Chapter 108: The Young Gentleman Outwits the Old Nun

The hare-lipped nun saw the blind old man and the Living Buddha and was shocked and surprised at first, but she quickly calmed down, picked up a wooden mallet, and lightly struck the Buddha chime.

From the first moment Xu Jia saw this young nun, he knew that this little girl was the daughter the blind old man had picked up.

In ancient times, being born with a hare-lip was considered a monstrous omen, an inauspicious sign, which was why she had been abandoned.

The blind old man was also under the influence of the "Five Destitute Stars" at the time of his birth; he would either be destined to live a lonely life until the end, or his parents, wife, and children would all suffer calamities.

Only someone born with some form of deficiency could stay with him for a long time, but it would still be a life of loneliness and bitterness, nothing more than inheriting the Five Destitute...

The blind old man's parents were healthy, so they died early; he begged to survive, met a master who was also blind, later met a wife who was a fool, and picked up a daughter with a hare-lip...

The Living Buddha could not express herself, but looking at the hare-lipped nun, she still let out a joyful "wuwu" sound, and she vaguely spoke the first complete sentence Xu Jia heard: "Xiaoqin, are you hungry?"

Having said that, she handed over the sugar flower she cherished so much and revealed a happy smile, though her gaze still betrayed a cautious observation.

Xu Jia had thought this sugar flower was bought by the blind old man for his wife; only now did he know it was a gift the Living Buddha brought for her daughter. Although she was foolish and silly, she was still willing to share her limited love with others.

The hare-lipped nun was stunned, then pushed her hand away.

The Living Buddha had intended to hand it to her and did not hold it firmly; in an instant, the sugar painting fell to the ground and shattered.

The Living Buddha looked at the hare-lipped nun, then at the sugar painting on the ground, not knowing why this happened, and began to cry helplessly.

The blind old man said: "Xiaoqin, your mother and I have been looking for you for so long. I wore out several pairs of shoes, and your mother ran a fever several times and became even more foolish. She forgot many things, but she never forgot you. How could you be so heartless? Xiaoqin, we didn't come to find you to be a burden; we came to urge you to turn back."

"My teeth have all fallen out, I can't eat anything anymore, and I will die soon."

"Xiaoqin!"

Although the blind old man could not see, his mind's eye was not blind, and his ears were not deaf; he had also heard the Living Buddha call her daughter's name just now.

The hare-lipped nun remained silent throughout, not saying a word, as if by doing so, the two of them would not discover her identity.

Her eyes were red, and she seemed to have more to say, but at this moment, two middle-aged, sturdy nuns approached, their brows carrying Evil Qi and a sinister air, and they scolded: "Miaoren, what is the matter with you, dawdling here?"

They immediately escorted her away. Xu Jia stepped forward: "You two look somewhat unfamiliar. When I accompanied my mother to the Dizang An to pay respects to the Buddha, why did I not see you? I wonder where the old master Jingxing is? I have some questions about the Dharma and need the old master to enlighten me."

The two sturdy nuns sized Xu Jia up, and seeing that he was handsome, their brows relaxed into smiles, though two yellow teeth made them look somewhat ugly: "The abbess Jingxing has already entered Nirvana. A few days ago, the cremation ceremony was held, and many Sarira were burned out; you will not be able to see her."

"Now our abbess's Dharma name is Cilian. Why don't we lead you to see our Master Cilian? Master Cilian's cultivation is profound, far surpassing Jingxing; she is a virtuous person personally invited by the old monk Jingxing."

"Oh, then I would indeed like to meet her."

The two sturdy nuns pulled the hare-lipped nun and led Xu Jia to a place marked "Monastic quarters, visitors stop," where there was a small courtyard with the two characters "Abbot" written on it.

The two sturdy nuns pushed open the door. Inside was a nun draped in a red kasaya, looking about fifty or sixty years old, with large earlobes and a fleshy mole between her brows. She looked like a Bodhisattva; if Xu Jia were not able to observe Qi and see the sinister evil aura of this old nun, he would have been deceived by her.

However, this red kasaya was indeed a Buddha Treasure. As the saying goes, people rely on clothes and Buddhas rely on gold; with this kasaya, her appearance was solemn and her evil aura was restrained.

The two sturdy nuns said respectfully: "Abbot, Miaoren has been brought here."

"There is also a handsome young gentleman who wants to discuss the Dharma. This disciple did not dare to enjoy him alone and offers him to the Abbot together!"

They completely ignored the blind old man and the Living Buddha.

Abbot Cilian looked at Xu Jia, who was indeed handsome and young, and her heart was greatly moved, but she still had to settle Miaoren first: "Miaoren, I just noticed your heart was greatly agitated; what is the matter? I gave you this Dharma name because you are good at forbearance, and Dizang Wang Pusa is also good at forbearance. As the saying goes, 'peaceful forbearance is as immovable as the earth.'"

"You entered my sect to attain liberation; in the future, I will take your poor father and mother to the Pure Land together, isn't that wonderful? Only great forbearance can lead to becoming a Buddha! You need to polish yourself well, keep your heart empty and quiet, cut off the seven emotions, extinguish the six desires, and escape bodily suffering to enter the Great Pure Land. Only then can you subdue the great Ghost King under the seat of Dizang Wang Pusa and become the supreme Buddha Princess of the Buddha Realm!"

Miaoren clearly believed this deeply and lowered her head, saying: "I know I was wrong."

Xu Jia found it strange: What kind of Longevity Sect Saintess is this? Is the status of a Saintess so low? And this Buddha Princess is too ridiculous.

Xu Jia did not know that the Longevity Sect was divided into many branches, including Buddha, Dao, Confucian, and Shaman. It mainly consisted of people from all walks of life, forming different factions and halls.

At the same time, they infiltrated all walks of life, which made it easier to disguise themselves and spread their teachings.

For example, this branch disguised itself as Buddhism, claiming to become a Buddha through the "Forbearance Method," which is to endure what ordinary people cannot. If one is filial and loves their parents, they must endure their parents being tortured; if they have children, they must practice "Ran Zhi Gong Fo," drawing blood to make oil lamps.

As for this group of nuns, they needed to "endure filth and dirt," offering their bodies as alms, allowing others to violate them, treating their bodies as lowly as pigs and dogs, while their hearts entered the Pure Land.

It sounds nice to say "let the world bully me, destroy me, slander me," but it is merely a technique to "fool the people." It has already poisoned many commoners.

The Saintess corresponding to the evil Daoist and the Saintess corresponding to this sect are not the same person.

Moreover, Saintesses within the Longevity Sect are not valuable; they will promote many Saintesses, and a Saintess is merely a high-level tool for proselytizing and does not hold core power.

It was Xu Jia himself who was "preconceived," thinking it was the same Saintess who was abducted by the evil Daoist.

However, this is not good news, as it shows that the Longevity Sect is laying out both Buddha and Dao here, which is very important and by no means ordinary.

After the nun Miaoren was taken away, the old nun Cilian revealed her true form and stepped forward to pull Xu Jia's hand: "The benefactor wants to explore the Dharma; I wonder what insights you have?"

Xu Jia took the initiative to hold her hand and said: "Just now I heard the Abbot speak of the Forbearance Method, so I wondered, how much can the Abbot endure?"

The old nun smiled: "Enduring what ordinary people cannot endure, standing on knives and awls as if on flat ground, standing in a sea of fire as if in a pure pool."

Xu Jia immediately grabbed her pulse point and activated the Fire Sea Talisman.

Suddenly, a raging fire ignited throughout the Abbot's temple; Xu Jia had summoned the Huohai Diyu.

The Huohai Diyu is a sea of magma; above the solidified magma are pitch-black prisons where You Ming Ghost Gods supervise.

They drive evil ghosts into the magma sea. The evil ghosts dare not move forward, but behind them are various ghost whips, so they step into the magma sea. The flames first burn their legs to ash, then swallow them. When they are burned to charcoal and soot, a gust of wind revives them, and terrifying flames rise again.

Xu Jia also summoned himself into the Huohai Diyu in an instant, but he had a Fire-Avoidance Talisman on his body.

This fire does not burn in reality; it is the fire of the Dharma Realm, burning the soul and spirit. Of course, if Xu Jia really lit a fire and the two flames overlapped, both the person and the soul would be destroyed.

The old nun's pulse point was held, but she was not agitated at all. Xu Jia summoned the Huohai Diyu, and she just smiled: "This old nun has long since ceased to fear these illusory realms. The young gentleman is quite interesting. Could it be that you are learning from those righteous paths to slay demons? If I tell you that I am not a demon and that the young gentleman has been used as someone else's gun, would the young gentleman believe me?"

The old nun's feet were slightly in an "eight" shape, and her kasaya emitted a faint light, as if she would not fall into the sea of fire or enter Hell.

However, many Hell ghosts, their bodies burning with flames and claws like dried corpses, scrambled to grab her feet and pull at her kasaya.

The old nun sneered; the Longevity Sect is best at "controlling evil ghosts," otherwise they would not refine various Five Elements Sha, mother-child Sha, and other evil demons as means.

She grabbed Xu Jia's hand with her other hand and smiled: "Your methods are a bit green."

She blew out a breath of Qi, which was pink in form and turned into a seductive female demon. Xu Jia's patchwork robe emitted a faint red light, which was the protection blessed by his mother's heart's blood.

The seductive female demon is not a proper combat demon, but a demon that seduces the lewd desires of the human heart. Xu Jia's root nature is sufficient, and he will not be easily confused by external demons.

He scolded: "Get out!"

It was like a thunderous roar, which scattered the pink demon.

The old nun's expression changed, and she tried to struggle to break free from the pulse point Xu Jia was pressing.

The pulse gate is the place where Qi travels; if pressed firmly, Qi cannot circulate, and thus one cannot unleash Dharma Power or Divine Ability.

Of course, this applies to ordinary practitioners; if it were a very powerful practitioner, they would not be restricted by their pulse gate. Back then, Jiang Ziya pressed the pulse gate of the Jade Stone Pipa Spirit, only then using Samadhi True Fire to burn her back to her original form.

Seeing that she could not break free, the old nun laughed and said, "Is the little gentleman overcome by lust, feeling moved even by an old monk? If you do not let go, this old monk is going to scream."

Xu Jia chuckled and said, "Since I have the ability to deal with you, do you think I would be afraid of you screaming!"

Xu Jia was young and strong, and since the old nun had no martial arts skills, she was quickly pushed down by Xu Jia.

Just at this moment, the hare-lipped nun returned, and seeing this scene, she silently closed the door. Before the old nun could explain, Xu Jia grabbed her from behind and said, "I am discussing Dharma with the Abbess; why did you just walk in?"

The hare-lipped nun was not surprised, and she stood guard at the door, telling anyone who came by, "The Abbess is inside discussing Dharma with a young man!"

But inside, Xu Jia had already stepped on the old nun's head with one foot and her waist with the other, binding her hands behind her back.

He used the belt from his own waist.

With Xu Jia stepping on her head, the old nun was in a sorry state, only regretting that she had just let her lust get the better of her, which was why she had been caught by the pulse gate.

(End of chapter)