Chapter 112: If Sentient Beings See Me as a Buddha

The Shilin Huzhu was startled by Xu Jia's erasure from the Death Registry, and he did not even notice that the Sarira he was guarding had been taken away.

This Sarira had been invited down from "Jiuhua Shan" more than two hundred years ago, and it was said to be the "Reward Body Sarira" of Dizang Wang Pusa.

The three bodies of the Buddha consist of the Dharma Body, the Reward Body, and the Response Body.

The Dharma Body is the original body of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

The Reward Body is the body of one's cultivation attainment.

The Response Body is the manifestation body; in order to enlighten sentient beings, the Buddha takes on various different identities to conveniently transmit the Dharma and preach.

It is rumored that this Sarira is the very first Dizang Heshang, who was the Response Body of Dizang Wang Pusa reincarnated at the foot of Jiuhua Shan, and who later established the Dizang An on Jiuhua Shan step by step.

The current image of Dizang Wang Pusa wearing a Kasaya, wearing a Vairocana hat, holding a tin staff, and sitting on a Diting is said to be the image of that Response Body who incarnated in the Central Lands.

When the Shilin Huzhu was still a Ghost King, he was pacified by this Sarira, and later he also achieved the Dao of the Shilin Huzhu of the Buddhist sect through this Sarira.

Ever since Dizang An was controlled by the Evil Sect, he began to enjoy Shilin Yuanyuanxiang again, showing signs of returning to being a Ghost King, and he was even more evil and violent than in those years.

When Xu Jia took out this Sarira, he was taking out his foundation.

The Shilin Huzhu flew into a rage; white bones grew flesh, which fused with Xu Jia's flesh and blood. Bone connected to bone, and consciousness influenced consciousness.

The patchwork robe on Xu Jia's body was torn by bone spurs, revealing the Houshenfu underneath. Xu Jia channeled his heart-general, borrowed Dharma Power, and shouted: "How can you seize my mind!"

He immediately pulled out a bone to use as a sword and shouted loudly: "Tianpeng, Tianpeng, Nine Evil Child Origin, Mighty Sword God King, behead the evil and destroy the traces!"

He immediately severed the flesh and blood and took the Sarira niche away.

The ribs of the Shilin Huzhu grew bone spurs in Xu Jia's hand; Xu Jia infected them with his intent, restoring the Shilin Huzhu's ribs to normal.

Xu Jia left, and the Shilin Huzhu wanted to pursue him, but those female corpses that had been pacified by Xu Jia opened their eyes one after another, re-forming the forest to trap the Shilin Huzhu.

I do not know if it was because Xu Jia hugged them, or if it was the good fortune accumulated from compassion.

The Shilin Huzhu was extremely angry: "Base slaves! Base slaves! Are you trying to rebel? You are all my servants, yet you dare to side with an outsider!"

A wave of Resentment Qi surged; the Shilin Huzhu's dual-body skeleton began to deform, drawing corpses from beneath the Underground Palace to transform into a twin bone tree, which expanded rapidly. These female corpses could not stop it and were instead hung up like "fruits."

By the time the Corpse Forest rose, Xu Jia had already left the Underground Palace.

Xia Laohan was still plucking strings and singing; he had lost two more teeth, and his original four teeth were now two withered and two flourishing.

The Sha Huofo sat beside him, and her daughter Xiaoqin looked as if she had had a nightmare; the Kalavinka had already taken away her "Yin Body," and the plucking and nourishing of the Great Joy had caused her complexion to wither, leaving no color.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, thinking that everything could be endured; as long as one could endure what ordinary people could not, one could endure until becoming a Buddha.

Even if she wanted to open her eyes to look at her old parents, even if she wanted to open her mouth to express her longing, when she thought of what the abbot said—that when she reached the Pure Land, her parents could enjoy blessings along with her—she buried and covered up these pains.

A thousand needles pricked her heart, and ten thousand kinds of bitterness flowed into her mouth.

Xu Jia came out, and not only did he come out himself, but he also brought the mangy old nun out with him.

The mangy old nun had lost her soul and was already dazed and foolish.

The Ghost Domain of the Shilin Huzhu began to descend, but fortunately, the City God's troops arrived at this moment.

Two thousand troops charged into the flames, and at the head was the Yeyou, who said loudly: "Young Master Xu! We aren't late, are we!"

Xu Jia chuckled: "You can start cleaning up right away!"

Seeing the many City God troops, the Kalavinka plucked the pipa, intending to repel the troops.

Xu Jia rushed to the side of the harelipped nun and slapped her twice: "Damn it! At a time like this, you're still here pretending to be asleep!"

Seeing his "concubine" insulted, the Kalavinka was furious and swung the pipa, intending to smash Xu Jia.

Hearing Xu Jia say that her daughter was pretending to be asleep, Xia Laohan suddenly stopped playing the qin and then snapped the bow. A person pretending to be asleep cannot be awakened.

A person who is unwilling to acknowledge their parents, no matter how bitterly one begs, cannot be made to turn back.

He opened his mouth, and the remaining two teeth finally fell out.

"My master was right; I have no family in this life. If you don't acknowledge me, that's fine; I will also pretend I don't have a daughter like you."

"All these years, it is we who have failed you, not giving you better things. But you, mixing with them, you have been deceived! Why don't you believe the earnest advice of this old coffin? When have I ever lied to you? Doing this will send you to Hell! I would rather go to Hell myself than see you suffer. Why do you want to jump into a pit of fire!"

"The old man's heart is bitter! I have never held a grudge against anyone in my life, but at the very end, I still have resentment. My life has been like a leaf, drifting with the wind; whether it gathers or scatters, it is not up to me..."

The old man was completely blind, his teeth had all fallen out, and his face was now withered, yet he walked firmly to his daughter's side and stroked her face with his rough hands: "Xiaoqin, the road to Hell, I will walk it first for you, to scout the path!"

Then he turned to the Sha Huofo: "Do not chant for me."

He immediately used the broken qin bow to pierce through his blind eyes: "These eyes have been blind for a lifetime; what is the point of keeping them here taking up space?"

The Evil Buddha screamed in terror: "Awuwa! Awuwa!"

She rushed up to hug Xia Laohan, tears falling from her eyes, using her sleeve to wipe what was flowing from Xia Laohan's blind eyes—before it was tears, now it was blood.

It could not be wiped clean; your blood, my tears.

Xu Jia had not even realized such a turn of events would occur; he rushed forward to channel Yuan Qi into Xia Laohan.

Xia Laohan was on his last breath, barely managing a smile: "Noble one, I saw it! I just saw it, I saw everything. Those lights... turned into you, turned into him... I saw..."

Then he went limp, and his breath ceased.

The Sha Huofo opened her mouth wide, but could make no sound; the Seven Treasures Cold Forest Kasaya was covered in blood, tear stains, snot, and saliva.

Yet it gradually began to emit light.

Suddenly, the Sha Huofo seemed to remember something; she put down Xia Laohan's corpse and ran to the harelipped nun, shaking her: "Xiaoqin-zai! Xiaoqin-zai! Have you eaten?"

Tears flowed from the corners of the harelipped nun's eyes; the Kalavinka had chosen her as a "vessel," just like the old nun before.

At this time, the white bones and corpse hair inside the Underground Palace began to spread outward, like the roots of an old tree, winding around the altar, the offering table, and the pillars of the great hall of the Buddhist temple.

A huge bone tree took root in Dizang An, looking just like the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Seeing that she could not wake her, the Sha Huofo went back to shake Xia Laohan's corpse, using her sleeve to wipe the blood from his face, but his face had too many wrinkles; it could not be wiped clean.

Finally, she was left bewildered, and the Sarira of Dizang Wang Pusa emitted light.

Irradiated by the light, the Sha Huofo seemed to regain some of her sanity; she wore the Kasaya, her face full of sorrow. She had been foolishly happy her whole life—even when she was raised in a sheep pen by others and had her legs smashed, she would still giggle foolishly—but this time, she finally could not smile.

She dragged Xia Laohan's corpse and placed him together with her daughter Xiaoqin, then walked toward the Bone Bodhi Tree.

She was wearing the Seven Treasures Cold Forest Kasaya, which reminded the Shilin Huzhu of that abbot who had been suppressed by the Diamond Dharma Assembly in those years.

"Dizang! Dizang! Following the retribution of karma, they fall into the evil realms. When they are about to fall into these realms, or have reached the gates, if these sentient beings can recite the name of one Buddha, one Bodhisattva, or a single phrase or verse of a Mahayana sutra, you shall use your divine power and skillful means to rescue and deliver them. In the place where these people are, manifest your boundless body, shatter Hell for them, and send them to be born in the heavens to enjoy supreme and wonderful bliss."

The verses of the sutra from those years still rang in his ears! Shilin Huzhu shouted sternly, "Old bald donkey! Do you think I am afraid of you?"

Xu Jia hurriedly delivered the Sarira into the hands of Sha Huofo, using it as the "manifested body of the Bodhisattva," which was precisely the key to crossing the tribulation!

On the Buddhist altar, a copy of the "Dizang Wang Pusa Fundamental Vow Sutra" was stirred by a gentle breeze.

Within the Dharma Realm, the benevolent deities of the ten directions manifested themselves of their own accord, "seeing the Buddha's causal conditions, and with Joyous hearts, they followed in praise."

"Dizang! Dizang! Your divine power is inconceivable, your compassion is inconceivable, your wisdom is inconceivable, and your eloquence is inconceivable!"

(End of this chapter)