Chapter 89: Exorcise Demons In Wuji Kingdom
However, Ao Tu taught those Taoist Priests a cultivation method.
He didn’t teach any particularly powerful cultivation methods, merely extracting a small section from the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, the method of ‘tempering the body, cultivating Qi and preserving spirit’, and passing it to these Taoist Priests.
Those Taoist Priests had little experience of the world, and upon hearing this dharma, they acted as if they had heard the supreme truth, becoming entranced and ecstatic, kowtowing repeatedly to Ao Tu in thanks.
The elderly Taoist Priest shed tears of joy, looking toward Ao Tu and saying:
“We have bitterly cultivated the Dao for decades, yet it has been like scooping the moon from water or seeing flowers in the mist, ultimately a castle in the air. Now blessed by the Immortal Venerable’s grace, receiving the true method, this is truly the great fortune of a thousand generations! Dare we ask the Immortal Venerable’s esteemed title? We wish to revere you as our ancestral master, burning incense morning and night, offering worship day and night!”
Ao Tu said: “No need for offerings. This seat is Fu Zhu Zhen Shi Tian Zun, not of the Daoist Sect. Today, passing down this dharma is all due to fateful coincidence. You must not worship.”
In the blink of an eye, Ao Tu’s figure vanished.
Those Taoist Priests, having obtained the dharma, cultivated daily, their bodies becoming increasingly agile.
The progress of building the Buddhist Pagoda greatly increased.
The foundation was dug by hand without tools; the beams and pillars were lifted by manpower alone without ropes; felling trees and quarrying the mountain ridge, bringing mountain stones and giant timbers to build upon the Buddhist Pagoda.
Over time, the guarding soldiers gradually found it hard to control them.
Thus, they reported the situation upward.
After the King of Wuji Kingdom learned of this, he hurriedly found Ao Tu and said:
“Buddha, those Taoist Priests have obtained some dharma, now becoming immensely strong, walking on wind, and the soldiers cannot control them. What should be done?”
Ao Tu said: “Your Majesty, do not worry. This must be the demonic Taoist’s backer secretly teaching the method. You issue an order to summon the monks from Baolin Temple, and I have a plan.”
Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom issued an order summoning the monks from Baolin Temple.
The monks great and small from Baolin Temple all knelt in worship.
Ao Tu said: “I will teach you a set of dharma to control those Taoist Priests.”
The monks were overjoyed and all said: “Thank you, Buddha, for granting the dharma!”
Ao Tu spoke, teaching them some golden body Buddhist Dharma, and had the king fetch two hundred raw cowhide whips, infusing them with magic power, ensuring they caused bone-piercing pain when striking without harming the body.
Those monks, having obtained the dharma and taking up the enchanted whips, each acted as supervisors, whipping the Taoist Priests day and night.
The Taoist Priests, suffering the whippings, were in agony and could only work diligently by day and cultivate diligently by night to lessen the pain of the whippings.
Seeing this, the monks also cultivated day and night, advancing their Buddhist Dharma to more easily supervise and whip the Taoist Priests.
Thus, after three months, the Taoist Priests felled an entire old forest and hollowed out a great mountain, building the Buddhist Pagoda to sixty-six layers.
The King of Wuji Kingdom invited Ao Tu to a banquet and said: “Buddha, at this rate, in at most another three months, this Buddhist Pagoda will be completed.”
Ao Tu said: “Do not rush. After the Buddhist Pagoda is built, they can also build a pray-for-rain platform and an observatory tower.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom was greatly pleased and said: “Good, excellent! Zi Tong, Wang Er, come with me to toast the Buddha a cup!”
Such a magnificent structure, if built normally, would truly exhaust the national strength countless times, harming the people and wasting money.
Now, without expending national strength, merely using a group of Taoist Priests, it was built in half a year. Truly the great fortune of the nation.
The Queen and the Crown Prince together raised their cups to toast Ao Tu.
Speaking of this Queen, she had lived with that demonic Taoist for five years—why was she still favored by the king?
It turned out that the demonic Taoist was a castrated monster. Over these five years, though enjoying the three palaces and six courts, he was powerless and could only handle state affairs daily under the pretext of old age and declining strength.
Wherever the country suffered drought, he went there to cast spells to pray for rain; wherever there was disaster, he went there to cast spells to dispel it.
Now that the True King had returned to power and saw national peace and prosperity, he was naturally happy.
Thus, another three months passed, and the ninety-nine-layer towering Buddhist Pagoda was completed, soaring into the clouds, two hundred zhang tall in total. Each layer held carved stone Buddha Statues, with overhanging eaves for ventilation, bracket sets to ward off rain, Buddha halls for worship, scripture pillars for blessing, and a base supported by four corner Vajra foundation pillars, unyielding for ten thousand years, immovable even if the earth rolls.
This was truly built with divine strength.
If mortals were to build it, even exhausting ten generations’ national strength, it would be hard to achieve such a pagoda.
On the day the Buddhist Pagoda was completed, Ao Tu and the King of Wuji Kingdom toured the Precious Pagoda together.
The two entered the pagoda hand in hand. What a pagoda! Each layer was two zhang high, grand and majestic, with rows of carved stone Buddha Statues in various forms.
The King of Wuji Kingdom asked: “Buddha, why have these Buddha Statues not had their faces carved?”
Ao Tu said: “Your Majesty, the Buddha inherently has no form, thus no need for carving.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said: “If not carved, how will worshippers know which Buddha or which Bodhisattva they are worshiping?”
Ao Tu said: “If the worshipper has Buddha in their heart, what they worship is the Buddha in their heart; if they have no Buddha in their heart, even worshiping yields no Buddha.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom nodded as if understanding but not quite.
The two went to the second layer, viewing each one.
The third layer…
When reaching the seventh layer, the King of Wuji Kingdom felt his strength waning.
He stopped to rest and asked Ao Tu:
“Buddha, this king is old, my body declining. Earlier you said you came to ferry me—how can I attain Buddhahood?”
Ao Tu said: “Your Majesty, do you know why the common people worship Buddha?”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said: “This… it must be out of reverence for the Buddhist Dharma, hence they worship Buddha.”
Ao Tu smiled: “Your Majesty, you are a king who founded and established the nation—no need for such formality, speak freely.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said bashfully: “I made the Buddha laugh. In that case, this king thinks the common people worship Buddha because they seek something.”
Ao Tu said: “What do the common people seek?”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said: “Nothing more than wealth, sons, blessings, marriage, official position, safety, longevity.”
Ao Tu said: “The path to Buddhahood lies therein.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said: “What do you mean?”
Ao Tu said: “You, as lord of a nation, if you can stabilize the country, letting the common people live and work in peace, the poor having a place to stand and take a wife to bear children and propagate descendants, free from the sin of war and chaos, the common people will naturally remember and love you. After your death, the common people will remember your merit and all come to worship, and thus you become Buddha.”
Upon hearing this, the King of Wuji Kingdom placed his palms together over his chest and said: “This king has been instructed.”
Ao Tu took his hand, rose with auspicious light, and in an instant they reached the pagoda top.
At the top of the pagoda, four cold iron chains connected above and below, firmly locking the demonic Taoist, making him repay his sins here.
The King of Wuji Kingdom looked at the demonic Taoist, recalling five years of lonely suffering, still harboring hatred in his heart.
At this time, golden light refracted in from outside.
The King of Wuji Kingdom shielded his eyes and said: “Buddha, what is that golden light?”
Ao Tu said: “The Taoist Priests dug up a gold vein. I ordered them to refine the gold and plate it on the pagoda top for the common people to behold. Now only half is plated; the gold material for the other half is still being mined.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom said: “This king wishes to donate ten thousand gold to plate a golden top.”
Ao Tu said: “Your Majesty, your money comes from the common people and should be used for them. We Buddhist disciples have never paid taxes, thus it cannot be used for Buddhism.”
The King of Wuji Kingdom sighed upon hearing this: “Worthy of a Buddha—this king has never seen Buddhist people refuse a golden top or golden body.”
Ao Tu smiled and led the King of Wuji Kingdom to view the scenery below the pagoda.
From the two-hundred-zhang-high pagoda, looking down remotely, clouds rose and mists surged, mountains connected to rivers and earth, making one feel the vastness of heaven and earth and the insignificance of man.
On the other side, Tang Sanzang and his disciples endured wind and rain, traveling by starlight and moonlight, and finally entered the territory of Wuji Kingdom.
As soon as the master and disciples four stepped into Wuji Kingdom, they felt this place was different.
Every household tended toward goodness, every person loved Buddha.
The master and disciples four, in this country, always returned from begging alms fully laden; finding lodging was convenient and smooth; even the officials they met treated the four with utmost respect.
Tang Sanzang could not help but joyfully say: “Amitabha, disciples, it seems we have reached the realm of Western Heaven, the Spirit Mountain Buddha-land, hence everyone tends toward goodness!”
Wukong laughed: “Master, it’s still early. If we liken this Westward Journey to a courtyard, we haven’t even left the main hall yet. The common people here being so devoted to Buddha may not necessarily be a good thing.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang recalled past events and hurriedly said:
“Wukong is right. Disciples, all be careful not to provoke the locals.”
Ba Jie and Sha Seng nodded in agreement.
The master and disciples four traveled onward, walking west for several days, passing several towns, arriving in a mountain ridge, only hearing incessant clanging from the mountains, with smoke rising from the mountaintop.
Tang Sanzang said: “Disciples, listen—what sound is that in the mountains? Why is there smoke rising from the mountaintop?”
Ba Jie fanned his ears with the cattail fan and said joyfully:
“Master, this is the sound of iron ladles striking pots and stoves. There must be a family in the mountains holding a wedding banquet, inviting neighbors and kin to feast, cooking many fine dishes, hence the smoke. Let’s go too! Master lead with a few verses of praise scripture, and old pig will drink some wedding wine!”
Wukong said: “Idiot, you’re always thinking of eating! This is the sound of metal and stone clashing—there must be people in the mountains sharpening knives and forging iron, hence the sound.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was startled: “Wukong, in this barren mountain, how can there be people sharpening knives and forging iron? Could there be monsters?”
Wukong said: “Master, fear not. Old Sun will go scout.”
Tang Sanzang said: “Wukong, be careful in all things!”
Wukong nodded, cloud riding into the mountains.
Tang Sanzang dismounted to rest.
In the mountains, a crowd of Taoist Priests bared their arms, chiseling the gold vein in the mountainside, breaking the gold ore into small pieces and transporting it out.
Nearby, furnaces were built, smelting the gold ore on site into molten gold, cooling and solidifying it, then forging it into shape.
Beside those Taoist Priests stood several monks holding whips as supervisors.
One Taoist Priest poured the smelted molten gold into a mold, but a drop accidentally splashed outside. The supervising monk saw it and lashed with a whip.
That Taoist Priest cried out in misery and fell to the ground, the molten gold spilling entirely onto his body.
The other Taoist Priests hurried over to help him up.
The supervising monks, seeing this, all raised their whips and beat these Taoist Priests.
For a time, cries of misery rang out continuously.
Wukong saw this from the air and was annoyed in his heart. He wanted to go down directly and overturn this injustice, but thinking it over, he feared acting rashly without knowing the truth and falling into a scheme, so he decided to first scout the real situation.
Those supervising monks beat the Taoist Priests thoroughly, then returned to their positions.
The Taoist Priests each got up, clutching their bodies, feeling bone-piercing pain, though their exteriors showed no injury.
They could only cry out in pain while working.
That Taoist Priest drenched in molten gold also stood up and continued working.
Wukong transformed into a little Taoist Priest and emerged from the mountain forest, quietly asking:
“Fellow Taoist Priests, what are you doing?”
Those Taoist Priests, seeing him, hurriedly said: “Little Taoist Priest, leave quickly! This is no place for Taoist Priests!”
