Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 672 Support from the Sect

"Don't touch it. This isn't Jinshan Temple," Xu Xuan whispered a reminder. "These scriptures were carved by eminent monks throughout history using Buddhist power, and they have the power to subdue demons."

"Hmph, I'm not a demon!" Xiaoqing pouted unconvinced, but her steps became much more obedient.

When the monks passing by saw the legendary Zen Master Fahai reappear, they all stopped and respectfully bowed with their hands clasped together, their attitude no different from when they saw Ruoxu himself.

One young monk was so excited that he dropped the sutra in his hand, and when he hurriedly picked it up, he didn't forget to bow deeply.

Xu Xuan outwardly returned the greeting calmly, but inwardly he was secretly pleased—this pomp and circumstance was even more glamorous than when he was a teacher at Chongqi Academy.

"Why are they so respectful to you?" Xiaoqing leaned closer and whispered, "You didn't secretly cast a spell on them, did you?"

You ignorant little devil, how dare you slander someone's innocence out of thin air.

I, Xu, have yet to learn any spells since my debut.

People simply admire me.

After all, not everyone can casually pull out the Buddha's golden alms bowl, not everyone can bring back a golden Arhat statue, and not everyone can deliver more than a dozen ghost kings directly to the Demon-Suppressing Land at the beginning of the new year.

In the hearts of many monks, Master Fahai is clearly the next pillar of the Pure Land School.

Xu Xuan's vanity was greatly satisfied along the way.

"How about it? Following me isn't a bad deal, is it? Come on, I'll take you to get some real benefits."

The two arrived at the main hall, which was resplendent in gold and solemn. Xu Xuan took three incense sticks from the monk in charge of receiving guests and gave one to Xiao Qing: "Come, offer incense to the Buddha."

Xiaoqing took the incense and looked hesitantly at the tall golden Buddha statue inside the hall.

This looks so real. A sense of fear rose in my heart.

Under the power of vows and offerings in Pure Land Buddhism, Buddha statues can also be seen as incarnations of the Buddha. In the past, one could even invite the Buddha to lower his gaze.

Xu Xuan said gently, "Don't be afraid. Buddhism is vast and saves all sentient beings."

Xiaoqing calmed her mind, held incense in both hands, and prayed devoutly. Just as she bent down, a soft light of Buddha shone down from the Buddha statue, enveloping her completely.

"Ah!" she exclaimed softly, feeling a warm current pour into her head and instantly flow throughout her body.

To her surprise, the murderous aura she had accumulated on the battlefield melted away as quickly as ice and snow.

Xu Xuan could see it clearly from the side. Xiao Qing's originally slightly fierce eyebrows and eyes gradually relaxed, and her whole person exuded a lively and refreshing aura.

He nodded with satisfaction: "It seems that Buddha also likes you, little demon."

The monks nearby, who were softly chanting "Ode to True Fragrance," were speechless; this Zen Master Fahai had spoken too rashly.

The two then went to the Ancestral Hall.

The old monk cut to the chase and asked what brought him here today.

Xu Xuan then spoke of the imminent emergence of the Dragon Palace in Dongting Lake and the crisis of flooding in Jiangnan.

Everyone has a different perspective on Dongting Lake.

In the eyes of the Dragon King, nothing else matters except affecting the Yangtze River system.

In the eyes of Professor Shi and Headmaster Shen, it was a dreamlike place of extreme danger.

He now wants to hear the opinion of the foremost Buddhist sect on this region, after all, Mount Lu is only 800 li away from Dongting Lake.

“Dongting Dragon Palace…” the old monk repeated in a low voice, his voice filled with contemplation. He slowly got up and walked to the scripture shelf on the west side of the Ancestral Hall, taking down a yellowed bamboo scroll.

Xu Xuan noticed that the bamboo slip was wrapped with several strands of pale golden Buddhist light, which meant it was a precious book that had been blessed by a high monk.

"The reason why the ancient Yunmeng Marsh is so dangerous is closely related to the two human kings." The old monk's words were quite explosive.

The first one is Emperor Yao.

"When the time of Yao came, ten suns appeared at the same time, scorching the crops and killing the vegetation, leaving the people with nothing to eat. The Yayu, Zaochi, Jiuying, Dafeng, Fengxi, and Xiushui were all scourges to the people. Yao then sent Yi to kill Zaochi in the fields of Chouhua, kill Jiuying above the Xiongshui River, capture Dafeng in the marshes of Qingqiu, shoot down the ten suns and kill Yayu, cut Xiushui in Dongting Lake, and capture Fengxi in the mulberry forest. All the people were happy."

"Among them, the Bashe was shot and killed by Da Yi in Yunmeng, along with other ferocious beasts that were not recorded. Their blood stained Dongting Lake for three years and did not dissipate, and their bones turned into hills that still exist today."

Xiaoqing looked shocked.

The names listed here are all ferocious beasts whose bloodlines are renowned among the demon race.

Humans are truly ruthless.

The second one is King Yu the Great.

"The Min Mountains guide the Yangtze River, which branches eastward to form the Tuo River, then eastward to the Li River, passing Jiujiang, and finally reaching Dongling."

Yu the Great's steps in controlling the floods were simple: dredge the river channels and drain the accumulated water into the sea.

While you're at it, clear out the demons causing havoc in the river, wielding an axe at anyone you see. If you can't win, call in reinforcements and lead a group of ruthless warriors to utterly crush the enemy.

Only in this way were the floods and demonic scourges of the Nine Provinces quelled.

"The resentment and bitterness of the great demons slain by the two Holy Kings settled at the bottom of Yunmeng Marsh, forming a special secret realm over the years. Ordinary people can hardly detect it, but those with spiritual abilities can easily be pulled into it."

"However, your trip is for the Dongting Dragon Palace, not to explore the ancient Yunmeng Secret Realm, so there should be no major problems."

The old monk viewed Master Fahai as a kind-hearted person who was occasionally caught up in a major event, and his tone carried a hint of comfort.

The solution was simple: just suppress one's spiritual senses with a magical artifact. Hearing this, Xiaoqing's tense shoulders relaxed, and she quietly exhaled a breath of stale air. She tugged at Xu Xuan's sleeve and whispered, "Did you hear that? Let's not go and provoke that awful place."

Even a great demon that has died is still a great demon; it's expected that it won't decay for millions of years. The fact that its corpse, controlled by resentment, still wanders around following its habits from life is terrifying.

Furthermore, the suppression of the demon race's bloodline is too severe; if she were to enter, she might find it difficult to become an asset.

Xu Xuan knew his own situation best. If Professor Shi Kuang could get involved, then the probability of it happening to him was almost 100%.

Besides, how can I help the professor find the violin if I don't go in?

Xu Xuan stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Master, is this ancient Yunmeng Secret Realm truly unrelated to the Dongting Dragon Palace?"

"Absolutely no connection whatsoever. The dragons went to Dongting Lake, not Yunmeng Marsh."

According to records, in chronological order, the demon race occupied Yunmeng Marsh, the ancient human race quelled the rebellion, Yunmeng Marsh was divided into Dongting by heaven and earth, the dragon race was granted a title and settled there, and after the immortals and gods disappeared, the Lord of the Clouds appeared.

Xu Xuan nodded after receiving an affirmative answer.

That is, the three major dungeons, Yunzhongjun, Dongting Dragon Palace, and Guyunmeng, are piled up together, not connected to each other, but possibly overlapping each other.

The situation in Dongting Lake is indeed perilous, and if I were to join the fray, it would be doubly dangerous.

But then again, how come the Pure Land School seems to know so much about this ancient Yunmeng? Could it be that someone wants to make progress?
The old monk nodded.

The Pure Land School's techniques work by suppressing powerful entities, which in turn generate a stronger feedback of spiritual power. So what could be more suitable than the numerous demons and monsters of the ancient Yunmeng region?

Throughout history, eminent monks have sought to deliver the vengeful spirits of the demons in the ancient Yunmeng. The old monk turned and pointed to a row of portraits of patriarchs enshrined in the hall: "These masters all personally visited Yunmeng."

Looking in that direction, one could see that the high monks in those portraits all had solemn and dignified appearances. Some held vajras, while others stood on lotus flowers, clearly all of whom were highly accomplished in their cultivation.

"Unfortunately, all our efforts have been in vain," the old monk sighed.

Xu Xuan nodded, then it seemed he couldn't be presumptuous either.

You know, there were gods in the past, but they didn't intervene. There might be other obstacles involved.

"I won't go there on my own initiative; I'm just asking out of curiosity."

The old monk stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction. That's one good thing about Zen Master Fahai—he listens to advice.

He then handed over the bamboo slips, saying, "It's better to be prepared. These are records of our clan's explorations of Yunmeng over the generations, which may be of some use."

Xu Xuan took the bamboo slip and felt its weight. It was densely covered with records of the characteristics of various demons and how to deal with them. After a quick glance, he saw key information such as "Nine-Headed Serpent fears thunder" and "Bashe fears true fire," and immediately felt as if he had found a treasure.

Alright, alright, in that case, my trip is safer now.

Since that's the case, let's get down to business.

Is there any more direct help?

"More direct help?" The old monk was somewhat puzzled. What more could he want?

Xu Xuan counted on his fingers in front of him, "Lady White gave me a protective umbrella, Yu Gong promised to help guard the house, the Dragon King of the Yangtze River bestowed a mark, and Headmaster Shen of Chongqi Academy gave me a bronze vessel." He paused deliberately, staring intently at the old monk, "We're family, we wouldn't treat me unfairly, would we?"

The old monk was speechless for a moment, choked by the blunt request. His withered fingers unconsciously twirled the prayer beads, and fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.

He was calculating in his mind: Fahai already had the right to use the sect's most powerful Buddha's Golden Bowl; the Arhat statue that guarded the temple was brought back by him; and he could browse through the scriptures in the library at will.
"This..." The old monk stroked his white beard with a troubled expression, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "How about I write you a few protective talismans?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan's face immediately showed disappointment.

He sighed and said softly, "Very well, it seems I was presumptuous. But this journey is perilous; if..."

老僧
Are we going to get ourselves involved?
"Okay! It's a deal."

Xu Xuan's eyes lit up, and his face was already full of smiles as he immediately replied, "I'll ask for your help at this critical moment."

"Suppressing the demons of Dongting Lake and quelling the source of the floods in Jiangnan is an immense merit!"

The Father is the kind of person who never leaves empty-handed. Since there's no material support, he'll use people to provide it. The distance of eight hundred li is just right.

Let the old monk go.

After thinking about it, I realized that this was actually the best solution.

In any case, I absolutely cannot let anything happen to Fahai; he is the future hope of the Pure Land School.

Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes solidarity, and they often work side by side when exorcising demons.

Established bigwigs might be reserved, and lone wolves like Ruoxu are quite rare.

Master Fahai's style is a true return to orthodoxy.

By evening, Xu Xuan, having left the Pure Land School, finally felt a little relieved.

Even if Yun Zhongjun, Dongting Dragon Palace, and Gu Yunmeng collide, it's better for them to separate.

Having mobilized so many people and brought so much support, the enemy should be the ones who are afraid.

Thinking of this, I immediately felt a surge of pride and confidence.

"Xiaoqing! Let's go!"

(End of this chapter)