From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

Upon hearing this, Ru Song was taken aback and sighed, "People should be humble. How can we mortals compare ourselves to Buddha?"

"Precisely because I am a mortal, possessing all the vices of greed, anger, and ignorance, with the six thieves hiding within me and arrogance in my heart, I dare to compare myself to the Buddha," Jiang Liu said with a smile, unconcerned.

Ru Song was taken aback. He looked into Jiang Liu's eyes and saw a glint of light within them, but he said nothing. He simply said, "If you, benefactor, have the potential for enlightenment, becoming a Buddha is just a thought away. You only need to have more compassion."

Am I not compassionate?

Jiang Liu asked in return.

"Where is the compassion?" Ru Song remained silent, knowing that Jiang Liu was resolute and did not think he was wrong; otherwise, he would have definitely asked something like, "You know it yourself."

But all he could do now was try to persuade Jiang Liu to change his code of conduct: "If they are still hostile, just kill them and be done with it. Why break their arms and legs and let them live for a while?"

Please—

Jiang Liu rolled his eyes. "If I really beat them to death in this big city, it won't be you coming to me, but the city's powerful and wealthy, along with the experts from the Zhengyi, Quanzhen, and the eight major Buddhist sects they've invited."

The relationship between superhumans and ordinary people —

It's actually quite subtle.

Ru Song was taken aback, then glared at him and said, "Aren't you playing with fire too?"

"At least it's still within a controllable range. Don't give me that 'playing with fire will get you burned' nonsense. The reason we humans are the most intelligent of all beings is because we started by playing with fire, isn't it? And everything has two sides. A kitchen knife can cut vegetables, but it can also kill people, let alone fire?"

Jiang Liu countered, "Fire can destroy everything, but it can also warm all living beings."

On the topic of compassion—

In *Journey to the West*, the Buddha Tathagata, having attained a golden body sixteen feet tall, was swallowed whole by a peacock. The peacock then burst forth from its back, intending to kill the peacock, but was stopped by the Buddhas of Mount Ling, who instead bestowed upon the Peacock the title of Buddha Mother…

The Journey to the West emphasizes cause and effect, and every sip and bite is a reflection of the past. Kui Mulang and Baihua Xiu, the Jade Rabbit and the Princess of Tianzhu, but how come Guanyin Bodhisattva's Golden-haired Hou took the two children who were shot and killed by the King of Zhu Zi Kingdom when he was the crown prince? Why didn't the Buddha Mother go herself?

Could it be that Buddha was secretly delighted on the day his mother and two sons were wounded by arrows?

Otherwise, why did no one answer the peacock's oath, yet Guanyin's mount overheard it and used it as an excuse to descend to the mortal realm for pleasure?

Ru Song: "...This is just the talk of a novelist; there is no such story in Buddhist scriptures."

“Look at what the elder is saying. What the people like to hear and hear, what is false can become true. Buddhism and Taoism are based on all living beings, and they can also go with the flow. Who knows, in another thousand years, this story will become a myth and become the truth in the Buddhist scriptures.” Jiang Liu said with a smile, “If Buddhism still exists a thousand years from now.”

Suddenly, Ru Song opened his eyes wide and asked, "Will Buddhism perish?"

"Why does the elder care about such matters? I was merely giving an example. Besides, Lingyin Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple, and its essence lies in 'enlightenment,' seeking self-realization and enlightenment. Whether the external form of Buddhism perishes or not is irrelevant to Zen practitioners, isn't it? After all, seeking Buddha resides in the heart."

Jiang Liu laughed.

“You seem to know quite a bit about Zen Buddhism,” Elder Rusong sighed, no longer arguing, and revealed his true purpose: “I have come here not only to advise you, but also to ask for your help in suppressing the evil spirits. If you can get rid of them, that would be even better.”

[As expected! This monk had other business to attend to!]

Jiang Liu thought to himself.

Although he made a big fuss this time, the Green Dragon Society is ultimately a criminal gang in the city, and taking action against them can be considered as helping the weak and punishing the strong.

Nowadays, buying land to build roads, planning streets, and repairing houses are also for the purpose of helping the poor and needy and seeking development.

This incident made the relationship between superhumans and ordinary people somewhat sensitive, but those superhumans from major sects wouldn't bother to go to great lengths to cause trouble. It's more likely that they heard about this incident and happened to be in Yuhang on business, so they just stopped by to chat with him.

"Appreciate further details."

"Are you familiar with the Legend of the White Snake, benefactor?"

"I know the story of two snakes from Sichuan fighting a monk from Henan over a man from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which eventually flooded Jiangsu."

"puff--"

Wang Yaozu spat out the tea, spraying it all over Ru Song's face. He coughed twice, then gave a thumbs up and said, "Son, you're not from Quanxing, but you're even more wicked than them! The story of the White Snake has been completely distorted by your retelling!"

Lu Jin and Hong Gu Niang were also stunned, but after thinking about it carefully, they realized that it really was true.

But why does it feel so awkward when the story is condensed into "one sentence"?

"Am I wrong?" Jiang Liu asked with a smile.

"Correct!"

Ru Song choked for a moment, but had to admit that Jiang Liu's analysis was very insightful, so—

Let's not analyze it anymore!

The analysis of the story's artistic conception is gone!

"But the story I'm going to tell is a little different from the 'Legend of the White Snake' you've heard."

The story of "The Legend of the White Snake" has a real-world prototype.

When Qian Chu of Wuyue surrendered his territory to the Song Dynasty, he was grateful for the posthumous title bestowed upon his wife, Lady Sun, and named the pagoda "Imperial Concubine Pagoda" in remembrance of her. Because the pagoda was built on Leifeng Pagoda at sunset, it was also known as Leifeng Pagoda.

The construction of Leifeng Pagoda was not only for praying for national peace and prosperity, but also primarily to suppress two snake demons.

"There really is a White Snake Lady?" Red Girl was shocked. She never expected that the White Snake Lady was actually trapped under Leifeng Pagoda, and even Xiaoqing was trapped underneath.

"Whether the white snake is actually Lady White or not, I don't know. I only know that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there were two snakes on Sunset Mountain who had obtained Qi and were cultivating Qi, but they did not cause any trouble."

But the government had its eye on Xizhao Mountain.

The mountain wasn't inhabited by Taoist priests or monks, but merely by two snakes. Naturally, they wouldn't bother with any elaborate schemes; they simply set the mountain on fire to clear a path for transporting bricks and stones. They also invited Taoist priests and monks to perform magic, trapping the two snake demons in the mountain and preventing them from escaping to avoid retaliation.

At this point, Elder Rusong sighed softly, “It’s a pity that those two mountain spirits, having obtained Qi and gained wisdom, did not harm a single person, but their physical bodies were destroyed by the great fire, leaving only their spirits. Their obsessions and resentments remained, and the methods of binding spirits were ineffective against them. In the end, they were enshrined with the Buddha’s hair relic, and holes were drilled in the bricks and stones to fill them with scrolls of scriptures, a total of 84,000 scrolls, which is the ‘Dharani Sutra of the Secret Whole Body Relic Box of All Tathagatas’’s Heart!

When the pagoda was completed, all the monks recited the Dharani Mantra of the Secret Relic Box of All Tathagatas, gathering the power of all beings to suppress them.

However, their obsession and resentment have not yet subsided.

After a great fire, Leifeng Pagoda was damaged. Although the 84,000 scrolls of scriptures still exist, there are few monks left to chant mantras and bless it. Today, the country is in ruins, and there are even fewer monks left. Moreover, I see that Leifeng Pagoda has been eroded by wind and rain and is already teetering on the verge of collapse. It may collapse soon.

"At that time, the spirits of the blue and white snakes will be born, and they may bring disaster to the world. I hope you will all lend this old monk a helping hand."

# Chapter 232 Go and eliminate Tang Sanzang and his disciples!

Having heard the legend of the White Snake in history, Jiang Liu couldn't say whether it was right or wrong. But from a human perspective, if the resentment and obsession of the green and white snakes didn't dissipate and their spirits were to be reborn and wreak havoc on the world, then he would have to lend Elder Rusong a hand to get rid of them.

Guilt?

There won't be any river flow either.

After all, since the moment humans learned to use fire, countless lives have already been wiped out.

Of course.

Jiang Liu would instinctively feel a fondness for spirits that had gained Qi and awakened their intelligence, such as the Angry Rooster.

“Since it’s for the purpose of subduing demons and monsters, I’m naturally willing to help,” Jiang Liu agreed.

“As expected of a benefactor, you are truly wise and righteous. Then this old monk will take his leave. I still need to contact the other eminent monks and Taoist masters who are living in seclusion in Yuhang and ask for their assistance.”

Before Elder Rusong got up and left, he mentioned the time: tomorrow, September 25th.

After he left, Wang Yaozu complained, "Taking action tomorrow? Shouldn't you at least give us three days' notice?"

"Since the real-life Green and White Snakes have already been suppressed, they must have been prepared all along. They came to find us simply because the Leifeng Pagoda was on the verge of collapse, and just in case, it's like having an extra person as insurance."

Jiang Liu casually said, "Otherwise, do you think he would come to us for help? We don't know anything about Buddhist scriptures!"

"On the other hand..."

Lu Jin became curious, "Brother Jiang, you didn't actually predict that Leifeng Pagoda would collapse tomorrow, did you?"

"Does this even need to be considered? Leifeng Pagoda is already in such a state, it probably won't last much longer, it's only a matter of time before it collapses."

With that, Jiang Liu stretched and called out to everyone, "Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get to work. Tomorrow is our picnic day, we still have work to do today!"

In an instant, everyone got busy.

the other side.

Zhao Liren, who was leaving by carriage, had a gloomy face.

When has he ever been treated like this?

Even the Taoist priests on the mountain and the high monks in the temple would treat him with utmost respect. How dare a mere magician from a troupe of operas treat him with such contempt?

Excessive!

Taking a step back opens up a whole new world?

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and his mind was in turmoil. He pondered the sects in the city and ordered his driver to head to the Taiji Sect.

Upon seeing Zhao Liren's visit, Peng Qianwu dared not put on any airs. He immediately ordered his disciples to open the doors wide and come out to greet him, inviting him into the main hall and personally serving him tea.

Tea time is over.

Zhao Liren's anger subsided somewhat, and he asked Peng Qianwu, "Isn't Tai Chi Kung Fu just all show and no substance?"

"Is Captain Zhao recruiting?"

Peng Qianwu beamed and immediately summoned seven disciples who had cultivated Qi—unlike the Taoists on the mountain, the Taiji Sect was a martial arts school.

He would teach martial arts to anyone who paid him.

For apprentices who had learned the craft, the best way to make a living was to guard people's homes or serve as officials.

How powerful are these people?

Zhao Liren asked.

"Aren't you going out to demonstrate?"

Peng Qianwu immediately sent his disciples out to demonstrate their martial arts, and invited Zhao Liren to move to the courtyard to watch.

These seven Tai Chi disciples were not very skilled in Tai Chi, but they had at least cultivated their Qi, making them strong and healthy with long, drawn-out breaths. Their punches were powerful and their steps were loud and rhythmic, making them quite intimidating.

Zhao Liren didn't understand Tai Chi and couldn't see the intricacies, so he simply asked, "How does he compare to Jiang Liu from Ghost Hand Wang Cai's opera troupe?"

"Forehead······"

Peng Qianwu was taken aback for a moment, then, recalling the events that had occurred in the city in recent days, he hurriedly said, "How can fireflies compare to the bright moon? They are inferior!"

In the past, he would never have said such things that boosted the morale of others.

But he was defeated by Jiang Liu, and now Zhao Liren seems to be at odds with Jiang Liu. Peng Qianwu knows this perfectly well; if it's exaggerated, he might be forced to fight Jiang Liu himself.

Even if he were to launch a sneak attack, it would be extremely difficult for him to succeed.