Chapter 204: Daojing Yin Demon

The Yin Demon inside the Treasure Basin sensed someone approaching from the outside, and it was none other than the "Old Demon" who had taught the Golden Toad to the Supreme Greed Demon Path.

It surprisingly did not construct an illusion, because it knew that compared to this person, it was like a minor sorcerer meeting a great one; it had spent a lifetime as an Evil God of Wealth and had only managed to capture 7,200 debt-ghosts and collect some Yin-wealth, while the other party, upon making a move, intended to harvest the wealth of the entire world, turning debt into assets, passing the buck, and rolling it ever larger.

Therefore, this Greed Yin Demon directly transformed into its original appearance, that of a Japanese monk, and bowed at a ninety-degree angle to pay respects to Xu Jia and Hu Agui.

"I respectfully pay my respects to the World-Confusing Demon King."

Xu Jia did not understand Japanese, but Hu Agui understood a little, having previously studied things from Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, so he translated: "He says he pays respectful homage to the World-Confusing Demon King!"

Xu Jia's face darkened; how was he a Demon King? The Yin Demon in the form of a Japanese monk, seeing that Xu Jia did not understand what it said, then spoke in broken Chinese: "There is an old Chinese saying, 'Those who submit to circumstances are heroes.' Your Excellency is a Demon King descended to the world; we minor demons bow and scrape in worship, and dare not disobey."

Seeing it in this state, Xu Jia knew this was the Treasure Basin from that place, Japan. Previously, the City God had said this Treasure Basin was an evil tool that had crossed the sea to Japan, and Xu Jia had said he couldn't tell, but now he could.

"What is your name? What is your origin?"

"This humble monk is named Daojing. I am a Power-Realm Greed Demon, split off from the original Daojing."

"What kind of person is Daojing? You are merely a Yin Demon split from him, yet you have such strength?"

"Daojing was a Dharma King enfeoffed by the Japanese royal family. He once coveted the position of Heavenly Sovereign and wanted to turn Japan into a Buddha Kingdom. He first practiced the Dharmalaksana Sect, then the Avatamsaka Sect, and finally used this to enter Esoteric Buddhism, practicing Tendai Esotericism."

The Daojing Yin Demon said: "Because I obstructed his achievement of the Arhat Realm, I was sealed by him in this Treasure Basin and brought to the Central Plains by merchants."

Xu Jia understood the background of this Yin Demon and secretly thought: "No wonder it is so evil; it turns out to be a tool from Japan. However, Japan also seems to be a realm where demons dance in chaos, boasting of eight million gods and the disaster of the 'Hundred Demons Night Parade'."

He immediately recalled that "Chang Sheng Tian Wan Shou Di Jun" of the Longevity Sect, who also established a Changsheng Dao Kingdom overseas; he just didn't know if it was in Japan.

This Daojing was respectful and submissive, revealing a sense of servility, his face full of longing, but Xu Jia knew that once its goal was achieved, it would turn against him without a second thought.

Xu Jia had once read a book written by an American about studying the Japanese, titled *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword*. If ordinary Japanese people were already this twisted, how much more so would this realm-demon Yin Demon be?

Moreover, it called him a Great Demon King, a World-Confusing Great Demon King. Xu Jia did not identify with this from the bottom of his heart. If he truly accepted it, wouldn't he be defined by this demon, silently becoming demon-tainted, and perhaps heading toward the Demon Path in the future?

As for Hu Agui, he was very interested in the Esoteric Buddhist methods mentioned by Daojing, but he also knew that Daojing was a Yin Demon; the words of a Yin Demon could not be trusted, and if one followed its path of cultivation, one would likely be parasitized by this demon.

Xu Jia went straight to the point: "You are a Yin Demon that obstructs the Dao; do you know how to break an Intermediate Yin Dharma Body?"

"What is difficult about that? As long as the Great Demon King takes me out of here, I will surely serve and work for the Great Demon King!"

Xu Jia was expressionless: "If you can answer, you are useful; if not, you are useless."

Daojing said obsequiously: "It depends on what method they used to cultivate their Intermediate Body Achievement. All Esoteric Buddhist achievements return to the same source, but because the practiced deity and the path of cultivation are different, and the precepts followed are different, there are different ways to obstruct the Dao and break the Dharma."

"For example, this fox monk who seems to have practiced the Great Joy Buddha Dharma would need a Joyous Realm Demon to break it. A Power-Realm Greed Demon like me cannot break it, because I am obsessed with the size of power and the amount of wealth, causing all living beings to drill into it, busy and bustling for a lifetime. From the moment they are born, they are burdened by wealth, hence there is the desire of greed. Once they have a little fame and profit, they are burdened by fame and profit; this is the desire of the Power-Realm. One official rank, one stage, one demon realm—it is nothing more than this."

"Like my original body, I was entrusted with wealth and power for a lifetime and could not let go. I gladly accepted the title of Dharma King from the Heavenly Sovereign, and once I became Dharma King, I wanted to usurp the throne."

"And like this fox monk, he is obstructed by the Love-Desire Realm Greed-Attachment Yin Demon. The Love-Desire Realm Greed-Attachment Yin Demon focuses on the fate of what cannot be obtained, on past regrets, on parental ties, on friendships, and on the love and desire between men and women; it is a more dangerous demon." Hu Agui began to think carefully upon hearing this.

Xu Jia asked: "Then what kind of demon is it that practices Vajravarahi?"

"Vajravarahi is a supreme female deity, focusing on Empty Joy Non-Duality. It is extremely difficult to practice and requires subduing the Three Poisons realm-demons. I belong to the Greed-Seeking Demon; there are also the Resentment-Realm Anger Demon, the Confusion-Realm Ignorance Demon... If one cannot subdue the three demons, one must make offerings to the three demons..."

The Daojing Yin Demon said this halfway, then very craftily said: "Does the Great Demon King want to deal with such a monk who practices the Vajravarahi Buddha Dharma?"

"As long as the Great Demon King is willing to take me out to absorb the greed of living beings, I am willing to tell the Great Demon King their weaknesses and help deal with them!"

Xu Jia squinted at it.

It looked straight back, without the slightest intention of retreating or yielding.

Hu Agui said: "This True Person is someone who cannot be swayed by soft or hard tactics, but he calculates clearly who has merit and who has faults. If you don't intend to come out, then continue to stay here and be refined by the Golden Toad later. If you want to grasp that sliver of a chance to gain freedom, you cannot be stubborn with him here."

This Yin Demon was ruthless and had parasitized who knows how many evil gods, receiving blood sacrifices; it was also ambitious.

It knew its bargaining chips were few and could not be easily handed over, so it said: "Unless the Great Demon King makes a pact with me and is willing to let me out."

Xu Jia recalled a Magic Tool related to Buddhism, named the "Heart-Moving Banner".

This Magic Tool originated from the cliché Buddhist koan: "The heart moves, the banner moves, or the wind moves?"

When the heart moves, the banner moves. This banner was later sealed with the Three Poisons and Five Poisons, gradually becoming one of the "Outer Path Demon Tools".

It is the "Heavenly Demon Banner".

To coax it and let it out, he would need to refine this banner.

As the saying goes, if you don't work hard at cultivating as an Immortal, you'll end up brothers in the banner.

The demons he would encounter in the future would surely increase; he might just have to refine such a Heart-Moving Banner to control demons.

Xu Jia said: "If you can subdue that demon monk, I will let you out of this Treasure Basin, and I will never break my word. If you cannot, then you shall just stay here."

This demon revealed a cunning look, as if its scheme had succeeded, yet it was completely unaware of what idea Xu Jia had in mind.

It said: "There is an old Chinese saying, 'A gentleman's word is as good as a bond.' But you are, after all, a Great Demon King, not a gentleman, so you should still sign a Yin Demon Pact with me!"

Xu Jia nodded: "You must also sign a Dao Oath Pact with me."

(End of chapter)