Under the sky

Chapter 312 Volume [-] "The Dust Has Settled" Instantly Becomes a Demon
Liao Xin took Ming Wuxiang and jumped down from the top of the tower and ran towards the back mountain. They ran two miles away without stopping.Seeing that no one was chasing him, I felt relieved and ran for several miles until I reached the forest at the foot of the mountain. I suddenly realized that Ming Wuxiang's steps were sluggish. I stopped and looked back. I saw Mingwuxiang's face was as white as a sheet of paper. I was surprised. Asked: "Xiang'er, are you okay?"

Ming Wuxiang's body swayed and he said softly: "Master, you promised to accompany Xiang'er to eat rice dumplings." After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes and fell back. Concerned, he hurriedly reached out to catch him and checked his pulse, and found that Ming Wuxiang's pulse was very strong. Weak, obviously suffering from severe internal injuries.

Liao Xin hadn't seen his beloved disciple for many years, and when he met, he saw that he was seriously injured. Fortunately... fortunately, he arrived in time.Liao Xin's eyes were red, and he caressed Ming Wuxiang's face, his face full of kindness. He picked up Mingwujiang on his back and ran down the mountain.

On the mountain road, he saw the team led by Juekong's subordinate Jia Zizhu blocking the road, so he had to find another way down the mountain.He was walking among the cliffs and finally found a path, when he suddenly noticed two monks running behind him.Liao Xin was on alert, and the two monks were stunned when they saw him. They stayed far away and did not dare to get close. Liao Xin guessed that they were monks who had escaped from the Shaolin Temple.

Seeing that he meant no harm, the two monks followed him.The mountain behind the Shaolin Temple is densely covered with ancient trees, and the roads have been abandoned for many years. They are full of steep paths, with dead leaves and mud all over the ground, making a rustling sound when you step on it.

Liao Xin noticed that there were other mud marks on the ground, and there seemed to be drag marks on the road ahead, so he couldn't help but pay attention.Suddenly there was a sound of wind, and the monk behind him screamed. He was startled. He saw two people jumping out from the left and right to block the way. When he turned around, the two monks following behind him were hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

Six strong men holding crossbows came out from behind. They had reloaded their arrows and pointed the crossbow arrows at their hearts.

Is it an ambush by Juekong to kill the fleeing monks here?
"Who are you?" the leader of the strong men asked, "How do you take this road down the mountain?"

Ten people were targeted by crossbow arrows, and Xiang'er was still on his back. He thought to himself that he was not sure of victory, so he hurriedly said: "I am a lay disciple of Wuming Temple. There is chaos in the Buddhist capital. My son is injured. I want to go down the mountain. I wanted to seek medical treatment, but the mountain road was blocked, so I went to the back mountain. Brother, please be accommodating."

The leading disciple heard that he claimed to be a lay disciple, and saw that he was not panicked when he saw dead people, unlike ordinary people, so he asked: "Which uncle's disciple are you? How do you know this path?"

Liao Xin said: "My mentor, Jue Xiao, served in Zhengye Hall more than ten years ago and died ten years ago. I have lived in the Buddhist capital for a long time, so I know the way."

Juexiao was once a lay monk in Zhengye Hall, and there was no flaw in his lie. The leading disciple saw that he and Ming Wuxi both had long hair and were not wearing monk robes. They relaxed their guard a little and asked, "Have you seen any other monks?"

Liao Xin pointed to the mountain: "I saw an injured monk on the way here. He was walking slowly and was still lagging behind."

The leading disciple nodded: "Go."

He avoided the interrogation and hurriedly ran down the mountain. When he arrived at a village, he found a small inn and found a doctor to diagnose and treat him.

"He has heavy internal injuries, including injuries to his wrists, shoulders, and muscles. He will have to recuperate for at least half a month." The doctor said strangely, "Ordinary people would faint from the pain and moan even if they were injured to this extent. , How can I sleep so peacefully, this young man is really tough."

I thanked the doctor sincerely, paid the money to the inn, and sat by the bed for a long time. I couldn't bear it, and I reluctantly got up until dusk.

"Is master leaving Xiang'er again?"

Hearing the sound, Liao Xin was surprised.

Ming unknown raised his upper body, looked at it with a pair of clear eyes, and asked with concern: "What do you think?"

Ming said vaguely: "My disciple is very good, but he is a little sleepy."

"The injury is so serious." Zou Xin was worried, "Doesn't it hurt?"

"It hurts, but my disciple can bear it." Ming Wu replied, "I don't feel the pain anymore when I see the master."

Liao Xin's eyes turned red, she stretched out her hand to wipe away her tears, and whispered: "Are you hungry? Master, go get some food. Are you still a vegetarian?"

Ming unknown nodded.

Liao Xin ordered two plates of vegetarian dishes, a plate of tofu and a bowl of clear porridge, and sat next to Ming Shixiang: "Master, feed you." He used a spoon to blow the hot porridge to cool down, and brought it to Ming Shixiang's mouth.Although this child was a little weird, he never got sick. He only had to feed himself when he was first brought back.

Ming shook his head uncertainly: "Disciple, you can eat by yourself." He took the bowl and chopsticks, stood up and sat at the table, and said, "Master, please eat some too."

I casually picked up a few dishes with chopsticks. I haven't tasted the taste of vegetarian food for a long time...

"Master, doesn't he not eat after lunch?" he asked suddenly, knowing that he didn't know.

My heart trembled, I was annoyed and ashamed, and I didn't dare to look up at my apprentice.Ming unknown smiled slightly. Although his face was pale, his smile was still bright: "Master, you can eat whatever you want. This is also true."

From my heart... my thoughts went back to the past, when I was still an ascetic monk.Until 11 years ago... he always remembered that night on the way back to Shaolin from Songshan...

At that time, he was ordered to go to Songshan with four lay monks and three righteous monks to convey the decree. This was a routine matter, and it was nothing more than commending Songshan and ordering him to strictly abide by his duties.

Compared with the serious monks who are cautious and cautious, the four lay monks are arrogant and domineering.Su Changning, the leader of Songshan Mountain, entertained them well. Not only did he prepare wine, meat and prostitutes for the four lay monks, but he also arranged a kabuki and dancing girl for the reception banquet.Seeing the ugly behavior of the lay monk, the three monks at the same table shook their heads, but it was inconvenient to leave the table early.

He had forgotten the appearance of the actress, he only remembered that she was beautiful, dressed in tulle, and danced gracefully.He silently recited the lust-killing mantra in his heart, and while listening to the monk at the same table scolding the lay monk for being ridiculous, he couldn't help but glance at the girl from the corner of his eye.

To this day, he still doesn't understand why he has been observing the precepts for many years, but his desires have fluctuated in the last few years.Several nights he could not sleep, and used cold water to quench his desire.

Eat from the heart, and not eat from the heart...

Where can I find peace of mind when my inner demons arise?
In the middle of the night, he woke up from his dream and remembered what his disciple had said.

"Master has said many truths, but has done few things."

He was in a cold sweat.

The days in Songshan's public office were not long. Su Changning's entertainment every night made the lay monks reluctant to miss Shu. They wished they could stay in Songshan for a long time. It was not until Su Changning scolded them to return to Shaolin as soon as possible that they left reluctantly.

The lay monks left with hatred. They knew it in their hearts, but they did not pretend to do so.

The incident happened in Songshan. Their convoy was on its way to Caozhou and missed the village. The group planned to rest in the wild with the carriage.

Suddenly he heard a cry for help. It was a girl, and others heard it too.A group of people rushed to follow the sound. Several strong men were holding down a girl. The girl's clothes were in tatters and it was difficult to cover her body. The strong men did not expect that they would bump into a Shaolin disciple in the wilderness.

Adultery against women is a serious crime punishable by the whole world. There is no need to capture them alive, they can just kill them. The seven bandits did not require much effort.

Liao Xin clearly remembered the soft touch when the half-naked girl shrank into his arms in fright, and he knew what it evoked.He took off his monk's robe and put it on the girl. Even though he kept reciting the mantra to eliminate lust, he still couldn't deceive himself.

The girl's name was He Gu. She was going to Puzhou with her husband and his family. They encountered bandits and the whole family was killed. She was the only one left. The bandits coveted her beauty, so she could only desperately cry for help.Aunt He cried miserably, her relatives were dead and she was left alone.With a clear mind, he silently recited the mantra of rebirth in the Pure Land for the deceased, suppressing the restlessness in his heart.

Aunt He sobbed and cried in the carriage all night. The next day they took Aunt He to a nearby village, notified the local sect to collect the body, and asked Aunt He to testify.The matter was settled in just one day, but the widow had nowhere to stay.All the money Aunt He had was used to bury her family members. The monks collected a few taels of silver to pay for her travel expenses. Aunt He accepted it, but her face was still confused. I don’t know who suggested it, at least escort her to Caozhou, then It's a big place and you can hire bodyguards.

The group of people hurried on their way while it was still dark and spent the night in a nearby ruined temple.The temple was not big, with only one room. It was crowded when three people were crammed into it. There were four people lying in the main hall. He Gu was a widow and she slept in a carriage, but she had no choice but to sleep in another carriage.

Late at night, he felt the carriage shaking. When he opened his eyes, he saw someone touching him in the darkness.

"Master... I'm so scared..." He Gu's soft body leaned against Xin, "I don't dare to sleep alone."

"Men and women can't kiss each other!" Ziao Xin shouted in a low voice, "Quickly leave!"

Hegu hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear: "I'm scared alone. Master, don't drive me out of the car."

Liao Xin's whole body was stiff, and he was a little frightened for a moment.

Aunt He kissed her and reached down uneasily.The passion finally erupted like a torrent, and his mind was in chaos. He turned over and held He Gu in his arms. He opened her clothes in a panic and clumsily, and the carriage was filled with suppressed gasps.

Suddenly, the curtain of the carriage was opened. Four lay monks holding torches laughed and hurriedly covered up their monk clothes while He Gu huddled against the wall of the carriage and pulled off her clothes to cover her body.

A lay monk laughed loudly: "Look, what dirty things the righteous monks do!"

My heart was flushed, my ears were hot, my mind was confused, I felt ashamed and ashamed, and there was a buzzing in my head.His reputation and his practice were all ruined. What mistake had he made? Why did he make such a big mistake?

"I caught you peeking at the dancer in Songshan, and you still pretended to be noble!" The lay monk couldn't help laughing.The three righteous monks heard the sound and came. Seeing this scene, they were surprised and angry.

"I'm sorry." Aunt He whispered, "They gave me 30 taels of silver to seduce you. I have no money... My family is all dead again. How will I live in the future..."

"Whoever commits adultery against a woman will be punished by the whole world. How are you going to deal with it?" a lay monk sneered. "You have committed such a scandal, why don't you return to secular life? If you marry this widow, I won't arrest you and punish you." Someone said this.

The three righteous monks knew that this was a frame-up by the lay monks, but the evidence of the crime was conclusive. They were just confused for a moment and did not know how to defend him. They had to ask Aunt He: "Girl, are you voluntary or forced?"

"She is a widow. She just gave her a few taels of silver and said she volunteered. There are no brothels in Shaolin, and it is illegal to hold the door ajar."

"This is within the territory of Songshan Mountain!" A serious monk still wanted to excuse Xin.

"Anyway, let's take him back to Shaolin and punish him first, so that everyone can see what the so-called righteous monk is like!"

"Isn't it just that you are chanting sutras with your mouth and thinking about breasts in your heart?"

The lay monks laughed.Liao Xin roared and pushed out with a palm...

"You want to kill someone?" "Stop!" "The monk wants to silence you?" "Junior Brother Ban!"

■

After calming down, Liao Xin's hands were covered with blood, and he only remembered those few sounds in his mind.He didn't expect that his angry slap would trigger a fight between the two.The lay monk thought he wanted to kill someone, so he mistakenly shot the upright monk who came to break up the fight as an accomplice. The angry upright monk immediately fought back. After the chaotic battle, only one lay monk disciple was left dying on the ground.

Liao Xin gasped for air and turned around. He Gu was hiding in a corner of the carriage, covering her face with her hands, trembling all over and crying.

How did things become like this?

Liao Xin sat on the ground, thinking about how to end it, until the waves in her mind calmed down.He thought of many ways, such as killing Aunt He, using the excuse that the lay monk wanted to force a good woman to rape, but was blocked by the upright monk. The two had a quarrel that led to a dispute and eventually death, and put all the blame on the lay monk.Some people believe, and Abbot Juejian also believes that it is common for lay monks to not abide by the rules. Even if he is punished, he can still be a monk...

He looked back at Aunt He.

"The poor monk will send you to Puzhou." Liao Xin took out the banknote from the monk and put it in his arms. He couldn't do such a thing after all.

As the carriage drove to Puzhou, Aunt He would shrink into his arms at night and take the initiative to be attentive. Liao Xin knew it was because she was afraid of him.But Liao Xin did not refuse. He felt that he was not worthy of being a Buddhist disciple, or even a good person.

Master has said many truths, but has done few things...

Shaolin could not go back. After arriving in Puzhou, Liao Xin gave all the dozens of taels of silver he had to Hegu. After that, he had no place to live. He finally joined the night list and won the title of King of Pagoda a few years later.

He pulled his thoughts back, got up and went outside to order a plate of beef and a bottle of wine.

"Master has returned to secular life." Liao Xin poured the wine and drank it in one gulp. "My name is now Song Liao Xin. Song is Master's secular surname."

"Do you blame Master for leaving you alone?" Song Liaoxin asked. Over the years, he had been thinking about Ming Wuxi. He wanted to go to Shaolin several times to meet his apprentices, but there were too many people who recognized him.

A few years later, he searched around and found out that Ming Wu became the disciple who passed the Shaolin test the fastest, and learned that he was highly regarded and left Shaolin.

He felt a little relieved, but he also blamed himself. He wanted to find out the unknown, but he also felt that he had no face to see his disciple.

"Disciple, I don't blame Master, I just miss him." Ming replied in an unclear manner.

In a daze, the young man in front of him returned to his childhood, sweeping snow, chanting sutras, learning kung fu, and asking questions. Song Liaoxin couldn't help but his eyes turned red. He covered his face and poured another glass of wine, saying: "Master has fallen. "

He was drinking porridge in silence for unknown reasons, and suddenly asked: "Master, do you regret it?"

Song Liaoxin pondered for a while: "I don't regret it, but it's not worth it."

"What is worth it?" Ming asked unknownly, "What does Master want?"

What do you want?Song Liao was stunned again.In the past ten years, he has taken on murder cases, only killing evil people. He spent the money he had on his hands, sometimes to relieve the poor, sometimes to indulge in sexual activities.He drank, ate meat, and often indulged himself in drunkenness, but he also often felt guilty.Day by day, he would deliberately avoid Buddhist temples and never set foot in Shaolin territory. It was not until after the Kunlun Conference that he heard that someone was offering a huge sum of money to buy an unknown person's head. He accidentally learned the news and rushed to stop him. Knowing that Xiang Zongwei was defeated by his disciple.

This kid is really making progress, he thought, but he was worried whether other masters would take over the order.He inquired about information on the night list and found out that Mingwu participated in the assassination of Stinky Wolf and then disappeared. He suspected that Mingwu returned to Shaolin and infiltrated among the people on the Buddha's birthday.He had long hair and was covered in old cases, so he blended in among the people and no one noticed him.It wasn't until the Shaolin Incident that he broke into Shaolin and saw someone fighting on the tower from a distance. He rushed up to the tower to confirm whether it was Ming or not, and immediately rescued them.

Ten years...what do you want?Song Liao couldn't help but feel a little confused.I have done many bad things, violated almost all the rules and regulations, and am full of greed, anger and delusion.Greedy, angry and foolish?How long has it been since you thought of these three words?

"Master wants Xiang'er to be safe." This is not a lie, it is his only wish now.

"Since Master is here, why don't you save Shaolin?" Ming asked unknownly.

Song Liaoxin sighed: "Master can't save Shaolin."

"Who can save Shaolin?" Ming Ming asked again, "Didn't Master say that Shaolin is the place where the righteous Dharma belongs and cannot be controlled by lay monks?"

Song Liaoxin was speechless.

"Master, where is the Buddha?" Ming Ming still asked, "Why can't I always find him?"

Where is the Buddha?In the past, the clear mind would answer that the Buddha is in the heart and requires practice to find it. However, the clear mind is no longer the clear mind, and the Buddha... is getting further and further away.

"You still haven't changed your habit of asking questions." Song Liaoxin smiled bitterly, "It's a pity that Master can't answer any of your questions now."

Ming unknown showed a disappointed expression: "Xiang'er is still waiting for Master to answer my questions."

Song Liao thought: "You are seriously injured, don't talk so much, and get more rest."

Ming shook his head uncertainly: "As soon as I fell asleep, Master left."

Song Liao thought: "Master will not leave."

Ming asked for unknown reasons: "Master, why do you stay with me?"

Song Liao was startled again. This child has often asked himself questions since he was a child. How come he is still asking himself questions at this age?But I couldn't help but think, yes, what am I doing with Xiang'er?
He lived in ignorance for ten years, enjoying himself as much as he could. He seemed to have no worries, but he was helpless.Xiang'er has grown up and doesn't need his care. Should he bring Xiang'er into the night list?

Seeing his hesitation, Ming Wu continued: "Master lied to me. This is not the first time that Master has lied to me." He then added, "Disciple wants to uphold the scriptures. Master, does he still remember the scriptures?"

Song Liao thought: "Okay, Master will accompany you."

The two knelt down and recited the Amitabha Sutra toward the Shaolin Temple.Song Liaoxin has not recited sutras for 11 years, but now he has no difficulty in reciting sutras. The diligent practice in the first half of his life has long been engraved in his mind, and the long-buried memories have been brought back one by one.

After finishing the chanting, Song Liaoxin helped Ming Shishi go to bed and covered him with a quilt.Ming Wuxi did not ask his master where he had been or what he had done in the past ten years, but Song Liaoxin asked Ming Wuxi where he had been, what he had done, and how he could have participated in the Shaolin coup.It was unknown, but he just said that he had seen the coup, and asked himself to hide in the Ciguang Pagoda to advise him, but unexpectedly, the empty leader suddenly attacked.

As he talked, maybe it was due to his injuries, or maybe he was too tired, but he seemed to be getting sleepy. He slowly closed his eyes and said: "Master asked me so many questions, but there are many unanswered questions for my disciple." .”

Song Liaoxin smiled and said: "You are so smart, you have already surpassed Master. You can always figure out the problems that Master cannot figure out."

"Master Luo Xin could answer questions fluently in the past, but now Master Song Liaoxin can't. With multiple surnames, does Song Liaoxin not mean Luo Xin?"

Song Liao was stunned and looked at his disciple.

"Master, I figured it out." Ming Wuxiang murmured, "Only by following the heart can the mind be controlled. Isn't this the truth?"

Song Liaoxin was shocked.Only by following the heart can the heart be clarified. Why can't it be clarified if the heart is loosened?
He chewed on the words over and over again.The moon was high in the sky, and Ming Wuxi fell into a deep sleep. He then gently opened the door, and before leaving, he glanced at Ming Wuxi again and closed the door.

He felt that he still had things to do and some ideas he had not yet figured out.

He decided to take a trip to the White Horse Temple in Shanxi.

(End of this chapter)