The Lord of Void and Real
Chapter 695

Chapter 695: Chapter 691: Conversion of Zhan Guo Chapter 695: Chapter 691: Conversion of Zhan Guo “I am grateful to the Immortal Masters for stepping in and ensuring the safe return of my son to the palace. I am here to express my thanks.” King Jiao Lianmi, accompanied by his son, came closer and made a gesture of respect across his chest as he spoke.

Seeing this, Shen Luo and the rest also hastily returned the courtesy.

Only Madman Zhangguo, upon noticing the outfit the King was wearing, pointed to the crown placed atop of the King's head and burst into loud, unintelligible laughter.

The guards on standby, seeing this, were about to detain him, yet they were stopped by King Jiao Lianmi.

He naturally knew about Zhangguo's background, hence he did not take it personally, and then asked, “I heard that several masters have come from the Eastern Great Tang. My previous neglect is regrettable, and I hope you will excuse me.”

“Your Majesty need not apologize. Since our arrival in the city, we've been escorted to the posthouse for rest. We have been treated with great respect during our short stay, and there's no room for accusations of neglect. We are, indeed, very grateful,” Bai Xiaotian responded with a fist and palm salute.

“May I ask the Immortal Masters what kind of demon was causing trouble earlier? How did you manage to save my son? Has the creature been dealt with? If not, with Master Lin Da present, we will surely be able to subdue it,” Jiao Lianmi queried.

As he finished speaking, he subtly moved aside, enabling Master Lin Da, who was standing behind him, to step forward half a step and greet Shen Luo and the others with a folded palms salute.

“It was just a common sand demon, which has already been dealt with. There's no need to trouble Master Lin Da with this matter,” Shen Luo returned the courtesy.

“That is indeed good news. This young monk seems to have an extraordinary aura about him, hinting at remarkable virtues. May I ask from which temple in the Central Region has he hailed?” Lin Da, slightly nodding, shifted his gaze towards Chan'er and asked.

“The venerable monk overpraises me. I am merely a novice monk from the Golden Mountain Temple,” Chan'er responded with a salute.

“The Golden Mountain Temple… Could it be the same temple where Master Xuanzang was ordained?” The expression on Master Lin Da's face changed slightly as he muttered, surprised.

Chan'er did not reply but simply nodded his head.

“No wonder the young monk exudes an aura of Buddha's Light. So, he is a high monk from the Golden Mountain Temple. Master Xuanzang braved many hardships to bring back the Mahayana Buddhism Sutras from the Western Buddha Land, accruing immeasurable merits. Now, with you, who have inherited his mantle, returning to the Western Regions, it is a sign of divine will. The Mahayana Dharma Assembly is due to be held in a few days, and we earnestly invite you to ascend to the Dharma Platform and sermonize to tens of thousands of monks from the Thirty-Six Nations of the Western Regions,” declared Master Lin Da, full of excitement as he again performed a deep bow.

Seeing this, Chan'er appeared to be in a difficult position, glancing at Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian, who also had helpless expressions on their faces. He had no choice but to reply, “I'm just a novice monk with limited scholarly and Buddhist accomplishments, hardly suited to sermonizing from a high podium.”

“There is no hierarchy in the Dharma. Merely your presence is an immeasurable merit, even if you choose not to sermonize to the monks,” stated Master Lin Ta.

“If that is the case, I cannot simply decline,” said Chan'er, who realised he couldn't shake off the responsibility.

“We are honoured,” Master Lin Da said again.

“The posthouse is a humble place. I would prefer that the Immortal Masters move into the royal palace so that I can extend my hospitality and express my gratitude for saving my son,” King Jiao Lianmi proposed.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty. We are already accustomed to staying here, and moving to the palace would inconvenience many. It is not really our desire. We hope Your Majesty understands,” responded Shen Luo after a moment of hesitation.

“Good, good, no crossing, no crossing…”

While they were in conversation, Zhangguo was relapsing into his madness again, babbling incoherently.

Chan'er looked at him for a moment, then turned back to exchange bows with the rest before excusing himself and leaving, leading Zhangguo into his chamber.

“What is the young monk doing…?” Master Lin Da asked, somewhat bewildered.

“Master Chan'er intends to help Zhangguo regain his sanity,” Qi Lianmi explained.

“The karma on Zhangguo is heavy; little Zen Master, you truly are a compassionate high monk, willing to vow to guide him towards enlightenment. I admit that I am not as good as you.” Upon hearing this, Master Lin Da's eyebrows furrowed slightly, showing a hint of surprise, but he quickly laughed it off.

Then, after several exchanges, Jiao Lianmi led the group out of the post house.

Before leaving, Qi Lianmi asked Shen Luo if they could visit them again, to which Shen Luo agreed with a nod.

After seeing them off, Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian went to Chan'er's house and knocked gently on the door.

“Come in.” Chan'er's voice came from within.

Shen Luo pushed the door open and saw two straw cushions placed on the ground in the room. Chan'er was sitting cross-legged on the left one, and Zhangguo was slumping on the right one, his gaze wandering around the room.

“Master Shen, Master Bai, I'm going to use the Purifying Heart Mantra to open his wisdom. Please watch over us from outside, no matter what happens inside. Unless I ask for help, do not come in.” Chan'er looked at them and said earnestly.

Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian looked at each other and nodded in unison.

“If anything unexpected happens, call us in immediately.” Shen Luo said, somewhat worried.

“Alright.” Chan'er nodded.

After saying that, he got up, picked up a delicate three-legged incense burner from the table, lit a stick of calming sandalwood incense, and then sat back down.

Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian then left the room, closed the door, and stood outside.

Soon, the sound of a wooden fish being struck could be heard from inside the room.

“Dong dong…”

Accompanied by the steady sound of the wooden fish, Chan'er's chanting also began.

Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian, separated by the door, felt calmed by the Sanskrit chanting. Almost subconsciously, they sat down cross-legged, closed their eyes, and began to meditate.

After an unknowable length of time, the sky outside had completely darkened, and candles were lit inside the room, casting a warm glow through the door.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise from inside the room!

Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian, who were meditating, simultaneously opened their eyes and quickly stood up.

Instinctively, Bai Xiaotian was about to push the door open, but Shen Luo raised his hand to stop him.

He walked up to the door, peered through the crack, and saw a copper incense burner lying on the ground inside. Zhangguo, who had been sitting opposite Chan'er, was now sprawled beside him.

His facial features were contorted, and his expression was frantic, his face completely ferocious. He was punching and kicking Chan'er.

Chan'er, however, had his eyes closed tightly, his hands striking the wooden fish, chanting scriptures from his mouth. He was completely unaffected by Zhangguo's attacks, still as steady as a Buddha statue.

After beating Chan'er for a while, Zhangguo seemed unsatisfied, turned around, grabbed the incense burner that had rolled onto the floor, and raised it to strike Chan'er's head.

Shen Luo's eyes this action, ready to intervene immediately. But then he saw Chan'er, eyes still closed, lightly shake his head in his direction, signaling him not to interfere.