txolops Chapter 175 Chechi Kingdom
Chapter 175 Chechi Kingdom
The poem says: Why distinguish between the three teachings? The Daoist mind is inherently interconnected.
He performed extraordinary feats in pacifying the people and rescuing them from disaster, and naturally, Confucianism and Buddhism were able to blend together.
All Dharma teachings originate from the same source; how can compassion be different?
I urge you not to cling to empty ideals, but to truly benefit the world.
Li Fa then bid farewell to Tang Sanzang and his disciples, and alone, mounted the Black Tiger of Youdu and headed west.
In just a few days, they arrived at the territory of Chechi Kingdom.
He descended from the clouds, summoned the Black Tiger, and transformed himself into a wandering Taoist priest.
He was wearing a purple turban, a black robe, and straw sandals. He carried a sword on his back and a gourd at his waist, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.
He entered the city gate and saw that the streets were bustling with people.
They hadn't gone far when they saw a group of constables escorting a dozen or so monks, disheveled, ragged, barefoot, and in shackles, heading out of the city. The monks were all emaciated and sallow, walking with faltering steps, some of them muttering Buddhist chants.
Li Fa's heart stirred, and he stepped forward to ask an old man, "Sir, what crime have these monks committed that they are being treated like this?"
The old man looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Taoist priest, are you new here? You don't know this, but twenty years ago, the people of Chechi Kingdom suffered from a severe drought. There was no rain, the land was barren, and countless people starved to death."
So, regardless of whether they were emperors or commoners, big or small households, every family bathed and burned incense, praying to Heaven for rain. Fortunately, three Taoist priests came from the East: one was the Tiger Power Immortal, one was the Deer Power Immortal, and one was the Sheep Power Immortal.
Three Taoist priests ascended the altar and prayed for wind and rain, saving the entire city. The king was overjoyed and appointed them as his royal advisors, thus beginning a policy of promoting Taoism and suppressing Buddhism. The monks were all captured and forced into hard labor, dismantling temples and moving bricks and stones—a truly miserable existence.
Li Fa nodded and then asked, "Did those three imperial advisors harm anyone? Did they eat people or commit other acts of murder?"
The old man shook his head and said, "I haven't heard of that. Although the three national teachers are domineering, they do not kill innocent people indiscriminately. They just forbid monks from chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha. If anyone disobeys, they will be sent to perform hard labor."
Over the years, all the temples in Chechi Kingdom have been demolished. The monks have either returned to secular life or been forced into hard labor, suffering terribly.
Li Fa thanked the old man and found a quiet little inn in the city to stay in.
In the following days, he conducted undercover investigations in the streets and countryside during the day and patrolled the clouds at night, thoroughly investigating the customs of the people of Chechi Kingdom and the actions of the three national teachers.
That night, Li Fa was meditating cross-legged in the inn when suddenly a golden light flashed before his eyes, and the Merit Chart appeared:
[Possible target: Tiger Power Immortal]
[Karma Assessment: None (Praying for rain to save the people is a meritorious act for the country; destroying Buddhism and temples is an act against the natural order. Merits and demerits cancel each other out, so the karma is zero.)]
[Rewards for successful rescue:]
[Optional Reward 1: Three Jiazi of Mana from the "Creating Heaven and Earth Technique"]
[Optional Reward Two: Divine Flight (Supernatural Powers, Astral Projection, Spiritual Journey, Flight on Qi)]
[Optional Reward Three: Nine-Breath Breath Cultivation (Exhaling and Refining Qi, Absorbing the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, Achieving Immortality)]
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[Potentially rescuable: Deer Power Immortal]
【Karma Assessment: None】
[Rewards for successful rescue:]
[Optional Reward 1: Two Jiazi of Mana from the "Creating Heaven and Earth Technique"]
[Optional Reward Two: Invisibility (Supernatural Power, allows you to become invisible)]
[Optional Reward 3: One random magic item]
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[Possible target: Sheep Power Immortal]
【Karma Assessment: None】
[Rewards for successful rescue:]
[Optional Reward 1: Two Jiazi of Mana from the "Creating Heaven and Earth Technique"]
[Optional Reward Two: Abstaining from Grain and Thirst (Supernatural Power: Can survive without food or water, and will not die of thirst or hunger)]
[Optional Reward 3: One random elixir]
[Note: Although these three individuals have committed acts of persecuting Buddhism, they have not committed any major evils. Executing them would only diminish one's merit. It is advisable to skillfully guide them to the true path, or to help them realize their own wrongdoings.]
After reading it, Li Fa felt enlightened.
It turns out that these three imperial advisors were not heinous evil spirits, but rather benevolent practitioners who had benefited the people. Their devotion to Taoism and suppression of Buddhism, though extreme, was understandable. Indiscriminate killing would have been contrary to the will of Heaven.
"Convert them..." Li Fa muttered to himself, "How to convert them? The best approach is to let them realize the truth themselves. But how can I see these three demons?"
He pondered for a while, then suddenly remembered that in the original story, Sun Wukong and the others pretended to be the Three Pure Ones, which attracted the three demons.
So he thought to himself, "Why don't I pretend to be one of the Three Pure Ones too!"
Having made up his mind, he transformed into a gust of wind and headed straight for the Sanqing Temple.
The three demons were all asleep at this time and were not in the temple. The people on duty in the temple were just ordinary Taoist priests with little eyesight, so how could they recognize Li Fa's true form?
They just assumed it was a gust of wind and told someone to tighten the door, then ignored it.
Li Fa seized the opportunity to sneak into the hall. Inside, incense smoke filled the air, and three clay statues with gold accents sat solemnly on a high platform.
Li Fa smiled slightly, leaped onto the divine platform, and transformed himself into the appearance of Yuanshi Tianzun.
But the Heavenly Venerable was, after all, a Primordial Immortal. Although the transformation of the embryo into a different form was mysterious, how could he have transformed into the true form of the Primordial Immortal?
Therefore, when he transforms, he can only take the form of a statue.
Li Fa thought to himself, "If that monster comes and sees the two statues, won't it give itself away? I'd better transform into something else!"
He then transformed again, this time into Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao).
This time, the change is to reveal its true form.
It turns out that he had seen Laozi's appearance, which is why he could transform. However, he had never seen the true appearances of Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun, so he could not imitate them.
What amazing power! He transformed into Laozi's appearance and used a magic trick to escape into Laozi's clay sculpture. This was better than throwing the Three Pure Ones statues into the latrine in the original story.
With everything prepared, Li Fa sat upright and closed his eyes to rest.
Now, in the Sanqing Temple, there used to be an old Taoist priest and several young Taoist priests who looked after the incense.
The next morning, a young Taoist priest, carrying a bucket of water and yawning, pushed open the temple door, preparing to sweep and clean.
He groggily looked up and saw that the statue of Laozi was surrounded by radiant light and auspicious energy!
The young Taoist priest was terrified. With a cry of "Oh my god!", he dropped the bucket and scrambled out of the main hall, running wildly to the backyard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Master! Master! Something terrible has happened! Grandpa Laozi has appeared! Grandpa Laozi has come back to life!"
The old Taoist priest was meditating when he heard this. He opened his eyes and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?"
The young Taoist pointed to the main hall and stammered, "It's true! It's true! I saw it with my own eyes! Grandfather Laozi was sitting on the platform, and... and he was even emitting light!"
The old Taoist priest, still somewhat skeptical, led his several disciples, trembling with fear, to the entrance of the main hall.
He peered inside and, sure enough, saw the statue of Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) glowing.
His legs went weak instantly, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "Grandpa Laojun has appeared! Grandpa Laojun has appeared!"
Several young Taoist priests behind him also knelt down and kowtowed, but that's another story.