Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 996 Please Teach Me, Zen Master

Before his passing away, a Zen master vaguely saw a phantom image of Venerable Kasyapa through his divine eye.

Furthermore, some highly accomplished monks in Sichuan, while in deep meditation, heard a dragon's roar filled with supreme Buddhist intent, seemingly capable of cleansing all the filth of the world.

These signs, involving the Buddha's disciples and Dharma protectors, are mysterious and unpredictable, and naturally attracted great attention from the upper echelons of Zen Buddhism.

Almost all available top-tier resources were mobilized to explore and verify the deeper meaning and opportunities behind these signs.

Therefore, in this chaotic situation that involves the very foundations of Buddhism and could potentially affect the future fortunes of Buddhism, it is really difficult for Linji Temple, which has not even figured out the root cause of its own unusual situation, to immediately invite the true bigwigs within the sect to come and resolve it.

Thinking of this, Huiren turned his gaze towards the direction of the Mahavira Hall, and his tense mind finally showed a slight relaxation.

"Amitabha, it is ultimately the Buddha's blessing that brought Zen Master Fahai to the gate of my Linji Temple at this critical moment."

Day two.

As dawn broke, an unusual stillness enveloped the Linji Temple and its surroundings.

The monks who were supposed to be at the mountain gate to stop visitors were already in place, patiently persuading the pilgrims who had come from afar to turn back; the martial monks who were supposed to be on guard at key positions held sticks and hid behind the trees under the eaves, their eyes sharp; and those who were supposed to be squatting in the scripture pavilion to copy scriptures and repent had already spread out paper and ink, quietly reflecting on their actions.

Even the Stone King, whose presence was particularly noticeable, was politely invited to a corner at the edge of the square so as not to interfere with the ritual.

Only Abbot Huiren and two other elders with the highest cultivation and the most steadfast will followed closely beside Xu Xuan.

A solemn and dignified atmosphere permeated the entire Linji Temple, with all eyes focused on the center of the area.

"Master, is there anything else we need to prepare or can do before performing the ritual?" Huiren asked respectfully as a final confirmation.

"That's enough. You've all made excellent arrangements. Leave the rest to this humble monk."

Xu Xuan also made Huiren and others retreat a little further away, ostensibly to avoid the influence of Buddhism.

In reality, it was to prevent him from accidentally revealing some deeper and more mysterious aura when he used his methods later, so that these highly skilled monks would notice.

Once everyone had retreated to a safe distance, Xu Xuan stood in the center of the courtyard, his eyes slightly closed.

Quietly activating his spiritual senses, he meticulously scanned the surroundings, sensing the energy flow of heaven and earth, as well as the source of that deeply hidden, obscure aura.

After confirming the approximate location and nature of the core of the abnormal fluctuation, there was no more hesitation.

Then, he lightly stepped down.

Centered on his toes, ten thousand golden rays emanated, and the pure, undefiled, equal, and perfect Buddha light manifested as an endless pure land.

In the blink of an eye, it has soared into the clouds, like a sacred place for preaching, with golden Buddha light illuminating the world.

Temples and sacred sites of Ksitigarbha, Avalokiteshvara, Tathagata, Kasyapa, and other major Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are distributed throughout the mountains.

It felt as if one had arrived at the legendary Mount Sumeru. Like a sacred place where the Dharma was preached, golden Buddha light illuminated the world.

Furthermore, eight great heavenly dragons and sixty thousand Arhats chanted the hymns in unison from the Pure Land:

Emerging from the lotus-covered pure platform, the wondrous teachings of Pure Land are revealed.

The fierce Vajra subdues demons and monsters, while the compassionate Vajra delivers the evil spirits.

Fortunately, Linji Temple had set up a magic array at the foot of the mountain and in key surrounding locations in advance, which isolated the internal and external scenery and energy.

Otherwise, if the people of the towns below the mountain saw the sacred scene of Buddha's light shining on the mountaintop and the manifestation of the Pure Land from afar, they would surely think it was a manifestation of Buddha, and who knows how much commotion it would cause.

Even so, some young monks in the temple, whose cultivation was still shallow and whose concentration was insufficient, were already wavering in their minds and involuntarily knelt down in the direction of Xu Xuan, chanting Buddhist mantras incessantly.

There was no other reason than that the aura emanating from the holy monk at this moment was so real that it was as if the Buddha had descended to earth, so real that one could not help but feel boundless awe.

This was exactly the effect Xu Xuan wanted.

After he divided the Pure Land into two parts, he resolved to cultivate his most radiant and positive side.

Every time he makes a move, especially when he appears as "Fahai," he shocks everyone who sees him.

He strives to be impeccable in terms of visual appeal, aura, and Buddhist principles, so that everyone will wholeheartedly believe that he is a righteous and trustworthy high monk with impeccable lineage, boundless Buddhist knowledge, and integrity.

It is precisely through such meticulous management that he has been able to establish a solid "high monk" persona.

Throughout his subsequent cultivation journey, whether dealing with various forces in Jiangnan or interacting with the government and other sects, he fully benefited from the advantages brought by this "perfect first impression".

Countless demons fell victim to the initial attack, caught off guard by the holy monk's sudden use of demonic techniques.

Now that it's in the North, this prestigious brand remains invincible.

At this moment, everyone in the temple, from novices to elders, was filled with shock and heartfelt respect.

Only one thought remained in my mind: This is the boundless Buddhist Dharma of Zen Master Fahai!
Besides repeatedly praising the Pure Land School for its well-deserved reputation, Abbot Huiren also hoped to make a real discovery through this supreme supernatural power.

Meanwhile, Xu Xuan, who was at the center of the Buddha's light, cleverly used the dazzling Buddha's light as cover to turn his real investigative gaze to the strange, blurry air current that had bothered him the night before, hovering above the temple.

Divine senses, like invisible tentacles, extended outwards. However, something strange happened.

That current of air seemed not far away, but no matter how far one's divine sense probed, it was as if there was an insurmountable barrier between them, and one could never truly merge into it.

Even more bizarrely, during the approach, one might inexplicably lose their sense of direction, as if trapped in an invisible maze.

Even the most profound "White Lotus Divine Soul" perception could not pinpoint its exact location and core, which is somewhat absurd.

This cannot be explained by ordinary illusions or formations.

A huge question arose in Xu Xuan's mind. If it was so hidden and difficult to find, why was it that I was able to detect it last night?
My mind raced, quickly going through all the possibilities in my head. After using the process of elimination, I finally realized that I had grasped the most crucial point.

"That's it... It's not that I have exceptional intuition, but rather that the essence of this aura must have intersected with mine before."

Once you understand this point, take immediate action.

Taking advantage of the moment when the Pure Land Buddha light around him was at its most dazzling, he quietly mobilized a trace of extremely pure Calamity Earth aura from his body and mixed it into the vast Buddha light, instantly causing unusual fluctuations in the blurry airflow.

"Ah, that's it, that's the taste!"

Following the subtle resonance and guidance between the aura of the calamity and the hazy airflow, he precisely "grabbed" that elusive aura and locked it firmly in place.

When he truly touched the core of this aura and sensed its meaning, even Xu Xuan, with his vast knowledge, couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.

"She's so angry..."

This aura contained an extremely pure and domineering fiery intent, and carried an unquestionable will of judgment and punishment.

Unlike yesterday's distorted aura, which was concealed by numerous talismans, a warm jade bed, and a water spirit pearl in the backyard of the Liang Prince's Mansion, this one revealed a lot of real information.

Having completed his investigation, Xu Xuan did not linger.

With a thought, the golden light that filled the sky and the illusory image of the pure land spread out quickly receded and dissipated like a tide.

His figure slowly floated down and returned to the ground, his expression calm and unreadable.

Abbot Huiren immediately stepped forward, his eyes filled with unprecedented hope and urgency.

However, to everyone's surprise, Xu Xuan's first words were not to directly explain the anomaly, but to ask a seemingly unrelated question:
"Master Huiren, have the monks of your temple recently been frequently invited to the backyard of the Liang Prince's Mansion to preach the Dharma or to hold rituals for seeking blessings and warding off disasters?"

Hui Ren was taken aback upon hearing this. Although he did not understand why, he immediately replied, "That's right. King Liang is a devout Buddhist, and in recent months he has indeed frequently invited monks from our temple to his residence, especially to chant sutras and pray for blessings around a quiet room in the backyard. Zen Master, could it be... that the root of this calamity lies in the King's residence?"

As the abbot, he was naturally exceptionally wise.

Of course, there's also the reason why people in high positions of power are not trustworthy.

Humanity gathers, and there is both good and evil. Most people who frequently pray for blessings are either true believers or have actually done bad things.

Xu Xuan remained noncommittal and continued to ask, "Does the master know that there is a saying in ancient books, 'Ru Shou, holding a large scythe, governs the autumn harvest'? What does this mean?"

Huiren, a high-ranking Zen monk, was also well-versed in ancient texts and stories, and immediately replied: "This humble monk knows. Rushou, the god of autumn, is the metal god of the west, in charge of punishment and execution, and in charge of the harvest and punishment in autumn. Ancient sages believed that rewarding merit and punishing demerit should be in accordance with the seasons. The metal energy in autumn is austere and killing, which is the right time to carry out executions and decide cases, so as to show the way of heaven."

Xu Xuan nodded and solemnly gave his conclusion:
"Then, the root of the series of seemingly unrelated calamities that your temple has recently encountered, such as the falling heavenly fire, the water demon's rampage, and the disciples' possession by demons, is something similar. This is not the work of ordinary demons, nor is it a simple karmic backlash, but rather... divine punishment."

"Divine...divine punishment?!"

Hui Ren was completely dumbfounded, almost thinking she had misheard.

This...how is this possible? !
The immortals and gods have been gone for hundreds of years, and so have the earth deities. Even the Buddha has not given any revelation or response, so how could there be any divine punishment?

As for the incense-burning body, it cannot be considered one; it is merely a false body created by the convergence of people's hearts.

Moreover, even if the gods are still alive, my Linji Temple has been practicing pure cultivation for generations, propagating Buddhism, and helping people. Have we ever done anything that would anger the heavens and the people, or that would warrant divine punishment?
A tremendous sense of absurdity and injustice surged into my heart instantly.

“Because you blocked the divine punishment,” Xu Xuan said calmly, looking at the incredulous expression on the other's face, “and you did it every few days, tirelessly.”

The problem is quite serious, and it's definitely not appropriate to discuss it in public.

The two then went to the prepared secret room.

Xu Xuan recounted without reservation what he had seen and heard in the backyard of the Liang Prince's mansion the previous day.

“Yesterday, I was invited to the Prince’s mansion and saw a patient in a secluded spot in the backyard. This person was emaciated and his body was burning hot. Yin fire, yang fire, and even the most domineering fire poison were strangely gathered in his body, intertwined with each other, burning his flesh and blood and corroding his soul.”

"Such symptoms cannot be cured by ordinary medicines and magic. If it weren't for the magic artifacts that forcefully suppress it, and the protection and offset by the immense royal fortune of the Liang Prince's Mansion, not to mention the Yin Fire and Yang Poison in the body, even the open flames in the outside world, or even the real heavenly fire, would probably be drawn to it and descend upon the body, turning it completely to ashes."

At this point, Xu Xuan gave Hui Ren a meaningful look, his tone carrying a hint of unspoken admiration:
"And your temple has been frequently invited to the backyard of the Prince's mansion in recent months, especially around the quiet room where the patient is located, to preach the Dharma and hold rituals to ward off disasters and pray for blessings... It seems that the masters were really very dedicated at that time."

Every devout prayer and warding-off-disaster ritual performed at Linji Temple was a struggle against the will that represented "punishment" and "execution".

Unwittingly, this shared the burden, attracting some of the "anger" and "retribution" that should have been focused on the patient.

This explains why the Rinzai Monastery encountered various setbacks for no reason; they were taking the blame for others.

Or rather, it was regarded by the divine punishment as an "obstacle" that needed to be cleared away!
Xu Xuan had absolutely no intention of keeping the King of Liang's secret.

I may accept gifts, but I can choose not to do anything in return.

As Huiren listened to Xu Xuan's narration, he quickly matched the various strange occurrences in the temple with the timing of the religious ceremony in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

Those fists, honed to the size of sandbags and as hard as iron, clenched unconsciously.

What a fine Prince Liang!
But after a while, his fist limply loosened again.

What a fine King Liang!
After a moment of silence, my heart stirred again; I was still unwilling to accept it.

Although he had just said that the chief monk had fallen into demonic possession, when it came to his own turn, even Buddha showed signs of anger.

So the imposing monk bowed again.

"Please teach me, Zen Master!"

Xu Xuan nodded in satisfaction and asked me, "You've come to the right person!"
(End of this chapter)