In front of Sanle's grave.
Xuanzang's condition has improved a lot. His whole person is no longer lifeless, but has a different temperament that cannot be explained.
The golden sunshine shines on his white monk's robe, and his whole person seems to be exuding a faint Buddha's light, indifferent and tranquil, with a distant Zen mood.
Li Daoxuan's heart moved. Buddhist practice, especially the Zen lineage, mainly focuses on sudden enlightenment. After Xuanzang's training, his future achievements will be limitless.
"Xuan Zang, Hui Chan intends to recommend you to become the next abbot of White Horse Temple. What do you think?"
Li Daoxuan suddenly asked.
He didn't want Xuanzang to go westward. This is a good story in history, but this is a different Tang Dynasty.
The journey to the west is long and full of demons. If Xuanzang went west, would he still meet Sun Dasheng at the foot of Five Elements Mountain?
Without the protection of his disciples, even if he now has the cultivation level of the Yin God, he is still very dangerous.
Xuanzang did not answer immediately, but took the purple and gold bowl and scooped it into the river.
The little goldfish was motionless, swimming back and forth in the purple gold bowl, not afraid at all.
"Xiaotang, is that you?"
Gulu gulu~
The goldfish kept spitting bubbles.
Xuanzang's eyes flashed and he continued to ask: "Do you think I should stay at White Horse Temple, or... go west?"
Gulu gulu~
"I understand, would you like to go with me?"
Gulu gulu~
"good."
Xuanzang looked up at Li Daoxuan, with an indescribable determination in his calm eyes.
"Brother, I want to go west."
Li Daoxuan: "..."
"Xuan Zang, even if you really made it to Tianzhu alive, would you be able to find Lingshan Mountain today? Even if you found it, would there still be a Buddha there?"
After the eternal night, when the gods and Buddhas disappear, is it really necessary to travel westward?
Maybe in the end it's nothing but water in a bamboo basket.
Xuanzang's voice was calm and he shook his head and said: "Brother, I have seen Lingshan Mountain before."
Li Daoxuan was slightly startled.
Xuanzang raised his right hand, looked at the dim word "Buddha" in the palm of his hand, and said: "Just when I recited the "Vajra Realm Great Sun Tathagata Mantra", through this Buddha word, I saw the present Lingshan Mountain. .”
"As my elder brother thought, there are no gods and Buddhas in Lingshan now. There are only Buddha's lotus platform and one hand. But I sense that the Sutra Pavilion in Lingshan is still there, and the Mahayana Sutra may be inside!"
Li Daoxuan's eyes narrowed. Has Lingshan... turned into an empty city?
Even a powerful person like Buddha disappeared, leaving only a lotus platform and a hand. Is the terrifying existence in Moro's mouth really so dangerous?
The twelfth-grade Golden Lotus of Merit and Virtue is the most precious treasure of Buddhism. The Buddha did not even take away such a treasure. It was probably not a battle, but rather a deliberate arrangement.
"Brother, with the word 'Buddha' as a guide, maybe I am the only one who can find Lingshan."
"Master said that the Mahayana Sutra was his and Bodhidharma's regret and told me not to go west and live my own life. In fact, he was wrong."
Xuanzang said word by word: "That is also my regret."
Li Dao
"Okay, but you have to go back to Chang'an with me first. I will go and ask Your Majesty to give you a customs clearance document. Otherwise, the countries in the Western Region will have a hard time at the customs."
The Xuanzang in history was not the imperial younger brother of the Tang Dynasty with a noble status like in "Journey to the West". He actually crossed the border illegally during his journey to the west, and he escaped from the border of the Tang Dynasty only by hiding among the refugees in Liangzhou.
Later, when he returned from Buddhist scriptures and became famous all over the world, he was received and appreciated by Li Shimin.
Xuanzang did not refuse and said: "Thank you very much, brother!"
Li Daoxuan nodded and was about to speak when his eyes moved slightly and looked at the toad hiding in the mud next to him.
The old man is here too.
…
The old beggar was sitting on the top of the mountain, overlooking the ant-like grave at the foot of the mountain, drinking wine and gnawing on roast chicken, his mouth dripping with oil.
"Sanle, Sanle, the person who could have become a Buddha is now a dead ghost. I eat roast chicken, and you can only stare at me, hehe..."
He seemed to be sarcastic, but his expression was gloomy. Finally he shook his head and spat out the chicken bones in his mouth.
"Forget it, it's boring to eat."
Holding the thread of flesh between his teeth, the old beggar was about to get up.
A hand pressed on his shoulder, making him sit down again.
"Senior, who are you?"
Li Dao
The old beggar curled his lips and wanted to reach out and wipe the oil stains off Li Daoxuan's hands, but was blocked by streaks of cyan light.
"What a Taoist fairy robe. It should have some kind of heavenly and earthly treasures incorporated into it. Qing Yi really feels sorry for you and is very generous."
Li Daoxuan was slightly startled. Shouldn't this Qinglian treasure garment be sewn by his mother-in-law?
"Boy, the old beggar has helped you after all, and suffered the backlash of leaking the secret, which has led to a drastic decline in cultivation. It's not too much to ask you for something."
Li Daoxuan looked at his lame leg and the more serious sores on his body. In some places, he even had goose egg-sized sarcomas. His appearance was very terrifying.
The evil spirits will be ashamed when they see it.
"what?"
The old beggar looked at the little flower god hidden in his hair.
Li Daoxuan frowned.
"It's not the little flower god, but the nectar she collects. It's not much, just a few dozen big bowls."
Li Daoxuan shook his head and smiled, then reached out and handed him a small jade bottle.
"Senior, actually I saw you were seriously injured that day, so I wanted to give you some nectar, but it was a pity that you left too fast."
"But there aren't dozens of bowls, that's all."
The old beggar grabbed it and poured some into his mouth. Light quickly began to flow on his body, showing an extremely comfortable expression, and the sores on his face seemed to be smaller.
"Thanks."
"Senior, my magic skills are amazing and my calculations are wonderful. I wonder if I would like to serve the Tang Dynasty. If you agree, I can promise to give you a bottle of nectar every year."
Li Daoxuan started to recruit.
The old beggar immediately waved his hand and said: "Thank you for your kindness. The old beggar is used to being casual and cannot be restrained. I would also like to remind you that there is nothing wrong with serving the country and the people, but the way of heaven is unkind and all living beings are like ants. Be careful because the cause and effect is too heavy. , and ultimately came to a bad end.”
"Senior, what do you mean by this?"
The old beggar thought for a while and said: "That's all. For the sake of the nectar you gave me, the old beggar will give you a little more advice. Didn't you just ask me who I am?"
He used his magic power, and all the dirt and stains on his body disappeared, and the sores disappeared without a trace. He was wearing a red cassock with gold threads, a gold mark between his eyebrows, red lips and white teeth, and his face was extremely handsome.
Li Dao
After learning the name Lu Lusheng, Li Daoxuan decided to check it out. Later, he learned that the Detective Arhat among the Eighteen Arhats was also called Lu Lusheng, so he became suspicious.
It’s just that the gods and Buddhas have disappeared, so why does the Arhat of the Exploring Hand still remain in the world and become like this?
The old beggar sighed softly, put away the illusion, and returned to his original appearance.
Now he is just a dirty and ugly old beggar. He has fallen into the sky long ago and is no longer the aloof arhat.
"Do you know why I am the way I am now?"
Li Daoxuan shook his head.
"I am a person of the Spring and Autumn Period, born on the roadside. I have been wandering around with my mother since I was a child. I have been used to the strife of various countries and the hardships of the people. Later, I knelt before the Buddha and took refuge. By chance, I became the Arhat. , good at divination."
"At that time, I was very similar to you. I was determined to free the people from the sea of suffering and bring peace to the world, but I was unable to do so until Ying Zheng destroyed the six kingdoms and unified the world."
The old beggar sighed: "Although Ying Zheng's emperor's sword was full of bones, it is undeniable that he did end the disputes. His books were written in the same way, his carriages were running on the same track, and he had the atmosphere of governing the world."
Li Daoxuan also lamented: "It is a pity that Qin died due to tyranny for the second generation."
"I was thinking the same thing as you."
There was a look of memory in the old beggar's eyes.
"I calculated that the second general of the Qin Dynasty would die. Knowing that this was his fate, but I couldn't bear the war to resume, I turned into the alchemist Lu Sheng and approached Ying Zheng, hoping to tamper with the destiny."
"But who knew that Ying Zheng was obsessed with the pursuit of immortality at that time. In order to gain his respect, I told him that there was a fairy mountain on the sea called Penglai, which contained the medicine of immortality. Sure enough, Ying Zheng sent me to go to the sea to find the medicine."
"When I came back, I told him that I didn't find the fairy medicine, but I found a fairy book with a prophecy on it - Hu Ye is the one who will destroy the Qin Dynasty."
Hu is the one who destroyed Qin...
Li Daoxuan's heart was filled with waves.
What Lu Lusheng said was actually recorded in Sima Qian's "Historical Records".
"Lu Sheng, a native of Yan, sent an envoy to the sea to return, and reported ghosts and gods. Because of the memorial, he said, "Hu is the one who destroyed Qin." The first emperor ordered General Meng Tian to send 300,000 troops to the north to attack Hu and seize the land of Henan."
The old beggar smiled bitterly and said: "I was willing to take a risk and leak the secret to Ying Zheng. However, he mistakenly thought that it was the Hu people who destroyed the Qin Dynasty. Not only did Meng Tian send troops to attack, but he also spent a lot of manpower to build the Great Wall."
The Hu who destroyed the Qin Dynasty was not a Hu man, but the young master Hu Hai.
"It can only be said that our human power is exhausted and it is difficult to defeat God. I revealed such a great secret and received extremely serious backlash. Not only did I fall from the position of Arhat, but I also contracted a vicious disease and became completely unrecognizable. I am hated by all ghosts and gods!"
“In the end, everything is empty.”
After listening to the old beggar's words, Li Daoxuan finally understood.
No wonder the old beggar knew the God of Flowers, and with the cultivation of the Yang God, he could predict a chance of survival. It turned out that he was once a Buddhist Arhat, one of the famous Eighteen Arhats, equivalent to a Taoist immortal.
"Boy, you are dedicated to the Tang Dynasty and want to create a peaceful and prosperous age, but you must also know that the rise and fall of a dynasty is determined by fate. Whether it is an immortal or a Buddha, even if your magic power is boundless, how can it be worth the fate?"
Li Daoxuan nodded and said: "Junior has learned a lesson."
After a pause, he couldn't help but ask: "Senior, according to what you said, you should have experienced the eternal night of Jin Shi. Do you know why the gods and Buddhas disappeared, and what happened?"
The roadside student has lived since the Spring and Autumn Period until now, and is still the old detective Arhat. He should know the cause and effect.
For the first time, Li Daoxuan felt that he was so close to the truth.
However, the old beggar shook his head.
"It's sad to say that the reason why the old beggar was able to survive was because he leaked the secret and fell into the realm of Arhat. Then his cultivation level continued to decline. By the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he was not even as good as a human immortal and fell into the status of a Yang God."
"That eternal night..."
The old beggar's eyes were solemn, as if he had recalled a very terrible scene.
"The old beggar only remembers that in those days, the five elements were reversed, the heavens were in chaos, the heaven and earth were filled with bloody winds, and the ghosts and gods could be heard wailing in my ears. I tried to contact my old friends in Lingshan to find out what happened."
"but……"
The old beggar's eyes dimmed and he subconsciously clenched the wine bottle in his hand.
"They didn't respond?"
"No, most of them didn't respond. Only Kasyapa sent me four words."
Li Daoxuan was refreshed. Venerable Kasyapa was the Dragon-Subduing Arhat. His magical power was the highest among all Arhats, and he had a great reputation among the people.
Jigong, who became famous in later generations, was the reincarnation of Arhat who subdued the dragon.
"What four words was passed down by Arhat Who Subdued the Dragon?"
The old beggar stared at the sky that became darker as the sun set, and said word by word: "Don't go back to Lingshan."
Don’t go back to Lingshan...
These four words make people unable to help but have endless reveries.
All the Arhats disappeared without a trace, and the most powerful Arhat who subdued the Dragon only left four words, telling his old friend to run away quickly and never return to Lingshan.
When he combined it with the golden lotus and severed hand that Xuanzang saw, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but feel a chill in his back.
"This may be Kasyapa's last words left in the world. From now on, even if I try my best, there will be no sound from Lingshan."
"Old friends from the past are gone."
A wry smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The reason why he was still alive when he suffered the backlash from heaven was because of these old friends.
They sacrificed their dignity and borrowed the Queen Mother's flat peach and Laojun's golden elixir, and asked the Buddha to give him lotus seeds, so that he, a useless person, could survive and enjoy immortality.
A bit ugly, but better to die than live.
"Misfortune is where blessings depend, and blessings are where misfortune lies. The old beggar suffered a backlash from heaven and was completely changed beyond recognition, but he survived because of it. Perhaps, this is God's will in the dark."
The old beggar is best at divination, but the more he studies this method, the more he becomes awed by the unpredictability of heaven's secrets, and is often frightened by his own insignificance.
The way of heaven is like a monster, all living beings are like ants, and gods and Buddhas are all pawns.
"Boy, the old beggar has finally opened his eyes. A day is a day, so drink wine, eat chickens, and sleep. These are the three joys of life."
He stood up, stretched out comfortably, and no longer looked at the night sky, but at the bottom of the mountain.
"San Le is dead. I helped him choose this name back then. Alas, the old beggar has lost another friend."
He looked back at Li Daoxuan.
"I have told you so much without knowing it. Boy, I wish you success. You can fulfill the old beggar's long-cherished wish, so that the people of Li can live and work in peace and contentment, and the world is peaceful."
Li Dao
The old beggar laughed loudly and said: "One pot is not enough, at least ten pots!"
After saying that, he transformed into a rainbow light and escaped into the sea of clouds and starry sky, disappearing without a trace.
A warning echoed in the air.
"Boy, the reason why Moro survived is because he was sealed in the Abi Hell by Buddha. Be careful of those gods and demons who were sealed before. Maybe Moro is not the only one who can survive..."
The stars twinkle and the night is lonely.
Li Daoxuan stood on the top of the mountain, letting the long wind blow his Taoist robes, overlooking the water flowing down the mountain, and the people in the village had not left for a long time.
...(End of chapter)
