A master of comedy!

Chapter 159 Transforming into Ksitigarbha, Obtaining the Golden Body

Inside the cave, Zhou Sheng felt a jolt in his heart. Under the gaze of those deep pupils, his body tensed up instinctively, as if he had been completely seen through.

However, he remained calm and composed on the surface.

"It seems that the city lord is keeping Xiao Huchen around to nurture a weapon. I have ruined your plans, please forgive me."

There was no explanation, because Zhou Sheng knew that no matter what lie he made up, the other party would not believe it.

People like the city lord only trust their own eyes and judgment.

Hua Jiulang shook his head and said calmly, "It was just a casual move, nothing to do with nurturing a sword. It was you who truly surprised me, so... I'm willing to make an exception for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng looked puzzled.

What does "making an exception" mean?
“Before completing their apprenticeship, a master of shadow puppetry is not qualified to choose masks, but you can be an exception.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the city lord flicked his finger, and the golden lamp immediately emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the wall not far away.

The next moment, the walls shook violently and slowly opened to reveal a hidden room.

In an instant, countless rays of light shot out, some as bright as the sun, some as cold as the moon, some as gray and dark, and some as black as an abyss.

It is dazzling and colorful.

Zhou Sheng's gaze sharpened. They were masks, but they were shrouded in various colors of light, making it impossible to see their specific appearance.

“You can choose a mask from my collection.”

Hua Jiulang said calmly, "But I must remind you that once you make a choice, you cannot change it. Some of these masks can help you, while others might... harm you."

"Life and death are preordained, and opportunities are determined by fate."

Zhou Sheng stared at the masks, his eyes flickering slightly.

He's a professional at choosing things, but...

"May I ask, Lord City, if I choose the mask, what are the consequences? For example, losing my freedom or having to work for you?"

Zhou Sheng was very cautious and was not blinded by temptation.

“Once you choose a mask, you don’t need to do anything, but if you encounter other people wearing masks in the future, I hope you can help each other.”

"You don't need to worry too much. Everyone who can choose a mask is a prodigy whom I have high hopes for. Right now, they are all stronger than you."

Zhou Sheng nodded, becoming even more cautious. It seemed that, besides the Grand General, Hua Jiulang had secretly supported quite a few other people.

He immediately realized the value of the mask.

Besides the mystique of the mask itself, possessing a mask is a symbol of status and an invisible network of relationships.

Moreover, Hua Jiulang himself would take care of those who wear masks. For example, tonight he saved the general. If Zhou Sheng hadn't foreseen this and arranged for his master to stop him, he probably would have failed.

"With the mask, you will also be qualified to truly enter the core of the Ghost Market, and I believe it will be helpful to you there."

"Of course, you can refuse, after all, your master chose to refuse back then."

"If you choose to give up, simply return the way you came."

After saying this, Hua Jiulang sat quietly on the floating lotus platform, closing his eyes as if he were asleep.

Zhou Sheng looked back at the cave entrance and discovered that it led directly to the doorway of his and his master's home in Xunyang.

He glanced at the masks on the wall again, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and grabbed at one of the masks.

He just used the Luoshu (洛书) for divination, and the result was that there were no pitfalls here, and if he chose the right mask, it would be of great help to him in the future.

Since Luo Shu said to choose, he naturally wouldn't hesitate at all.

To Zhou Sheng's surprise, the dazzling tortoise shell light diminished by three-tenths after he simply divined which mask would be most helpful to him, clearly indicating that a lot of energy had been consumed.

Zhou Sheng felt a pang of regret. He was planning to go to Mount Lu to calculate the game of immortal chess, hoping he would have enough energy by then. He chose the mask that emitted a dark, gloomy light and was surrounded by wisps of gray mist. It was quite inconspicuous among the dazzling lights and was located in the upper right corner of the wall.

Just as his hand was about to grasp the mask, a voice suddenly rang out.

Why did you choose it?

Hua Jiulang opened his eyes at some point, quietly observing Zhou Sheng. The golden light from his fingertips inside his sleeve dissipated, and ripples resurfaced deep within his pupils.

In just one night, He actually made two wrong deductions in a row on a novice sorcerer.

He hadn't met such an interesting person in far too long.

"Isn't this mask nice?"

Zhou Sheng asked deliberately, wanting to test the other party.

Hua Jiulang said calmly, "Good and bad are relative. You can choose another one, or you can continue to choose this one. I'm just curious about why you chose it."

"Because I feel... as if it's calling to me."

Upon hearing this, for the first time, a noticeable fluctuation appeared in the eyes of the Emperor of Fengdu, which seemed to have seen through the mundane world and were always deep and calm.

Those dark pupils narrowed slightly.

As Zhou Sheng spoke, he decisively removed the mask, saying, "I trust my intuition, I won't change it."

Open-book exams, anyone who grades them is a fool.

The next moment, the dark light and gray mist on the mask dissipated, revealing a mask.

Three-colored yin-yang face, compassionately guiding the spirits of the netherworld.

The term "three colors" refers to the fact that the mask is made of gold, white, and black. The "yin-yang face" refers to the compassionate expression on the left side of the face and the Vajra expression on the right side.

The fiery crack between his eyebrows was as if cleaved by a knife, three-tenths larger than a regular mask, and his forehead was as high as an iron mountain, as if to emphasize the weight of "hell is never empty".

It was none other than Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who once made a great vow, saying that he would not become a Buddha until hell was emptied!
"I never expected that you would choose Him."

"Perhaps...this is also His choice."

Zhou Sheng slowly put on the mask in his hand. Strangely, the mask, which felt cold and hard to the touch, became scalding hot after he put it on.

It was as if his skin was merging with the mask.

It doesn't sting or burn; it's all within an acceptable range.

He could sense that the mask was alive, carefully absorbing his blood.

The next moment, the patterns on the mask seemed to come alive, radiating a faint, eerie light.

An invisible aura emanated from Zhou Sheng, as steadfast and unmoving as the earth, as profound and secretive as a hidden treasure.

The relic left by Master Cizhou suddenly trembled, as if it had sensed some kind of summons. Pure Buddhist power surged into Zhou Sheng's body from within the relic, as if on a pilgrimage.

Under the blessing of those Buddhist powers, he discovered that his arms had turned a pale gold color and made a clanging sound when they collided.

A golden statue of a Buddhist monk!
With a thought, the Buddha's power returned to the relic, becoming as easy to control as an extension of his arm.

It seems that the moment he put on the mask, the sarira truly mistook him for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who guards the depths of the netherworld, and respectfully awaited his command as a disciple.

If they can even mistake relics, then they must be able to mistake other Buddhist treasures.

Putting aside the mask's other abilities, this one alone is a huge win!

……

(End of this chapter)