The Great Seminary

Chapter 329 The Opportunity for Nirvana (Part 1)
Although the far east of the Xiangfan Kingdom is still part of the 'human realm,' it is clearly influenced by various forces from the 'underground realm,' making it quite powerful.

Viewing the issue from the perspective of powerful states in the heartland of the Ming, Song, Yuan, and Shan dynasties is no longer appropriate, whether from the perspective of aristocratic families or ordinary people.

Zhang Gui silently followed Lu Miaowen for a while.

As the crowd around them grew denser, it became clear that although those around them could not hear the chanting, their souls were certainly being bewitched.

A longing expression appeared on his face as he said to Lu Miaowen:

“Brother Lu, the closer I get to the ‘Daqisheng Temple,’ the more I yearn for it.”

"You frequently travel this trade route; have you ever visited the 'Da Qi Sheng Temple' before?"

Sweet Lake City is one of the waterway hubs connecting the "human world" and the "underground world".

The 'Daqisheng Temple' is the largest temple in Sweet Lake City and is quite famous throughout the entire Xiangfan Kingdom. I have naturally visited it.

But Buddhist temples and shrines, though varied, all retain the same essence.

It's simply that the more famous a place is, the more popular it becomes.

The more incense offerings a place receives, the more money is spent on incense oil, and the more magnificent and imposing the Buddha statues and divine sculptures can be.

In turn, it makes the temple more famous.

"I've been there once, just to see it for myself, why bother with worship?"

Zhang Guiwan never expected Lu Miaowen to give him such a 'down-to-earth' answer.

It felt like I wasn't misled at all; on the contrary, I felt like I was being completely open with them.

I was momentarily stunned.

Then another thought occurred to him, and he lowered his voice to ask again:
"Brother Lu, when you came to ask me to share a table this evening, was it unintentional, or did you have some other motive?"

"Of course, there's another reason," Lu Miaowen said with a chuckle.
In this "world of great strife," countless sons of officials, merchants, and powerful figures had their parents and relatives beheaded and were forced into exile.

Many of them headed towards the 'underground world'.

And you are just like one of them, tsk tsk tsk, spending fifty taels of gold on a boat ticket…”

"Damn it, it's just like it ate the 'Honest Red Bean Bun' from my favorite cartoon in my past life, Doraemon. It can talk and communicate normally with people, but it can only tell the truth."

I seem completely oblivious to the consequences of telling the 'truth'.

This kind of 'mystical' technique is truly terrifying when you think about it!
Is Lu Miaowen, who harbored ulterior motives towards me, still alive?
Or has it already become an 'artificial intelligence' that can only react to conversations?
Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have gotten off the boat, but now it's too obvious that I'm trying to slip away.

Let's just play it by ear for now.

Zhang Gui realized Lu Miaowen's sinister intentions and was certain that although he appeared normal, he had actually lost his mind.

He stopped paying attention to the 'puppet' beside him and quietly slowed his pace.

I plan to wait until the 'Daqisheng Temple' is full of people before following the crowd into the temple to check out the local customs.

Unexpectedly, as he slowed down, Lu Miaowen also slowed down to a snail's pace.

Seeing this, Zhang Gui felt a surge of anger.

But when he thought about how Lu's grandson had already become an 'artificial intelligence' that only reacted to his own behavior, he could only sigh.

Blending into the crowd, I continued my leisurely walk towards the 'Daqisheng Temple'.

After an unknown amount of time, all the living people in Sweet Lake City gathered around the 'Great Seven Lives Temple'.

At this time, many of the temple's Buddhist halls, shrines, monks' quarters, and meditation monasteries had been destroyed by fire.

Only the enormous Buddha statue with four heads and seven faces remains in its 'whole' form.

However, the seven faces carved into the four heads had been covered by molten copper and erased.

Below the toes of the Buddha statue. One monk and one layman, one old and one young, one short and one tall, the two are completely different, only their ordinary faces bear a slight resemblance upon closer inspection.

Surrounded by attendants and guards, he looked up at the sky under the bright moonlight.

The old monk suddenly smirked and cheered gleefully:
"My son, you have come, you have come! The day of your Nirvana is here!"

Upon hearing this, the young man's face showed extreme excitement, but he suppressed his emotions.

He said dryly, "Nāgārjuna, the Dharma King, is a monk without a home."

Without a home, there are no parents, brothers, sisters, wife, children, or elderly relatives. Please respect yourself.

"Qi Zhenyao, you don't understand."

One cultivates the Hinayana to liberate oneself, and cultivates the Mahayana to liberate all beings. There is no middle ground between the Hinayana and Mahayana, hence the renunciation of home.

But now I practice the 'original vehicle', seeking truth and freedom.

If you want a 'home,' then you naturally want 'parents, brothers, sisters, wife, and children.'

Qi Zhenyao was focused on "destruction and establishment," and according to his usual temperament, he would not get involved in "trivial matters" at all.

But at this moment, inner demons were growing, and no matter how he thought about it, he felt no pleasure. His face gradually darkened.

Just as he was about to say something more, Nagarjuna, who was standing next to him, suddenly reached out and covered his face, pressing down on his head and cheeks.

Those who were with Qi Zhenyao all knew that the relationship between the two was not simple, and many even guessed that they were probably father and son.

Suddenly, Nagarjuna Dharma King subdued Qi Zhenyao's vital points, which greatly surprised them.

Some made hand seals, others displayed their magical treasures, setting up their "stances" and shouting:

“Nagarjuna, do not make a mistake and bring great calamity upon the entire ‘original Sangha’…”
“My young master is the direct descendant of the Great Qi Emperor, and the future true successor of ‘Xia Que’!”
Such a distinguished person, Your Majesty, please be careful lest you bring unforeseen disaster upon yourself…”;
"Don't panic. I don't think the Dharma King would suddenly attack without a reason..."

at the same time.

The few unicorn dragons that had been lying down and lazily resting nearby suddenly roared angrily upon seeing their master.

They all straightened up alertly.

With a leap, it soared into the air amidst swirling winds and clouds, revealing its sharp fangs to the old monk.

Zhang Gui was hiding in the crowd in a distant, burning, dilapidated Zen temple.

Roots, growing longer and denser, sprouted from the pores all over the body.

He continuously expanded the range of the primordial energy vibrations he perceived in the air, piecing together a broader picture in his mind.

Finally, everyone was included.

Sensing the tense situation beneath the enormous Buddha statue, I silently thought to myself:

"Those so-called 'primitive monastic community' monks, even the worst one of them must be a top-tier Class B cultivator."

The one in the middle must be a 'Buddha' among the real people.

The leader, Nagarjuna, seemed to grow stronger the balder he became; he might even be an Arhat who had ascended to heaven.

Furthermore, since monks are naturally gifted at chanting scriptures, they are probably the culprits who have misled the minds of the general public in the city.

Now, inexplicably, they've turned against the disciples of 'Xia Que,' who were originally supposed to be allies.

What exactly does that mean...?

Suddenly, I sensed that next to the giant Buddha, under the moonlight, the roots of a giant tree that had been burned to charcoal broke open and sprouted a sapling.

The wind rustled through the leaves, making a sound like someone chanting scriptures.
"Thus have I heard. The Buddha was born in Kushinagar, near the city of Vajrapani..."

(End of this chapter)