Restoring the Kingdom (5000)

Shen Shu's words struck the hearts of the four extraordinary experts like a heavenly tribulation.

The moment Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox were struck, their expressions changed drastically, their eyes widened, and their composure and demeanor as extraordinary experts vanished completely.

Even the Arhat Du'e, whose heart was as still as an ancient well and whose composure was exceptional, lost his usual calm at this moment. He raised his head and looked at Shen Shu with the gaze of someone looking at a madman.

"Buddha"

Asuro muttered to himself; if you looked closely, you would notice that his pupils were unfocused.

He was clearly stunned by the "heavenly tribulation," just like the other three.

If Shenshu is the Buddha, then who is the Buddha? Who is the Asura King? What is the relationship between the Buddha and the Asura King?

"No, this is impossible, this is impossible!"

The silver-haired enchantress shook her head, muttering, "Shenshu can't be Buddha, he can't be Buddha. There must be something wrong."

Although the occasion wasn't quite right, Xu Qi'an still wanted to say:

Your Majesty, you are like a pitiful woman who finds out her boyfriend is her long-lost brother.

Of course, this description is not accurate in this context.

It should be: Shocking! My dad was the one who killed my mom back then!

Or: Shocking! The main villain is actually my dad!

Huh? The main villain is actually my dad?! Xu Qi'an's face gradually stiffened.

"Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha."

Master Du'e clasped his hands together and chanted Buddhist mantras incessantly, his lips moving rapidly in a fast-paced manner, as if only in this way could he calm the turbulent emotions churning within him.

"The Great Cycle of Reincarnation illuminates past and present lives. Master Shenshu remembered his past lives, but they were vague and unclear. Because of his deep attachment, he desperately wanted to complete himself, which led to his madness and loss of control."

Xu Qi'an's voice was clear and crisp as he said, "Bodhisattva Guangxian knows Master Shenshu very well, so he must also know his true identity."

The chanting of the Buddha's name by the Arhat Du'e paused, becoming stagnant.

Asuro's expression stiffened slightly.

After expressing his feelings, Xu Qi'an asked, "Master Shenshu, what else do you remember?"

Shen Shu sat cross-legged, one hand clasped together, his tone bewildered yet calm:

"I... I don't remember."

I think I understand why the Buddha personally sealed Shenshu's head. Xu Qi'an's heart stirred; the complete memories were probably inside the head.

At this moment, he heard the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox take a deep breath, calm herself, look at Asura, and say:

When did the Asura race originate?

Asuro answered without hesitation:

"It existed since the age of Gods and Devils. Within our Asura clan, there is a legend that the Asura clan are the ancestors of the Western Regions people. Those weaker clansmen were driven out of the clan and scattered throughout the Western Regions, eventually evolving into the Western Regions people."

"But in the legends of the Western Regions people, the Asura race is a race of humans with Gods and Devils blood. In ancient times, in order to survive, the Western Regions people attached themselves to powerful Gods and Devils and Gods and Devils, sending their beautiful girls to mate with them, thus giving birth to the Asura race."

The silver-haired enchantress was somewhat disappointed and remained silent.

From an evolutionary perspective, the legends of the Western Regions people are more plausible. Of course, in a world without reproductive isolation, the theory of evolution itself is untenable.

Does Your Highness believe that Buddha is the Asura King, and that the Asura race originated from Buddha? However, although the Asura race existed in ancient times, this does not contradict the fact that Buddha and the Asura King are the same person. Xu Qi'an remained silent.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox looked at Master Du'e, her tone icy:

"Master Du'e, have you ever seen the Buddha?"

The Arhat Du'e remained silent.

In this situation, the Empress and Asura are clearly severely impacted, have lost their will to fight, and are unable to continue. Xu Qi'an said in a clear voice:

"Master Du'e, you have seen what happened tonight and what Bodhisattva Guangxian did. You should know that Master Shenshu would not lie."

"If he truly is the Buddha, then this matter cannot be described simply as a 'secret.' What exactly happened to the Buddha? Why is Shenshu the Buddha? What role did the Buddha play in the demon-slaying battle five hundred years ago?"

"If Bodhisattva Guangxian knows about this, do the other Bodhisattvas know? Could this be related to the disappearance of Bodhisattva Faji? And why was it kept from you and Asura? Aren't you curious about all of this?"

Du'e hesitated for a moment, then slowly said:

"This is a matter of Buddhist School importance, and I will personally go back and inquire about the situation."

Xu Qi'an questioned:

How can you guarantee that the Bodhisattva Guangxian will tell you?

Du'e was silent for a moment, then sighed:

You've convinced me.

He paused for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:

"I attained enlightenment 1,300 years ago, and the Buddha preached once every 60 years. Therefore, I only saw the Buddha once. After that, the Buddha never appeared again. The Bodhisattvas said that the world was filled with the fires of karma, and the Buddha, with his supreme enlightenment, quelled these fires. Thus, he fell into a deep sleep."

Good heavens, you kidnapped me to the Western Regions to become a Buddhist disciple, so it was to help Buddha quell his karmic fire Xu Qi'an not only didn't believe it, but also mentally complained.

The nine-tailed celestial fox suddenly turned her head and looked at the boy with red lips and white teeth:

"You said that the Buddha was sealed away by the Confucian sages."

Xu Qi'an nodded:

"The timing matches."

Through the Arhat who saved from calamity, they confirmed that the Confucian sage sealed the Buddha. Cloud Deer Academy has a history of 1,200 years and was founded by the Confucian sage's chief disciple, while the Confucian sage only lived to be 82.

This indicates that the time it took for the Confucian sage to seal the Buddha away was approximately 1200 years.

Du'e attained enlightenment 1,300 years ago and saw the Buddha within 60 years, after which the Buddha went into "seclusion".

"The Confucian sage seals away the Buddha?!"

Du'e Luohan was slightly taken aback, staring intently at Xu Qi'an:

What does this mean?

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and then revealed the information Zhao Shou had given him to Du'e Luohan.

Currently, exchanging information is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sides.

The Arhat Du'e murmured:

"If that's the case, then who was it that subdued Shenshu five hundred years ago?"

The nine-tailed celestial fox pondered for a long while, then turned its head to look at the seven or eight-year-old boy:

What do you think?

Regarding the matter of Shenshu and Buddha, she knew that Xu Qi'an knew a lot of inside information and had been secretly investigating. As for solving cases, the Nine-Tailed Fox trusted Xu Qi'an quite a bit.

Asura and Du'e Luohan naturally knew of Xu Qi'an's reputation, and upon hearing this, they immediately looked over.

Xu Qi'an did not respond immediately. After thinking for a long time, he said:

"Before that, could you tell me how to remove the erosion of the Great Cycle of Reincarnation?"

Right now, he's just a primary school student dressed in adult clothes, as tall as a katana.

Du'e Luohan scrutinized him:

"Given your status, you should be able to extricate yourself in two days."

"Will I regress into an embryo in two days?" Xu Qi'an was somewhat worried, but not panicked, because although his age had decreased and his cultivation had been severely weakened, he was still at the extraordinary level.

He was unaware that his Qi and Blood was depleted. For an extraordinary martial artist, as long as his Qi and Blood was still abundant, there was no major problem.

"If we think through a few questions, we can unlock the secrets of the divine and the Buddha," Xu Qi'an said in a clear, childlike voice.

"The Confucian sage sealed the Buddha more than a thousand years ago, and five hundred years ago, the Buddha subdued the gods and killed the Queen of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. So, how did the Buddha manage to act through the seal? This is the first question."

"Shenshu claims to be the Buddha, but he is also in the form of an Asura. So, what is the relationship between the Asura King and the Buddha? This is the second question."

The third question: When did Shenshu appear?

Du'e and the others fell silent, pondering these three questions.

"Five hundred years ago, the Buddha did indeed intervene; I saw the form of Vairocana Buddha," said Arhat Du'e slowly.

He immediately added:

"The form of Vairocana Buddha is a unique form of the Buddha, and is the foremost of the nine major forms."

At this moment, Asura suddenly said:

"Back then, I couldn't hold out until the Buddha intervened and was killed by the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. Unless you witnessed the Buddha appear with your own eyes, it's impossible to be certain that the Great Sun Tathagata's Dharma form originated from the Buddha."

As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Shu, who sat silently.

This person who called himself "Buddha" must have been present at the time; who can be sure that he did not possess the form of Vairocana Buddha?

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox shook its head:

"There must have been a super-grade being involved in the battle back then, otherwise who could have sealed away the divine being?"

Xu Qi'an gave the final summary:

"Alright, what we can confirm now is that there were indeed extraordinary individuals involved that day, including the Buddha. Next question: what is the relationship between the Asura King and the Buddha?"

The nine-tailed fox and Xu Qi'an looked at Asuluo.

The ugly-handsome and valiant youngest son of the Asura King pondered for a moment and said:

"I have never seen him. When I was very young, the Asura King was suppressed by the Buddha in Aranda. It is said in the tribe that the Buddha wanted to spread the teachings to the Asura tribe, but the Asura King disagreed and challenged the Buddha to a duel."

"They never returned. Later, the Buddha himself descended upon the Asura clan, and the clan members converted to Buddhist School."

"However, some of my people refused to surrender, so they fled their homeland and fought against Buddhist School for hundreds of years. That's when I grew up and replaced my father as the strongest warrior of the Asura race."

"Until he encountered the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree, was defeated by him, and from then on, he understood the Dharma, entered the monastic life, and renounced all worldly desires."

As he spoke, he clasped his hands together in a devout expression, bowed his head, and uttered, "Amitabha."

The Asura King and Shenshu are not the same person. Xu Qi'an stroked his chin, looked at the Arhat Du'e, and asked:

When did Shen Shu appear?

After a moment of recollection, the Arhat Du'e said:

"About seven hundred years ago, he was originally a martial monk with unparalleled talent, who cultivated the Vajra Dharma Image. Afterward, he began to cultivate the Zen Master system, and his great vow was to convert the Demon Race of the Southern Frontier to Buddhist School."

"From then on, he left Aranya and disappeared. After that, the war against the demons began."

"Now it seems his original identity was false; he was the Asura King."

Leaving aside the Buddha's identity for now, the Asura King is undoubtedly real, and his Asura divine blood is unmistakable.

Xu Qi'an analyzed:

"The Buddha suppressed the Asura King first, and the Confucian sage sealed the Buddha later. About three hundred years later, a warrior monk appeared. This warrior monk was actually the Asura King. His great ambition was to convert the Demon Race of the Southern Frontier into Buddhist School."

"But for some reason, the Demon Race did not convert to Buddhist School. Instead, they fought against Buddhist School to the point of mutual destruction, and the Asura King also betrayed Buddhist School. Therefore, he was sealed away by the Buddha. Five hundred years later, the Asura King said that he was the Buddha."

"There are too many unclear aspects and contradictions involved, but if one of the established facts is overturned, the situation will reverse."

Asuro glanced at him:

How so?

Xu Qi'an looked back at Asuluo:

"You haven't seen the Asura King, and neither have we. So who can guarantee that Shen Shu is definitely the Asura King?"

Du'e's white eyebrows trembled violently.

Asuro looked stunned.

The nine-tailed celestial fox seemed lost in thought.

Xu Qi'an continued, "If it was Buddha who refined the Essence Blood of the Asura King to break free from the seal, reshaped a body, and then began his cultivation anew, then the matter of Xu Hongyuan is probably just a pretext."

"What Buddha truly desires is the fortune of the Demon Race race of the Southern Frontier, which can help him break free from the seal of the Confucian sage."

He had barely finished speaking when the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox shook her head in rejection:

"The Buddhist School has already achieved its goal. If it were as you say, then Shenshu would have already returned to his rightful place as the Buddha."

Xu Qi'an grinned:

"What if the Buddha in Ananda is someone else?"

A simple sentence sent chills down the spines of the three extraordinary experts, filling them with dread.

In this way, Shenshu's act of claiming to be the Buddha can be well explained.

During the Sixty-Year Demon Purge, the one who perished along with the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons was the true Buddha, while the one in Aranya now is someone who has impersonated the Buddha.

Xu Qi'an then said:

"This would explain why Shenshu's great vow was to save the Southern Demons, but it turned into the Sixty-Year Demon Purge. This was not the Buddha's original intention, but rather someone was pushing him from behind the scenes."

"Shenshu's enmity with Buddhist School back then was a confrontation with that being. To verify this conjecture, we need to understand the trigger for the Sixty-Year Demon Purge."

Everyone looked at the Arhat Du'e, who shook his head slightly.

The fact that even a second-rank Arhat didn't know this undoubtedly increased the likelihood of Xu Qi'an's speculation.

"The second possibility is that Shenshu and Buddha are the same person. More than 700 years ago, Buddha initially broke free from the seal and refined the Essence Blood of the Asura King, thus creating Shenshu. However, they had a disagreement about how to deal with the Southern Demon, which led to the current situation."

"Buddha ultimately triumphed, conquering the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Frontier and finally breaking free from the seal of the Confucian sage. However, the existence of the divine beings forced him to personally seal them away, thus plunging him into a deep slumber."

Xu Qi'an offered his second speculation.

He didn't just guess; he deduced the truth step by step based on the clues he had gathered.

Xu Qi'an even felt that the second possibility was more likely, because the severed arm in the pagoda had once said that the Buddha was a treacherous and wicked person.

Du'e Luohan shook his head and said:

"One person splitting into two is a Divine Ability that Buddhist School, unlike Daoist School, cannot accomplish. Even the three stages of enlightenment and the nine stages of manifestation cannot achieve such a thing."

"If you put it that way, the truth behind that matter becomes even more complicated," Xu Qi'an said.

"To verify the second conjecture, it's very simple: after the Arhat Du'e returns to Aranda, check if the statue of the Confucian sage is still there. Yes, we need to find the statue of the Confucian sage."

"If the sculpture still exists, then the first guess is accurate. If the sculpture is gone, or cannot be found, then the second guess is correct."

Du'e Luohan and Asura exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

My cultivation level has dropped to the early stage of the third rank. Asuluo is slightly stronger than me, and Du'e Luohan is still at the second rank level. However, the Empress's injuries are not serious, and we also have the Bear King. Our chances of winning are slightly higher. As for Shenshu, he is obviously withdrawn.

If a real fight breaks out, it will most likely result in mutual destruction. Xu Qi'an said:

"Then, farewell?"

Du'e Luohan and Asura exchanged another glance, and the former nodded.

Goodbye!

"Very good, very good. Everyone's will to survive is quite good. It's not easy to cultivate to the extraordinary level. "Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief and immediately rode the Floating Pagoda away into the sky.

The nine-tailed celestial fox's tail extended from its waist, coiling around the bear king and Shen Shu, and it walked through the air, quickly disappearing from sight.

Soon after, the demon soldiers of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons began to retreat, returning to the deep mountains and forests.

A hidden grotto somewhere.

Night Princess, holding a pink and adorable baby girl in her arms and with White Princess perched on her shoulder, strode through the passageway and into the cave.

Inside the grotto, torches blazed, and black smoke billowed from a crack in the ceiling. Three passageways led deeper into the grotto.

This is one of the strongholds of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons in the Southern Frontier, called Thousand Caves City.

Caves and passageways are scattered throughout the mountainside, resembling a spider web.

It was well hidden, with poisonous insects, ferocious beasts, miasma, and numerous rivers providing cover, and had never been discovered.

Finding the hidden strongholds of the Demon Race in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, with their primeval forests and treacherous rivers, is virtually impossible.

Upon entering the grotto, Ye Ji saw the beautiful and noble lady, who was sitting cross-legged on a stone seat, closing her eyes and meditating.

"Your Majesty, please save Qingji!"

Ye Ji's voice suddenly stopped. As she got closer, she noticed a five- or six-year-old child sitting cross-legged on a futon beside the bed.

Above the nine-tailed celestial fox's rump, its short tail twitched involuntarily. It opened its eyes and said softly:

"It's alright, she'll recover tomorrow."

Having received the Queen's reply, Ye Ji breathed a sigh of relief, then frequently looked at the child and tentatively asked:

"Xu Lang?"

The boy blinked innocently, then turned to the nine-tailed fox and asked:

"Mom, who is this woman?"

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox smiled and said:

"The child bride I raised for you."

Eight fox tails suddenly shot out, wrapping around Xu Qi'an, and one of the tails went to untie Xu Qi'an's belt.

"Your Majesty, let's talk this out."

Xu Qi'an said sincerely.

The nine-tailed celestial fox was still smiling.

"I have another mother."

"It's only natural for a mother to spank her son."

In the end, she didn't take off Xu Qi'an's pants, and Fox Tail slapped his buttocks hard.

"Xu Lang, when will you recover?"

Ye Ji, carrying the baby girl, hurried closer, her alluring, foxy eyes flashing with worry.

It will recover naturally in two days.

Xu Qi'an sighed, "Have the Demon Race's protectors keep the various demon troops at bay. Three days later, reclaim Ten Thousand Demon Mountain."

Princess Ye did not linger; carrying the baby girl, she left through the same passageway she had come from.

Xu Qi'an glanced around at the simple furnishings in the cave and whispered:

"Has Your Majesty ever considered attacking Aranya, retrieving Shenshu's head, and helping him to be fully resurrected?"

The nine-tailed fox said calmly:

"Regardless of which of your two speculations is right or wrong, it won't affect my plan. Shen Shu won't pull out the Demon-Sealing Nail for the time being. Although it will weaken his combat power, he is still invincible as long as he doesn't use the First Grade."

"If Guangxian comes in his true form, we will proceed according to the original plan. If it is only an avatar, with the Demon-Sealing Nail in place, Shenshu should not go berserk," Xu Qi'an said.

After saying that, he got up and walked out.

What are you going to do?

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox asked.

"Please treat Fuxiang to some enoki mushrooms."

Xu Qi'an didn't turn his head back.

Ten days later.

Princess Yoru and Princess Kiyohime sat in the barbican of the southern city, while bird spirits rose and fell on the city walls, bringing or sending letters.

"Elders, Black Wind City in the west has been captured. We annihilated 20,000 enemy troops from the Western Regions, captured 800, and seized 150,000 civilians from the city. What should we do with them?"

"Prisoners of war will be enslaved, and the city's inhabitants will be temporarily settled until the war ends. If any inhabitant dares to cause trouble or resist, they will be killed without exception."

"Elders, the northern city of Baibi has been recaptured by the Western Regions army, and the demon soldiers left to defend the city have been completely annihilated."

"Block Baibi City's supply lines, besiege it for now without attacking, and deal with Xu Yinluo when he has time."

"Elders, when the Bear King attacked Wocheng on the eastern front, he accidentally fell asleep, and the hundreds of thousands of Western Region people in the city remained unconscious. Our army captured the city without losing a single soldier, but no demon dared to enter."

"Take the intelligence to Her Majesty and let her make a decision."

After twenty days of fighting, the armies of the Western Regions led by Bodhisattva Guangxian, Venerable Asura, and Arhat Du'e finally lost to the Demon Race, withdrew from the Southern Frontier, and retreated to the Western Regions.

The Demon Race annihilated 180,000 troops from the Western Regions, captured 30,000 enemy soldiers, and 620,000 civilians.

The day after the Western Regions garrison withdrew from the Southern Frontier, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox summoned all the demons at Ten Thousand Demon Mountain and announced the restoration of her kingdom.

The Demon Race, which had been wandering for five hundred years, returned to their homeland.

Later historical records refer to this day as the "Resurgence of the Southern Demons".

Among them, a warrior from the Central Plains played a crucial role.

P. S.: I updated over 10,000 words today. If I break it up, I can add another 2,000 words today. Requesting monthly votes.