Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1341 Thunder Head
The golden platform gleamed, and the incense in the main hall flickered.

The aroma of milk filled the air in the center of the main hall. A round table was set up next to it, with wine and meat, as well as a couple of vegetarian dishes. Minghui, holding jade chopsticks, sat opposite her senior brother Mingmeng, drinking and celebrating together in a lively atmosphere.

Between the two men was a blue bowl, on which was placed a pair of chopsticks, and a wine cup was filled to the brim.

"This cup celebrates my peaceful and joyful escape from the Dao!"

Minghui laughed and, together with his senior brother, offered a toast to the wine vessel placed in front of the blue bowl. Then he poured the full cup of wine into the blue bowl and listened carefully, hearing the gurgling sound of drinking inside.

In the midst of tranquility, the bells rang, and golden light flowed like a waterfall over the eaves. After an unknown period of time, a crimson light surged forth and stopped before the main hall.

This color transformed into a head, but the neck and below were nowhere to be found. It was smooth and very clean, but the face was still somewhat stern and full of panic. It was none other than the eldest brother of Shanledao—Mingzang!
But this usually proud senior brother, without even having time to repair his body, fled back to Lotus Temple in a hurry, like a boulder falling from the sky and crashing onto the golden ground.

The shout startled the two monks drinking inside, who jumped up on the spot. Mingmeng wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, feeling great distress. Minghui rolled up her sleeves, hurriedly picked up the head, and turned the pained face towards herself, saying in anguish:

"Big Brother!"

But then they saw Mingzang's face, now just a head, contorted in a grotesque expression, with two lines of bloody tears streaming down his cheeks:
"Junior brother... Master... is finished..."

Upon hearing this, the blue bowl on the golden table on the high platform seemed to ignite and start to bounce, as if it were about to roll down from above, causing the two chopsticks to clatter and tumble on the ground.

Mingzang closed his eyes and said fiercely:

"It is the paths of Great Desire and Compassion! They came to fight for this golden land not only for this golden land, but also because they saw that the Venerable Kong Shu was incredibly strong, fighting against many opponents without being at a disadvantage, and immediately they had evil intentions!"

Ming Zang Yizhi:
"At that time... Master was injured by Kong Shu. Lang Zhi and Bei Miao immediately joined forces. To protect my fellow disciples... Master personally covered the retreat... It's pitiful that his eight generations of illustrious reputation... was so betrayed..."

He was a great cultivator among the Buddhist practitioners, but his status in the Buddhist world was only below that of his master and the various Daoist masters. He vaguely sensed that a Dharma Image had made a move, and he had already made the worst judgment in his mind. When he rushed into the hall and saw that his junior brother was not sad but only heartbroken, he guessed that his master had not returned and the news had not yet been sent back.

'Even I escaped back, yet my junior brother shows no sign of grief. Could it be that Master has been suppressed?'

He said nervously:

"Is there no news from the land of Buddha?!"

Minghui simply raised her hand to signal her senior brother, and Mingmeng immediately understood, taking the blue bowl from the golden table and presenting it to his senior brother.

Mingzang was stunned. He noticed that the blue bowl was vibrating incessantly, with faint, unusual noises. Strangely enough, he couldn't use any supernatural powers or magic; he could only listen closely and hear a powerful voice inside cursing:
"You traitor! You've ruined your mother's eight generations of illustrious reputation!"

“Master…Master!”

Mingzang was stunned for a moment, then quickly stretched out his arms and legs. His hands trembled, and he hurriedly took the blue bowl from his junior brother's hands. He heard a muttered sentence inside and sneered:
"Your master's supreme schemes are beyond your comprehension even in ten lifetimes, yet you're already talking about your eight lifetimes of illustrious reputation?"

Mingzang suddenly realized what had happened, hugged the blue bowl, and burst into tears. He resented his father for not revealing anything and for having fooled everyone in Shanle who had accompanied him. He said:
"In the end, it is still Master... the devil is one step ahead!"

"You demon..."

He anticipated the cursing coming from inside, so he immediately handed the blue bowl to his junior brother, letting him tremble uncontrollably until he calmed down. Minghui quickly stepped forward, helped him up, led him to the table, poured wine to toast him, and said with a smile:

"Senior brother, you may not know this, but with Master's full protection, both junior brothers have already returned. Uncle Jinshan's situation was a bit worse, but at least his true spirit returned. Now that our eldest brother has also returned, we're all together!"

Mingzang still had doubts. His lineage of practice was the "Path of Absolute Bliss Samadhi," and he also desired the "Samadhi of Emptiness" within it, making his requirements even stricter than those of his fellow disciples. He took the wine, lightly touched his lips to it, and considered it a drink, saying:

"I just don't know what kind of magic the old man has been hiding and hasn't taught us yet, but he was able to escape from such a desperate situation."

Ming Meng placed the blue bowl back in the main seat, poured a full glass of clear wine for his master, and then smiled and said:

"Senior brother, you are mistaken. It was thanks to the help of a benefactor!"

So he explained everything about Jindi, making Mingzang uneasy several times, his face changing drastically. After a long while, he finally sighed and said happily:
"So that's how it is! Master has received a great opportunity!"

The blue bowl stopped wobbling and stood upright at one end. Mingzang glanced at it and seemed to see his master's chest puffed out and head held high. He shook his head and laughed, but didn't hold back in praising him, saying:

"To be able to avoid the calamities of this world, Master's move is truly brilliant!"

The atmosphere here suddenly became lively. Mingmeng then picked out the pious men and women on the table, took their flesh and skin, and made them perform the White Bone Contemplation. The table was filled with words of thanks.

Mingzang glanced at it and shook his head, saying:
“Junior brother, you have been cultivating the path of 'relieving fear' for a hundred years, how come you are still stuck at such a superficial level? You are still relieving fear for these minor cultivators, which only increases the cultivation of these minor dharmas. What about yourself? Although you have no faults, you have hardly made any contributions.”

Jinlian was an unreliable person; it was Mingzang who was spreading the great Dao of Shanle Dao, and he had some of the demeanor of a master. Upon hearing this, both junior brothers lowered their heads, but Mingzang did not let Minghui off the hook, and said seriously:

"And you... relying on Master's favor, you said you wanted to learn compassion and establish Buddhism, but you hurt yourself and then wanted to change to the path of goodness. You've been without a proper way of doing things all these years, it's time for you to stop moving forward!"

Minghui, however, had a bitter pill to swallow—his injuries were sustained on the lake, and on the way back to Lotus Temple, his master had also suffered greatly. How could he tell anyone? He quickly averted his gaze, picked up the blue alms bowl, and held it close to his two senior brothers, pleading:
"Master..."

"Cough cough."

Jinlian's subtle fluctuations, though faint, carried a rare seriousness as she spoke:

“What your senior brother said makes sense. Your paths to enlightenment are still unclear, and you need to be cautious. I will not be able to accompany you often in the future, so I must be even more careful… As for Mingzang…”

He said:

"I have paved the way for you."

Mingzang was taken aback, looked up, and smiled at his master:

"Do you remember... the formless... Zhelu?"

"Of course I remember..."

Jinlian sneered:
"I was severely injured by the Great Desire Path and the Compassion Path today, but I can see clearly that the old peacock of the Great Desire Path is probably very capable. In the future, there will definitely be a struggle between the Great Desire Path and the Compassion Path in the Eastern Buddhist Land... Once there is a struggle, Zhelu will definitely be killed by the King of Wei!"

His voice trailed off:
"Emptiness and joy are originally one. When I taught you the Samadhi of Emptiness, I once had the idea of ​​pursuing a different path, but it was thwarted by the suppression of Mount Dayang and the Path of Great Desire..."

"Looking at it now... it might not be so bad!"

Mingzang's expression changed drastically:

"Greedy for a path!"

"Not bad!"

Jinlian laughed heartily, seemingly having a completely different idea, and said:
"The Path of Compassion may seem calm and collected, but since the [Emperor Zhongxuan's Edict], immortals have entered the Path of Demons, and demons have entered the Path of Buddhism. There must be terrifying power lurking in the Buddhist land. As long as Zhelu falls, the Path of Great Desire will be unable to spare any resources to fight against the Path of Compassion!"

"Don't forget, who has Kong Wudao's [Great Void Seeking Dao Disc] now?! We wouldn't have dared to even think about it before, but now we might!"

Ming Zang was immediately shocked.

"Master means I need to find a way to take control of the Void Path!"

Who wouldn't want to take on a task within their capabilities?

Mingzang remained silent, while Minghui stroked her chin and nodded silently.
'Making such a big promise to the eldest brother, it seems that in a while, he'll still have to drag his ailing body out of the Li Temple to negotiate with Dayang Mountain…'

Before he could say anything more, the sound of bells outside resounded, and golden light seemed to flow out, crashing down on the temple with a majestic and fierce tone.
"And those who find joy in the Way!"

"Get out here and confess your crimes!"

Then, a faint rumble of thunder sounded, and someone tried to rush in, but was blocked by the radiance of the Land of Good Joy. The three exchanged a glance:
'Dayang Mountain!'

Minghui had anticipated this moment and remained calm. She waved for her fellow disciples to enter the Buddhist land. Mingzang hesitated for a moment, but Jinlian, trusting her disciple, simply said:

“The Path of Discipline strikes without leaving a trace, and even the Great Sheep Mountain can’t gauge my condition. No matter what you say, they insist that I have undoubtedly perished. Either way, we have the right to stand on this matter!”

He made a couple of remarks, then immediately went inside.

Minghui sat down in a high position to the side and said:
"Come in!"

The sound echoed for a while, and there was a noticeable pause outside. Then, the radiance of the Buddha's light dissipated, and the sound grew louder. The Vajra-like monk strode in step by step, his face painted with purple-gold patterns. He shattered the ground with one foot and sneered:

"If you don't get out here and kneel down, how dare you sit up there like a dog!"

Clearly, the newcomer was even angrier.

His voice, like a convergence of purple lightning, exploded in the air and reverberated throughout the hall. Minghui felt a wave of murderous intent wash over her, and her heart skipped a beat.
'Maodi Gu...Lei Tou Shou!'

The establishment of Dayang Mountain was originally intended to have a leader, and Mao Digu was one of the best among them. He had a powerful background and was known for his violent temper and impartiality. He had been in seclusion for many years, and his summons to go south now showed the anger of Dayang Mountain!
'Who got the short end of the stick and is taking it out on me!'

But before he could even break out in a cold sweat, the monk in front of him had already moved like a leaping bolt of purple lightning, grabbed him by the throat, and, right in front of the Buddhist monks of Lotus Temple, lifted him up and slammed him to the ground!
"Boom!"

The golden ground suddenly exploded with spiderweb-like cracks, and intense purple lightning shot up his face, causing him to spit out a mouthful of golden blood, making his already unhealed injuries even more severe.

Minghui, however, remained completely unfazed and sneered:
"King Wei...has arrived at Xuanchao...which high-ranking cultivator did you kill that the leader is so furious?"

Seeing his unyielding stance, Mao Digu paused for a moment, his unwavering, angry face crackling with fury:

"He has already conquered Jiaoshan... even Wen Daoping... was injured and captured by him... all thanks to the great achievements of Shan Ledao..."

His tone was a mix of sarcasm and anger, but Minghui showed no fear whatsoever, and laughed loudly:

"Serves him right! That old bastard thinks he's got some skills, using healing to win people over, and he's never been a nice guy..."

Mao Digu heard no explanation, and the anger in his heart surged. He released his grip, raised his foot, and with a loud crash, stomped on Mao Digu's golden arm, saying calmly:
“You have harmed the public interest for your own selfish reasons and condoned the release of the enemy. I will not waste my breath on you. Let Jinlian come out to see me.”

"Putting personal interests before the public good, condoning the release of enemies... Good, good, good..."

Upon hearing this, Minghui immediately raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and said:

"I sacrificed public interest for private gain, and condoned the release of the enemy. Fine, that was nothing more than fighting for the Golden Land. My great desires and compassion killed my master. What does that even mean!"

Maodigu was greatly shocked, frozen in place, staring at the monk before him and resounding:
"Ask about my master? What, you fellow cultivators killed my master, and now you're coming to my Buddhist land looking for him—what, this time you're blaming my master for dying from his own cultivation?"

The flames in Maodigu's pupils froze, and the coldness on his face was quickly replaced by astonishment. He stared blankly at the monk on the ground for a moment, and said:
"The violet has broken?"

"How is that possible! There's no sound of the bell ringing on the mountain!"

"how is this possible?"

Minghui's eyes were bloodshot, her gaze almost bursting, and her lips trembled as she said:

"Since the leader has come to question me, why say more? Yes, my Lotus Temple did not stop Li Zhouwei. Take me back and let Dayu and Cibei kill me again!"

These words were indeed tinged with emotion—although Jinlian had faked her death and come back to life, he was initially so frightened that his face turned pale, and it was impossible for him not to hate her. In that instant, every word he uttered was filled with bloodshed and hatred.

Upon hearing this, Maodi Gu involuntarily loosened his grip. Hesitation and regret flickered across the face of the wrathful Vajra, and his voice softened as he whispered:
“Jinlian and I are both eighth-generation descendants. How could my Great Sheep Mountain not know that she has perished in a single night!”

Minghui sneered:

"My master's true spirit has long since left my Pure Land!"

"The two sides clashed, harming my master. King Wei is eyeing us covetously. If I, Shanle, do not try to block the news and stabilize the Buddhist community, am I supposed to wait for him to find out and attack the temple?"

Mao Digu was speechless for a moment, unable to stand up straight, and dared not meet his gaze, turning his head away. Minghui, however, pressed her advantage, saying hatefully:
"It's just that the Dharma Image hasn't appeared for many years, and the leader is being far too oppressive to our path... On one hand, he's besieging and killing my master in Dalingchuan, and on the other hand, he wants my fellow disciples to go out and intercept the King of Wei... It seems that as long as my Lotus Temple isn't completely wiped out, Dayang Mountain won't give up!"

He wept:
“But if I ask the leader, the west side is surrounding my master, wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible, while the east side is in a state of panic, wanting my fellow disciples to fill the Qilin’s greed. If it were the leader, he would probably have already angrily attacked the mountain.”

Maodigu finally couldn't hold on any longer. This monk, who possessed some sincerity, realized that the person before him wouldn't dare to deceive him, and sighed inwardly:

'His sincerity is questionable, and the Lotus Temple's reluctance to exert its full effort must have some basis... But the murder of the Eighth Indra is something that cannot be swallowed. Even if Shanledao has made a thousand mistakes, what mistake is greater than the life of the Eighth Indra Maha? They have gone too far!'

So, feeling ashamed, she let go of his hand, helped him up, and said:

"It was my recklessness... The entire Lotus Temple has suffered greatly... As its leader, I will surely seek justice!"