Unlimited employment

Chapter 109, Section 108: [The Demon Feast]

After Chen Sheng took office as the abbot of Miaochan Temple, he had hundreds of monks at his disposal. He no longer had to worry about the trivialities of daily life and devoted himself to studying the Tao of life and death.

With the cultivation experience from his previous lives and the support of a powerful force that provided for all his cultivation needs, his cultivation progressed extremely quickly.

In just a few months, both his life and death paths advanced to the second tier.

If possible, Chen Sheng really wanted to just stay like this until he reached the third rank, and then perhaps switch to cultivating the Buddhist Dharma of Miaochan Temple [Small Dragon Binding Hand Seal], merging it with the Dragon Subduing Buddhist Qi, and using Buddhist magic to advance to the fourth rank.

Alternatively, one can continue cultivating [Mastering the Five Thunders], then travel the world to find the Five Thunder Divine Qi of Heaven and Earth, and gradually advance to the fourth rank.

Alternatively, one could switch to cultivating the dozen or so fourth-order Daoist techniques provided by the evil spirits of the Myriad Soul Banner, seeking out and absorbing the corresponding Qi of malevolence; this too is a proper path of cultivation.

However, after six months of seclusion, the annual major event at Miaochan Temple forced him to break free from his seclusion.

This matter is related to the prayers, shelter from wind, and exorcisms of the shipping industry in Wenzhou, which is the source of Miaochan Temple's revenue.

Wenzhou is located at the mouth of the Oujiang River, a natural deep-water port. It controls both mountains and sea, and benefits from both water and land transportation. Since ancient times, it has been a prosperous commercial center. River transport connects all parts of the prefecture, while sea transport can reach the Baiyue and Wu regions.

Leaving aside the means by which the local shipping industry can operate smoothly in the East China Sea, the reason why their inland waterway shipping can proceed without hindrance is due to the influence of Miaochan Temple.

The Oujiang River, the second largest river in the Liangzhe region, has a main stream that is over 700 li long and its tributaries cover almost the entire Wenzhou area. Due to the high energy level of this world, monsters are almost everywhere in the mountains and rivers along this route.

The blessings the monks of Miaochan Temple bestowed on the cargo ship could indeed subdue some minor demons and ghosts, but it was absolutely impossible for a few blessings to make all the mountain spirits and water ghosts along the way retreat.

Miaochan Temple owes its current prestige entirely to the careful cultivation of relationships over the years, which has fostered friendships with the mountain spirits and water spirits of the Oujiang River basin. This has allowed cargo ships that have received Buddhist blessings from the temple to travel freely through the waterways.

The banquet held at Miaochan Temple on the night of the 15th of August each year is a grand event to entertain the spirits of the Oujiang River. Because it is related to the temple's finances and to make offerings to the spirits, the abbots of successive generations have regarded this banquet as the second most important event of the year.

Chen Sheng's departure from the pass this time was to preside over this year's banquet.

"Abbot, the temple's annual profits are split 30/70 with the demons."

The profits for this year's monsters, big and small, have been prepared. Please take a look at the ledgers; is there anything amiss?

"What? We've worked so hard all year, how can we only get 70%?"

"Abbot, you've got it wrong. Seventy percent is given to others, and we take thirty percent."

"How many monsters are there in the entire Oujiang River basin, and what are their cultivation levels, that they could take so many?"

"Abbot, the main stream of the Oujiang River, along with the mountains it flows through, has over a hundred named first-tier demons. These miscellaneous demons are nothing but dirt chickens and clay dogs, not worth mentioning."

However, there were three who had become powerful second-tier demons: the Black Bear Spirit Black Wind Monster, the Azure Wolf Spirit Xu Zi, and the White Snake Spirit White-Clad Scholar.

These three monsters are all equally skilled as the abbots of all previous generations.

"Our temple can't get rid of them, which is why we have this annual banquet on the fifteenth of August. Of the 70% of the profits, most of it goes to them."

"The previous abbot was really incompetent. With just three little bears, wolves, and snakes, the temple had to give up a full 70% of its profits."

As the one who revitalized Miaochan Temple, how could I allow such a thing to happen?
Let this demon banquet continue until this year.

"Now that I, the abbot, have placed the golden headbands on all the demons attending this banquet, they should be completely obedient."

"The abbot is wise! The abbot is mighty!"

Ever since I put on the abbot's golden headband, I feel that I am no longer an ordinary person, and all worldly desires are irrelevant to me.

He cultivates a pure and desireless mind every day, meditates and seeks enlightenment, and his spiritual progress is many times faster than before.

The monsters of the Oujiang River are unruly and extremely ferocious. If they could wear this headband, they would surely be able to shed their ferocity, convert to Buddhism, and walk the righteous path!

Upon hearing the abbot's plan, the head of the Dharma Hall, who had been suffering from the tight headband, immediately beamed with joy.

In a daze, I seemed to see many more people who had ended up in the same situation as me.

...August 15th, night.

The full moon, like a plate, casts its light upon the earth.

On the banks of the quietly flowing Oujiang River, a small boat is moored at the dock, and a group of figures dressed in Taoist robes jump off the bow in single file.

The leader of the Taoist priests was a tall, robust, golden-faced, and dignified middle-aged Taoist.

Seeing him look up at Miaochan Temple located on the mountainside, and a five or six-year-old Taoist boy following closely beside the Taoist priest, he raised his face and said.

"Master, are we really going to wipe out Miaochan Temple?"

"That's natural!"

The middle-aged Taoist priest lowered his head and touched the young Taoist priest's forehead.

"Wenzhou has three rivers flowing into the sea. The Ao River is too small to mention. The Feiyun River, which is controlled by my Feiyun Temple, and the Ou River, which is controlled by Miaochan Temple, are the two largest sources of wealth."

Wenzhou has been a prosperous commercial city since ancient times, and these two waterways are like rivers of wealth flowing with copper coins.

Crane, our Flying Cloud Temple controls the blessing power of cargo ships on the Flying Cloud River. Every year, after deducting the dividends to be distributed to the monsters in the river area, we can still earn a net profit of over a thousand taels of gold.

The Oujiang River, which is wider, longer, and has a wider basin than the Feiyunjiang River, will naturally earn more than us.

Such a precious place should rightfully belong to a virtuous person.

For over a hundred years, all the abbots of Miaochan Temple have been second-level cultivators, which is a testament to their virtue.

Two months ago, I heard that their former abbot suddenly passed away, and his successor was a mere nine-year-old child, which is a breach of morality.

Taking advantage of the annual demon-slaying feast at Miaochan Temple tonight, we stormed in and killed their new abbot.

We will demonstrate our strength before the monsters, using our killing prowess to renew our pact with the monsters of the Oujiang River, bringing this waterway under the control of our Feiyun Temple.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

The middle-aged Taoist's plan sounded perfect, but the young Taoist boy named He'er beside him still had some worries.

"But I heard that the new abbot of Miaochan Temple is a Buddhist. Could he be less easy to kill?"

The Taoist priest laughed.

"He's just a nine-year-old child. He's not the Buddha. He can't be born pointing at the sky and the earth and saying things like 'I am the only one who is supreme in heaven and on earth.'"

Even Buddhist disciples, aided by Buddhist energy and spiritual forces, can only ascend the path of cultivation step by step.

At this point, the middle-aged Taoist glanced at his disciples behind him, then secretly transmitted his thoughts to He'er.

“He’er, although you have entered my Taoist sect, you were born with the [Immovable King Buddha] by your side. You are also a Buddhist disciple.”

I've heard that the Buddhist disciple of Miaochan Temple possesses the Dragon-Subduing Power, which is a perfect match for the malevolent aura emanating from you.

After killing him, we will seize his vital energy, which will allow you to possess both vital and malevolent energy, not only elevating your cultivation talent to a higher level, but also granting you the corresponding cultivation methods after obtaining the Buddhist teachings from Miaochan Temple.

To gain both wealth and treasure—such a perfect combination is rare indeed.

He'er was still a child, and when she heard that this matter was beneficial to her, she immediately nodded happily.

"Oh, then let's go kill the Buddhist disciple of Miaochan Temple!"

"Alright, let's storm Miaochan Temple right now."

The middle-aged Taoist priest laughed loudly and led the way up the mountain, with his disciples, each carrying a sword, immediately following behind.

The group of people exuded murderous intent!
(End of this chapter)