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

The temple was deathly silent, like a tomb. Just moments before it had been bustling with noise and the sound of chanting had been deafening, but now even the falling of a pin could be heard.

On the high platform, those dignified monks, who spoke eloquently and had solemn appearances, all turned ashen-faced, their lips moving but unable to utter a single sound of scripture.

Their self-reliant and proud Buddhist power proved as fragile as a candle in the wind under the supreme authority of the emperor's word and that ancient seal.

Below the altar, the still-shaken princes, ministers, and devout commoners looked at the ochre-colored figure on the throne with gazes that were no longer simply filled with awe. Instead, their gazes were a mixture of profound shock and a near-blind fervor.

The King of Men—this is the true King who rules over humanity and protects the land. His words are law, and even ghosts and spirits flee in terror.

Li Shimin slowly withdrew his palm. The Kongtong Seal, which had been floating above his palm, dimmed its light and returned to its ancient and simple appearance. It was as if the magnificent divine power that had just pierced through the netherworld and cleansed the universe was just an illusion.

His gaze calmly swept over the chaotic scene of the Dharma assembly, over the pale-faced monks, and finally landed on the disheveled, bald-headed monk in the center of the hall.

The bald-headed monk, an incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, finally couldn't suppress the barely perceptible ripples in the depths of his turbid eyes.

Li Shimin's voice broke the silence, steady and powerful, without the slightest hint of emotion, yet carrying an unquestionable judgment.

"The outcome of this ceremony is now clear. The so-called salvation of the departed souls and pacification of the underworld are nothing but empty words. If it weren't for my holding of the great instrument of humanity, Chang'an would have become a ghost town today."

Guanyin Bodhisattva spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty is unaware that the teachings of Master Xuanzang pertain to Hinayana Buddhism. Naturally, they cannot deliver these wronged and vengeful spirits, nor can they liberate the souls of the deceased."

"In the Great Thunder Temple of the Western Paradise, there is the Tripitaka of Mahayana Buddhism, which is the supreme treasure scroll that can truly save wronged souls and evil spirits."

"Your Majesty may send a highly virtuous monk to the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling in the west. At that time, he will surely be able to retrieve the Tripitaka of Mahayana Buddhism to save the souls of the dead in Jambudvipa."

Li Shimin's gaze was sharp as a sword as he pierced the bald-headed monk, saying, "Monk, can the Mahayana Buddhism you speak of truly save all beings from suffering and deliver all the souls of the dead?"

"Compared to the Kongtong Seal in my hand, is your Tripitaka Mahayana Buddhism stronger or weaker?"

Li Shimin's words were like hammer blows, striking the hearts of every Buddhist believer and even more so the heart of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

The bald monk's face showed an even deeper look of folly. He bowed and clasped his hands together, his hoarse voice carrying a deliberate sense of bewilderment.

"Your Majesty's divine might, and the Kongtong Seal is a treasure of human destiny, far surpassing the power of our Buddhist Mahayana scriptures."

"But not everyone in Your Majesty's empire is like Your Majesty, and it's impossible for everyone to possess the Kongtong Seal. Moreover, Your Majesty cannot perform the act of exorcising wronged souls and evil spirits."

"The Mahayana scriptures that this humble monk speaks of are something that everyone can learn. As long as one can gain enlightenment from them, one can propagate the Dharma and liberate all sentient beings."

Li Shimin's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile as he spoke with the scrutiny and aloofness of an emperor: "The Western Spirit Mountain is a long and arduous journey of 108,000 li from Chang'an, the capital of our Great Tang Dynasty. It is fraught with dangers and demons."

"How can my people possibly reach this place? How can my Great Tang Dynasty possibly be obtained? Is this monk perhaps making a joke of me?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva shook her head and said, "How dare this humble monk. Your Majesty only needs to find a pilgrim with great perseverance, wisdom, and virtue, who will not hesitate to travel thousands of miles to obtain the scriptures with a sincere heart, so that the true scriptures can be seen and blessings can be bestowed upon the land of the East."

The bald-headed monk bowed his head in response, his posture humble, but his words had already subtly laid the groundwork for the next move.

At that moment, Chenchen Xuanzang, who was giving a sermon, came directly in front of Li Shimin.

First, he knelt down and bowed deeply to Li Shimin, then spoke, "Your Majesty, this humble monk is unworthy, but I wish to travel to the Western Lands to seek the Tripitaka of Mahayana Buddhism for my Great Tang." As Chen Xuanzang spoke, Guanyin Bodhisattva waved her hand. The cassock and staff flew towards Chen Xuanzang.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Xuanzang was seen holding a nine-ringed staff and wearing a brocade cassock. He looked every bit the part of a high-ranking Buddhist monk.

Li Shimin knew that he couldn't stop the journey to the West on his own. So he took the opportunity to speak up.

“Since Master Xuanzang has such ambition, I naturally cannot stop him. However, everything you have done is of your own making, and not on my orders.”

In the original timeline, Chen Xuanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures not only earned him the title of Imperial Brother from Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin), but also the Buddhist name Sanzang. Furthermore, the emperor personally affixed the imperial seal to his travel documents and escorted Tang Sanzang on his westward journey.

Li Shimin's single sentence completely negated the official authorization. This inevitably made Guanyin Bodhisattva frown, as this was not something that should have been granted.

He spoke directly, saying, "Your Majesty, Xuanzang is willing to travel to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and obtain scriptures, for the sake of the people of the East and for Your Majesty's country."

"Therefore, this humble monk believes that Your Majesty should imprint a travel permit on Xuanzang's passport so that the countries along the route can provide support."

As he spoke, the bald-headed monk had already risen into the air, revealing the true form of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

It hovered quietly in mid-air, looking down on Li Shimin, as well as the civil and military officials and common people of the Tang Dynasty.

This inevitably caused the crowd to kneel down again, kowtowing and paying homage to Guanyin Bodhisattva in mid-air. Some even memorized Guanyin Bodhisattva's image, preparing to sculpt a statue of her upon returning home.

Li Shimin's gaze narrowed slightly, knowing that if he didn't grant the pilgrims an official status today, the Buddhist people of the Tang Dynasty would vilify him.

Because Li Shimin never underestimated the allure of Buddhism. He knew how influential Buddhism was in the hearts of the people.

To completely erase the mark of Buddhism in the hearts of humankind, we must let them see the hypocrisy of Buddhism; otherwise, no matter how many words you have, it will be of no use.

Just then, a loud laugh echoed from the heavens. Immediately, a figure appeared opposite Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding a precious mirror in his hand.

He bowed to Guanyin Bodhisattva and said, "Xuandu of the Human Sect greets fellow Daoist Guanyin."

Indeed, the person who came was none other than the Grand Master Xuandu, the chief disciple of the Human Sect.

Guanyin Bodhisattva naturally recognized Xuandu, after all, before he entered the Buddhist order, they often discussed the Dao together on Qinglian Island.

However, he cannot reveal his identity now, since not all disciples of Qinglian Island know that he and the Buddha entered the Buddhist order.

He bowed to Grand Master Xuandu and said, "I wonder why Fellow Daoist Xuandu has come? Is it to stop the Journey to the West?"

Grand Master Xuandu smiled and shook his head, saying, "The Journey to the West is a matter ordained by Heaven, how could I dare to stop it?"

"I came to Chang'an this time to fulfill my master's decree, asking the current king to grant the pilgrims an official status."

"After all, if Master doesn't issue the decree, your Western Buddhist pilgrims on their journey to the West will not be able to gain the King's approval." (End of Chapter)