Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 934 Menglongtan, Jiangxi

“From beginningless time, all sentient beings have been deluded in various ways, just as a lost person easily goes in all directions; they mistakenly take the four elements as their own body and the shadows of the six sense objects as their own mind.”

Who is Xu Xuan?

He was a Buddhist disciple on whom the Pure Land School placed great hopes, and also the White Lotus Demon King, who was famous from the very beginning for manipulating people's hearts and stirring up huge storms!
Even if what has descended at this moment is merely an illusory avatar, it is still easy for it to employ some "minor" methods targeting the mind.

Moreover, the old monk had a flaw in his heart, a flaw that the Holy Father could manipulate at will.

Heart to heart, words become an invisible hammer.

A sudden, powerful blow, imbued with the essence of Buddhism and the power to dispel illusions, accompanied by the three characters "Meng Longtan" carrying a bright white light, struck the deepest part of the old monk Longtan's soul, brutally tearing away the thick fog that shrouded his memory!

"Ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

The piercing, painful groans instantly shattered the tranquility of the Buddhist hall.

The old monk lost all the composure of a highly virtuous monk. He curled up, clutching his head tightly with both hands, and let out a painful howl like a wild beast, appearing as if he had gone mad.

The voice was filled with the immense pain of having memories forcibly torn apart and cognition completely overturned.

This sudden scene startled everyone, causing them to back away.

Fu Qingfeng subconsciously moved closer to Ning Caichen, and even Ji Rui, who was fearless, muttered to himself, "Won't this old bastard go crazy in pain and suddenly bite me?"

Then, everyone's attention turned to the illusory figure of the instigator, Xu Xuan.

In the eyes of the "Three Wonders," it was naturally an infinite admiration and sense of pride that they thought, "Master Xu is awesome!" and "Damn, a few words were enough to break through the defenses of this invincible old bald monk!"

However, Fu Tianchou felt a sudden pang of sadness, a surge of indescribable familiarity and sympathy welling up in his heart.

Back then... wasn't that how the other party used classical texts to analyze him layer by layer, until his Dao heart was shattered and he began to doubt the meaning of life?
An old man who was tough, stubborn, and believed in his own ideas his whole life was suddenly proven "incompetent" and "outdated" by irrefutable facts and logic.

The pain of that shattered faith was utterly devastating. He was in a daze during the day and tossed and turned at night, suffering for seven days and seven nights before he could barely recover.

Looking at the monk Longtan groaning in pain on the ground, Fu Tianchou suddenly realized: This young master Xu, although magnanimous and forgiving, really likes to use ruthless methods!

In fact, Xu Xuan didn't use any special methods this time.

It merely revealed the other party's identity and tore away the illusion that obscured their true spirit.

To emphasize, this is exactly what righteous people like to do.

The story of the painted mural revolves around three core characters: Meng Longtan, Zhu Juren, and the mysterious old monk.

In his early years, Zhu Juren was framed and his official career was full of setbacks. Disheartened, he joined the White Lotus Sect and found a strange peace of mind there. He then devoted himself to cultivation and eventually became a third-realm soul cultivator, making him a notable figure in the North.

Unfortunately, his fate was fraught with hardship. Not long after the story began, he voluntarily transformed into a "sweet fruit," supporting the early awakening of a certain saint and becoming a stepping stone.

The old monk who orchestrated everything, a ruthless man who betrayed the Pure Land School three hundred years ago, was indeed thriving in the outside world.

With the help of murals and the techniques of the Illusion Sect, his cultivation and magical power advanced by leaps and bounds.

However, in the end, supernatural powers could not overcome true great fortune and top-tier magic treasures. He was eventually captured by a powerful figure from the Pure Land Sect and suppressed in the depths of the Tranquil Pool to repent for his sins.

However, its demonic thoughts were stubborn and could not be dispelled. It even managed to divide its mind and thoughts, spreading them throughout the world through the "Xunyang Celestial Maiden Painting" in an attempt to escape its predicament.

Ultimately, due to the karmic entanglement caused by the painted wall, he attracted the attention of the Zen Master Fahai, whom he should not have offended, and ended up dying and losing everything.

It is not surprising that the last Meng Longtan has appeared under these circumstances.

Judging from his current state of pain, his past experiences were probably far more tragic and tortuous than those recorded in the stories.

The old monk on the ground, or rather Meng Longtan, convulsed violently for a long time, with a large amount of turbid mist emanating from his body, as if his distorted and altered memories and cultivation were frantically dissipating.

Even the Longtan Temple, which was his life's bond with him, shook violently, its light and shadow flickering, becoming extremely unstable, as if it would collapse at any moment.

It took a full two incense sticks' worth of time for the violent commotion to finally subside.

The Buddhist robes on his body were already stained with dust and dirt from the ground, and were wrinkled and wrapped around his body, no longer resembling their original solemn appearance.

The monk Longtan's face was filled with extreme sorrow. Although his hands were still instinctively clasped together in front of his chest, he could not utter the word "Amitabha" no matter what.

It was simply because he remembered too many things.

The real past, which had been forcibly sealed away and distorted, is now flooding my mind like a tidal wave, bringing not relief, but deeper pain and confusion.

When the plot usually reaches this point, it's the standard stage where the victim or perpetrator reveals the truth and vents their feelings.

The old monk Meng Longtan was no exception.

Seeing this, everyone curiously moved closer, ready to listen to this long-forgotten story.

His voice was hoarse, and he began to speak haltingly.

The story begins with Meng Longtan of Jiangxi, who, along with Zhu Xiaolian, was traveling in the capital. They happened upon a temple, whose halls and meditation rooms were not very spacious, and there was only an old monk hanging in his satchel inside.

I stumbled upon a remote temple in the capital region. The halls and meditation rooms were not very spacious, and only an old monk was staying there temporarily.

The two were captivated by the enchanted landscape and became engrossed in it, experiencing various perilous situations.

Xu Xuan already knew this story, and even the deeper secrets behind it, so he listened with a blank expression and a calm reaction. Ji Rui, Ning Caichen, and Zao Tongxue, however, were quite different!

Although they were extraordinary individuals, this was the first time they had ever had the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of the "original plot," and upon hearing it, they immediately thought, "Wow! This is something else!"

How sharp and ingenious is the thinking of the "Three Wonders"?

I immediately sensed something was off about this seemingly romantic and fantastical story.

The old monk who was hanging up the sign appeared by such a coincidence?

The miraculous appearance of the mural was revealed precisely when the two of them passed by.

How did it happen that two ordinary people passing by were so "coincidentally" drawn into an illusion and experienced so many fantastical stories?
The internal version of the "Chongqi Academy Holiday Handbook" clearly states: "Nine times out of ten, a remote mountain temple, a solitary old monk, or someone who actively displays supernatural abilities is a trap waiting for a fat sheep to come to you!"

and so……

There must be more to this story! Maybe that old monk is a cunning old demon who has been lurking for years, preying on passersby!
The moment the thought crossed their minds, the three of them felt an irresistible urge to use their hands.

Like a young boy who, if he has a stick that suits his taste and is easy to use, will always want to chop the branches of the roadside tree, pull out the blooming rapeseed flowers, and sweep away a patch of innocent weeds.

At the very least, he could still unleash a sword technique he considered invincible, even against thin air.

What the three of them are holding now are no ordinary wooden sticks!
That is a divine weapon embodying the righteous spirit of benevolence! It is a zither that can stir the heartstrings of a demon, stirring the seven emotions and six desires! It is a self-disciplined blade that shatters illusions and obsessions!

Moreover, having experienced numerous fierce battles such as venturing into the underworld and vanquishing demons in Jiangbei, they naturally possessed a chivalrous spirit of eliminating evil and protecting humanity.

It is our duty to rid the people of this scourge!

The three exchanged glances, each seeing a gleam of eager anticipation in the other's eyes. It seemed that this ancient temple in Luoyang was indeed worth "exploring."

When Fu Tianchou heard the words "a desolate mountain temple outside Luoyang," his brows furrowed involuntarily.

Suddenly, I remembered the temple in Luoyang that had some mysterious rumors about it, Mingxuan Nunnery, also known as Jialan Temple.

This temple is located outside Jianchun Gate, south of the stone bridge, outside Luoyang City. It sits on the banks of the valley river that winds around the city, and the water eventually flows eastward into the Yangqu Stone Bridge.

The location isn't extremely remote, but it doesn't seem to be very popular with worshippers. It's said that the temple also houses many ancient murals with strange and unusual content.

Upon hearing Meng Longtan mention the murals in the deserted temple, alarm bells immediately rang in his mind. He secretly resolved that when he returned to Luoyang, he would stay far away from such places and be extra careful.

Each of them had their own thoughts, but Xu Xuan remained completely unresponsive.

What he really cares about is the "sequel plot" that the monk from Longtan will talk about, which could perhaps be called "Painted Skin 2".

As the old monk Meng Longtan caught his breath, a look of mingled reminiscence and pain appeared on his sorrowful face, and he finally began to tell the second half of the story:
"At that time... after I escaped from that painted illusion, I was in a daze and returned to my hometown in Jiangxi."

"Brother Zhu... Zhu Xiaolian stayed in the capital region to prepare for the imperial examinations... but alas, less than two years later, we heard nothing from him at all..."

After the old monk regained his memory, he even subconsciously kept mentioning that old friend, his tone filled with a hint of longing.

Little did he know that his brother Zhu had fared terribly in the imperial court during his two years there, having fallen from an ambitious scholar to a nobody, a "street dog" despised by all.

Ultimately disheartened, he sacrificed himself for some "greatest cause," becoming nourishment for the Father.

Let's get back to Meng Longtan himself.

After returning to his hometown in Jiangxi, he resumed his old business, but the magical, magnificent, and dramatic experiences depicted in the murals haunted him day and night like a nightmare, making it difficult for him to eat or sleep, and he could no longer muster any interest in mundane business.

Unable to suppress the confusion and inexplicable attraction within him, he set off north again, determined to find that temple and seek an answer.

This behavior is like that of the man from Wuling in "The Peach Blossom Spring," who wanted to go back and see it again after leaving. Whether the purpose was to reminisce, seek confirmation or something else, it is only human nature.

To his utter surprise, he actually found that deserted temple again and encountered the old monk who had stayed there once more.

This time, he learned the other person's Buddhist name—Shanxin (善心).

"Kindness... just hearing that Dharma name, one must be a highly virtuous and eminent monk!"

That was exactly what Meng Longtan thought at the time, and his tone even carried a hint of the awe he had felt back then.

He talked with the "kind-hearted" old monk for several days, and for some reason, he was impressed by the monk's profound Buddhist teachings or other methods. His heart was filled with longing for Buddhism, and he eventually became the monk's disciple.

The old monk gladly accepted him and bestowed upon him the Dharma name Longtan.

The practice he cultivated was the authentic Pure Land Buddhist method taught by his master, "Shanxin," and the various illusion techniques he learned were also authentic Illusionist traditions.

Although the combination of these two is already extremely strange, how could a newcomer know?

One day, after his master "benevolently" went on a journey, he was never heard from again and disappeared completely.

From then on, he could only travel alone with this strange Longtan Temple in the north, following his master's teachings to "enlighten the foolish," "subdue demons and monsters," and desperately searching for his master's whereabouts.

As for the wandering Taoist who captured Fu Tianchou and led him into this calamity, he was a "close friend" he met in the Taiyuan area.

When he encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation of the painting technique, he was unable to break through it for a long time. It was this "fellow Daoist" who pointed out the key to it.

On another occasion, when he was being chased by the fierce White Lotus Cult members, this "fellow Daoist" appeared in time to save him from danger.

(End of this chapter)