Chapter 524: A Chinese Ghost Story, Tomb of Sanle
The woodcutter returned to the small village at the foot of the mountain. When he saw the familiar door of his home, a hint of realization appeared in his eyes.
It was like a big dream.
Only the Bodhi wood in his hand and the talisman paper in his arms reminded him that he was already dead, with life and death being different and yin and yang being separated.
"Ning Lao San, you're finally back. How come you were gone for so long? Everyone thought something happened to you!"
The neighbor came out to collect the clothes that were hung out to dry and was very surprised to see the woodcutter.
"Go home quickly, your wife gave birth to a big fat boy yesterday!"
The woodcutter's eyes brightened. His wife had been pregnant for ten months before he went up the mountain. Thanks to God, both mother and child were finally safe.
He entered the house and saw his wife, who had just given birth to a child, cooking in the kitchen. Smoke was rising from the kitchen. The big yellow dog in the corner came towards him affectionately, wagging its tail happily.
For the first time, he discovered that this ordinary scene was so moving.
…
After comforting his excited and delighted wife, the woodcutter first followed the Taoist's instructions, walked to the bedside of his seriously ill mother, and lit the Bodhi wood with the stove fire.
A light and elegant fragrance comes over, making people feel as if they are in a vast forest, feeling relaxed and happy, as if intoxicated.
The Bodhi wood burned out automatically when it was only half burned, but his seriously ill mother's complexion became rosy, her breathing became even, and all her illnesses were gone.
The woodcutter stood there for a long time, gazing at his old mother , looking at her frosty white hair and the wrinkles on her face.
Afterwards, he sold the good firewood he had cut near Lanruo Temple, took out ten cents from the money he earned and bought a big black carp. He gave it to an old teacher who taught in a private school in the east of the city, asking him to help give his son a good name.
Finally, he left all the remaining money to his wife, filled the water tank at home with water, and prepared some rough charcoal for the winter.
The sun sets quickly.
The woodcutter lit a candle, which he usually didn't want to use, and looked at his sleeping wife and children in the candlelight.
My son has delicate eyebrows and eyes, just like his mother, but his mouth looks like me.
During the long night, the woodcutter carved the remaining half of the Bodhi wood into the shape of a Taoist holding a sword. His craftsmanship was not good, and the work looked a bit crude, only three-quarters similar to Li Daoxuan.
At dawn, the woodcutter woke up his wife and told her that he was actually a ghost and that he was able to come back because he had met a great benefactor. From then on, she and her children would worship the statue to thank it during every festival.
His wife was drowsy and thought she was dreaming and that he was talking nonsense.
The woodcutter added, "If our son is going to be smart, we must let him learn to read and write, so that he won't be like his father, who is a loser."
"The old teacher at the private school gave him a name, Caichen, Ning Caichen... It sounds really nice."
Finally, in front of his wife, he lit the talisman with a candle.
The void trembled, and the gate to the Qingming Realm slowly opened. A sudden cold wind blew out the candles, and the crying of a baby was heard.
The wife was completely awake. She called her husband's name and quickly lit the candle.
A small lamp suddenly lit up the empty room.
But there was no one around, and there was no sign of her husband.
Only the wooden sculpture of a Taoist holding a sword was placed quietly in front of the bed, with indifferent eyes, as if he had seen all the vicissitudes of life.
…
Lanruo Temple.
Li Daoxuan slowly closed his third eye between his eyebrows, sighed softly, and felt a little emotional.
Ning Caichen...
Could this child be Ning Caichen in the story?
The statue of himself, because it was carved from ancient Bodhi wood, had some vague connection with him. Perhaps there would be a destiny between them in the future?
Lanruo Temple, Yan Chixia, Black Mountain Old Demon, Ning Caichen...
The story of A Chinese Ghost Story seems to be brewing quietly, but the tree demon in Lanruo Temple has been killed by him. Perhaps the trajectory of fate has changed?
Li Daoxuan shook his head and took one last look at the abandoned temple. Clouds and mist rose from his feet, soaring upwards towards Luoyang.
Everything depends on fate.
…
Luoyang City, White Horse Temple.
As soon as he landed, the bad guys surrounded him. Jiang Lian, the leader, reported the situation in Luoyang one by one.
"Reporting to the Imperial Master, according to a rough estimate, the number of casualties in this Luoyang disaster is no less than 10,000, including 3,000 Mo Dao soldiers, 2,000 Xuan Jia soldiers, and 400 demon-killing guards..."
Listening to Jiang Lian's report, Li Daoxuan's eyes became solemn.
Moro turned Luoyang into a cage, refining the flesh and blood of mortals to increase his strength, causing a large number of innocent casualties.
It is such a pity and lament that these capable and skilled soldiers were unable to fight on the battlefield to defend their country and instead died at the hands of evil spirits.
Moro is dead, but there is one person who must be severely punished!
"Where is that eldest son, Jeon Seok?"
This man was the governor of Luoyang, but he defected to the Moro religion and used the power of the court to help Moro build a formation, which resulted in countless deaths and injuries among the soldiers and civilians in Luoyang. His crime was truly heinous!
"Return to the Imperial Master. He has been put in prison."
Li Daoxuan glanced at him and said calmly: "Why don't you kill him?"
Jiang Lian only felt an invisible sense of oppression coming over him, which made his heart beat faster and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Master, he... he is from the Changsun family, the uncle of the Queen and Duke Zhao. He is related to the royal family, so we... dare not easily convict him."
Li Daoxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his hair fluttering and his eyes as cold as a spring.
Jiang Lian could not be blamed for this. Although the Bad People were powerful and prestigious, even more majestic than the Jinyiwei of later generations, there was one place they dared not reach out to, and that was the royal family.
Everyone in the world knows how much Your Majesty dotes on Empress Changsun, and everyone in the world knows the glory of the Changsun family.
The Bad People obey the emperor's orders. Who would dare to kill Changsun Quanxi without the emperor's approval?
The atmosphere was a little frozen for a moment, and several bad guys were so scared that they didn't dare to look up.
Jiang Lian said with a stiff face: "If you dare to ask the Imperial Master to give us an order, we will kill this thief immediately!"
Li Daoxuan understood that he was testing himself, testing whether he, as the national teacher, dared to take responsibility and whether he had the courage to act first and report later.
"Killing him with one blow would be too easy for him."
Li Daoxuan's voice sounded faintly.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Jiang Lian's eyes. He sighed inwardly and said, "If that's the case, then according to the law, escort Changsun Quanxi to the capital and hand him over to His Majesty for his fate."
Li Daoxuan shook his head and said, "That's even better for him. With your majesty's temper, he certainly won't spare him, but for the sake of the queen and Duke Zhao, I'm afraid he will give him a cup of poisoned wine. This way of death is too unrequited."
Jiang Lian stood there in a daze, and then he heard Li Daoxuan's voice continuing to ring, calm and majestic.
"Bad people, listen to orders."
"promise!"
"In my name, post notices throughout Luoyang City, revealing all of Changsun Quanxi's crimes to the public, and then immediately take him to the execution ground and sentence him to death by slicing!"
Jiang Lian suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with excitement.
Li Daoxuan patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I will talk to His Majesty. As long as what you do is for the country and the people, even if the sky falls, I will be the first to stand in front."
The bad guys were cheered up and felt their blood boiling as they looked at Li Daoxuan.
"promise!"
The sound shakes the sky and stirs the blood.
Jiang Lian's eyes were moved, and he looked deeply at the Taoist in green in front of him. If he was only in awe of the National Master's power before, now he was undoubtedly impressed by the National Master's responsibility and courage.
A gentleman will die for his confidant. It is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty to have such an imperial teacher!
"Great! Let's see if Changsun Quanxi dares to act arrogantly in prison again."
"Haha, he has been mocking us these days , saying that he will be fine once he gets to the capital. Now, he can't get to the capital!"
“It feels so good!”
The young bad guys whispered to each other and admired the national teacher even more.
Li Daoxuan smiled slightly, said nothing, and walked straight forward.
Jiang Lian rushed over and coughed, "Um, Imperial Master, there is something you should be mentally prepared for..."
Li Daoxuan stopped and said leisurely, "What's the matter?"
"It's Princess Changle. She...seems to be angry with you."
The smile on Li Daoxuan's face froze instantly.
…
In a clean and tidy Zen room.
Little Changle still looked like a Taoist boy, with long hair combed into a Taoist bun, handsome and delicate, skin whiter than jade, and black eyes like the purest gems, but now he was full of grievances.
"Princess, don't blame the master. He asked me to take you away early for your safety."
The white snake spoke in human language, her voice was gentle and quiet, but with a hint of helplessness.
Changle played with its jade-like body in his hands until it was almost tangled into a bow.
Changle said aggrievedly: "Even if you want to take me away, do you need to knock me out?"
It turned out that two days ago, Li Daoxuan was worried about her safety, so he secretly cast a spell to make her fall asleep, and then ordered the White Snake to take her out of Luoyang and hide her somewhere.
The white snake has been protecting her closely.
When Changle woke up, she found out that a disaster had happened in Luoyang. While her master was fighting bloody battles with Moro, she, the disciple, was actually sleeping soundly?
I feel both guilty and aggrieved.
Master, what a fool! He is always so overbearing. Can’t he discuss this with me?
"Stinky Master, Bad Master, Changle will never... easily pay attention to you again!"
Just as she was muttering, the white snake's eyes lit up and it rushed towards the door.
"Haha, my dear disciple, the master is back!"
The white dragon entered his sleeve. Li Daoxuan touched its head and then looked at the back of his disciple’s head.
Good guy, he doesn’t even show me his true face.
He walked around, and little Changle snorted softly, turning her fair face away again, leaving only her back to her master.
Li Daoxuan walked over again, and Changle continued to turn around, but suddenly found that there were masters standing on all sides. They looked exactly the same and were looking at her with smiles.
Several slender hands touched Changle's head together, ruffling her soft long hair.
Xiao Changle closed his eyes angrily.
It’s okay if you don’t watch it!
However, at this moment, a voice sounded slowly.
"I originally brought a gift this time, but it seems that someone doesn't want it. In that case, I will give it to Xiaotian."
Changle immediately opened his eyes and shouted, "No, that's my gift!"
There was a ruby-like peach pit in Li Daoxuan's palm. He handed it to Changle and told her the origin and story of the peach pit.
Changle's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"Is this the Queen Mother's peach pit? Great, I must grow it!"
Li Daoxuan smiled slightly. She loved flowers, plants and trees the most, so it would be okay to let her try. Even if it failed, the spiritual energy in the peach kernel would be good for her cultivation.
After receiving the gift, little Changle was no longer angry. She took out the nectar cake she had made and gave it to her master to eat.
The little flower god smelled the fragrance and also dived into the pastries to eat. He didn't stop until his belly was so round and his little wings could no longer fly.
"Delicious. From now on, you will be the...cook of this Flower God, burp!"
Laughter suddenly broke out in the Zen room.
The little flower god didn't know what they were laughing at, so he rubbed his round belly and just laughed along.
…
One day later.
At the foot of the White Horse Temple mountain, beside an unknown river, two tombs stand.
"The tomb of Master Sanle."
"The grave of my wife Xiaotang."
Xuanzang, wearing a white monk's robe, sat alone in front of the two tombs for a long time, with his eyes downcast and a gloomy expression, constantly reciting the "Sutra of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva".
In fact, he knew that neither his master nor Xiaotang would have an afterlife.
There was no corpse in the tomb, only an umbrella and the cushion that the master often used when meditating during his lifetime. It was equivalent to a cenotaph.
Xuanzang felt as if he had lost everything.
Boom!
I don’t know how many times I recited the "Earth Store Sutra" before the sun was gradually blocked by dark clouds and heavy rain began to fall.
Xuanzang sat in the rain, letting the rain wet his monk's robe, motionless, and continued to recite scriptures.
An umbrella protected him from the heavy rain.
Xuanzang's silent eyes moved, as if he remembered the bright and charming girl who always held an umbrella to protect him from the wind and rain.
But now he is outside the grave, and the umbrella remains in the grave forever.
"Brother, I want to be alone for a while."
Li Daoxuan held an umbrella and did not leave. Instead, he stood quietly to shield him from the wind and rain.
"Master Sanle is a senior whom I respect, and Xiaotang is also my friend. I should come to pay my respects to them."
Li Daoxuan bowed in front of Sanle's tomb and closed his eyes to mourn.
Regardless of Taoism or Buddhism, Li Daoxuan would respect a senior like Master Sanle who cares about the common people and is compassionate, even if he is just an ordinary person.
If there were more people like this, there would be less ugliness in the world.
"Master Sanle had no regrets in the end. He left with a smile. With his golden body, he suppressed the sea of suffering and brought blessings to the people. He realized his long-cherished wish."
Li Daoxuan patted Xuanzang on the shoulder and said, "If you don't believe me, just watch."
Xuanzang looked in the direction where his finger was pointing, his eyes moved, and he stood there in a daze.
In the muddy mountains and fields, I saw many people wearing white mourning clothes and holding black umbrellas. Some were old, some were young, some were male, some were female. Some were striding forward, some were supporting each other.
Li Daoxuan ordered the bad guys to post notices, telling the people the whole story of the Luoyang disaster, including what Master Sanle had done.
Sacrifice your life to eliminate evil and save the sea of suffering.
The words "The sea of suffering has an end. If I suffer more, the world will suffer less" have been echoing in Li Daoxuan's heart like thunder.
Such people should be remembered by the world.
The people knelt down in front of Sanle's tomb and kowtowed in gratitude despite the mud.
Luoyang has a strong Buddhist atmosphere, and they have heartfelt respect for this monk who saved the people of the entire city.
It was unclear whether there were tears or rain in Xuanzang's eyes. He finally stopped chanting, his lips trembling slightly, as he stared at the scene infatuatedly.
"Although Master Sanle is gone, he will forever remain in Buddhist scriptures, history books, and... in people's hearts."
Li Daoxuan wiped his tears with his sleeve, patted his shoulder, stopped talking, and silently put away the umbrella.
The wind stopped, the rain stopped, the clouds dispersed, and the sun shone.
Gurgle gurgle.
A little golden fish swam to the shore, kept blowing bubbles at Xuanzang, and refused to leave for a long time.
