentient beings in hell.
"His concepts were regarded as heresies by later generations. The magic techniques he pioneered were also classified as forbidden techniques because they often caused subsequent disciples to go crazy."
As he spoke, he gently shook the Zen staff in his hand.
A breeze blew by.
The black cloth at the far end of the side hall suddenly slowly fell to the ground, revealing the portrait hidden behind it.
It was an old monk wearing cassocks. He was as thin as withered straw, but his eyes were as bright as torches, as if he could penetrate all illusions and see the reality of the world.
Beside the portrait, in addition to the Buddhist title and the dates of birth and death, there is also written the sentence "Unless hell is empty, I will never become a Buddha"——
This is exactly what Gu Xu saw while standing outside the mountain gate with the help of the "astrolabe".
"He is right," Gu Xu pondered for a moment and said calmly, "This world is indeed hell. But after all, there are only a few people who are sober.
"Most people have been living in the lies carefully crafted by Taishang Haotian, and are unaware of the suffering they have suffered."
"Tai Shang Haotian?" Master Jueming raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat puzzled by this.
Gu Xu glanced at Luochuan next to him and said calmly: "Wenchang, explain to him."
"Yes." Luo Chuan nodded.
Then he looked at Master Jueming and briefly narrated the truth about the Great Wilderness, the grudges between Supreme Haotian and Emperor Ziwei, the secrets behind the ascension, and Gu Xu was the reincarnation of Emperor Ziwei.
After listening, Master Jueming lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. It took a while before he recovered from his trance.
"This world is really like this." He sighed and said with emotion.
"You agreed with my statement so quickly?" Luo Chuan smiled playfully, "Aren't you afraid that I'm deceiving you?"
"A long time ago, I had similar vague speculations in my mind," Master Jueming said slowly, "especially after I heard the news that Chi Yangzi became possessed.
“But I’m not sure whether it’s true or not, and I can’t find anyone to confirm it.
"Even when I plan to tell others about this guess, I will inadvertently forget the idea.
"The fact that you can tell me these things without hindrance today proves that your status is extraordinary. People like you should not come all the way to Lingshan Temple just to fool me for fun."
Hearing this, Gu Xu couldn't help but think of the terrifying vision of iron nets covering the place and burning fire when he and Da Qi Imperial Master went to pay homage to Chi Yangzi's tomb.
At that time, he wanted to tell the national teacher the saying "The wilderness is a prison".
However, the moment he spoke the first syllable, a powerful and mysterious force stopped him, making his throat unable to make any more sounds.
But these days, he can discuss these wild secrets without any hindrance.
Could it be because of Emperor Ziwei?
"Then what's your position?" Luo Chuan continued to ask, "After knowing all this, do you plan to continue to hide in the mountains and be a coward who stands by and watch, or do you plan to work with us to change everything?"
"You are an eighth-level true king and an emperor," Master Jueming thought for a moment and said, "I am just a seventh-level monk, how much help can I do?"
"To break the prison of the Great Wilderness, we will undoubtedly have to kill the 'jailer' Emperor Tianxing," Luo Chuan explained, "and I have a formation called the 'Zhoutian Xingdou Formation', which can block Tianxing." The connection between the emperor and the 'Tai'a Sword' turned him into an ordinary eighth-level monk, preventing Supreme Haotian from using his hands to interfere in our battle in the lower realm.
"But the 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Formation' consumes a lot of true energy, and it requires the combined efforts of multiple saints who are well versed in the true meaning of the avenue to maintain its operation.
"We really need your help."
"It turns out that in your eyes, I am just a tool to help run the formation!" Master Jueming laughed at himself and shook his head slightly, "I have to consider your proposal again. After all, what I represent now is not Me personally, but the entire Lingshan Temple. If things go wrong, I will become the sect’s eternal sinner.”
Having said this, Master Jueming turned to look out the window and shouted: "Jingru!"
A thin young monk wearing a light brown cassock hurriedly ran over, saluted Master Jueming and said, "Master, what are your instructions?"
This monk with the Buddhist name "Jingru" is still an old acquaintance to Gu Xu - in this year's Lantern Festival Arena, the two had a very fierce fight, and finally Gu Xu realized the new spell "Dongfeng Ye" "Putting flowers and thousands of trees" successfully defeated Monk Jingru and caused him to fall into the Luo River.
"These two distinguished guests are visiting our temple today," Master Jueming pointed at Luo Chuan and Gu Xu in front of him, "take care of them for me."
(End of chapter)
