Chapter 92 - 89 Demon

Chapter 92: Chapter 89 DemonLady Lianhua was also silent, When Zhou Xuan’s storytelling began with a master taking in a Fish Demon as a disciple, she felt, "The storyteller’s tale was indeed fascinating, yet the ending was inevitably mundane." Day and night, she pondered Buddhism in the temple, while those around her recounted Zen stories, usually involving some disciple being taken in by a master, who then taught them the scriptures and Buddhist teachings. In such narratives, the focus was always on the master, never on the disciple’s thoughts and feelings, much less their confusion and inner demons. She assumed that Zhou Xuan’s "Water Buddha" story would be the same, but to her surprise, in the latter part of the story, the Fish Demon felt unworthy of becoming a Buddha—even going so far as to narrate all its inner demons, with the master answering each in turn. Every question and answer seemed predetermined, Every sip and bite had its cause. "The young master is a sage! The Fish Demon’s inner demons are similar to mine, yet they always have some differences." Lady Lianhua suddenly had a bold idea; she wanted to reveal her true inner demons to Zhou Xuan, hoping he could resolve her years of confusion. However, asking questions of the storyteller before they left the stage was against the rules. But she could no longer wait, so she broke the rules. "Since the young master broke the rules in storytelling, it indicates he’s a free-spirited person. If he’s so carefree, why should I be restricted?" Lady Lianhua’s eyes suddenly turned red as she used her Perception to communicate with Zhou Xuan. "Young master, I am Lianhua. If you can hear my transmission, please nod." Zhou Xuan, with strong Perception, could certainly hear her, and he nodded slightly to indicate he understood. No wonder he was a storyteller of the Four Pillars; his Perception was astonishing. As soon as she asked, he received it through his perception. Lady Lianhua silently praised Zhou Xuan and then transmitted, "These tumors all over my body are because I was cursed at birth, making me appear monstrous. The pain is unbearable every day, and the number of tumors increases dramatically every day. I can only cut away hundreds of tumors daily to prevent them from becoming overwhelming. During times of drought, when the disaster victims were pitiable, they took the tumors I discarded and ate them—not out of my inherent compassion to save them, For over a decade, experiencing seven droughts, I’ve heard a Buddha Bell, after which my tumors, when eaten, provided some benefits. Some became physically stronger, while others gained wisdom... My Buddha’s name grew more renowned, yet I never heard that second Buddha Bell! I have reflected for many years, always feeling it’s because I lack a true heart to save others, not having the Buddha’s sincere compassion to rescue the suffering, preventing my Buddhist nature from advancing. Instead, it has turned into an inner demon." Zhou Xuan, after listening carefully, realized that Lady Lianhua was trapped in a stubborn mindset, not open-minded. If the acts of saving people are present, is it so vital whether there is a sincere heart to save them? He again extended his hand, smoothing the tablecloth, stood straight, opened a folded fan, and with a slight smile, said, "There’s a saying, ’A gentleman judges by deeds, not by the heart.’ I bet the Buddha and Bodhisattva are the same!" Lady Lianhua’s expression was stunned, the bewilderment in her eyes quickly faded. "Dong! Dong! Dong!" Three Buddha Bell sounds echoed in her heart. Lady Lianhua hurriedly had Huang Jiu help her up, kneeling in a devotee’s posture toward Zhou Xuan. Zhou Xuan smiled silently, gently waving the folded fan in his hand... ... The guests at the banquet had dispersed, and Zhou Xuan also went to bid Lady Lianhua farewell, intending to return to the Zhou Family’s Troupe. "Master, let me see you off." Lady Lianhua’s Buddha Tone, because of Zhou Xuan, rang again decades later. In the heart of the Buddhist temple’s abbot, this was a sense of guidance, making it reasonable to call him "Master." "Alright," Zhou Xuan replied. Lady Lianhua’s figure was too large to fit in the usual covered sedan, so she sat in an uncovered one, and Zhou Xuan also chose a bamboo sedan. "Mr. Storyteller, next time it’s my birthday, you must come." The little yellow-skinned ones hesitated to part with Zhou Xuan, their hearts still ablaze, chasing after to secure tickets for Zhou Xuan’s next show. "Shoo, you little brats! No manners, call him Master Grandfather!" Lady Lianhua scolded her great-grandchildren. "..." Zhou Xuan. This single storytelling session has elevated my seniority. As the sedan left the temple, Lady Lianhua waved to Huang Tianfeng, saying, "Mr. Huang, let me do the escorting on this journey. You’re too careless, I’m afraid you won’t serve the master well." Huang Tianfeng: "..." Ma’am, didn’t you just praise me for my sense of propriety a few days ago? Despite feeling wronged, Huang Tianfeng still had to fulfill his duties. He signaled the sedan bearers to lower it first, then tiptoed and whispered something to the seated Lady Lianhua. "Such a thing?" Lady Lianhua furrowed her brow and sent Huang Tianfeng back to the temple first. Once the sedan moved smoothly, Lady Lianhua said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, I’m afraid there’s someone stirring up trouble in the Zhou Family’s Troupe." "Who?" "I don’t know, but Huang Tianfeng smelled a scent in the Zhou Family’s Troupe, the scent of our kind." "Are there members of the Huang Family hidden in the Zhou Family’s Troupe?" "By kind, I mean our Demon Clan, not specifically the yellow-skinned kind. I’ll find out by sniffing once I’m there." "Thank you, ma’am." Zhou Xuan cupped his fists in gratitude. "No thanks necessary, master. You have helped me, Lianhua, so much. For how many years, I haven’t heard the Buddha Bell sound, and today it resounded three times." How would I know that sharing a little mental encouragement would make the Buddha Bell resonate for you? "My savior, I beg you to tell me how I should cultivate further to advance my Buddha Dharma." Hehe, This question hits my blind spot! Zhou Xuan himself found accumulating incense challenging; how would he know how Buddhists should cultivate? But not answering wasn’t an option, otherwise, it’d dishearten the ma’am, wouldn’t it? For questions he couldn’t answer, Zhou Xuan, as a former minor leader, had experience in handling them—less is more. Say one word rather than two, and as for the rest... the rest you slowly comprehend on your own. Zhou Xuan said with a breezy demeanor, "As it was before, so it shall be in the future!" Upon hearing this, Lady Lianhua immediately fathomed that her three bell sounds today, though guided by Zhou Xuan’s words, were not without the foundation of decades of cultivation and the Wish Power earned from doing good deeds. Moreover, the words had another layer of meaning, warning her not to reach too high just because the bell sounded again, but to continue cultivating groundedly—this is how Lady Lianhua interpreted it. A splendid saying: As it was before, so it shall be in the future. "I have comprehended it; thank you, master." Lady Lianhua was again thrilled. Zhou Xuan let out a sigh of relief; he just liked those with high comprehension, where he only needed to start, and the rest of the song they could finish themselves! In her excitement, Lady Lianhua felt that today’s gift was too light. She removed the white jade ring from her thumb and handed it to Zhou Xuan: "I’ve worn this ring for many years, and within the four prefectures, the Huang family sees it as if seeing me. Benefactor, please accept it. If you encounter trouble in the future, you can directly seek our Huang Family." "I’m very embarrassed." Zhou Xuan said so, but his hands were quick to accept it. ... Zhou Xuan’s sedan arrived at the Zhou Family’s Troupe, where Yu Zhengyuan was still waiting; he was eager to know the result of Zhou Xuan’s storytelling today, as it related to the Zhou Family’s Troupe’s future business. As a result, when he saw Zhou Xuan returning in an uncovered bamboo sedan, he felt a sense of foreboding. They went with a grand sedan borne by eight carriers, returning with a bamboo sedan for two carriers—hardly the same level. However, since it wasn’t successful, then so be it. Yu Zhengyuan adjusted his mood and went to help Zhou Xuan out of the sedan: "Xuanzi, well done, well done, come to Senior Brother’s room, have a drink to refresh yourself..." "Senior Brother, you’re blocking the sedan; look behind you." Upon turning, Yu Zhengyuan saw the enormous figure of Lady Lianhua at the Zhou Family’s Troupe entrance, her sedan blocked by Zhou Xuan’s, unable to enter. "Oh?!" Yu Zhengyuan wondered if he was imagining things—Huang Tianfeng had received them, and Lady Lianhua sent them back, What did he say? They are not in the same class! Yu Zhengyuan quickly moved aside as Zhou Xuan and Lady Lianhua walked toward the outer courtyard corner. Leaving to meditate in place by himself. "Lady Lianhua personally sent them back, what tremendous face is that? Henceforth the Zhou Family’s Troupe’s business..." "Lao Yu, why are you still dumbfounded here?" Xu Li rejoiced as she jogged over: "Go to Luoying Hall!" "Why go there in the middle of the night?" "The phone has been ringing off the hook! They’re all big bosses from Ping Shui Prefecture wanting to have a heart-to-heart with us; my wisdom won’t suffice, and the second brother is struggling by the phone reception; he’s about to give up, you must quickly go!" "Alright, alright," Yu Zhengyuan hurried to Luoying Hall, so anxious as he ran, he didn’t notice when one shoe fell off. ... After two rounds in the corner of the outer courtyard with Zhou Xuan, Lady Lianhua’s sedan, "Master, there’s indeed a wisp of demon smell, but it’s too faint to determine a location." "How come I couldn’t notice it?" Zhou Xuan wondered. "Demons are more familiar with the scent of demons; humans aren’t as acquainted, but I feel this demon isn’t just demon; it’s an Alien Ghost." "Do Alien Ghosts also have a demon scent?" "Some Alien Ghosts do. The bloodline of Alien Ghosts is very complex, but the dominant bloodline—if it belongs to the demon—would indeed carry a strong demon scent." "We demons have some techniques to hide our aura, even surpassing the Incense Fire Level in some cases. It might only be at the level of three or four incense, yet Seven-Eight Pillars of Perception or Ghosts would be unable to detect it, Thus, our demon bodies are often taken by cultivators as materials for Forbidden Artifacts or Magic Artifacts. Ah, it’s getting late; master, I’ll return to the temple for now. When you have time, I’ll come again to hear you speak of the Buddha." "Alright, alright," Zhou Xuan nodded. "By the way... my sense of guidance is unforgettable, and according to guidance rules..." Lady Lianhua took a knife and sliced off a small part of her golden tumor from her chest, handing it to Zhou Xuan: "This carries the Buddha nature I cultivated. Although master does not need it, please graciously accept it." Zhou Xuan truly accepted it, receiving the golden tumor with a smile. Lady Lianhua then took off a Bodhi Bracelet and placed it on Zhou Xuan. Giving one’s own Buddhist tools to the one they guided is also a rule of guidance. ... Zhou Lingyi’s chamber. After calling Yu Zhengyuan, Xu Li found Zhou Lingyi and shared the troupe’s joyful news. As Zhou Xuan entered his sister’s room, Zhou Lingyi congratulated him. "Congratulations, brother, your first major stage, and it was a huge success. Oh, Lady Lianhua even gave you half a Buddha Tumor? That’s a treasure, containing pure Buddha Power stronger than that of Ten Fingers." Though Ten Fingers was an Alien Ghost, he had just descended, so his Buddha Power naturally couldn’t compare to Lady Lianhua’s years of Buddhist cultivation. "There’s some element of luck, sister. I’m embarrassed by such praise." Zhou Xuan told Zhou Lingyi, "Sister, the lady noticed, there’s a demon scent in our yard, and that demon seems to be an Alien Ghost." "Is that so? No wonder I couldn’t find any sign; I understand. Go to sleep, brother; storytelling for so long must have been tiring." "Alright." Zhou Xuan left with the golden Buddha Tumor. Zhou Lingyi bit her finger and drew a Blood Talisman on the table with Finger Blood. She swiped her palm over the Blood Talisman, causing it to ignite. "A Demon Clan Alien Ghost is lurking in the Zhou Family’s Troupe. Invoke the Exorcism You Shen!" The God Traveling Department has divisions with their areas of expertise; Exorcism You Shen understands the nature of spirit monsters the best. ... Zhou Xuan checked his incense offering, which had burned past nine inches. Though today’s storytelling audience was not as numerous as at the Zhou Family’s Troupe’s, the incense increased even faster. He thought, perhaps it was due to Lady Lianhua’s overly devout reverence and her pure Wish Power. "This Buddha Tumor, consuming it might elevate me to two incense! I’ll let it sit for a day, and tomorrow I’ll admire the scenery of the Zhou Family’s Troupe; come nightfall, I’ll consume it." Zhou Xuan was greatly reluctant to leave the Zhou Family’s Troupe... Zhou Xuan placed the Buddha Tumor on the table and lay down to sleep. As he slept deeply, the Buddha Tumor melted like ice cream, and the melted part transformed into wisps of golden gas that flowed toward Zhou Xuan’s brow. With the influx of golden air, the incense in Zhou Xuan’s Secret Realm burned faster. Nine inches two, nine inches five, nine inches eight... ps: Good brothers, today I updated ten thousand words, love you, I’ll try to update at 8 pm from now on. I recommend a new historical book written by a good friend, "Water Margin: Becoming a Constable in Yanggu County." It’s a fantastic read, history lovers should definitely check it out.