PDLP Chapter 11: The Buddha Who Colludes with Demons
Chapter 11: The Buddha Who Colludes with Demons
Chen Xuanzang felt dizzy and left dejectedly.
Chen Fan walked beside him, holding the broken wooden stick in his hand.
"Master, there's another one ahead, Pure Land Temple."
"Let's go take a look; perhaps the mercy you seek is there."
Chen Xuanzang looked up and saw a small temple not far ahead.
Although it is not large, it has been restored to a very impressive state.
The vermilion gate was open, and an old monk stood at the entrance.
The old monk had a kind face and held a string of prayer beads in his hand.
Seeing Chen Xuanzang and Chen Fan in such a disheveled state, the old monk hurried a few steps forward.
"Amitabha Buddha, what a sin!"
"What trouble have befallen you two?"
Chen Xuanzang quickly bowed.
"Master, we've been passing through this area for two days without eating."
The old monk sighed.
"There are many suffering people in this world."
"Come in quickly. Although I don't have fancy dishes here, I do have simple meals."
Chen Xuanzang's eyes lit up immediately.
He turned his head and looked at Chen Fan.
"Master, you see, Buddhism does indeed possess true compassion."
Chen Fan didn't say anything, but simply followed him inside.
The Monkey King on the Taoist crown buzzed twice.
"Brother, this old monk's smile is weird, I smell something fishy."
Chen Fan transmitted his voice, "Great Sage, hold on, and see what he's up to."
The three entered the backyard, and the old monk invited them to sit down.
Before long, a young monk came up carrying two large bowls.
The bowl contained fluffy white rice, topped with a thick layer of fried tofu.
The aroma was enticing. Chen Xuanzang swallowed hard.
"Thank you, Master."
He picked up his chopsticks, just about to eat.
Chen Fan placed his hand on the back of his hand.
"Master, don't be anxious."
Chen Xuanzang was taken aback: "Daoist Master, what's wrong?"
As Chen Fan looked at the bowl of rice, the system in his mind began to sound an alarm.
[Ding! Potent sleeping potion detected: Ten-Fragrance Tendon-Softening Powder!]
[Ding! Trace amounts of corpse energy detected!]
Chen Fan raised his head and looked at the kind-faced old monk.
"Master, what's in this rice? It smells so good!"
The old monk chuckled and said, "These are just some wild fruits from the mountains for seasoning. Please have some, Daoist."
Chen Fan picked up the bowl and smelled it.
"Really? I smell a drug in it."
The old monk's smile froze.
Chen Xuanzang was also stunned, and his chopsticks fell onto the table.
"Master, you must be joking, right?"
"Master, look at the floor tiles in the backyard," Chen Fan said, pointing to the ground beneath his feet.
Chen Xuanzang looked down.
There were faint traces of dark red blood in the cracks between the floor tiles.
There were even a few strands of hair that hadn't been completely burned off.
"Master, monks do not lie."
"What kind of soil does your Pure Land Temple purify?"
Chen Fan stood up, his tone turning cold.
When the old monk realized his scheme had been exposed, the kind expression on his face vanished instantly.
His old face contorted into a grimace.
"Damn, I've found someone who knows their stuff!"
"Now that you've figured it out, you're not leaving!"
The old monk shouted, "Men, make your move!"
With a "whoosh," a dozen or so strong men rushed out from behind the meditation room.
Although they had shaved heads and wore monks' robes, they were all carrying steel knives.
They all had menacing faces and fierce eyes.
"Abbot, these two are quite good."
"That young one has tender skin and flesh; if we give him to King Jinbao in the back mountain, we can definitely get a lot of pills in return."
"Just chop that Taoist priest up, we'll have an extra meal tonight!" the young monk said with a sinister grin.
Chen Xuanzang was so frightened that his face turned pale and he collapsed into the chair.
"You...you actually colluded with monsters?"
"This is Chang'an! Right under the emperor's nose!"
The old monk scoffed. "The Emperor? Can the Emperor control us, or even demons?"
"Buddha wants incense offerings, we want to live!"
"Take them down!" A group of monks rushed forward, brandishing knives.
Chen Xuanzang closed his eyes, his whole body trembling.
"It's over..."
Just then, a sharp laugh rang out in the courtyard, "Hey! These bald monks are really profiting from human blood."
The bee on Chen Fan's Taoist hat suddenly flew up.
A magnificent display of golden light!
"Bang!" A terrifying shockwave exploded outwards from Chen Fan.
Before the fake monks who rushed up could even get close, they were blasted backward by the shock.
They crashed into the wall, breaking bones and tendons one by one.
"Ouch!" "My leg!"
Screams echoed through the backyard.
The old monk was so frightened that he dropped his prayer beads.
"You... youkai!"
Chen Fan sneered and waved his right hand.
A burst of magical power transformed into a long rope, binding the old monk tightly.
"Great Sage, the rest is up to you."
The golden light landed and transformed into a monkey with a hairy face and a thunder god's mouth.
Sun Wukong, holding his staff, looked at the old monk with disgust.
"Pah! You've dirtied my eyes!"
He swept the stick across it.
Those fake monks didn't even utter a sound before they were all beaten into a pulp.
Only the old monk remained, sprawled on the ground, his crotch soaked.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
Sun Wukong squatted down and patted the old monk's face.
"You old bastard, who did you just say you were going to give to the monster?"
The old monk trembled and couldn't utter a single word.
Chen Fan walked to Chen Xuanzang's side.
Chen Xuanzang stared blankly at the bloody scene before him.
He then looked at the old monk whom he regarded as "truly compassionate."
"Master, did you see that?"
"This is the pure land in your heart."
"They eat the flesh of the people, drink the blood of the people, and even think about giving the people to monsters in exchange for medicine."
"Do you still believe in a Buddha like this?"
Chen Xuanzang lowered his head, his hands gripping his thighs tightly.
His faith collapsed completely at that moment.
He suddenly stood up and walked up to the old monk.
"I ask you, what about those people you sent away?"
The old monk's teeth chattered.
"They've all...they've all been eaten..."
Chen Xuanzang closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears flowed down his cheeks.
By evening, Chen Xuanzang was so hungry that he felt dizzy and collapsed in an empty alley.
Looking at the magnificent, brightly lit temples in the distance, he felt nothing but utter irony.
Just then, a young Taoist boy dressed in a simple robe passed by carrying a food box.
Seeing his pitiful state, the young Taoist stopped in his tracks.
"Excuse me... sir, are you hungry?"
He took a steaming hot vegetarian bun and a bowl of water from the food box and handed them over.
"Eat up, this is what's left in the temple, it's still warm."
Chen Xuanzang stared blankly at the steamed bun in his hand, a warmth spreading from his palm to his heart.
He raised his head, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes, finally spilling out.
He shoved the bun into his mouth, eating and crying at the same time, crying like a lost child.
Chen Fan appeared beside him at some point, quietly watching him.
"Why..." Chen Xuanzang choked back tears, his voice hoarse, "Why did it have to be like this..."
"Because that's reality," Chen Fan said calmly.
He crouched down and looked into Chen Xuanzang's eyes.
"Now, do you still want to go to the Western Paradise to obtain those scriptures that can neither save the world nor fill stomachs?"
Chen Xuanzang fell silent, only chewing the bun in his mouth vigorously, as if trying to swallow all his grievances and resentment.
Chen Fan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Would you like to go to a place where there is no exploitation, no hunger, and everyone can earn their own living?"
That place is called Flower and Fruit Mountain.