Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 170 Joining Hands to Kill the White Lotus
"Amitabha."

"Chen Hua, have you figured things out after these few days of meditation?"

"Once you enter the Buddhist gate today, it will be difficult to turn back."

Guangliang looked at the middle-aged man kneeling in front of him with satisfaction beyond measure.

That Pure Land monk finally did something decent.

You know, he was shocked when he saw Master Qing bringing people in a sack late at night a few days ago. It was one thing for the little monster to commit violence, but he also showed his face.

After seeing what Xu Xuan did after writing a personal letter, he shook his head in disbelief.

The reason I, an old monk, can maintain such a thriving temple by West Lake is because of my keen eyes and profound Buddhist teachings.

Being scammed once is bad enough, but you want to do it a second time?
So he politely opened the letter, intending to consider it carefully.

As I looked at it, I realized it wasn't such a bad thing after all.

The opening statement said that Lingyin Temple is a sacred temple on a sacred mountain, and that the master is a master of profound Buddhist teachings who is compassionate and helps people. It requested that Master Guangliang save this lost soul.

This man was an orphan, had a love affair with a clam spirit but no children, and in middle age his wife died and he lost his home, leaving him with no joy in life.
Hmm... this one seems alright.

Looking at the man on the ground, writhing in pain, he had come from the mortal world, experienced love and passion, yet was now free of all attachments and worldly ties. He was a fine prospect for becoming a monk.

Many monks had just left the temple, leaving a shortage of capable successors.

So she accepted the man.

Three days later, the other party also decided to become a monk, and the two parties headed towards what was right.

Today is the day to begin.

The ceremony for taking refuge in the Three Jewels, with its resounding bells and drums, will not be elaborated upon, since there are not many monks these days, and a grand ceremony cannot be held.

After inviting the Three Jewels of the Ten Directions to descend upon the altar as witnesses and protectors of the refuge ceremony.

Chen Hua began to express his feelings.
"This disciple has already..."

Guangliang nodded earnestly, then recited the "Confession," formally taking refuge and beginning his tonsure.

Seeing Chen Hua dressed in a monk's robe, he decided to bestow upon him a Buddhist name.

According to the order left by the patriarch, he should be... Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him; this was the connection between heaven and man, which should be followed.

"Let's call him—Qingyou."

Dang~~~~
The bell of Lingyin Temple rang very softly, so softly that it didn't even reach the foot of the mountain. There was no golden light, no chanting, no smoke, and no strange phenomena whatsoever; it was just an ordinary monk.

Meanwhile, the mad old monk outside Taiyuan Prefecture in the north glanced south, his eyes filled with malice like the turbidest tide about to surge forth, before disappearing again.

The fact that there was an extra monk at Lingyin Temple went unnoticed by anyone; it was far less interesting than the monks who went down the mountain to get married.

The incense burning at the temple for those seeking marriage has become even more abundant.

As a monk who became a monk later in life, Qingyou could not even read all the characters, let alone read Buddhist scriptures.

So every day he would study his lessons with the other monks, and the rest of the time he would take the initiative to clean the temple.

Holding a broom, I walked quietly in the yard, finding a rare moment of peace in this routine of life.

Guangliang was quite satisfied to see his disciple's calm mind. Buddhist cultivation emphasizes cultivating the mind, and as long as one's realm is high enough, magical power can be cultivated at any time.

Indeed, those who have suffered heartbreak are best suited to become monks.

Of course, monks who have suffered heartbreak also have their downsides.

"Ahem, Qingyou, that's the Three Lives Stone, you don't need to clean it."

Although Guangliang knew that what happened last time was neither Ning Caichen's fault nor the Three Lives Stone's fault, he still felt somewhat resentful about these stones.

There are three stones representing the "past life", "present life" and "future life" respectively.

It's about reincarnation, and has nothing to do with love and romance. But when people entrust their emotions, especially love, they are completely irrational. Seeing a lock means their love is stronger than gold, seeing a red bean means it's the symbol of longing, and even the roadside weeds can be associated with a green skirt and the tender grass everywhere.

The Three Lives Stone has such a good meaning that it cannot be overlooked, so many karmic entanglements have been created on it.

Last time, Young Master Ning absorbed it all, but in just a few days, there's already a lot more left.

Even Buddha couldn't claim to have saved all sentient beings.

Back in his meditation room, Guangliang looked at the palm-leaf manuscript on the table with a sense of helplessness. There were too few people in the temple he could entrust with his duties, so he couldn't just leave whenever he wanted.

The matter of gathering like-minded people to eliminate the White Lotus Dharma King has been delayed for several days. If we don't go soon, we'll be on different paths.

"I wonder if Young Master Xu of the Pure Land Sect has received the message. The siege of the White Lotus is a major event for the righteous sects of Jiangnan."

"Sigh... This happened so early in the month, this year is going to be tough."

After handing over the temple affairs, he left Feilai Peak.

Qingyou, unaware of when, returned to the vicinity of the Three Lives Stone and began sweeping again, only to find that the more he swept, the more fallen leaves appeared.

Chaos is already evident in the Jiangnan region.

The news spread like wildfire, and even the rogue cultivator Master Mao knew a lot about it and sent a report to Xu Xuan.

Master Zhisheng of the Prajna school intercepted the White Lotus Dharma King on the Yangtze River. No one knows how the master knew the information, but the encounter was a fierce battle.

The two fought fiercely for a day and a night, almost causing the river to stop flowing. The final result seemed to be that both were severely injured.

The Karmapa has fled to Jiangnan, seemingly about to unleash a major upheaval.

Master Zhisheng did not return to his sect to heal his wounds, but instead summoned his fellow disciples to continue the pursuit despite his injuries.

As for why a monk who emphasizes compassion would be so cruel and launch a killing spree, the answer lies in the White Lotus sect's doctrines.

Zhisheng was a disciple of Tanjie, who was filled with longing for the Maitreya faith. He once made a vow with his master Dao'an and others before the Buddha to be reborn in the Maitreya Pure Land.

On his deathbed, he single-mindedly chanted the name of Maitreya Buddha and was eventually reborn in the Pure Land as he wished.

The White Lotus's doctrine is to usurp the existence of the Maitreya faith, the future Buddha.

From Pure Land to the attainment of Buddhahood, to doctrines, and even titles, they want to seize everything. This kind of thing is a life-or-death struggle for the Dao.

Among those who responded were prominent figures such as Master Puhui of the Yangqi School, Master Baizhang of the Chan School, and Master Majian of the Louguan School. Many more from lesser-known sects also participated. It was essentially a gathering of Buddhist and Taoist leaders to slay demons.

The emergence of Bai Lian was even more worrying to these bigwigs than the Guo Bei incident.

Because the commotion was so great, only the wandering Taoist priest Mao knew about this information.

It is said that anyone who provides information will be rewarded with a Purple Cloud Pill or a Heart-Clearing Pill.

This is a work by Master Baopuzi of Luofu Mountain, and it is extremely rare in the cultivation world.

Those who can kill the Dharma King can also view the sacred scripture of Xuedou Temple, the "Radiant Sutra," which is quite an investment.

Xu Xuan was quite tempted after hearing this; they were all good stuff.

"Why didn't anyone notify me?!"

"I really understand the 'white lotus' (a term used to describe a seemingly innocent but actually manipulative woman)."

"If we could lure and kill this guy named Da Bao, wouldn't we gain fame in the righteous path and reap endless benefits?"

He hadn't tried any pills or elixirs yet, but judging from Xiaoqing's rapid progress, he knew they were really good.

A single top-grade elixir can sustain years of cultivation; there's a reason why the Taoists of the Dan Ding School are so popular.

It's not that Mr. Xu doesn't have something better than elixirs, but the Human Body Elixir requires the Finger of No Life and can only be used by members of the White Lotus Sect, which is somewhat inconvenient.

(End of this chapter)