Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

He held the gourd in his hand and activated it. A layer of pale golden light poured out from the gourd's mouth, like a waterfall or mist, slowly spreading towards the city wall.

The air suddenly became quiet for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a huge phantom of a Buddha slowly rose from the golden light.

The Buddha statue was radiant with golden light, its appearance solemn and dignified, with a spiral bun on its head, ears that reached its shoulders, and a kind face, yet it was a sight that made people afraid to look directly at it.

Behind the Buddha statue, a golden halo slowly unfolds, with auspicious clouds seemingly swirling within it, and faint chanting emanating from the halo, each sound penetrating the heart.

"Look, what's that???"

"The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have shown their power! May the Buddha and Bodhisattvas protect us!!"

"Truly, Buddha and Bodhisattva! May Buddha and Bodhisattva bless your followers!!"

Not only people in Xidu City, but also people far away on the outskirts of Xidu City, saw the phantom of the golden Buddha statue rising from the ground in the direction of the North Gate.

The golden light reflected on the clouds, dyeing half the sky a pale gold, and even the birds flying by looked as if they were coated with gold leaf.

The residents of the city closest to the north gate had the clearest view.

They never imagined they would witness such a sight in their lifetime. Many were so excited they trembled, immediately kneeling and kowtowing, repeatedly praying for the Buddha's blessing.

More and more people knelt down, stretching from the base of the city wall all the way into the streets and alleys of the city, a dark mass of people, all of them bowing their heads.

"If we don't surrender now, when will we?" the golden Buddha statue phantom slowly spoke.

The Buddha's voice was grand and far-reaching, as if it came from the horizon or from the depths of people's hearts, each word striking heavily in the hearts of everyone present.

The voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, making it impossible for anyone to have the slightest thought of resistance.

The Annamese garrison was stunned. They had been hesitating, but now they no longer had the right to hesitate.

The statues on the city wall had their bones removed, and one by one they dropped their weapons and knelt down in a flurry.

Even Jian Ding's trusted generals trembled and turned pale. They had joined the rebellion, fearing retribution, but they feared death even more, and the depths of hell.

This Buddha statue before us is not one of those clay or wooden sculptures in a temple; it is a living, breathing image of the Buddha! To oppose a Buddha or Bodhisattva is to court death!

"Truly a Buddha or Bodhisattva..."

"Buddha, that's Buddha..."

"Buddha and Bodhisattvas, we didn't mean to oppose you! We surrender!"

"We surrender!"

Everyone on the city wall, including the guards, threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender. No wonder there were so many war elephants and rhinoceroses on the other side; they were heavenly soldiers and generals of Buddha and Bodhisattva. That explains everything.

The Annamese interpreter who had been sent to persuade them to surrender also scrambled out, shouting towards the Ming army: "Your Majesty the Celestial Empire! They are willing to surrender! They are willing to surrender!"

"Fourth brother, your supernatural powers... you can even transform into Buddha!!!" Zhu Gaoxu's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Brother, your supernatural power is extraordinary! The sound you make can even calm the soul!!!" Pigsy exclaimed in amazement.

He's a disciple of Laozi! It's normal for him to know a lot, I understand! I understand!

"Fourth brother, this supernatural power is amazing. Being able to summon the Buddha's image will make dealing with these Buddhist countries much easier in the future." Zhu Di nodded slightly, already planning how to use this trick to deal with other countries in the future. He truly lived up to his reputation as old Judy.

"Father, this is not a real Buddha being summoned, but just a phantom image," Zhu Gaoxi explained with a smile.

Zhu Di didn't speak, but glanced at the Buddha statue again. Whether it was real or not didn't matter, as long as it worked.

The Ming army entered Xidu through the north gate, leaving a portion of its troops outside the city to guard against reinforcements.

Although the North Gate has been captured, the other gates haven't reacted yet. The North Gate commander was busy sending messengers to report the news, and the troops from the other gates haven't been mobilized yet.

The attack on Xidu was too swift; the other gates were unaware that the North Gate had already fallen.

However, they had just seen the phantom of the Buddha statue, and now they were filled with unease.

As Zhu Gaoxi entered the city with his army, he withdrew the enormous phantom of the Buddha statue, leaving only a golden Buddha image, taller than a person, hanging above his head.

After all, it would look rather strange to wear something too big on your head. That last impact was already quite shocking, so having something small now is just right.

Although the image was smaller, the Annamese could still see the shimmering phantom at a glance and recognized him immediately.

"The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have arrived! The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have entered the city!"

"That's him, the Buddha! Look, he has a halo above his head!"

"May Buddha and Bodhisattvas bless my grandmother so that she can walk nimbly again, and may my family harvest more rice next year..."

The Annamese people at the city gate, seeing the phantom image of Buddha above Zhu Gaoxi's head, all knelt down and kowtowed.

Some people with a little wealth quickly went to the fruit stand to buy fruit and offerings, and bought incense and candles, placing them on his usual route, lighting the incense and candles, and arranging the fruit.

They looked at Zhu Gaoxi in his python robe and wondered why this Buddha was not wearing a monk's robe, but this did not affect their kneeling and offerings.

After all, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can manifest in human form, so they can wear whatever they want, right?

After Zhu Gaoxi entered the city, his army slowly marched towards the palace.

The local people followed along the way, and more and more people joined in.

As they advanced towards the imperial city, many Annamese soldiers who were originally heading to support the north gate encountered the army on the way. Upon seeing the phantom image of the Buddha above Zhu Gaoxi's head, they immediately threw down their weapons and knelt down.

Several Annamese soldiers were shouting "sorcery" and even tried to draw their bows and shoot arrows.

Zhu Gaoxi casually put the alchemy gourd into his hand and said calmly, "This person disrespects Buddhism. I have already investigated and found that he is a demon reincarnated and has been reborn as an animal."

Upon hearing this, the Annamese kowtowed repeatedly, and no one dared to harbor any disloyal thoughts.

Zhu Gaoxi then raised his voice and said, "Your current new king, Jian Ding, is the reincarnation of a demon king, who has come to destroy peace in the human world. It is because of him that you are living in such dire straits."

"I have come here specifically to rid you of this demon king. Whoever among you can help me capture the demon king will be richly rewarded, and in the next life, I will help him attain Buddhahood."

These words, carried on the lingering echo of the Sanskrit gourd, could be heard throughout half the city.

The Annamese people and soldiers exploded on the spot, like a firecracker with a lit fuse.

"The Buddha said he was going to give us a great opportunity!"

"So Jian Ding is the reincarnation of the Demon King! No wonder we're having such a hard time!"

"Quickly, go and capture Jian Ding! Buddha said there's a great reward!"

"Don't let him get away! Surround him from the south!"

"In accordance with the Buddha's will, defeat the Demon King Jian Ding!"

There's no need for the Ming army to intervene.

Annamese troops, civilians, and even spies mixed in with the crowd all spontaneously rushed toward the palace to capture Jian Ding.

The Ming army followed behind, looking more like they were there to watch the spectacle.