"He has become a Buddha." Hearing the abbot say this calmly, Li Huowang felt a chill on his back.
He suddenly raised his head and looked at the five huge golden Buddhas around him. They seemed to have changed their faces in an instant, as they were solemn and dignified just now.
Just as he was about to get up, Li Huowang glanced at the bright sun outside the door, and then looked at the abbot in front of him.
The old abbot was still sitting there with full concentration, as if the words just now did not come from him.
"Wait, don't scare yourself, it may not be what I think." After thinking carefully for a while, Li Huowang asked again: "Abbot, Zhengde Temple should have a feud with Danyangzi." "Yes, he kidnapped and killed people everywhere before, causing chaos. I sent the monks of the Dharma Academy of our temple to capture him, but he escaped many times." "You can find a way to get rid of this person, which is also a merit." "Then may I ask, Master, how did such an unforgivable bad guy become a Buddha? How could he become a Buddha?" "Amitabha, what he is now does not matter what he is originally. I have Buddha in my heart. In my heart, he is Buddha." Hearing the other party say this, Li Huowang suddenly became irritated. This old monk did not speak properly and was playing a riddle with him. "Donor, Danyangzi is now in the world. It doesn't matter what I think he is. What matters is what you think he is. After all, his cause and effect is on you, not me."
Xinhui's voice was still uneven, but this time Li Huowang understood what he meant.
"Are you saying that Danyangzi has now become a shapeless thing that can change with people's thoughts? Similar to Master You?"
"Yes."
"But why? How did he become that kind of ghost thing? Those skills for becoming an immortal are all made up by me. So many poisonous things should kill you directly after eating them!"
Li Huowang couldn't figure out this question no matter how hard he tried.
"I don't know."
The other party's frank words caught Li Huowang off guard. "You don't know?"
"I am not the future Buddha, and I cannot be omniscient and omnipotent. Monks don't lie. If you don't know, you don't know."
After thinking for a moment, Li Huowang asked another key question. "Abbot, is there any way to completely get rid of Dan Yangzi? Since he is our opponent, it is not a good idea to let him hang like this."
He had gone to great lengths to come here just to solve this problem.
No matter what Dan Yangzi has become, he must get rid of him.
This time, Xinhui did not answer so quickly, but after thinking for a while, he raised his right hand. "Come here, I need to take another look."
Looking at the wrinkled white hand, Li Huowang hesitated.
"Donor Xuanyang, if you still suspect that I want to harm you, then you should not have stepped into the temple just now."
After thinking for a moment, Li Huowang put his forehead on his palm.
With a "hum", Li Huowang felt that all the colors around him suddenly became several times brighter, and he felt light all over.
This wonderful feeling came and went quickly. When everything returned to normal, Li Huowang didn't know what was going on in his heart, and his heart was still a little empty.
He understood that the old abbot must have some special Buddhist magical powers.
"Well... this matter is of great importance. I need to discuss countermeasures with other elders. You stay in the temple for the time being and I will give you an answer tomorrow."
When Li Huowang heard that he had to stay, he was a little nervous. "I have friends outside the temple. They are worried if I don't go back."
Seeing Li Huowang's refusal, the abbot's tone was still unhurried.
"It's up to you to stay or go. Zhengde Temple will open at noon tomorrow. Donor Xuanyang, please don't break your promise. You also know that if this trouble is not eliminated, it will be a big hidden danger for you and the people of the world."
When Li Huowang walked outside the temple and stood in the sun, he looked inside and found that the abbot had turned around again and started chanting scriptures again facing the huge golden Buddha.
Li Huowang looked up at the big sun at noon above his head, and then looked at the quiet and peaceful Buddhist temple around him. It didn't look like anything happened.
Just as Li Huowang turned around and took a few steps, the bald back of the abbot's head, who was chanting, began to move.
After a while, the smooth skin under the five-buddha hat slowly cracked, and a huge vertical eye the size of a fist emerged, staring at Li Huowang.
At this time, the chanting of the old abbot suddenly became louder. "Color is not me... If it were me, color should not be sick and suffer. I want such color... I don't want such color... Follow my desires. Therefore, you should know..."
After Li Huowang turned around and came back to the main gate with many people and pilgrims along the small path between the temples, he felt like he was back in the world.
Standing in the crowd, he looked at the alley he had just walked out of, "Should I believe him?" Li Huowang felt a little hesitant.
"Hey! Taoist! I'm here!" Hearing someone calling him, Li Huowang turned his head and saw the old beggar on the road not far away, waving at him excitedly.
"You came to Zhengde Temple? Are others willing to accept you?"
The old beggar nodded excitedly. "Well, the monk just said that he pitied me and would let me stay in this temple to work."
"That's good. You should work hard here. At least it's better than digging wild vegetables and eating the offerings of the dead outside. I have something to do and I'll leave first. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet."
"Just call me a monk. I like being called a monk. Come to the temple when you have time."
"Haha, according to your Buddhist saying, just follow fate."
After saying goodbye to the old monk, Li Huowang left Zhengde Temple.
When he arrived at the inn that had been agreed upon long ago, other people swarmed up immediately.
Li Huowang raised his hand to stop others from asking further questions and said, "I have something to leave to everyone. You can go and ask the locals about Zhengde Temple."
Although his contact with the monks today was very normal, he still planned to listen to the locals' opinions on Zhengde Temple before making any plans. The others also asked something, nodded, and turned around to walk out of the inn.
Time passed little by little, and when the sun set, the seven people who had dispersed came back one after another, and began to report their experiences to Li Huowang.
"I heard that Zhengde Temple is the largest temple in the entire Xijing City, and the most prosperous incense."
"I heard that those monks are very pious and strictly abide by the rules and regulations. Last time, a monk ate meat secretly and was directly expelled from the temple."
"I heard that the emperor in the palace would also go to that temple to worship Buddha. If you are lucky and get a good seat, you can even see the emperor!"
"My story is almost the same as what they found out. Brother, why do you want us to find out about Zhengde Temple?"
Li Huowang did not answer. He did not want to tell them such a terrifying thing that Danyangzi might still exist, so as not to scare them.
After carefully thinking about what they saw and heard for a while, Li Huowang found that he had no reason to refuse.
If he didn't trust these monks, he could only confront Danyangzi, who had become a "Buddha", head-on. This choice was undoubtedly courting death.
Finally, after weighing the pros and cons, Li Huowang made up his mind to return to Zhengde Temple tomorrow.