Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 543 The Unperturbed Person Seeks Treasure
—Shanbei Circuit, Fengming Prefecture, Duke Qin's Mansion

On the ninth day of the eleventh month of the 494th year of the Qianfeng reign of Emperor David, the deity in charge of the laws and regulations concerning taboos and auspicious events was in charge.

Today is the anniversary of the death of Zen Master Sejue, the founder of Benying Temple. As a Buddhist disciple of this generation, Gada is required to abstain from meat, alcohol, killing, and sexual misconduct, and to perform the ritual of applying compassion and wisdom, which involves applying white sandalwood to the forehead, dotting blood cinnabar on the eyebrows, and applying gold honey to the lips.

"Buddha's disciple, from whom did this letter come?"

Ga Da chuckled softly, then glanced at the table again before speaking slowly, "Nothing, just a friend from Shannan Road."

The woman took another step forward, pressing her soft body against Gada's broad back. He felt two hot mounds collide with him, and before he could speak, he heard her giggle softly:
"Is it that young sect leader surnamed Kang from Pingrong County? Does he have some trouble now, and knowing that the Buddha is kind-hearted, he's come to the Buddha for help?"

“No, not at all,” Ga Da turned around and began to speak softly and familiarly. After hearing two soft, wet moans, he finally spoke:
"His letter said that some of his clansmen originally lived in Sizhou, but their lives have improved recently, and they are about to move here. However, they have some disagreements with that wild monk named Huangmi from the Yunze Witch God Temple, so they came to me to see if they could see if they could resolve the situation and reduce the amount of killing Huangmi has committed."

The woman in front of him was burning hot and had difficulty speaking, managing to utter only a few words:

"This young sect leader has too narrow a vision and doesn't even know who the Buddha is. What difficulty is there for the Buddha? He only needs to send a letter, and those wild monks like Huang Mi won't be able to say a word."

Ga Da laughed out loud and pushed the soft, fragrant woman in front of him away: "She is, after all, a seasoned yogi, and the leading figure of my Tantric sect in the Shannan region. How could she be as despicable as you make her out to be?"

Although Ga Da said this, he did indeed, as Consort Ming had said, casually find a token and affix the spiritual seal. After all, Ga Da still wanted to earn this favor from Headmaster Kang.

The concubine who had just been pushed away came back up, draped in a thin veil. Before she could speak, Ga Da spoke:

"I have already spoken with Zhu Tong, the chief clerk of the Duke of Qin's mansion, about your family's relocation to Shanbei Road. There is a piece of land in Fazhou that is currently unclaimed, and we can move there within six months."

“Fazhou. Isn’t that the place of Wuwei Tower?” Mingfei’s beautiful eyes flickered for a moment, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"Haha, if you manage your household well, it will be yours in the future." Ga Da chuckled, slapping his hips, and urged Mingfei to speak:
"Hurry up and get ready. We have guests coming later, so dress nicely to entertain them."

Consort Ming feigned shyness and gave him a playful slap. Only after watching Ga Da leave the bedroom did she gracefully move aside and put on her brocade robe.

As she turned around, she saw a mandala platform with the Sanskrit word "compassion" written on all four sides of the bed banners. This was a precious item that only high-ranking monks of Benying Temple could obtain.

The original intention was for monks to form a large mudra when lying down, resembling the reclining Buddha in Nirvana, to facilitate their practice. However, most eminent monks felt that performing joyful activities on the mudra was twice as effective, which is considered to have another wonderful use.

Consort Ming saw only slender arms and waists lying on the platform, all as white as jade and as delicate as frost, yet adorned with red plum blossoms, making one feel that there was no life in them.

Mingfei was clearly used to such tragic deaths. She simply called over the chained eunuch beside her and whispered, "The Buddha was in high spirits yesterday, but these women are not fortunate enough to enjoy them."

The long-browed eunuch was very perceptive and immediately understood: "I will clean up later so as not to delay Baochai, Mingfei and the Buddhist monk's practice tonight."

“Hmm,” Baochai and Mingfei nodded for a moment, then continued:
“The maidservants have a list, which clearly shows which family sent these women as tribute. Each family should allocate some provisions from the treasury according to the old custom, to keep them quiet and prevent them from tarnishing the Buddha’s reputation. Also, have them send some more good things over, so as not to disturb the Buddha’s mood.”

"Yes, I understand."

"Go down and summon the robe-servant to help me undress. The Buddha has guests who need my service."

"Yes,"

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When Ga Da saw Bu Se, who had just attained the Golden Elixir, enter his hall, the latter still had a hint of unease in his eyes that was hard to conceal.

That makes sense, considering that this person was just an eighth-rank steward in the original Buddhist sect in his early years, a nobody with almost no spiritual path.

It was only by daring to come to Shannan Road to make a living that he was able to take up the position of Chief Secretary in the Sima family of Fei Nanying after giving up his original status as a Buddhist disciple, and then follow Hunmei to form the Golden Elixir and attain the status of a Master.

Such individuals, who have no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage and whose path to enlightenment is fraught with difficulty, are not particularly valuable under the Manifestation Sect, and are far from being comparable to Ga Da, the Buddhist disciple of Benying Temple.

Moreover, the relationship between the two was awkward. After all, although the Yuanfu Sect and Benying Temple both belonged to the Buddhist tradition, one was the ancestor of the current Mahayana sect and the other was the source of the Davidic sect. Therefore, the two rarely interacted.

To be honest, the relationship between the two families is not as close as that with many other families of different schools of thought.

Therefore, it was quite a rare and extraordinary event that Buse was able to visit this time. This aroused the curiosity of Ga Da, who always prided himself on being able to calculate everything, and he came early to wait.

May all Buddhist friends attain Buddhahood soon.

"May the Buddha's disciple be well."

After exchanging greetings, the two took their seats as host and guest. Ga Da used his finger as a knife to cut off a piece of dark brown tea brick, about the size of a human head, from the table. He then placed it into the boiling Snowfield Spirit Liquid, which contained blood essence, and cooked it carefully.

A pungent, indescribable odor immediately filled the hall. While Bu Se remained unfazed, Ga Da found it delightful and laughed, saying:
"This bitter blood tea was kindly given to me by the Zen Master before I left the temple. The Zen Master told me that it had been enshrined in a prayer wheel at the foot of the Great Snow Mountain for a thousand years, and its Buddhist power is extremely pure. I have heard that you are a good tea connoisseur, so please try it. I hope you will not find it unpalatable."

Bu Se had never been a tea drinker before, but upon hearing Ga Da's words, he readily agreed and drank it all down, suppressing the churning in his stomach. He then praised it against his conscience, saying, "It is indeed good tea. The first sip felt like enlightenment under the Bodhi tree; I almost had a sudden awakening."

"Haha, if that's the case, please have a few more cups, fellow Buddhist." Ga Da's smile deepened. He was quite composed and didn't inquire about the purpose of this visit. He simply offered tea, acting like a genuinely hospitable host.

The more he drank this tea, the stronger his inner will became, and the fuller his spiritual energy became, almost surpassing the cultivation of an ordinary monk for half a year. However, Bu Se felt that the spiritual energy in his body seemed to have been stained with a trace of blood.

Although this posed no great threat to him, if an ordinary shaman were not careful, it would be inevitable that he would suffer a qi deviation in the future. This made him curse inwardly, "That little bald thief is truly vicious."

It's obvious that if he didn't speak at this moment, it would be somewhat inconsistent with his status as a newly appointed gaja master.

So he put down the gold teacup in his hand, put his palms together and said, "I hope you know, Buddhist disciple, that I have come to your door today with an important matter that I must tell you."

Upon hearing this, Ga Da seemed uninterested, merely raising an eyebrow slightly. He then poured tea and asked in a low voice, "Oh, is that so? May I speak frankly, fellow Buddhist? I am not a petty person. If it is truly an important matter, I will certainly help you attain Buddhahood."

Whether it was Ga Da's imagination or not, after hearing the sound, Bu Se's interest was greatly aroused again. After pondering for a while, he spoke again:
"Reporting to the Buddha, the Imperial Guard General Shu Zhengde said during the grand discussion at the Duke's residence the other day: 'The Benying Temple has always been fickle, and the officials of the Duke's residence should not have any expectations. Ga Da is the current Buddha of the Benying Temple. Even if he is not favored by the abbot Ge Lie, he is still a threat. The officials should be cautious. Perhaps his life can be spared, but he should not be allowed to return to the temple, lest he cause further trouble.'"

As soon as Bu Se finished speaking, Ga Da paused in his hand holding the teapot, but his smile remained unchanged. He didn't reply, but simply said again, "Have some tea, have some tea."

"The Duke did not respond at the time, but the Marquis of Gucheng, Fei Nanying, spoke up in the hall: 'Gada is an envoy, how can he be treated like a hostage? Wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Duke's mansion?!' The discussion in the hall continued, and it was only after the chief clerk, Zhu Tong, advised that it be discussed later that the Duke agreed and the controversy was quelled."

When Buse spoke these words, his expression became much more serious: "Please, Buddhist disciple, make preparations as soon as possible."

Garda bowed and expressed his gratitude, but his face showed no sign of worry: "Thank you for your kindness, fellow Buddhist. I understand. The monks of the Great Snow Mountain are always upright and honest, believing in repaying kindness and not speaking falsehoods. Please speak frankly, fellow Buddhist. What do you want from me?"

Buse, accustomed to Zen riddles, was clearly taken aback. After a few breaths, he calmed down and replied in the same tone as Ga Da:

"When I was in the sect, I heard that Benying Temple had a copy of the 'Samye Rainbow Lock Hidden Treasure Record,' which is a wonderful Buddhist text. I wonder if any Buddhist disciple would be willing to part with it and lend it to me for a few months to appreciate?"

The latter nodded for a moment, his eyes showing genuine appreciation, and then said:
“My fellow Buddhists are indeed discerning. This ‘Record of the Rainbow Lock of Samye’ is the most frequently borrowed book by Master Shi Xiucheng of Benying Temple for strengthening the foundation and cultivating one’s vitality. It can save ordinary people from wasting five or six years and then going through a hundred years of smooth sailing on their spiritual journey.”

As soon as he closed his lips, a beam of Buddhist light appeared at his fingertips. When it landed in front of Buse, it transformed into a silk scroll with a line of Sanskrit text on the cover, which was exactly the same as the "Samye Rainbow Lock Hidden Treasure Record" that the latter had mentioned.

Unable to contain his composure, Bu Se clasped his hands in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name without stopping. For a Buddhist monk, this was a state of near-tearful gratitude.

Garda showed no arrogance, but instead comforted him, saying, "I will be staying in Shanbei Road for a long time, and I will need the help of the Buddhist friends afterwards."

"Don't worry, Buddhist disciple. I will speak frankly and without reservation afterward."

Buse carefully put the silk scroll away and was about to take his leave when a fragrant breeze wafted over him. He looked up and saw a beautiful young woman, dressed in light and elegant clothes, walking gracefully towards him.

"Baochai, quickly serve tea to your Buddhist friends."

Ga Da's voice was gentle and calm. He was a very generous person. Even though his lustful eyes were fixed on that snowy white ravine, it did not make him feel the slightest bit dissatisfied.

"Buddhist friend, please have some tea."

Strangely enough, when I drank the blood tea served by Baochai and Mingfei, I didn't notice any saltiness or fishiness in it. It was truly like a fine nectar.

“My Buddhist disciple enjoys meditating and drinking tea with others. I would like to invite my fellow Buddhists to come more often so that they can talk to me about Buddhism.”

Regardless of how beautiful and charming the Mingfei in front of him was, the soft, sweet fragrance from her mouth almost made him lose his composure the moment it touched his face.

When the latter bit her tongue and realized what was happening, she saw the stunning beauty of Baochai and Mingfei.

Even though Buse knew perfectly well that he had just used seductive arts to disturb his mind, he couldn't utter a single harsh word. After swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva, Buse finally replied with a laugh, "Certainly, certainly."

At this moment, the eunuch who had just finished his work also came out to see him off, and it took him a lot of effort to see the lecherous man, who kept turning back to look at him, out the door.

After the guests left, Baochai Mingfei's alluring demeanor only intensified. As if her bones had been removed, she leaned against Ga Da and asked curiously, "You already have plenty of spies in the Duke's mansion, why bother looking for another one?"

The latter laughed: "It is rare for a Buddhist monk to come here on his own. It is not some extraordinary secret method. It is just that these wild monks still believe in those rumors outside. Why are they unwilling to give the true Dharma of Buddhism?"

The beautiful girl in his arms, with her hair wrapped around her hand and looking very adorable, asked in a clear voice, "This wild monk, in order to form the elixir, has used inferior methods and ruined his future. Does he still deserve the respect of a Buddhist disciple?"

"That's alright. Although his future is bleak, he is still someone who can participate in discussions in the main hall of the government, and he also has some connections within the original Buddhist sect. I have no shortage of these inferior methods; I have plenty of ways to manipulate and bring him under my control. However..."

Gadayan paused here, then lifted Baochai Mingfei's beautiful chin: "Afterwards, don't hold back. Quickly turn this fellow into a sex slave so you can control him at will. Since you're going to take in a dog, how can you be stingy with a few pieces of meat?!"

"Then the Buddhist disciple must make amends to this slave properly."

The two were unaware that even their private conversation had been overheard by the lecherous man who had just stepped outside. After the old monk parted from the eunuch, the lingering lust in his eyes vanished instantly, and he murmured:
"That's right. This Ga Da is clearly not favored by Ge Lie, yet his expenses are far more extravagant than those of previous generations of Daozi from Benying Temple. It's not that he's not being cultivated. Among his peers, his spiritual strength is perhaps only slightly inferior to that Kang boy from Pingrong County."

But his master, Jiada, is dead, and his lineage has been without a Zen master for nearly five hundred years. Are the monks of Benying Temple truly so selfless and impartial? Are they far superior to my original Buddhist sect? Or was Fu Neng, who died at the hands of that brat Kang, not the one truly to be devoured by the one from the Great Snow Mountain?

Meanwhile, the Grand Master Kang, whom Bu Se was talking about, had already arrived at the Crafts Department of the Duke of Qin's Mansion along with Fei Tianqin.

(End of this chapter)