Wofo Mountain is located among the rolling mountains in the southwest of Qi County. The entire mountain looks like a reclining Buddha. The Wanfo Temple is backed by the "Buddha's" chest and abdomen. It is not particularly large as a whole, but the mountain gate and temples are extremely majestic. The inner and outer mountain gates are carved from huge rocks, the Heavenly King Hall is hollowly carved, and long rows of wind chimes are hung from the four eaves. There are also low houses with accumulated yellow fallen leaves. Everywhere you can see pilgrims and monks in gray and simple robes holding the Buddha's hands and folding their hands.
The monk in charge of reception walked in front, occasionally turning back, clasping his hands and bowing, then leading the scholar behind him around to the backyard of the temple.
"Master Lu, this way please."
Lu Liangsheng nodded, looked at the several large halls of the Heavenly King and the Great Hero in front of him, and continued to move forward with the monk in front of him, saying a few words from time to time.
"Master Fa Jing, hasn't he left the temple to practice Buddhism?"
“… Senior Brother Fajing has indeed left the temple, but because our uncle entered Zen and attained enlightenment, he stayed behind to guard the gate.”
"I see."
After passing a wooden sign with "No Visitors Allowed" written on it, you enter the backyard of Wanfo Temple. The surrounding area is much quieter. Between the high and low terrain, several tall pines stand tall, with lush branches and leaves spreading out their tree cages. Among them is a dragon claw pine, with thick roots protruding from the ground and spreading in all directions. Under the lush canopy, bursts of chanting and reciting of Buddha's name can be heard from several row of temples with red walls and black tiles.
"Donor Lu, this is the Buddhist chanting hall, and the meditation hall is further ahead."
The monk in charge of reception explained, put his hands together and bowed again, then quickly walked around the place, for fear of disturbing the fellow disciples who were chanting scriptures inside. After walking about a hundred steps, he stopped in front of a few houses, turned around and bowed to the scholar.
"Master Lu, we have arrived. I will take my leave."
"Thank you for leading the way, young master."
Lu Liangsheng raised his sleeves and bowed, waiting for the monk in charge of reception to leave. He strode towards the meditation rooms over there, turned around the temple wall with red walls and black tiles, and a smile appeared on his face. In the distance, outside a meditation room in front of him, a fat figure was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, with his right foot placed on his left foot, doing the Vajra posture.
Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, the fat monk opened his eyes, a smile appeared on his big round face, he stood up, wearing linen monk shoes, and clasped his hands together.
"My Buddha... Mercy, Lu Shi, Lord, why did you come to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple..."
"I came here specially to see Master Zhenhai."
Lu Liangsheng looked at the tall and fat monk in front of him, and felt more at peace than before in Wujiang Mountain. After going over to return the greeting, he invited the fat monk to walk under the eaves and told him the whole story. He emphasized that when the fragments of the demon star possessed people or demons, it would bring strange changes.
The latter listened with a frown, stopped and looked back at the Zen room over there.
"Master Lu, this poor monk, ever since I came back from Wujiang Mountain, I have entered the temple and entered into Zen and realized the Buddha. I have never stepped out of the temple. That is why this poor monk is also here, waiting for me all the time... So, I will go over and ask you."
"Thank you for your help."
Lu Liangsheng bowed his hands to express his gratitude. Fajing shook his head and said, "It's my duty." He then went to the meditation room over there, arrived outside the door of the room where his master was in seclusion, and chanted the Buddha's name.
Then, the voice spread like a bronze bell.
"Fa, Jing asks to see you, Master."
No sound came from the tightly closed door. It was as quiet as before. Fa Jing stood up straight and said, "Master, Lu Shi, I have come a long way from Chang'an to see you. Can you come out and meet me?"
The courtyard is quiet and warm, with the rustling of ancient trees and the gentle swaying of branches. A few yellowish leaves swirled and quietly fell to the eaves.
There was still no sound coming out of the room under the eaves. Lu Liangsheng sighed, stretched out his hand to stop Fa Jing who was about to speak, glanced at the door, and said softly:
"Master Fajing, there is no need to shout anymore. I think your master is in seclusion in meditation at a critical moment. When he comes out, you can just tell him what I just said."
“I’m really… I’m a little sorry…” Monk Fajing also felt a little apologetic. Seeing that the scholar was about to leave, he extended his hand to invite him and walked aside with his seal in hand.
"This poor monk gives it to you."
"No, Master, please stop."
Lu Liangsheng raised his hand to ask the monk to stop. He did not force him any more and turned to leave under the long eaves. Fajing sighed, shook the Buddhist beads around his neck, and dragged his fat body back to the outside of the meditation room. He had just sat down cross-legged when an old voice came from the door behind him.
"The Dharma is pure..."
Hearing these somewhat weak words, the fat monk stood up quickly before his butt even touched the cushion, facing the door and clasping his hands together.
"Master, I am here."
After a long while, inside the room, the old monk Zhenhai spoke slowly and weakly in silence.
"Master... I dreamed of your uncle yesterday."
A soft voice was heard, and then it became quiet again. Fa Jing stood there in a daze for a long time, and no sound came. He sat back on the cushion and started the Vajra posture.
Looking at the swaying pine trees outside, I sighed with some regret.
"I am in the Buddhist sect but I cannot save sentient beings..."
…
The sky gradually turned redder. Lu Liangsheng walked out of the temple where the smoke of incense was curling up, and went straight to where the old donkey was tied. He led the reins in the direction he had come, walked across the iron chain in the mountain stream, passed through the tree-lined path and the noisy pilgrims, and returned to the foot of the mountain.
Boom!
The evening bell rang from far away on the Sleeping Buddha Mountain behind him. The scholar stopped, looked back at the lying mountain, held the reins, and continued walking north.
"Liangsheng, does that old bald donkey disagree?"
The door of the bookshelf compartment creaked open, and the Toad Taoist kicked his legs a few times and climbed up with all his strength. In the three words "old bald donkey", the old donkey dragged the reins and turned his face to the side. The toad patted its head with its flipper: "I'm not talking about you."
Afterwards, Dalala stretched out his short legs and sat down. While tying the rope around his waist, he looked up at his apprentice who was holding the reins in front of him.
Lu Liangsheng shook his head, then laughed: "I didn't even get to see him. Monk Zhenhai is in seclusion to understand Buddhism and won't see any outsiders."
"Hmph." The Toad Taoist hugged his webbed feet and snorted coldly, tilting his head to look at the mountains gradually receding behind him, "Isn't that what Bald Donkey does? When he wanted to cause trouble for his master, he came without saying a word."
"That's not necessarily the case. How many people can sacrifice their lives for Buddha, Master Zhenkong?"
Lu Liangsheng narrowed his eyes, looking at the burning red clouds in the west. Bathed in the red glow, he walked along the official road, leading his old donkey and shaking the copper bell, listening to the echoing bells in the distance.
"Maybe, it's not the right time."
Lu Liangsheng said it casually as if jokingly, and waved his wide sleeves, and his figure and the slow-walking old donkey flashed away for several feet. According to the previous plan, after coming to Wanfo Temple in the east, no matter whether persuasion can be successful, he will go north to Chengyunmen to meet up with Lao Sun. Of the two major sects, one of them will succeed, right
The original plan was to search for the fragments of the demon star along the way, but along the way, they didn't even encounter a demon or ghost. But this is also good, at least no civilians were harmed.
The sun gradually sets, and the last ray of light shines on the foothills.
Flocks of birds returned to the forest, chirping non-stop. Lu Liangsheng was leading the old donkey, chatting with his master who was holding a pair of long ears on the donkey's head. After going down a gentle slope, in front of them, there was smoke from the mountain village. The diversion of the Qi River was not far from the village, winding through the foot of the mountain. Amid the sparkling water, there were many farmers carrying hoes and walking on the muddy road in the fields.
"I miss Lujia Village a little bit." Taoist Toad sighed as he watched this scene.
"Yes, a little bit, but we don't have to sleep outdoors tonight."
Seeing that it was getting dark, Lu Liangsheng pulled his old donkey down the hillside. In the field he passed by, there happened to be an old farmer walking up the ridge with a water bottle and a hoe on his shoulder. When he saw the man and the donkey coming from afar, he vigilantly put down his hoe.
"Sir, what brings you to our village?"
The old man's words attracted the nearby villagers. The people in the mountains were very united. When they saw strangers coming to the village, they did not go back home for the time being. They came over with hoes, stood next to the old farmer, and looked up and down at the donkey and the scholar in a blue shirt and white robe.
"I have been traveling around and learning a lot. It is getting dark and I saw that there are people living here. I came here and wanted to ask you guys to stay for a night. Is that okay?"
Lu Liangsheng loosened the reins, raised his hands to the villagers, and used his magical power to make his forehead sweat. A few villagers who came over saw that he was covered in sweat, his clothes were wet, and he looked quite embarrassed. They looked at each other, went back and whispered a few words, and then someone came over.
"It's not easy for a scholar like you to travel such a long distance, so you can stay in the village for one night. But I have to tell you in advance that you can't leave the room at night and leave at dawn!"
People in the mountains have their own rules. Besides, there are few lights or candles in the mountains, and there are wild beasts roaming around at night, so these rules are not considered strange.
Lu Liangsheng nodded, bowed to express his gratitude, and followed the old farmer back to the village. There were very few scholars at this time, especially in this mountain village. When a scholar suddenly came, many people went out to see the novelty.
"That scholar is very handsome, better looking than the guys in the village."
"Maybe he's the son of a wealthy family in the city..."
"That's really brave of you to go to the mountains alone, not afraid of encountering wild beasts or bandits."
"Who said it wasn't, but... He's really handsome, I wonder if he wants a woman at night..."
"You're so sexy."
They waited until it was completely dark, watched the villagers having fun, and then returned to their homes.