Journey to the West: From Fish-Chasing Boy to the Boundless Heavenly Venerable of the Golden Palace

The seventh day of the second lunar month is auspicious for breaking ground and offering sacrifices, but inauspicious for asking names or getting married.

With funding from local gentry and contributions from the people, the Yilinggong Temple, measuring three zhang square, was completed in less than half a month.

The ceremony was held in the early morning, presided over by a senior priest of the worship cult, with three hundred believers waving banners and flags beside him.

In addition, local believers, upon hearing the news, spontaneously prepared offerings and gathered there. Looking around, the area in front of the small temple was teeming with people—probably two or three thousand!

"Shen Taizhu, the worship of gods has deeply penetrated people's hearts."

Under the shade of a nearby pavilion, Chen Shouzhou looked at the scene and said something indifferently.

"The Worship of Gods Church owes its current prosperity entirely to Your Excellency's protection, and I will always remember this."

Li Yue, without looking to the side, responded with a single sentence.

Chen Shouzhou smiled and said nothing more.

Although he sometimes regrets his previous choices, he is already bound to the religion of worship and there is no turning back.

The words I just said were merely a timely reminder to Li Yue.

Li Yue naturally understood Chen Shouzhou's meaning; his words just now were precisely to show that he had no ill intentions.

They understood each other without saying a word.

The ceremony had already begun, but Li Yue couldn't help but turn his head to look elsewhere.

Just a hundred meters away from the Yilinggong Temple, across the road, there is another old temple, which is the Hedong County City God Temple.

I saw it during a previous night visit; the temple was filled with auspicious light, indicating that the City God of Hedong County was still inside.

Right at his doorstep, a licentious temple was built. One wonders what the City God thought about that.

However, it is clear that whether the City God of Hedong is willing or not, he dares not do anything, otherwise this temple of the Lord of the City could not have been built peacefully.

Thinking of this, Li Yue couldn't help but become more and more curious about who that one-horned ghost king was, that he had forced all the gods of Chechi Kingdom to become cowards.

According to Qianqian, although the One-Horned Ghost King's tyranny extends throughout the five prefectures and twenty-three counties of Chechi Kingdom, he rarely shows himself and only punishes some orthodox gods when they disobey him.

Most of the time, he stayed in Suohou Mountain in the southwest of Chechi Kingdom.

"Please summon Duke Ling of Yi!"

As the sun rose higher, the ceremony was already halfway through. With a shout from the chief priest of the worship cult, the believers carried the statue of the local deity out of the sedan chair.

Once the object is placed in the temple, the ceremony is practically complete.

At that time, the conditions for promotion to Duke of Yiling will be met!

Boom!

Just as the believers were carrying the statue of the deity into the temple, a sudden clap of thunder startled everyone.

He stopped abruptly, looked up at the sky, and his face was full of suspicion.

Why does thunder suddenly strike under such a clear blue sky?

This is not a good omen.

"Um?"

Li Yue's face darkened instantly. The thunder just now sounded strange, as if someone was deliberately casting a spell.

Could someone be causing trouble?

"Amitabha."

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a Buddhist chant rang out.

Although the sound was not loud, it carried throughout the entire venue, and everyone who heard the Buddhist chant was deeply moved.

He quickly came to his senses and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw the crowd part and a monk who looked to be in his thirties or forties, of medium build and ordinary appearance, wearing a plain yellowish-brown robe, came out.

monk?

Li Yue and Chen Shouzhou exchanged a glance, their faces darkening. This monk was probably up to no good.

"Amitabha."

Just as they were pondering, another Buddhist chant rang out, and the monk had already arrived in front of the two of them.

Chen Shouzhou was startled to see the monk who had suddenly appeared before him.

Li Yue frowned secretly, thinking that this monk probably had some tricks up his sleeve.

"This humble monk, Zhiyuan, greets the magistrate."

Zhiyuan?

Chen Shouzhou suddenly remembered that this could be the Living Buddha of Zhengyuan Temple that Master Sun had told him about before.

"So it was Master Zhiyuan."

Chen Shouzhou stood up to return the greeting, then sat back down.

When Master Sun urged him to eradicate the God-Worshipping Cult, he mentioned asking the monk Zhiyuan for help.

Today, the Bai Shen sect is building the Ling Gong Temple in the town, adding another revered deity. This monk Zhiyuan came uninvited, and his intentions are self-evident.

"This must be Shen Taizhu."

Monk Zhiyuan then turned to Li Yue, his pupils seemingly flashing with golden light, and Li Yue dared not meet his gaze for a moment.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down and stood up to give a respectful bow.

"It is I who have long admired Master Zhiyuan's reputation."

"Shen Taizhu is joking."

Seeing Li Yue greet him with Taoist etiquette instead of the Buddhist gesture of clasping his hands together, Monk Zhiyuan smiled slightly.

"This humble monk has long heard of Shen Taizhu's great name. The Worship of Gods sect is at its zenith, and Shen Taizhu's name is renowned far and wide."

"Ha, just a little bit of fame, nothing to compare with a master."

Li Yue waved his hand, too lazy to exchange compliments with the monk Zhiyuan, and gestured for him to proceed.

"Today is the day I taught Lord Yiling to build a temple and establish himself. Please, Master Zhiyuan, join us in the ceremony."

"I'm afraid I cannot comply."

Monk Zhiyuan stood still and said something indifferently.

"This humble monk has come today to prevent the construction of this temple."

That's when things came to a head.

Li Yue's face darkened instantly; this monk really had no patience at all.

Since that's the case, there's no need to be polite with him.

"snort!"

Li Yue gave a heavy snort and waved to the believers who had already surrounded him.

"Drive this rude monk ten miles away!"

"I will strictly follow the decree of the Grand Sacrificer!"

In unison, several young monks led a group of people to surround the monk Zhiyuan, and then they were about to forcibly carry him away.

Buzz!

But just as they were about to get close, the monk Zhiyuan suddenly burst into golden light, so bright that people couldn't open their eyes. They all covered their faces with their hands and were unable to go any further.

Not to mention them, even Chen Shouzhou and others in the distance couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

Li Yue sat there alone, his eyes fixed on the monk Zhiyuan, who was radiating Buddhist light, his gaze dark and unwavering.

A moment later, the monk Zhiyuan withdrew the golden light, and those who had been surrounding him all wept uncontrollably.

"Zhiyuan! You are supposed to have a great reputation, yet you resort to petty tricks to harm ordinary people. What kind of logic is that? Don't you feel ashamed?!"

Li Yue slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily.

The group, who had just been intimidated by Zhiyuan's Buddha-light, were taken aback, realizing it was just a petty trick.

Yes, if it really was Buddha's light, how could it have made their eyes sore and their noses tingle?

Then he cursed inwardly, "That bald donkey with no hair, his heart is so vicious."

However, for a moment no one dared to step forward.

"Shen Taizhu is indeed eloquent."

Seeing that Li Yue had twisted the truth and changed everyone's mind in just a few words, Monk Zhiyuan couldn't help but praise him, but then his face darkened.

"But one can fool the world for a time with only a silver tongue, but not forever."

"Forget about the present or the future, today I'm only talking to you about reason!"

Li Yue snorted and adopted a righteous and awe-inspiring posture.

"Today is the day for my worship of the gods at the temple. What right do you, a member of the Buddhist community, have to obstruct me?"

"Gods? Are gods worshipped for licentious purposes really gods?!"

The monk Zhiyuan's voice suddenly rose a notch, and his voice was like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

"Licentious worship brings no blessings! Must you wait until your families are destroyed and your lives are ruined before you wake up!"