Chapter 118 In The Main Hall
This chapter is sponsored by Anonymous
Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain, in the Main Hall. Dozens of bald monks wearing yellow uniform were sitting on the futon. In front of them, there are three great statues of Buddha.
Below the statues sat a middle-aged monk dressed in red robes. The monk’s treasured face was as solemn as the living Buddha.
Whether it’s that middle-aged monk, or the yellow-shirted monks below, they were sitting there with eyes closed and motionless like the statues in this Hall.
Among these monks, the most striking was, there’s a beautiful woman in a red trench coat. This woman was different than the other monks, surreptitiously looked around, sizing up this magnificent Main Hall.
“Su Ji.” That middle-aged monk suddenly spoke; his voice was brimming with the sound of peace, “This is the morning class, don’t get distracted.”
“Ai, Master….” The little miss pouted her mouth, acting like a spoiled brat in front of her father, and said to that monk, “This is the first time I come to the Main Hall. So, I’m very curious.”
Regarding this lively disciple of him, this middle-aged monk actually likes a lot. Su Ji’s talent is excellent, moreover, she has an affinity with Buddha and has the same nature as the Buddha. At the age of 20, she has entered the fourth stage in cultivation practice. In the cultivation world, this is a very rare thing.
Unfortunately, not only she is an outer court disciple, but she is also a woman. If she were a boy, he would break the master rule and convert her to become a monk so as to make her his legitimate disciple. If that’s the case, this temple will have a proud disciple of Buddha, and his Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain can produce a young expert.
But Su Ji was born as a girl. In the thousand years of Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain history, the main disciples were all monks, there’s never been a nun as the precedent.
However, this does not stop this middle-aged monk to care for this disciple. He said with a faint smile.
“Su Ji, your attention is too unfocused, you can’t even bear to fully learn this superficial Six Big Bright Incantations. A year ago teacher imparted you with this technique, believing that in the course of one year, you can completely comprehend this fundamental skill. But lo and behold, today I saw that you only learn the fourth incantation. Thus making teacher disappointed.
“Master….” Su Ji still pursed her mouth, and also complained, saying, “You said that this is just some shallow technique. When Su Ji learned it, it didn’t have the power.”.
“Oh?” That middle-aged monk raised his eyebrows, “Didn’t have the power? Care to explain?”
“Em, it’s because the power of this skill is not that strong, so I don’t put much effort into learning it.”
“These words are wrong.” This middle-aged monk smiled and waved at the young monk next to Su Ji, “Fa Xiang, why don’t you show to your junior martial disciple, how big is the true power of this Six Big Bright Incantations.”
“Yes, master.” That young monk named Fa Xiang, with folded hands, stood up. He turned around, went to the Hall entrance, facing the outside sky, and started to make a hand seal.
“An, Ma, Ne, Ba, Mi, Hong!”
Different than Su Ji, the six tone that he spat out, swung to the ears and resounded through the soul. After completing the incantation, Fa Xiang launched the hand seal. White, green, yellow, blue, red, and black. Six Buddhist print with different colors, flew out and wound together to form a huge circle, out of this Hall and hovered under the blue sky.
A golden statue of Buddha suddenly sat within these six Buddhist prints. Then, these six Buddhist prints converge to the center of the golden statue. A golden dazzling light suddenly rippled out like a melting water mark, flooding the entire Main Hall.
Pure and auspicious Buddhist energy washed every corner. It even cleaned the soul. Su Ji immediately felt that her head became clear, the depression in her heart because she hadn’t seen Qin Chao for a long time, was swept away.
At this moment, her whole being relaxed a lot.
After having done all these, Fa Xiang returned, did the Buddhist bow toward the middle-aged monk and Su Ji, and then sat back on the futon, closing his eyes.
“Fa Xiang’s Buddhist energy has progressed a lot.” The middle-aged monk couldn’t help but nod. He is also proud of this disciple Fa Xiang. After one year in the orphanage, he followed his side to study Buddhism. When he was 19 years old, his cultivation level was already on stage five.
Unfortunately, Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain has always been low-key, few people know that in the midst of this young generation, there’s such a young expert.
Su Ji also opened her mouth in awe. She didn’t think that after learning the Six Big Bright Incantations to the full, it would become so powerful. However, she rolled her eyes, and then smilingly said.
“It’s unfair, master.” Su Ji pouted and showed an unforgiving look, “Martial brother has followed master since he was a child. Not to mention his Buddhist energy, even his cultivation level is higher than me! How about, master impart me a high-level cultivation technique. Say, Diamond Heart Sutra. I heard that it’s not bad.”
“Nonsense.” The middle-aged monk shook his head again and again, “This Diamond Heart Sutra is only suitable for a male to learn because it’s a Yang in nature. How could you cultivate it?”
“Hehe, then just pass me another technique then. Master, master you’re the best.” Su Ji, knowing that her master dote on her quickly said.
“A monk can not lie.” The middle-aged monk sighed, “Su Ji, master is now telling you, in this Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain, there’s not a single cultivation technique that is suitable for a woman. Buddhist technique is Yang and Hard in nature, which you can not learn.”
With that, the middle-aged monk slowly closed his eyes again and continued to chant the morning class scripture.
“Humph, master is really stingy!” Su Ji, seeing that her ruse has failed, sitting there disappointedly.
At this time, Fa Xiang, who sat next to her with closed eyes, suddenly pulled her by the sleeve. Su Ji blinked, although Fa Xiang’s eyes were still closed, he secretly extracted a binding from his sleeve and stuffed it into Su Ji’s hand.
Su Ji took a closer look at the several words that were printed on the cover.
“Nine Characters Incantation Hand Seal.”
My goodness, Su Ji already knew that this Nine Characters Incantation Hand Seal is one of Baotai Temple of Songshan Mountain secret technique. This heart sutra doesn’t have a strong attack power, but all of the nine big incantation hand seals, each has its own magical property. If one were to cultivate it to the peak, it can become an embodiment of Buddha.
She didn’t expect that her martial brother Fa Xiang would be willing to give her this secret technique. Su Ji was pleased and swung open a beautiful smile on her lips.
“Thank You, martial brother.” She knew that her master’s hearing was very good. So, she lowered her voice and said to Fa Xiang.
That Fa Xiang’s face immediately turned red, hastening his verses’ reading.
At this time, the middle-aged monk that was sitting at the front suddenly opened his eyes and opened his mouth to say.
“Su Ji.”
“Ah! Master?” Su Ji seemed flustered, but she quickly hid the secret technique book well, tucking it into the sleeve of her trench coat.
“Do you know, why teacher called you to come here from Suzhou city?”
“A? Master, how could I guess that! I am not all-resourceful like you; anything can guess correctly.”
The middle-aged monk pondered for a while, and then slowly said.
“Because teacher recently noticed that, in the direction of Suzhou City area, there’s a stream of demonic Yin qi.”
When she heard this, Su Ji’s heart was immediately in chaos, thinking ‘Heaven, could it be that master already aware of Qin Chao’s existence? If master wants to send me to apprehend Qin Chao, what should I do? Do I obey master, who I most venerate, and catch Qin Chao to punish him? Or should I betray master and elope with Qin Chao?’
‘If I run away with Qin Chao, where could we run? At that time, the cultivation world would surely hunt us to get rid of our taboo relationship. I could not imagine how much the power of all the upright sects combined. My god, what should I do?’
Thinking about Qin Chao’s appearance, her heart that was just washed clear by the Buddhist energy, began to get covered by dark clouds.
Without knowing the love problem of his disciple, the middle-aged monk continued.
“If teacher’s expectation is correct, this should be the ten thousand years Zombie King.”
“Zombie King!” Hearing this, Su Ji’s heart, which chaotic just a moment ago, jumped, thinking, ‘It turned out, master is not referring to Qin Chao. Just as I thought, little devil intelligent like Qin Chao would not attract master’s attention.’
The two words Zombie King has caused a commotion in the Main Hall. Even Su Ji’s martial brother Fa Xiang can not help but frown.
“Master, is there really such a thing as a zombie?” Although she is in the Buddhist sect, Su Ji was just an outer court disciple who still unaware of many things.
(Zombie here refers to the Chinese zombie, not walking dead zombie)
“That’s right.” The middle-aged monk nodded, “If we trace its root, the earliest ancestors of zombie, should be the legendary drought demon in our mythology. There are six levels of zombie, white corpse, black corpse, jumping corpse, flying corpse, and there’s also the drought demon. The legend has it that, after a zombie succeeds in the cultivation and become the drought demon zombie, it can pull and slaughter the dragon (In China, dragon, essentially means rain god), thus creating a huge drought over a large territory. The soon to be born Zombie King in Suzhou area is a level 5 zombie, which already reach the drought demon level. If he is fully awake, the area 500 km around him, would suffer big drought. At that time, in a huge area around Suzhou, not even a blade of grass would grow.”
“How powerful…” Su Ji stuck out her tongue, “Master, didn’t you say there are six levels of zombie?”
“Indeed….” The middle-aged monk nodded, “It can be said that the level six zombie has a bit of relation with our Buddhist sect. Because the level six zombie have enough power to challenge a devil god. In this world, there’s only one, and his name is known as ‘Hou.’” (Hou: a fierce Mongolian wolf dragon’s head)
“Hou?” Su Ji blinked her eyes, “Isn’t that the mount of Earth Store Bodhisattva (Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva/Bodhisattva of the Great Vow)?”
“That’s right, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has tamed this level six zombie, and called him Hou.”
“So, it’s like this….” Su Ji nodded her head, and suddenly a bit anxious said, “Master, will Suzhou city be in danger?”
“You can rest assured.” The middle-aged monk smiled, “Since the zombie king will be born, every school would naturally send their expert. Su Ji, this time, I want you to go along with Fa Xiang. Slaying demon and eliminate the devil is our duty as a Buddhist follower.”
Hearing this, Su Ji felt relieved. At this time, the middle-aged monk waved and said.
“Everyone can disperse, except Fa Xiang. Teacher has some words for you.”
When there were only that middle-aged monk and Fa Xiang inside the Main Hall, the middle-aged monk suddenly said.
“Fa Xiang, the Nine Characters Incantation Hand Seal is easy to learn at the beginning but hard to master. Your junior martial sister is mischievous by nature, so, you have to assist her.”
“Mas….master….” Fa Xiang didn’t expect that his master has known this secret. Nervously, he admitted his mistake again and again, “Master, disciple is wrong, please don’t blame junior martial sister.”
“Ai, Fa Xiang.” The middle-aged monk shook his head, and somewhat fondly looked at this beloved disciple, “This time you descend the mountain, you are doomed to have a disastrous love affair. However, this will not be caused by Su Ji. You have to concentrate in Buddhist cultivation, and you must not interfere your religious practice.”
“Yes, master….” Fa Xiang respectfully do a Buddhists obeisance, and said, “Master, who then, is the source of my love disaster?”
“Can not say….can not say….” The middle-aged monk closed his eyes and slowly said, “In Dongchuan City, a Devil Arhat has been born. Fa Xiang, the path that you took will be very difficult, you have to be careful. If you encounter a problem that you can’t solve, in Dongchuan city, find your uncle Shifang, only he can help you survive this disaster.”
“Mas…master….” Fa Xiang responded accordingly. But he said in his heart, ‘This uncle Shifang’s name is quite awful, who is he?’