Peach Blossom Buddhist Assembly

The mountain air was damp, and rays of sunlight fell through the peach trees, creating a misty haze.

Great Tail Venerable sat cross-legged on a bluestone. Though his wolf head had a fierce appearance, it also held a hint of benevolent kindness, a truly strange sight.

A group of small demons sat before Great Tail Venerable, some scratching themselves, some picking fleas, with few listening attentively.

"All the evil karma created in the past, all due to beginningless greed, hatred, and ignorance. Born from body, speech, and mind, I now repent of all."

Great Tail Venerable recited the morning lesson's verse. His voice was hoarse and grating, yet somewhat resonant.

This voice seemed to carry a certain Buddhist supernatural power. For a moment, it was heard throughout the peach forest, inside and out, as if it were right beside one's ear.

Indeed, the small demons put aside their laziness and tilted their heads, listening attentively.

Meng Yuan and the other two hid behind a large rock, also pricking up their ears to listen.

"As the Guru said, among the people of the world, none are without grievance; among the emotions of the world, all feelings are karma."

Great Tail Venerable held his prayer beads, looking kind and benevolent. He said, "What I speak of today are the three poisons: greed, hatred, and ignorance. What is greed? It is desire. Desire for appearance, desire for form, desire for exquisite touch, desire for offerings. Most of our troubles come from this."

The demons listened, shaking their heads. Nie Yannian frowned tightly, while Meng Yuan listened with great interest.

"Brother Great Tail, if we get rid of greed, can we learn Buddhist supernatural powers? Is that the way to enter Buddhism?" a clever Brocade Fur Rat asked.

"Precisely," Great Tail Venerable replied, looking like a benevolent preacher.

"Brother Great Tail, teach me quickly!" the Brocade Fur Rat said happily.

"Having this thought, you have already stirred greed."

Great Tail Venerable shook his head slightly and recited, "Remember: Desire is like flowing water, easily disturbing the mind; greed is like fire, burning the field of blessings. Chasing things is hard to satisfy, bringing endless suffering; revolving in samsara, there is no rest. Zen meditation can calm a thousand waves, contemplation can break ten thousand barriers. Upholding precepts and staying upright returns to original purity; having few desires and acting without effort returns to freedom."

The Brocade Fur Rat stood frozen on the spot, not because it had enlightened, but because it hadn't understood.

Meng Yuan listened carefully from a distance, finding the old wolf's verse quite meaningful. It was indeed a Buddhist method for cutting off greed.

However, the old wolf had instructed Black Mian and White Mian to steal medicine and dogs, and his subordinate Wolf One had killed people and dismembered corpses. This was clearly not the action of an enlightened monk.

"Brother Great Tail, what should I do?" The Brocade Fur Rat was quite intelligent and knew this was an opportunity to enter Buddhism and cultivate, so it asked sincerely.

"Cut off what you desire and what you think about," Great Tail Venerable said with extraordinary kindness, smiling, "You toil daily for grain, rice, melons, and fruits, nothing more than for your descendants to be well-fed. As long as you slaughter all your descendants, your greed will naturally disappear."

The method Great Tail Venerable spoke of was completely contrary to the verse he had just recited.

Although Buddhism speaks of entering the empty gate and cutting off family ties, it does not mean killing one's relatives!

Upon hearing this, all the demons were greatly shocked.

The Brocade Fur Rat trembled and said, "Brother Great Tail, I only have those few children, I can't bear to kill them."

"If that's the case, then go down the mountain, seize fertile land, and from then on, you will have no worries about food," Great Tail Venerable said.

"But there are many people down the mountain. They have swords and spears, they can shoot arrows, and there are people from the Demon Suppression Division. I am weak and cannot defeat them," the Brocade Fur Rat said.

"Without enduring wind, frost, and hardship, how can one attain the supreme Dao? As long as you make a great vow, even if the matter is not accomplished, you can try again after reincarnation. There will always be a day when it is achieved," Great Tail Venerable smiled.

Isn't this persuading the Brocade Fur Rat to die? Hearing this, Meng Yuan felt even more that this Great Tail Venerable was sinister.

"The old wolf isn't following the proper Buddhist path," Nie Yannian said in a low voice, laughing. "This is planting thoughts. Planting thoughts in the hearts of these demons who are listening to Buddhist teachings, any thought will do. With accumulation over time, this thought will grow into a towering tree."

Meng Yuan immediately became alert and said, "Master Nie, I haven't been planted, have I?"

"You haven't even received an egg, what the hell would be planted!" Nie Yannian cursed with a laugh. "Those with high cultivation can plant it without you even knowing; those with low cultivation and shallow Buddhist practice need to preach and plant every day to succeed. This old wolf's cultivation isn't enough, and the demons' minds are wild. The old wolf's method of fooling people is too crude!"

Meng Yuan was relieved. Just as he was about to continue listening, he saw Great Tail Venerable looking in their direction.

Clearly, Nie Yannian's voice had been a bit too loud, and they had been discovered.

"Since the benefactors have arrived, why not show yourselves?" Great Tail Venerable smiled, holding his prayer beads, truly looking like a virtuous monk.

Nie Yannian walked out from their hiding place. Meng Yuan and Ren Debiao also quickly came out and stood on either side of Nie Yannian.

The two sides faced each other across the mountain stream.

When the demons saw that there were three people carrying knives, the timid ones had already fled, while the bold and curious ones hid behind the peach trees to watch the show.

"Bald-headed wolf, your Buddhist teachings aren't very profound!" Nie Yannian pressed his hand on the hilt of his saber and laughed loudly.

"Amitabha, those outside the path do not uphold precepts and do not understand Buddhist teachings. This poor monk does not blame you," Great Tail Venerable was surprisingly well-mannered.

"Bald-headed wolf, did you come from the west, or from Lanruo Temple?" Nie Yannian asked again.

West of the Qing Kingdom was a Buddha Country, vast and boundless. Most people and demons there cultivated Buddhist teachings.

And that Lanruo Temple originated from Peaceful Prefecture in Yun Province, and it was the only Buddhist temple within the borders of the Qing Kingdom. At the same time, this Peaceful Prefecture was the only place within the Qing Kingdom where Buddhist teachings could be spread and Buddhist temples could be established.

"The benefactors are attached to appearances."

Great Tail Venerable held his prayer beads with his two furry large hands and put them together in a gesture of prayer, saying, "Those of us who cultivate Buddhist teachings naturally come from where we come from and go to where we go."

Hearing this, Nie Yannian turned his head to educate Meng Yuan and Ren Debiao, saying, "These bald donkeys are all like this. After reading a few Buddhist scriptures, they think they have some ability, so they spend all day trying to engage in philosophical debates and say some nonsensical rubbish. In reality, they're nothing!"

That Great Tail Venerable was not angry. Instead, he asked, "The benefactor's words are very familiar. Are you a fellow Daoist from the Demon Suppression Division?"

"I haven't worked for the Demon Suppression Division for a long time!" Nie Yannian held his saber in his arms and said contemptuously, "But my skill in skinning and dismembering hasn't diminished."

Another group of demons who had stayed to watch the show fled. Wolf One and Wolf Two repeatedly shouted at them, but it was useless.

"Amitabha, fellow Daoist, your killing karma is too heavy. Why not return to my Buddhism, purify yourself, and in the next life, you can still enter my Pure Land," Great Tail Venerable chanted the Buddhist name, sounding very sincere.

"Your Buddhism isn't quite right!" Nie Yannian said with a smile, stepping forward. "Is stealing medicine and dogs also a rule of Buddhism?"

"If I don't steal, what difference is there between the strong and the weak?" Great Tail Venerable said.

"Is instigating stinky rats to descend the mountain and harm people also a Buddhist principle?" Nie Yannian asked again.

"All beings are equal. But the human race occupies my mountains and forests, seizes my land, and kills my kin. Should we just meekly submit to slaughter?" Great Tail Venerable clasped his hands together, a hint of compassion in his eyes. "If we don't kill, hatred will never cease."

Meng Yuan heard clearly that this Great Tail Venerable's understanding of Buddhist teachings was not deep, but he could use these Buddhist concepts to form his own set of beliefs and justify them.

Therefore, debating with this kind of person was impossible. To put it nicely, they were stubborn; to put it harshly, they were brainwashed by a cult.

"You're a sudden enlightenment type!" As expected, Nie Yannian's questions were not for debate, but to probe the other party's origins.

"Amitabha." Great Tail Venerable, on the contrary, showed a sincere desire to learn. "Where is the sudden enlightenment type? Why haven't I heard of this Buddhist temple?"

"A half-baked one!" Nie Yannian became even more disdainful, drawing his sword and stepping forward.

"Fellow Daoist, your killing intent is too heavy, your karma is deep, and you may not die well." Great Tail Venerable spoke the most vicious words in the most benevolent tone, and with a smile on his face, he added, "Are the two young benefactors willing to enter my Buddhist sect? To receive my teachings?"

This old wolf was truly strange. They should be fighting bare-chested, yet he was still spouting this useless nonsense!

"I am steeped in all five poisons, Master. It's better to save yourself than to save others!" Meng Yuan said loudly.

Seeing this, Ren Debiao wanted to say something loudly, but in the end, he couldn't get the words out.

"The sea of suffering is boundless, turn back and you will reach the shore."

Great Tail Venerable sat cross-legged, clasped his hands together, and said compassionately, "The three of you are deeply trapped in the sea of suffering, yet you are stubborn and unyielding!"

As he spoke, Great Tail Venerable tore off his large red kasaya and threw it into the air, revealing his worn monk's robe.

He clasped his hands together, a ferocious look on his face, and a faint Buddhist light emanated from his body. "Oh dear! Since that's the case, this poor monk is also somewhat skilled! Let's all come at me together!"

"There's no need for three people to deal with you, I alone am enough!" Nie Yannian took a step forward.

"Hahaha! Arrogant and conceited!" Great Tail Venerable roared, bringing his two furry hands together, forming a mudra, and shouted in a deep voice, "Screen emotions and dispel delusion, illuminate the mind in emptiness! Supernatural Power of Spiritual Travel! Open! Supernatural Power of Divine Vision! Open! Supernatural Power of Divine Hearing! Open!"

After chanting, Great Tail Venerable picked up the Buddhist staff beside him, leaped up, and stepped onto the large red kasaya that was still floating in the air. Buddhist light emanated from his body as he headed straight for Nie Yannian.

The mountain wind was cool, secluded grass grew by the stream, and orioles sang deep in the trees. At this moment, the sky had turned from clear to overcast, and spring rain was about to fall.