Chapter 1445
Mud Sea
Chapter 1445 Mud Sea
The sea surges and the mountains rise and fall, with temples standing on the cliffs like magnificent blue reliefs. The monks above move in and out as if they were ants moving on the cliffs.
On the other side of the sea, two clouds, one golden and one black, flew by. Above them stood a monk and a Taoist priest. The monk was tall and looked like a martial monk, while the Taoist priest wore green robes but looked very sinister. Both of them held spells and looked into the distance.
Despite having seized this opportunity with great difficulty, Jinghai proceeded unhurriedly, leading Chi Buzi through his own golden land, and smiled with a touch of emotion:
"When I first entered this land, it was nothing more than a vast ocean, with rolling hills and ruins everywhere. Now it has become such a sacred place; I don't know how much effort I put into it..."
Chi Buzhi nodded slightly. Having observed the monk's actions along the way, he had become quite interested. Jinghai then led him forward and began to explain:
"The owner of this Konghai Jindi was originally a cultivator from the South China Sea, a renowned ancient cultivator named Zhuodu. He was a disciple of the Northern World Honored One's lineage, but he was all alone and later perished in the sea. That was a long time ago. At that time, Jingzhan and I disagreed on our beliefs, so he sent me to inherit his mantle."
He paused, looked at Chi Buzhi, and noticed that the man seemed rather dismissive, so he said:
"Does the Great Master know the Liao Ancestor? He was the great man who built the temple on the Liao River."
Chi Buzhi answered casually, but for a moment his expression became serious, and he nodded, saying:
"Liaohe Temple...I know it."
Jinghai nodded, his imposing face remaining calm, and said:
“At that time, I had just attained the Maha position when I gave up all my cultivation and left the Buddhist land. As a Dharma Master, I measured the continents, did good deeds and accumulated merit, and suffered immeasurable hardships before I was able to ascend to the precious land. Back then, he just wanted to send me away and didn’t expect me to succeed, but I really did succeed.”
The Lord of Jindi spoke calmly, lightly recounting his arduous past. The two landed in the main hall on the high peak of the sea, where there was hardly anyone around. There were even two yellow talisman-like seals on the hall.
Jinghai paused, then recalled:
"But when they arrived at the Golden Land, they discovered that... there was already something there."
Pushing open the temple door and entering, it was pitch black inside. There were no celestial images scattered throughout the sky; high up was only a clay sculpture, the size of an ordinary person, with an average appearance, making a laughing face.
Jinghai first bowed respectfully before raising his head. A hint of complexity flickered in his seemingly timeless eyes. Looking at the clay statue before him, he said softly:
"This is my master, the [Puppet Master]."
Chi Buzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, and the monk beside him said:
“Back then, the monk Zhuozhuo had a disciple. Zhuozhuo died outside, and Jindi lost contact with him. The disciple was trapped inside and sculpted this clay statue to commemorate his master. Later… that disciple was trapped and died in Jindi.”
"Perhaps it wasn't trapped to death. In any case, the disciple died in the end, but this clay statue came back to life, wearing his clothes, and waited patiently until today. It pretends to be a sage and wants me to become its disciple. Much of my knowledge about ancient times comes from my master."
Chi Buzhi's gaze immediately sharpened, but Jinghai said:
"Great Master, there is no need to panic. He is no longer a threat."
The monk stretched out his hand and pointed out the silver needles on the back of the clay figure. Chi Buzhi saw that the needles were densely packed, hundreds and thousands, like fine hairs, and drops of black blood were flowing down the back of the clay figure. Jinghai laughed:
"He can't say a single word."
Chi Buzhi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not step forward. Jinghai sighed:
"I have been operating in the South China Sea for so many years, and people say that I am cautious and stingy. Little do they know that I have been on the verge of life and death in this golden land a thousand times. If I take one wrong step, the South China Sea will have another great demon."
He finished speaking, then led Chi Buzi out, resealed the door, and sat down at the broken stone table in the mountains. Chi Buzi, however, had other thoughts in his mind:
'It seems… that Kongheng of the Northern World Honored One's Path… has lived on the lake for a long time, which is why this monk said all that. Since that's the case… why don't I play along and test him?'
The man in blue straightened his sleeves and finally asked:
"Baohua Mountain... what kind of place is it?"
Jinghai paused for a moment, then said:
"According to Master, that mountain is where Su Xikong departed this world, and it is also the place where the Seven Aspects were conceived. It is mysterious and profound. The peacock was once tied to the foot of that mountain, but this fellow is extremely good at bewitching people's hearts. It cried day and night, and actually made the monk Tang Jing of Baohua Mountain release it by his own hands..."
"Peacock?"
Chi Buzhi never expected to be dragged into this. After a moment's hesitation, Jinghai said:
“Indeed, Baohua Mountain is the place where the two Buddhas had their last debate. It has been downplayed in the scriptures. It is said that it will ascend to the void at any time and transform into a land of precious light. When Tianjue tied the peacock to the foot of the mountain, it was also to use the weight of the peacock to lock the mountain.”
Even Jinghai only heard this secret from the clay statue, so Chi Buzhi couldn't possibly know it. He found it unbelievable and frowned, saying:
"What do you mean by holding it lightly... Do you mean that when those Buddhas sit on the mountain and chant sutras, the mountain becomes lighter and lighter? What about the earth's veins? What about the water veins? I've only ever heard of the art of flying, but I've never heard of chanting sutras and making a mountain rise up."
"Exactly!"
Despite the utter absurdity of the matter, Jinghai spoke decisively:
"The mountain can no longer be found. The peacock was released by the people of Baohua Mountain, and Yin Chi turned over underneath, so the mountain immediately escaped. All the Dharma Images arranged heaven and earth to welcome the mountain into the sandalwood forest!"
Chi Buzi could only gasp in astonishment, while Jing Hai said:
"It is precisely because this mountain is inside, and there is a seat for the peacock on the mountain, that the peacock has since called himself 'the first to reserve a seat in the sandalwood forest'—his seat entered the sandalwood forest even earlier than his own."
The monk sighed, as if discussing this matter was not something to be proud of, and simply said:
"When the Tang monk released the peacock, it meant that the entire mountain was lost and fell into the hands of the modern monk. In fact, losing the mountain was the most serious thing. It was not only the loss of the ancestral land, but also the fulfillment of the orthodoxy of the Seven Aspects."
After listening to this, Chi Buzhi had a request in mind. Jinghai finally had a moment and looked up to say:
"The reason I summoned the Grand Master today is naturally because I have something to ask—regarding the matter of the purification cup back then, was the order... given from the Green Sunflower Pond?"
As soon as he said this, the mountain fell silent. The golden earth could isolate the inside from the outside, so there was no fear of being discovered by any True Lord while discussing this. The young man sighed and said:
"It's not difficult for me to answer your question, fellow Daoist... but I must first ask you... since you are from the Path of Wrath, do you know the cause and effect of killing Jingzhan?"
"nature."
Jinghai said softly:
"This path of wrath is what the tradition calls itself."
"The fundamental golden land of this path originates from the ancient cultivator [False Dharma Image], but its power originates from another Dharma Image, whose mysterious name is [Angry Four Demon Emperors' Dharma Image]. Originally a cultivator of Qingxuan, with the Daoist name [Dao Qing], it is said that he suffered a great calamity and was taught the Dao by the ancient cultivator before his death, thus achieving the Dao of Buddhism. He has a Dharma Image on his left and right. One of them is the master of Qin Ling's golden land, and the other... joined the Path of Compassion early on and is now a great figure in the Path of Compassion, second only to the master of the Path of Compassion."
He pondered for a moment and said:
"Jingzhan was the future Dharma Aspect He was grooming, and she personally followed him in betraying their sect. When they established their paths, they were not yet prominent, and Emperor Wei carried out many massacres. Even though a high-ranking official intervened to protect them, Dharma Aspect Qin Ling still perished..."
"Therefore, after the [Four Wrathful Demon Emperors' Appearances] disappeared, Jingzhan broke free from the Dharma embryo. Although his generation name was not high, his status in the Buddhist world was very high. Those of us who started cultivating later were all juniors to him..."
"He came south to repay this karmic debt in order to attain enlightenment."
His tone was indifferent, and when he spoke of his senior brother from back then, he seemed to feel nothing at all. Chi Buzhi was slightly surprised to hear this and said:
"But you're mistaken, fellow Daoist. The order came from the Golden Dao lineage. He just specially came to the sect to borrow a magic weapon. It was Lord Sui Guan who personally gave him the Heavenly Yuan."
"In that case, I would like to ask you, my friend."
Jinghai had already stood up, staring at him, and said:
"Was it Shangyuan who killed Jingzhan, or was it a magic weapon that killed Jingzhan?"
Chi Buzi frowned and said:
"What does it mean?"
"This is important."
The monk gazed at him and quietly said:
"Although the Golden Bridge Lock is in Tai Qing's hands, it does not represent Tai Qing himself. I need to know which sect of Qingxuan Dao Qing and the Wrathful Dao Dharma Image betrayed back then."
Chi Buzhi grew increasingly puzzled, but being quick-witted, he could guess the other party's thoughts even without knowing their intentions. He frowned and said:
"What you mean is simply that... although the Golden Bridge Lock is in Du Qing's hands, it can only represent Donghua. Since the order has already come from Jin Yi, and the magic weapon locks but does not kill, then it means that Dao Qing betrayed... Yanhua back then."
Hearing him so openly refer to the True Lord of Lushui as Du Qing, a knowing glint flashed in Jinghai's eyes. Hearing him point it out as if reciting a familiar story, he couldn't help but praise:
"Exactly."
Chi Buzhi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:
"This... please rest assured, fellow Daoist, he was defeated by True Monarch Shangyuan."
Hearing this, Jinghai slowly let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he wasn't waiting specifically for this answer, but rather for Chi Buzi himself. He smiled and said:
"Thank you, fellow Daoist!"
Chi Buzhi's gaze darkened. How could someone as intelligent as him not notice the other's unusual expression? He carefully examined the monk before him and quietly said:
"Fellow Daoist, please explain clearly."
Jinghai let out a soft breath and said:
"Fellow Daoist... do you still remember my master from that hall just now?"
Seeing the man in blue nod, Jinghai murmured:
"Since I acquired the Golden Land, quite a few disciples have fallen at his hands... The lowest among them were those of the Compassionate One class, and some were even of the Maha level. At first, they would only pay their respects and then never come out again. I was greatly alarmed and went in to interrogate him, but he only said..."
“He heard from his disciples that people outside cultivate a blessed land inside their bellies, which is a good method, and he wanted to try it too.”
His gaze was solemn as he said:
“From then on, I stopped taking my disciples up the mountain, but there were times when I couldn’t control them. His claim that they couldn’t leave the temple was just a cover. In my two previous reincarnations, Lianmin disappeared in both instances. Later, I discovered that the one in seclusion was just a wisp of aura, and that’s when I realized… his control over Jindi was far superior to mine… When I pressed him for answers, he became angry instead…”
Chi Buzhi looked thoughtful, while Jinghai's gaze grew cold as he said:
“But I left the Path of Wrath precisely because I couldn’t stand their self-deception. Since I cannot bow down to Jingzhan, how can I seek sustenance for such a wooden puppet or clay statue!”
"The angrier he gets, the more I want to fight to the death... I know I can't delay any longer, because if I drag it out, I'll just be another piece of his food tomorrow!"
The monk slowly closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face, and sighed:
"I had no choice but to feign compliance with him, hoping he would tolerate it this time, turn around and leave, and break through the seventh reincarnation. As for the matter with Bao Qing... actually, I had already reincarnated long ago. It was he who came out of the palace, impersonated me, and caused Bao Qing to be seriously injured, forcing him to return to the Golden Land..."
"Although I have lived through seven lifetimes, when I returned to the Golden Land, the treasure had already been completely devoured. If I had returned any later, I would have lost the Golden Land... Even so, even with the cultivation of seven lifetimes, the Golden Land is biased towards him, and my stay here is still precarious."
He turned his head, looked at Chi Buzhi, seemingly gazing at him, yet also as if seeing someone further away, and said:
"Fortunately, heaven did not forsake me. A young monk came all the way to the South China Sea and arrived at my Wanli Temple. He said he could help me."
A look of shock flashed in Jinghai's eyes as he said:
"He showed no signs of reincarnation, yet he didn't seem like a monk, much less a Mahayana. Upon arriving in this golden land, he took a piece of ordinary iron, twisted it into 1,863 needles, and said he would insert one needle a day... and thus subdued it..."
"I had already sensed his extraordinary nature by then, and I was both surprised and delighted, but also worried. So I said... I cannot get close to him, how can I use needles?"
The benefactor said, "It's alright. I have a wisp of my spirit body to assist me, named Liu Bai. I'll have him stay here to subdue him for you..."
Jinghai clasped his hands together, seemingly praising the emperor's reputation, and after a long while, he said:
"I have now escaped the sea of suffering and regained control of the golden land."
He turned his head, looked directly at Chi Buzhi, and said:
"My benefactor's Taoist name is Kong Heng."
Upon hearing this, Chi Buzhi gradually understood. His eyes flickered, revealing a hint of amusement, and he smiled:
"Oh? If that's the case, what does it have to do with the past?"
Jinghai said blankly:
"This humble monk has a premonition that my benefactor... is no ordinary person, and has saved my life, yet I cannot find his whereabouts, nor can I serve under him..."
He murmured:
"There are far too many people who want to harm him, only the lake is willing to lend a helping hand..."
The owner of this golden land, the renowned and powerful Maha Gaoxiu of the South China Sea, sighed deeply, bowed sincerely, and said:
“My senior brother is foolish and ignorant, ruining the arrangements on the lake. If he is angry and betrays the Dao, I will have no face to ask for help... Within the Golden Land, neither the inside nor the outside knows, and I cannot invite the Qilin in. Fellow Daoist is someone who can speak on my behalf…”
He bowed deeply and said:
"Please ask on my behalf, fellow Daoist... If you can help my benefactor, I will be eternally grateful!"