Ascension to the Gods

Chapter 424 Breaking Through Mental Barriers, One Can Become a Wise King

Ma Wei grabbed Zhou's wife by the hair, stuffed the cloth strip into her mouth, and could no longer hide the lewdness in his eyes.

The girl in plain clothes was bound with rags and made whimpering sounds as she struggled, her eyes wide open, her pupils bloodshot.

Ma Dazhu lay on the ground, watching this scene, his body trembling violently, a sharp pain shooting through his eyes, from which bright red tears of blood seeped out.

My mother's last words still echo in my ears.

Ma Dazhu appeared dazed and confused.

A jumble of unclear thoughts swept through my mind.

Ultimately, these jumbled thoughts transformed into an indescribable, piercing pain.

Like dark, gloomy clouds, they enveloped Ma Dazhu completely.

"He is truly a filial son."

Calm words, clearly reaching my ears.

Ma Dazhu suddenly woke up, raised his head, and saw a scene he would never forget until his death.

The whole world seemed to stand still.

The wind outside, the dust under the stove.

The villager, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws, and the lewd-faced Ma Wei.

There was also a woman whose mouth was stuffed with a strip of cloth and who was struggling desperately.

All these.

It was as if everything had frozen in place for a fleeting moment.

Even the withered leaves stirred up by the dust storm froze in mid-air, no longer moving.

In this still world.

A cold-looking young man dressed in a black robe, holding a monk's staff, walked lightly into the wooden house and stopped in front of Ma Dazhu.

He stood there, blocking the sunlight behind him, so his face was not visible.

Ma Dazhu stared at the scene, stunned, speechless for a long time.

at last.

Ma Dazhu snapped out of his daze and exclaimed in horror, "Who are you!"

The young man in black glanced at him but said nothing.

Ma Dazhu forced himself to calm down, looked around, and saw the bizarre scene of everything frozen in place. He belatedly realized what was happening and exclaimed in surprise, "Such methods, could they be the work of gods or demons!"

next moment.

Ma Dazhu seemed to have thought of something, his face became excited, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing forcefully to the young man in black.

"Whether you are a god or a monster, please save my wife! I'm willing to give my life for her!"

Ma Dazhu kept kowtowing, with great force, until his forehead cracked open and blood oozed out!

The young man in black stood there, simply looking at him, remaining silent.

Until Ma Dazhu lost too much blood and was on the verge of fainting.

The young man in black finally made a move and gently shook his head.

See this scene.

Ma Dazhu's face immediately showed despair. He struggled to his feet, walked to Zhou's wife's side, and looked pained.

The kitchen knife was right at his feet.

Ma Wei's outstretched hand was less than a foot away from his wife.

but.

Ma Dazhu just stared blankly, without making any move.

"To be so blindly filial is truly a rarity in the world."

The young man in black spoke softly.

His tone was devoid of sarcasm, only filled with pity and compassion.

The world is foolish.

There is no other way but to save oneself.

If Ma Dazhu cannot overcome his mental obstacles...

Even if he escapes this calamity, countless tribulations await him thereafter.

Its final fate will remain unchanged.

I do not know how long it has been.

Ma Dazhu snapped out of his daze.

His expression had become somewhat blank and dazed.

He struggled to his feet and looked at the stove where he and his wife usually cooked.

Ma Wei and the others had already left this place.

Ma Dazhu walked shakily to the stove.

He lowered his head and looked at the lifeless, cold body of the girl.

Two lines of bloody tears silently streamed down his face.

Thereafter.

The vast Majia Village has lost Ma Dazhu and gained a taciturn fool.

He goes to work in the village every day, and if others give him food, he will eat some.

He wouldn't accept it if others refused.

However, no matter how others bullied and beat him, he never uttered another word from beginning to end.

Over time.

The other villagers also found it boring and said that Ma Dazhu had really gone mad.

This big, simple-minded man from Majia Village gradually faded into obscurity, becoming almost invisible.

Time flies by like a fleeting moment.

As Ma Dazhu grew older, his eyesight deteriorated, and his once strong back became hunched over. He could no longer do the physical labor in the village.

It was during a year of famine.

Ma Dazhu had no land to cultivate, and by the time his family's surplus grain ran out, there wasn't even half a grain of rice left.

Squeak.

He pushed open the dilapidated wooden door with some difficulty.

Over seventy years old, Ma Dazhu, carrying a package, limped out of Majia Village and headed into the deep mountains.

Until it got dark.

Ma Dazhu walked to the foot of the mountain and stopped in a grove of trees.

Beside the clear stream, there is a lush mound of earth, with a sturdy wooden memorial tablet standing in front of it.

There are a few words crookedly carved on it.

The tomb of my wife, Zhou.

Ma Dazhu lay prostrate before the grave, stretching out his calloused hand to cover his face, letting out a hoarse, indescribable sob.

After a long time.

I cried until my tears dried up and my eyes stung.

Ma Dazhu leaned against the grave mound, his cloudy pupils wide open, the scenery in his eyes gradually blurring.

he knows.

I'm going to die.

just.

Deep in one's own heart.

There is still so much pain and so much resentment.

These intensely intense emotions are constantly tearing at you with resentment and malice.

For decades, Ma Dazhu has lived in endless torment, day and night.

"Do you regret it?"

Suddenly, a calm voice came clearly.

next moment.

Ma Dazhu's eyes widened, and as if in a final burst of energy, he sat up straight and looked toward the source of the sound.

The young man in black robes, holding a monk's staff, stopped in front of the grave.

Decades pass.

Its appearance was exactly the same as before, without any change.

The passage of time has left no trace on his face.

"It turned out to be you!"

Ma Dazhu's voice was hoarse, and a light he had never seen before shone in his murky pupils!

"who are you."

Ma Dazhu struggled to his feet, looked up at the young man in black, and with the last glimmer of his life, asked the question.

The young man in black approached and looked down at Ma Dazhu.

His face was blurry.

Only a pair of eyes, cold and indifferent.

It sensed a gaze upon it.

Ma Dazhu below trembled, and whether it was his imagination or not, he sensed a trace of pity in it.

Do you regret it?

The young man in black asked again.

This was the second time he had asked that question.

Ma Dazhu paused for a moment, then finally began to think seriously.

After a while.

Ma Dazhu's body went limp, and he slumped down in front of the grave. Two lines of tears streamed down his cloudy eyes, and he sobbed hoarsely, "I feel more than just regret; I hate myself. But time cannot be turned back..."

He leaned against his deceased wife's tombstone, weeping bitterly.

The young man in black lowered his gaze, looked at the dying old man, and spoke his third sentence.

"The causes and conditions in this world are inherently unchangeable."

Speaking of it.

His tone had taken on a colder edge.

"But if you can truly break free from the shackles and see through the barriers of the mind."

"When we look up again..."

"Flowers and plants are the world, and sand and gravel are the human world."

……

The surroundings were noisy and bustling.

Ma Dazhu suddenly opened his eyes, looked down at his own strong and powerful arms, and his expression was full of horror.

"I've actually gone back to my youth!"

Ma Dazhu's pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly stood up, looking around.

In an instant.

Ma Dazhu then realized that this was his own bare thatched hut!

next moment.

Ma Dazhu couldn't contain his joy, his eyes brimming with excitement: "My wife! This time, I must save you!"

"That beast Ma Wei! I'll tear him to pieces!"

Filled with fervor, Ma Dazhu forcefully pushed open the wooden door.

The blinding sunlight entered his pupils, causing him to squint slightly.

His youthful body was full of power, giving him a long-lost sense of omnipotence.

Ma Dazhu was full of confidence, and his originally hunched back straightened up.

Even stepping out of the low wooden door requires bowing one's head to barely pass through.

"Ma Dazhu, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and let's go into the mountains!"

The shouts could be heard from afar.

Ma Dazhu looked up and saw many hunters in the village coming out of their homes and gathering in the square in front of the village.

A familiar hunter was waving at him.

See this scene.

Ma Dazhu stood there, stunned.

In his memory, the village organized a large-scale hunting trip only once, and that was before he met his wife.

"I did not go back to the time when my wife was humiliated."

"I haven't met my wife yet."

Ma Dazhu leaned against the door frame, his brows furrowed.

His burning desire to save his wife, no matter what, was met with a cold shower.

Ma Dazhu was not stupid when he was young.

in contrast.

In the eyes of the villagers of Majia Village, Ma Dazhu is very capable.

According to the original memory.

At this time, Ma Dazhu did not choose to go into the mountains, but instead carried a bamboo basket and went to the county town alone to sell medicinal herbs.

"No matter what, let's see my wife first."

Ma Dazhu made up his mind, shouldered a bamboo basket full of herbs, tucked a tattered cloth bag around his waist, and strode out of the village, avoiding the hunting teams heading into the mountains.

The closer to the county seat.

Ma Dazhu's thoughts became increasingly complicated.

He is very clear.

In a little while, he will be able to see the wife he has been longing for.

That was the person I had longed for for decades.

"Everyone get out of here!"

"Aren't you blind?!"

Several reprimands echoed throughout the official road.

Most pedestrians looked fearful and moved to the sides of the road.

Amidst the billowing dust, the carriage convoy sped past, displaying extreme arrogance and domineering behavior.

Although these carriages were luxuriously decorated, they drove recklessly, showing no regard for pedestrians on either side.

Behind the convoy followed dozens of wooden cage carts.

Each cage car contained many boys and girls with blank expressions.

Although their clothes were dirty, they were made of silk, clearly indicating they were not from ordinary families. The cages further back in the cart held the prisoners in increasingly worse clothes.

Several cage cars were emitting a pungent stench.

Clearly, some people had starved to death on the trains along the way, and their bodies, left unattended, emitted a foul stench.

"Several more people have died on this long journey!"

In a luxurious carriage that was driving alongside, specifically there to monitor the caged caravan, a man who looked like the steward pinched his nose, his face full of disgust. "Hurry up and throw the dead body out, and be quick about it!"

"Yes!"

On either side of the cage cart, guards immediately responded, opened the wooden cage doors, and kicked the rotting corpse out.

"Steward, there is also a poisoned maid who doesn't look like she will live much longer."

A guard walked to the back, glanced around, and reported loudly.

The steward glanced at her from afar and saw a dying girl with pale lips, a bluish-black face, and wearing coarse clothes. His disgust became even more obvious: "Throw her down immediately!"

boom!
Dirt and dirt flew up, and the girl was thrown down, landing right in front of Ma Dazhu!
She was silent on the cage, like a dead person.

But after she fell, her brows furrowed tightly, her bloodless lips moved, and she let out a weak whimper.

Amid the strange looks from passersby.

Ma Dazhu knelt down, staring blankly at the dying girl before him.

Deep within my mind, those unforgettable memories surged forth fiercely.

It overlapped with the scene before my eyes.

Ignoring the stares of others.

Just as he remembered, Ma Dazhu stretched out his strong arms, picked up the girl who was still breathing, and walked straight down the official road and strode into the mountains and forests, without being disgusted by the stench emanating from her.

He knew very well that the girl was deeply poisoned.

Without the herbs from the mountains, they would surely die.

Half an hour passed.

It's getting dark.

Ma Dazhu carried her all the way, and finally found a cave at the bottom of the cliff where they could settle down for the time being.

next moment.

Ma Dazhu took off the bamboo basket on his back, took out the herbs that looked like green willows, and without the slightest reluctance, crushed them into powder.

These herbs, called horse manure grass, are a good detoxifying medicine that grows deep in the mountains.

Although this medicine is excellent, it grows on extremely steep cliffs, which is very dangerous.

Apart from Ma Dazhu, who is naturally strong and tall, no one in Majia Village can find this herb.

soon.

Ma Dazhu gathered the chopped horse manure grass together and collected the green sap that seeped out.

Apply it to the girl's lips and face.

And all over her body, every part of her body that was exposed.

Ma Dazhu had been saving these horse manure grasses for five years.

Originally, I wanted to go to the county town to sell it for a good price so that I could buy two acres of poor land to cultivate after returning to the village.

only.

These precious herbs haven't had a chance to be sold yet.

Nowadays, it's all being used on young girls.

"It's still not enough."

Ma Dazhu sighed, looked at the faintly breathing girl in plain clothes, closed his eyes, and gently took off her smelly, dirty clothes.

He reached out a hand, crushed the remaining horse manure grass, extracted the juice, and applied the herb all over her body.

at this time.

It was completely dark.

Ma Dazhu turned his head to look at the empty bamboo basket and muttered to himself, "I'll have to gather some more herbs tomorrow."

The words fell.

He picked up the girl's clothes, walked shirtless to the cool stream, carefully washed them clean, and hung them to dry on the rocks outside the cave.

Day two.

Ma Dazhu was awakened by the cold mountain wind.

The moment I opened my eyes, I instinctively turned around to look.

Seeing that the girl was still sleeping peacefully, wearing his own clothes, and that her previously weak breathing was much more stable than yesterday.

Ma Dazhu breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression gradually darkened.

Everything.

Everything is exactly the same as I remember, without the slightest change.

"only……"

Ma Dazhu's expression was complicated. He moved closer, reached out, and gently lifted the girl's clothes off her shoulder.

A patch of pale green bruises had accumulated on her fair shoulder.

This is the medicinal effect of horse manure grass; after it takes effect, it forces out the pus.

just.

The girl in plain clothes had never practiced breathing exercises.

Even if horse manure grass is effective, it can only cause toxins to accumulate in one place.

If left untreated and allowed to accumulate, the stagnant blood will flow backward, eroding the heart and ultimately leading to a more severe death from poisoning.

Looking at those green threads, they were still spreading towards my shoulders.

Ma Dazhu showed no hesitation whatsoever.

He strode forward, grabbed the girl's arm, and bit through the flesh on her shoulder, sucking out a mouthful of bright green pus!

"vomit!"

Ma Dazhu looked pained, turned his head away, and spat the pus onto the other side of the cave.

However, a trace of emerald green remained between its lips and teeth.

After a few breaths.

Ma Dazhu's gaze suddenly became somewhat vacant.

However, it returned to normal after a short while.

Ma Dazhu shook his head vigorously, his expression becoming even more complicated.

next moment.

He turned back and continued sucking the pus from the girl's shoulder without stopping for a moment.

The residual pus, though not fatal, slowed Ma Dazhu's reactions and impaired his mental state, making him much more dull-witted than before.

This is precisely why Ma Dazhu was bullied after returning to the village.

If he were still as quick-witted and strong as before, none of what happened later would have occurred.

Time passed quickly.

During the day, Ma Dazhu sucked out the pus from the girl's body.

At midday, they risked their lives to climb up the cliffs to collect horse manure and other medicinal herbs.

A few days have passed in just a few days.

The girl in plain clothes looked much better.

Although she has not yet woken up, under Ma Dazhu's care and attention of feeding her water and fruit, her originally dark face has regained some color.

"Miss..."

Ma Dazhu sat on the rocks, lost in thought.

According to one's own memory.

She will wake up in a little while.

Until then.

Just like in her memory, she will know everything she did for her, be grateful for saving her life, and decide to accompany her back to Majia Village to become her daughter-in-law.

just.

This time.

After a long silence, Ma Dazhu dressed her in clean clothes, packed his bamboo basket, and left the cave, his steps uneven.

This was the first time Ma Dazhu had done something completely different from what he remembered.

Boom!
A heavy thud was heard.

Ma Dazhu turned his head and glanced at it.

Seeing that it was a scholar carrying a basket of books, he accidentally fell down.

The scholar landed where trees cushioned his fall, preventing him from sustaining serious injuries.

In the shadow of the steep rocks.

Ma Dazhu stood there, staring blankly at the scholar in the distance, his heart aching uncontrollably.

But he knew even more clearly.

One's mind, attacked by pus, will soon become dull and stupid.

If she is as I remember her, I will take her home.

Their tragic end will not change.

After a long time.

Leaning against the rocks, Ma Dazhu finally heard, in a daze, a gentle voice that was etched into his very soul.

……

"Young master, did you save me...?"

……

"You sucked out all the pus from this cave for me..."

……

"Young master, I truly do not know how to repay your great kindness."

……

The days and nights of life pass by gently.

Suddenly a world away.

Ma Dazhu couldn't resist.

They emerged from behind the shadows of the rocks.

He raised his head and looked at the person he had been thinking about day and night.

“That man had a full beard and unkempt hair; he looked like a wild man from the mountains. We should be careful.”

The scholar helped the girl in plain clothes up, his eyes filled with worry.

Ma Dazhu didn't speak, but stared at her intently, without blinking.

She turned around and glanced at Ma Dazhu, her eyes clear and bright, just as she remembered.

just.

She looked at Ma Dazhu as if she were looking at the flowers, plants and trees in the mountains. Her gaze was gentle, but contained not a trace of special emotion.

"We need to be careful."

The girl turned her head.

They supported each other as they walked further and further away.

The mountains and forests have returned to tranquility.

Ma Dazhu stood still, like a natural stone sculpture, seemingly integrated with the mountain rocks.

"What is trapped is not truly trapped. Hell is also immeasurably beyond our reach. We will be guided to the realm of rebirth, forever losing the true path, in order to relieve the suffering of all beings and illuminate the path from the world to heaven."

After a long time.

A chanting sound arose from nothingness.

……

"Do you regret it?"

A voice came.

Click.

Like a stone sculpture of Ma Dazhu, he subconsciously shifted his body.

He laboriously stretched out his sleeves to brush away the frost from his brows and eyes, and silently knelt down.

"I do not regret."

Ma Dazhu responded in a low voice.

In front of him.

The young man in black robes, holding a Zen staff, nodded slightly and said, "You have broken through your mental barriers and have this affinity. You can become my disciple and serve as a protector of the Bright King."

Ma Dazhu knelt down with a solemn expression and bowed.

just.

next moment.

Ma Dazhu raised his head, looked up at the Bodhisattva, and tears still streamed down his face: "I don't regret it, but I still can't let go."

The Bodhisattva lowered his gaze and remained silent.

Ma Dazhu knelt before the Bodhisattva, letting tears stream down his face, and asked a highly disrespectful question: "Venerable Bodhisattva, don't you have anything you can't let go of?"

This moment.

The world seemed to quiet down.

Ma Dazhu did not receive a reply from the Bodhisattva.

Only the sounds of all beings reciting scriptures, gradually becoming clearer, swept out from all directions and eventually filled the heavens and earth.

"In the netherworld, all living beings in the realms they observe desire to escape the ways of Heaven."

"All beings have prayed for countless eons, hoping to use the way of Heaven to illuminate the path of the world towards Heaven."

……

……

……

solar system.

Moon.

Jiang Jian suddenly opened his eyes, his expression more solemn than ever before.

The Scripture of the Netherworld Calamity.

The visions contained in this scripture.

It was when the Venerable Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva enlightened a Dharma protector king.

The real-life scenario presented.

(End of this chapter)