plumnovel Chapter 26 The Bodhisattva Manifests
Chapter 26 The Bodhisattva Manifests
The caravan's vehicles blocked the entire street.
Over a hundred onlookers crowded around Jingyuan, craning their necks to peer inside.
At the tail end of the caravan, three corpses lay on the ground, their flesh mangled and bloody.
Dozens of caravan guards lay nearby with severed limbs, their cries of agony echoing around them.
The officials directed the stretcher in and out, their footsteps mingling with cries, curses, and screams, creating utter chaos.
The constable with thick eyebrows strode through the crowd.
He and his men stood before the three corpses.
Their gazes first fell on a red-tasseled spear stuck in the body of a wealthy man.
The gun barrel was mostly submerged, with only a section of the shaft protruding, and the tassel was soaked in blood.
"Do you know who the killer is?" he asked in a deep voice, looking at the injured people around him.
A guard with a broken arm struggled to his feet, pointing with hatred at the boy standing not far away, his voice trembling: "It's...it's him! He's the one who threw that spear! He's in cahoots with that monkey demon!"
The thick-browed constable looked in the direction he was pointing.
A boy dressed in coarse linen stood quietly a few feet away, with a few drops of blood on his clothes.
The torchlight illuminated his face, revealing a pair of gentle eyes, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, showing no sign of panic.
It's as if they were waiting right here.
The head constable walked over and stared at him: "You're the murderer? Why didn't you run?"
The young man nodded slightly and said calmly, "Yes and no."
Before the words were even finished, and before the head constable could understand the hidden meaning,
A scream rang out from the crowd.
"It was him! He's the one who killed my husband!"
A woman dressed in fine clothes rushed out of the crowd, followed by two children.
She threw herself beside the wealthy man's corpse, weeping uncontrollably, pointing at the boy between sobs: "You heartless bastard! What did my husband ever do to you? You've taken his life!"
It turned out that the woman had arrived earlier, but dared not approach.
Her crying caused an uproar among the Taoist priests nearby.
"Give me back the Taoist priest's life! Give me back the Taoist priest's life!"
"Surround him! Don't let him get away!"
"He let that monkey demon escape!"
Someone made the first move, and a handful of mud flew out from the crowd and smeared it on the boy's clothes.
Then came rotten vegetable leaves, clods of dirt, and small stones, all pelted down on him.
The boy stood still, neither dodging nor avoiding, letting the dirty things hit him.
Muddy water streamed down his cheeks, but he calmly lowered his eyes.
Having lived countless lifetimes, I have long since transcended this level of honor and disgrace.
Seeing that the boy didn't react, the plump woman in fine clothes became even more agitated. She bent down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it fiercely at him, shouting, "Give me back my husband! Give him back my husband!"
Dust tried to cover the boy's head and face.
He suddenly waved his hand, the wide sleeve rebounded, and the fat woman was hit on the head and face.
The thick-browed constable frowned and waved his hand: "Take him down first."
Two officers stepped forward, and with a clang, iron shackles were fastened to the boy's wrists.
The shackles were heavy and difficult to hold, but the boy's fair wrists were easily lifted.
The head constable said coldly, "You're responsible for three lives and the loss of dozens of limbs. Since we haven't found that monkey demon yet, we'll take you to jail to await further orders!"
However, the nearby officials were hesitant to step forward, appearing somewhat timid.
The crowd along the long street also erupted in a torrent of curses.
The sounds of pushing and shoving and cursing from the official road still echoed in my ears.
In the shadows of the street, the monkey saw everything clearly.
Seeing that Zhong Xuan's clothes were soiled and he was shackled, it was filled with rage.
"Brother Ren!!!"
Enraged, its golden fur stood on end, a low growl like that of a wild beast rolled from its throat, and it stomped its feet on the ground, charging forward!
The Rakshasa woman was prepared and gripped its shoulders tightly with both hands.
But this time, the monkey's strength was terrifying.
It pushed off the ground with both feet, and two shallow pits were created in the bluestone slab, causing gravel to fly everywhere!
The Rakshasa woman was dragged forward half a foot and couldn't be held down!
"Are you crazy! You're not allowed to go!" she hissed through gritted teeth.
The monkey's eyes were bloodshot, its golden fur stood on end, and its eyes gleamed red: "Let me go! I'm going to fight them! I'll take them all down!"
However, he did not mention the word "death" again, perhaps because his brother was there.
The Rakshasa woman was dragged along and staggered, and it looked like she was about to slip away.
Just then—
The night breeze suddenly calmed down for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, a very soft laugh came from the shadows.
"Oh."
The laughter wasn't loud, but it was like a needle, clearly piercing the monkey's ear.
The monkey froze, then suddenly turned around.
A few feet away in the shadows, a person had appeared out of nowhere.
He stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a green robe and Taoist hat, the night wind causing the hem of his robe to flutter gently.
His gaze fell on the boy in the distance, his eyes indifferent.
This Taoist priest was none other than Zhang Chengming, the True Man of Longhu Mountain.
He just stood there, and the imposing aura of the Dragon-Tiger Demon-Subduing Immortal made the monkey's spine tremble.
For every disciple of Longhu Mountain who descends the mountain, the most important source of merit is slaying demons and monsters.
Therefore, a true master naturally possesses a fierce aura.
"This little brat is too violent," he said calmly, as if talking to himself.
"You! You have a foul mouth!" The monkey immediately changed the target of its anger.
"Hmm?" Zhang Chengming then looked away and glanced down at it.
He casually picked up a talisman, held it between two fingers, and flicked it lightly.
The talisman transformed into a golden light, moving as fast as a streak of light, instantly bypassing the monkey and sticking to the back of its neck.
The monkey trembled violently!
It maintained its forward momentum, but could no longer move an inch; only the anger in its eyes burned even more fiercely than before.
Zhang Chengming withdrew his hand, his expression cold and mocking:
"You beast are not allowed to act so presumptuously before me."
"Watch closely. If the young Taoist priest kills someone, this will be his calamity and his fate."
The monkey was unable to move, only able to turn its eyes back.
The Rakshasa woman released her grip, and her gaze towards Zhang Chengming held a hint of apprehension.
She gripped the soft sword at her waist and said in a deep voice, "Daoist Master, what do you mean by this?"
Zhang Chengming stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the distance: "I'm just keeping an eye on it for you. Otherwise, this beast still has the nature of a demon. If I hadn't seen that it still had a connection with that young fellow Daoist, I would have killed it long ago, which would have been avenging those who died unjustly."
The Rakshasa woman remained silent for a moment, then slowly released her grip on the sword.
The monkey couldn't move or make a sound; it could only listen!
Hearing the curses of the crowd in the distance, and the clanking of shackles,
I could hear my heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode in my chest.
Zhang Chengming withdrew his gaze and looked again at the monkey that was frozen in place.
He walked slowly closer and looked down at the monkey spirit.
The monkey glared at him, its eyes practically burning with anger.
Zhang Chengming smiled faintly: "Do you know why he killed him?"
The monkey couldn't speak.
Zhang Chengming continued, "I saw most of the process from the hillside outside the temple. He killed you, so according to the laws of Jisaguo, he should be executed immediately."
He spoke slowly, word by word, as if teaching a wild monkey that knew nothing of human affairs.
"Even if the young Taoist priest has extraordinary cultivation, as long as he doesn't dare to slaughter mortals indiscriminately, the current situation cannot be resolved."
He leaned down slightly, looking into the monkey's bloodshot eyes.
"You want to save him, don't you? I'd like to see whether you intend to use your iron rod to kill all the civil and military officials, or all the Buddhist monks in the city!"
The monkey trembled all over, but couldn't move an inch.
Only the red light in his eyes flickered as if it were about to bleed.
Zhang Chengming straightened up, refusing to look at it again, and gazed in that direction with his hands behind his back.
"He is a man who can sacrifice his own life for the sake of brotherhood."
Zhang Chengming spoke softly, his tone tinged with pity.
"He expects to suffer for you, thinking that if you don't repent, how can you face him?"
"It sounds touching, but it's actually using emotions to coerce a monster. It's so naive and ignorant that it's disgusting."
"How foolish! Our Longhu Mountain has been slaying demons and monsters for thousands of years, and we have long seen through your true nature."
Zhang Chengming shook his head, marveling at the youthful insight he had shown during their earlier casual conversation.
The Rakshasa woman was displeased and coldly retorted, "Then do you have a way to have the best of both worlds?"
Zhang Chengming sneered: "If I were this beast's human brother? Hmph! How dare a mere monkey demon kill us, the most intelligent of all beings? Do we need to interrogate it again? Just drag it into the Demon Locking Tower and torture it for a lifetime, extract its soul, extract its core, boil it in oil, grind it until it dies and its soul is destroyed. Only then can we be considered to uphold justice."
With just one word, the Rakshasa woman felt extremely terrified.
The monkey's eyes flickered violently with red shadows as it struggled desperately.
But the immobilization talisman remained completely still, its power far exceeding what it could currently withstand.
Just then, a sudden, orderly clamor arose from the other end of the long street.
The flames meandered like a dragon as a group of monks carrying torches hurried toward them.
"The people from Jin Guang Temple have arrived," the Rakshasa woman whispered.
Zhang Chengming glanced at it, a playful smile appearing on his lips: "You've come at the perfect time. I'd like to see how you intend to deal with this sacred Buddhist site."
He turned to look at the monkey, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.
The Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain have the utmost contempt for non-human beings.
In the bright firelight that the Rakshasa saw, a group of monks approached quickly.
The three men at the front were dressed as martial monks, wielding staffs that reached their eyebrows, their eyes gleaming like lightning.
Following behind was an elderly monk wearing a purple-red robe, with kind and gentle features.
The old monk was the abbot of the Jin Guang Temple Zen Monastery, and his Dharma name was Jingchen.
Looking around, there was another nun dressed in plain clothes, who was of the same status.
She was about middle-aged, with a thin face, but her eyes revealed an indescribable sense of compassion, as if all the suffering in the world was a pain in her heart.
The nun held a jade bottle in her hand, with a sprig of green bamboo inserted inside. Dressed in pure white, she possessed a refined and otherworldly charm amidst the bloodshed and wailing in the street.
This is Abbess Jingyuan from Shuiyue Nunnery outside the city.
As the three monks approached, they first saw a fellow patrolman lying on the ground groaning.
The leading martial monk instructor frowned and hissed, "Disgraceful! You can't even handle a teenager? You've completely disgraced Jin Guang Temple!"
The monk on the ground struggled to get up, but the movement aggravated his injuries, causing him to sweat profusely from the pain.
He lowered his head in shame: "Senior brother is right, that boy... his martial arts are incredibly strange..."
"Shut up." Chief Abbot Jingchen raised his hand to stop them.
His voice was as deep as a temple bell at dawn, startling the martial arts instructor.
The head monk, Jingchen, shouted, "Don't get angry unnecessarily! He has already done his best; why add fuel to the fire?"
The instructor immediately clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "Master, please forgive me for being attached to appearances."
Chief Abbot Jingchen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the groaning wounded on the ground, then turning to the caravan guards with severed limbs on the street, his brows furrowing.
He turned to Abbess Jingyuan and bowed with his hands clasped together, saying, "Abbess, you have come from afar as a guest, and you should not have to go to such trouble."
"However, most of these injured people are ordinary people. Although I have some cultivation, my skills in healing are very rudimentary. Please, Master, have mercy and help them?"
Master Jingyuan raised her eyes and her gaze swept across the long street.
She took in all the wounded, those with severed limbs, those wailing, those bleeding profusely.
She nodded gently: "You flatter me, Abbot. How can a monk not help those in suffering?"
After saying that, she slowly stepped forward.
The street was a scene of devastation, with pools of blood still wet and severed limbs scattered everywhere.
The injured were lying or sitting, their groans rising and falling.
Their relatives surrounded them, wailing and lamenting, but were helpless.
Master Jingyuan walked to the middle of the injured and stopped.
She held the bottle in her left hand and gently picked up the green bamboo leaf with her right.
Dewdrops still clung to the bamboo leaves, refracting tiny, crystalline patterns in the firelight.
The nun closed her eyes, her lips moving slightly.
No one could hear what she was chanting. The sound of her chanting was faint, as if it came from a great distance, or as if it were whispering in their ear, making them feel at ease and comfortable.
The dewdrops on the bamboo leaves in the bottle began to tremble, one, two, three...
They began to tumble into the bottle, splashing up tiny ripples.
The water in the bottle slowly began to glow.
At first, it was just a faint light, like fireflies in the night.
It then grew brighter and brighter, filling the entire bottle with water.
Naturally, it was generated by her magical power.
In the blink of an eye, the mutton-fat jade bottle radiated a warm white light, as if it contained a full moon.
The nun opened her eyes, her gaze clear and bright.
"Sweet rain brings salvation... The wondrous Dharma returns to its origin."
She spoke softly, raised the bamboo stick, dipped it lightly into the bottle, and then splashed it high into the air!
The moment the bamboo branches were raised, countless fine water droplets splashed out, turning into a misty rain that enveloped the entire long street!
The light rain was like fragments of moonlight, like stars falling.
Some of the milky white light spots landed on the one-armed guard, quickly causing the wounded flesh to writhe and even the broken white bone to regrow. However, he was also in so much pain that his face turned pale, and he was both surprised and delighted.
The others are just average.
From severed arms and hands to broken legs and feet, they all began to regenerate.
Until the wounds healed instantly, the scabs fell off, and their skin was as smooth as ever, it was as if they had never been injured!
"This...this..."
A guard who had just been wailing while clutching his severed arm now stared wide-eyed.
He looked at his arm, now completely healed, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.
He first tried making a fist, and his five fingers were flexible and strong.
I tried raising my arm again, and my joints moved freely.
Suddenly, the guard knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily in the direction of Abbess Jingyuan.
He slammed his forehead against the bluestone slab, making a loud thud.
"Bodhisattva! Bodhisattva has appeared! Bodhisattva is merciful!"
That shout seemed to ignite the entire street.
The merchant, whose leg had been reattached, struggled to his feet, knelt on the ground, and cried out in tears, "Bodhisattva! Thank you, Bodhisattva, for saving my life!"
The families of the injured, who had been wailing uncontrollably, were stunned to see their loved ones unharmed. They then knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly, crying, "Bodhisattva, have mercy! Bodhisattva, have great compassion!"
Many ordinary people, who were originally just watching, were deeply shocked to witness such a miracle!
This is a true case of life and death! To heal the wounded and restore the flesh!
Their knees buckled at the sight, they were utterly astonished, and one after another they knelt down.
"The Bodhisattva has appeared!"
"May the Bodhisattva protect us!"
May the Bodhisattva protect my entire family and keep us safe and sound!
The dark mass of people knelt down in the blink of an eye.
Only a few people who were still able to stand had their heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the figure in plain clothes.
Master Jingyuan held a jade bottle, bathed in the kneeling and shouts of countless people, yet her face showed no sign of pride.
She gently shook her head, her voice soft and calm:
"This humble nun possesses only a little supernatural power; there is no need for you, esteemed benefactors, to do so."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd, and said, word by word:
"As long as one sincerely serves the Buddha, upholds the precepts, and practices diligently, everyone can be freed from difficulties and attain liberation."
These words further excited the kneeling crowd.
"The nun is right! We will certainly worship Buddha sincerely from now on!"
"Please, Master, enlighten me!"
"Please have mercy, nun! Please accept me!"
The sounds of kowtowing rose and fell, and the chanting of Buddhist prayers never ceased.
Standing to the side, Chief Abbot Jingchen watched this scene and nodded slightly.
He put his palms together and said, "Master, you have great supernatural powers. On behalf of these injured people, I thank you for your compassion."
Abbess Jingyuan returned the greeting, saying, "No need for such formalities, Head Abbess. This is simply the duty of a nun."
She put away the jade bottle, but her gaze inadvertently drifted to a spot not far away, landing on the figure of a young man standing in shackles.
Such demeanor is truly remarkable.