Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 995 The Abbot Asks for Help
Afterwards, he followed Abbot Huiren to the abbot's meditation room.

Both were practitioners, and were no longer affected by heat or cold; the distinction between day and night did not affect their conversation.

Seeing that the alarm had been lifted and that the visitors were distinguished guests, the other monks, at the signal of the head monks of their respective halls, returned to their places.

The novices continued their evening prayers or stood guard, while the elders patrolled the surrounding areas in case of any unforeseen circumstances. The responsibility of receiving Zen Master Fahai naturally fell to Abbot Huiren.

Of course, before leaving, everyone couldn't help but take one last look at the Stone King, who stood silently behind Xu Xuan like an iron tower, filled with curiosity and awe.

This guard, who was usually inconspicuous, had his moment of glory tonight due to a misunderstanding. His unfathomable cultivation as a third-realm demon king was enough to make all the monks present feel awe.

Inside the meditation room, the furnishings were simple: a small table and two cushions, with wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner, adding to the tranquility.

Before Xu Xuan could explain why he had come to ask for lodging so late at night, Hui Ren sighed and took the initiative to explain why Linji Temple had reacted so strongly that night.

His expression carried a lingering sense of solemnity and confusion.

“Amitabha. Zen Master Fahai, our Buddhist temple is a pure and tranquil place, protected by Vajra Dharma protectors. All evils avoid it, and it should be a place where external demons fear and dare not approach.”

"But for some reason, recently, strange things and unwarranted troubles have been coming to the vicinity of Linji Temple."

"Perhaps heavenly fire fell from the void, nearly burning down the scripture pavilion on the back mountain; or perhaps spirits from the Ji River became inexplicably agitated, coming ashore to wreak havoc and attacking the mountain gate; or perhaps a fellow disciple who was diligently cultivating suddenly fell into demonic possession during meditation..."

"The occurrence of such a series of accidents is by no means accidental. This humble monk and the elders in the monastery have tried many methods and used many secret techniques to purify the mind, cleanse the place, and exorcise evil spirits, but we are still like looking at flowers through fog and cannot find the real cause."

His tone was filled with deep helplessness:
"Out of necessity to protect the temple, we have no choice but to frequently activate this defensive Dharma realm, expending resources to make preparations in the hope of being prepared for any eventuality. We did not mean to disturb the Zen Master just now."

At this point, Huiren's gaze became earnest and expectant.

"Today, I saw the image of Zen Master Fahai in front of the Prince's Mansion. I sensed that the Zen Master's Buddhist cultivation was unfathomable, and my heart was immediately enlightened."

"The Zen Master is a highly virtuous and learned monk. Could you please enlighten us? What is the root cause of this series of strange occurrences?"

"But...but my devotion to the Buddha was not sincere enough, and my practice was flawed, which led to this karmic situation as a warning?"

Having said that, the abbot of Linji Temple, whose muscles were bulging like a Vajra, bowed respectfully to Xu Xuan, a Zen master who looked much younger than him.

Clearly, this series of inexplicable strange events has caused the abbot a deep sense of unease.

Xu Xuan suddenly understood why the abbot before him was so respectful in seeking his guidance.

He had underestimated the prestige of the world's foremost Buddhist sect, as well as the immense prestige he had gained in the cultivation world from his previous work of "suppressing the reappearance of Yunmeng and clarifying the water veins of Dongting Lake."

In Huiren's eyes, the seemingly young "Zen master" who still had hair and was practicing was the most profound and unfathomable virtuous person he had been able to come into contact with recently.

Moreover, Fahai had previously saved the Lingyin Temple of Zen Buddhism from the calamity of the Blood Demon in Jiangnan.

This shared Buddhist lineage made Huiren feel that this person was trustworthy.

In addition, the frequency of encountering various strange problems in the temple has been increasing recently. Although he is a Zen martial monk at the peak of the second realm and has a body that can subdue dragons and tigers, ordinary demons and evil spirits cannot get close to him, so he is naturally not afraid.

However, there are still many disciples in the temple who are new to cultivation or whose cultivation level is not high. If they encounter heavenly fire burning their heads, water demons attacking them, or being trapped in a demonic affliction during meditation, it will be very difficult for them to overcome the calamity. They may even face the danger of losing their lives or their cultivation being completely destroyed.

Under immense pressure, I couldn't help but explain my excessive vigilance tonight and, in doing so, also revealed the long-standing problem that had been troubling me.

I hope to get some guidance from this "Zen Master Fahai," even just a clue.

Xu Xuan suddenly had a strange realization.

So it turns out... after leaving the 'newbie village,' I'm already a respected Buddhist master in other people's eyes.

This feeling was quite novel, and it also gave him a more concrete understanding of the influence of his pseudonym "Fahai".

However, on second thought, Linji Temple's luck... is just too bad, isn't it?
Heavenly fire, water demons, inner demons—all sorts of bad luck have come together?

After a moment's hesitation, instead of immediately drawing a conclusion, he cautiously stated:
"This matter does sound strange, and it is difficult to determine the cause based on the description alone. This humble monk needs to use some special investigative methods to determine it."

At this moment, Huiren hurriedly asked, "I wonder how grand the ceremony will be for the Zen Master? How can our temple cooperate? Please specify the time, place, and necessary ritual items for the ceremony. I will have the novices in the temple prepare everything overnight!"

He seemed to take it very seriously and couldn't wait to get all the preparations done.

Xu Xuan waved his hand, signaling to calm down:
"Abbot, there's no need to make a big fuss. As for the scene... there might be some unusual phenomena, but it should be within control."

"How about we agree to perform the ritual tomorrow at noon, when the yang energy is at its peak and the energy of heaven and earth is at its clearest, at this place or a location your temple deems suitable, to find out what's going on?"

Huiren naturally complied without hesitation, and quickly put his palms together in agreement: "Everything is at the Zen Master's disposal! Tomorrow at noon, our entire temple will do our utmost to cooperate!" The two parties then agreed to perform the ritual to relieve the calamity the following day.

Afterwards, Xu Xuan was politely invited to a quiet room to rest. Stone King stood silently outside the door like a gatekeeper.

He lay on the meditation bed but did not fall asleep immediately. A pure white light flickered in his eyes, and his gaze seemed to penetrate the roof and look straight up at the night sky.

In my spiritual perception, the sky above Linji Temple seemed to be shrouded in an extremely vague and gloomy aura, neither a calamity nor a grievance, entangled and unclear.

"It seems I'll have to go up and take a good look tomorrow."

He then averted his gaze and closed his eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, the meditation rooms at the Linji Temple on the other side were brightly lit.

Abbot Huiren convened the main monks in charge of various halls of the temple overnight to urgently discuss the closure of the mountain the next day.

After all, the sudden announcement of a one-day closure by a popular temple, especially one that is a last-minute decision, is bound to cause a lot of inconvenience and speculation.

Although Huiren was physically imposing like an Arhat, he displayed remarkable skill in managing household affairs.

The tasks were assigned in a clear and organized manner: the guest monks and the monks in charge of affairs were arranged to patiently intercept and persuade the believers who came to offer incense to turn back at the mountain gate, and to properly appease the crowd and explain the reasons.

He also ordered the abbot, treasurer, and other monks in charge of logistics, supplies, and security to remain at their posts, be vigilant, and allocate resources to deal with any possible accidents.

After all the tasks were assigned and the monks were receiving their orders, a senior monk with white hair and beard, standing at the forefront of the bald monks, couldn't help but sigh and spoke with hesitation:

“Abbot, I acknowledge Master Fahai’s spiritual attainment, strength, and compassionate willingness to help. However… this matter concerns the safety of our Linji Monastery. Can’t we really wait for a senior monk from our own Zen lineage to handle it? After all… we are from different schools…”

His concerns seem to be not without merit. Asking a high-ranking monk from the Pure Land School to solve the problems of the Zen temples is just like Lingyin Temple in the past, which eventually became Jinshan Temple today.

If word gets out, it will be somewhat embarrassing and attract some gossip.

Upon hearing this, Huiren's gaze swept across the chief with lightning speed. He was not angry, but simply gave him a deep look before sighing.

But within that sigh lay an undeniable authority and a hint of disappointment.

“Junior brother, you are mistaken. ‘Thieves don’t rob poor children.’ Our Buddha is compassionate and saves all sentient beings. How can he distinguish between sects?”

"Strange things are happening frequently in the temple right now, and my safety is hanging by a thread. Where has your compassion gone? You still harbor such narrow-minded prejudices!"

His hands formed a demon-subduing mudra, and his voice suddenly became stern:
"The moment this thought arises, it becomes a demonic obstacle! Once this matter is resolved, you shall go to the Sutra Repository, seclude yourself for ten years to copy scriptures, reflect on your faults, and repent for this obstacle!"

The head monk was suddenly startled, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe, and the back of his monk's robe was soaked.

It was only at this moment, when the abbot gave him a sharp rebuke, that he was startled to realize that his words had lost the calm mind he had cultivated for many years, and that his words had unknowingly been mixed with a trace of jealousy and stubbornness!
At this critical juncture, if Zen Master Fahai truly has the ability to resolve this calamity, it would be excellent if he could immediately begin to exorcise the external demons.

As the abbot of the temple, instead of prioritizing the safety of his disciples, he was preoccupied with the sect's reputation and the gossip of outsiders...

Thinking of this, a surge of immense shame and fear welled up within him, and all resentment vanished. He lowered his head deeply, his tone utterly sincere:
“Amitabha, this humble monk knows his mistake and will respectfully follow the abbot’s instructions.”

If the head monk was like this, the other monks present were also deeply moved and began to examine their own Buddhist hearts.

See if you, too, have been unknowingly influenced by that invisible and formless external demon, causing your mind to deviate slightly without your awareness.

After a moment, Huiren, with sharp eyes, pointed out several elders and deacons who had shown similar hesitation or indifference in their expressions or words during the previous discussion, and punished them all by making them copy scriptures and meditate.

This move was not to establish authority, but rather to express deep concern.

This is precisely the underlying reason why he became increasingly anxious and immediately asked Zen Master Fahai for help.

That invisible influence seems to have begun to erode the Buddhist heart of some monks who lack spiritual cultivation or whose will is not firm.

As for why he didn't wait for or seek help from eminent monks within the Zen school... Huiren had his own reasons.

In the cultivation world, there are already very few seniors with profound cultivation levels.

The eminent monks of the Three Realms are basically the abbots or monasteries of famous mountains and temples, shouldering heavy responsibilities and not easily leaving their respective temples.

Meanwhile, the great virtuous beings of the four realms have already begun to comprehend their own path, preparing to overcome the perilous and unpredictable "demonic tribulation," and are therefore unable to easily venture out and become entangled in too much karma.

"Moreover..." Huiren sighed inwardly, this was a top secret that even most of the temple's higher-ups might not know:
Recently, some extremely significant changes have occurred within the Zen Buddhist community, leading to the urgent summons of several senior monks who were originally traveling around the world to handle important matters.

(End of this chapter)