Free Buddhist Teachings

Wentesi stepped into the piles of books, leafing through scrolls of every kind with his dragon claws.

But he discovered a problem: he was illiterate!

He didn't know the characters of this world, so he couldn't understand the writing and symbols in these books and Jade Slips, much less cultivate.

"Hmm... looks like I can only look at Cultivation Methods with pictures." Wentesi frowned, sweeping his gaze over the piles of books.

"Little demon, you can't read, can you? Touch the black stone at the very bottom, and you'll be able to read for a while."

"But it only lasts a quarter of an hour, so be quick."

The reminder came from the green ox demon outside. It seemed the green ox demon had been keeping an eye on Wentesi ever since he entered the book cave.

Wentesi naturally had no objection. He searched with his eyes and soon found the millstone-sized black stone below, then touched it lightly with a dragon claw.

In an instant, light flowed and shimmered, and some mysterious information appeared in Wentesi's mind.

The information on every book in the entire cave flashed before him. He could clearly tell the name, general contents, and purpose of the books in every location.

With a turn of his left claw, he found an earth virtue Cultivation Method, the Thick Earth Three Powers Method. Its contents were plain and conveyed a sense of weight and solidity.

The cover also bore the character for "two," presumably indicating the second grade Crow Lord had mentioned.

He moved his claw tip aside and found several volumes of human Cultivation Methods, including the Qinghe Cui Lineage Water Refining Method and the Lin Household Great Wood Instruction. All were named after lineages, so they were probably human inheritances that had found their way among the common people or been plundered by the Demon Race.

There were also biographies left by human cultivators, such as Xu Xianke's Travel Account. Wentesi skimmed through it; it was broadly the story of a late Qi Ingestion water virtue cultivator who traveled across the five lakes and four seas.

At the end, he had also left a first draft of the Commentary on the Water Classic, a work on the distribution of the world's waterways.

The biography was quite interesting. Much of its local customs and geographical knowledge opened Wentesi's eyes and gave him a better understanding of this world.

But none of this made Wentesi stop. After a little thought, he decided to choose a fire virtue Cultivation Method, as Crow Lord had suggested.

The Hairy Head Sun tradition was far too conspicuous. For a cultivator of a tradition whose path had once been severed to suddenly appear would be much too abrupt.

Fire virtue, on the other hand, would attract less attention, and Wentesi suspected he might also have a talent for cultivating it.

As a red dragon, he had an extremely high affinity for the fire element, and he expected the same would hold true in this world.

With that in mind, Wentesi found the Three Yang Earth Fire Method in the library.

It was a second-grade fire virtue Cultivation Method. Its cultivation process was gentle and its entry requirements were low, though it could only be cultivated with the aid of earth fire. Its strength lay in its solid foundation, and it also came with a matching Qi-gathering method, so advancing to Qi Ingestion would be no problem.

Having settled on it, Wentesi did not leave immediately.

Instead, he took many other books and accounts of hidden matters from the library, including the Biography of Xu Xianke and Strange Accounts of Southern Xiang, as well as a picture book for learning to read.

These books and accounts could help Wentesi learn more about this world. The more information he had, the more it would benefit his actions.

Only then did Wentesi step out and say to the great green ox:

"I'd also like to buy some miscellaneous books and strange accounts. How much for these eleven books?"

The great green ox, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and gave the eleven books a cursory look before saying with a smile:

"Not expensive! Not expensive! For these eleven books, I'll round it down to one Spirit Stone. Spiritual materials of equal value will also do."

Hearing this, Wentesi said nothing. Instead, he pretended to hesitate, as though he were having a hard time deciding whether to buy them.

Seeing this, the green ox demon continued with a smile:

"Little friend, there's no need to hesitate. My books really aren't expensive. That's my final price, and they're definitely worth more than what you're paying. I won't lower the price, so there's no need to haggle.

"Besides, I haven't charged you for using the Scripture Comprehension Technique to look through the books just now. You should know that's a Buddhist Secret Method."

The demons of this world are intelligent too.

Seeing the green ox demon speak this way, Wentesi gave up on haggling and spat out the spirit ginseng and honey from his stomach.

The green ox demon could tell at a glance that they were all good things, and his eyes lit up:

"Good stuff. This spirit ginseng is an earth virtue spiritual item for Embryonic Breathing. Not bad. Two roots can be exchanged for half a Spirit Stone."

He picked up the rock honey, sniffed it, and said:

"This rock honey, I've never seen any quite like it. It smells of wood virtue and earth virtue. One jar can just about count for half a Spirit Stone."

This honey was a product of the nectar zone in his territory, a resource that could be produced continuously, so he was relatively less reluctant to part with it.

This also allowed Wentesi to discover an important piece of information: resources from his original world could be brought here and used in trade, and their prices did not seem low either.

Wentesi used the honey for the trade.

The green ox demon took the honey jar, opened it, and sniffed it. He nodded in satisfaction and accepted it, but he did not stop there. Instead, he said to Wentesi:

"Lizard, you've only just stepped onto the Dao Path, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Though Wentesi was very displeased at being called a lizard, he had to bear it. After all, the other's cultivation was higher, and Wentesi couldn't beat him in a fight.

In his simple set of values, the stronger fist was the truth.

"Then do you know that Cultivation Methods are divided into grades? First grade is the lowest, and ninth grade is the highest. The method in your hands is only a second-grade fire virtue method, belonging to the Encampment Fire tradition.

"Generally, Demon Cultivators without a foundation cultivate first-grade methods, which have nothing special about them. Second-grade methods have their own distinctive features, and that is even more true of third-grade methods, which are generally not passed on to outsiders. Fourth-grade methods and above are more precious still."

The green ox demon explained, and then two jade-bound volumes suddenly appeared in his hands, actually giving off a brilliant glow.

"These are fourth- and sixth-grade Buddhist teachings, called the Formless Muscle-Changing Sutra and the Great Sun Earth Buddha Sutra: Recitation Rite of the Immovable Wisdom King's Great Wrath.

"I see that your Root Bone is keen and intelligent, and you have a considerable affinity with Buddhism. I shall give you these two Buddhist teachings. I hope you will cultivate them diligently."

Having said that, he actually held out the two jade scriptures radiating golden Buddhist light to Wentesi.

"Sixth- and fourth-grade Buddhist teachings? And you're giving them to me for free?"

Sixth and fourth grade sounded stronger than second grade, leaving Wentesi somewhat stunned.

Could it be that he truly had such a deep affinity with Buddhism that the green ox demon was willing to give him two profound Buddhist teachings?

For a moment, Wentesi felt somewhat delighted and prepared to accept the profound Buddhist teaching.

After all, who didn't like free things?

Even if the green ox demon had a trick up his sleeve, Wentesi could simply refuse at worst.

As if seeing Wentesi's concerns, the green ox demon explained:

"The Great Sun Earth Buddha Sutra: Recitation Rite of the Immovable Wisdom King's Great Wrath is an earth Buddha cultivation method of the Buddhist Room Sun path.

"However, Greater Yang lost its radiance long ago, and our Buddhist sect has no Greater Yang Golden Land, so it cannot be cultivated.

"Although it cannot be cultivated, reading it and contemplating the mysteries of the Greater Yang Buddhist Dao is also excellent."

"As for the Formless Muscle-Changing Sutra, it is a supreme Buddhist body-tempering art. It can temper both body and mind and refine the body and cleanse the marrow. For Demon Cultivators like us, it couldn't be more suitable. It's just that I only have an incomplete Embryonic Breathing portion here."

So one could not be cultivated at all, while only an incomplete portion of the other remained.

Just then, a black shadow flew down from the sky. It was none other than Crow Lord, who cried urgently:

"Shilongzi! Don't touch those two Buddhist scriptures!!"

"If you touch them, you'll have no choice but to become a Buddhist mount! Even when you reincarnate in the future, you'll still be a servant and mount to those bald donkeys!"

The voice was shrill; Crow Lord had never been so anxious:

"For all eternity, you'll never attain transcendence!

"Eminent Buddhist monks can completely control the bodies, minds, and lives of their disciples. If they command them to live, they live; if they command them to die, they die. Their lives and deaths are no longer their own!"

Hearing this, Wentesi immediately withdrew his outstretched claw and looked warily at the green ox demon.

"Hmph, good thing I made it in time."

Crow Lord breathed a sigh of relief, flapped down beside Wentesi, and pointed at the green ox demon's nose as Crow Lord cursed:

"Niu Er, stop peddling those damned Buddhist arts of yours.

"You've cultivated until your horns have broken and your hooves have split. In a few years, someone will be riding you, and you're still here recruiting newcomers? Pah!"

The green ox demon was not angry at this. Instead, he smiled and said:

"Crow Lord, your prejudice against my Buddhist sect runs too deep. What a sin, what a sin!

"Ever since our World-Honored One attained Buddhahood, every living being in the northern lands has been reborn in ultimate bliss and escaped the sea of suffering. All the world calls the World-Honored One infinitely compassionate and merciful!"

"Lay devotee, you must think for yourself. Do not be led astray!"

With that, Niu Er put away the jade volumes. A smug, sinister smile appeared on his face as he quietly watched the two demons.

Hearing this, Crow Lord snorted at Niu Er and sneered:

"Good thing you didn't take them. These Buddhist Cultivation Methods really are absurdly high-grade, and they're easy to cultivate too.

"But once you cultivate them, your body and mind will start leaning toward Buddhism, until you become a Buddhist puppet."

Crow Lord patted Crow Lord's chest with a black feather, still looking shaken:

"Shilongzi, you've got the fire virtue Cultivation Method, so let's hurry and go!"

Crow Lord urged Wentesi in a low voice, even tugging at him with a claw.

Fearing that the green ox demon might suddenly come over and forcibly offer salvation through Buddhist teachings, Crow Lord wanted to take him away at once.

From this, one could see how frightening Buddhism was in this world.

But after hearing Crow Lord's remarks, Wentesi suddenly wanted a Buddhist Cultivation Method.

Wentesi said to the green ox demon, whose face was full of smiles:

"Senior Green Ox, I have considerable admiration for Buddhism. Might you impart some teachings to me? Please bestow these two supreme Buddhist teachings upon me. I would be immensely grateful."

At those words, Crow Lord went from anxious to dumbstruck, and the green ox demon's smile froze. He too was somewhat surprised.

After all, many demons fled in fright as soon as they heard that the Cultivation Methods he offered were Buddhist, afraid they could not get far enough away.

Could this little demon truly have his heart set on Buddhism?