Zhao Yuanwai chuckled and looked away. He couldn't cheat his own son, so he had to find someone else. He turned to Master Yuan Kong beside him and said, "Master, this evil ghost has been exploding for so long, it should be able to be delivered by now. Please hurry and fish it out for deliverance."
The focus was now on Master Yuan Kong. He looked at the oil pot that was gradually calming down, and his plump face trembled. He pointed at Zhao Ce and said, "Didn't this male donor just say that he has the protection of Buddhist Dharma? Let him fish it out."
Zhao Ce shrugged and boldly said, "I don't believe in Buddha, my heart is insincere, I can't fish it out."
Hearing this shameless remark, Master Yuan Kong glared at him and said, "You just said you have the protection of Buddhist Dharma."
Zhao Ce gave Zhao Anming a meaningful look, making him afraid that the focus would shift to him, and quickly hid behind Zhao Yuanwai. What was going on with Zhao Ce today? He seemed like a different person from before, and they couldn't understand him at all.
Zhao Ce continued, "This is just a little trick of mine. The real ability lies with the master."
"This ghost has already suffered punishment in the oil pot for so long, and it's calling so miserably. Master, as a monk who upholds compassion, if you don't deliver it, isn't that killing?"
"Please fish it out for deliverance as soon as possible."
After speaking, Zhao Ce looked at Zhao Anming again and said, "Or would you, the sincere Zhao Anming, like to do it?"
Zhao Anming waved his hand and took a few steps back. "I won't do it, it's still up to the master."
Zhao Yuanwai also quickly said, "Master, this ghost has been calling all the time, everyone is afraid. Please hurry."
The people around also urged, "Master, please do it quickly."
Master Yuan Kong looked at the oil pot that was getting hotter and shook his head, "The power I borrowed from Buddha has been used up. I have no more power to use, so we can only let it be."
Zhao Ce urged him, "Master, even if this ghost will be reincarnated as a pig in the future, it's still a life. How can you, a compassionate monk, just watch it die like this?"
"By doing so, aren't you adding to the Zhao family's karma of killing?"
Zhao Ce emphasized the word "adding", causing both Zhao Yuanwai and Zhao Anming to wake up. Adding to their karma of killing? How could this be? Zhao Yuanwai quickly pulled out a bag of money and said, "Master, please borrow some more power from Buddha. After borrowing it, please fish out this evil ghost from the oil pot and deliver it. Otherwise, my family will accumulate even more bad karma."
With Zhao Yuanwai's hand pulling him, Master Yuan Kong received a bulging bag.
However, he shook his head and said, "I can't borrow any more power. The Buddha has just left to deliver others."
"It's all my fault for not being proficient enough. I need to go back to the mountain and continue my practice."
He began to pack up his things and prepare to leave, while the bones in the pot continued to emit a mournful cry.
Zhao Yuanwai was at a loss and looked at his own son, Zhao Anming, who was speechless. After some thought, Zhao Yuanwai reluctantly shifted his gaze to the master who was packing up his things.
He said with some annoyance, "As a master with great spiritual powers, you must have some special skills. Please use them quickly."
Everyone had seen the master's extraordinary abilities earlier, and now they all admired his profound magic.
The master said, "If you give me a pair of chopsticks, I can pick it out."
This statement immediately stunned Zhao Yuanwai and the people around him. Zhao Yuanwai's mouth twitched and he said, "If I can use chopsticks myself, then what's the point of having the protection of Buddhist Dharma? Can it be used directly without being picked out?"
"Of course, it needs to be picked out by hand, just like you said at the beginning, Master!"
The master waved his hand and said, "In that case, I'm leaving. I need to go back to the mountain and chant sutras for Buddha's blessings. May Buddha bless you all."
The cry from the oil pot had weakened, causing Zhao Yuanwai to fear that his family would accumulate even more bad karma in front of so many people.
"Master, please don't leave. You promised to help us resolve this matter."
"It's only half done. You can't leave until it's delivered."
The master shook his head and asked for chopsticks to just directly fish it out, but he refused to extend his hand again.
Zhao Ce reminded him, "Master, you have the protection of Buddhist Dharma. Zhao Yuanwai, you can hold his hand and help him fish it out. It's the same thing."
This woke Zhao Yuanwai up, and he immediately grabbed the master's hand and said, "I'm sorry, Master."
He then began to pull the master's hand towards the oil pot. Zhao Yuanwai was quite fat, but the master was no less so. The two of them held each other's hands, deadlocked.
The master said, "Zhao donor, this isn't right. If you continue like this, I will have to ask Buddha to punish you."
"Please let go of my hand."
Zhao Yuanwai had an angry expression on his face. He couldn't understand what was going on with the master. Earlier, the master had been resolute and willing to sacrifice himself. How could he suddenly shrink back? He even wanted to use chopsticks to fish out the bones from the oil pot. Who couldn't do that with chopsticks? What kind of master was he?
However, they had all witnessed the master's extraordinary abilities, so they couldn't let him leave easily. When they couldn't move the master, Zhao Yuanwai shouted, "Son, come and help." Zhao Ce joked with Zhao Anming, "Zhao Anming, your father is willing to offend even the Buddha for you." "Why don't you go and help?" Filial piety was of the utmost importance.
Zhao Anming had no choice but to step forward, even though he didn't want to. Zhao Yuanwai pulled from the front, and Zhao Anming pushed from behind. The master's horse stance was unstable, and he was pushed forward. The onlookers, including some scholars, were stunned by Zhao Anming's actions, which were so contrary to the decorum expected of a scholar. They all managed to hold back their laughter.
Master Yuan Kong struggled and shouted, "How dare you be disrespectful to the Buddha like this? I will go back and tell the Buddha to punish your family." Zhao Yuanwai said with an angry expression, "The Buddha is compassionate and saves all beings. How could he punish our family?" "This evil spirit is the one harming our family." Zhao Ce nodded in agreement and said, "Your argument is sound and convincing."
The father and son duo found it difficult to move the master on their own, so Zhao Yuanwai ordered the servants to come and help. The scene, which had been illuminated by the Buddha's radiance, was now chaotic, like a crowded marketplace.