Chapter 325
Locking the Five Dragons
Upon hearing this, the ghosts were all extremely excited, and looked at their palms with great trepidation.
The rain gradually stopped.
"I won! I won!"
"Hahaha, I have it too! I have the character '渡'!"
"Damn it, why, why is it that even though I am so devout, the Bodhisattva will not save me?"
"Without the character '渡' (du), we'll have to wait another sixty years..."
Those ghosts whose palms displayed the character "渡" (meaning "crossing") were overjoyed and laughed loudly, while those whose palms did not display the character "渡" were filled with regret and wept bitterly.
"Ah, my hand!"
Suddenly, a scream rang out.
Someone's arm was cut off; it was a hand with the character "渡" (meaning "crossing") on it, and it was instantly fought over by the ghosts.
The Bodhisattva only said that those with the character "渡" (du, meaning crossing/crossing) on their palms can ascend to the Buddha's Pure Land, without specifying that it must be their own palm.
Perhaps by snatching someone else's hand and attaching it to one's own body, one can ascend to the Pure Land of Buddha and escape this sea of suffering!
In an instant, the ghosts went mad, and the sounds of fighting and screams filled the air.
The rainwater on the ground was quickly stained red with blood.
The Bodhisattva simply stood quietly on the cloud, lowering his eyes to chant sutras, exuding peace and tranquility, compassionately watching over the slaughtered beings.
……
"He did indeed come from the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise, the sacred site of the Buddha on Mount Ling, but he was not a true Bodhisattva. On the contrary, he was personally captured and imprisoned by Guanyin Bodhisattva and then suppressed under Mount Ling."
"Over the years, He has called himself a Bodhisattva and transformed into the appearance of Guanyin, probably to deliberately tarnish Guanyin's name and avenge the grudge from back then."
Zhou Sheng and Yao Taifeng exchanged a glance, both sensing each other's shock.
I thought the other party had a powerful background, but I never expected it to be this powerful!
There are probably very few demons in the world that could be captured and suppressed by Guanyin Bodhisattva herself at the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling.
"Boy, girl, you're opera singers, you should have heard of 'Locking the Five Dragons'."
After a pause, the old man from Niushan suddenly changed the subject and asked a question.
Before Zhou Sheng could speak, Yao Taifeng had already begun recounting the details as if they were her own.
"The novel 'Locking the Five Dragons' is based on the novel 'Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties,' which tells the story of Luo Cheng capturing five kings: Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Meng Haigong, Zhu Can, and Gao Tansheng. Hence the name."
The old man from Niushan casually sang a few lines, his tone quite charming, clearly indicating that he was also a seasoned opera enthusiast.
"Beneath this Great Thunderclap Temple, there are also five 'dragons,' five 'mischievous demon dragons,' each of whom is a great demon capable of causing bloodshed and chaos throughout the world!"
“The Buddha locked these five ‘dragons’ at the foot of Mount Ling, so that they could often listen to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Arhats preach, so as to wear away their malevolent nature.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Why didn't Buddha just eliminate these demons directly?"
The Bodhisattvas were already able to subdue and imprison them; if the Buddha were to intervene, destroying them should not be difficult.
Old Man Niu Shan chuckled, his voice tinged with disdain.
"It is said that Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, but in fact, it is not just to convert them and then take them in as protectors."
"Don't you even think about where the Eight Heavenly Dragons of Buddhism came from?"
Zhou Sheng remained silent, but had to admit that what the other party said made some sense. Many of the Dharma protectors and Vajras in Buddhism were once notorious demons.
For example, the two generals under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Zengshen and Niang, were once demon kings who harmed the human world. "Actually, this is quite common. Those great demons who can become powerful must have amazing fortune. By bringing them into the fold, the fortune of Buddhism will naturally rise as well."
"However, at the end of the Tang Dynasty and the beginning of the Qi Dynasty, the world underwent tremendous changes, the gods and Buddhas disappeared, and without their protection, the seal gradually weakened, and the five great demons naturally broke free."
"The Crimson-Faced Bodhisattva was one of them. He originally wanted to dabble in the human world, but he was stabbed by Master Xu Jing and then stopped by his master several times. Therefore, he turned his attention to the underworld and seized the City of the Wrongfully Dead."
"As for the other four great demons, even my master does not know their whereabouts. He only knows that they each have their own plans and strategies, and they are waiting for the right time to act. They should not be underestimated."
Hearing these words, Zhou Sheng remained silent for a long time.
"Heh heh, kid, got scared?"
"No wonder. Back then, when the old beggar was about your age, he learned about these things. He felt like the sky had fallen and all he wanted to do was dig a hole and bury himself."
"But so many years have passed, and we're still eating, drinking, and sleeping as usual. If the sky falls, there will be higher-ups to hold it up; it's not our turn..."
"So that's why you created the 'Great Transformation Avatar Technique,' which allows one to sever their cultivation but still survive?"
A strange look appeared in Zhou Sheng's eyes, as if he had understood something.
Old man Niu Shan froze, his gaze darting away.
He was indeed able to achieve this feat because of a desire to escape; otherwise, as the successor to the imperial tutor, he would have been one of the tallest people in the world.
However, each of his clones is currently only at the sixth level of perfection.
You can't win a fight, and you can't die either.
"Ahem, we've gone off on a tangent. Let's get back to the 'five dragons.' They are indeed formidable, but you don't need to worry too much. They've been suppressed under the Great Thunderclap Temple for countless years, and their strength is no longer at its peak. Perhaps they're still recuperating somewhere right now."
"Moreover, there are also immortals in the mortal realm. Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang is only half a step away from the perfection of the Nine Tribulations!"
"Back then, I saw that your master had extraordinary potential and great fortune. If he could overcome that tribulation, his future would be limitless. That's why I appeared to warn him. But I didn't expect him to find my words offensive and even beat me up!"
Mentioning this, Old Man Niushan became somewhat angry: "I just said that he would become a cripple, that his wife, children, and brothers would all die tragically, and that he would freeze to death in the snow like an old dog, his soul would be taken down to the eighteenth level of hell, and suffer endless torment for all eternity..."
He said indignantly, "That's all I said. If he doesn't want to listen, fine, but why did he have to hit me, and even slap me in the face!"
Zhou Sheng: "..."
Yaotai Feng: "..."
Zhou Sheng finally understood why his master had hit him back then.
If it were him, he probably wouldn't be able to resist taking action either.
No wonder fortune tellers prefer to speak subtly; being too direct might get them beaten up.
"However, I also miscalculated, because I didn't see you in my divination back then."
Old Man Niu Shan gave Zhou Sheng a deep look and smiled, "Because of your appearance, Yu Zhensheng, who was originally destined for a tragic end, has been given new life in his destiny, and it is growing stronger and stronger..."
Zhou Sheng felt a chill run down his spine and remained silent.
"Unless my master is resurrected, I, the old beggar, believe that no one in the world can compare with me in the art of divination. But strangely, yesterday I encountered a very formidable opponent."
"To call him terrifying is an understatement. That person utterly utterly terrified me. Before him, all my methods of concealing the secrets of heaven were easily broken. In the way of divine calculation, I was completely and utterly defeated, utterly convinced of my superiority..."
He paused for a moment, then smiled and looked at Zhou Sheng.
"Young friend, would you be so kind as to let this old beggar see who this master is?"
...(End of this chapter)