novelapdf Chapter 51 Illusion
Chapter 51 Illusion
Upon hearing what Song Quyou said, Huiming's handsome face remained unchanged in its expression of sorrow, though his delicate hand standing in front of him trembled slightly.
Whether it was out of guilt or disdain for those absurd remarks, it's unclear.
"What you are saying is beyond my comprehension."
"Since you don't understand, Master, we'll take our leave."
Upon hearing that Song Quyou was leaving, Huiming slowly raised his lowered eyes and said solemnly:
"You may leave, but you must hand over the cat demon."
"What if I don't pay?"
Huiming's tone turned cold: "Then we'll have to keep you two at the small temple for a few days to discuss things in detail."
Song Quyou smiled faintly, slowly drew his long sword, and looked at the handsome Huiming with amusement.
……
Suddenly, a startled sound rang out.
"Brother, there's another restriction in the backyard of Lingfo Temple. Let's break it quickly and see what good things are hidden there."
"Fourth Sister, we've been here long enough. Your second brother and sister-in-law won't be able to hold out in the front yard for long."
Before the words were even finished, a hole appeared in the wall of this special Zen temple, as if glass had shattered.
A woman as agile as a cat and a man with a square face and a thick waist walked in.
The two, carrying large and small bags, strolled around the park like tourists.
Upon seeing the two, Song Quyou didn't react much, since they weren't his own people.
But Huiming, as the host, didn't change much in his compassionate and handsome face, though he spoke rather quickly.
"Esteemed benefactors, this is a forbidden Buddhist area. We urge you to put down the stolen goods."
The woman, who was as docile as a cat, heard the voice, turned around, saw Huiming, and was startled.
"Oh my god!"
Suddenly, a bundle slipped from his body and fell to the ground, revealing several gilded small Buddha statues, several strings of agate prayer beads, and a few yellowed ancient books.
Upon seeing that the item had fallen, the woman quickly squatted down and hurriedly tried to catch it.
The square-faced, burly man calmly turned and glanced at the three people facing off in the courtyard.
He first greeted Song Quyou and Su Tang in a familiar manner.
"You two are traveling together, unfortunately, I got there before you." As he spoke, he didn't forget to show off the large and small bags he was carrying.
After greeting him, he looked at Huiming and grinned, "Oh, isn't this Master Huiming? Your abbot brother is taking the blame for you in the front yard, while you're hiding here having a good time."
The moment the square-faced, burly man spoke, the atmosphere in the courtyard immediately became subtle.
Huiming did not answer. His moon-white monk's robe moved without wind, and a string of Buddhist beads in his sleeve slowly floated to the top of his head, disintegrating into nine rays of Buddhist light that shot through the air.
Huiming was angry.
Song Quyou and the two petty thieves unexpectedly slipped away.
Nine beams of Buddhist light tore through the sky, leaving pale golden trails, and took four people in their place.
Song Quyou called to his senior sister and ran off. The square-faced man took out a pill and threw it at his feet, instantly producing billowing white smoke. The female thief who was picking up the pill, preoccupied with greed, completely failed to notice the Buddha's light and complained:
"Why did you throw those tobacco pellets, brother? Aren't you going to help pick them up?"
The square-faced man had already taken off, his voice drifting from ahead: "Picking up my ass! That bald monk's prayer beads are about to hit the back of his head!"
……
The Buddha's light pursued them closely, but the four ran even faster.
Song Quyou and Su Tang led the way, their toes lightly touching the bluestone bricks, their figures like swallows skimming the water, passing through the broken barrier.
The square-faced man followed closely behind, his two thick, short legs making him run with great speed.
Only the woman, who resembled a cat, lagged behind, still clutching the bag of lost valuables tightly in her arms, turning back every few steps.
"Fourth Sister, throw the stuff away! I still have some big items here!" The square-faced man shouted anxiously as he turned around.
"I won't throw it away!"
The woman gritted her teeth, extremely reluctant to part.
"I finally managed to steal it, I'd rather die than throw it away!"
Seeing how stubborn Fourth Sister was, the square-faced man stomped his feet in frustration and was about to turn around and pull her away.
Suddenly, a beam of Buddhist light shot straight after the female thief's head.
The man exclaimed in surprise, "Fourth Sister!!!"
Without thinking it over, Song Quyou turned around and slashed out with his sword. The azure rainbow collided with the pursuing Buddhist light, and the Buddhist light dimmed instantly, revealing dark Buddhist beads.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the square-faced man grabbed the fourth sister by the back of her collar and tossed her in front of him like a chick, without daring to stop for a moment.
He shouted at Song Quyou, who was not far away:
"Thanks, bro."
The four of them kept running wildly, stepping and leaping on the temple wall.
Just as I was about to leave the temple and climb over the last wall, a sudden flash appeared before my eyes.
We returned to that strange summer Zen temple.
The four stopped in their tracks, looked at each other, and their expressions were not good.
Song Quyou looked up and saw that the Zen temple was still the same as before, with lush green trees, shimmering lotus ponds, and cicadas chirping louder and louder.
The only difference was that the Buddha's light swirling around Huiming, who was sitting cross-legged in the air, was now reduced to only eight rays.
Song Quyou frowned and looked around, at a loss for what to do.
Meanwhile, the man beside him nonchalantly plopped down on the ground, panting and wiping his sweat as he said:
"Even in a serene Buddhist sanctuary, one can still encounter a ghostly maze."
Huiming smiled faintly and looked at the four people, saying:
"If you four simply return the items belonging to Buddha, this humble monk will allow you to return home."
The female thief wrapped her belongings tightly around her waist, tied it securely, and looked at Huiming with her hands on her hips:
"Master Huiming, these items of yours are just gathering dust in your meditation room. Why don't we take them and exchange them for a few meals of wine and meat? This would be a way for us to accumulate merit for you. Otherwise, it would be a great sin to misuse your wealth."
Huiming's gaze fell on Song Quyou and Su Tang.
"Benefactor Song, hand over your cat demon, and I will release you both."
Su Tang took a step forward, holding Hei Tan, and scolded, "Master, just name a price. What is the value of those two braised pork skewers that Hei Tan ate? My Su family can afford to compensate you."
Huiming shook his head, put his hands together, and chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha, benefactor, you are unaware that the Prajna is one of the six arhats of our Buddha, and it cannot be measured by worldly things."
Su Tang shook her head and smiled faintly: "If that's the case, what is the purpose of Master wanting my cat?"
"Naturally, they will be sent to the Western Paradise to ask Buddha for forgiveness."
"That's absolutely impossible."
Black Charcoal turned around and looked at Huiming, saying, "Two man-eating demon fish, your family really treats them like treasures."
Seeing that none of the four were willing, Huiming's eyes flashed with a faint golden light. He said coldly:
"Since the four benefactors are so stubborn, then let them all stay here."
Before the words were finished, eight beams of Buddhist light pierced through the air, leaving pale golden trails that completely sealed off the four people from all sides.
Seeing the Buddha's light approaching with overwhelming force, the four of them each used their own methods.
Some swords rang out with a clear, ringing sound, while others formed hand seals, seemingly summoning thunder and lightning. Some swung their axes in a wide arc, leaving no room for error, while still others wielded short swords with agility and versatility.
Without much thought, the four joined forces, preventing the piercing, shrill rays of Buddha light from penetrating even an inch.
In an instant, the sounds of clashing swords rang out, and lightning flashed.
The eight beams of Buddha light dimmed, were cleaved, shattered, and knocked away, embedding themselves deeply into the solid, hard bluestone.
Huiming remained seated in mid-air, his moon-white monk's robe billowing gently in the still air. He smiled faintly as he looked at the ancient bronze mirror in his palm and at the four people in the summer temple who were completely unaware of what was happening on its surface.