Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 239 Wen Zhong descends to the mortal realm to refuse the Arhats; Guanyin intervenes to seize the golden headband.

Wei Wentong nudged his mare, Red Lady, brandished his broadsword, and charged forward, followed closely by his personal guards who also rode out on horseback.

The Buddha-like zombies, who had been standing still and silent in the army formation, suddenly displayed the wrath of a wise king. With stiff steps, they quickly followed Wei Wentong and charged left and right.

Wei Wentong lived up to his reputation as a famous general of the Sui Dynasty. Although he was at a disadvantage, he made timely countermeasures and led by example to awaken the fighting spirit of his soldiers.

Seeing that their commander was not afraid to charge into battle, the Sui soldiers who were initially somewhat fearful were no longer afraid. They cheered and gripped their long spears and broadswords tightly to meet the Tang army.

Unfortunately, the Tang army had already fought more than halfway through the battle and their morale was at its peak. They left the Sui army with too much distance to advance, and their fighting spirit could not make up for the lack of opportunity.

When the two armies were a hundred feet apart, several cries of birds and beasts were heard. Demon kings and great demons from both sides leaped out of their formations and began to fight each other.

With a roar, Muleman Xin swung his spear with all his might at a horse demon opposite him. This horse demon was the offspring of Red Lady and other male horses. Its cultivation was only at the Divine Power Realm, just one realm higher than Muleman Xin's, but its strength was not as great. Muleman Xin smashed it into the ground with his spear, and Hui'er cried out in pain.

Li Xuanba then swung his double hammers with the speed of a meteor chasing the moon, smashing them down on a mule demon. This mule demon, like Mule Shixin, was also a product of the union of a horse demon and a donkey demon, and its mother was none other than Hong Niangzi.

Wei Wentong, riding on the horse Hong Niangzi, approached Li Shimin, who was riding on the back of Sa Zilu. Wei Wentong swung his sword, but Li Shimin parried with his spear.

Hong Niangzi opened her mouth to bite, but Sa Zilu twisted her body to dodge. Seeing that Sa Zilu dared not take the bite head-on, Hong Niangzi gained the upper hand and immediately let out a joyful hiss.

Unexpectedly, a short donkey suddenly darted out from the side, barked loudly, and kicked with its hind legs from a distance.

Hong Niangzi curled her lip and cursed, "Stupid donkey, how could I be kicked when I'm so far away from you?"
But in the next instant, a phantom donkey hoof suddenly appeared between Hong Niangzi's legs, striking her right in the clitoris.

Hong Niangzi screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground with a thud, causing Wei Wentong, who was on her back, to fall to the side as well.

Donkey Shiheng laughed loudly: "Little mare, do you know how powerful my 'jumping' talent is? Haha—"

Li Shimin's eyes turned cold, and he thrust his long spear toward the fallen Wei Wentong.

Sa Zilu then raised her horse's hooves and stomped on the head of the screaming Red Maiden.

Wei Wentong was about to be stabbed through the heart and cried out in his heart that his life was over, but at this moment a hand reached out and grabbed Li Shimin's long spear.

Li Shimin shook his wrist, trying to crush the hand, but found that the spear was gripped tightly and he could not move.

Li Shimin looked up and saw that the owner of the hand was a Buddha-like zombie with only the whites of its eyes, and he immediately felt a chill in his heart.

Buddha turned the whites of his eyes to Li Shimin and grinned: "Just a pawn to be discarded, he can be killed!"

Buddha Jiang snatched the long spear back from Li Shimin's hand, strode forward, and threw a punch. Li Shimin sensed something ominous and hurriedly shouted, "Brother Liu, save me—"

Liu Qing stepped through the air, grabbed the Buddha's arm, and threw it away.

"We who possess spiritual power cannot attack mortals. Otherwise, I will not only annihilate your soul and body, but also hunt you down to your lair and exterminate your entire clan!"

Unless it is an evil god, they would not attack mortals. The monsters in the Sui army's formation, although they were enemies, were only seeking merit and had never attacked mortals.

These Buddha-like zombies actually dared to attack mortals, especially Li Shimin; they were practically like evil gods.

“You Buddhist zombies, I know your origins. You disciples of a great sage religion, how dare you attack mortals! Your actions are worse than those of evil gods, you have truly disgraced your sage master!”

Liu Qing moved through the two armies, shouting orders as he captured all the zombies fighting in the battle and threw them aside.

Then he flashed in front of these Buddha-like zombies, pointing his dragon-shaped eight-tone cone at them: "Bald monks, you won't have a good life today!"

Donkey Shiheng, standing some distance away, looked conflicted and muttered under his breath, "If you want to insult a bald man, just insult a bald man. Why drag us donkeys into it?"

There were twenty Buddha-like zombies in total. Although Liu Qing intervened in time, there were too many of them to protect them all at once. Many Tang soldiers were injured by them, and now they were covered in blood, showing no signs of Buddhahood, but rather like demons.

Enraged by Liu Qing's insults, one of the monks leaped forward and said to Liu Qing, "This humble monk is Venerable Aniruddha, one of the Five Hundred Arhats. You are but a mere snake demon, yet you dare to slander the actions of my holy and great teachings?"

"I originally wanted to save face for the Jie Sect behind you, but you are ungrateful. Since that's the case, then we'll suppress you!"

“Yes, senior brother, although this snake demon is a disciple of the Jie Sect, the Jie Sect has long since ceased to exist in name only. Why should we be afraid of it!”

Liu Qing chuckled and shook his head without saying a word.

They are merely five hundred Arhats in Buddhism, not even at the Arhat level, let alone Bodhisattvas or Buddhas. How dare they presumptuously belittle the Jie Sect?

Ignorance is bliss. These five hundred Arhats are newly appointed disciples after the Investiture of the Gods. They must have never witnessed the prestige of the Intercepting Sect before the Investiture of the Gods, which is why they are so arrogant.

Boom——

A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Venerable Anilou on the head, blasting him to a crisp and leaving him charred black, while still emitting a rich aroma of meat.

"Is it you, you bald monk, who is slandering our Jie Sect?"

Within the thunderclouds, the Heavenly Venerable Wen Zhong, who responds to the primordial thunder and universally transforms, manifests his divine power and roars with questions. At this moment, he holds a huge ball of thundercloud in each hand, with electric snakes dancing inside, which is extremely terrifying and shows a tendency to strike again if he disagrees.

The Venerable Aniruddha immediately fell silent, bowing his head and daring not to speak. The other Buddhas also stood frozen, like gourds with their mouths sawed off.

The Jie Sect exists in name only, but its disciples are scattered throughout the eight departments of Heaven. The stars in the sky are mostly members of the Jie Sect. These Arhats are incredibly stupid to dare to openly slander the Jie Sect.

This is just Wen Zhong, a third-generation disciple of the Jie Sect. If Doumu, the Plague God, or the God of Wealth were to appear, you fools would probably suffer even greater hardships immediately.

Wen Zhong snorted coldly, disdainfully looking at the Buddha statue again, and respectfully greeted Liu Qing. Liu Qing transmitted his voice and said, "Nephew, your grand appearance offends Buddhism. Aren't you afraid of being blamed by the Heavenly Court and all the Buddhas afterward?"

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master. At worst, I'll just die. This bird god isn't doing anything right. I've wanted to die for a long time."

"If it weren't for the Investiture of the Gods, which would have prevented me from even dying, I would have ended my own life long ago. Why should I put up with their nonsense!"

Liu Qing's eyes flashed, and he had some ideas in mind. He transmitted his voice and said, "You can find an opportunity to come down to the mortal realm to see me. I, your martial uncle, may have a way to help you!"

As the strength of those who joined the fray increased, Liu Qing had no choice but to demonstrate his value in exchange for the full investment of the Jie Sect.

Wen Zhong's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly before disappearing behind the thunderclouds.

It seems that ever since they were able to bestow divine titles upon others, the gods in heaven, especially those originally from the Jie Sect, have become less and less cautious in their actions.

It seems they also realized that the Investiture of the Gods was binding them less and less.

Furthermore, with Liu Qing bestowing the title of General Fen Shui upon Shen Gongbao last night, he felt somewhat confident that his own special ability might be able to snatch people from the Investiture of the Gods. This was the reason why Liu Qing dared to send a telepathic message to Wen Zhong.

Faced with Buddhism taking direct action against him, Liu Qing had no choice but to demonstrate his greater value in exchange for the support of the Jie Sect.

Although Liu Qing no longer fears for his life after gaining control of the Jinghe River basin, he can still be suppressed and imprisoned.

Furthermore, there are many powerful beings in the Three Realms; who knows if they might possess the means to strip away one's authority to attain the Dao?

If his authority over the Jinghe River basin, which he had aligned with, were stripped away, then he would truly be in danger of losing his life once again.

Liu Qing suppressed the jumbled thoughts in his mind and looked at the twenty Buddha zombies opposite him.

These twenty Buddha zombies were all created by a wisp of Buddhist thought from one of the five hundred Arhats of Buddha Zombie, which then attached itself to the bodies of the dead Sui soldiers, turning them into zombies that were neither alive nor dead.

They were attached to the Sui army soldiers to help the Sui Dynasty fight against the Tang army?
Liu Qing wondered to himself, could it be that because he helped Li Shimin, Buddhism changed its strategy and stepped in now to help the Sui Dynasty destroy the Tang Dynasty for the sake of the Journey to the West?
But wasn't it to help the Tang Dynasty destroy the Sui Dynasty?
Does Buddhism not know that the Tang dynasty replacing the Sui dynasty is an inevitable trend, and insist on going against the tide?
Given Buddhism's track record, it's probably not that. Perhaps this time it's not about helping the Sui Dynasty destroy the Tang Dynasty, but specifically about Li Shimin?

Thinking about this, Liu Qing vaguely felt that he had guessed the truth, which also explained why Buddha Jiang had dared to defy convention and try to kill Li Shimin.

They wanted to get rid of Li Shimin and put someone else, Li Jiancheng, in his place.

Li Jiancheng!
Liu Qing glanced at Li Shimin, who was engaged in a fierce battle, out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that no matter how you looked at it, you and your brother Li Jiancheng were ultimately destined to fight each other at Xuanwu Gate.

After guessing the truth, Liu Qing's eyes turned murderous as she looked at the Buddha zombie.

Buddhist thought and divided soul are the same concept. If it were the original five hundred Arhats descending to the mortal realm, Liu Qing would still have to be cautious. But now it is just a wisp of Buddhist thought, and the cultivation level is only at the fifth level. Liu Qing kills without any scruples.

"To dare to slander the Jie Sect in front of your master, the last disciple of the Jie Sect, you must leave behind Buddhist thoughts to avert this karmic retribution!"

Having found a pretext, Liu Qing didn't waste any more words. He immediately unleashed the Panlong Eight-Tone Cone and smashed it towards the opponent's Twenty Buddha Zombies.

Knowing Liu Qing's prowess, the Buddhist zombies disregarded their pride and, led by Venerable Anilou, formed a bizarre Arhat formation to engage Liu Qing in battle.

That's exactly what Liu Qing wanted.

Seeing that they had joined forces to fight him and did not immediately think of escaping, he immediately sent out the Six Thorn Immortals, who took root outside the Arhat Formation in their true forms and set up a trapping illusion array.

In an instant, thick fog rose, and trees grew wildly, obscuring the sky and the ground in an unchanging direction. The fog was filled with pollen that was designed to confuse the mind, making the Buddhas drowsy and confused.

"Not good, fellow disciples, retreat immediately!"

Venerable Aniruddha mustered his strength and shouted a reminder. Then he slapped his forehead, and a wisp of Buddha-nature flew out, ready to escape from the illusionary array that bound the Six Immortals of Thorns.

Liu Qing had been prepared for this for a long time.

He immediately tossed the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, unleashing a burst of divine power. The Yin Jade Spirit Banner hovered above the Binding Illusion Array, spinning rapidly and growing larger.

In the next instant, the Yin Jade Spirit Banner grew to ten zhang tall. The three-zhang banner surface emitted strands of blood-red soul threads, like spider silk, which enveloped the entire illusion array.

The Buddha-nature of Venerable Anilou had not gone far when it was entangled by the blood-red soul threads spat out by the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, and then pulled toward the banner surface.

Venerable Aniruddha was greatly frightened and, though outwardly fierce, inwardly weak, shouted, "Stop! We admit defeat this time!"

"Liu Qing, we are both disciples of great sects. Do we really have to tear off our masks and fight to the death?"

Liu Qing scoffed: "You are nothing but a wisp of Buddhist thought. Even if your true selves were here, according to seniority, you would have to call me 'Uncle-Master.' Do you even deserve my respect?"

Liu Qing was not exaggerating. These five hundred newly appointed Arhats of Buddhism attained enlightenment after the Investiture of the Gods, and they were almost all disciples of the older generation of eighteen Arhats.

Liu Qing was the second-generation closed-door disciple of the Jie Sect, and was of the same generation as the Eighteen Arhats. Therefore, according to seniority, the Five Hundred Arhats had to call Liu Qing "Uncle-Master".

Liu Qing spat out another breath of divine power at the Yin Yu Ling Banner, and instantly the power of the pulling blood-red soul threads increased greatly, pulling the struggling Venerable Anilou's Buddhist thoughts faster towards the banner.

Venerable Aniruddha's mind trembled violently, as if he were terrified.

Suddenly, a giant hand descended from the sky, carrying supreme Buddhist light. Within the light, an angry voice rang out: "Stop!—"

Liu Qing was taken aback, then smiled and ignored it, continuing to manipulate the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, determined to devour this wisp of Buddhist thought.

As Liu Qing had guessed, as soon as the giant hand of the true form of Anilou appeared, a golden hoop came crashing down.

boom--

The golden hoop smashed the giant hand, and a muffled groan echoed from within the Buddha's light.

The golden headband spun around and a voice came out: "Junior brother, go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll hold off these shameless guys for you!"

Taking advantage of the moment when Venerable Anilou's main body was injured, Liu Qing suddenly pulled a wisp of its Buddhist thought into the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, then shook the banner. With a roar of pain, Venerable Anilou's wisp of soul thought was finally crushed by Liu Qing.

The Yin Jade Spirit Banner is the nemesis of all Yin spirits, demons, and divided souls of Buddhas. It can not only erase their consciousness and turn them into puppets, but also crush divided souls of Buddhas.

"Many thanks to Senior Brother Golden Hoop Immortal for his help! —"

Just as Liu Qing thanked him, another willow leaf emerged from the clouds and rolled towards the golden hoop: "I can borrow your true form for now, junior brother. I'll return it to you after our journey to the West!"

It was Guanyin of the South Sea who intervened.

After Guanyin of the South Sea abandoned Taoism and entered Buddhism, her cultivation level greatly increased, far surpassing that of the Golden Hoop Immortal. In addition, the willow leaf that flew out came from a section of willow branch inside her Jade Purification Bottle, a spiritual treasure of her enlightenment. This section of willow branch is said to be the original hollow willow of the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots.

Therefore, although it was only a willow leaf that attacked, the power it carried was no less than that of an ordinary mid-grade innate spiritual treasure.

The Golden Hoop Immortal's physical body, the Golden Hoop, is also a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, but it is mainly sturdy and sealing. Willow Leaf, with its softness overcoming hardness, completely subdued it.

Liu Qing frowned, about to throw out the Panlong Eight-Tone Cone to help, but unexpectedly, a mocking laugh suddenly rang out from the void.

“Cihang, you neither-male-nor-female, traitorous disciple, do you still remember me, Immortal Vairocana? Brother Ma, don’t panic, I’m here to help you!”

Suddenly, a portal appeared in the void, and a Taoist priest with his hair tied up with reed roots appeared. He threw out a magical flying sword and slashed at the willow leaf of Guanyin of the South Sea.

(End of this chapter)