Chapter 101 "Old Monk" - Golden Wheel Living Buddha
Mingguang would do anything to accumulate enough merit.
The fastest way to gain merit in worldly affairs is to speak up for the people and participate in political struggles, which is also what he is best at.
However, there were only three kingdoms in the human world, and soon the merits of fighting for power were not enough to fill the "million merits" he needed.
He then transformed into a local official responsible for building the new city, taking on the thankless task of being an imperial envoy, cracking down on corruption, and walking a dangerous path where he was condemned by everyone, cursed by his colleagues, and constantly hunted down.
Later, that wasn't enough either.
In the Three Kingdoms of the Human World, he went wherever there were natural disasters or man-made calamities, and wherever he could gain great merit.
He devoted himself to pacifying one country, then resigned to "betray" it and went to serve another. However, he possessed unparalleled talent and could not be used by his own country, so the emperor naturally would not allow him to be used by another.
Mingguang was accused of "treason" and was hunted down by two of the three kingdoms.
Later, he discovered that monks could freely roam the world, so he... entered the Buddhist order and became a monk for several years.
In the past two years, people's livelihoods have recovered and ghosts have disappeared, but the three kingdoms have started fighting again for resources and the ruins of the destroyed ancient city.
Mingguang re-entered the world, fighting his way up from a lowly soldier to become the Grand General of Wenchang Kingdom.
He learned to disguise himself, but while a person's appearance can be changed, their behavior cannot be completely altered.
He was recognized by the ruler of Wenchang Kingdom as a former traitor.
After all, no great general would spare no prisoner from being unjustly killed during a battle. His methods of governing the army were even more ruthless and unpredictable. He commanded tens of thousands of troops, who were united in spirit and discipline, and their orders were strictly obeyed. It was practically his own army.
No matter how much a ruler values talent, he cannot leave a minister who might betray other countries at any time to control the border.
Therefore, he was imprisoned.
But because he has traveled among people for many years, taking on various identities to do good deeds.
Plant good seeds, and you will surely reap good fruit.
He may not win the hearts of the king, but he has won the hearts of the people of various countries.
He was released before his execution and, in order to conceal his identity, he returned to the temple to become a monk.
This time, however, he transformed himself into a "living Buddha" who had been appointed by Heaven to save people from suffering and to cultivate himself.
"This imperial decree was created by him using the water and light to build a rainbow bridge across the sky," Zhuoxian sighed. "Our future Immortal Emperor is indeed a genius who can turn the world upside down and stir up the winds and clouds."
If he had not been born a legitimate member of the ancient immortal clan, with such methods and a slightly flawed mind, he could have become a great demon who brought disaster to the world.
When Bitao heard Bai Duo and Zhuo Xian's account, her heart only flickered slightly.
She was in the underworld, and she could imagine Mingguang rushing between various identities to help her trace her soul.
Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, but Bitao dares not imagine what Mingguang will be like after he becomes a mortal.
Bai Duo felt sorry for his daughter who was being trampled by countless souls every day, and asked her, "Twenty years have passed, and... are you still not going to heaven?"
During the competition for immortality, if one accumulates enough merit, one can return to heaven at any time according to one's own wishes.
He had actually secretly looked at the Silver River Net and found that Bitao's merits had already exceeded five million.
It's not 500,000, but 5 million.
Five million is enough to create five Kings of Hell.
This was only what was initially gained as life gradually recovered in this realm. If we had to endure a few more years of hardship, the three kingdoms would have become four, and the four kingdoms would have split into five. Those little weeds would have all grown up and had more offspring. The birds and beasts in the mountains and fields would continue to reproduce, and snakes, insects, rats, and ants would have been constantly living and dying...
Bai Duo couldn't imagine what position Bi Tao would rise to after her death. But in the end, he still felt sorry for his daughter.
One's celestial rank can rise slowly, but Bai Dui, having been in the Netherworld for over a thousand years, knows all too well that even the most steadfast and virtuous person will be corrupted and gradually changed.
Bitao did not urge the hearts of the sentient beings to answer Baiduo, clearly rejecting the proposal silently and firmly.
She took a risky approach and finally got to where she is now, so why would she give up halfway?
She could disregard even herself, yet she cared only about Mingguang Xuanxian.
Bai Duo had already talked until his throat was dry, racking his brains to think of what else Mingguang Xuanxian could say.
His life was actually very, very dull; aside from self-sacrifice and dedication, he was always on the path of self-sacrifice and dedication.
But since his daughter liked to hear it, Bai Duo had no choice but to rack his brains and remember something else: "Actually, your second senior sister... that is, Zhang Yuluan, just took on a mission from the Alliance of All Beings a couple of days ago to lead cultivators to suppress bandits in the human world. The temple where Mingguang Xuanxian became a monk is not far from that mountain forest."
Mingguang Xuanxian would never miss any opportunity to gain merit, and would definitely intervene in the affairs of the mountain bandits.
Bai Duo said, "Twenty years later, they might meet again."
Yes, cultivators no longer need to catch ghosts, but they still have other things to do in the world.
As long as one doesn't participate in human struggles, one can do some things to assist mortals.
This mission was quite rewarding for Zhang Yuluan.
Yes, more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Yuluan and the others have become more and more skilled in swordsmanship, and their crooked junior brothers and sisters have all entered the Earthly Realm. However, they are still penniless.
No matter how capable you are, you still have to honestly go on missions.
After completing this mission, you can obtain some money from the officials in the human world, and upon returning to the Alliance of All Beings, you can also receive some spirit stones.
There was a band of bandits entrenched in the mountains who specialized in robbing passing caravans. Due to the terrain, the armies of the mortal world were unable to cross the waterfall and the wide river, or climb up a mountain cave to kill the bandits stationed on the mountaintop.
The bandits were cunning and cautious, and had long ago set up numerous traps in the river and caves.
Zhang Yuluan and the others were all cultivators, arguably among the most powerful in the cultivation world today. Dealing with such bandits was like catching turtles in a jar—a piece of cake.
However, when they hurried to the foot of the mountain where the bandits were entrenched, they found a group of monks surrounding the area.
Zhang Yuluan and the others were clearly dressed as cultivators. As soon as the group of young monks saw the cultivators, they acted as if they had done something wrong, pushing and shoving each other.
Finally, a round-headed, extremely handsome young monk stepped forward and said in a refined manner, "Please wait, lady. Our Living Buddha has already entered the mountains. In order to avoid harming innocent people, please wait a moment."
They were all Buddhist disciples who followed the "Living Buddha".
In fact, it was all created by the temple; they were originally just ordinary novice monks.
However, ever since the Golden Wheel Monk in the temple pulled off the magic trick of building a rainbow bridge in the sky, he himself became some kind of "living Buddha".
Their half-dead temple suddenly became a thriving place of worship, with people singing all the way.
There were even people from the palace who came to invite their "Golden Wheel Living Buddha" to give a sermon to the Empress Dowager!
However, the Golden Wheel Living Buddha refused, so the temple had to send someone else instead.
The Golden Wheel Living Buddha sought neither fame nor fortune, devoting himself wholeheartedly to saving all living beings. He was so good that even the monks who had been ordained since childhood felt ashamed of themselves.
Now, whenever the Golden Wheel Living Buddha hears of a group of wicked bandits in the surrounding area, he goes down the mountain without a word to "convert" them.
Several Buddhist disciples, still worried, shamelessly followed and stayed at the foot of the mountain.
That's when they ran into Zhang Yuluan and her group.
Zhang Yuluan didn't care about monks or anything like that. She had finally gotten a lucrative job thanks to Lü Youcai, only to have it snatched away by a bunch of monks! This was unacceptable!
Without thinking twice, Zhang Yuluan used the hilt of her sword to shove the young monk aside and was about to lead her men into the mountains.
But the little monk, fearless of death, stepped forward again, spreading his arms like a fledgling bird, and blocked Zhang Yuluan's way.
His pretty face was flushed red. Zhang Yuluan wanted to describe him as a monkey's bottom, but he was far more handsome than Lü Youcai. He could only be described as a ripe peach.
The young monk said, "Madam, the road ahead is extremely dangerous. Our temple's Living Buddha..."
"Get out of the way!" Zhang Yuluan shoved the little monk on the shoulder.
Logically speaking, monks in this world should at least be strong and fit, know some martial arts, and practice in the coldest and hottest winters and summers.
Zhang Yuluan didn't use any spiritual energy at all, but with one slap, she sent the little monk sprawling on his back... flipping over on the ground like a little turtle.
He stood up and blocked Zhang Yuluan's way again.
He explained, "Female benefactor, I truly mean well for you."
The danger wasn't posed by the bandits, but by their Golden Wheel Living Buddha.
The Living Buddha has done countless good deeds and is the only monk in the world who truly deserves the title of Living Buddha.
However, he was also highly skilled in martial arts and had a violent and ruthless temperament. He never showed mercy to anyone who tried to stop him from "doing good deeds".
This little "Buddha" thought that Zhang Yuluan and his group were too delicate, and that even though they dressed as cultivators, if you pinched them together, they might not know as much Taoist magic as the Living Buddha... What if they were accidentally injured by the Living Buddha?
If Zhang Yuluan hadn't thought he was decent-looking, she would have beaten him to a pulp long ago.
She raised her finger and cast a spell to freeze the little monk, turning him into a club, before leading her people back into the mountains.
Just then, some noises came from the forest path leading into the mountains.
"Master, spare us! Master, spare us! We are just poor people, we really didn't mean to do evil!"
"Oh dear! Master, Master, we will definitely repent and start anew, we will! Please let go of my parents!"
Zhang Yuluan raised her hand, and the disciples behind her stopped. She focused her spiritual energy on her eyes and looked into the forest.
With just one glance, he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
At the end of the path, a tall monk, draped in a red-gold robe and with long hair that almost trailed on the ground, strolled leisurely out of the mountain, carrying something in one hand.
His features were sharp and cold, and as he walked through the forest, he gave people the feeling of an approaching raging fire.
His figure was steep and imposing. The robes that ordinary people would wear, which would drag on the ground, looked on him like a flag fluttering in the wind atop a precipitous peak.
It symbolizes supreme status and aloofness, as no one can climb to its summit.
"It's the Golden Wheel Living Buddha!" a young novice exclaimed in surprise. "The Golden Wheel Living Buddha has come out!"
Living Buddha?
Zhang Yuluan's eyes were bloodshot, and her eyelids twitched violently.
Indeed, the Buddha also has an angry, Vajra-like appearance, yet he is equally compassionate, and equally compassionate towards humanity.
Apart from his robe, this man had absolutely nothing to do with the word "Buddha".
—This is clearly her senior brother Wei Danxin, who disappeared twenty years ago!
Zhang Yuluan wanted to rush over to him and recognize him, no matter what.
But in the end, it was as if she had been frozen in place, and she could only watch helplessly as he carried those two "cloth bags" and walked towards the edge of the forest.
The young monks went to greet them.
But they stopped halfway there, their eyes filled with reverence, yet even more so with fear.
As she got closer, Zhang Yuluan's vision blurred for a moment before she realized that the "Golden Wheel Living Buddha" wasn't carrying a cloth bag at all.
Instead, they were two living people.
A living person still struggling and kicking.
He just carried the two people out like that, with his arms draped over their shoulders, as if he were carrying a chicken and a duck.
But the strong and burly bandits behind him, none of whom were injured, were all groveling and pleading.
"Master! I truly know I was wrong! Master, I understand now, I truly understand!"
"I've already laid down my butcher's knife, so why don't I shave my head right now? Please put my parents down!"
As they reached the edge of the woods, the young novice monk who had been immobilized by Zhang Yuluan was released from the spell and headed directly towards the "Golden Wheel Living Buddha."
He said happily, "Has the Living Buddha already converted them all?!"
"We've been corrected, we've been corrected, we all know we were wrong, and we'll never dare to do it again!"
"Living Buddha, Living Buddha, you..."
The Living Buddha finally let go of his parents.
The two old men refused to join the bandits when they first went up the mountain; they were tied up by their sons and carried up.
Now, being carried down the mountain by a martial monk, although still shaken, felt it was much easier than going up the mountain.
Moreover, this Living Buddha was indeed powerful; he completely reformed the son that the old couple had been unable to teach no matter what they tried.
After being placed on the ground, the two people knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to the Golden Wheel Living Buddha.
"Thank you, Living Buddha, thank you, Living Buddha..."
The Living Buddha himself stepped forward, bowed slightly, and helped the two elderly people up.
Without uttering a single word, he glanced at the burly man who had begged him all the way, and the rough man with a beard that extended to his neck and a scar on his face trembled all over.
He swallowed hard and said, "Don't worry, Living Buddha. Once we've settled my father and mother in the city, we'll immediately go to the government office to confess our crimes!"
The "Golden Wheel Living Buddha" lowered his eyes, his expression both gentle and stern. He raised one hand and uttered, "Amitabha, good, good."
Then he turned around and led the group of young novices down the mountain!
A junior brother behind Zhang Yuluan nudged her waist and said, "Second Senior Sister, this old monk doesn't seem to be trying to steal credit. It would be perfect if we picked him up and took him to the authorities!"
They certainly didn't have their credit stolen.
It could even be said that someone does the work for them and they just collect their money.
However, Zhang Yuluan's expression was somewhat distorted.
Because that "Golden Wheel Living Buddha" had clearly glanced in her direction and made eye contact with her.
But he seemed not to see Zhang Yuluan at all; his familiar golden eyes showed not a ripple of emotion, nor an inch of shock or realization.
Because in the past twenty years, life in the human world has recovered to its former glory. Zhang Yuluan and the other cultivators who have entered the Earthly Realm can now maintain their youthful appearance, just like the cultivators a thousand years ago.
She has kept her appearance unchanged from twenty years ago.
But in those calm, golden eyes, Zhang Yuluan seemed to be nothing more than a wildflower or a weed by the roadside.
It's nothing!
She had been inquiring about them openly and secretly for so many years, but now she was left with no resemblance to them.
What about all those years she endured, all those fervent hopes she had in the dead of night?
Zhang Yuluan was overwhelmed with emotion, but she refused to lose her composure in front of her junior brothers and sisters. She took a deep breath and stared intently at the back of the Golden Wheel Living Buddha, whom her junior brothers and sisters called "Old Monk".
Then he said, "You two follow those bandits and their families, and two of you go up the mountain to see what's going on. Once you've taken care of everything, wait for me at the inn in town!"
Then Zhang Yuluan chased after the figure that had already turned into the dense forest.
When they stopped him, the young novice monk beside him had already disappeared.
Clearly, he had guessed that Zhang Yuluan would catch up.
Zhang Yuluan was now in the same posture as the little novice monk before, like a fledgling bird blocking the "mountain," her expression resentful and desperate, yet her vision was constantly blurring.
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.
The "Golden Wheel Living Buddha" stood amidst the mountains and forests, his robes and long hair billowing in the breeze. He exuded a chilling divinity that made all who saw him want to humbly bow down before him and pray for all their desires.
But they also knew that no matter how much they prayed and kowtowed, this "deity" who was unmoved by anything in the human world would not grant their requests.
Zhang Yuluan met those deadly golden eyes, and even breathing became difficult.
She opened and closed her lips many times, but in the end, she couldn't utter the word "Senior Brother".
She wiped her face hard and finally saw the person in front of her clearly.
She could sense that he was no longer a cultivator, but just a mortal.
Time has sculpted his features into even steeper peaks, giving him an awe-inspiring presence, making him like a newly opened jar of aged wine—spicy and mellow, intoxicating to the senses, yet never truly forgiving him.
His appearance hasn't changed much since then, but his temples are now streaked with frost, and fine lines have crept into the corners of his once bright eyes.
He pursed his cold and indifferent lips, but ultimately did not speak to call Zhang Yuluan "Junior Sister".
He was so stingy and so heartless that even at this moment, even without concealing the fact that he still knew Zhang Yuluan, he refused to show her the slightest emotion.
He just watched her quietly.
Time seemed to stand still on her face, which remained as beautiful as ever.
He even started to drift off into a daze.
He looked at Zhang Yuluan's unchanged appearance and demeanor, and even her stubborn nature, and his eyes were stung.
He saw another person through Zhang Yuluan.
He hadn't felt any emotion for many years.
His heart, along with his aging appearance, was silently growing old.
He was always busy, always... always unable to accumulate enough merit to see her again and bring her back to the world.
If his little peach branch were still here, it would surely be just like Zhang Yuluan today, in its prime, and incomparably beautiful.
"Senior...Brother," Zhang Yuluan finally spoke, "Why are you here?"
Why don't you go home?
"Why...why are you pretending not to know me?!"
"you……"
Overwhelmed with anger and heartbreak, Zhang Yuluan's eyebrows, which had never drooped in years, once again formed a pitiful, downward-pointing shape.
She had so many questions she wanted to ask the person in front of her.
Where did Master go? Where did Junior Sister go? Where did Junior Brother go?
What exactly happened back then?
Why have you wandered the earth for so many years without ever returning home?
Why... why did you leave everything to her, leaving her to hold the sect together all by herself?
She was like a traveler who had found an "oasis of water" but was on the verge of collapse.
The breath that had been hanging in his chest for years turned into resentment, and he opened his mouth to spew it out at the "Golden Wheel Living Buddha".
You're clearly a Taoist priest, so why are you pretending to be a monk in this mortal world?!
Having escaped his responsibilities as the sect's senior disciple, have you been living a carefree life outside all these years?!
Do you feel even the slightest bit, not even the tiniest, sense of remorse?
Zhang Yuluan could go on and on for three days and three nights without repeating herself.
But before her overwhelming resentment and emotions could break through the dam like a flood, she heard the person on the other side speak.
He no longer needed to deliberately lower his voice to feign solemnity; the signs of decay had transformed his voice into the deep, resonant tone befitting a middle-aged man.
He said, "I am here now because it is my destiny. Zhang Yuluan, you have your own path. The coming together and parting of people in this world are all preordained."
"Man is born alone and dies alone, comes alone and goes alone, amidst the desires and passions of the world. When he reaches the places of suffering and joy, he must bear it himself, for no one can take his place."①
Why insist on forcing it?
He didn't answer any of Zhang Yuluan's questions, but he answered all of her questions at once.
He had become a mortal, and his voice no longer held the power of judgment.
But the moment he opened his mouth, it was like the cruelest punishment in the world, easily shattering all of Zhang Yuluan's "extravagant hopes".
With a single word, he drew a line between Chu and Han in this vast world, creating an insurmountable chasm between heaven and earth.
Interrupting her near collapse, the resolute spear pinned her back to the "lonely world."
After he finished speaking, he didn't even give Zhang Yuluan time to accept it all. He walked past her and slowly but firmly headed into the deep mountains.
Walking towards the temple where he now resides, to his morning bell and evening drum.
He... never uttered it to anyone, yet it was a deep-seated obsession ingrained in his very bones.
He was exhausted, barely clinging to a semblance of human form, having long since lost any power to offer warmth to others.
He couldn't give Zhang Yuluan any of the support she wanted.
His profound principles and Buddhist scriptures could persuade Zhang Yuluan, but they couldn't persuade himself.
Zhang Yuluan opened her mouth, but before she could utter a word, tears fell like beads from a broken string, then silently disappeared into the mountains and forests.
A gentle breeze caressed her face, like a pair of tender hands reaching out to wipe her away.
But she stiffened her neck, reached out and fiercely wiped her wet face, widening her eyes to their maximum.
I will not allow myself to shed another single tear.
A Taoist priest pretending to be a monk actually started chanting scriptures for her!
He's just an old beast who never goes home.
She is no different from any other "brother or father" in this world who drinks, messes around, and refuses to take responsibility. Why should she cry? Why should she force things?
Pooh!
Zhang Yuluan spat out the salty, fishy taste in her mouth, didn't look back, and ran down the mountain along the fork in the road.
He ran in the opposite direction from that "Golden Wheel Living Buddha," leaving behind the self that had once desperately begged for mercy.
Behind her, those who had already stepped onto the temple steps did not stop for even a moment.
However, compared to Zhang Yuluan's agility and his upright back as before, his posture while climbing the mountain was not so majestic, but rather his back was slightly hunched.
If a person has no desires in this world, they can certainly stand tall and upright, come and go freely, ride the wind and fly, and dream of traveling along the Qinghe River.
But if there is a request, even a god must bow down and lower his head.
Humility and caution are required to proceed step by step, traversing thorns and brambles.
Fortunately... he has reached the end of his thorny path.
After converting that gang of bandits, his merits should have far exceeded one million.
Tonight...
Tonight I will be able to "meet" the one I've been longing for.
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