Knife splashing

Chapter 149 Xiangji Temple

"These monks only care about food and not punishment!"

When he heard that it was related to Xiangji Temple, Luo Faqing sneered.

Seeing Li Yan's doubts, Wang Daoxuan sighed and shook his head to explain: "There are many Buddhist and Taoist sects in Shenzhou, but when it comes to Xuanmen, the four main ones are Zen, Esoteric, Lotus, and Vinaya."

"Zen Buddhism advocates that all living beings have Buddha nature, and enlightenment does not require external help. All things can be seen in one's own nature. The ancestral temple is in Shaolin Temple in Yuzhou, and it is also one of the orthodox sects of the Xuanmen sect conferred by the imperial court..."

"Tantric Buddhism believes that one is a Buddha. It originated from India and was introduced to China during the Tang Dynasty. It has many different methods. Today, there are Tang tantra in China, Tibetan tantra in Tubo, and Dong tantra in Japan..."

"The Vinaya School emphasizes the study and transmission of the precepts. The laws are strict. The ancestral temple is in Mount Zhongnan. It is also the orthodox school of Xuanmen conferred by the imperial court..."

"Each of the Buddhist and Taoist sects has its own strengths. Because they have many believers, they are granted titles by the imperial court and usually perform rituals to exorcise evil spirits and appease souls. Only the Lotus Sect is subject to the strictest supervision by the imperial court."

Li Yan was puzzled, "Why?"

Wang Daoxuan said in a deep voice: "The Lotus Sect takes the practice of chanting Buddha's name as the inner part and the power of Amitabha's vows as the outer part. The inner and outer parts correspond to each other and lead to rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It has a deep connection with Maitreya Buddhism."

"Maitreya Buddhism has been popular since the Song Dynasty. Because its teachings are simple and easy to understand, many people participated in it. Later, good and bad people mixed together, and the precepts were relaxed. The believers gathered at night and dispersed during the day, gathered people to cause trouble, and often started uprisings and rebellions..."

"In the previous dynasty, when Daxing was confronting the Golden Horde, it relied on its power, but since the Daxuan Dynasty, it has been strictly prohibited, causing a lot of trouble..."

"The Lotus Sect was influenced by it and was also tabooed. Most of the time, they practiced in seclusion and ignored worldly affairs."

"Don't care about worldly affairs?"

Luo Faqing laughed coldly: "If that's the case, why would they harbor a demon and collude with the Maitreya Sect!"

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

Mr. Lu had been tied up tightly and was kneeling on the ground with a dead look on his face. He wanted to commit suicide, but was afraid that Li Yan would capture his soul.

Such an important person naturally cannot be killed easily.

Li Yan asked in a deep voice: "What is the current situation in Xiangji Temple? Has it become a secret hall of Maitreya?"

Mr. Lu's defenses were broken early, and he answered truthfully: "Hui Qing came early, and he was the deputy leader's confidant many years ago. He has been in the temple for many years, and because of his profound Buddhist knowledge, he has become the abbot."

"Because of the imperial court's taboo, the monks in the temple only worship Buddha and have never practiced magic or kung fu. We are also acting in secret under their cover."

"How many people are there?"

"When the uprising failed, we, the deputy leader, were hunted down by the imperial court and the incense master of the sect. A total of thirteen of us escaped here."

"Over the years, I didn't dare reveal my identity. I joined the temple to practice in various ways. Excluding the old and dead, there are still seven of us left."

"Are there any other experts?"

"There are three people who know magic, and the rest know fists and feet. The strongest one is Hui Qing, who knows a lot of Japanese magic and martial arts."

"We must do it as soon as possible!"

Luo Faqing said in a deep voice: "We have alerted the enemy. The demons must be preparing to evacuate. If they take the bodies away, the Du family curse will erupt sooner or later."

"Humph, the remnants of Maitreya, the barbarians from overseas, dare to cast spells and harm people near Chang'an, and raise evil creatures. Not a single one of them can be spared!"

"Fellow Daoist Luo is right."

Even Wang Daoxuan nodded in agreement.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "That's good, they have already discovered that at night, the paper figurine may not be able to deceive the evil creature."

"Let's go up the mountain without further delay!"

There were not many people on the other side. According to Lu Gongyuan, they were all the old, weak and sick people who stayed behind from that time.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Lu Gongyuan: "You said that not only the imperial court is hunting you, but even the Maitreya people are looking for you, why?"

"I know about this."

Luo Faqing's expression turned a little strange. "Let's talk about it on the way. It's actually a joke."

.........

"The deputy leader of Maitreya is named Zhao Changsheng."

The group walked up the mountain in the snow. Luo Faqing said as they walked, "This person is really interesting. He joined the sect halfway through, and no one knows his origins. However, the Maitreya Sect Leader trusted him very much, and within a few years, he became the deputy sect leader."

"Back then, the Maitreya Sect was quite influential. Because it fought against the Golden Horde and was banned after the establishment of the Great Xuan Dynasty, not only did the believers not accept it, but even the people in the martial arts world were quite sympathetic..."

"Moreover, they named the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes and set up sixty-four incense halls across Shenzhou. The hall masters all possessed extraordinary skills and were well-known both in the Xuanmen and in the martial arts world..."

"They gather at night and disperse during the day in various parts of China, causing trouble in large numbers, and sometimes even attacking county offices. Every time the court puts an end to one place, there will be new places causing trouble. It's a real headache..."

"At the same time, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and people were starving everywhere. The deputy leader secretly persuaded others, saying that the time had come for a change of dynasty, and that they should gather all the incense halls in the country and take the opportunity to start an uprising."

"The key is that the Maitreya leader still believed it. When the imperial court learned of this, they did not take any action. They waited until the Maitreya sect caused chaos in Guanzhong before mobilizing a large force to wipe it out."

"There are rumors that this deputy leader is actually a spy trained by the Taixuan Orthodox Law Enforcement Hall in order to capture the Maitreya Sect in one fell swoop."

"The Taixuan Orthodox Church and the imperial court both denied the incident and sent experts to hunt him down. However, the remnants of the Maitreya Church believed the incident was true and were also secretly hunting down the deputy leader."

"Haha, this is an interesting story. If that person is not a spy, then he is just a fool..."

Li Yan pondered and shook his head, "Not likely. If the other party was a fool, how could he have set up this trap near Chang'an 20 years ago? The Maitreya Cult hadn't started the rebellion at that time."

"The Maitreya sect is rebelling, and this place is not known to anyone. You can imagine how deep their thoughts are..."

Luo Faqing was stunned, and said thoughtfully: "That's true, could he really be a spy of Taixuan Orthodox Sect? But how could he practice such evil methods?"

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

Li Yan would not let him go, and turned to ask: "Now that you have escaped a disaster, you don't want to find a place to live in seclusion and spend your old age in peace, but instead follow Zhao Changsheng relentlessly. What on earth is he capable of?"

Lu Gongyuan was silent for a moment. "The deputy leader is the real Maitreya who has come to this world. He once allowed us to see the Buddhist kingdom in our dreams."

"The Maitreya is coming?"

Wang Daoxuan said coldly: "Master Shandao of the Tang Dynasty benefited himself and others, practiced righteousness, did good deeds and accumulated virtues. That is the Buddha in the world."

"With all the things you have done, it is ridiculous to still dream of going to paradise."

Lu Gongyuan did not dare to refute, but he said stubbornly: "The deputy leader has the appearance of a Buddha. If you are lucky enough to see him in the future, you will not say that."

"Buddha's appearance or demon's appearance is not important."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Where did that man come from? Why did my father want to track him down?"

Lu Gongyuan lowered his head and said, "I don't know either. I just reported it truthfully. Later, it was Master Luan Xiang who did it. As for the reason, I dare not ask more."

Li Yan thought thoughtfully, "Where is Luan Hong'er hiding now?"

Lu Gongyuan shook his head, "I don't know, I only know that Master Luan Xiang followed the leader to travel around Shenzhou, and his whereabouts are uncertain."

"The last time I saw her was six years ago. I entered the temple at night, talked to Monk Huiqing, and then left quickly..."

Luo Faqing, who was standing next to him, also became more polite after learning about Li Yanhuo's identity as a ghost messenger. He said in a deep voice, "I do know some information about Luan Honger."

"She is one of the incense masters of Maitreya, nicknamed 'Red Woman'. She was originally a golden swallow who collected intelligence, but was later abandoned by a man. Her personality changed drastically and she joined Maitreya."

"She likes to wear a red wedding dress at night, like a ghost. When she encounters a lone man, she will lure him into a bridal chamber in a dilapidated temple in the wilderness and then kill him."

"For a while, the notoriety of the red-clothed female ghost in Chang'an was widespread. It was not until the Maitreya sect started an uprising that people realized it was her who was causing trouble..."

Li Yan's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. "It wasn't my father who abandoned her, right?"

"Of course not." Luo Faqing was a little surprised and shook his head, "It is rumored that the one who abandoned her was the eldest son of a certain lord in the court."

"The last time she appeared was in Jiangnan, where she fought for a heavenly treasure and killed many people. Her cultivation has reached the fourth level."

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time his curiosity grew.

His father always said that when you are in the underworld, you should not get involved in other people's troubles. He secretly investigated Zhao Changsheng. There must be another hidden story...

Xiangji Temple is a famous temple in Guanzhong and the ancestral home of the Lotus Sect.

Its name comes from the "Vimalakirti Sutra", "There is a country of many incense in India, and the Buddha is called Xiangji." It was built in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong once visited the temple to worship Buddha and gave more than a thousand relics and hundreds of precious banners and flowers for offering. The incense was extremely prosperous.

However, the Battle of Xiangji Temple and the Huichang Suppression of Buddhism left this place almost in ruins.

During the Song Dynasty, the Lotus Sect prospered again and the temple was rebuilt, but after the invasion of the Golden Horde, it was also destroyed in war.

Because of the Maitreya religion, Daxuan was also wary of the Lotus Sect. Therefore, there are less than 50 monks in the Xiangji Temple today. They farm their own fields and worship Buddha behind closed doors. The temple was only repaired with the help of donations from some believers.

In the boundless flying snow, the ancient temple and its dilapidated pagoda appear desolate and silent.

Before Li Yan got close, he felt a pain in his buttocks, and then an illusion appeared before his eyes: on the lotus throne, the Buddha's light was dim, and his eyes were blocked by a white talisman made of straw rope.

"Humph, even Buddha has blinded his eyes, no wonder there are so many evildoers under my feet!"

Li Yan snorted coldly and didn't care.

Most likely, the Japanese monk had tampered with the Xiangji Temple so that they could secretly raise evil creatures.

However, the heat of the dispute has not yet dissipated.

White mist suddenly rose around, and everything became blurry.

Coming to a mission?

Li Yan was already used to it by now, and he ran forward quickly, and soon saw the ancient well where the underworld issued the task.

Press the edge of the well and the water will start to rotate immediately.

A scene appeared before my eyes: an ancient temple, straw tatami, sliding door, old coffee table...

The monk lay on the ground, the scroll in his hand was in disarray and stained with bloody handprints. Black mist was surrounding him, and a vague shadow was attached to him.

The shadow was wearing a white hunting robe and a tall black hat, obviously dressed as an Onmyoji. He was covered in blood and chains.

When it attached itself to the monk, the chains around him broke...

This is... the resurrected! ?

Li Yan was a little surprised.

According to the "Law of the Underworld" given by the old woman from Tianzhu Mountain, those who return to the world of the living are also considered Yin criminals. They usually cannot remember clearly what happened in the underworld, but no matter what the reason, they have disrupted the order of Yin and Yang.

But, foreign ghosts are also under his control...

Before Li Yan could figure it out, the surrounding scene instantly returned to normal.

"what happened?"

Luo Faqing in front was turning around and asking.

Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei next to them had just turned their heads.

Li Yan suddenly realized that the speed of reaching the spirit realm had increased again.

It seems that this hook certificate becomes more and more convenient to use the more you use it.

"nothing."

Li Yan shook his head, and immediately performed some magic formulae to activate his supernatural powers.

There are gods and Buddhas blocking our view inside, so it is inevitable that the other party will have some arrangements.

However, his expression soon changed slightly, "Something happened, hurry!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately sped up.

The gates of the temple were closed at this time.

Li Yan rushed out in one step, and as he landed on the ground, he unsheathed his long sword with a clang and slashed along the crack in the door.

He used hidden strength, with incredible force.

Click!

The door bolt behind him, as thick as a man's arm, broke with a sound.

Sharifei followed closely and kicked the door open.

I saw two monks lying in the snow near the gate. They looked young, with dark and ferocious faces, and black blood coming out of their mouths. They were already dead.

"He died of poisoning!"

Everyone immediately made a judgment.

Luo Faqing snorted coldly, "A demon is a demon. Even if he practices Buddhism day and night, his nature will not change."

Having said that, he jumped and ran to the backyard.

Li Yan's heart moved, and he pulled Sharifei to whisper something.

Shalifi understood immediately, cut Lu Gongyuan's tendons and tied him to a pillar, then pulled Wang Daoxuan towards the main hall.

Seeing Luo Faqing's doubts, Li Yan said in a deep voice: "Let's go first, and they will destroy the opponent's formation."

He kept the Yang Jue activated at all times and could smell that there was no one in the hall, but there were some straw ropes emitting a strange and evil aura.

I guess it was set up by the other party. No matter whether it is useful or not, destroy it first. The gods and Buddhas in the temple are also a kind of divine power, formed by the gathering of incense and wishes, which can at least suppress evil things.

Although Luo Faqing was curious about how he knew that, he didn't ask any further questions.

The two of them ran all the way and kept seeing the corpses of monks along the way. Their faces were all black and they died of poisoning.

"Humph!"

Luo Faqing said in a cold voice: "I heard that the Lotus Sect was introduced to Japan during the Tang Dynasty and is very respected. Although Huiqing is a fellow disciple, taking him in and making him the abbot is no different from inviting a wolf into the house."

Li Yan nodded and said nothing.

Thinking back to the illusion just now, he knew that things might not be that simple...

Today's Xiangji Temple is in a very dilapidated state and its area has become much smaller. It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive at the woodshed in the backyard.

call out!
Before he got close, a sharp arrow shot out from the window.

It turned out to be a few remnants of the Maitreya Sect who used the wall of the woodshed as cover and shot arrows at them through the gaps in the window.

These men were dressed in monk's robes, were quite old, had calm and cold expressions, but their attacks were extremely vicious.

Li Yan had naturally noticed it, and he and Luo Faqing continued at the same speed, swinging their swords at the same time to knock the arrows away.

These people must have been quite capable when they were young, but now they are old and frail, and their reactions are obviously not up to par.

Luo Faqing pretended to launch a surprise attack from the main gate, and Li Yan took the opportunity to break in through the window. They cooperated with each other, and suddenly there was a flash of swords and knives, blood splattered everywhere, and they took care of all these people with just a few moves.

The situation is urgent, so they won't hold back.

At this moment, the firewood pile in the woodroom was pushed aside, revealing a hole in the ground covered with wooden boards.

Li Yan sniffed, "It's not small in there. I'll lure the enemy, and you summon ghosts and gods to attack."

There is no light underground, so ghosts and gods can naturally be summoned.

Li Yan could still remember how fierce the soldiers of the Shangshan Ghost and God Camp were. The identity of the criminal was strange, so of course he had to use this method.

After saying that, he jumped into the cave...

(End of this chapter)