Chapter 31

Hearing the adjutant, Little Bee, faint, this Ghost-faced Feng San immediately straightened his body. Glancing at the human head in his hand, he shuddered and hurriedly called out, "Bao Ge, Bao Ge, the deed is done, come over and clean up..."

Speaking, he placed the human head on the floor and dodged to the side—shivering and muttering, "Too scary, too scary..." He kept shaking his head, clearly unable to bear it himself.

Fortunately, Zunxuan Bao soon slipped over from the adjacent room. He respectfully bowed to the human head and the ghost lying on the ground, then took out a talisman paper, lit it, and sprinkled the ashes to form a line, saying:

"Whatever is sought, never forgotten; the path of the yin and yang, naturally has its destination; when welcomed, send it away... Command!"

The paper ashes suddenly burst into sparks, and the room was instantly filled with a flash of light. In the brightness, a shadow stood up from the ground, bowed to Zunxuan Bao, and then disappeared through the window into the river!

Only when the shadow vanished and the room returned to normal did Feng San run over. He first tightly bound the adjutant, then stuffed his mouth with yellow paper—next, he mustered all his strength and kicked the adjutant's buttocks hard... with the tip of his foot!

Finally, he felt incredibly relieved!

Pain woke the adjutant, and pain made him faint again, all within a second...

The two, following Ling Tianqi's instructions, sneaked to the backyard to find a rope, tied it up, and threw it down by the river, then slowly descended along the rope. Under the moonlight, they quickly found the path by the river and then ran up the bank, following the path at full speed...

It would take four hours to reach the city temple by the main road, and two hours to cross the mountain, but this time was more than enough for the two to escape—indeed, they reached the mountain without any commotion from the town.

Once they started crossing the mountain, they could no longer see the town. The two followed the stream as described, but the path was overgrown with shrubs and strewn with rocks, making their progress slow. Before long, both were drenched in sweat, with cuts and bruises on their faces and hands.

Following the stream, it wasn't specified whether they should be in the water or by the stream... Suddenly, Zunxuan Bao had an idea and jumped in with a splash—the water was icy, but he didn't feel it much, so he excitedly waved for Feng San to join him.

It was late October, and midnight, so the water was more than just cold. But Zunxuan Bao, an eight-year-old child, could still go downstream, and Feng San wouldn't show weakness, so he also jumped in. Thus, the two rushed along the stream.

Persisting often marks the beginning of trouble and illness...

Zunxuan Bao, without a soul or body temperature, naturally didn't feel much, just going with the flow. But Feng San was freezing, and by the time they reached the end of the stream and got out, he was blue-lipped, pale-faced, and shivering.

Worse, his body was burning with fever, clearly chilled!

This place was not far from the city temple, and there were wandering ghosts in the distance. Zunxuan Bao quickly searched and found an acquaintance—Cai Banjin and Cai Baliang were wandering in the mountains. He didn't hesitate to ask for their help.

But when he invited them, there was a surprise. Zunxuan Bao wanted them to go to the ghost market and tell his master and the old temple keeper, but these two ghosts were scared from the last incident and refused to go down the mountain. In the end, they only agreed to watch over Feng San while Zunxuan Bao went to report.

By the time he reached the city temple, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the surroundings were deathly silent. As Zunxuan Bao ran to the temple's stone square, he suddenly noticed something amiss—

A red-robed bhikshu stood at the temple door, wearing a chicken-comb-shaped hat, a vest, and a skirt with eight pleats, three in front, three in back, and two on each side. The outer robe was a kasaya, draped over the right shoulder and covering the left. The bhikshu was seven feet tall, broad-shouldered, and had a golden complexion, standing like a sturdy iron tower!

Around his neck hung 108 bone beads, smooth and lustrous like jade and carnelian, clearly very old.

The bhikshu was tall and bearded, with a radiant and dignified appearance, like a precious gem shining naturally. Zunxuan Bao felt a deep respect and awe at first sight.

Eight similarly dressed bhikshus stood beside him, their robes slightly yellow, their faces fierce and terrifying, clearly not from the Central Plains, and were his attendants.

Seeing this, Zunxuan Bao slowed his steps. Just as he was about to look again, he heard someone call him:

"Baoye, come over here!"

Zunxuan Bao was startled and saw Lao Lu and his group standing at the entrance of the tavern, but not his master. He ran over and asked, "Uncle Lu, where is my master?"

Lao Lu looked worried and pointed to the temple, saying, "The monk came to exorcise demons and subdue evil spirits. Your master and the others argued with him, and they decided to settle it through the Central Plains' Buddhist verses and moral cultivation. They are preparing inside—look, they are coming out now."

Both sides chose methods they were not skilled in, a common tactic in such debates.

The temple door suddenly opened, and the old temple keeper Liu Piyun and the yin-yang master Liu Piyun slowly stepped out, bowing to the monk, saying, "Amitabha, we are ready. Let's start according to the rules. Please, White Elephant Master, pose your question."

Seeing their solemn and dignified demeanor, with a radiant aura, and the holy light emanating from them, they no longer looked the same as before. If not for their old clothes, they would seem like living Buddhas!

The bearded White Elephant Master stepped forward, returned the bow, and said, "I will start with a prostration—worshiping the six directions, understanding the sudden enlightenment. What are the six directions, and what do they mean?"

Old Liu took a step forward and said solemnly, "The six directions are East, West, South, North, Up, and Down. They represent: filial piety to parents, respect for siblings, love for one's spouse, kindness to all, moral cultivation for the next life, and nurturing virtue in this life. Master, the Buddha speaks of the Four Noble Truths. How do you understand and interpret them?"

The White Elephant Master smiled and replied, "The First Noble Truth is suffering, life is like a boat on a sea of suffering. The Second Noble Truth is the origin of suffering. The Third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering, by abandoning desire and cutting off distress. The Fourth Noble Truth is the path to the cessation of suffering, through right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The Eightfold Path leads to the cessation of suffering, all else is illusion. Master Liu is well-versed in the Buddhist scriptures, and I am not far behind. Why don't we change the topic?"

Old Liu said seriously, "Very well! I am not as familiar with these scriptures as you bhikshus. Let's discuss something more worldly, which fits our debate today."

"Agreed," the White Elephant Master's demeanor suddenly changed, becoming more aggressive, "I have heard of Dou E, who suffered injustice and made three vows before her death: her blood would not touch the ground, it would snow in June, and there would be a three-year drought in Chuzhou. These three events were caused by your Central Plains' methods to appeal to heaven and reveal the injustice. Is this true?"

Old Liu had not yet answered when Old August stepped forward, his face calm, and said, "This was indeed done by our yin-yang masters. It was to clear the injustice for the wronged woman. What do you think of it?"

The White Elephant Master bowed and said, "I dare not, I dare not. The yin-yang masters must have their reasons, but I find this suspicious. It seems you yin-yang masters are in the wrong..."

Since the incident was from the Five Wheel Sect of yin-yang masters, involving Old August, he felt insulted and was about to attack—Old Liu held him back, saying, "Wait! This is a debate, not a fight. Why rush? Listen to his reasoning first, then make a decision."

"You... Fine! I'll listen to your high opinion!" He angrily withdrew his hand, "If you have no reason, you lose, and we won't discuss this matter again. Go back where you came from, and don't waste my time!"

Insulting his master was intolerable.

The White Elephant Master slowly said, "Dou E suffered a tragic and unjust death. Her first vow was natural and harmless. But the snow in June froze crops and livestock, causing many to starve and die. The three-year drought in Chuzhou led to people selling their children and even cannibalism. How do you justify helping one woman at the cost of countless lives? Master Wang, is this the teaching of your sect?"

These words shocked not only Old August but also Old Liu, whose face turned pale...

Back then, Dou E's injustice was so great that her spirit could not rest. To appease her, a master from the Five Wheel Sect invoked the three vows, which were widely praised. But this new perspective was unexpected!

The White Elephant Master continued, ignoring their reactions, "To help one woman, you killed thousands. Now you open a market here. Is this not..."

"Ha!"

Before he finished, Wang Bayue felt a surge of blood and spat out a mouthful!

He then collapsed backward!

Old Liu tried to support him but felt a surge in his chest and weakness in his limbs, and he also fell...

"Master, Master!" "Eighth Master!" "What's wrong? Brother Wang?"

Everyone panicked and rushed over. Seeing Wang Bayue's ashen face and the blood vessels in Old Liu's face, they knew he was emotionally agitated and his blood was not flowing smoothly. They quickly called over Cui Deyuan...

Cui Deyuan had been watching but couldn't see clearly, so he was anxious, tapping his cane and shouting, "Quickly guide me over, quickly guide me over... seal the qi hai and yang guan..."

Amidst the chaos, the White Elephant Master laughed loudly:

"You Central Plains people are hypocrites, willing to kill for personal gain. Tomorrow, I will come to exorcise demons and subdue evil spirits. If you dare to interfere, don't blame me!"

Laughing, he turned and left, leaving behind a piercing laugh!

PS: From the "Four Part Vinaya" Volume 3: "The Nirvana Sutra says, 'Listen to the acceptance of clothes and leather. Although various clothes are allowed, they must be dyed. The Ten Recitations says, 'All pure blue, yellow, red, white, and black clothes are not allowed.'"

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