Soul Ferry: My master is Uncle Jiu

Chapter 380 Preaching
There is another village in the dark.

After climbing over a hillside, there is a winding stream and cultivated land at the foot of the mountain. Looking further ahead, there is smoke rising from the chimneys and a mountain village appears before our eyes.

Carrying two tigers on his shoulders did not slow Liu Bochin's pace at all. He walked briskly, pointed at the villa below and grinned, "Master An, Master Sanzang, that's my home."

An Yanding took a closer look and found that the villa was not small and was not an ordinary small family.

It makes sense. Liu Bochin was nicknamed the Guardian of the Mountain. He was a martial arts master and could easily catch two tigers. He must be much richer than the average hunter.

Seeing people again, Tang Sanzang and his four followers showed a hint of joy on their faces, and their mood and pace became much lighter.

However, An Yan discovered something strange and asked curiously, "Brother Liu, is this just your family?"

Tang Sanzang came to his senses upon hearing this. They had been travelling westwards and after leaving Hezhouwei, although they were still in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, there were few people there.

The appearance of this donor Liu was indeed a bit abrupt.

It is said that there are ghosts and monsters hiding in these wild mountains and ridges. Could it be that...
Tang Sanzang, who had encountered a monster once, froze with joy on his face.

An Yan noticed Tang Sanzang's expression with a sidelong glance and couldn't help but laugh. Is this the case of being afraid of ropes for ten years after being bitten by a snake once?

He really was just asking.

Moreover, Liu Bochin is a real living person with flesh and blood, not a monster.

He still has this bit of vision.

Liu Bochin, who was leading the way, did not notice Tang Sanzang's expression, otherwise he would not have smiled so well. He replied, "Master An, you don't know that our ancestors have been fleeing here for decades."

"I have been hunting with my father since I was young, and I have acquired a lot of skills. But that is all I have. If I leave the mountains, I will starve to death on the streets."

An Yan nodded in understanding.

Indeed, although life in the mountains is quite boring, there are no taxes or labor service, and people are self-sufficient and happy.

Listening to the conversation between An Yan and Liu Bochin, Tang Sanzang's face became even more embarrassed.

We went down the hillside, crossed the wooden bridge and plowed the fields, and arrived at the gate of the villa.

Liu Bochin opened the wooden door and shouted inside, "Young men, come out quickly to greet the guests."

The villa was unexpectedly large. In addition to Liu Bochin's family, there were also servants who were bought back, which made the villa quite popular.

No wonder he could stay there, it turned out to be a landlord’s home.

Soon, four burly servants came trotting out.

Liu Bochin handed the bow and fork equipment to one of them, and waved his hand and said, "Take these two tigers away and deal with them. Tell the kitchen to get wild game for dinner. Also take the Taoist priest and the mage's followers down and settle them down."

"Master An, Master Sanzang, please follow me."

Without his equipment, how could Liu Bochin still look like a hunter?
"Brother Liu, please go first!"

An Yan still knew the principle that the guest should follow the host's wishes.

Although there are servants to serve, the houses in the villa are still thatched wooden houses made of local materials.

Come to the lobby.

Then he saw an old woman and a young woman processing animal skins. When they saw Liu Bochin coming back, they put down their work and stood up.

Liu Bochin introduced them, "This is my mother and my wife. Mother, Yun Niang, Master An and Master Sanzang are masters who came from the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Go and prepare some tea."

Seeing Liu Bochin being so polite, Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and said, "Don't be so polite, Mr. Liu. I am grateful for a sip of cold water."

"Hey, Master Sanzang, what you said is wrong."

"If it weren't for Master An, I would have had to spend a lot of effort to hunt those two tigers. This is as it should be." Liu Bochin was a straightforward man and he patted his chest and said.

When An Yan heard this, he also smiled and said, "Master Sanzang, we will follow your instructions and let Brother Liu make the arrangements."

Soon, tea was served.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu's mother looked at An Yan and Tang Sanzang. One was wearing an apricot-yellow Taoist robe and looked dignified and majestic, while the other was wearing a Buddhist cassock and looked pious and respectful. She could tell at a glance that they were both capable people.

So she looked at her son. Although her son was filial, he was still the head of the family, so she still had to ask for his opinion first.

"My son, mother would like to ask Taoist An and Master Sanzang to perform a ritual for your deceased father and recite some scriptures, is that okay?"

"Recently, your father has appeared in my dreams and told me that he is not having a good time down there."

"Mom, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Thinking back to the fact that his mother had lost her appetite in the past few days, he wondered if she was sick and whether he should see a doctor.

"Mom, I'm not afraid that you'll worry."

Seeing this, Liu Bochin, who was also a filial man, looked at An Yan and Tang Sanzang with a little embarrassment and said, "Master An, Master Sanzang, could you please stay for one more day and perform a ritual for my father?"

"Please rest assured, Taoist priest, the reward will definitely not be small."

Fearing rejection, Liu Bochin added that he had no intention of getting it for free.

"Brother Liu, you are willing to take us in for the night. Why should we ask for compensation for chanting sutras to pray for the souls of the dead? It's only a day. The journey to the West is long, so a day won't be too much." An Yan shook his head.

Tang Sanzang also followed suit and said, "It is my job, so I don't need to be paid."

Liu Bochin and his family were overjoyed when they heard this.

At dinner.

An Yan, who hadn't eaten meat or drunk wine for a long time, ate to his heart's content, his mouth full of oil.

Hearing that they would be staying for a day tomorrow, the followers got drunk and indulged themselves.

Tang Sanzang ate vegetables, tofu, and simple meals, and was determined not to eat any meat.

Silent all night.

The next day.

In the ancestral hall in the backyard, incense and candles were lit, paper money was burned, and a simple ritual began.

The theme is chanting sutras for the salvation of souls.

An Yan and Tang Sanzang sat on each side.

Normally, Tang Sanzang did not like to compete with others for fame and fortune, but when it came to chanting scriptures, he considered himself no worse than anyone else.

An Yan also didn't want to lose to Tang Sanzang in this matter, otherwise how could the Journey to the West be carried out?
Even my friends don’t give me face!
Soon, the sound of chanting began. The two different voices mixed together, but it did not feel noisy at all. People subconsciously felt awe and respect after hearing it.

"Save all sins, overcome all disasters, transcend the immortal source, and be naturally pure."

"They all rely on the power of the Great Dao to subdue the demons. What is so bright in the sky is called the Niwan Immortal."

"Submission to the Supreme Lord can eliminate all sins."

"All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions are ever-present in the world, endowed with great compassion, great mercy, foresight and divine vision."

"With compassion for all sentient beings, and without giving up the great compassionate wish, please come and accept, and sincerely express your intentions and offer your offerings."

What An Yan recited was "The Great Sutra for the Salvation of Suffering and the Removal of Sins", a Taoist scripture for the salvation of the souls of the dead.

What Tang Sanzang recited was the "Salvation Sutra".

The ritual lasted until the evening, with only a short break for lunch, mainly because an ordinary person like Tang Sanzang could not bear it.

Even if Tang Sanzang was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, he was just an ordinary person without any spiritual practice. As for the story of Tang Sanzang's flesh that spread on the journey to the West at some point in time, it was even more nonsense.

You said that Tang Sanzang's soul has many wonderful aspects, which does make sense.

“May the Supreme Master of the Mysterious Caverns and Spiritual Treasures lead me, and the Supreme Master of the Savior of Sufferings lead me, forever leaving the sufferings of the three evil realms, ascending to the Eastern Palace as soon as possible, forever free from the sufferings of the cycle of life and death, and reborn in the Eastern Pure Land of Eternal Bliss.”

In order to reward An Yan and Tang Sanzang, Liu Bochin asked his servants to prepare meals early, including sumptuous wine, meat and various vegetarian dishes.

After a tiring day, Tang Sanzang had a good appetite and ate three bowls of rice with various vegetarian dishes.

It is dark and vague, and once you enter the gate of hell, there is no turning back.

The underworld.

It is said that Liu's father was a hunter during his lifetime and killed too many lives. He also did not pay attention to doing good deeds and accumulating virtues in his daily life. After his death, he was thrown into the hell of knife mountains and could not be reborn.

Today is a lucky day for Liu's father.

He was taken away from the hell of sword mountains by the ghost, who said that he could be reincarnated.

Now, take him to see King Yama.

Senluo Palace.

The Ten Kings of Hell gathered together again.

On weekdays, the Ten Kings of Hell are stationed in their own palaces and only gather together when something big happens.

"Everyone, it's time to make a choice."

King Qin Guang dipped his finger in water and lightly wrote the words Taoism and Buddhism.

Today, they all heard the sound of chanting, praying for the same person.

If An Yan had not intervened, the Ten Kings of Hell would definitely have acted according to the instructions of Buddhism.

But now the appearance of An Yan has given them a different choice.

"Do we even need to choose? Buddhism calls us to come and waves us away."

"Back then, we agreed that if we cooperated with the monkey to cause trouble in the underworld, we would receive a portion of the merits. But in the end, it was not enough for the ten of us to fill the gaps. We are now in a difficult situation."

King Yama complained.

"Besides, An Yan and I are brothers after all, and we belong to the same heaven. The other party is backed by Taishang Laojun."

"Even if we work for nothing, as long as we can get this connection, we will have made a profit."

After listening to King Yama's analysis of the pros and cons, the other Yamas all nodded.

After all, they still feel that Buddhism has a shallow foundation. If it weren't for the Battle of Conferred Gods back then, Buddhism would probably still be unknown now.

After coming up with the idea, the Ten Kings of Hell reached a consensus.

Good brothers, in my heart.

When Liu's father entered the Senluo Hall, he saw King Yama sitting on the high hall with the judge Cui Yu waiting beside him.

"Liu Jian, a master has recited scriptures for you to wash away your sins. Now you can be reincarnated into a kind family in a rich place in the East."

Father Liu was stunned, surprised but also a little confused: "Is there a master who is chanting for me? I dare to ask, Lord Yama, who is it?"

King Yama said sternly, "You gave birth to a good son. You should thank the Taoist priest who came from the capital of the Tang Dynasty for reciting the Great Supreme Sutra for you to save the suffering and remove sins."

"It's Birchin!"

Father Liu was both happy and surprised.

He was happy that his son was able to invite such a great master to save him from suffering, but he was also afraid that his son would be like him, committing as many murders as he did and not knowing how to do good deeds.

So he kowtowed and said, "I beg the Lord of Hell to let me see you in my dreams and tell my descendants to repay the Taoist's kindness."

"allow!"

The King of Hell, who had been waiting for this moment, readily approved it.

A soul came into the dream and told me strange things in the underworld.

The sun rose again and the night passed.

In the room, Liu Bochin's wife woke up from her dream, and Liu Bochin woke up with her.

The woman said, "Boqin, I dreamed last night that my father-in-law came home and said that he was suffering in the underworld and could not be reborn. Fortunately, Taoist An recited the scriptures and eliminated his sins. The King of Hell allowed my father-in-law to reincarnate into a rich family."

"He also told us to thank Master An and offer incense to him day and night."

"My wife, you also had this dream?!" Liu Bochin was shocked and said quickly, "Me too, and he specifically told me to do more good deeds to accumulate merits."

"After saying that, he walked out the door. I called him but he didn't respond. When I woke up, I thought it was all a dream!"

"Then did my mother also receive a message from my father-in-law in her dream?"

"Yes, let's go ask mother."

The couple hurriedly put on their clothes, packed up and went to look for Liu's mother.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked out of the room, I saw my mother coming to find me.

Mother Liu said happily: "My dear son, your father came to me in a dream last night and said

Before Liu's mother could finish, Liu Bochin said excitedly, "My dear, your daughter-in-law and I had a dream last night. We were just about to go and tell you about it, but you came here."

Hearing this, Liu's mother compared the words in the dream with the words in the dream, and they matched. She was overjoyed and said, "Then we must thank Master An very much. If it weren't for Master An, your father would still be suffering in the underworld."

Liu Bochin thought the same thing and immediately called everyone in the family.

An Yan and Tang Sanzang did not want to disturb Liu Bochin's family, and were ready to leave quietly with their entourage. Unexpectedly, they saw Liu Bochin's entire family coming to greet them before they even stepped out of the door.

Liu Bochin even thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Taoist An, for helping my late father escape from the sea of ​​suffering. I am deeply grateful. I would like to set up a longevity tablet for Taoist An and burn incense for him day and night."

Mother Liu even stepped forward and prepared to kneel down, but An Yan quickly supported her and said, "Old man, you can't do this. Please stand up quickly."

This behavior made Liu's mother more resolute in her thoughts, and she said, "I am willing to be a Taoist believer, and I hope that Taoist An will accept me."

Her wish was simple, which was to become a Taoist believer so that she could pray for blessings and longevity for her children and grandchildren.

An Yan understood that it must be Liu's father who came to him in his dream.

It seems that his fake brotherhood with the Ten Kings of Hell is still of some use, and coupled with the Taoism he represents behind him, it is simply a sure win.

Seeing this, Tang Sanzang, who was standing by, was also stunned and fell into deep thought.

Mother Liu held An Yan's hand tightly and said, "Master An, do you think I have this blessing?"

"Wulian Tianzun, as long as the old lady is devoted to Taoism, she will be a follower of our Taoism."

"Since you are so sincere, I will give you this book of Supreme Sense and Induction."

An Yan pretended to reach into his sleeve, took out the Tai Shang Ganying Pian from the storage ring, and handed it to the old lady.

As for why I don’t give you the Tao Te Ching, it’s because it’s really not easy for ordinary people to get started reading this book.

The Taishang Ganyingpian is much simpler and clearer. The first two sentences point out the main idea, guiding people to do good and avoid evil.

Moreover, this scripture was given to him by Taishang Laojun. I dare not say how great it is, but if ordinary people recite it often, it can not only prolong their lifespan, but also benefit their descendants.

Liu's mother was overjoyed and took the scripture with both hands.

Afterwards, Liu's mother even asked her son to personally escort An Yan to Liangjie Mountain before returning, to show her gratitude.

With Liu Bochin leading the way, An Yan, Tang Sanzang and his party had a smooth and comfortable journey.

But the guardian gods in heaven were in a panic and hurried to the Purple Bamboo Forest of Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea to ask for help from Guanyin Bodhisattva.

(End of this chapter)