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

The old king was planning the construction of the Sanqing Temple when he heard the head monk's words and frowned slightly: "What does the master have to say?"

The monk put his hands together and said, "Your Majesty, Chechi Kingdom is located in Xiniuhezhou, which has been a place where Buddhism has flourished since ancient times. The capital already has Zhiyuan Temple, and many people believe in Buddhism. Now that we want to build Sanqing Temple, I'm afraid the people will not accept it."

"Moreover, today's rainmaking was not the work of this Taoist priest alone. Some time ago, the Buddha said that the drought in Chechi Kingdom would be relieved within seven days. This person just got the news first and is just pretending."

Now that things had come to this, the monk disregarded everything else and recounted his dream.

Upon hearing this, a buzz of discussion immediately arose from the audience, and those who had originally been grateful to Lu Qingxuan began to show signs of doubt.

Chechi Kingdom had been a devout Buddhist for many years, and the monks of Zhiyuan Temple regularly distributed porridge and medicine, earning them considerable prestige among the people.

Now, hearing this monk say that Buddhism had made a prophecy long ago, I can't help but feel wavered.

"I see... No wonder this Taoist priest invited the Dragon King as soon as he came on stage. It was just a coincidence."

"But those three masters were making a fuss on stage for ages, and not a single drop of rain came out."

The monk immediately replied, "That's because the time hasn't come yet. This Taoist priest merely acted first and stole the Buddha's credit!"

Lu Qingxuan stood with his hands behind his back, listening quietly, his expression unchanged: "Master, you said that Buddhism had long ago prophesied that rain would fall within seven days. May I ask, Master, since your Buddha has already set the seven-day deadline, why are you here today to pray for rain? Aren't you just trying to claim credit ahead of time because you don't believe your Buddha's prophecy?"

The monk was taken aback, his expression changed slightly, and he explained, "This humble monk...this humble monk has come up to the platform to pray for the people's well-being, not to ask for rain."

Lu Qingxuan smiled and said, "If it's a prayer for blessings, then how do you explain your earlier insistence on swift rain?"

The people in the audience nodded in agreement.

Someone shouted in agreement: "That's right, you're clearly praying for rain, and you're saying you're not!"

The monk, his forehead beaded with sweat, argued, "That was...that was because I was in a moment of haste and forgot the Buddha's prophecy."

Lu Qingxuan didn't press him, but instead asked the old king, "Your Majesty, these three masters prayed for rain for a whole hour, but did they manage to bring down even a single drop of rain?"

The old king shook his head and said, "No."

Lu Qingxuan then said, "I had only been on the stage for less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea when the Dragon King arrived, and a torrential downpour began. Does Your Majesty believe the claim that the time has not yet come?"

Although the old king had been a Buddhist for many years, he was not a fool.

He glanced at the three monks' disheveled appearance and then at Lu Qingxuan's calm and composed demeanor, and a plan formed in his mind.

He said in a deep voice, "I saw with my own eyes that after the Immortal ascended the platform, the Dragon King himself arrived, and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas all brought rain. This cannot be explained by the fact that the time has not yet come."

The monk was about to speak again when the old king raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Master, there is no need to say more. My mind is made up. There is no need to discuss the matter of building the Sanqing Temple any further."

The monk's face turned ashen. He knew the situation was hopeless, but he was still unwilling to give up. He gritted his teeth and said, "If Your Majesty insists on building the Sanqing Temple, this humble monk has nothing to say. However, the people of Chechi Kingdom have been Buddhists for many years. Does Your Majesty intend to force them to convert to Taoism?"

The old king frowned and said, "When have I ever forced the people to convert? The Sanqing Temple was built with my own funds to enshrine the Three Pure Ones. People who wish to worship Buddha can still go to Zhiyuan Temple. I do not force anyone."

The monk was speechless, and could only glare at Lu Qingxuan resentfully.

Lu Qingxuan suddenly spoke up: "Master, I have a suggestion. Since you say that Buddhism has long prophesied that rain will fall within seven days, why don't I leave Chechi Kingdom today and see if it rains after today? If it does, I will admit defeat and the Sanqing Temple will not be built. If it doesn't rain..."

His gaze swept sharply over the three monks. "That is blatant deception and fraud within Buddhism. What should be done about these three masters speaking such nonsense before His Majesty?"

The three monks' expressions changed drastically. They looked at each other, not daring to respond.

Those words were just something they heard in a dream. If they were real, that would be fine, but if it was just a dream, they couldn't bear the consequences.

The leading monk stammered, "Perhaps today's rain is what Buddha requested..."

Lu Qingxuan laughed. He never expected that the monk would say such a thing. Did he really think everyone in the world was a fool?

The people below the stage, seeing the monk stammering, understood perfectly well what he meant.

"Liar! You're just playing tricks!"

"And all these years of believing in Buddhism have gone wrong!"

Hearing the mockery from all around, the three monks turned ashen-faced and, not daring to linger any longer, turned and left.

The old king watched their retreating figures, sighed, and said, "Immortal Master, I never imagined that there would be such charlatans in Buddhism."

Lu Qingxuan said, "The Buddhist sect is vast, with tens of millions of disciples. It is inevitable that there will be both good and bad among them. Your Majesty need not give up because of this. There are also truly practicing monks in Zhiyuan Temple. Your Majesty only needs to be wary of these three."

The old king nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qingxuan added, "After the Sanqing Temple is completed, Your Majesty only needs to worship the Three Pure Ones. There is no need to deliberately suppress Buddhism. What the people believe and what they worship is their freedom. As long as they do not harm heaven and reason or mislead people, let them be."

The old king exclaimed, "Immortal, you have a magnanimous heart; I admire you greatly."

Lu Qingxuan cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. Now that this matter is settled, I shall take my leave."

"Wouldn't the immortal lord stay a little longer? So that I may properly express my gratitude to the immortal lord," the old king said, trying to persuade him to stay.

Lu Qingxuan shook his head: "I am a person outside the secular world and do not care about worldly affairs. Rather than entertaining me, Your Majesty would be better off giving those things to the people. The drought has just ended, and I'm afraid there are still many people who are not getting enough to eat. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Upon hearing this, the audience admired Lu Qingxuan even more; such integrity was indeed unmatched by the three monks.

Once the temple is completed, they will definitely go and pay their respects.

"I cannot match your magnanimity, Immortal Master. Since that is so, I will do as you say and distribute alms throughout the capital for a month to thank you for your prayers for rain," the old king exclaimed.

"Good!" Lu Qingxuan nodded.

...

Soon the old king's decree was issued, ordering the opening of granaries and the establishment of thirty soup kitchens in the capital for a month of relief.

Upon hearing this, the people spread the news far and wide, and cheers resounded throughout the capital, all expressing their gratitude to the old king and Lu Qingxuan.

Lu Qingxuan rode on the clouds, and as the sun set, it bathed the city behind him in gold, making it look like a sleeping giant beast from afar.

Once the Sanqing Temple was built, the incense offerings of Taoism took root in Xiniu Hezhou.

Given the nature of those three monks, they would certainly not let this go easily. They have the Buddhist sect behind them, and Xiniu Hezhou is the exclusive domain of the Buddhist sect, so they would definitely not allow the Taoist sect to interfere.

But that's a story for another time.

As things stand, with the Sanqing Temple now completed, even if the Buddhist community wanted to do something, they wouldn't dare to do it openly. This is why he asked the old king to build the Sanqing Temple first...