Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 313 Deduction: The Flowing Sand River, the Yellow Wind Monster, and the Nine Incarnations of the Journey to the West (Part 2)
[The 565th year, more than ten years have passed.]

More refugees migrated from various places, some due to war, some due to natural disasters, and some due to forced labor, and occupied the old land of Gaochang.

A new Buddha statue has been placed in the temple, giving the old temple a new look.

Amidst the yellow earth and white bones, prosperity gradually returns.

You stand by indifferently, chanting scriptures and offering rain to nourish the earth every day.

...

[In the 585th year, another 20 years have passed.]

New migrants from the foot of the mountain have rebuilt a prosperous new life on the old land.

They gathered their clan, founded a nation, established a religion, and went up the mountain to offer sacrifices and prayers, just as they had done in the past.

Most of them came from the East, and their writing system was inherited. They also inherited the name "Gaochang," distinguishing between the old and new versions.

Spring flowers and autumn moon, incense burning brightly, it's as if the old days have returned.

You hide in the Giant Tiger Ridge, avoiding contact with it and merely observing indifferently.

Watch him build a great temple, then wait until it collapses.

...

In the six hundredth year, a monk came from the east, intending to travel west to seek the true scriptures.

He preached the Dharma in the city, and every word he spoke was precious and insightful. All the great masters in the country were convinced of his authority and called him the reincarnation of the Buddha.

The king presented him with seven treasures, a kasaya, and a staff, wishing to keep him there permanently, and appointed him as the national teacher to serve by his side.

The monk lowered his head and said that his journey to the west was to seek the true scriptures to enlighten all beings. How could he forget his original intention because of wealth and glory?

The king was completely convinced and led all his officials to see him off.

Knowing that there is a mountain god in the remote mountains outside the city, who is efficacious and protects against wind and rain, the monk went up the mountain to discuss the Tao with you before he left.

You tried to avoid them, but because you were chanting scriptures and your breath was released, they eventually found you.

You then realize that this monk looks exactly like the person who went to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures fifty years ago!
A dot of cinnabar between the eyebrows, radiating Buddha's light like a cicada's song.

He said he felt a sense of familiarity with you, which must be fate, and then he started talking non-stop.

Another chatterbox.

He recounted his childhood experiences, his sights and sounds in the temple, and the demons and monsters he encountered on his journey to the West…

His tone and demeanor were exactly the same as those of the monk from fifty years ago.

It is said that... the flowers are similar year after year, but the people are different year after year.

But you feel that the person in front of you is the same person from back then.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

When the moon was high in the sky, the monk, having enjoyed himself to the fullest, took his leave, leaving behind a faded monk's robe, which he had sewn himself.

Holding the monk's robe in your hands, you hesitated for a long time before finally recounting the story of the pilgrims who went on a pilgrimage fifty years ago.

The monk said, "With the Buddha's protection and the assistance of various bodhisattvas, how could I have perished in the belly of a demon?"
You recall the tragically killed ghost, and sneer silently.

The monk was skeptical and said he wanted to ask the Bodhisattva for clarification.

He left and never returned.

On the Liusha River, amidst raging waves, a colossal demon reappears, devouring flesh and drinking blood, forging its skull into pearls, just as it did fifty years ago.

You quietly folded the monk's robe and hid it in the mountain god's temple.

The next day, the Buddha's light fell on the mountain, and it was the old monk who descended from the lotus platform.

He said that you have slandered the Buddha and have recited scriptures for hundreds of years, but you have not been able to get rid of the resentment in your heart. You are stubborn, unrepentant, and incorrigible.

One blow from the stick, and I'll smash your skull.

【you are dead. 】

……

"This is...this is Tang Sanzang's past life!"

After a while, Liu Sheng recovered, his head throbbing like a drum, and he couldn't help but rub his temples.

"In Journey to the West, it is said that Sha Wujing was a demon in the Flowing Sand River. He ate the flesh of Tang Sanzang's previous nine incarnations and refined his skull into Buddhist beads, which he wore around his neck."

Refining the skull into a pearl... how come that sounds a bit like Master?

As for the Buddhist sect, they are indeed compassionate in words but vicious in heart. If you say anything bad, they will torture you for seven days and seven nights.

Fine, if you don't want to talk, then don't. I'll just wait patiently for King Yellow Wind to arrive, and then find a chance to escape this calamity.

[In the 321st year, you slaughtered your way through Giant Tiger Ridge...]

...

In the sixth hundred years, a monk came from the east, intending to travel west to obtain the true scriptures and enlighten the world.

His voice, appearance, and smile were exactly the same as those of the pilgrim from fifty years ago. His profound knowledge of Buddhism captivated the entire Gaochang Kingdom.

Before leaving, he went up the mountain to discuss philosophy with you, saying that you seemed familiar, as if they had known each other for a long time.

You remain indifferent and silent, letting them chatter on.

The monk talked all night, saying that the Eastern Land was in chaos, a turbid and evil world, and that the people were suffering. He wanted to obtain the true scriptures to save the world.

He left behind a faded monk's robe, clasped his hands in prayer, and departed.

On that day, he died in the Liusha River, his head turned into pearls, and his blood and flesh were made into wine.

You remained silent, folded the faded monk's robe neatly, and hid it in the mountain god temple.

He disemboweled himself, bled, held a bowl, and chanted scriptures with a devout expression.

Namo...

Amitabha.】

...

In the 650th year, another monk came from the east, intending to travel west to seek the true scriptures.

Buddhism flourished in Gaochang, with pagodas every three steps and temples every ten, and incense burning brightly.

Upon hearing that a high-ranking monk from the East had arrived, everyone was overjoyed and held a grand Buddhist ceremony, mobilizing a large number of people.

When the monk ascended the altar to preach, flowers rained down from the sky, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and Buddha's light illuminated the entire hundred-mile radius.

Furthermore, a monastery appeared, and monks chanted Buddhist hymns, as if a Buddha had descended to earth, their wondrous appearance majestic and awe-inspiring.

The king was overjoyed and presented a scroll of treasure maps, which contained a portrait of the pilgrim who had gone on a pilgrimage fifty years earlier.

The figure in the painting has a dignified and solemn appearance, with a dot of vermilion between his eyebrows, radiating a Buddha-like light like a cicada's.

The person in front of me was exactly the same.

Weird, weird.

The monk stayed up all night, chanting sutras while looking at the painting, his mind restless.

So I visited the elderly to inquire about the pilgrims who went on the pilgrimage fifty years ago, and finally went up the mountain to find you, wanting to ask about the past.

You remained silent, only holding the alms bowl and chanting sutras, saying "Amitabha Buddha".

The monk suddenly realized, said "So that's how it is," left a faded monk's robe as a gift, and then left.

He died on the Liusha River.

That night, the old monk appeared.

It is said that the ruler of Gaochang disrespects Buddhism and harbors resentment; therefore, he will die, his kingdom will perish, and he will be forever condemned to hell.

I order you to descend the mountain at three-quarters past midnight.

The country was destroyed, and its lineage was cut off.

You followed the order, descended the mountain on a chilling wind, and saw that the city was bustling with incense offerings, and believers were worshipping and chanting scriptures. Regardless of age, they were all devout and praying for the Bodhisattva's protection.

May the Bodhisattva protect you?

Haha!

A cold laugh rises in your heart, a chilling wind suddenly blows, sand and stones fly, corrode your bones and erode your soul, obscuring the sky and covering the earth.

An hour later, you returned to the mountain to chant scriptures.

The Buddhist kingdom at the foot of the mountain is now a ruin, with temples collapsed, pagodas destroyed, and Buddha heads fallen to the ground.

One hundred thousand believers went to the Yellow Springs together.

just because,

A portrait.

Namo Amitabha Buddha.

...

[The 680th year, thirty years have passed.]

On the old site at the foot of the mountain, a new country was established, named Liusha Kingdom because it was located next to the Liusha River.

Because of the ruins of the ancient Gaochang site, the king did not believe in Buddhism. He also promoted water conservancy projects and reduced taxes and corvée labor, which brought peace and prosperity to the country.

During festivals and holidays, we offer sacrifices to you as a token of our gratitude for even the smallest rain.

You ignored it, spending your days chanting scriptures with your alms bowl, tearing your own body to bleed, and coldly observing.

...

The seventh hundred years have passed, and twenty years have gone by.

The Kingdom of Quicksand prospered, disrespecting neither immortals nor Buddhas, yet its life flourished ever since.

One day, a monk from the East came to the city, saying that he wanted to go to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

Seeing that the city did not respect Buddhism and had no believers, he wept bitterly, which drew ridicule and mockery from the crowd.

The monk then set up an altar in the bustling city to preach the Dharma, expounding the Infinite Life Sutra. Suddenly, heavenly flowers rained down, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and the chanting of Buddhist hymns resounded for miles, gaining countless believers.

After seven days of preaching, the results were remarkable, and Buddhism gradually spread in the city. So I went out of the city to the west and went up the mountain to find you, just like before.

You remained indifferent and silent, but then you noticed a red dot between his brows, radiating a Buddha-like light like a cicada's.

Just like fifty years ago! One hundred years ago! One hundred and fifty years ago!
If there is a cycle of reincarnation, this should be his fourth incarnation.

After seeing you, he said you seemed familiar, like an old friend, and then he started talking about his troubles, rambling on and on. What a chatterbox!
Then, the conversation turned to the ruler of the Flowing Sand Kingdom, who was puzzled as to how the people in the city could live in peace and prosperity despite not believing in Buddhism.

You remain silent, a cold smile playing on your lips, for those who devoutly believe in Buddhism have all met a tragic end because of it.

If the ruler of Gaochang was like this, you will be too.

The monk then said that once he retrieved the true scriptures, he would return to this place to preach the Dharma to the king, so that the Buddha could save all sentient beings and end their suffering.

Finally, he left behind a faded monk's robe and took his leave.

On that day, he crossed the river on a single leaf and encountered a giant demon. His chanting of scriptures was useless, his prayers to Buddha were in vain, the Bodhisattva stood idly by, and the temple guardians offered no assistance...

He died tragically on the Liusha River.

You folded the monk's robe and hid it in the mountain god's temple.

Holding the alms bowl and chanting scriptures, tearing open his body to bleed, just as before.

In the 701st year, the king of the Flowing Sand Kingdom, seeing the miserable state of the pilgrims, became increasingly resistant to Buddhism.

He said to those around him, "Even those who are as devout as pilgrims on a pilgrimage to the West perished in the jaws of demons. If even bodhisattvas do not save them, how much less will they?"
He then wanted to issue an imperial edict to ban Buddhism.

That night, the king died, leaving a will that the king should be burned without fire.

When the young emperor ascended the throne, Buddhist light shone everywhere, Buddhist chants echoed for miles, and many strange phenomena appeared.

It will flourish greatly.

...

In the 750th year, another pilgrim came from the east.

They preached the law in the city, left their clothes in the mountain temple, and offered blood sacrifices in the Liusha River.

Come in a hurry, go in a hurry.

As before.

...

[In the 800th year, the sixth pilgrim arrived.]

He proclaimed the Dharma, left his robes, and passed away peacefully.

...

In the 850th year, the seventh pilgrim arrived.

Proclaim the Dharma, pay attention, pass away peacefully.

...

[The 900th year, the 8th incarnation of the pilgrim...]

...

In the 950th year, the ninth pilgrim arrived.

The Kingdom of Flowing Sands has been passed down for over two hundred years, and Buddhism has flourished there, gradually becoming too powerful to control.

Monks and nuns do not produce or reproduce, yet they demand gold and silver to make offerings to Buddha and temples; they have become parasites on the nation.

The king then carried out the persecution of Buddhism, imprisoning monks and nuns, forcing them to return to secular life, destroying temples, knocking down Buddha statues, and melting down copper and iron to forge weapons and armor.

The ninth incarnation of the pilgrim was kind-hearted and could not bear to see Buddhism decline. He debated with the king about the scriptures, saying that Buddhism was greater than heaven and that the monks and nuns had done nothing wrong by following the rules.

The king asked, "If everyone does this, where will the food come from, and where will the people come from?"
If this continues, the country will surely perish and the people will perish. At that time, who will worship Buddha?

The pilgrim remained silent for a long time before saying, "If the Dharma-ending Age comes, a future Buddha will surely descend to earth to save all living beings."

The king pressed further, asking, "Where is the Buddha of the future?"

The answer is 5.67 billion years from now.

But what will become of the Shifting Sands Kingdom 5.6 billion years from now?

The king laughed in anger, then turned and left.

The pilgrim on his journey to the West harbored doubts, so he left the city and went up the mountain to seek you out to discuss the Dao, just like in previous lives.

Another chatterbox.

You remain silent, letting me ramble on all night.

Before leaving, he muttered to himself, "Is the Buddhist scripture wrong, or is Buddhism wrong?"
He left his clothes behind and never returned, dying on the Liusha River.

The ninth generation died.

You fold your clothes and put them away in the mountain god temple, looking westward, wondering when the yellow-haired weasel the old monk spoke of will arrive.
Holding a bowl and chanting scriptures, tearing open one's body and bleeding out, reciting mantras—

Namo Amitabha……

Bullshit!

...

In the 960th year, the ruler of the Flowing Sand Kingdom suppressed Buddhism for ten years, and the kingdom's strength gradually increased.

In that year, a yellow-haired weasel came from the west, seized Giant Tiger Ridge, gathered thousands of monsters of all sizes, and called himself the Yellow Wind King. Giant Tiger Ridge became Yellow Wind Ridge.

It wears a golden helmet and armor, wields a three-pronged steel fork, possesses superb martial arts skills and great supernatural powers, and exhales divine winds that are invincible.

You finally met this demon, and following the old monk's advice, you joined his ranks and became his vanguard.

He was known as the Tiger Vanguard.

(Yellow-haired mink)
...

[Nine hundred and seventy years, ten years of getting along, you and the yellow-haired ferret have become very close.]

This monster ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist scriptures every day, abstaining from meat and fish. He was very devout and had the heart of a child.

You have been chanting sutras and holding a bowl for over six hundred years, and Buddhism has long been ingrained in your bones. Every move you make and every word you say is like that of an enlightened monk.

Therefore, he gained their favor, made them his confidants, and they became friends, spending every day together.

Although I do not know his background, I often hear him talk about the secrets of Ling Mountain.

For example, the Buddha's second disciple, whose Dharma name was Jin Chanzi, destroyed his spiritual practice and entered the cycle of reincarnation because he disobeyed the Buddha.

It is also said that the purple and blue wicks in the glass lamps always want to escape from Mount Ling and find their destined one.

Then there's the Monkey King, who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago, only to be suppressed by the Buddha under the Five Fingers Mountain, a truly tragic end.

One day, you asked him why he had come.

He remained silent for a long time, then smiled slightly and said that he would put on a play, and if he performed it well, he could return to Lingshan and enjoy peace and quiet.

And you will be encouraged to perform well. If you do well, you may enter the sacred mountain and listen to the Dharma before the Buddha.

You shook your head, saying that you are naturally free-spirited and dislike being restrained. Rather than listening to the Dharma on Mount Ling, you would rather wander the world.

free?

He looked up at the sky, remaining silent.

...

For 980 years, over a period of 20 years, Huangfeng Ridge has gathered and restrained the monsters within a thousand miles, preventing them from descending the mountain to cause harm.

In the land of Liusha at the foot of the mountain, people offer sacrifices of livestock and blood during festivals, and all is well.

You crave meat and fish. Although you chant scriptures every day, you cannot live without meat. You even tempt yellow-haired weasels to eat meat and drink alcohol.

"I don't eat meat!"

He immediately bristled, unleashing a divine wind that sent you soaring high into the air, where you finally landed after six days and six nights.

It was taken as a joke.

...

In the 990th year, you anticipate the arrival of the tenth incarnation of the pilgrim, and you have a premonition of impending doom.

You made several attempts to leave under the pretense of patrolling the mountain, but you felt uneasy and ultimately dared not make any rash moves.

That year, a giant insect, thousands of feet long, dug through the sand and every day at dusk, it would blow up sandstorms that would destroy fertile fields, damage water conservancy projects, and block out the sun.

Wherever it went, mountains collapsed and the earth cracked, and all living things vanished.

The ruler of the Quicksand Kingdom was filled with fear and mobilized his troops to resist the sand worms, but suffered a crushing defeat and heavy casualties.

The yellow-haired weasel, with a heart full of compassion, could not bear the suffering of living beings. After much hesitation, he mustered his troops and surrounded and killed the sandworms.

The great battle began, and the demon soldiers were no match for them, suffering heavy losses.

You were the vanguard, charging ahead and sustaining numerous wounds, ultimately helping the yellow-haired weasel to kill this demon.

A pearl flew out of the insect's corpse and headed west, at which point the wind stopped and the sand settled.

The yellow-haired weasel stared coldly at the flying pearl, sneering repeatedly, and uttered the words "shameless."

Seeing that you were seriously injured and on the verge of death, his eyes flickered, and he finally made up his mind to refine a precious pill from the heart of a sandworm and make you swallow it.

Then, using a secret technique, I captured your aura and attached it to a yellow tiger demon, thus substituting one thing for another.

Afterwards, I will seal you ten thousand feet beneath the sand, severing all five senses...

...

In the 1230th year, you slept soundly beneath the sand for over two hundred years.

In a daze, you had a dream, a very long dream.

I dreamt of the tenth incarnation of the pilgrim on the journey to the West.

I dreamed of a yellow-haired weasel.
I dreamt of a yellow tiger demon who called himself "Tiger Vanguard," who was killed by a rake after kidnapping the pilgrims.

I also dreamt of that old monk, who transformed into a Bodhisattva...

Finally, you awoke from your dream, fully recovered from your injuries, with wings sprouting from your ribs, and ascended to the rank of Great Demon.

You burst forth from the sand, flapped your wings and soared into the sky, returning to Yellow Wind Ridge.

But what was once a lush and fertile land was now nothing but ruins, devoid of life, with withered bones scattered everywhere, resembling a desolate wasteland.

Only a dilapidated little temple at the foot of the mountain has stood as it has for hundreds of years, weathering the elements.

When you enter the temple, you will see a faded monk's robe on the altar, covered in thick dust, probably a hundred years old.

Several claw marks were left in the corner of the wall, crooked and twisted, vaguely forming four characters—

I ate meat.

(End of this chapter)