Chapter 752: Shang Yi's Translation of the Scriptures
There is a tower in the temple, with a golden plate on top and a double-story building below. The tower is nine-story and octagonal, with eaves on each floor and bronze mirrors on each side. There is also a bronze mirror facing the sky on the top of the tower, so it is called the "Nine-Mirror Tower".
Gong Mengbi brought Shao Huzheng and Miao Huhui into Jingta Temple, and his eyes lingered on the Nine Mirrors Pagoda.
This pagoda is cast under the heavy shadow of Buddha. Unless one has a deep and profound Dharma eye, one cannot see the scene of the golden mist falling and the Dharma clouds flowing.
The young men naturally didn't care that they couldn't see it, and went straight to the Zen hall to meet Master Shangyi, and had no obstructions along the way.
Originally, Jingta Temple was a place for burning incense and worshipping Buddha, and outsiders were not prohibited from entering. Except for the monks' halls and monasteries inside, outsiders were allowed to visit the main hall and side halls at will.
The monk in charge of reception pointed the way and then let these young men and women from the wealthy families of Xia Pi enter.
The monk in charge of reception was an ordinary monk, but the monk on duty in front of the hall was a practicing monk. He just took a look outside and didn't notice anything wrong, so he closed his eyes and continued to chant while beating the wooden fish.
Shao Hu watched Gong Mengbi and the two of them follow behind these young men and women. The monks on duty turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, just like the priests in the City God Temple.
Shao Huzheng whispered, "Mingfu Huzheng, can you teach me this skill?"
Gong Mengbi was surprised and said, "It's just an illusion. Does Shao Huzheng still need me to teach him?"
Shao Huzheng was confused and said, "I also know how to use illusions, but Confucian and Taoist monks are always pure in will and strong in spirit, so illusions are hard to work on them."
"If you use magic to cover his eyes and ears, it's like scattering dust in front of him. It's naturally difficult for him to notice. But if we use other people's bodies to block our own bodies, and other people's voices to cover our own voices, that's much easier. For example, I'm using the aura of these young people to cover us up, making us their entourage, so he'll think we're together."
“I understand, but I can’t do it.”
"This is the skill of cultivation. Shao Huzheng is not specialized in this way, so there is no need to distract yourself here. Just a little understanding is enough to scare ordinary people. I see that you are good at practicing fire magic, so you might as well work hard here."
Shao Huzheng never said that he was proficient in fire magic, and he didn't know how Gong Mengbi knew it, but in front of Gong Mengbi, he was a latecomer, so he was willing to listen to what Gong Mengbi said.
"Then Gong Hu Zheng, where should I study better?" Miao Hu met Shao Hu Zheng and got some advice, so he asked hurriedly.
"If you cultivate your Qi and nourish your spirit well, you will already be far superior to others. Techniques are the end of the law. Don't lose sight of the essence and pursue the end; the gain will outweigh the loss."
The Miao Hu Society also listened with joy.
The three of them chatted without avoiding others, but it seemed that no one heard them, probably because the young people in front of them were chatting more happily.
When you arrive at Master Shangyi's Zen Hall, you can't just see him whenever you want. Master Shangyi was also a guest at Jingta Temple, staying there only to borrow the original copy of the Dharma Mirror Sutra.
Two monks blocked their way. They clamored to explain their identities and the reason for their visit. Then one of the monks went in to report to Master Shangyi.
After a while, the monk came out and said, "Master Shangyi, please come in."
So Gong Mengbi and the other two followed them in.
When I entered the Zen hall, I saw Master Shangyi copying scriptures at his desk. He put down his pen only when he saw someone coming.
Master Shangyi's beard was a little gray, but his eyes were bright and clear. He smiled and asked, "Are you here to ask me to translate the scriptures?"
The young men urged Zhang Chengzu to come forward, and Zhang Chengzu asked, "Master Shangyi, my name is Zhang Chengzu. I recently accidentally obtained a strange book that I cannot understand. It is enshrined in Jingta Temple. I wonder if Master Shangyi has read it and if you can help us understand it?"
Master Shangyi looked at the monk beside him and asked, "What is this strange book?"
The monk said, "Master Shangyi is deeply engrossed in the Dharma Mirror Sutra, so we dare not disturb him. The book is still enshrined in the Sutra Repository."
Zhang Chengzu took out the rubbing of the Fox Book from his arms and placed it in front of Master Shangyi, saying, "Master, this is a rubbing of a strange book."
Master Shangyi spread the pages out in front of him with great interest, studied them for a moment, and said, "This is a fox book. It has fox writing on it. Where did Young Master Zhang get it from?"
Being recognized by Master Shangyi, the young men became even more excited. Zhang Chengzu was too embarrassed to say that he had stolen it, so he just said vaguely, "I got it by chance. Master, do you know what it says on it?"
Master Shangyi said, "I don't recognize the fox script either, but considering the imagery, I can try to translate it."
Zhang Chengzu was delighted and said, "Thank you for troubling Master Shangyi. I wonder how long it will take you to translate it?"
Master Shangyi said, "Just give it a try. It won't take long."
Master Shangyi placed his hand on the stack of fox books, and the words on the fox books began to flow one by one, as if washed by water, breaking away from the paper and flowing in front of Master Shangyi.
Several young people were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths, but in the eyes of Master Shangyi, these fox characters evolved into the images and movements of foxes, from which they could infer the hidden meanings.
There was a faint light in Master Shangyi's eyes, and one hand was writing ink on the paper, translating the fox book into human language.
Shao Huzheng and Miao Huhui hurriedly looked at Gong Mengbi. Gong Mengbi looked at them soothingly and then closed his eyes.
Pictures unfolded before Master Shangyi, who continued translating. He did not have a complete understanding at the beginning, but after putting pen to paper, he began to infer the contents of the fox book.
This is a method of cultivation, a method of paying homage to the underworld, worshiping the moon, and returning to the body.
Starting from the shallow to the deep, from gathering qi, inhaling qi, refining qi, to cultivating spirit, settling the mind and awakening the spirit, Master Shangyi himself seemed to have turned into a fox, and as he refined qi he reached the stage of nourishing the spirit and entered the state of concentration.
In this state of concentration, a bright moon suddenly fell down, illuminating the entire room.
An immortal dressed in celestial robes slowly emerged from the moon and asked, "I've heard that monks value the Three Treasures and practice taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. I wonder why you've stolen my fox immortal Dharma today?"
Master Shangyi suddenly woke up from his meditation and opened his eyes wide. The fox text flowing in front of him seemed to be caught in a vortex, surrounding him like a whirlwind. The fox text kept changing and his true shape could no longer be seen.
With a snap.
All the ink was thrown into the Zen hall, spread out on the table, floor and walls, turning into unrestrained cursive writing.
The pen in Master Shangyi's hand left a dot of ink on the paper, which seeped through the paper.
The old monk placed his brush on the pen stand, looked at Zhang Chengzu with a serious expression, and asked, "Young Master Zhang, how did you get this fox book?"
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