The Ascension of Ghosts

Xingshan Temple is located in the north of the capital, and its incense has always been at its peak, and because of the fact that today's people believe in Buddhism, since the ancestor of the abbot, Zen Master Zhaozhen, Xingshan Temple has gradually become the leader of Buddhism in the Central Plains.

When Lu Sheng arrived outside Xingshan Temple, he asked the little novice to lead the way. He found Hui Ye in a medicine field outside the temple, and he went straight to the point and said why he came.

He will enshrine the sword in Xingshan Temple just like the hanging pot sword enshrined to Yaoye back then.

After Hui Ye heard about it, she showed a look of distress, Lu Sheng hurriedly said: "If there are any difficulties, it's okay to talk about it."

Hui Ye clasped his hands together, proclaimed the Buddha's name, and then sighed: "There is no problem, it's just... my brother's murderous sword was stolen the second day after it was enshrined in the temple."

Lu Sheng took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the hanging pot, "Why didn't you report the case?"

Hui Ye said: "since it is sent to the temple for worship, it is something outside the square. The monks and soldiers in the temple will track it down, but it is not easy to disturb the government. However, the poor monk saw something similar to the hanging pot sword from the sword in the hand of the benefactor. Ominous blood."

Feeling cold all over, Lu Sheng put the hanging pot horizontally on the table in front of him, and asked in a trembling voice, "Could it be that this was stolen..."

But Hui Ye shook his head and said: "The benefactor is too worried. If he had kept that fierce sword by his side all the time, the benefactor would have been unable to withstand the attack of evil thoughts and died of madness. It's just that although this ominous blood light is not as fierce as the fierce sword, it is still You should stay in the temple to worship and purify, and don't wander around the world and harm all living beings."

Lu Sheng hurriedly said: "Naturally, Master Lao will be here."

He saw with his own eyes that Hui Ye put the hanging pot into a camphor wood box, locked it with a big brass lock, and then sent it to a warehouse behind the temple.

The treasury is less than a thousand steps away from the pagoda forest of eminent monks, and they are far away from each other. They are all patrolled by monks and soldiers. Every day, monks come to worship and chant sutras to purify all kinds of evil things hidden in the treasury.

Lu Sheng saw Zen Master Zhaozhen's relic pagoda with his own eyes. The body of the pagoda was carved in snow-white stone, the top of the treasure gourd, the top of the golden lacquer, and the copper bell with golden lacquer.

Around the pagoda, there is a post at five steps and a post at ten steps. It is really heavily guarded. If you steal the evil objects enshrined in the warehouse, you have a slight chance of winning. If you change this holy place of the stupa, even the ancestors of the thieves cannot enter.

Unconsciously, he recalled the bold words to Xie Rong that he wanted to steal Zen master Zhaozhen's relic for him.Thinking about it now, not only did he overestimate his own strength, but he even mistakenly took the gangster as a good person.Thinking about it now, it's rather boring.

No one is allowed to enter the warehouse, Lu Sheng walked here with Hui Ye, Hui Ye was extra accommodating, so he stood in the open space outside the corridor and waited.

While he was meditating, he suddenly felt a murderous aura approaching. Lu Sheng subconsciously reached out to his waist again, but found nothing. He turned around vigilantly, and saw a tall young monk with a big smile on his face, striding towards him close.

The monk was dressed in the navy blue uniform of a monk soldier. He was more than a head taller than ordinary people, with broad shoulders and long legs.He was born again with bright eyebrows, deep eye sockets, a high nose bridge, and a beautiful jaw shape. His eyes were dark green, and the corner of his mouth was smiling. He clasped his hands together to Lu Sheng, chanted the Buddha's name, and said: "Young monk, Sunlight, disturbed the benefactor. I also ask the almsgiver to forgive me."

Monks have different dharma names. For example, they are named according to their seniority in the order of "the heart is bright according to Yuanhui, and the nature is clear and respectful". Therefore, the dharma names of Zen Master Zhaozhen and his brothers all start with the word "Zhao", and the next generation of disciples use the word "Yuan". At the beginning, for example, Yuanneng, and then the next generation starts with the word Hui, such as Huiye, a disciple of Yuannengshou.

However, as far as Lu Sheng knows, there is no dharma name starting with Japanese in Xingshan Temple.

The young monk not only has a handsome appearance, but also has a dignified voice and demeanor, and added with a smile: "The young monk came from Najieluo Temple, the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and was ordered by his family teacher to practice in Xingshan Temple."

The Protectorate of the Western Regions goes deep into the hinterland of the Hu people, and the Han and Hu coexist in the Najieluo Temple. Even the tribes of Xianbei, Rouran, and Huns can live together peacefully in the temple. of pure land.

No wonder this monk has high nose and deep eyes, blue eyes like emerald green, he is very different from people in the Central Plains, but he is almost similar to Yao Ye.

Lu Sheng hurriedly clasped his hands in return and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Master Sunlight, and I'm Lu Sheng, the civil servant of the Habayashi Guard."

Sunshine smiled and said, "The little monk is just an ordinary monk, and he must never be worthy of the title of master. Please call him Sunshine directly."

Lu Sheng didn't even dare to say anything, and after the two of them were polite, Sunlight finally said: "Lu Gongcao, this little monk has a little bit of a talent for seeing things that ordinary people can't see. There is a ray of blood lingering."

This touched Lu Sheng's mind, his eyes were slightly fixed, and even his face darkened.

The monk was very interested, leaning on his eyebrow stick in the crook of his arm, standing around his chest, he still smiled and said: "Master Gongcao, don't blame this young monk for being reckless. It is not a good policy to hide diseases and avoid medical treatment. The young monk has practiced the Dharma of the Great Sun Tathagata since childhood. If you have a little understanding of the means of exorcising uncleanness and subduing evil spirits, if the meritorious master does not despise it, this little monk is willing to do the work of dogs and horses."

When Lu Sheng came to Xingshan Temple, he intentionally bypassed Xie Rong and asked for help from Buddhism, but the monk didn't know the details, so he didn't dare to invite him rashly. Just as he was hesitating, Hui Ye had already brought the little monk out of the warehouse, facing the two monks. People came in a hurry.However, he ignored Lu Sheng, stood on the spot first, bowed his head, put his palms together and raised his head above his head, saluted Sunguang, and said, "I pay homage to Master Sunlight."

The six young novice monks behind him followed suit, lined up like little chickens, and saluted the sun respectfully. The young monk had no choice but to put away his casual look, folded his hands and returned the salute, but said with a wry smile: "Hui Ye, you Always follow the rules, be careful not to scare away my guests."

Hui Ye lowered his eyes and said, "Courtesy cannot be broken. Lu Gongcao doesn't know the identity of his guru, so if his words and deeds are inappropriate, please forgive him."

Sunlight sighed softly, turned his head and smiled at Lu Sheng: "This monk is very rigid, you can come to see me alone some other day." Then he bid farewell to everyone, held his eyebrow stick in one hand, and walked towards the pagoda Underneath, the monks and soldiers gathered together and walked.

Hui Ye watched the sun go away, and the nervousness on his face was relieved a little. Lu Sheng rarely saw him so cautious, and asked curiously: "Who is that Sunlight Chan... the master?"

Hui Ye looked solemn, and replied: "Master Sunlight comes from Najieluo Temple, the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and is the next suzerain of Najieluo Sect."

Since the five horses crossed the river a hundred years ago, there have been constant military disasters in the Central Plains and the decline of imperial power. No matter the common people or the nobles, all of them were at a loss.The farther you go to the frontier, the more religious power flourishes and the royal power declines. As far as the Western Regions' Duhufu, the prestige of the Duhufu is even worse, and the officers and soldiers are not effective in defending the border. The suzerain of Jieluozong.

Now the Jieluo Sect sent the young master to the Xingshan Temple in the capital city of the Great Jin Dynasty in the name of practicing, which undoubtedly showed his determination to return to the Central Plains, and he should be treated kindly in terms of emotion and reason.

Lu Sheng heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, he was cornered by Xie Rong, and the daylight appeared at this time, which is no different from the Buddha who saves all sentient beings.Then he made up his mind to come back to find the sun another day, to completely end the entanglement of the magic sword.

When Hui Ye sent Lu Sheng away from Xingshan Temple, he hesitated for a moment, before he said: "Gong Cao, you and Mr. Xie are very kind to me. There is a sentence that the poor monk has to say."

Seeing that he was cautious, Lu Sheng also showed an expression of listening attentively, and said solemnly, "Please explain, Zen master."

Hui Ye said: "Although the Jieluo Sect and my Xingshan Temple enshrine the Great Sun Tathagata, in terms of the teachings of practice, there are some righteous and evil..."

Lu Sheng became nervous, "Could it be that you have extorted money and killed people?"

Hui Ye was at a loss for words, so she didn't know where to start, so she could only say: "It's never..."

Lu Sheng was puzzled and asked, "Since this is the case, how can there be both good and evil?"

Hui Ye grew up in a Buddhist sect, and it would be difficult for him to speak out, so he murmured for a while before saying, "The teachings of the Hu land regard the rituals of the Central Plains as nothing... Gongcao should be more careful."

Lu Sheng suddenly realized, and said with a smile: "So that's the case. I have dealt with all three religions and nine streams, so I will be more careful. Thank you Zen master for your advice."

He thought he understood the profound meaning of the Zen master, and after saying goodbye, he returned to the city with a relaxed body.

At the same time, in Xie Rong's mansion.

When Bi Fang's flames gathered, there was a crisp sound in the room, pieces of broken green and white jade mixed with the tea water dripped from Xie Rong's fingers.

Ruo Song Ruo Zhu stepped forward without making a sound, one of them wiped Xie Rong's fingers, and the other rushed to clean up the debris on the ground.

Xie Rong sneered and said: "Could it be true that monks and Taoists cannot stand together, the old monk hinders my official career, and the young monk comes to hinder me again."

A girdle-shaped white light escaped from the lines on the cuffs, gently wrapped around his fingers, and the scars left when he crushed the jade cup healed immediately.

Xie Rong appreciated and caressed the white light's head, and the white light was overjoyed, wagging its head and wagging its tail into the decorative pattern.

Bi Fang couldn't help shaking his head secretly when he saw this, although the Teng Snake body was one of the four guarding saints, although there was only a weak remnant soul left, he didn't have the slightest consciousness like this, he just regarded himself as Xie Rong's pet, flattering A sycophant, but it is unavoidable to lose the status of a holy beast.

Naturally, he didn't dare to talk too much, but he couldn't hold back after all, and said in a low voice: "Young master, why did you take the shadow worm specially placed by Master Ge away from Mr. Lu, instead of creating such troubles?"

Xie Rong said: "When the shadow worm matures, the host loses its will and obeys the caster, just like a puppet. What do I want a puppet for?"

Bi Fang was stunned, and blurted out: "Young master is now trying to force Lu Gongcao to submit. You can force it for a while, but you can't force it for a lifetime. It will get twice the result with half the effort. It's better to have a puppet."

Xie Rong stood up abruptly, Bi Fang trembled for a while, and hurriedly raised one wing to cover his head, but it did not receive the expected thunderous fury, it opened a crack in its feathers tremblingly, and peeped out quietly.

But I saw Xie Rong standing in front of the window with her hands behind her back, looking at the white snow outside the window, thoughtfully, and repeated softly: "It's twice the result with half the effort, how about a puppet?"

Bi Fang didn't dare to say any more, seeing that Xie Rong had no intention of questioning, he dissipated and disappeared into the jade pendant.

Sure enough, the hanging pot never reappeared that night, and Lu Sheng had no dreams all night, and a big stone fell from his heart.

However, in the early morning of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Lu Sheng sat on the head of the bed, looking at the hanging pot quietly placed horizontally on the blue and gray floor tiles in the room, feeling completely powerless.

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Lu Sheng had no choice but to put aside other things for the time being, and went to Wuchen Temple with his brother and sister-in-law.

Wuchen Temple is located in a peach grove in the southwest of the city. It is only early spring, and the climate in the south of the Yangtze River is warm. There are some green buds emerging from the branches. At a glance, it looks like green smoke, full of vitality, which makes people feel Unlimited joy.

In a square outside the Taoist temple, the crowd was bustling with people who came to participate in the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. No matter the clothes were luxurious or humble, everyone was pious. They prayed to heaven with three sticks of incense in their hands, hoping that the coming year would be smooth, wars would stop, the weather would be good, and the grains would be good. Harvest.

Lu Yuan and his wife were naturally looking for a son, but also for the peace of their home. Especially Lu Sheng was often in danger, and they even said that they would ask for a peace talisman for him after the ceremony was over.

Lu Sheng stood in the midst of the crowded crowd, suffering unspeakably, and said in a low voice: "As big as the rise and fall of the world, as small as the crops are dying, we all ask for God's care, and even gods can't bear it. If I am a god, I just I'm afraid there's going to be a strike."

Lu Yuan frowned, and reprimanded in a low voice: "Don't talk nonsense in front of God."

Lu Sheng kept his mouth shut. In the ceremony hall, all the Taoists wore well-made bright yellow embroidered colorful pine and crane Taoist robes, and black sarong crowns on their heads. Yubu, chanting scriptures devoutly, green smoke curling up from the four big bronze tripods at the four corners, with a fairy-like wind, quite like a fairyland outside the world.

However, Lu Sheng has seen Xie Rong dance to welcome the gods and suppress evil spirits. She is pure and extraordinary, with a graceful fairy posture, and even more arouses the spirit.

In contrast, although the ceremony of Wuchen Temple is sacred and solemn, it is still a bit trivial.

Seeing that the ceremony was not over for a while, Lu Sheng simply found an excuse, quietly withdrew from the crowd, and walked around into the peach forest.