After the luggage and customs clearance documents were dried, Master Tripitaka and his disciples were ready to set off westward.
Unwilling to be persuaded by the enthusiasm of the people, the three of them finally stayed in a town not far from Yingchou Stream for one day.
Early the next morning, Sanzang said goodbye to everyone, set foot on the road with Xue Tianqing and Bajie, and continued westward.
The master and the disciples were hungry and thirsty for food and drink. They traveled at dawn and stayed overnight. In the blink of an eye, it was more than a month ago.
Seeing that it was getting late that day, Sanzang said to Xue Tianqing: "Wukong, go see if there is a place to stay."
Xue Tianqing jumped into the air and saw a Zen temple standing quietly on the roadside about five miles away, with smoke still rising from the backyard.
Returning to Sanzang, Xue Tianqing smiled and said: "Master, there is a temple not far away. They are cooking. The food will be ready when we arrive."
When I arrived at the Zen monastery, I saw a gold-inlaid plaque on the gate with four characters - Guanyin Zen monastery.
Seeing this, Xue Tianqing murmured in her heart: Will she meet the Golden Toad Elder and the Black Bear Spirit?
Xue Tianqing wanted to go up and knock on the door, but was stopped by Sanzang: "It was very hard for you to beg for alms from far and near along the way. This is a Bodhisattva Zen Temple, not a monster cave, so I still go as a teacher."
Seeing Sanzang walking towards the monastery, Bajie approached Xue Tianqing and said, "Senior brother, I'm very envious of you when I see you don't live in the world. Can you teach me? This will save you a lot of worries."
Xue Tianqing looked at Bajie, then shook her head: "Don't even think about it, you have been contaminated with too much of the world. If you don't want to live in the world, it will take a huge chance."
Although Xue Tianqing sentenced Bajie to death, he still refused to give up: "What kind of opportunity is considered a great opportunity?"
“The seemingly impossible opportunities are the great opportunities.”
While the brothers were chatting, Sanzang had already arrived outside the Guanyin Temple.
He raised his right hand and lightly pressed the door of the temple, but after waiting for a long time, there was no movement in the temple.
Sanzang thought for a moment, raised his hand and pushed, and the temple door opened in response.
I looked through the crack in the door for a while, but still found no one, so I stepped in.
Seeing Sanzang entering the Guanyin Monastery, Bajie said worriedly: "Brother, will Master encounter any danger?"
Xue Tianqing smiled: "Don't worry! This is Guanyin Temple. If anything happens to Master here, then we can go directly to the Bodhisattva to ask for help."
As soon as Xue Tianqing finished speaking, she saw that Tang Sanzang had hurried out of the door, and at the same time clasped his hands together to express his guilt.
Upon seeing this, Bajie hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Master, are the monks here not allowing us to stay overnight?"
Sanzang waved his hand quickly: "Bajie, let's go to the front and take a look."
Hearing what the master said, Xue Tianqing was also a little confused: "Master, what happened?"
Sanzang actually blushed a little as he spoke: "This monastery is full of female lay practitioners."
As soon as these words came out, Xue Tianqing was stunned: a nunnery? Where is Elder Jinchan?
Bajie, on the other hand, didn't take it seriously: "Master, what about the female lay monks? We are all disciples of Buddhism. How can we be separated from each other?"
As soon as Bajie finished speaking, he heard a woman say: "Elder, since you came to Guanyin Temple, why did you leave in such a hurry?"
Then I saw three female nuns walking out of the temple. The leader looked to be about thirty years old.
Although she didn't wear any makeup and wore a monk's robe, her natural beauty could not be concealed.
Seeing Sanzang bowing his head and saying nothing, Xue Tianqing moved forward and said, "See Bhikshuni Bodhisattva."
When the nun heard this, she covered her mouth with her hands and said, "This little elder has such a sweet mouth. We are just monks here, not Bodhisattvas. If Guanyin knew that we considered ourselves Bodhisattvas, he wouldn't just expel us." Get out of here.”
Xue Tianqing said: "We came from the Tang Dynasty in the east, and went to Lingshan to obtain the Mahayana teachings on the order of the King of Tang. It's late today, and I want to stay at your place, but I don't know if it's convenient."
The female nun said happily: "I can't believe that you are the Holy Monk of the Tang Dynasty. You are all disciples of Buddhism, so there is nothing inconvenient to say. Holy Monk, please come quickly. The food in the temple has just been cooked, so it is suitable for us."
Xue Tianqing bowed and thanked: "May I ask the master's name?"
"The poor nun Miaoyin is the current host here. I don't know the names of the three elders yet."
Xue Tianqing smiled and said: "That is my master, Sanzang, the royal younger brother of the King of Tang. I am the master's great disciple Sun Wukong, and that is my junior brother Zhu Wuneng."
Miaoyin heard the words and saw them one by one, then opened the mountain gate and welcomed the three masters and disciples into the Guanyin Temple.
Leading the three masters and disciples to the guest room, Miaoyin asked the three of them to rest a little, and then left to prepare a fast meal.
Xue Tianqing looked at Tang Sanzang with some doubts: "Master, have you never seen a nun in the Tang Dynasty?"
Sanzang shook his head: "The Tang Dynasty did not value Buddhism, but only the ancestors. Although the entire Tang Dynasty had a population of hundreds of millions, there were only a few monks, and they had to farm their own land. How could any woman become a monk?"
Sanzang's words aroused Xue Tianqing's curiosity: "What do you mean? Didn't the Tang Dynasty allow people to become monks?"
"That's not true. It's just that monks in the Tang Dynasty couldn't chant sutras and beg for alms all day long. Instead, they had to farm and support themselves like the common people."
"why is it like this?"
Sanzang sighed: "Originally, there were countless temples in the Eastern Territory. It was only after the founding of the Tang Dynasty three hundred years ago that Taizu issued a decree to suppress Buddhism and Taoism, which led to the current scene. This is an old thing, so don't mention it. Now we are going to Lingshan Mountain to obtain the true scriptures in order to carry forward Buddhism and save the people of the Tang Dynasty."
Xue Tianqing thought for a moment: "Since they don't believe in Buddhism or Taoism, what do they believe in?"
"Believe in the ancestors."
Xue Tianqing smiled: "You can't say they are wrong about this. After all, the so-called gods and Buddhas in the sky are all illusory. Only your ancestors can truly remain in your heart. What's more, Master also said that gods and Buddhas have never manifested in the Tang Dynasty. This How can we convince the people?"
Sanzang sighed again: "Bajie, follow me to the main hall to worship Guanyin Bodhisattva."
Xue Tianqing smiled: "Master, why don't you want me to accompany you?"
Sanzang glanced at Xue Tianqing: "You have no respect for Bodhisattvas."
After saying that, he and Bajie left the guest room and went straight to the main hall.
Looking at the backs of the two of them, Xue Tianqing touched her chin: It seems that what he said is really right. If it weren't for going home, how could she accompany him all the way to Lingshan?
Shanshuo Sanzang and Bajie came to the main hall to worship devoutly, put incense on the Bodhisattva's golden body, and then prepared to go back to the guest room to wait for the fast meal.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they left the hall, they saw Miaoyin and the two female nuns who had just greeted them waiting on the road: "Elder Tang, the meal has been prepared. I have sent someone to deliver it to your great disciple just now. If the elder does not give up, , how about fasting with us?"
Sanzang was about to refuse, but Bajie said before him: "It's up to you to do whatever you want, Master. Thank you so much, Master."
Following the wonderful sound, he walked through the hall and came to an unusually quiet meditation hall at the back. Seeing the table full of vegetarian dishes, Sanzang clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you, Master."
After the guests and hosts were seated, Sanzang said before he even moved his chopsticks: "Master, the poor monks and disciples came all the way and saw that the people's livelihood was in decline and the people were in poverty. Who would have thought that the food in your temple could be so rich."
Miaoyin smiled and said: "Although the people here are in poverty, they all have a heart for kindness. I would rather not eat or drink, but come here every month to donate incense. This is the result of my Buddhist teachings to save all living beings."
Bajie frowned when he heard this and said, "In that case, why doesn't Master help the people from time to time, so that they can appreciate my Buddhism in their hearts and be more kind in the future?"
Miaoyin chuckled again when she heard the words: "Master Wu Neng was joking. Even if we are willing to give alms to Buddhism, the common people will never dare to take them."
Sanzang asked in confusion: "Why?"
Miaoyin did not answer, but picked up the chopsticks: "Elder Tang, please have your meal first."
Seeing that the other party didn't answer, Sanzang couldn't ask any more questions, so he had to eat with Bajie first.
After the meal, Miaoyin ordered tea to be served, and then said: "Elder Tang, there are demons and ghosts everywhere on the westward journey. Have you ever thought about whether you can go to Lingshan Mountain and see the face of Buddha?"
Sanzang clasped his hands together: "When the poor monk left Chang'an, he made a great vow. If he cannot see the face of the Buddha and obtain the true scriptures, he will fall into the Avici Hell forever."
Miaoyin smiled again: "The heart of the elders can be seen in heaven and earth, and even the poor monks admire them greatly. Today I will replace the wine with tea and wish the two elders immediate success."
After saying this, Miaoyin picked up the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp. Seeing this, Master Sanzang and his disciples also raised their glasses in thanks.
Seeing the two of them drinking tea from the cup, Miaoyin's red lips parted slightly: "Elder Tang knows that if you live a life of dozens of years, if you are trapped in the green lantern and yellow scroll and don't know what's going on in the world, your life in this world will be in vain."
Sanzang was stunned when he heard this: "Master, what do you mean?"
"Instead of suffering the pain of being homeless, elder, it would be better for you to wait with me in this gentle countryside and spend a prosperous life together."
Sanzang was shocked when he heard this: "Master, what do you mean by this?"
After saying that, he prepared to stand up, but as soon as he stood up, he felt his body go limp, and then he sat back down.
Not only Sanzang was like this, but Bajie was also the same. At this time, his body became weak, his hands and feet gradually lost control, and he couldn't even use any magic power.
Miaoyin covered her mouth when she saw this: "Two elders, don't be afraid, this is not poison, but the Ruanjin Powder specially made by this temple."
When she said this, there was an expression on her face that Sanzang had never seen before: "Don't worry, elder, your body is still hard where it should be. Instead of becoming the blood food of monsters on your way west, you'd better do it with me here." A lasting couple.”
After saying that, they clapped their hands, and four tall and round female nuns walked into the Zen room, and they walked towards the back one by one.
Although their bodies were weak, the two of them were still very awake. They heard the wonderful voice saying: "Place them in the best room. Don't let them join those sloppy people and spoil the poor nun's mood."
At this time, Sanzang didn't know the purpose of Miaoyin. He never imagined that there was such a dirty thing in the lower courtyard of the Bodhisattva.
The four nuns carried the two of them to an extremely exquisitely decorated room in the backyard, put them on the bed, then locked the door and left.
When there was no movement outside, Sanzang said, "Bajie, what should I do?"
Bajie smiled bitterly: "Master, you ask me, who should I ask?"
"Yes, your senior brother is still outside. He will definitely come to rescue you and me."
Bajie gave another wry smile: "Master, I'm afraid that senior brother will not be able to protect himself. This Ruanjin Powder is no better than other medicines. It makes me unable to even use my magic power. I guess it is definitely not prepared by ordinary people."
Sanzang asked in confusion: "What do you mean?"
"Even if ordinary people prepare poison, how can they control it with the magic power of a cultivator?"
Sanzang was shocked: "Are you saying that this wonderful sound is actually a monster?"
Bajie shook his head: "This place is peaceful and definitely not a place haunted by monsters. Although Miaoyin is not a monster, I'm afraid she has some connections with monsters."
