Chapter 149

"These monks, they really don't learn from their mistakes!"

Hearing that it was related to Xiangji Li Siyuan, Luo Faqing sneered immediately.

Seeing Li Yan's confusion, Wang Fu sighed on the side, shook his head, and explained, "There are many Buddhist and Daoist sects in the Shenzhou, but when it comes to the Mystic Sect, they are mainly the Chan, Mi, Lian, and Lu sects."

"The Chan sect advocates that all living beings have Buddha-nature, and enlightenment does not rely on external seeking; in one's own nature, all dharmas are seen. The ancestral court is at Shaolin in Yuzhou, and it is also one of the Mystic Sect orthodoxies decreed by the imperial court..."

"The Mi sect observes oneself as Buddha, originating from Tianzhu. It was introduced to the Shenzhou during the Tang Dynasty, with complex dharma gates. Nowadays, there are the Tang Mi of the Central Plains, the Tibetan Mi of Si Tu Bo, the Eastern Mi of Eastern Ying, etc..."

"The Lu sect emphasizes the study and transmission of precepts, with strict laws. The ancestral court is in the Zhongnan Mountains, and it is also a Mystic Sect orthodoxy decreed by the imperial court..."

"Buddhist and Daoist sects each have their own strengths. Because they have many believers and are decreed by the imperial court, they also perform rituals to drive away evil and soothe souls on weekdays. Only this Lian sect is most strictly supervised by the imperial court."

Li Yan asked suspiciously, "Why?"

Wang Fu said in a deep voice, "The Lian sect takes chanting Buddha as the inner practice and Amitabha's vow power as the outer, with inner and outer corresponding, to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and it has deep origins with the Maitreya Sect."

"Maitreya arose during the Song Dynasty. Because the doctrine was simple and easy to understand, many common people participated. Later, dragons and snakes were mixed, precepts were lax, believers gathered at night and dispersed in the morning, gathered crowds to cause trouble, and often started uprisings and rebellions..."

"The previous dynasty relied on its power during the confrontation with the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom, but since the Great Xuan Dynasty, it has been strictly prohibited, causing quite a few chaotic incidents..."

"The Lian sect was affected by this and was also tabooed, mostly practicing behind closed doors and ignoring worldly affairs."

"Ignoring worldly affairs?"

Luo Faqing sneered, "If that were really the case, how could they harbor demon-people and still be hooked up with the Maitreya Sect!"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and looked to the side.

Lu Gongyuan had already been tied up tightly, kneeling on the ground with a face like dead ash, wanting to commit suicide, but afraid that Li Yan would detain his soul.

Such an important figure naturally couldn't be easily beheaded.

Li Yan asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation in Xiangji Li Siyuan now? Has it already become a Dark Hall of the Maitreya Sect?"

Lu Gongyuan's psychological defense had long been broken, and he answered truthfully, "Huiqing came early. He was a confidant of the Vice Sect Leader many years ago. He has been in the temple for many years, and because of his profound Buddhist dharma, he has become the supervisor."

"Because of the imperial court's taboos, the monks in the temple only worship Buddha and have never practiced magic techniques or kung fu. We also acted secretly under his cover."

"How many people are there in total?"

"When the uprising failed back then, we were hunted down by the imperial court and the incense masters in the sect under the Vice Sect Leader. A total of thirteen people fled here."

"These years, we didn't dare to reveal our identities, joining the temple to practice in various ways intermittently. Excluding those who died of old age, seven remain."

"Are there any other masters?"

"There are three who know magic techniques, and the rest all know fists and kicks. The strongest is Huiqing; he knows quite a few Eastern Ying magic techniques and martial arts."

"We must act as soon as possible!"

Luo Faqing said in a deep voice, "We have already startled the snake, the demon-people must be preparing to evacuate. If they take away the corpse, the Du family's evil curse will explode sooner or later."

"Hmph, Maitreya remnants, overseas barbarians, actually daring to cast spells to harm people and raise evil creatures near Chang'an, not one can be let go!"

"Daoist Luo is right."

Even Wang Fu nodded in agreement.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "That's fine, they have already discovered us. By night, I'm afraid the paper men won't be able to fool that evil creature."

"No time to lose, let's head up the mountain now!"

The opponent didn't have many people. According to Lu Gongyuan's statement, they were all old, weak, sick, and disabled left over from back then.

Just at this moment, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and asked Lu Gongyuan, "You said that not only is the imperial court hunting you down, but even the Maitreya Sect people are looking for you, why?"

"I do know about this matter."

Luo Faqing's complexion became somewhat strange, "Let's talk on the road. Actually, it's also a joke."

………

"That Maitreya Vice Sect Leader is named Zhao Changsheng."

The group walked up the mountain in the wind and snow, Luo Faqing said while walking, "This person is truly interesting. He joined the sect halfway. No one knows his original background, but the Maitreya Sect Leader trusted him quite a bit. In less than a few years, he became the Vice Sect Leader."

"The Maitreya Sect back then had quite a momentum. Because they resisted the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom at the beginning, and were banned after the Great Xuan established the dynasty, not only were the believers unconvinced, but even people in the underworld had quite a bit of sympathy..."

"Moreover, they used the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching as names, setting up sixty-four incense halls all over the Shenzhou. The hall masters each possessed strange arts, and whether in the Mystic Sect or the underworld, they were all famous..."

"They gathered at night and dispersed in the morning all over the Shenzhou, gathered crowds to cause trouble, sometimes even attacking county offices. Every time the imperial court wiped out one place, there would be new places causing trouble, which was very headache-inducing..."

"At the same time, there was a great drought in Guanzhong, with starving people everywhere. This Vice Sect Leader secretly incited them, saying that the time for a change of dynasty had arrived, and they should gather all the incense halls in the country to take the opportunity to rise up."

"The key is that the Maitreya Sect Leader actually believed it. The Commandant's Office of the imperial court learned of this and also remained still, waiting until the Maitreya Sect stirred up great chaos in Guanzhong before mobilizing heavy troops to wipe them out."

"There are rumors that this Vice Sect Leader is actually a secret agent trained by the Law Enforcement Hall of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect, just to concentrate the Maitreya Sect and wipe them out in one go."

"The Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect and the imperial court both denied this and sent masters to hunt him down, but the Maitreya Sect remnants felt that this matter was not false and were also hunting down this Vice Sect Leader in secret."

"Hehe, this matter is also interesting to talk about. If that person really wasn't a secret agent, then he was a fool..."

Li Yan pondered and shook his head, "Doesn't seem like it. If the opponent were a fool, how could he have laid out this plan near Chang'an twenty years ago? The Maitreya Sect hadn't risen up back then."

"The Maitreya Sect rebelled, and this place was unknown to others. One can imagine how deep his thoughts were..."

Luo Faqing was stunned and said thoughtfully, "That's true. Could it really be a secret agent of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect? But how could he perform such evil methods?"

Behind them, Lu Gongyuan was tied with chains, stumbling as he walked. Hearing the two talking, he just lowered his head and remained silent.

Li Yan wouldn't let him go, turned around and asked, "Since you have already escaped a disaster, you don't think about finding a place to live in seclusion and spend your old age in peace, but instead follow this Zhao Changsheng to the death. What kind of ability does he actually have?"

Lu Gongyuan was silent for a moment, "The Vice Sect Leader is the true Maitreya descended to the world, and once made us travel through the Buddha Land in our dreams."

"Maitreya descended to the world?"

Wang Fu said coldly, "Master Shandao of the Tang Dynasty benefited himself and others, practiced uprightly, and accumulated virtue and good deeds. That is the human Buddha."

"With the things you have done, you still delusionally want to be reborn in the Pure Land. It's simply ridiculous."

Lu Gongyuan didn't dare to refute, but still said stubbornly, "The Vice Sect Leader has a Buddha-appearance. If you have the luck to see him in the future, you won't say that."

"Buddha-appearance or demon-appearance is not important."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Where does that person actually come from? Why did my father want to investigate him?"

Lu Gongyuan lowered his head, "I don't know either, I just reported it truthfully. Later, Incense Master Luan did this matter. As for the reason, I didn't dare to ask more."

Li Yan was thoughtful, "Where is Luan Hong'er hiding now?"

Lu Gongyuan shook his head, "Not clear, I only know that Incense Master Luan followed the Sect Leader to travel the Shenzhou, with uncertain whereabouts."

"The last time I saw her was six years ago. She entered the temple at night, said some things to the monk Huiqing, and left quickly..."

Luo Faqing on the side, since learning of Li Yan's identity as a living yin-official, had also improved his attitude significantly, saying in a deep voice, "I do know some information about Luan Hong'er."

"She is one of the Maitreya Sect's incense masters, with the nickname 'Red Woman'. She was originally a Golden Swallow who gathered information, but later was abandoned by a man and her temperament changed drastically, joining the Maitreya Sect."

"She likes to wear a red wedding dress at night, like a fierce ghost. When she encounters a man alone, she lures him into a wild temple in the wilderness to consummate the marriage, and then kills him."

"For a period of time, the fierce reputation of the red-clothed female ghost in Chang'an was rampant, until the Maitreya Sect rose up, and people realized it was her causing trouble..."

Li Yan's forehead inexplicably broke out in cold sweat, "The one who abandoned her, wasn't my dad, right?"

"Of course not." Luo Faqing was somewhat surprised and shook his head, "The one who abandoned her, it is rumored, was the eldest son of some great official in the imperial court."

"She last appeared in Jiangnan, fighting for a piece of heavenly spiritual treasure, killing quite a few people, and her cultivation has already reached the Fourth Floor."

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, while his curiosity grew even stronger.

What his old man often said was that people in the underworld should not provoke idle matters. Secretly investigating that Zhao Changsheng must definitely have some hidden story………………

Xiangji Li Siyuan is a famous temple in Guanzhong and the ancestral court of the Lian sect.

Its name comes from the "Vimalakirti Sutra", "In Tianzhu there is a country of all fragrances, the Buddha is named Xiangji". It was built in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gao Zong once entered the temple to worship Buddha, bestowing over a thousand sarira, hundred-treasure banners and flowers, ordering them to be offered, and the incense was extremely prosperous.

However, the Battle of Xiangji Li Siyuan and the Huichang Persecution of Buddhism caused this place to almost become ruins.

During the Song Dynasty, the Lian sect flourished again, and the temple was rebuilt, but after the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom invaded, it was also destroyed by the flames of war.

Because of the Maitreya Sect incident, the Great Xuan also had quite a bit of precaution against the Lian sect. Therefore, the current Xiangji Li Siyuan has fewer than fifty monks, who farm and plant themselves, worship Buddha behind closed doors, and the temple is only barely repaired with the help of some kind-hearted donors.

In the vast flying snow, the ancient temple and broken pagoda appeared withered and lonely.

Before Li Yan even got close, the Hook Decree felt a pain, and then an illusion appeared before his eyes: on the lotus throne, the Buddha's light was dim, and his eyes were covered by straw ropes and white talismans.

"Hmph, even the Buddha's eyes are covered, no wonder demon-calamities are growing under his feet!"

Li Yan gave a cold snort, but didn't care.

Most likely, the Xiangji Li Siyuan had also been tampered with by that Wa monk, so that they could secretly raise evil creatures.

!.

However, the scorching heat of the Hook Decree still hadn't dissipated.

White mist rose all around, becoming blurry.

A mission has come?

Li Yan was already used to this, running forward rapidly, and soon saw the ancient well where the Yin Division issued missions.

Pressing on the well rim, the well water rotated immediately.

A scene appeared before his eyes: an ancient temple, straw tatami mats, sliding door grilles, an old small tea table...

A monk lay on the ground, the scroll in his hand was messy, stained with bloody handprints, black mist swirled around, and a looming shadow was attached to his body.

And that shadow was wearing white hunting clothes, wearing a black high hat, clearly dressed as an onmyoji, covered in filthy blood, and wrapped in chains.

Attached to the monk's body, the chains around his whole body broke one after another...

This is... a Returned-to-Life person!?

Li Yan was suddenly somewhat surprised.

According to the "Yin Precepts" given by the old woman of Tianzhu Mountain, Returned-to-Life persons also belong to yin-criminals. They usually can't remember the affairs of the Yin Division, but no matter the reason, they have interfered with the order of yin and yang.

It's just, do foreign ghosts also fall under his jurisdiction...

Before Li Yan could figure it out, the scene around him had instantly returned to normal.

"What's wrong?"

Luo Faqing ahead was turning around to ask.

And Wang Fu and Sha Lifei on the side had also just turned their heads.

Li Yan understood immediately that the speed of the divine communication had become faster again.

It seems that this Hook Decree is also becoming easier to use the more it is used.

"Nothing."

Li Yan shook his head and immediately pinched a magic seal to activate his divine ability.

With the gods and Buddhas covered in the temple, it was inevitable that the opponent would have arrangements.

However, his expression changed slightly very quickly, "Something happened, quick!"

Hearing this, the crowd accelerated their speed.

At this time, the temple gate was closed tight.

Li Yan rushed out in a stride, and as he landed, with a clang, his long knife left its sheath, slashing along the door crack.

He used hidden strength, and the force was astonishing.

Crack!

The door bolt behind, as thick as a person's arm, broke in response.

Sha Lifei followed closely, stepped forward, and kicked the gate open.

They saw two monks lying on the snowy ground near the courtyard gate, looking not very old, their faces pitch-black and ferocious, spitting black blood, already dead.

"They were poisoned to death!"

The crowd immediately made a judgment.

Luo Faqing gave a cold snort, "Demon-people are demon-people, even if they worship Buddha day and night, they won't change their nature."

After saying this, he leaped and ran towards the backyard.

Li Yan's heart moved, and he whispered a few words to Sha Lifei.

Sha Lifei understood immediately, picked Lu Gongyuan up, broke his foot tendons, and tied him to a pillar, then pulled Wang Fu and ran towards the main hall.

Seeing Luo Faqing's confusion, Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Let's go first, they are going to destroy the opponent's dharma formation."

He kept his Yang seal activated at all times and had already smelled that there was no one in the main hall, but there were some straw ropes emitting strange sha-qi.

Presumably, they were all arranged by the opponent. Whether they were useful or not, destroy them first. The gods and Buddhas in the temple were also a kind of divine gang-qi, gathered from incense and wish power, at least capable of suppressing evil creatures.

Although Luo Faqing found it strange how he knew, he didn't ask more.

The two ran rapidly, constantly seeing monks' corpses along the way, all with pitch-black faces, poisoned to death.

"Hmph!"

Luo Faqing said coldly, "I heard that the Lian sect was introduced to Eastern Ying during the Tang Dynasty and was highly respected. Although Huiqing is of the same sect, what is the difference between taking them in and making them a supervisor, and inviting a wolf into the house?"

Li Yan nodded and didn't speak.

Thinking of the scene in the illusion just now, he knew that the matter probably wasn't that simple...

The current Xiangji Li Siyuan was very down-and-out, and its area had shrunk a lot. The two arrived at the backyard woodshed not long after.

Whoosh!

Before they even got close, a sharp arrow shot out from the window.

It was a few Maitreya Sect remnants, using the woodshed wall as cover, shooting arrows at them through the window cracks.

These people were wearing monk's robes, none of them young, their eyes calm and indifferent, but their attacks were exceptionally vicious.

Li Yan naturally had already sensed it, and he and Luo Faqing didn't slow down, simultaneously waving their swords to deflect the arrows.

When these people were young, they must have had good skills, but now they were old and weak, and their reactions were clearly unable to keep up.

Luo Faqing pretended to attack from the front door, while Li Yan took the opportunity to break through the window and enter. Cooperating with each other, sword light and knife light flashed immediately, blood splashed, and they solved these people in just a few moves.

The matter was urgent, how could they hold back?

At this moment, the firewood pile in the woodshed was pushed to the side, revealing a cave entrance covered by wooden boards on the ground.

Li Yan twitched his nose, "It's not small inside, I'll lure the enemy, you summon ghosts and gods to attack."

There was no light underground, so naturally, ghosts and gods could be summoned.

Li Yan remembered the ferocity of the Shangshan ghost and god camp soldiers. That yin-criminal identity was strange, and with this method, of course, he had to use it.

After saying this, he leaped into the cave...

(End of chapter)