From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 329 Hundred Ghosts Night Parade
Sometime later, the stars and moon disappeared without a trace, leaving only thick, dark clouds floating by.

There seemed to be a golden light hidden within the clouds, revealing traces of gold, as if waiting to pierce through the dark clouds so that the compassionate light of the true Buddha could shine upon the world.

Meng Yuan took one step after another, but his once light and graceful steps became increasingly hesitant.

Along with the person's entire body and even their thoughts, everything seemed to slow down.

With the combined power of the essence fire and the spark fire, all distracting thoughts vanished, and the mind regained its clarity, though the feeling of sluggishness in the body remained.

“I am not afraid of methods that involve entering into a state of mind or engaging in chaotic thoughts, but I cannot resist this great power that stagnates people.”

As Meng Yuan pressed the hilt of his sword forward, he pondered a solution.

The further you go, the more people you see around you.

Judging from their clothing, there were people from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, with bald monks and martial artists being the most numerous, and many of them were acquaintances of Meng Yuan.

These people trudged forward, muttering to themselves.

The voice was very low, but with so many people around, it sounded like the moaning of countless mosquitoes.

Meng Yuan remained unmoved by the chaotic thoughts. He listened carefully to the words of the people around him and realized that they were recounting their past sins.

Listening closely, these Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist priests, regardless of their usual behavior, all opened their hearts at this moment. Some talked about stealing in their childhood, some about being jealous of their fellow disciples, and some about seizing other people's land. One Confucian scholar refused to help his benefactor's young daughter when she was in danger. One monk swapped dog kidneys and ruined another man's wife. One Taoist priest conspired with a villain to rob someone of their birthday money. Most strangely, there was even a monk who actually killed his sister-in-law with his own hands.

After listening for a while, all they said were petty thieves and scoundrels, but when they recounted their past sins, they were all exceptionally devout.

As they continued onward, the murmurs of the people along the way changed again. They not only recounted their past sins, but also stirred up the darkest and most poignant thoughts in their hearts.

These Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist figures were all well-versed in the classics, but at this moment they displayed all sorts of ugly behavior; some wanted women, some wanted money, and some wanted power.

The more one lacks something, the more one desires it. This can even go to extremes. Some monks, in order to remain unmoved by women, wanted to kill all the women in the world; some Confucian scholars wanted to establish the rites of heaven and earth and intended to exterminate all the evil people who did not follow Confucianism; some Taoist priests, in order to live as long as heaven, even wanted to sacrifice all living beings in the world.

These people are usually kind and good-hearted; though they have ambition, they would never be so stubborn. But at this moment, they have clearly been provoked by someone who stirred up their evil thoughts, which then amplified them.

"I was so stupid, really. I only knew that my elder sister didn't get married because she hadn't met a good man, but I never expected that I would say so many good things about Meng Feiyuan and send him to my elder sister's side. I never expected that Meng Feiyuan would be so lustful. He got married, but he still seduced my elder sister. He clearly just wanted to sleep with her for free. If my Wang family loses my elder sister in the future, wouldn't that mean... Meng Feiyuan really deserves to die!"

On the way, they unexpectedly encountered Wang Buyi, who bowed with each step, his face filled with sorrow and piety, as if he were seeking a life without regrets in the next.

"What is all this nonsense? When have I ever coveted your eldest sister?" Meng Yuan slapped Wang Buyi on the head.

Wang Buyi ignored Meng Yuan and kept muttering to himself, as if letting Meng Yuan follow Wang Er was some great sin.

After walking a few steps, they unexpectedly saw Xuan Hui.

"They intended to harm Old Master Ying, but I didn't expect them to act so quickly. I got back too late... They all deserve to die, everyone deserves to die, they all should be buried with Old Master Ying!"

Xuan Hui, tears streaming down his face, continued climbing while muttering to himself, yet he also displayed a resolute determination to kill himself at any moment.

Meng Yuan followed Xuan Hui for a few steps, but didn't know what to say, so he could only walk quickly forward.

At this moment, Xiangling, hidden in her clothes, also began to mutter to herself.

Meng Yuan calmed himself down, wanting to hear what Xiang Ling had to say.

"Think of a way, get some eggs!"

"I'm going to be the old turtle who tricks the poet, and I'm going to be the old turtle who tricks the banished immortal! Third Grandma will never dare to look down on me again, and Grandma Ying will never dare to bully me again!"

"It's too hard for a young gelding worker to fight and kill outside. I need to make money, do big business, raise a mountain of livestock for him to geld, and let him do his old trade. Then he won't have time to go out and fight!"

Xiangling hid in Meng Yuan's clothes, her little head swaying as she spoke strange words that no one could understand. Her tone was not as mature and old-fashioned as usual, but rather full of heroic spirit.

Even in her dreams, she was somewhat pathetic.

Meng Yuan pinched one of her small hands, and the jade liquid flowed into her body like a thread.

In an instant, the sparkling energy within the jade liquid surged forth, Xiangling's body grew hot, and she immediately stopped having any random thoughts. Her little head tilted to the side, clearly indicating that she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Meng Yuan tucked Xiang Ling's little head into his clothes and continued forward.

The further they went, the more frenzied and outrageous the people along the way became. Their muttered words grew increasingly offensive, and their hostility intensified.

"When my senior brother first saw me, he glanced at my chest. Although he immediately looked away, I still saw it! In terms of size, I am much bigger than Jiang Tang; in terms of age, I am more suitable than Nie Qingqing! I also practice martial arts, so having and raising children is no problem for me. Why does my senior brother only get along with the two of them?"

On the way, they unexpectedly encountered Hu Qian, who was walking forward step by step, muttering incessantly, "And the Third Miss, she knows perfectly well that Senior Brother has designs on her, yet she turns a blind eye! What kind of logic is this? I'm going to castrate Senior Brother, cripple his cultivation, and once you all no longer want him, he'll be mine alone! Hahaha..."

"Is this good or bad?" Meng Yuan followed Hu Qian's side, took a deep breath, grasped Hu Qian's wrist, and let a trickle of jade liquid enter her.

Hu Qian had already entered the seventh rank, so she could naturally withstand more jade liquid than Xiang Ling. As the essence of fire and starlight flowed within the jade liquid, it immediately dispelled the chaotic thoughts in her mind.

Hu Qian's tears were still flowing, and her eyes were still blank. When she saw that it was Meng Yuan, she quickly reached out and hugged him.

"Senior Brother?" Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Hu Qian didn't let go, hugging Meng Yuan tightly and rubbing against him. She wiped away all her snot and tears, and her earlier lewd words were gone. She only whimpered, as if she was crying or making a fuss.

"Okay, it's alright now." Meng Yuan gently patted her back, then pushed her, but couldn't move her.

"Senior brother, you're bumping into me," Hu Qian said.

"It's Xiangling." Meng Yuan explained as he pushed Hu Qian away forcefully and pressed down on Hu Qian's shoulders with both hands.

Hu Qian left Meng Yuan's embrace, looked at Meng Yuan in front of her, and vaguely realized that Xiang Ling was hidden in his clothes. Only then did she regain some of her senses.

"Why didn't you go with the Third Miss?" Meng Yuan asked.

“The Third Miss was discussing matters with the Imperial Advisor, and I waited outside the door the whole time.” Hu Qian thought for a moment and said, “Later, after the Imperial Advisor left, the Third Miss asked me to find you, so I went down the mountain, but I hadn’t gone far when I started feeling dizzy and lightheaded…”

As she spoke, Hu Qian looked around and saw that in the dark night, there were many people. In addition to the warriors of the Demon Suppression Division and the monks of Lanruo Temple, there were also Confucianists and Taoists, and quite a few nuns. They all had a sorrowful look on their faces and a fierce aura. What was even more strange was that they were all facing the same direction, as if there was a way to transcend to the afterlife and a paradise on earth.

Many of these people were people I had met before, but at this moment, they were both devout and strange.

Dark clouds pressed down from the sky, with wisps of golden light peeking through them, as if a true Buddha were trapped within.

All the creatures on earth had lost their minds, yet remained oblivious, merely proclaiming their sins while rushing towards madness and struggling forward. In a daze, Hu Qian felt as if she had arrived in the underworld, where many people were waiting for liberation but could not obtain it, like a hundred ghosts walking at night.

Suddenly, Hu Qian remembered that the Third Miss had said that the Arhat Wusheng made a great vow in order to seek the Great Dao: he would not become a Buddha until hell was empty.

Its current form is probably not much different from hell. As long as the Arhat of No Birth has a thought, all the ghosts will be able to escape "hell" and enter the "Buddha-land" determined by the Arhat of No Birth.

"Senior Brother!" Hu Qian was terrified. She tried to pounce on Meng Yuan again, but Meng Yuan pressed her forehead down.

"Where is the Third Miss? Where did the Imperial Advisor go? Did he see Wang Er?" Meng Yuan asked.

When Hu Qian saw Meng Yuan asking a series of questions, she could only shake her head.

"Where are Miss Mingyue and Miss Ying?" Meng Yuan asked again.

"Before I was infected with the seed of thought, the two of them seemed to be saying they were going to ask the Zen altar," Hu Qian said.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan knew he wouldn't get any more information, so he pulled Xiangling out of his clothes and handed her to Hu Qian, saying, "This is not a place for you. Take Xiangling and go down the mountain quickly."

When he first arrived, Meng Yuan thought there would be many experts, but the deeper he went, the more uneasy he felt. Although he could act with his sword, there were many inappropriate things to do with Xiang Ling by his side.

"Senior brother." Hu Qian didn't dare to argue. She took Xiangling from her, but instead of holding her, she simply imitated Meng Yuan and stuffed her chest into it, making her chest look even more bulging. She asked, "Where should I take Xiangling to wait for you?"

“Go find Lord Cangshan. He will find someone who can protect Xiangling.” Meng Yuan looked down the mountain and saw that the night was foggy, and dark clouds pressed down in the sky. In the endless vastness, it seemed that demons were dancing wildly. “Or, someone else will come to protect us.”

"Senior brother, be careful." Hu Qian nodded blankly, then turned and went down the mountain. After taking a few steps, she turned back and said, "Senior brother, you must take good care of yourself. We haven't avenged Master Nie yet."

“I know,” Meng Yuan said with a slight smile.

Hu Qian said no more and ran down the mountain.

Seeing Hu Qian disappear into the night, Meng Yuan turned around and strode forward.

The people along the way were numerous, all of them devout and strange.

After passing through the mountain gate, continue forward.

Meng Yuan felt the stagnation in his body grow stronger, and there were more and more people around, all facing the direction of the Zen Inquiry Platform. However, his steps were heavy, and he could only crawl on the ground and squeeze forward little by little, his palms were worn raw, and even his bones were visible, but his piety did not diminish, and his frenzy was even stronger.

Looking up, one can see that the once bustling Wenchantai (a place for Zen inquiry) is still crowded with people.

On the Zen platform stands a lotus-shaped platform, upon which sits a person cross-legged, surrounded by a faint Buddhist light.

The lotus throne was several feet high, and the person sitting on it did not seem insignificant at all; on the contrary, he seemed to be able to stand tall and support the heavens.

Beneath the lotus throne gathered people from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, all sitting cross-legged in meditation, heads tilted back, showing devout support.

"Senior brother, the medicine girl has run away with someone!" Meng Yuan glanced at Lin Yan and slapped him across the face.

Lin Yan fell to the ground with a thud, then sat up. A handprint was visible on his left cheek, but he showed no signs of life. He simply said, "It's good that she ran away. As long as she is happy and well, I am happy. Being able to chant sutras and pray for her here, wishing her good fortune and many children in all her future lives, is enough for me in this life."

“She ran off with someone else. Having many children and blessings won’t bring you any children or blessings,” Meng Yuan said.

"As long as she's happy, that's all that matters." Lin Yan seemed like a completely different person.

"Senior Brother's realm is a bit too high to be admired." Meng Yuan smiled, then looked at Zhou Ying and Fan Ye beside Lin Yan.

Fan Ye sat cross-legged, his face devout, and murmured, "I beg Buddha to grant me a child."

What is all this nonsense? Unable to have children, instead of looking for the reasons within themselves, they want Buddha to help them?
Meng Yuan looked at Zhou Ying again, and saw her hands clasped together. He murmured, "The past cannot be retrieved. I hope Meng Feiyuan can realize his mistake and know who can help him!"

"They've all gone mad!"

Meng Yuan felt a gaze fixed on him, followed by many other eyes looking over.

Looking up, one sees the Arhat without birth on the lotus throne still resembling a true Buddha descended to earth.

Beneath the throne stood an old monk, Master Jiujie. The other disciples from the Western Buddhist Kingdom were closest to the throne, and at this moment, they did not seem to be lost in confusion, but instead turned to look at Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan stepped forward and onto the bluestone of the Zen Inquiry Platform.

The night was still and quiet, without the sound of insects or birds, and not even the wind could be heard.

But Meng Yuan calmed his mind and heard a faint Buddhist chant, as if it were being chanted by one person, or as if everyone in the area was chanting together.

I couldn't make out what Buddhist scripture they were chanting, but judging from the appearance of the people here, they probably weren't being given eggs.

Only at this moment did Meng Yuan finally see the Buddha's figure on the lotus throne.

The man had his eyes slightly closed, his hands resting on his knees in a finger-pinching gesture. He was bald and beardless, dressed in a tattered cassock, tall and imposing, with drooping earlobes and thick eyebrows like swords and halberds, yet his face held a compassionate expression.

Upon closer inspection, the person's appearance seemed to have changed. This was not a change in bone structure or skin, but rather a change in temperament.

For a moment, the man seemed like a true Buddha who had saved the world; for another moment, he seemed like a demon wearing a cassock.

If you want to find out the truth, you feel a sense of bewilderment, as if you are looking at yourself in a mirror.

The lotus throne was grand, and the meditation platform was vast. Everyone here was like an ant, including Meng Yuan. But this ant, Meng Yuan, stood up and raised his eyes.

The Arhat of No Birth did not open his eyes, but a faint Buddhist light emanated from his body, and his expression was even more compassionate.

Meng Yuan looked around and saw familiar faces; the Lonely Sisters were not far away.

Mingyue, still impatient with the method of cultivating thoughts, had already sat cross-legged on the ground, her mind wandering elsewhere.

Dugu Ying stood before Mingyue, her hand on her sword, her red cloak trembling, clearly suffering greatly.

"Meng Feiyuan, the Master is preaching, yet you still don't prostrate yourself!" Monk Jiujie stood up, standing below the throne, pointing at Meng Yuan in the distance, and shouted, "The Master is most skilled at saving people. Now, a great opportunity is before you. As long as you kneel down and receive the baptism of Buddha, you can be ranked under Buddha and ascend to the other shore of ultimate bliss together!"

(End of this chapter)