great-warnovel Chapter 226 From Adversity to Prosperity
Chapter 226 From Adversity to Prosperity
Twenty years have passed in a flash.
The baby at Fahua Temple has now grown into a handsome monk.
Unfortunately, two years ago, the old monk who had raised Juexing passed away after watching Juexing grow up and the temple prosper.
However, he was very pleased.
Because awareness is truly the innate nature of a Buddha.
In the year he was formally ordained, he attained enlightenment, achieved sexual success, and felt dizzy at the back of his head.
His reputation soared in Chechi Kingdom in no time.
Many people became believers after hearing about him.
Through the profound teachings of Buddhism, Awakening was repeatedly honored as a guest of the king.
Fahua Temple has successfully transformed from a small temple with only a master and his disciple into a large temple covering most of Chechi Kingdom.
Today, Juexing has more than 500 disciples, and many princes, nobles, gentry and merchants in the city are believers.
It already has the aura of the largest religious sect in Chechi Kingdom.
Life was going just fine.
However, the king grew older year by year and was searching for a way to prolong his life.
The old king repeatedly sent people to search for a path to immortality.
During that time, they did not completely ignore the presence of this monk with supernatural abilities.
But Juexing replied: "The human body is nothing but a stinking bag of skin. Even he himself will inevitably turn into a handful of yellow earth after a hundred years."
However, if one sincerely dedicates oneself to goodness and diligently studies Buddhism, the most outstanding individuals can enter the sacred realm of Mount Ling after death and become disciples of the Buddha.
Those who wear this can enter the Buddha's Pure Land, be freed from all suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death, and attain great freedom.
Such an answer would certainly not satisfy the king.
The monk Juehe was highly respected in Chechi Kingdom, and the king was reluctant to deal with him easily.
But the bad thing is that this year, the guard who went out to seek immortal destiny actually found it!
...
Chechi Royal Palace
"This pill is a longevity and rejuvenation pill. If an ordinary person takes one pill, he/she can be rejuvenated by twenty years and live for twenty years."
Tiger Power Immortal proudly twirled a fragrant, crystal-clear pill between two fingers.
The elixir's aura dissipated, and the old king, who had felt tired even while sitting, felt his spirits instantly lifted upon smelling it.
Suddenly, I felt much better.
He immediately looked at the elixir with longing: "Great Immortal, if you would be so kind as to bestow this elixir upon me, I am willing to pay any price."
Tiger Power chuckled: "These are all trivial trinket, not worth mentioning. Why should Your Majesty bother?"
With that, he flicked the elixir into the king's mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a cool sensation flowed down the throat and into the stomach.
The old king's completely white hair visibly turned black within a quarter of an hour.
Upon seeing this, the queen cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty, your hair! Your hair!"
Seeing the queen's panic, the old king, thinking the elixir had caused harm, immediately exclaimed, "What's wrong with her hair?"
"It's turned black! It's all turned black!" The Queen exclaimed in shock.
Upon hearing this, the old king was overjoyed: "Bring the bronze mirror! Quickly, bring the bronze mirror!"
The maid who had been waiting outside immediately grabbed a bronze mirror and rushed inside.
"The bronze mirror is here! The bronze mirror is here! Your Majesty, please come!"
Clang~
When the maid saw that the king had become twenty or thirty years younger in such a short time, she was so shocked that her hand trembled and she immediately dropped the bronze mirror on the ground.
The old king's face immediately darkened.
Seeing his displeasure, the Queen immediately scolded him, "What's the rush! You're so clumsy you can't even hold a mirror properly. The King's rejuvenation is due to taking an elixir of immortality! You ignorant fool, get out of here!"
The maid knew that the Queen was doing this for her own good, and that if the King were to lose his temper, she feared she would be in grave danger.
She immediately kowtowed and apologized, then quickly left the inner hall.
The queen personally presented the bronze mirror to the king.
The old king looked at his face, which appeared to be only in his thirties, and was overwhelmed with excitement.
A wheel actually crawled out of the bed.
He walked barefoot to Hu Li and the other two and bowed deeply: "Immortal Master, I will forever remember your kindness in bestowing the elixir. Although Chechi Kingdom is small and poor, it has some specialties. I wish to appoint the three of you as my national teachers, to be served daily!"
The three men, including Hu Li, exchanged glances and saw the smiles in each other's eyes.
"Your Majesty's invitation is so kind that it would seem unreasonable for me to refuse. However, the three of us can serve as the royal advisors, but Your Majesty must grant us one request."
The old king felt that the key to his longevity lay with these three Taoist priests, so how could he refuse?
He immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes! Whatever the conditions, just come, Great Immortal. I will do everything in my power to fulfill them for you."
Hu Li chuckled: "I arrived here on a cloud and see that Buddhism seems to be the largest religion in the country?"
When the old king heard Tiger Power Immortal mention Buddhism, he immediately thought of the monk Juehe.
The unpleasantness from the past immediately surfaced.
"Hmph! That monk is indeed quite capable, with a knack for bewitching people. Even my son treats him as an honored guest."
Tiger and his two companions immediately noticed that the king seemed quite dissatisfied with Buddhism, and a smile appeared in their eyes:
"Buddhist monks are people who do not engage in production, nor do they participate in marriage or funerals."
Normal men and women who convert to Buddhism are no longer allowed to marry and have children. They must support their parents.
This not only violates filial piety, but it is also detrimental to the country. How can a powerful nation lack a large population?
How can we not have children?
They do not produce anything, yet rely on the offerings of believers to occupy land. They are no different from parasites. If Your Majesty does not eliminate them as soon as possible, they will likely cause great harm in the future!
Huli's words were all for the king's benefit, seemingly devoid of any personal feelings.
But these words truly resonated with the king.
He was no fool; having governed the country for decades, he was naturally well aware of its importance to the economy and population.
If Fahua Temple were still that small temple for just the two of them, then he wouldn't need to concern himself with it.
But that monk Juehe was indeed extraordinary; in just over a decade, he managed to gather a large following of believers.
Even she herself had been deceived by him before.
The flourishing of Buddhism is indeed not a good thing for our Chechi Kingdom!
The old king glanced at Tiger Power Immortal: "In your opinion, Immortal Master, how should these monks be dealt with?"
Tiger Power Immortal snorted coldly: "Of course, we should order them to return quickly and marry. If they refuse, we should punish them and make them do corvée labor; that would be a contribution to the country!"
"Very well! As the Grand Preceptor has said, I will issue the order now! By the way, is the Great Immortal's condition that his lineage be established as the state religion?"
"Indeed!"
...
Half an hour later
A large contingent of imperial guards, fully armed and ready, blocked off Fahua Temple.
Juexing, who was reciting the Lotus Sutra to his believers, twitched his brows violently, sensing that a great calamity was about to befall him.
...
the other side
Chen Fengchao has grown up into a twenty-year-old young man.
He is now a well-known doctor in Yingcheng.
"For twenty years, I've been having the same dream! What exactly are the Book of Changes, the River Chart, the Luo River Chart, the Pointing to the Profound, and the Enlightenment Chapter? Are they really the methods to become an immortal?"
Chen Fengchao plucked six leaves and tossed them aside casually.
Three Yangs and three Yins, Heaven and Earth interact in the "Obstruction" (否).
He glanced at it but didn't pay any attention.
For more than a decade, every time he cast a divination using tree leaves, it seemed to yield the same result.
He sighed, turned and left.
Just as he turned around, his body moved his skirt, creating a gentle breeze.
All six leaves flipped over at once.
The upper three lines are yin lines, and the lower three lines are yang lines.
It was none other than the hexagram "Tai" (泰): "Small goes, great comes; auspicious, prosperous!"