Journey to the West: Deer Power Immortal, Starting from Becoming a Disciple of the Supreme Lord Tais

With the plan settled, the three demons did not hesitate any longer and rode away on the clouds.

Lu Qingxuan changed into an ordinary Taoist robe, while Hu Li and Yang Li concealed their demonic aura and transformed into two burly men.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the three demons arrived at the village where the most trouble was taking place.

The three demons did not rush to land, but instead pressed down on the clouds and looked down from the clouds.

Clarification is always the worst approach. Since the Yellow-Eyebrowed King wants to slander them, then he will expose him in front of everyone.

At the village entrance, a three-foot-high altar was erected in an open space, covered with yellow silk and upon which sat a small golden Buddha statue.

A monk wearing a brocade robe sat cross-legged on the platform, his hands clasped together and chanting Buddhist mantras.

The monk had a square face, large ears, and fair skin; he truly resembled a highly accomplished monk.

"Esteemed benefactors, this humble monk comes from Leiyin Temple, carrying out the Buddha's decree to travel east and spread the Dharma. The Buddhist path is vast and universally saves all sentient beings. Those who believe in our Buddha will surely be reborn in the Pure Land and enjoy eternal peace..."

The monk abruptly changed the subject, his voice dropping several decibels, "When I arrived, I saw a temple in the village, filled with demonic energy. The demon's ability to attract worshippers is a real threat. If you believe in me, I can help you overcome this calamity..."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned. They knew what the monk was referring to as the temple, and his words were rather audacious.

Before he finished speaking, a dark-faced man suddenly stood up from the crowd; it was none other than the blacksmith Liu Tiezhu.

His face flushed red, and he pointed at the monk, shouting, "Nonsense! The Three Immortals saved my whole family, what makes you think they're a scourge?"

The monk's expression remained unchanged. He smiled slightly and said, "Amitabha, benefactor, you have been deceived by a demon. Demons also offer small favors in order to gain your trust."

"Think about it, there are so many demons in the world, all of them man-eating creatures. How could there be such a kind-hearted demon?"

"So what? All I know is that last year when my mother broke her leg, it was Tiger Immortal who healed her, and the year before last when there was a great flood, it was Deer Immortal who used his magic to bring the waters back. If it weren't for the Third Immortal, we would have died long ago."

The monk remained calm and put his palms together, saying, "Amitabha, you are mistaken. As far as I know, the flood was caused by evil spirits. They orchestrated it themselves and offered small favors only to trick you into donating incense."

Upon hearing this, many villagers' expressions changed slightly, and some of the less resolute among them began to ponder the monk's words.

When the flood happened, Master Lu was indeed the first to arrive. Could it be that, as this monk said, Master Lu orchestrated the whole thing?

Seeing the villagers' doubts, the monk smiled slightly: "I know you don't believe me, but Buddha knows everything, even millennia of past and present. Today, when I came here, I obtained a wisp of Buddha's spirit; you will see for yourselves."

After saying this, the monk waved his hand, and a thick fog immediately surged out from his sleeve. The fog churned and condensed into a huge light screen in just a moment.

Within the light screen, a village could be faintly seen, a scene from a year ago.

The river outside the village swelled violently, its turbid waves threatening to engulf the fields and houses. Suddenly, a Taoist priest in a green robe descended from the sky; it was none other than Lu Qingxuan.

The Taoist priest landed on the riverbank, making hand gestures and chanting incantations.

The people thought he was going to use magic to reduce the floodwaters, but to their surprise, he flicked his finger and shot a burst of magical power into the river. Instead of receding, the river water surged even more violently, wave after wave crashing into the village.

In light and shadow,

Houses collapsed one after another under the impact of the river, and some villagers who did not have time to leave were directly submerged by the river, their fate unknown.

The crowd looked on in disbelief.

"This...this is Immortal Deer?"

"Impossible, the Third Immortal wouldn't harm us..."

The light and shadow continued to shift, and just as the village was about to be swallowed by the flood, a monk wearing a kasaya descended from the sky.

He clasped his hands together and chanted Buddhist mantras. A golden light shot out from his palms, transforming into a light curtain that blocked the raging flood.

The light and shadow slowly dissipated.

The monk withdrew his sleeves, clasped his hands together, and said with a compassionate expression, "Esteemed benefactors, have you seen clearly?"

That Lu Qingxuan brought a flood that nearly destroyed your homes, but it was Buddha who protected you with his Dharma.

You keep saying that the Three Immortals saved your lives, but little do you know that the life-saving grace was actually a self-directed and self-acted ruse.

A demon is a demon; how could it truly protect mortals?

These words immediately caused an uproar in the audience.

Some people believed it and knelt down to kowtow and beg the monk for blessings, while others looked at each other with doubt.

Of course, some people didn't believe it, and Zhang Dashan was one of them.

He roared, "Bullshit! It's true that the Three Immortals saved my mother, I saw it with my own eyes! You monk, do you think we can't see through your illusions?"

The monk was not annoyed, and smiled slightly, saying, "If you don't believe me, I have another way."

He took out a string of Buddhist prayer beads from his sleeve, held it in his palm, and said, "These prayer beads are blessed by the Buddha. Anyone who is bewitched by demons will suffer a splitting headache and be restless if they touch these beads."

If any of you believe you have not been misled by evil spirits, you are welcome to come up and give it a try.

Several villagers, who had already been persuaded by him, rushed forward and reached out to touch the prayer beads.

Strangely enough, the prayer beads were icy to the touch, yet I felt no discomfort.

The monk smiled and said, "Since everyone's hearts are devoted to Buddhism, there will naturally be no problem."

His gaze shifted to Zhang Dashan, and he said, "Esteemed benefactor, if you don't believe me, you may try it yourself."

Zhang Dashan snorted coldly, strode forward, and reached out to grab the Buddhist prayer beads.

The prayer beads, which remained unchanged in the hands of others, suddenly emitted a golden light in Zhang Dashan's hand.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Dashan felt a powerful force drill into his fingertips and rush straight to his head. He immediately felt a splitting headache, screamed in agony, and fell to the ground.

Seeing this, a playful smile appeared on the monk's lips, but it quickly vanished without a trace.

"Your Excellency has been possessed by an evil spirit. This humble monk will exorcise it for you."

He reached out and brushed Zhang Dashan's head, and the splitting headache slowly subsided.

Upon seeing this, the villagers believed him even more and knelt down, calling him the Living Buddha.

Liu Tiezhu stood in the crowd, his face turning pale and then red. He had been hesitant, but after witnessing Zhang Dashan's miserable state, he felt dizzy and his resolve crumbled.

Did the Three Immortals really deceive them?

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, the monk on the altar twirled his prayer beads and said loudly, "Esteemed benefactors, if the evil spirits in the Three Immortals Shrine are not eliminated, you will suffer even more calamities in the future. This humble monk is willing to help you demolish the evil shrine and build a new Buddhist temple to ensure peace in this area."

No sooner had the words been spoken than several spies who had been planted beforehand raised their arms and shouted, "Tear down the Three Immortals Shrine! Build a Buddhist hall! We beg the Living Buddha to take charge!"

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, and some people picked up hoes and carrying poles and were about to rush towards the Three Immortals Temple.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on the monk's lips.

He was surprised that these people were so easily fooled. He was overjoyed at the thought of the reward he would receive when he returned.