We're almost there!
Feeling rather disheveled, Li Su sighed deeply.
Hangzhou wasn't far for him, but he couldn't just kill someone and leave them to be buried, could he? He would feel guilty about it.
So it took more than a week to arrange things for those women.
Fortunately, Black Tiger Stronghold had a lot of gold and silver treasures, which made it easy to settle these women.
Fortunately, it was the late Tang Dynasty, not the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, given the conservatism of that era, these women would probably have committed suicide the moment they woke up. Zhu Li was truly a menace when it came to women.
Life is already difficult enough; to commit suicide in this world with Underworld is a grave sin.
However, while my conscience was at peace, time had undoubtedly been wasted.
It's been almost two weeks, and I still don't know if anything has happened.
It seems the abbot said he would arrive in three days, right? Amitabha Buddha, abbot, it's not that I'm being unpunctual, but I really have something to attend to. Please bear with me for now.
Upon entering Hangzhou City, Li Su breathed a sigh of relief, but instead of heading straight to his destination, he found an inn to stay at.
It's already late, one more day won't make a difference. If it can be resolved, it will be resolved when we go there. If not, then we might as well wait a little longer. After all, what's troubling him now isn't the problem in Hangzhou, but the problem of the Dao Fruit.
Oh, don't misunderstand, Li Su's Buddhist and Buddhist Sect is perfectly fine, it's thriving.
The path and its fruits are in a flawed mind; something's wrong with that.
After the monster escaped that day, Li Su started to think about it. Having been forced to cut off its tail twice to survive, he had to find a way to solve this problem. Otherwise, it would keep running away like this, which would be a real headache for him. This monster was top-notch fertilizer.
As for a solution, Li Su naturally thought of the other scriptures he possessed.
The Vajra Strength, the Dragon Division Strength, and the Longevity Formula should be able to compensate for the deficiencies in his Buddha Land, right?
Therefore, Li Su has naturally studied a lot these past few days.
Vajra Strength and Dragon Division Strength are alright. They are both Buddhist Sect fruits and can be used interchangeably. Although they are undoubtedly slightly inferior to those of the Buddha Land, one is a fundamental law and the other is merely supernatural power, so there is naturally a difference. Li Su didn't have high expectations.
As expected, Vajra Strength is formed by combining characters with the power of Dao Fruit, Dao Attainment patterns that cover the entire body, making it both offensive and defensive.
However, Fang Jun is really a newbie.
Unable to contain himself, Li Su complained about the Dao Arts Realm he had been beating up. At first, he thought Vajra Strength was Buddhist Sect defensive spell, but after he practiced it, he realized it wasn't at all.
This so-called Vajra Strength is a property; its defensive power is merely a facade. Its true function is to make everything more robust, not to provide superior defense.
Recalling Fang Jun's methods, Li Su didn't even want to complain anymore; the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms had been turned into Iron Sand Palm.
As for the Dragon Division Strength, well, it seems the dragons of the Dragon Clan have mixed in a lot of their own ideas. They're clearly cultivating Buddhist Sect supernatural powers. Li Su slightly gathered the inscription patterns, and unsurprisingly, a dragon's roar burst forth from his palm.
The Dragon Division Strength is the power to ward off evil. Once the inscription is formed, it will transform into a dragon's roar. Combined with Buddhist power, it has the effect of suppressing all evil spirits.
Yes, that's good.
Next time I encounter that weasel, without saying a word, I'll give it a good whack.
Thinking of this, Li Su couldn't help but tap his brow, feeling something was strange. It seemed that now, if he just struck a pose and uttered "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon," you wouldn't be surprised if a dragon's roar actually pierced the sky.
With a shudder, Li Su quickly shook her head, wiping away the brainwashing video she had seen on a certain website.
Now is not the time to think about that; his primary concern right now is the Daoist path to enlightenment.
Actually, after learning the core Buddhist Sect teachings, Li Su hesitated about whether to learn Daoist techniques, since there might be conflicts.
But he wasn't willing to give up. He was extremely envious of the skills in the Longevity Formula, especially since it strengthened the kidneys. What man would be satisfied with his current kidneys? He would only want better and better, right? The more the merrier, wouldn't he?
Besides, this world has ghosts, demons, and even immortals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's really going to do anything, but rather that he's preparing for the future. As a man, it's really uncomfortable to be looked at with a 'that's all?' kind of look by a female.
So, Li Su gave it a try and went to find a demon... oops, I mean, a cultivator of the Longevity Formula.
Then something incredibly shocking happened—something he should have noticed much earlier, but which he subconsciously overlooked.
That means he has attained the Dao Fruit, he always has, the Dao Fruit of the Daoist school.
Right there in his mind, in the place where Dao Exposition once stood.
In fact, Li Su should have suspected this a long time ago: why, even after he had transmigrated, the Dao Exposition still seemed to be working, helping him to understand the scriptures more, more deeply, and more profoundly.
This isn't right, is it? This is very wrong, isn't it?
However, having grown accustomed to that feeling in the real world, Li Su didn't think much of it after entering.
Therefore, it wasn't until he began practicing the Longevity Formula that Li Su discovered he had the Dao Fruit in his mind, the Dao Fruit of the Daoist school.
It must be said that, as expected of someone from an immortal, or even a mythological Dao Exposition, the secret nature of this knowledge was so profound that he almost didn't even realize it until he actually experienced it himself. It can only be said that the concealment was truly exceptional.
The moment the thought crossed Li Su's mind, an overwhelming sense of sarcasm arose within her.
"You clearly forgot, you forgot yourself. Is there any other scoundrel in this world who could forget himself??"
Li Su's smile froze, and his expression immediately became extremely awkward. This was the huge problem he had to face.
Don't get me wrong, he was just complaining about himself, not that there was someone else on his mind.
"Nonsense, who else could it be but you? Besides, who are you explaining this to?"
Li Su's face immediately darkened, and she lowered her head, saying, "You shut up for a moment!"
"Quiet? Why is it quiet? Hurry up and kill the demons, kill the demons, kill the demons! Once you're done, get out of here immediately, Senior Sister, Senior Sister, Senior Sister."
Holy crap!!
Li Su's face turned somewhat green; suddenly, Dao Exposition no longer seemed appealing.
Some people might find it strange that Li Su is acting this way. Let me explain it simply.
Daoism says that humans have three souls: the first is the fetal essence, the second is the refreshing spirit, and the third is the hidden essence.
The fetal essence, also known as the true soul or heavenly soul, is the most important of the three souls.
Shuangling, also known as Sihun, is mainly responsible for one's inspiration, intuition, and other insightful thoughts.
The spirit, also known as the mind-soul, is the most yin of the three souls. It is mainly responsible for the physiological and conscious instincts. A baby knows to nurse and cry when hungry. Even a person's sexual function and sexual orientation are determined by the spirit.
Hmm, that voice comes from Li Su's spirit, the one who feeds and sleeps you, you can call him a 'nitpicker'!
"You're the one who's being argumentative, your whole family are argumentative, no, saying you is saying me, isn't it?" Li Su's three souls immediately shut down.
Immediately afterwards, intense feelings of self-doubt, self-denial, and self-criticism arose.
Li Su couldn't help but twitch his eyelids violently; he felt like his three souls were about to explode. These emotional shocks were making him question the meaning of life.
This needs to be resolved quickly, otherwise he'll go crazy!
The solution was simple. Li Su took a deep breath, opened the Buddha Land, and exhaled a large amount of Spiritual Qi from within. Instead of sending it to his heart, he controlled it to go deep into his mind, to the location of the Daoist Dao Fruit.
As a large amount of spiritual energy entered, the Dao Fruit in his mind immediately began to absorb it frantically, as if it hadn't been fed milk for many years. It absorbed it with such force that Li Su's Buddha Land visibly shrank.
It took a while before it stopped, mainly because the Buddha Land could no longer vomit.
Daoguo let out a burp in his mind, blinked groggily for a moment, and then fell asleep.
Well, his Daoist cultivation method looks like that of an infant. Before, he was skinny and looked worse than when he was born. Now, after absorbing a lot of nutrients, he has finally become a bit thinner than an infant.
As Dao Guo fell asleep, the emotions that had been surging in Li Su's heart quickly subsided and gradually disappeared.
Unable to resist, Li Su would often take a deep breath, which made her feel much more relaxed.
One of his three souls suddenly emerged, not to chat or argue with him, but simply because his Dao Fruit was out of balance. It wasn't just malnutrition; he was practically starving to death.
Fortunately, Li Su stimulated them beforehand; otherwise, it would have been a disaster if all three souls had awakened.
With the immediate crisis resolved, Li Su now had a headache.
Because now he's not raising one Dao Fruit anymore, but two...
The Buddhist Sect Dao Fruit alone was already giving Li Su a huge headache. He felt that if he raised this thing to adulthood, he might become the strongest Fahai. Now, with the Dao Fruit coming along, was he going to become Sun Wukong and fight eighty-one super monsters?
Of course, despite all the bad things that happened, there were still some good things. Both of Li Su's kidneys had been imprinted with the Black Tortoise pattern. The inscription was engraved into the kidneys. If you were fast enough to cut them open instantly, you could see two lifelike, towering Black Tortoise standing inside his kidneys.
As the saying goes, healthy kidneys mean good spirits!
Not to mention the Black Tortoise, a creature of nature with abundant vitality. Li Su felt that even his Buddhist heart could hardly suppress his mating desires.
" Amitabha Buddha, excellent, excellent!"
Turn off the light and go to sleep!
After two days of this, his brain was practically exploding and his mentality was completely broken; he needed a good rest.
*******
"Damn it, damn it!"
"A bunch of useless trash, all of them are useless!"
At this moment, in the most luxurious mansion in Hangzhou City, Li Qi, a member of the Tang Dynasty's Li clan and the governor of Zhejiang West, who was about eight generations removed from Li Qi Li Yuan, couldn't help but roar.
Beside her, Madam Qian, whom Li Su had met once before, kept her head down and remained silent, inwardly cursing those old monks of the Pure Land Sect to the point of being crippled.
Didn't you say it would arrive in three days?
She's all back. She came back in a horse-drawn carriage, and dozens of people came back with her.
As a result, the other party completely disappeared.
That's it? You actually have the nerve to ask me to send a message by carrier pigeon???
Madam Qian was furious. Her small hands clenched even whiter. If it weren't for the fact that the Pure Land Sect was so far away, she would have rolled up her sleeves and gone there today to give those damned monks of the Pure Land Sect scolding and make them never be able to lift their heads again.
Li Qi cursed for a while, then turned around and glared hatefully at his wife. "You're usually so reliable, why did you act so awfully this time?"
It lasted a whole month; the Li family was practically going crazy.
Because of the old lady, they didn't invite a Daoist priest. Originally, they were inclined to invite people from the Pure Land Sect. Whether the problem was solved or not, at that time they could invite people from Dragon Tiger Mountain.
After all, even the Pure Land Sect couldn't handle it, so the old lady wouldn't say anything, right?
And what happened? He didn't come!
I can't wait any longer!
If we wait any longer, I'm afraid that when the Pure Land Sect comes, they won't be exorcising demons, but rather performing a ritual to help him pass on to the afterlife.
"Shi'er, go and invite the Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain over. No matter what, this matter must be resolved completely by tomorrow."
"Yes, Father." Li Shi, who was about eighteen or nineteen years old, immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute. At this moment, he also showed an impatient expression on his face. Obviously, he and his father, Li Qi, shared the same opinion: that damned thing had to be dealt with no matter what, immediately.
Watching her son leave to carry out the order, Madam Qian said nothing, but felt slightly uneasy.
Why did no one come even though the Pure Land Sect agreed?
Can the Daoist priests of Dragon Tiger Mountain really solve this? That thing in the Li family, calling it a demon is an understatement; it's more like something else entirely. If it were a demon, the Li family would have been in trouble long ago.
She had naturally heard of the Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain, after all, he was a man of great renown.
The three major schools of Daoism are Longhu, Mao Mountain, and Numinous Treasure.
However, the Mao Mountain side is always unreliable. Although most of the people who come claim to be Mao Mountain Daoists, they immediately run away without a trace once they get there.
And if Madam Qian felt there was no mistake, that thing had also begun to get angry because of the Li family's actions.
No one had died there before, but in the last six months, several Daoist priests who came to exorcise demons have been killed.
I hope everything goes well, and that little monk too. I hope nothing goes wrong. Madam Qian couldn't help but recall that day, that moment.
The Pure Land Buddha Kingdom, it turns out, really does exist.
*******
The next day, Li Residence got up very early. Unlike the Li family, Li Su slept soundly, especially since his Dao Fruit had recovered. He was full of energy. The only slightly embarrassing thing was that his manhood was not very cooperative and wouldn't go down.
Although it's said to be a physiological habit, it's not very elegant for a high-ranking Buddhist Sect monk to always have this condition.
After reciting the Amitabha Sutra in his mind for a while, Li Su managed to suppress his emotions and went out. The matter in Hangzhou needed to be resolved as soon as possible, and after it was over, he would head to Ninghai.
Besides matters in Hangzhou, Li Su was also entrusted with another task: to escort Buddhist treasures, and this time, he was to do so with the Buddhist Sect (Zen) sect, one of the three major schools of Buddhism.
I wonder what it was, and why it was sent to Luoyang? I could understand if the Empress went to Luoyang back then, but Li Longji has been dead for who knows how long, and the capital has long since moved back to Chang'an. What was the point of going to Luoyang?
Furthermore, what particularly caught Li Su's attention were the four words "delivering treasure to the west".
Will the journey be safe?
But considering my own situation, it would be a miracle if I actually made it through safely, right?
Who cares? We'll find out when we get there.
As for whether or not to send them over, aren't there still Zen masters present? Judging from the abbot's words, it seems that a high-ranking figure from the other side is accompanying them, someone of the same level as the abbot and his group, quite extraordinary. Hmm, no worries.
They arrived at the Li Residence not long after they started walking.
Um?
Slightly startled, Li Su looked at the approaching group not far away.
The leader was a young man, riding a tall horse, with a retinue following behind. One look at him and you could sense his arrogance and domineering nature. Maybe he should kick a stone under his horse's leg?
No, no.
Li Su immediately shook her head. How could the horse be innocent? Never mind, the mission is more important.
Ignoring them, Li Su walked directly towards the gate and, seeing the people coming out, prepared to speak.
But the man who ran out of the room waved his hand and said, "Where did this wild monk come from? Get out of the way, get out of the way, don't block the way. Come back for alms tomorrow."
He waved directly at Li Su and then began to call on everyone to line up to welcome the team that was approaching from not far away.
Damn, do I look like a beggar at all?
Li Su felt a little uncomfortable. After all, as a monk, he couldn't very well dress in luxurious attire, could he? Plain monk's robes were his basic attire. Damn it, the sect had summoned him out on business, but they hadn't even prepared a decent set of equipment for him, so that he wouldn't be mistaken for a beggar at first glance, right?
After thinking for a moment, he took two steps back. Oh well, he was already late. If it were him, and his house was haunted, and they said it would happen in three days, but it took almost half a month, he'd be furious too, right? He understood, he understood. He'd register later. As for the other party already resolving it?
Hmm. I glanced up at the sky above the Li family's residence; the eerie aura was still there, undiminished.
However, this aura doesn't seem like Yao Qi at all...
Soon, the other team arrived.
The arrogant and domineering second-generation rich kid dismounted with style, his posture probably not something he had practiced. If he were around today, with his good looks, power, and money, he would probably attract a lot of screams and onlookers.
As for putting it in this situation now... it's free!
Huh? Li Su's eyebrows suddenly twitched, and she couldn't help but look at the young man who was getting off the carriage behind her.
Daoist priest?
This outfit, this vibe, is it from Dragon Tiger Mountain?
Damn, that's so cool. How could I have worn that wrong outfit back then? If I wore that, with my face, I could charm everyone.
Li Su saw the other person, and the other person naturally saw Li Su as well.
The Daoist priest raised an eyebrow. " The Pure Land Sect?" His expression immediately turned somewhat ominous.
In this era, in this world, there is no such thing as the Buddha being the Tao; there are only enemies who wish to die together.
The Pure Land Sect and Dragon Tiger Mountain, as two of the most prestigious schools in Jiangxi, naturally had a lot of complaints about them, especially those bald monks in the Pure Land Sect who would often talk about "laying down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot," which made these Daoist disciples very unhappy.
So, it turns out we were wrong to slay demons and monsters?
His name is Yu Ming, and he belongs to the "Yu" generation in the "Zhicheng Xuanyudian" generation of the 50-character generational naming system of the Three Mountains Blood Oath Alliance.
The current generation of practitioners at Dragon Tiger Mountain has a lineage ahead of them, and they are now quite well-known, having moved beyond their formative years.
Glancing at Li Su's monk's robes, Master Yuming immediately laughed. "Su Yi? Young generation? No, this age should be Fa generation. But, hahaha, hahahaha, they actually sent a Fa generation disciple in plain clothes? Sure enough, being a monk in the Pure Land Sect is really miserable. If a few of them die, the sect won't care."
You're lucky I got here. Even though you're no longer in any trouble, at least you're safe, right?
Master Yuming saw it, and naturally, the arrogant leader also saw it.
Monk's robes?
Is this attire from the Pure Land Sect?
He was dressed in plain clothes; those bastards from the Pure Land Sect.
The old lady was a Buddhist, and her family knew quite a bit about Buddhism; even someone as dissolute as him knew something about it.
Upon seeing Li Su's attire, he immediately flew into a rage. Although no one in the Li family had died, it didn't mean the matter was insignificant. It had caused widespread panic, and the city had been making a fuss about it.
So your Pure Land Sect sent someone dressed in plain clothes?
Fortunately, the Daoist priest from Dragon Tiger Mountain was nearby, and the Pure Land Sect had a prestigious reputation; otherwise, the young man might have been tempted to have this disciple in plain clothes killed, for daring to look down on the Li Residence so much.
Of course, it's fortunate he didn't do that, otherwise his Li Residence would probably be in a bloodbath today.
So he stepped forward, glancing sideways at Li Su, "You're the monk my grandmother asked my mother to Wan Ku to invite from the Pure Land Sect in Jiangxi? And all you showed up was a monk in plain clothes? You boasted that you'd arrive in three days, but half a month has passed already?"
With an extremely simple action and a few words, he had undoubtedly mastered the skill of taunting to a level that was almost comparable to a skill in a game. This made Li Su not want to fight the monsters anymore, but instead prepare to fight him.
This child needs to be disciplined!
Li Su smiled slightly. As a member of the Pure Land Sect, he still had some manners to maintain. After all, he had broken his promise. Later, the abbot made the promise, not him. If he was not satisfied, he could go and talk to the abbot.
"Sorry, something came up on the way and I was delayed for a while."
"Indeed, this period of time is quite long!"
"I apologize for my rudeness, but it seems you have found a capable person, which puts my mind at ease. In that case, please inform your esteemed Mr. Qian. I will take my leave now."
"Yes, they are capable people. They come as soon as they are invited. They are all from major sects. Why are they so punctual?"
The veins on Li Su's neck were bulging, and even Amitabha Buddha couldn't calm him down. He smiled slightly, deciding to leave first to avoid killing the other party himself.
"Wait a minute, this 'master'!"
"Um?"
The young man glanced at him sideways, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Why don't you stay and watch? See how the Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain subdue demons and monsters. You'll have someone to learn from, won't you? Master Yuming, you won't mind, will you?"
Master Yuming smiled and nodded, saying directly, "Of course I don't mind. We are all fellow disciples of the righteous path. It's good to observe first, so that we won't make mistakes when we encounter each other again in the future."
I swear, you old Buddha! It's a good thing he's not a complete Buddhist, otherwise, based on this conversation alone, he could have killed the other guy.
Indeed, it's only because demons and monsters roam the world these days that the Daoist and Buddhist Sect would probably have their brains knocked out.
Li Su glanced at Master Yuming, then looked up at the strange phenomenon above the Li Residence. He smiled and said, "Since that's the case, this humble monk will gladly accept the invitation and watch how Master Yuming captures the demon!"
Immediately, the two young men held their heads high and walked into the Li Residence with an air of arrogance.
Showing off is fine; everyone's young and likes that kind of thing. But holding your head so high, aren't you afraid of getting stopped at the threshold? Li Su thought to herself.
Ouch!
With a shout, the arrogant young man from the Li Residence fell inside.