Listening to Qi Lianmi's story, Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian's expressions gradually dimmed. Looking at Zhan Guo who was sitting in the corner of the flying boat behind them, they couldn't help but feel a little sympathy in their hearts.
It turned out that Zhan Guo was the king of the Shanhuan Kingdom. He had been fostered in a temple since he was young, so he was kind-hearted and believed in Buddhism. After the old king passed away, he naturally succeeded to the throne and became the new king.
After becoming the new king, he worked hard to govern the country, reduced taxes, built temples, spread kindness throughout the country, made great aspirations, and did good deeds, in the hope of achieving success through doing good and accumulating virtue.
During the short three years of his reign, he ordained himself as a monk several times, dedicated himself to the largest monastery in the country, the Konglin Monastery, and was redeemed by ministers at high prices several times.
Although Zhan Guo's several actions made the people live and work in peace and contentment and won the hearts of the people, he gradually aroused criticism from ministers and undercurrents surged in the court.
Finally one day, the general who held military power in the country launched a coup, put him under house arrest, and forced him to abdicate.
Zhan Guo had no interest in state affairs, so he obediently abdicated the throne.
The general did not make things difficult for him. He gave him some money and allowed him to move out of the palace with the princess and two princes and live an ordinary life.
Zhan Guo, who was originally pure and simple, did not feel too uncomfortable with the changes in his life. In addition, the princess was virtuous, so although his life became ordinary, he lived a peaceful and happy life, and the family was happy.
Even after becoming an ordinary person, Zhan Guo still did not forget to recite scriptures and worship Buddha. He continued to do good deeds and treat others with kindness in his life.
Until one day, Zhan Guo found a man covered in blood outside his house. Although he knew that the man was a well-known villain, he still believed that God was merciful and saved him and took good care of him.
Moreover, during this process, he was guided step by step with Buddhist scriptures and Zen principles, in the hope that he could return to the right path and abandon evil and do good.
However, who would have thought that the villain, instead of mending his evil ways, had evil intentions towards the princess who helped take care of him. He took advantage of Zhan Guo's absence to give alms and intended to defile the princess.
As a result, the princess refused to obey and was killed along with her two young princes.
By the time Zhan Guo returned, the villain had already escaped and it was too late.
Zhan Guo was in great pain when faced with the tragic plight of his wife and children. None of the insights he gained from years of meditation and worshipping Buddha could help him escape from the sea of suffering. All his pain and regret turned into the rage of a diamond, and he decided to find the evildoer and kill him to avenge himself.
However, when he finally found the villain after years of searching, the villain had already laid down his butcher knife and converted to Buddhism after being enlightened by a great monk.
When Zhan Guo came to his house, the villain knelt down in front of him with a look of regret, saying that he was haunted by past bad karma and that even after chanting scriptures and worshiping Buddha for many years, he still could not be truly at peace. He asked Zhan Guo to help him get rid of it.
Zhan Guo raised the steel knife high, but was unable to bring it down. He could see that the villain was truly repentant.
But driven by hatred, he decided to kill the villain, otherwise he could not face his dead wife and children.
But a senior monk from a nearby temple stopped him and told him: "Put down your butcher knife and you will become a Buddha right now."
Zhan Guo was in a trance and fell into confusion.