PDLP Chapter 17 Cool Boiled Water
Chapter 17 Cool Boiled Water
In the dilapidated Buddhist temple outside the city, candlelight flickered, and a sinister-looking man stood before the faded Buddha statue.
Upon closer inspection, a sharp horn appeared on his head—
It was a monster!
The demon, with a devout expression, chanted before the Buddha statue: "A new Buddha has descended to earth, sweeping away all demons. This disciple, guided by the Venerable One of Guidance, respectfully requests the future Buddha to descend and impart to this disciple the method of attaining Buddhahood..."
After reciting it three times in a row, the clay Buddha statue suddenly shone brightly and its eyes opened, bringing it to life!
The resurrected Buddha statue has a compassionate expression and radiates a gentle Buddhist light, giving people a sense of approachability.
"A living Buddha!"
The monster was overjoyed to see him and rushed forward to grab him.
In the next instant, he actually passed through the monk's body and staggered to the incense table.
He turned around, his face filled with shock.
Seeing this, the monk gave a kind smile: "Don't be alarmed. After attaining Buddhahood, one is without form or color, and cannot be touched by a mortal body."
"Now that you have come here, the Venerable One must have already enlightened you. I ask you, are you willing to wholeheartedly turn to the Buddha and follow me to liberate all sentient beings?"
The demon nodded vigorously: "This disciple is willing, please, Buddha, bestow your power!"
The monk looked Jiang Feng over with satisfaction and then asked, "What is your name, and what is your background?"
The demon replied, "Buddha, I was originally a white dragon in the Little Liang River. After accidentally eating a pearl, I gained sentience and thus named myself—Liang Baikai!"
Monk: "..."
Seeing the stunned monk, the demon secretly chuckled to himself.
This monster was none other than Jiang Feng. After obtaining the secret method of summoning magic from the Yihong Courtyard, he used a transformation spell to become a monster with horns on its head.
I went to the dilapidated temple and tried the summoning spell. As expected, I succeeded on the first try.
Because it was a divine presence, Fa Nan's expression was hard to conceal. He sighed as he looked at the seemingly dim-witted monster before him and patiently began to explain.
"Nowadays, evil forces are causing chaos in the world. Apart from my disciples and believers, everyone else is an evil force. If you want to become a Buddha, you must first kill them all to accumulate merit."
"Killing ten people makes you a Bodhisattva of the Tenth Stage. When you have killed one hundred people and become a Bodhisattva of the Tenth Stage, I can then bestow upon you the prediction of Buddhahood."
"Tell me your strengths and how you usually kill people, so that I can teach you according to your aptitude and impart to you the methods of attaining Buddhahood."
Jiang Feng scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled: "What am I good at? Does being a big eater count?"
"..."
Looking at the gluttonous monster before him, Fa Nan remained silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Of course it counts. Do you like eating people?"
Jiang Feng exclaimed excitedly, "I love it! I especially love eating officials' food!"
Fa Nan asked curiously, "Oh? Why is that?"
Jiang Feng said, "Scholars are too pedantic, ordinary people are too miserable, only officials are fat and bloated, they taste especially good!"
Fa Nan's expression was somewhat tense. He suppressed his twitching brows and said, "Officials have protection, making them difficult to kill. You'd better not be picky."
"I will teach you a technique for refining flesh and blood. After you have eaten a human, you can cultivate according to this method and increase your magical power."
After saying that, he extended his index finger and pointed it at Jiang Feng's brow from a distance.
Immediately, Jiang Feng gained some knowledge about cultivation.
Jiang Feng closed his eyes and flipped through the cultivation manual, a cold smile playing on his lips.
After performing the ritual to help Wang Yunniang pass on to the afterlife, he obtained the complete "Ten Abodes Mahayana Practice".
The cultivation method that Fa Nan gave can indeed increase magical power, but in the end, the cultivator will become an ingredient for making secret medicines!
Fa Nan extensively recruited demons into the Mahayana sect, all for the purpose of refining secret elixirs.
He didn't rise up ten years ago, probably because he lacked the secret medicine and wasn't confident he could raise an army to quell the demons!
At the same time, Jiang Feng also guessed some clues about Fa Nan's identity.
Anyway, all these monsters will eventually die, but who kills them is a big deal.
If he dies at the hands of Fa Nan, he can earn some fame while refining the secret medicine, which is killing two birds with one stone!
Who are the famous demon hunters in Yangzhou? I'll have to find someone to ask around...
While he was still pondering, Fa Nan interrupted him, "Have you finished reading? Is there anything you don't understand?"
Jiang Feng snapped out of his daze: "Thank you, Buddha, for imparting your power. But after observing this technique for so long, I've discovered a major problem!"
Fa Nan's expression darkened: "What's wrong with this exercise?"
Could this idiot have figured it out? That shouldn't be the case.
Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment before saying, "Buddha, I think I've practiced this technique before."
Fa Nan's pupils contracted: "Ah!! Where did you get this cultivation technique?"
Jiang Feng feigned a nostalgic expression: "About eighty years ago, it seems there was a war going on in the human world. Life was good back then, I could eat at least three officials' meals a day..."
Fa Nan said impatiently, "Get to the point!"
Jiang Feng chuckled: "One day I was hunting by the river and caught a wounded monk. In order to survive, he taught me this technique."
I ate it right there and then to try it, and you know what? It actually worked!
The perilous situation: "..."
The murdered monk was probably his fellow disciple, but unfortunately he encountered this dim-witted good-for-nothing, and instead of being able to deceive him, he lost his own life.
Fa Nan mourned for his fellow disciple for a moment before speaking, "That monk must be a demonic monk. He stole the martial arts techniques of my disciples and tried to escape, but he didn't expect to run into you."
Before even entering the sect, you've already slain a demonic monk. It seems you truly have a karmic connection with Buddhism.
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something and looked at Jiang Feng expectantly: "Over the years, how many people have you eaten in total?"
Jiang Feng said nonchalantly, "How could I remember that? We ate the most during the years of war, maybe three to five hundred people a year. Buddha, look at my current cultivation level..."
As he spoke, he activated the "Ten Abodes Mahayana Technique," transforming his magical power into blood energy. The vast, ocean-like blood energy surged straight into the sky, as if it would dye the entire sky red.
Fa Nan saw his gaze suddenly become incredibly intense.
This monster in front of us isn't a good-for-nothing; it's clearly a walking medicine!
Once he refines this white dragon, he will be able to control a million-strong demon-suppressing army!
A million fearless soldiers, loyal only to him—this immense joy overwhelmed him, and he could hardly contain his excitement, his voice trembling as he said:
"Liang Baikai, the merits you have accumulated have surpassed those of a Bodhisattva at the Ten Stages of Bodhisattvahood. I will impart another cultivation method to you. If you can master it, I will bestow upon you the prediction of Buddhahood!"
After saying that, he taught Jiang Feng another cultivation technique, just like before.
After receiving the cultivation technique, Jiang Feng laughed and said, "Buddha, this technique is very simple. I can master it in three days at most!"
Fa Nan laughed heartily: "Haha, good, good! Cultivate diligently, and in three days I will send a Dharma protector to pick you up and take you to Maitreya's Pure Land to receive your prediction of Buddhahood!"
Jiang Feng said excitedly, "Disciple Liang Baikai thanks Buddha!"
Fa Nan nodded to him with satisfaction, and his body then turned into a glimmer of light and dissipated into the air.
A moment later, Cui Ying walked in with a smile and said, "I've only ever heard of drawing a cake to satisfy hunger before, this is the first time I've heard of plain boiled water being able to feed someone."
Jiang Feng laughed and said, "If only we could feed him properly. This Fa Nan is really cautious; he won't show himself even in the face of such a great temptation."
The guardian deity he mentioned must be one of his trusted confidants. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known Wang Yunniang was dead; wouldn't it have been easier to just have her come directly?
Cui Ying agreed, "That should be the case. If we capture that guardian deity in a few days, we might be able to find him."
Jiang Feng said, "You don't need to stay here these next few days. Go and collect portraits of famous demon slayers in Jiangnan, as well as the heads of major families. I have a great use for them."