Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

After another peaceful night's sleep, Li Shimin walked out of the palace in high spirits and saw Jiang Liuer waiting outside.

Li Shimin leaned closer to Jiang Liuer and called out, "Little Master, the sun is already high in the sky."

Jiang Liuer was startled and quickly stood up with a somersault. He wiped the drool from his mouth, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the evil spirit has been banished and reincarnated into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. From today onwards, Your Majesty no longer needs to worry about the evil spirit taking your life."

Li Shimin was taken aback upon hearing this, then became extremely excited and personally helped Jiang Liuer up: "Little Master, is what you say true?"

"Of course it's true. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can wait three to five days. If any more ghosts appear, I'll bring you my head!"

Li Shimin burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Three to five days later, sure enough, no more evil spirits came to claim lives at night. Li Shimin felt completely relaxed and immediately ordered the old abbot, Jiang Liuer, and Wei Zheng to come to the Taiji Hall for an audience.

In the hall, Li Shimin looked at the old abbot and Jiang Liuer and asked directly, "The holy monk of Jinshan Temple has solved my biggest problem, and I am truly happy."

The old abbot, being a wise and experienced man, immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune. The exorcism was successful, all thanks to Your Majesty's good fortune."

Although Jiang Liuer also bowed in greeting, his words were anything but polite. He said directly, "Your Majesty, you said before that as long as I help you get rid of the evil spirit that is haunting you, you can have anything you want."

Our Jinshan Temple is too poor; many of its buildings have collapsed, and we lack the funds for repairs. Could Your Majesty help us repair Jinshan Temple?

Li Shimin's expression was somewhat strange upon hearing this. It wasn't that he wanted to renege on his promise, but rather that no one had ever asked him for a reward so directly before.

Normally, shouldn't Jiang Liuer have been more reserved?

Jiang Liuer bluntly demanded that Li Shimin fulfill his promise, which startled the old abbot. If they weren't in front of the emperor, the old monk would have already beaten this audacious Jiang Liuer to death.

After his initial surprise, Li Shimin laughed heartily and said, "My word is my bond. If I said I could exorcise evil spirits, I would grant you any request. Now, I will naturally keep my word and help you repair Jinshan Temple."

The old abbot was overjoyed and bowed tremblingly, saying, "On behalf of the monks of Jinshan Temple, I thank Your Majesty."

Li Shimin looked at Jiang Liuer with a smile, becoming more and more satisfied. Such a genuine child was rare these days. Li Shimin waved his hand generously and said, "Repairing Jinshan Temple is a wish you have earned for the temple. Besides that, what other wishes do you have? Tell me all of them! As long as they are within my power, I will fulfill them all."

Jiang Liuer's smile grew even brighter: "Your Majesty, this humble monk loves nothing but delicious food. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, why not assign a few of the palace's skilled chefs to this humble monk?"

Li Shimin looked puzzled upon hearing this: "The imperial chefs in the palace are skilled at cooking meat dishes. How could you, a monk, eat them?"

Jiang Liuer patted his belly and said, "Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart. What does it matter if we eat some wine and meat when Buddha is in our hearts?"

"What a fine saying, 'Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart.' I grant it."

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he suddenly looked at Jiang Liuer and said, "Jinshan Temple is located in a remote corner of Jiangzhou, which is a bit of a waste of your talent. How about I personally fund the construction of a second branch temple in Chang'an, also named Jinshan Temple, and let Jiang Liuer serve as the abbot?"

The old abbot trembled with excitement: "If that could really happen, then this old monk would have no regrets even if I were to die."

They never even considered opening a temple in Chang'an and killing the old abbot.

"Since that's the case, then it's settled." Li Shimin made the decision directly.

The old abbot and Jiang Liuer stayed in Chang'an for several days before returning to Jiangzhou.

At the same time, the site selection and construction of the branch temple of Jinshan Temple in Chang'an officially began!
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year has passed. The branch temple of Jinshan Temple was officially completed, and Jiang Liuer came to Jinshan Temple to serve as the abbot.

An eleven-year-old abbot—if not the last, then certainly unprecedented—made Jiang Liuer's name resound throughout the entire Tang Dynasty.

In the Western Paradise, the guide, who had transformed into Amitabha Buddha, showed a joyful expression: "Jiang Liuer has arrived in Chang'an according to plan. We only need to wait for Jiang Liuer to grow up before we can begin his journey west."

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight years have passed.

After several years of development, and with Jiang Liuer's reputation as a "child prodigy," Jinshan Temple has become increasingly prosperous, with more than 500 monks alone.

Jiang Liuer remained as carefree as ever, drinking and eating meat every day, but he had officially become a monk.

After becoming a monk, Jiang Liuer, this pleasure-seeking monk who drank and ate meat, was naturally despised by his fellow practitioners. However, this pleasure-seeking monk was profound in Buddhist teachings, and no matter which fellow practitioner came, they could not argue with him.

Left with no other choice, they could only let it be.

On this day, in the West, Amitabha Buddha suddenly opened his eyes and slowly said, "The next step of the Buddhist plan can begin. Tell Guanyin to seize the time and not miss the best opportunity."

The next plan is simple, very important, and the core of this great calamity: the journey to the west!

If Buddhism wanted to expand eastward, it could either send people there or have people from the East actively guide it to the East.

Guanyin received the order and transformed into a streak of light, flying directly towards the human world, towards Chang'an.

In Jinshan Temple in Chang'an, Jiang Liuer, dressed in simple Buddhist robes, was sitting in meditation in the hall.

On the surface, Jin Chanzi appears to be comprehending Buddhist teachings.

In reality, Jin Chanzi was comprehending the mysteries of heaven and earth at this moment. He was already a cultivator who had reached the stage of refining spirit and returning to emptiness, and he was not far from refining emptiness and merging with the Dao.

Suddenly, all sounds inside and outside Jinshan Temple seemed to disappear completely, as if disturbed by some unknown force. The temple became extremely quiet, and Jiang Liuer could even hear his own breathing and heartbeat clearly.

Jiang Liuer had a bad feeling, but he didn't show anything unusual on the surface and continued to sit cross-legged.

Soon, an auspicious cloud flew in from the horizon to Jinshan Temple. Guanyin Bodhisattva stood on the auspicious cloud, calmly looking at Jiang Liuer.

"Jiang Liuer, do you recognize me?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Liuer slowly stood up, bowed to Guanyin Bodhisattva, and exclaimed in surprise, "Of course I recognize you. You are Venerable Guanyin. What brings you to my Jinshan Temple today?"

Guanyin smiled and casually praised him, saying, "You did a very good job in Chang'an."

Jiang Liuer smiled and said, "I didn't do anything. Your Excellency is too kind."

Guanyin said no more and went straight to the point: "I have come here today on the Buddha's orders to bring you this."

"What decree does the Buddha have?" Jiang Liuer's eyes widened, a look of curiosity flashing across his face.

"Buddha's decree: The Great Thunderclap Temple in the West contains the true scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism. You are ordered to go to the West to retrieve them. After you bring back the scriptures, Buddha will naturally grant you the supreme fruition and the path to immortality."

Just when Guanyin thought Jiang Liuer would be grateful and readily agree, Jiang Liuer shook his head: "Going to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures? No fun, and this disciple doesn't have the patience for it. Bodhisattva, please find someone else."

"Boring? No patience?" Guanyin even doubted that she had heard correctly for a moment.

A worthy successor of Buddhism, a person on whom sages place high hopes, is this all the ambition one has to bring about the great revival of Buddhism?

Guanyin's voice deepened slightly, "This is the Buddha's decree, how dare you disobey?"

Jiang Liuer laughed, “Your Excellency is joking. Would the Buddha force anyone to do something against their will? Besides, there are countless monks in the vast city of Chang’an who are better than me. How could I, at my young age, possibly undertake the journey to the West?”

All the immortals and Buddhas in the heavens were watching the human world, and they all laughed when they saw Guanyin being humiliated.

In the Heavenly Court, Haotian sat atop the Lingxiao Palace, laughing loudly: "Hahaha! The Buddhist sect was so eager to bring prosperity to the West, but in the end, their own nemesis has run into trouble. How interesting!"

In the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, a rare smile flashed across Yuanshi's face: "What a fine reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, truly remarkable."

Ever since the three traitors, Randeng, Cihang, and Manjushri, betrayed the Chan Sect during the Investiture of the Gods, Yuanshi has been eager to kill them. Now that he sees Cihang getting the short end of the stick, it's no wonder Yuanshi is happy!
"Jiang Liuer, you are truly remarkable." Guanyin looked at Jiang Liuer, took a deep breath, and said nothing more. Instead, she transformed into a stream of light and flew back to the Great Thunder Temple.

Meanwhile, on Flower Fruit Mountain, in the Water Curtain Cave, Manjushri Bodhisattva looked down upon this place.

It has been 500 years since Sun Wukong went into seclusion. During these 500 years, the Sun Wukong that his monkey followers have seen has always been a transformation of his own monkey hair.

The monkeys and their descendants have made considerable progress in the past 500 years; the most powerful of them, General Ba, has even broken through to the Xuanxian realm.

Sun Wukong secluded himself for 500 years, making further progress. His cultivation level is now at the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and he is not far from the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

There are two great paths he comprehended: one is the Law of War from the Chaos Demon Ape, which he inherited through his bloodline; the other is the Great Path of Illusion, which Sun Wukong created himself based on his Golden Eye of Illusion.

Sun Wukong, who cultivated both paths, possessed immense power, and thus sensed Manjushri Bodhisattva's arrival the instant he appeared.

Sun Wukong had no good feelings towards Buddhists, so he immediately left his seclusion and went directly to Manjushri Bodhisattva.

"Old monk, what brings you to my Flower Fruit Mountain?"

Manjushri was surprised that Sun Wukong's cultivation was at the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, only one minor realm lower than his own. His expression immediately turned serious: "I have a great opportunity to give to the Monkey King?"

"A great opportunity? I, Old Sun, am already in the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and I'm not far from breaking through to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. What kind of opportunity is worth fighting for?"

“This opportunity is enough for you, Monkey King, to break through to the Quasi-Saint level,” said Manjushri Bodhisattva.

"Why don't you go yourself if there's such a good opportunity?"

"Naturally, it's because we weren't meant to be."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "I, Old Sun, have never believed in fate. How about we have a match? If you win, I, Old Sun, will go with you. If you lose, you can do as you please."

Upon hearing this, Manjushri Bodhisattva's gaze narrowed slightly, as if he were weighing Sun Wukong's fighting spirit and strength.

At this time, Manjushri Bodhisattva's cultivation level was also at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, which was one level higher than Sun Wukong's.

However, Manjushri Bodhisattva also knew that Sun Wukong was the chosen one of the Journey to the West, with amazing talent, at least no worse than Yang Jian in the Investiture of the Gods.

Yang Jian's current cultivation level is also at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and Manjushri admits that he is no match for Yang Jian.

Sun Wukong's cultivation level was one realm lower than his own, but judging from the fighting spirit emanating from his body, he must have cultivated the Battle Law of the Chaos Demon Ape, making him no easy opponent. Even if Manjushri was one realm higher than Sun Wukong, he was not entirely confident.

However, Sun Wukong was crucial to the Journey to the West, and Manjushri Bodhisattva knew that he could not easily back down. So he stepped forward and said, "Since the Monkey King is determined to fight, this humble monk will come and learn from the Monkey King's skills."

After speaking, Manjushri gently waved his whisk, and the surrounding clouds and mist churned, transforming into a golden Buddhist realm. Behind him, a golden Dharma image appeared, solemn and vast, radiating Buddhist light, with faint echoes of Sanskrit chants.

Sun Wukong snorted coldly, and his golden cudgel appeared out of thin air, his fighting spirit soaring: "Old monk, stop with the fancy stuff, take this from me!"

Before he finished speaking, Sun Wukong's figure flashed, and the Chaos Demon Ape's battle law erupted. His staff, as large as a mountain, smashed straight at Manjushri with boundless battle intent.

With a flick of his whisk, Manjushri Bodhisattva unleashed three thousand silver threads that transformed into countless sword beams, meeting the golden cudgel head-on.

The two forces collided, causing the void to tremble, the sky above Flower Fruit Mountain to change color, and the rocks to crumble.

Manjushri Bodhisattva waved his giant hand, his palm radiating Buddhist light, intending to suppress Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong's eyes shone brightly with golden light, his Golden Eyes of Truth seeing through illusion and reality. In an instant, he saw through the flow of magical power in the Buddha's palm. His figure was as fast as lightning, dodging the Buddha's palm, and he smashed his staff towards Manjushri's true form.

"Is this the monkey's innate supernatural power, the Golden Eye of Illusion? Truly extraordinary!" Manjushri was secretly shocked, and the whisk in his hand transformed into a golden lotus, protecting his body layer by layer.

Sun Wukong, however, was relentless, pushing the laws of war to their limit. His staff flashed like a storm, each strike seemingly tearing through the void, forcing Manjushri to retreat repeatedly.

Seeing that the battle had dragged on without a clear victor, Manjushri offered up a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Seven Treasures Golden Lotus, which had been bestowed upon him after he joined the Buddhist order.

This lotus blooms with seven-colored Buddhist light, each petal containing supreme Zen wisdom, attempting to suppress Sun Wukong's fighting spirit with Buddhist teachings.

However, Sun Wukong's Golden Eyes of Illusion once again exerted their power, the golden light as sharp as a blade piercing through the illusion of the golden lotus and pointing directly to its core flaw in the Great Dao.

With a loud crash, the golden cudgel struck the golden lotus squarely, dimming the seven-colored Buddhist light, and the lotus was even cracked!
Manjushri Bodhisattva's expression changed, knowing that he could no longer win this battle. He put away the golden lotus, put his hands together, and said, "The Monkey King's supernatural powers are vast, and this humble monk is no match for him. This humble monk concedes defeat in today's duel."

Although his tone was calm, he couldn't hide the complex emotions in his eyes.

Sun Wukong sheathed his staff and stood up, laughing loudly, "Old monk, I, Old Sun, have said that if you lose, you're free to do as you please! I, Old Sun, don't care for that great opportunity!"

After saying this, Sun Wukong turned to return to the Water Curtain Cave, but then turned back and gave a cold look with his Golden Eyes of Truth: "If you come to Flower Fruit Mountain again next time, I, Old Sun, won't be so easy to talk to!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed softly, his form transformed into golden light, and vanished in an instant, leaving only lingering ripples in the sky above Flower Fruit Mountain, where the monkeys cheered thunderously, praising their king's divine might.

At the Great Thunderclap Temple, both Guanyin and Manjushri returned in defeat, while Amitabha Buddha, who was preaching above, seemed oblivious to their surroundings.

Duobao sighed, knowing that he now had to find a way to advance the westward journey himself. (End of Chapter)