Day and night tour

Chapter 432 Three Sticks of Buddhist Names
There are generally two types of reputation in this world.
One option is to dedicate oneself to honing one's skills, practicing diligently for twenty years, and waiting for the day when one achieves success and fame.

This kind of fame is hard to come by, but once you've accumulated it, it lasts a long time.

Another kind of reputation is the reputation of "deceiving the world and stealing fame," which is earned by doing some false and grandiose, empty and despicable things, and by stealing, cheating and robbing.

As the saying goes, "you can't hide fire with paper," and given time, the shady dealings hidden in this reputation will inevitably be exposed, leading to the collapse of the organization and the scattering of its followers.

This kind of fame comes quickly and goes quickly.
Master Lu Xue is a man of great desires, yet he is physically lazy.

If you were to ask him to diligently study Buddhist teachings in order to participate in Dharma discussions and debates at famous temples and among renowned monks, and to strive for a great reputation as a Buddhist, he would absolutely refuse.

"If one only devotes oneself to the dim light of a lamp and the remnants of books, worshiping Buddha and seeking enlightenment, one will become bored to death before even achieving great fame."

How did Master Lu Xue do it? Before he became a monk, he was a hunter who spent many years traversing the mountains. How could he not recognize some mountain spirits and foxes?
He made a deal with a wolf spirit and a wolf monster in the mountains.

Those wolf spirits and wolf monsters often led their minions down the mountain to do strange things in towns and counties, such as sneaking into some families and cruelly eating the children and the elderly.

No sooner had they started their charade than the sorcerer Lu Xue arrived to quell the demons, performing a perfunctory ritual. As a result, the wolf spirits and monsters ceased their attacks on villages and towns for several months.
Over time, the people truly believed that he could subdue demons.

Master Lu Xue thus gained a good reputation among the people, who called him the "Great Master Who Subdues Demons".
The common people are pitiful, little do they know that this god is also Lu Xue, and this trick is also Lu Xue.

Once Master Lu Xue's reputation spread, it was quite remarkable. Residents of the seven mountains and five ridges all knew that a very famous master had appeared in Maha Temple, and they flocked to donate incense money.

Meanwhile, some devout believers travel across several mountains to become monks at the Mahakasyapa Temple.

And then...
The money donated for incense naturally became the expenses for Master Lu Xue's extravagant and blissful life.

As for the monks from other places who came because of his reputation, they were tricked into going to the mountains by Master Lu Xue and offered as food to the wolf spirit and the wolf monster.

If we were to say that the number of Buddhist names is like the amount of incense burning, we would use terms like "one stick," "two sticks," or "three sticks" to describe the quantity.

That business of "scheming with spirits for skin" earned Master Lu Xue his first Buddhist name.

Zhou Xuan and Wuya Chan, inside the giant fish, only glimpsed a small part of Master Lu Xue's past, yet they were already quite astonished.
"Everyone in this world is born from their mother's womb, weighing only six or seven pounds of flesh and blood at birth. Everyone is more or less the same. So why do some people become so wicked as they get older?"

Wuya Chan immediately chanted the Buddha's name and exclaimed, "Excellent, excellent!"

Zhou Xuan sneered and said, "Some people only look like humans; in reality, they are ghosts in human skin. When their abilities are weaker, these ghosts haven't grown up and don't show their extraordinary ferocity."

"If you wait until his power grows, this demon will mature and become a monster that devours people and gnaws at their bones. Zen Master Wuya, just you wait and see, the demon in Master Luxue's heart has awakened."

"You mean he can get even worse in the future?"

"That's natural."

Zhou Xuan walked deeper into the giant fish to see what happened to Master Lu Xue, and Wu Ya Chan followed him.

……

Master Lu Xue conspired with the mountain spirit and gained fame, but soon he became dissatisfied.

One day, while drinking with the wolf spirit in a mountain cave, he lay on his bed and said indignantly, "Brother Wolf, how can I make a living?"

“Master, isn’t your life good enough now? You have plenty to eat and wear, and women come one after another to surround you. The only downside is that you have to sit in the temple all the time, pretending to be a hermit to deceive the world, which is a bit boring.”

"Food is divided into different classes, and clothing is ranked according to quality."

Master Lu Xue sat up abruptly and said, "Let's talk about food first. Master Zhao from the city has a business that spans three prefectures, and he's a big gourmand. Take fish, for example; he only eats the inch of fresh meat from the belly of the perch."
A meal requires dozens of fish to prepare just one dish; that's what you call a good meal.

"Speaking of clothing, when I went to the capital to attend the Great Buddha Assembly, the abbots of Baoguo Temple and Tianma Temple each wore a brocade robe with gold thread."

On the robe, even a small patch of fabric the size of a thumb could be embroidered with a remarkably lifelike Buddha head; the cost of this embroidery is probably higher than the gold thread used for it.

"If one's food and clothing reach that level, then one can be said to be living a good life. I have no hope of ever achieving that in this life."

Master Lu Xue lay down on the wooden bed again, sighing and groaning.

"In the end, it all comes down to money. To make money, you need a great reputation. But how do you make a great reputation?"

As he pondered this, the wolf spirit approached and said, "Master, I have an idea."

"tell me the story?"

Master Lu Xue became interested and quickly said.

The wolf spirit pointed south and said, "Five mountains to the south, there is a gray rat immortal who knows the art of plague prevention and is covered with lice."

"What is the purpose of these lice?" the monk asked.

"If you scatter these lice throughout the town, a terrible plague will break out. When the plague spreads and the people are dying, you can then seek out the Gray Rat Immortal and ask for some antidote to save the town from the plague..."

"...Tsk tsk, then you've made a name for yourself."

At this point, the wolf spirit swayed his body and said in a pretentious manner, "At that time, you will be—the supreme benevolent Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering."

After hearing the wolf spirit's words, Master Lu Xue seemed to see fresh shad and perch leaping towards him.

He saw in the sky, where one after another, brocade robes floated, fluttering like colorful butterflies.

He asked the wolf spirit, "Brother Wolf, Brother Wolf, where have I wronged you... Why didn't you tell me about such a good thing sooner?"

"It's not that I don't want to talk, but that the Great Immortal Gray Rat has a condition."

"What are your conditions? Just name them," the mage said.

"That Gray Rat Immortal is also a lover of Buddhism. He is thinking of entering your Maha Temple to cultivate, and every day he will also absorb the Buddhist energy, hoping to make a name for himself."

"This is easy to handle."

Master Lu Xue said, "In the Maha Temple, there is a cellar that was left for the Great Immortal Gray Rat to cultivate. It is a spacious and quiet place."

"If there could be two or three strong monks every day for the Great Immortal Gray Rat to enjoy, that would be even better."

The wolf spirit's phrase "perfect" actually meant "you have to agree."

Master Lu Xue pondered and said, "I'm afraid this won't work... If we could lure the monks out of the mountain to eat, that would be fine, but if they eat in the temple and someone sees us, I'm afraid my Buddhist reputation will be ruined."

"Don't worry, I have a good relationship with that Gray Rat Immortal. He is a cautious person who does things in a methodical way. He will definitely not be able to find a weakness in him."

After the wolf spirit repeatedly advised him, he finally dispelled Master Lu Xue's doubts and agreed to the matter of "the Great Immortal Gray Rat entering the temple".

Since that day, the number of monks in the temple has been decreasing, while the number of epidemics at the foot of the mountain has been increasing.
Whenever monks in the temple asked about the whereabouts of the missing monks, Master Lu Xue would use the excuse that "a great plague broke out down the mountain, and those disciples were all afraid and went to avoid the disaster" to brush it off.

If any disciple asked too many questions or pressed too hard, Master Lu Xue would naturally lure him into the cellar that very night, where he would become food for the Great Immortal Gray Rat.

This continued for over a month, and the epidemic worsened, affecting more than ten counties, with hundreds dying every day.

The first to become restless was the wolf spirit. He rode on the back of the wolf monster, donned a cassock, disguised himself as a wandering monk, and went to the Maha Temple to have a private talk with Master Lu Xue.

"Master, the plague down the mountain is getting worse and worse. Aren't you going to ask for an antidote and go save the world from suffering?"

"I want to rely on the great epidemic to gain fame as a Buddha. Naturally, it is this great epidemic, the more severe the better."

"Too many people are dying every day; it's against the natural order." Even the wolf spirit couldn't bear to watch.

Master Lu Xue smiled and said, "If not many people die, when I come to relieve suffering, how will the world know that I possess supernatural powers and am like an ancient Buddha descending to earth?"
If those hundreds of people didn't pass away each day in front of their families and friends, how would the survivors remember my kindness?

Upon hearing this, the wolf spirit felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar, chilled to the bone—even this man-eating monster was afraid of Master Lu Xue's heartless nature.

He sighed and asked again,
“Master, your hometown village is also suffering from the plague—your wife, children, and parents in the secular world are also suffering from the great plague. Are you going to just watch them die?”

The wolf spirit hoped to use the family of Master Lu Xue to stop this absurd plague, but unexpectedly, Master Lu Xue smiled slightly and said...
"I am a monk, I have severed all worldly ties, and my six senses are purified. How could I be a monk?"

After hearing this, the wolf spirit said no more, cupped his hands and said, "Master, farewell."

From then on, the wolf spirit never saw Master Lu Xue again—it dared not see him again, lest one day it too become part of the master's "family"...

This plague, started by Master Lu Xue, lasted for fifty days and killed tens of thousands of people.

When Master Lu Xue descended to the mortal world with the antidote given by the Great Immortal Gray Rat, he earned immense Buddhist fame within a few days.

“These past few days, I have been reading ancient scrolls in the temple, hoping to find a way to save the world. A few days ago, I suddenly had an ancient Buddha appear in my dream and received a good solution to save the world.”

"In order to expedite the distribution of medicine, my parents, wife and children in the secular world died tragically in the epidemic, and I did not even go to inquire about them. It is pitiful."

Supported by tens of thousands of people, Master Lu Xue wept over the corpses of his parents, wife, and children, earning his last bit of fame during this great plague.

"Master, you save people from suffering and distress, sacrificing your own family for the greater good; you are truly a bodhisattva descended to earth." "You are the reincarnation of the ancient Buddha, a bodhisattva in human form."

"The people of the nineteen counties have failed the master. From now on, my Zhao family will fund the construction of the tallest and largest Buddhist pagoda in Huangyuan Prefecture for the master."

“I’ll contribute money too, I want to donate.”

Amidst the cries of the people, Master Lu Xue looked down upon the corpses of his family members.
Having achieved his goal and gained immense fame without bearing the stigma of murder, he was naturally overjoyed and let out a series of sobbing laughs.

This is the second Buddhist name inscribed by Master Lu Xue.

He quickly rose to become a renowned monk in Huangyuan Prefecture.

"What a cruel heart, what a cruel monk."

Wuya Chan was at a loss for words.

"In the heart of this fish monk, there dwells not a ghost, but a demon."

Zhou Xuan said, "It's just a pity that the people of the whole city are using their meager income day and night to diligently support this demon."

Wuya Chan sighed again and said, "Seeing Master Luxue like this, it is not difficult to understand the heinous crimes committed by the ancient Buddha back then, which disregarded human ethics."

"Um……"

Zhou Xuan seemed to have heard some big news.

It seems that the ancient Buddha has always had a good reputation among the people of Jing, but now, after hearing what Wuya Chan said, it seems that this is not the case.

What exactly did the ancient Buddha do that makes him worthy of being compared to Master Lu Xue?
"If the ancient Buddha was truly good and pure, why would he need to transform into the Twenty-One Dhyanas?"

Wuya Chan was unwilling to talk much about the ancient Buddha; on the contrary, he wanted to discuss disaster relief with Zhou Xuan.

He asked Zhou Xuan, "Master, both were disasters, yet during the Zoroastrian fire, you tirelessly worked to raise grain and money for the people of Mingjiang Prefecture, maintaining order, fearing that even an innocent person might die."

But after you saved the entire prefecture, you seemed indifferent to your reputation; when the common people wanted to kneel before you, you wouldn't allow it—

Why did you do that?

Zhou Xuan found Wuya Chan's question strange and tilted his head, saying, "Shouldn't it be like this?"

"You really don't want anything in return?"

"The picture."

"What are you planning?"

"May every household and every person be safe and healthy."

At this point in Zhou Xuan's speech, Wuya Chan finally couldn't hold back and bowed deeply to Zhou Xuan: "At this moment, I deeply understand why the remnant will of the ancient Buddha chose you to guide me."

If we're talking about Buddhist titles, even the ancient Buddha can't compare to the Great Master.

Zhou Xuan quickly helped Wuya Chan up and said, "That's too mushy. Actually, I'm just a normal person."

What defines a "normal person"?

"To live, one must have the flavor of humanity."

"I once heard a particularly sentimental saying: 'If you've been caught in the rain, you always want to hold an umbrella for others.'"

Have you ever been in the rain?

"Before we passed, the rain was heavy... very heavy... It was still a winter not so long ago... There were iron gates everywhere on the streets..."

Zhou Xuan stopped there and went deeper into the great fish.

"He always thinks of holding an umbrella for others before the rain stops... Mr. Da is truly wonderful."

Wuya Chan had always thought Zhou Xuan was a remarkable person, but today he realized that this great scholar from Mingjiang Prefecture could be even more remarkable.
This wonder is both "manifest" and "secret," and it possesses unique wisdom and enthusiasm; it is the "supreme wonder" of Buddhism.

……

Further into the depths of the giant fish, Zhou Xuan and Wuya Chan saw the third incense stick of Buddha's name burned by Master Lu Xue.

The inscription of this Buddha's name did not encounter too many obstacles.

After Master Lu Xue gained immense fame through "relieving suffering and disaster," countless human vows actually broke through his physical body, allowing him to realize his true identity as the incomparably noble "Twenty-One Zen Masters."

That day,
At Maha Temple, the Buddhist bell tolls continuously.

That day,
Along the nineteen continuous mountain ranges of Yunlu Mountain, countless spirits and monsters worship the moon and pay homage to Buddha.

However, Master Lu Xue faced two choices.

He saw a golden Buddha, and he also saw a pool of crimson blood.

They were waiting for Master Lu Xue's choice.

"Six Desires Zen, come under my tutelage, from now on, turn back and you will find the shore." The Golden Buddha waved to Master Lu.

"Six Desires, you are a great fish, destined to roam the world and enjoy all its splendor. Become my disciple, and I will teach you the art of alchemy, allowing you to roam the world and become a unique deity."

The voice, filled with the blood, was extremely inflammatory, and the content of its words resonated deeply with Master Lu Xue.
Without a second thought, the monk walked towards the pool of blood.

The golden Buddha cried out, "Six Desires Zen, don't make the same mistake again... turn back before it's too late."

"I did nothing wrong, why should I look back?"

Master Lu Xue shook his sleeves and said, "If I were wrong, how could the people call me—the Great Sage Who Saves People from Suffering?"

"Alas, so stubborn."

The golden Buddha sighed bitterly, while Master Lu Xue rushed towards the pool of blood without hesitation.

This mass of blood possessed the body of the mage Lu Xue.
After successfully possessing the body, this mass of blood became extremely arrogant.

Using Master Lu Xue's body, he laughed arrogantly at the golden Buddha and shouted triumphantly, "Fame and fortune are all just a stage! I've achieved immense wealth! What is wealth? The human pills I refine in the future will be immense wealth!"

As for you? Old monk, let me give you a piece of advice—both cold and hot medicines are good remedies, but they can't cure the widespread coldness and indifference. How can your so-called supreme secret methods and world-saving scriptures possibly withstand the devilish nature of people's hearts!

After that blood completely merged with Master Lu Xue, Master Lu Xue became the Fish Bodhisattva, a demonic monk extremely skilled in refining human pills.

His first batch of elixirs took twenty years to refine. This batch of elixirs resurrected his family members—his family members, after their deaths, were made into "living Buddhas" by devout people, who used their flesh as the inner tube and sealed it with gold, and enshrined it in the temple.

When his family broke free from the golden seal, the fish monk's supernatural powers of "bringing the dead back to life, restoring flesh and bones, and transcending the laws of reincarnation" vanished without a trace.

This is his third incense stick bearing the name of Buddha.

A wicked monk, with a single leap, became a renowned Buddha in the human world, famous throughout the nine prefectures of the Jing Kingdom.

From then on, things went smoothly for him.
He first seized White Deer Mountain, then became a dog for the white cranes of the heavens, refining golden elixirs day and night.

Every day, countless believers come to the Maha Temple, drawn by its reputation, and then are quietly sent into the White Deer Mountain Cave, where they become brand new pills.

At the same time, he deceived the bitter ghost, saying that he had seen the god of the Yellow River in the Sea of ​​Bitter Tears.

By "seeking the gods," he also became a guest of honor of the Bitter Ghosts, and his influence permeated every corner of the city.

Maha Temple naturally became the prefectural temple of Huangyuan Prefecture—its prestige was so great that even Lu Xingzhou, who wanted to kill the fish monk, had to hesitate to do so.

The giant Buddha statue with the name of the Buddha, which had been inscribed with three incense sticks, finally crashed to the ground after encountering Zhou Xuan.

"The fish monk has committed countless evils in his life. Fortunately, we didn't manage to kill him just now, otherwise it would have been too easy for him."

After Zhou Xuan finished his reflections, he asked Wuya Chan, "Master Chan, on the day the Buddha descended and attained enlightenment, what did that fish monk see—a golden Buddha and a mass of blood?"

Who is this golden Buddha? And who is that mass of blood?

Wuya Chan sighed and said, "The golden Buddha is merely a wisp of the ancient Buddha's normal will that has been differentiated from it."

That mass of blood was also from an ancient Buddha, but it was a wisp of the ancient Buddha's will that had been corrupted..."

(End of this chapter)