Chapter 100: The Demonic Way Rises a Foot

Although Dizang An is a Buddhist temple, it is actually very low-key; the Biquni within focus solely on pure cultivation, keeping the mountain gate closed year-round and not receiving pilgrims.

Only on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month do they open the mountain gate to accept the wishes and vow-fulfillments of the common people from below the mountain.

By rights, such a strictly disciplined temple, as long as it does not breed "inner demons" and has the Buddha Shade Protection, should not attract "outer demons."

It was precisely because of the guidance of a Biquni from Dizang An that Xu Mu began reciting the Heart Sutra.

What surprised Xu Jia even more was that Dizang An is the Daochang of Dizang Wang Pusa, one of the four great Bodhisattvas known for great Dharma Power, great compassion, great perseverance, and great courage.

Viewed from the perspective of the Dharma Realm of this world, there must be heavenly beings protecting the temple, and Ghost Kings serving as Protectors under Dizang Wang Pusa; with Buddha-light permeating the air, all evil is difficult to approach. The Longevity Sect, meanwhile, practices only ghost arts and evil arts, which should be most easily broken by the Dharma of Dizang Wang Pusa.

Even if these nuns were not proficient in Divine Ability, as long as they recited the scriptures and mantras of Dizang Wang Pusa, they could protect themselves and not fall victim to the troubles of an Evil Master.

It is just like the Buddhist altar in the Xu family home, which the Condolence Guest evil spirit does not even dare to enter.

If it were not a place of pure Buddhist cultivation, but rather a mundane temple where the monks were only monks on the surface while engaging in sordid affairs behind the scenes, such a place would be easily entered by outer demons; the Buddha and Bodhisattvas would refuse to set foot there, allowing evil gods and Evil Masters to enter.

Now that such a place of pure Buddhist cultivation has been controlled, it is sufficient to show that the Evil Masters of the Longevity Sect have the ability and means to defile deities, destroy a Daochang, and blaspheme the Dharma.

The City God also understands this point; he fears that someone formidable has come to the Longevity Sect. Once Yushan is in trouble, the Longevity Sect might directly blossom everywhere within the territory.

Therefore, he said directly to Xu Jia: "If Xu Jun wishes to resolve this demoness, he must head to Yushan. To tell the truth, the Yushan Mountain God has already fallen, and is only being held in check by the abbot of Shanju Guan to maintain stability for a hundred days. Within these hundred days, a solution must be found, otherwise, the Yushan Mountain God will fall into madness, the earth will shake and the mountains will sway, and it will inevitably lead to a catastrophe for the living."

"Even if one wanted to inform the common people in advance, revealing the heavenly secrets, one would be unable to open their mouth or write a word, and in the end, one could only watch helplessly as all this happens."

Xu Jia also thought: "After a great disaster, it will be much easier for the Longevity Sect to proselytize. They have set their sights on this place!"

"Xu Jun, although I do not know your background, from our conversation, I can see that a golden scale is not a creature of a pond. If you can exorcise this disaster, the accumulation of external merit will surely allow you to go much further. I dare not use the lives of the common people to coerce Xu Jun into taking risks, but if Xu Jun could lift a finger to resolve this matter, I beg for your compassion!"

Xu Jia gave a bitter smile: "What virtue or ability do I have? However, Yushan suffering such a disaster is not what I wish to see either. Moreover, that demoness and I will inevitably have a struggle. I am willing to cooperate with the City God to resolve this calamity."

Upon hearing this, the Yushan City God appeared deeply moved and said: "I find it difficult to leave the city walls of Yushan, but I will certainly respond to every request of Xu Jun. This is my City God talisman seal; I will lend it to Xu Jun, and it can mobilize three thousand City God Military Officials."

He added: "The Longevity Sect's method of polluting deities in Nansheng is extremely vicious; it is the offering of Resentment Qi incense. This Resentment Qi incense is learned from Mizang Yu, where the lamas often sacrifice Resentment Qi incense to please the gods."

"The Longevity Sect is the same, believing that humans are the leaders of all living things, and compared to any beast, they are more suitable to be used as offerings to please the gods, and also suitable for gathering medicine and refining pills."

The Yushan City God had indeed put some thought into studying the Longevity Sect. "The lamas of Mizang Yu use Resentment Qi incense to paralyze evil gods and subdue them into their own bodies, gaining power comparable to that of gods, which they call 'binding demons.' It is also the 'if I do not enter Hell, who will enter Hell' mentality. Once they refine the Demon King into their own true self, the Demon King transforms into a Wisdom King, but it will still act up from time to time. At this point, they must accept all kinds of offerings and all kinds of Magic Tools to appease and paralyze the Demon King, even going through generations of domestication."

Xu Jia nodded; he had read the Dharma manuals of the Evil Master, and the various rituals used to refine evil ghosts were indeed not much different from the Dharma teachings of Mizang Yu.

"I suspect that this time, the Saintess of the Longevity Sect may be trying to subdue this Mountain God, bring the demon within, and then tame and drive it," the City God said. "This is the Longevity Sect's customary method for subduing the various gods of Nansheng. It is just that Nansheng is near the sea and has many Witch Sects; most are evil gods whose faith is limited to a single village or township, and very few are True Gods enfeoffed by the imperial court!"

"If the Longevity Sect already has a way to successfully subdue True Gods enfeoffed by the imperial court, then that is truly terrifying!"

The Dharma teachings of Mizang Yu involve domesticating the original demon head and turning it into a divine protector or Wisdom King. Although the process is bloody, once a demon is subdued, one can gain the territory governed by the demon, herding horses and sheep there and living a normal life.

But this Evil Sect does not do good things; they pollute a perfectly fine deity and then use this method from Mizang Yu to subdue it. Relying on Resentment Qi incense, it is just like a drug addiction, causing the True God to fall, be seduced, and be controlled, eventually actively colluding with them.

Xu Jia pondered slightly: "Even if I have a way to kill the members of the Evil Sect, the Yushan Mountain God is in trouble. Although the Raw Rice Bowl of Huang Pipo suppressed the centipede spirit a thousand years ago, the current centipede dragon is a Mountain God, possessing Divine Nature and a divine status. Can this bowl still suppress it? Even if it can, how can the Resentment Qi incense be eradicated?"

"As long as it can be suppressed, that is enough," the City God said. "Once suppressed, we can report back to our superiors."

Xu Jia: So you are still more concerned about whether this matter will affect your official career, right? Otherwise, reporting it directly would also solve it, right?

However, Xu Jia was not qualified to blame the City God, because this matter had not yet reached the final juncture. Self-interest is also a common human sentiment.

He himself was not a Sage either.

Xu Jia said softly: "Resentment Qi incense, Resentment Qi incense... it must be the accumulation of Resentment Qi. If only one could resolve the Resentment Qi."

"This Resentment Qi incense is not just Resentment Qi, but the resentment corresponding to wishes; it is all kinds of vicious curses, retribution, karma, and evil obstacles gathered together," the City God said. "It is like a person who believes in the Buddha beginning to destroy the Buddha, a person who upholds the law beginning to break the precepts, a compassionate person killing indiscriminately... the efforts made in the past due to wishes are all shattered..."

"If it were just Resentment Qi, reciting scriptures would resolve it, but this is karma, sin, and obstacles. If one does not repay the karmic obstacles, it will entangle one for life after life."

Xu Jia had a headache, because he had never encountered such a situation, and in all he had seen in his previous life's cultivation, there was no such evil method.

"Unless he can overcome his inner demons, wake up, and not be controlled by the Resentment Qi incense," the City God said. "But this is almost impossible. The abbot of Shanju Guan is presiding over the sacrifices, drinking poison to quench thirst, which only brings a moment of purity."

Xu Jia, however, said: "Between heaven and earth, yin and yang are intertwined. When a demon head is born, there must be something to subdue the demon. Since there is Resentment Qi incense, there must be something to resolve it. It is just that we do not know it, but although we do not know it, these Evil Sects must know it, otherwise they could not be so certain about subduing these fallen gods and bringing them into their sect."

(End of chapter)