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Chapter 474 Ghost Buddha! The Buddha of Wishes (24)

"Taoist Master, why are you searching for this ghost Buddha?"

The murderous aura lasted only a moment before Yunji's eyes immediately returned to calm.

"I am being targeted by a terrifying extraterrestrial ghost, and I have no choice but to seek the help of the Ghost Buddha," Zhuang Boshi said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Yunji slowly said, "Buddhism is flourishing in our dynasty. Ever since the great master Xuanzang came to retrieve the scriptures and founded the Yogacara school, officials of all ranks in Chang'an have been vying to worship Buddha. But I have never heard of any ghost Buddha."

Zhuang Boshi then told Yunji about the supernatural events he had encountered at the Da Ci'en Temple.

Yunji chuckled and said, "Even the scoundrels dare not deal with that ghost temple. You are truly bold, Taoist priest."

"How could I dare to say I'm bold?"

Zhuang Boshi looked helpless: "They're the ones bullying me, an outsider."

Yunji said, "That's right, no local from Chang'an would dare to go there."

"But fellow Daoist, you are the only person to have left the Ghost Temple in the last ten years. Do you suspect that Xuanzang is the Ghost Buddha?"

"However, according to my grandmaster, he personally accompanied the great master Xuanzang on his journey back to Chang'an from the west, but he never heard the great master talk about any ghosts or Buddhas."

"They only brought back eighty-one volumes of scriptures."

"He preached at the Da Ci'en Temple for over thirty years, and the temple was always packed with people. People even came from as far away as Jiaozhou and Liaodong. It's a pity that if it weren't for the Shenlong incident, the Grand Master would still be able to preach for us now."

“After that, the Grand Master disappeared without a trace.”

"Brother Yun, have you heard any rumors about ghosts or Buddhas in Zen Buddhism, Tiantai Buddhism, or other places?" Zhuang Boshi continued to ask.

Yunji pondered and said, "In the Lingnan region, there is a legend of the Water Guanyin. It lurks in the rivers and lakes, and every day, as long as someone hears its crying or is touched by its tears, they will sink into the water and die instantly."

"In the Jiangnan region, there is also a custom of worshipping clay bodhisattvas. In several villages in Wuzhou, a disease called 'yellow mud disease' has spread, and people need to consume the soil of clay bodhisattvas to save their lives."

"As for anything else, I haven't heard anything else."

"Yeah."

Zhuang Boshi's expression remained calm.

Dangdang Dangdang!
At that moment, three bells rang outside.

Yunji frowned slightly: "It's getting late. After three chimes, the Bad People cannot receive guests."

"Excuse me, please leave."

Zhang Xiaojing nodded: "This is the rule of the Bad Guys, we naturally understand it."

"Daoist Master, let's go back first. We'll invite Brother Yun out for drinks again in ten days."

"That's natural."

After saying that, Yunji left without looking back.

Zhuang Boshi and Zhang Xiaojing quickly left the study.

The candlelight in the corridor seemed to have become more dim and gloomy.

"It's the third quarter of the Yin hour, and we need to change the lamp oil, so the Bad Guard's residence cannot receive outside guests," Zhang Xiaojing explained.

Zhuang Boshi looked at the rows of black rooms: "Just how many vengeful ghosts have these rogue guards sealed away?"

"I don't know that. Not all the houses are filled with vengeful ghosts."

"However, the Bad Guard is the safest place in the world, with layers of sealing off the area so that the evil spirits have no way to escape."

Just as Zhang Xiaojing finished speaking, a huge explosion rang out.

He quickly turned around and saw that the thugs seemed to have received some kind of order and began to rush towards the backyard.

"Has a vengeful ghost escaped?"

Zhuang Boshi smiled and said, "It seems that this is not an uncommon occurrence."

"Let's go." Zhang Xiaojing was very embarrassed, but at the same time, he was even more suspicious that Master Zhuang might have some kind of karmic debt that had attracted ghosts.

Wherever he goes, something bad happens.

For the past ten years or so, the Bad Guardian has never caused any trouble.

As they walked out the door, it slammed shut, and then a huge blood-red rune appeared on it.

Zhang Xiaojing's expression was not so relaxed. He quickly said, "Brother, I'll take my leave now. See you tomorrow."

If something happens to the bad guard, he needs to report it to the Dali Temple as soon as possible.

"By the way, the Lantern Festival banquet at Hua'e Xianghui Tower is tomorrow. The poet Li Bai might even make an appearance. I must attend!"

After Zhang Xiaojing walked away, Zhuang Boshi did not go back, but went to a tall building next to the Bad Commander's Mansion.

Although his eyesight wasn't as sharp as when he had divine vision, he could still see the rogue guards clearly.

He now strongly suspects that Yunji is lying to him. Clearly, when he first mentioned the Ghost Buddha, Yunji's eyes flashed with shock, which was definitely not because he didn't know about the Ghost Buddha.

But he didn't say it, which fully demonstrates that this ghost Buddha is taboo.

Later, he became extremely perfunctory towards himself, clearly trying to get rid of the matter.

At that moment, all the villains rushed to the backyard, where a ghostly realm rose up.

Oh wow.

The practice of detaining someone has become ineffective.

He had originally planned to use some high-performance explosives to cause some damage, but now it had saved him the trouble. Zhuang Boshi took a step forward, cutting through the sky, and returned to the Bad Guard, finding the library.

He landed silently on the roof beam, skillfully slipped inside, and made no sound.

The Bad Guardian doesn't have any important treasures; the ground is full of hidden mines. They take more precautions against ghosts than against people. They probably never imagined that someone would sneak into the Bad Guardian's library.

Only a dim oil lamp illuminated the warehouse.

Just as Zhuang Boshi was about to land, his entire body floated in the air.

Because a trembling figure was wandering in the warehouse, carrying a green lantern, with only one eye, walking with uneven steps.

Not a human, but a ghost.

The villains actually sent a ghost to guard the warehouse.

Zhuang Boshi observed it for a while; the ghost's one eye scanned left and right, emitting a greenish light.

If I'm not mistaken, this ghost's pattern of killing was something it had seen.

Zhuang Boshi stood on the bookshelf, flicked his finger, and the coffin nailed into his brain, imprisoning the ghost directly.

Then, he swaggered over and started searching.

The warehouse was very large, filled with countless books from various dynasties, including records from the Tang Dynasty and biographies of vengeful ghosts from previous dynasties.

Soon, he found the records from the Zhenguan era.

In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Xuanzang returned from his journey to the west, bringing with him eighty-two volumes of Buddhist scriptures. He then lectured on the scriptures at the Great Ci'en Temple for thirty days.

The Emperor, upon seeing him, bestowed upon him a golden cassock, but Xuanzang declined, saying: "Though a ghost or Buddha may possess my body, it cannot be sealed with gold."

Zhuang Boshi was overjoyed.

Ghost Buddha, there really is a Ghost Buddha!

It really was Xuanzang!
The Emperor then asked: "Are the Ghost Buddhas, the saints who grant wishes, capable of fulfilling all the wishes of the world?"

Xuanzang said: "Emperors may only make one wish. If they exceed this, they will surely suffer calamity."

The Emperor said: "I have one wish: that the Tang Dynasty may prosper and that all under heaven may submit to it."

Next, it was about the Venerable Master Xuanzang and Emperor Taizong exchanging ideas about evil spirits during a sermon. Zhuang Boshi quickly scrolled down.

Finally, traces of the ghost Buddha were found between the lines.

Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi asked the great Buddhist monk Xuanzang and received the same answer.

Next was Wu Zetian.

However, after the Shenlong Incident, the current emperor Li Longji led his troops to besiege the Da Ci'en Temple.

He personally entered the main hall and annihilated the monks who had participated in the rebellion.

Afterwards, all the Buddha statues were destroyed, and the great monk Xuanzang disappeared.

After that, there were no more records of the Ghost Buddha.

It seems that the ghost Buddha disappeared along with the great master Xuanzang.

Li Zhi and Wu Zetian's wish was definitely to become emperors.

According to Xuanzang, everyone only has one chance to make a wish, and there is a price to pay for this wish.

If a second wish is made, no one will be able to pay the price, and a terrible disaster will occur.

This kind of wish is definitely not the trivial wish of a wishing ghost.

Emperor Li Shimin wished for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. If even such a grand wish could be fulfilled, then the power of the ghost Buddha must be many times stronger than that of the wishing ghost.

So what was the price? Was it his own crown prince, Li Chengqian, or the fact that none of his sons met a good end?
Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi made a wish, presumably when he was the crown prince, he probably saw the tragic state of his father and brothers, and secretly sought out Xuanzang to make this wish.

He succeeded, but at the cost of weakened health and loss of power.

Then came Wu Zetian, who learned this secret, which only the emperor could know, from her husband, and thus she also made a vow to become the emperor.

After Emperor Wu came to power, he carried out a large-scale massacre of the Li imperial family, precisely because he feared that some of the Li descendants would repeat his mistakes.

On the night of the Shenlong coup.

Li Longji surrounded the Da Ci'en Temple.

What did he do to Xuanzang?
He had made a wish to become emperor, but he was also worried about others, so he framed the great monk Xuanzang and completely hid the ghost Buddha.

To ensure that his empire would never fall to another.

The price was the death of three sons in one day.

All of this can be explained.

But why did Emperor Xuanzong seem to have divine assistance in the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era, which should have been a time of collapse, with the two major rebel leaders killing each other?

He then issued an edict of self-reproach and vowed to govern diligently, but it was like a dream that was too unrealistic.

Did Li Longji make a second promise?

Is it true?
Tomorrow will be the Lantern Festival feast at Hua'e Xianghui Tower.

We will be able to see Emperor Xuanzong soon.

(End of this chapter)