Rustle, rustle, rustle~~~
The wind was blowing violently, and the pine branches were swaying wildly in the slanting sunlight.
Amidst the roar of a King Kong, Lu Liangsheng's hair flew back. He listened to the panicked chirping of birds around him. He held the scabbard of the sword in one hand, looked at the old monk, and spoke in a calm voice.
"Master, you have devoted yourself to the Buddhist teachings. Don't you know that you can become a Buddha right away if you put down your butcher knife? You were guilty of serious crimes in the past. Now that you have turned over a new leaf, can't you show mercy?"
"It is a serious sin, but Buddhism cannot save everyone!"
The old monk put down the golden bowl and looked into the eyes of the scholar. His voice was gentle, but it sounded like the roar of a Buddhist lion, scaring the surrounding birds so much that they flew out of the woods.
Seeing that the scholar was calm, he nodded.
"Your cultivation is gone now, but you have a righteous spirit, which is extraordinary. But the benefactor must understand that a monster is a monster. If you convert him, the lives that were destroyed by him are wronged!"
Lu Liangsheng had encountered such situations many times and was quite experienced. He loosened his scabbard, shook his wide sleeves, and bowed with a smile.
"Master, you are too kind. I am just an ordinary scholar, but I am also reasonable. I feel guilty about what my master did back then, and I cannot make excuses. But if I were in a different position, Master, you might want to think about it. Is it worthwhile to kill my master today and exchange his life for the hundreds of lives lost back then?"
sophistry!
The old monk from Zhenhai narrowed his eyes, his beard trembling. He couldn't answer this question. If he did, the scholar would lead him astray. If he continued talking along the same lines, there would be no end to it.
"Master, you dare not say it?"
Lu Liangsheng looked at the other person with a smile, but in fact, his palms, which were hanging on his knees, were full of cold sweat. It was a bit risky to argue with a Buddhist master, but he had to take the risk. His life was connected with his master, and if he died, he would not be able to live either.
The only way is to pretend to be stronger and not let yourself fall behind.
This is also what is said in "Ce Dui". Even if you are not sure, you should appear confident.
"Since the master is silent, I will speak."
This kind of confrontation requires momentum. Lu Liangsheng did not dare to show fear on his face and his attitude was always humble, just like an old and a young discussing worldly affairs.
"Liangsheng remembers a monk named Zhenkong. He is different from you, he is kind and considerate of cause and effect. He is also from Wanfo Temple. If he were here today, what do you think he would do?"
"Everyone participates in his own Zen, and each has his own understanding and awakening."
The old monk Zhenhai had a blank expression on his face. He looked at the scholar and shook his head: "Donor Lu, please stop wasting time and tell me where the Purple Star Demon Daoist is."
However, Lu Liangsheng did not answer directly and continued speaking his own words.
"… I think Monk Zhenkong will let my master go. The last time he came here, outside Tianzhi City, he knew that Taoist Zixing had reformed himself. If he kills someone who has reformed himself, it would go against Buddhist principles. So, does the master think that a person who is about to become good is a good person? If the master kills him, does it count as killing a good person?"
"It is true that an evil demon can't erase his past if he does good deeds, but if he can make up for his past and sincerely repent, then heaven and earth will not tolerate him? Even the Buddha that the master meditates on every day and night will not tolerate him?"
Even if you don't want to listen to the scholar's words, the voice can still affect your mind, especially when the scholar's words are mixed with righteousness, you can't help but listen.
"nonsense!"
The old monk Zhenhai stood up suddenly to interrupt the other party, and Lu Liangsheng also stood up, and his voice followed closely and became louder!
"Master, if you kill a sincerely repentant demon by mistake in the future, you will be worthy of the Buddha you kneel down to worship every day. As a disciple, Lu Liangsheng will also avenge the master and slaughter your Wanfo Temple!"
"You dare?!" Zhenhai took a step forward and roared.
Lu Liangsheng also took a step forward, glaring angrily: "I dared to do it! Master, at most you can kill me again, but who will kill you among the people I am friendly with?!"
The old monk with a bristling beard stared at the scholar who refused to budge. He devoted himself to the practice of Buddhism just to exorcise demons and accumulate merits worthy of the Buddha.
At this moment, he was speechless because of the righteous scholar. His wrinkled old face turned red and his ears were buzzing.
"After all, I am different from my elder brother. He uses Buddhist principles to guide people, while I use Buddhist teachings to subdue demons and monsters. Donor Lu, please stop wasting your words!"
"You don't understand!"
Lu Liangsheng ignored him, stared straight at the angry old monk, and simply uttered three words.
"Stop talking!"
The scholar walked over step by step, enunciating each word with his teeth biting heavily.
"You don't understand!"
"shut up!"
On the opposite side, the old monk shook his robe and roared: "Ah--" and swung his palm to hit out!
“… You are not aware! You are practicing Buddhism in vain—”
Lu Liangsheng watched as the Great Ming Monk's Demon-Subduing Seal, which was almost against his forehead, was slowly retracted. Monk Zhenhai glared at his own hand, gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sound, his beard trembling slightly with anger.
“I don’t understand or realize it… Hahaha!!”
Monk Zhenhai laughed loudly, his frown relaxed, and he looked at the scholar again. He got rid of the trouble of words, sobered up, and looked dignified.
"How shameless! I will wake you up, you who worship a demon as your master!"
A skinny hand stretched out from the sleeve of his robe, suddenly opened, the air exploded, and a palm was pushed forward.
—The Great Ming Lord’s Seal of Subduing Demons!
The wind was whistling as Lu Liangsheng drew out his sword with a clang. He pulled the sharp blade horizontally and it made contact with the opponent's palm with a clang. There was a sound of metal clashing and the scholar was shocked to step back. With his wide sleeves, he quietly grabbed a handful of furry things and threw them into the air.
'Monkey King, help me!'
Monk Zhenhai waved his sleeves to sweep away the flying hair. The next moment, a monkey no more than four feet long suddenly rushed into his sight. The Great Ming Seal he pushed out hit the monkey hard, knocking it away. At the same time, the hairs floating in the air turned into clouds of smoke with a few bangs.
Chirp, chirp—
Dozens and hundreds of monkeys were dancing with sticks and roaring, rushing towards him from all directions, pulling his robes and cassocks to climb on him, or swinging sticks to hit him. Amidst the hysterical roars, the old monk was instantly wrapped tightly by the monkeys and buried inside.
Upon seeing this, Lu Liangsheng turned around and ran down the mountain with Yuelong Sword in hand. Although the monkey had a lot of hair, there was a time limit and it could only temporarily trap the monk who was too obsessed. If he didn't take the opportunity to leave, he might not be able to leave.
boom-
At the top of the mountain, a golden light exploded, and the monkeys flew into the air, scattering everywhere, falling to the ground, and turning into short hairs again.
Under the old pine tree, Monk Zhenhai's robe fluttered, and golden light and Buddhist aura lingered all around. His majestic eyes swept across the top of the mountain, and the scholar's figure could not be seen. He rushed to the edge of the cliff, holding a golden bowl, and roared like a Vajra.
"land-
good-
born!!!"
The powerful and violent roar echoed throughout the surrounding foothills, startling flocks of flying birds, which circled in black on the mountaintops.
In the forest with undulating branches and leaves, Lu Liangsheng was stumbling and running, holding on to the trees. Hearing the sound, he looked back, but did not dare to stop and continued to move forward. He had received a palm strike from the other party before, and his right hand holding the sword could not stop shaking, and he felt a dull pain in his internal organs.
"I can't stop... Hong Lian, Qi You and the Taoist should be looking for me by now. If I join them, I can't say I can defeat the monk, but at least I won't be caught."
Swallowing his saliva, Lu Liangsheng continued walking down a gentle slope. Through the gaps between the trees, he could vaguely see a road outside. He didn't know where the monk had taken him, but if there was a road, at least he could walk. If he met a woodcutter or a caravan, he could even get a ride...
As he was thinking about it, he walked out of the woods, pushed aside the messy weeds, and staggered to this mountain path. Just as he was about to identify the directions of both sides, he heard the sound of horse hooves.
Tap tap tap—
Turning around, she saw a horse carrying a figure galloping towards her at a bend in the woods behind her. The figure also saw the embarrassed scholar in the middle of the road and was so scared that she hurriedly pulled the reins. A woman's unique voice said, "Ah... Slow down... Stop now!"
The reins were tightened in the woman's hands. When the horse was about to hit the person in front, she stopped the horse, stood up, and let out a long neigh.
Herod
Lu Liangsheng looked at the warhorse in front of him raising its hooves. The injuries in his body flared up at this moment and he fell backwards with a bang.
"Hey, lie down before you even hit me, are you trying to blackmail me?!"
A woman in short clothes got off the stopped horse with a long sword slung around her waist. She walked over cursing and saw the man's face between his messy hair.
The woman opened her mouth slightly in shock.
"Mr. Lu..."
After reacting, the woman looked around, quickly dragged the scholar up, put him on the horse's back, jumped on the horse, cracked the whip, and quickly left.