Chapter 297: Dao and Vessel Hidden Within the Body

After Xu Jia created the Lingbao Daoist Citizen Register, his Primordial Spirit faintly began to spark with fire. It was only the size of a green bean and had not yet fully ignited the Primordial Spirit, but it was already using the Yin dregs as fuel, attempting to transform into pure Yang.

Xu Jia did not confer it to outsiders first; instead, he bestowed this Lingbao Daoist Citizen Register upon the Heavenly Beings within the three thousand six hundred Inner Scene Blessed Lands who had been transformed from hungry ghosts.

Once they received this Register, all sorts of spiritual light immediately emerged, and the Lingbao each person received seemed to be different. But because they were all originally hungry ghosts and had been converted by Xu Jia, although the Lingbao they received were of various colors, their virtues were consistent. They said, "We wish to accomplish a great undertaking, so that the human world will no longer be filled with hungry ghosts."

They vied to plead, "Heavenly Venerable, Emperor, please let us leave the Yuyu Blessed Land and return to that gloomy Dharma Realm filled with hungry ghosts; we wish to go and save them."

How could Xu Jia disagree? "Go then."

Immediately, five-colored rays of light appeared on his body, thousands of beams, rushing toward the Dharma Realm.

Those Five Elements Demon Gods, Nine-Child Mother Demon Gods, and Charming Maiden Demon Gods also said, "Please, Master, confer the Register method upon us; we also wish to go and proclaim the Great Virtue and Great Teaching."

Xu Jia did not agree to this: "Your class is naturally different from that of the hungry ghosts. You belong to the category of ghost demons; originally, you were naturally meant to exploit and drive them. I have subdued you, but I cannot let you out. I can only restrain you within my body to prevent you from spreading the idea that one can become a Buddha immediately upon laying down the butcher's knife, for your essence is still demonic."

The various Demon Gods were dejected. After their last failed rebellion, they had become much more obedient, but they still fantasized about the outside world.

"However, rest assured, you will eventually have a destination, just like a blade that can only face outward, not toward itself."

"I will confer upon you the Xuande Great Vow Lu, but it will be overseas. You originally came from the Longevity Sect, so you must use this to deal with the Longevity Sect and deal with more evil gods and demons. Your final destination is to become an absolute Dharma treasure and weapon that is invincible and ever-victorious against the demons and ghosts of the Longevity Sect."

The Five Elements Demon Gods recalled the days when they were still Five Elements Ghost Sha, designed to be killed by Longevity Sect followers, refined into Ghost Sha and Demon Sha, used to drive and kill people, and then captured to serve as Five Elements Chang to form Daoist soldiers and ghost demons.

If not for being saved by Xu Jia, who knows how many more people they would have harmed. The Nine-Child Mother Demon Gods and Charming Maiden Demon Gods were the same. They all said, "We are willing to become a sharp blade and dagger in the hands of the Sect Leader!"

"Very good," Xu Jia said. "Wait for the large ships to arrive, transporting some refugees who already have land-clearing experience in Poyang to the Nanyang islands. You will go to escort them. Once there, deal with the Longevity Sect, deal with the indigenous evil gods, and capture Dharma demons and ghosts to transform them into your Chang soldiers."

As for the many Body Gods, after leaving Xu Jia's body and arriving at the Dharma Realm, they each manifested, and flames ignited on their bodies, especially on their faces. Having been enlightened by Xu Jia, they were already different from ordinary hungry ghosts. At this moment, their manifestation was that of kings among hungry ghosts.

One could see that they were each tall and imposing, some with faces burning with green fire, some with red fire, some with yellow-orange fire, some with white fire, or black-purple fire...

They all sat upon green Lotus Platforms, bestowing the received Lingbao upon the various hungry ghosts.

The hungry ghosts regarded them as Hungry Ghost Kings and surrounded them in worship. The Mianran Guiwang they transformed into would then catch these hungry ghosts and eat them. The Mianran fire was a true fire of refinement, and inside their bellies was sweet dew and nectar, while behind their heads was a round moon, clearly the Taiyin Spiritual Moon...

These hungry ghosts, having just been eaten, were enlightened with some spiritual wisdom through the method of Transformation Birth. Although they still endured hunger and thirst, they now had the opportunity to receive Lingbao and escape the hungry ghost path.

"Our flames can start a prairie fire, burning away the barrenness, and can enable you all to cultivate crops in the Dharma Realm."

A hungry ghost said, "But we have no seeds! And no farming tools either."

"How can there be no seeds? Think again!"

The hungry ghosts then thought about seeds in their minds, and as a result, "Dream Coming True," a seed really appeared before them.

"This is?"

"This is the power of the Lingbao. This seed is actually the source of your spiritual light. You yearn to be free from hunger, so it manifests as a seed. As for farming tools, you can use the stones and wood of the Dharma Realm to make them first. In the future, you can also mine the iron ore of the Dharma Realm to develop yourselves, and even build houses."

Although the hungry ghosts had deformed due to hunger, they also had a heart of longing. They said, "But our throats are as small as needle eyes, our mouths are like furnaces, and whatever we eat turns into charred coal. Our bellies are large, but our limbs are like hemp stalks; if we exert any force, they will snap. What should we do then?"

"Then subdue the fire in your mouths and go find ice to extinguish it. If your throats are small, use a funnel, like stuffing a sausage, to pour the food in. Once you have received the Lingbao, whatever you want to do, you can achieve. Overcome all difficulties and be your own savior."

Xu Jia had originally lent the Seven Treasures Cold Forest Kasaya to Hu Agui. After Hu Agui died, the Kasaya remained and was not given to others. This Kasaya was a precious treasure of Buddhism; the nun of the former Dizang An could subdue the Corpse Forest Protector and skillfully give alms to the hungry ghosts by wearing it.

At this moment, it was faintly glowing, as if some Buddha, Bodhisattva, or some Outer Path God was trying to use it to anchor themselves.

Hungry ghosts were where their Quanshen lay. If there were no hungry ghosts in the world, to whom would they preach, spread teachings, confer methods, or intimidate the masses so that they would be reborn into the hungry ghost path and not have a good reincarnation?

To tell the truth, abnormal weather and cold disasters would cause more commoners to starve to death. Their souls would all turn into hungry ghosts, wandering in the Dharma Realm, giving birth to countless Ghost Kings, whether Blue-Faced Ghost King, Dadu Guiwang, Beetle Horn Ghost King, Asura Ghost King, or Rakshasa Ghost King...

Just as one poked its head out, a sword light struck it.

The head fell on the spot, but it did not die. It stared at Xu Jia and said, "I am Maudgalyayana! You destroy my Buddha's foundation, build an Outer Path, and cultivate the Poxun demonic path; you will surely be an enemy of my Buddha."

Xu Jia sneered. The Golden Flood Dragon Sword twisted again, and the Seven Treasures Cold Forest Kasaya was shredded along with it. The Seven Treasures fell out, all of which were absorbed by Xu Jia using the Three Sovereigns Ten Thousand People Umbrella.

The various Heavenly Demons, Yin Demons, and Boundary Demons within the umbrella, although incarnations of great desire, also aligned with the great vows of the ten thousand people. They absorbed the power of the Seven Treasures and said, "Sect Leader, we can also master the true scriptures, interpret the true scriptures, and guide monks and believers to understand what is correct faith. We can honor your mother as the new Buddha Mother."

Xu Jia said, "Although my old mother has the grace of giving me life, the Buddha is not the mother of the Dao. In fact, I, this poor Daoist, led my parents into this practice, so my mother does not attain the Buddha fruit. You need not flatter or offer gifts. You are all of the demon kind; seeing the world in chaos, you want to go out and stir up trouble and will not follow my will. I fear that if you guide any monks or believers, you will only do the deeds of Demon Kings. Better to obediently cultivate virtue and merit here."

The Heavenly Demons were extremely disappointed. The Lingbao Daoist Citizen Register was ever-changing and also conformed to the Heavenly Demon's Way of No-Form. They said they wanted to interpret Buddhist scriptures, but in reality, they wanted to do their own Joyous deeds under the name of Lingbao.

Xu Jia subdued and controlled the demons, never wavering. He could let them do things, but they could not hold power.

"You are demons. Putting on clothes and changing sides is only to better serve your own interests."

The various demons said, "What about Jinchan Duobao? Is he not a demon? And you? If you are not a demon, how could you attract us?"

"Jinchan Duobao's actions are authorized by me. He annexes land in order to redistribute it; this is a necessary task to be completed. He gathers wealth in order to carry out reforms. Reform burns money; there is an invisible war within this that will eliminate old landlords with backward productivity while simultaneously cultivating a batch of capital. Capitalists will develop all kinds of industries, but extreme expansion will trigger a multitude of problems. Even if no problems arise, they will monopolize, and capital will enslave political power, forming a new Hell, eventually enslaving all sentient beings."

"But Jinchan Duobao will eventually judge them, because he represents the circulation of capital itself, and is also a time-bomb I have arranged. Their capital will rapidly turn into a bubble and thus become empty. After a moment of turmoil, it will destroy them from within, returning everything to the collective, returning it to everyone."

"But you have left behind seeds. No one wants true equality for all; everyone wants to be above others. The base nature of humans is hard to correct. You say humans have great desires, so you have great vows, but great desires can never be satisfied. As the saying goes, people climb to high places, and water flows to low places."

"Laziness will make them stop producing; their lust will make their bodies weak; entertainment will make them lose themselves; being content with the status quo will make society stop developing. A rot will begin from within." "Their base nature shows that they need classes, they need the three, six, and nine grades."

"For this reason, all noble qualities have meaning. Brave people can fight, wise people can research, and hardworking people can climb upward. If they enjoy the same treatment and human rights as lazy, ignorant, and cowardly people, the self-worth of these people will fall into extreme repression; they will be in pain and full of resentment. Your great desires and great vows are contrary to them."

"If you acknowledge their good qualities, then their struggle will inevitably move toward class migration, and in the end, it will still form bureaucracy and capital."

"If you intend to actively detonate their accumulations and force them back to their original state, once or twice is fine, but three or four times, they will unite to overthrow your system and attack your ideology. Perhaps you have not ascended, and they will have some scruples, but what if you ascend? Can you suppress the greed of Jinchan? Can you ensure that those seemingly kind little demons under your command won't start eating people to cultivate? They are all meritorious officials who followed you. Perhaps they won't eat people openly, but what about secretly?"

The three demon leaders of the Ten Thousand People Umbrella were the three Outer Path demons of Greed, Anger, and Ignorance of the Dharma King, combined with the three corpse demon gods within Xu Jia's body. While they protected Xu Jia from Demonic Obstacles, they were themselves transformed from Xu Jia's Demonic Obstacles. Especially after Xu Jia transformed great desire into great vows, their status was already very high, and they were well-versed in Xu Jia's thoughts, understanding what Xu Jia feared.

"Only Heaven knows."

This sentence appeared in Xu Jia's mind, but thinking about it, he possessed conditions completely different from that person.

Although both were about hiding the Dao and the vessel within the body, this side was the Immortal cultivation side. Come to think of it, he could also be considered a monster or a ghost.

Xu Jia said to this, "That is why I will build the Heavenly Dao. Since the Heavenly Dao is thus, the Human Dao must model itself after Heaven."

"I will engrave my decrees and my thoughts into the Heavenly Dao. Even if I ascend, or if I am destroyed by ten thousand kalpas, my thoughts will still be in the Heavenly Dao. Ten thousand years from now, there will still be people who choose my lineage and inherit the Lingbao."

The demon was silent: "Then they will inevitably try every means to keep everyone from raising their heads; their eyes can only look at the ground."

"The Heavenly Dao is always there," Xu Jia said. "As long as someone looks up."

The various demons had no more to argue and could only say, "Then go and build your Heavenly Dao! The human heart is selfish, but the Heavenly Dao is selfless. We do not believe you can build a Heavenly Dao that operates perfectly without errors."

"Or if you can engrave the Heavenly Dao, then others can also engrave the Heavenly Dao by following in your footsteps."

Xu Jia stopped bickering with them. No matter what was said, they would argue, but practice was what mattered.

After Xu Jia became quiet, the demons became anxious instead: "Why don't you speak? I have a way. If you let us out, we will definitely fulfill your will. We swear."

But Xu Jia had already left this place; Xu Jia looked toward the sky, and the sky was radiating a murderous aura.

The masses of living beings were all within this murderous aura, not knowing how to intercept a glimmer of survival.

……

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the second month; spring thunder rolled, and it was raining everywhere. It rained endlessly, with sleet mixed into the rain, and the roads were all muddy.

The land being reclaimed at Poyang Lake could not be planted with seedlings; the Shunji Little Dragon King could take away the Water Qi, but other places would inevitably suffer. The water level of Poyang Lake was still rising; fortunately, some silt had been cleared previously, increasing some water storage capacity, but the rising water levels of other rivers were also discharging directly into Poyang.

The bad weather made it impossible for people to work normally.

The Daoists of Shanju Guan came forward to set up altars and pray to Taiyang Xingjun, wanting to pray for clear skies, but it had no effect; in fact, even if Xu Jia came, there would be no way.

This was the solar term of heaven and earth, not some chaotic, rebellious Qi.

Plagues had indeed appeared in the north; those who had frozen to death in winter began to rot, and in some places, even zombies appeared, while demons and ghosts also began to cause all kinds of trouble.

Jiangnan West Circuit was doing better; Zhang Fajing of Longhu Mountain performed rituals on Longhu Mountain, shrouding the entire Jiangnan West Circuit with the laws of the Dragon Tiger Heavenly Master, ordering the deities to strictly crack down and govern. The Earth Office Yamen also began to operate, and all kinds of evil demons and bad monsters were escorted to Poyang; those who deserved to be killed were all killed, and the rest were sent to labor reform.

However, at this time, the seven ships of Sun Bao, along with the twenty-three ships he had persuaded other sea merchants to bring, arrived.

The disaster victims taken in near Poyang already exceeded seventy or eighty thousand, but these twenty-odd ships had limited capacity; after all, besides people, they also had to carry grain and land-reclamation tools. On average, each ship only carried about one hundred people, all of whom were family-based immigrants. The twenty-three ships carried a total of two thousand five hundred people, including Hui Zhuo, Chen Gongming, the five hundred new disciples Xu Jia had recruited, and some small demons willing to develop overseas.

Xu Jia personally taught the five hundred disciples the Lingbao Daoist Citizen Register method and personally took Jiang Qi and Shen Bao as his disciples, instructing Xiaopangdun: "This time you are presiding over the work, and Chen Gongming will assist you. Once you arrive at the destination, minimize killing as much as possible, do a good job in the assimilation of the natives, and plant as much farmland as possible. But don't be afraid of trouble; the equipment I gave you, even the hoes, are made of steel, which is more than enough to be used as weapons. Coupled with Daoist arts and Divine Ability, there is no reason to be defeated by natives or anyone else."

"Does this count as being exiled?" Hui Zhuo sighed and said.

"Now the construction of the Sanqing Palace has been stopped, and all the large timber is being used to build ships first. Next time we go overseas, it will be my father; do you think this is exile?"

"Alright." Xiaopangdun boarded the ship, and then the two large pythons, Chang Yuying and Chang Yu'e, also boarded. Their appearance was terrifying, but many people were used to it, knowing they were acting as bodyguards; if there were any sea monsters on the way, they would be eaten by them.

What's more, one could see cannons being pushed onto the ships and installed on the sides and bows; the large ships had seven cannons, and the medium-sized ships had three.

Actually, flintlocks were already being built, but the initial direction of research was the Three-Eyed Fire Musket, which was less difficult to build. The flintlock also involved the issue of airtightness, which could not be completely solved at the moment. In addition, steam engines for boiling water were also being built; at least the models existed.

The technology brought by Xu Jia had been developed through the investigation of things by a group of Shanju Guan Daoists who liked to refine pills and tinker with explosives.

From Poyang, entering the Yangtze River, and then entering the sea through the Yangtze River, these merchants all had connections. With the cannons on board, they actually did not encounter any problems going out to sea. Where they were going was the Philippines, which was not too far.

From Poyang to the mouth of the Yangtze River, it only took about three or four days, and then passing through the East Sea and the Taiwan Strait to enter the Philippine waters, that is, Luzon, it took roughly eight to twelve days.

The ships had enough tools, as well as ox spirits and ox demons with immense strength. On one hand, they could use silk and porcelain to trade with native leaders for grain, or even hire natives to participate directly in construction; on the other hand, they also had enough weapons to carry out conquests.

The plan Xu Jia gave was to first gain a foothold, then trade normally; if anyone stirred up trouble, beat them into submission, and then assimilate them.

Silk and porcelain were all used to breed corruption among the natives and to exchange for grain and materials. With these, they could carry less grain; of course, they could also trade with other merchants for bulk grain or just rob them directly—in short, they wouldn't be lacking.

Secondly, if they encountered pirates, they must be killed, because Xu Jia needed a large number of ships, and building them himself was quite expensive. Although the Golden Toad was also building them, it would take time.

(End of chapter)