SCT-Novel #313 - The Four Heavenly Kings, turn around and run!
#313 - The Four Heavenly Kings, turn around and run!
“Senior Brother Shanneng.”
The youngest of the four warrior monks asked, “Shall we go to Lingzhou City first to see Abbot-brother of Tiancan Temple, or shall we go to Xiangji Mountain?”
“Go to Xiangji Mountain!” The eldest monk, who was the leader, said. “The governor of Lingzhou City is on a killing spree. If we go, it might be inconvenient.”
Their purpose in coming here was to confirm whether the Jishan Cauldron was still there, and whether the treasure hidden within had been stolen by demons.
It's best to avoid unnecessary complications.
“But Abbot-brother of Tiancan Temple said in his letter that the benevolent believers in Lingzhou City are suffering.” The youngest warrior monk who spoke first said, “He is asking us to rescue them.”
Now, the benevolent believers being slaughtered by the governor are all good people who often offered sacrifices to the Buddha in the past.
Is it appropriate for them to stand by and watch?
“Shanren, what did you call the abbot of Tiancan Temple? Brother?”
Before the monk called Shanneng could speak, a burly warrior monk beside him frowned and retorted, “He is just a third-grade Buddhist monk, is he worthy of you calling him 'brother'?”
This junior brother only entered the Vajra Realm a few years ago.
Why is he so ignorant of etiquette?
Calling him 'brother' makes it seem like we senior brothers are not worthy either.
“Senior Brother Shanhui, he is the abbot of a temple, there is nothing wrong with calling him 'brother'.” The last of the four said, “Don't scare Shanren randomly.”
Then, turning back to the youngest warrior monk, he said, “Shanren, do you still remember the eight sufferings of mortals?”
“Senior Brother Shanfa, although Shanren is not proficient in scriptures, he still knows this.” Shanren said, “The eight sufferings are birth, old age, sickness, death, resentment of meeting, separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, and the blazing fire of the five aggregates.”
“Since you know, you should understand that mortals cannot escape these, and we should not interfere rashly.” Shanfa said.
“So we just ignore it?” Shanren frowned.
“We can't ignore it, but we can't manage it either.” Shanfa smiled, “With our abilities, we cannot save these mortals.”
Shanren frowned upon hearing this.
Although those wealthy households in Lingzhou City offered mundane wealth to Tiancan Temple, they were also believers of the Bodhi Temple among mortals.
If they just ignore it and let them be slaughtered, will it hinder their future incense offerings?
If other believers know the cause of this matter, and know that they stood by and watched, I'm afraid...
“Heh! Shanfa, we are all our own people, what are you showing off?” Shanhui couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, “What eight sufferings of life? The believers offer incense to the Buddha, seeking to escape these sufferings, isn't it?”
“People give us incense offerings, and we are not the kind of people who just eat without giving back.” He said bluntly, “If we can save them, of course we have to save them.”
The only reason for not going is actually one: they can't be saved.
Therefore, although Shanfa's previous words were nonsense, the latter sentence was the truth.
“Everyone says rough words are often true, but your words are too rough.” Shanfa smiled, “How can we, disciples of the Sangha, be so rude?”
“Go away! Don't be so fake.” Shanhui looked at Shanren and said, “Junior Brother Shanren, you don't understand the things here. Senior brother is a straightforward person, so I'll tell you clearly.”
“I humbly listen to senior brother's teachings.” Shanren immediately bowed respectfully.
The seniority of warrior monks in the Bodhi Temple is not strictly based on master-disciple lineage.
But the able goes first.
So, don't look at them all being in the Vajra Realm now and calling each other brothers, in reality, the age gap is not small.
Shanren, as a latecomer, and even this is his first time going down the mountain, naturally, he must act humble and eager to learn, so that he can learn more useful things.
So as not to do something wrong.
“Yes.” Shanhui nodded in satisfaction and said, “Junior brother, remember senior brother's words, the officials in this human dynasty are either stupid as pigs or shrewd as devils.”
“Whether it's either, it's best not to offend them.”
The latter, needless to say.
The former, however, is more dangerous.
“A pig-like fellow can still climb to a high position, there must be someone behind him.”
Jade should not be lightly touched with tiles.
It is a small matter if the tiles are broken, but if cracks appear in the jade, the loss will be great.
“We haven't met the governor of Lingzhou, but he can be resourceful in the temple's help in the Liangjie River's layout this time, so he shouldn't be a stupid pig.”
Since he is not a stupid pig, but he is on such a killing spree.
There must be something he relies on.
“Also, those wealthy households in Lingzhou not only send offerings to our Tiancan Temple, but also have a lot of dealings with the Haihun Sect.” Shanneng said coldly, “They are closer than us, so they must have received the news.”
But since the first day of heads falling in Lingzhou, they have been chopping heads for a full seven days.
The people of the Haihun Sect have not come.
“There must be a reason for this.”
Therefore, they must go to investigate this matter.
“The origin of this person is a mystery, and the abbot of the temple has not been able to find out his roots.” Shanfa said, “If this person takes the Qiankun Cauldron and the incense wish power within it for himself, then what about us?”
“Senior brother, we are four Vajra Realm cultivators, and he is just a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, victory is assured.” Shanren couldn't help but say.
The monks who walk in the human world, from the ninth-grade Buddhist monks and Vajras, to the Arhats and Venerables, are equivalent to the Profound Gate's Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul realms.
So, if the four of them fight Xu Taoist, the outcome is without question.
“Unless, he has other strong people to help him.”
“How strong is that snake demon?”
This is why Shanneng decided to go to Xiangji Mountain first.
In the letter sent by Tiancan Temple, they exaggerated as much as possible, proclaiming the strength of the snake demon as if a god or demon had descended into the world.
The elders in the temple believed that they were exaggerating in order to protect themselves, but because it concerned the Qiankun Cauldron and the accumulation of incense wish power in the Dazhou Dynasty for the past ten years, they still sent them here.
“The ancestral master is in seclusion, and the abbot has gone to the Dongdu Dharma Assembly to give lectures, so only we disciples can work hard.” Shanhui said.
The Qiankun Cauldron is a strange magic weapon, and it cannot be completely refined to imprint divine consciousness. Only those who have set up restrictions and sealed it with powerful magic power can vaguely sense its location.
But the two who placed the restrictions on it happen to be unable to get away.
“We also need to bring back Junior Brother Huibao.” Shanren continued.
The life tablet of Junior Brother Huibao, who was sent here as a guard in name but as a hostage in reality, is still there, but it is unknown where he is now.
“Yes, we have to bring junior brother back.” Shanhui smiled.
This junior brother is a great-grandson of the Elder of the Discipline Hall and is highly valued.
This trip was originally to show the Haihun Sect, and it was also on their own territory, so everyone thought there would be no mistakes.
But something went wrong.
As they spoke, the four had already passed Lingzhou City.
The horses they were riding were not ordinary horses, and their speed was extremely fast. Before long, they could vaguely see Xiangji Mountain where Tiancan Temple was located.
Gradually, the sound of raindrops-like hooves slowed down.
Until the reins were pulled.
Neigh~~ Neigh, neigh~~
Amidst the neighing of the horses, the four Vajras saw the snake monster entrenched on the mountain.
“Hiss!”
The flower snake raised its head and hissed in their direction.
Almost in an instant.
Without any hesitation, the four immediately turned their horses around, turned along the official road, and galloped away.
……
“Huh?”