Honghuang: Creation of the Green Lotus, the beginning of the Three Pure Ones

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes lit up. "Duke of E, Yuchi Jingde; Duke of Lu, Cheng Yaojin; and Duke of Yi, Qin Qiong, enter the palace to pay their respects."

The three he named were all founding fathers, held military power, were utterly loyal, and were also incredibly brave and fierce generals.

Their very existence is a powerful force capable of stirring up storms.

Before long, Duke Yuchi Jingde of E, Duke Cheng Yaojin of Lu, and Duke Qin Qiong of Yi arrived at Ganlu Hall.

Looking at his three beloved generals bowing to him, Li Shimin said, "Rise." Then he began to speak.

“My three beloved ministers, I have summoned you here not for ordinary state affairs, but for a major event concerning our human race. The Western Buddhist sect wishes to spread Mahayana Buddhism to the East, and its envoy has already arrived in Chang’an.”

The three dukes all tensed up. The eastward spread of Buddhism was no small matter; it concerned the very foundation and destiny of the nation.

Cheng Yaojin, in his hoarse voice, said, "Old Cheng finds those monks annoying. If they were to spread Buddhism to the Tang Dynasty, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"

Li Shimin abruptly changed the subject, his eyes sharp as lightning, and said mysteriously, "I think this is an opportunity, an opportunity for my Great Tang to expand its territory."

"I order you to secretly organize your troops, train your elite soldiers, and be ready for battle at any moment. When the pilgrim sets off, you shall follow."

"But you must remember, we are not going to plunder territory. Instead, we will use overwhelming force to wipe out the evil forces, protect our people, and uphold our national prestige."

The tacit understanding between Li Shimin and these three men had been cultivated over countless years in the army. Even though Li Shimin put it so tactfully, the three men knew exactly what was going on.

Cheng Yaojin grinned widely and patted his chest, "Your Majesty, rest assured. No matter what demons or monsters they are, Old Cheng's axe will surely make sure they never return."

Qin Qiong calmly clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes flashing with the sharpness of a strategist. "Your subject will make thorough arrangements. Elite troops will be secretly deployed in key towns along the northern frontier and western regions to observe the situation and ensure a safe outcome."

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction. With these three dukes involved, this show was bound to be exciting.

……

Inside Huasheng Temple, incense smoke swirls and chanting resounds. Forty-nine high altars rise in layers, adorned with numerous Dharma banners and fluttering prayer flags.

Li Shimin, seated on his throne, observed all of this with cold indifference. The immense Buddhist power and compassionate chanting sounded to him like the sharpest irony.

Deep within his consciousness, the cold memories belonging to the White Dragon were once again stirred by this familiar Buddhist power fluctuation.

Princess Wansheng's betrayal was ostensibly due to the Nine-Headed Insect, but in reality, it was orchestrated by the Buddhist sect.

Influenced by his memories of his past life, Li Shimin's hatred for Buddhism was deep-seated; he harbored absolutely no goodwill towards it.

His hand, which was resting on the armrest of the throne, tightened quietly once more. Empress Zhangsun's soft hand immediately covered it.

Li Shimin followed her gaze and looked towards the Qintiantai (Observatory). On the towering observatory, there seemed to be a figure moving about.

Just as the Buddha's light was at its strongest, the chanting of Buddhist hymns was at its loudest, and the phantom of the deceased was about to completely dissipate and pass away in Huasheng Temple, a strange change occurred.

A series of sharp, shrill howls, filled with endless resentment and pain, tore apart the solemn chanting without warning.

The sound did not come from any particular direction, but seemed to burst forth directly from the depths of the earth, from all directions, or even from the void.

The temperature plummeted throughout Huasheng Temple. The once peaceful and warm Buddhist light seemed to be frozen by invisible ice, instantly dimming. Thick, leaden-gray clouds gathered in the sky, pressing heavily over Chang'an City, obscuring the warm autumn sun, and the light quickly turned as dim as dusk.

Even more chillingly, the phantoms of the dead, who were about to be exorcised and become peaceful and transparent, suddenly twisted and swelled.

In an instant, it was no longer a blurry human form, but revealed the gruesome state of its death. Countless faces, twisted and deformed by extreme pain and resentment, emitted silent screams.

They no longer yearned for the Buddha's light; instead, like an enraged tidal wave, they surged towards the high monks who were chanting sutras and towards the terrified believers below the altar.

The entire Dharma assembly site was instantly transformed from a pure land bathed in Buddha's light into a terrifying hell where hundreds of ghosts roamed at night.

Cries, screams, the sound of tables and chairs overturning, and the monks' panicked chanting completely drowned out the solemn chanting.

The crowd completely lost control, pushing and trampling each other in terror as they tried to escape the sudden horror.

Li Shimin slowly rose. He neither drew his sword nor chanted any incantations. He simply raised one hand. Palm up, an ancient and unadorned seal floated quietly in his palm.

The seal was entirely dark yellow, neither gold nor jade, and its specific material was indiscernible. Its shape was simple and square, as if it bore the weight of the beginning of time.

The seal's surface is devoid of any ornate carvings, featuring only countless fine, mysterious natural patterns that defy description, like natural engravings on the Great Dao, flowing naturally.

It is the Kongtong Seal, the most precious treasure of human destiny, that can suppress the destiny of the human race.

"I am the King of Men, ruling over the mountains and rivers, and governing all people. This place is the capital of the Great Tang Dynasty, the place where human order is maintained."

“You souls, whether you died unjustly or with grievances, are a deficiency of the Heavenly Way and a regret of humanity. However, to blame Heaven and others and become vengeful ghosts, wreaking havoc on the human world and disturbing the living, is to cut yourself off from the order of Heaven and Earth.”

"I, considering that you were once subjects of the human race, grant you one last chance. Let go of your obsessions, dispel your resentment, and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. If you remain obstinate, do not blame me for annihilating you, body and soul, so that you may never be reborn."

As the last word was uttered, the Kongtong Seal, which hovered above Li Shimin's palm, suddenly shone brightly.

A beam of dark yellow light, visible to the naked eye and condensed to its fullest extent, shot into the sky from the seal.

The beam of light was not thick, yet it carried an unparalleled power that could pierce through heaven and earth and stabilize the universe. It instantly dispersed the thick, sun-obscuring clouds of resentment above Huasheng Temple.

Under the brilliant light of humanity emanating from the Kongtong Seal, the ferocious ghostly figures supported by overwhelming resentment instantly became completely silent.

The resentment in his body gradually subsided, and he became incredibly peaceful again. He then knelt down and bowed deeply to Li Shimin.

Finally, the Gates of the Underworld opened, and countless ghostly messengers emerged from them, guiding the wronged souls and vengeful spirits into the Nine Netherworld for reincarnation.

The entire Huasheng Temple fell into a deathly silence. The monks who had been lecturing on the scriptures all fell silent instantly.

After all their preaching, it wasn't as effective as a single sentence from Li Shimin. What's the point of continuing the Water and Land Dharma Assembly?

Even Guanyin Bodhisattva, standing to the side, couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. At the same time, she couldn't help but think to herself.

"Not only did Uncle-Master Fuxi give the Kongtong Seal to the White Dragon, but even Uncle-Master Houtu is cooperating so well. It seems this Journey to the West is really going to be quite a spectacle." (End of Chapter)