Techniques and Dao

Chapter 136 The Dharma of Freedom
Upon hearing that it was Lü Dongbin who had come to their door, Hua Sheng and Mieying felt as if they had fallen into icy water. Moreover, the monk in charge of the reception said that Lü Dongbin had brought a young boy with him, who must be Tianjizi.

Hua Sheng thought to himself, "I didn't expect the two of them to catch up with me here so quickly."

No, perhaps they had already searched the surrounding area before daring to come directly to Daqian Temple to demand the person back.

Compared to Hua Sheng and Mie Ying, who had lost all color in their faces, Master Ruo Kong remained calm and composed. He said in a calm tone, "Please don't panic, you two. Perhaps you've come to borrow a power bank."

Hua Sheng couldn't laugh. He said, "That's not right! Master Ruokong, the Ruihua Treasure Mirror doesn't need electricity at all, so why would it need a power bank? And it shouldn't be borrowing it in the middle of the night!"

Master Ruokong slapped his forehead and said, "Oh! It seems that this humble monk has confused it with a human cell phone."

The old monk, his face also pale, asked, "Abbot, Abbot! Lü Dongbin is, after all, one of the Eight Immortals. What should we do?"

“It’s just a Buddhist-Taoist academic exchange! This humble monk will go and meet him.” With that, Master Ruokong walked outside.

Hua Sheng anxiously pressed, "Then...should we find somewhere to hide?"

“There’s no need for you two to go to such trouble. If Lü Dongbin really wants to search the temple, it will be in vain for you to hide even if you dig three feet into the ground.”

Master Ruokong closed the door and said with a smile, "Please rest well, both of you. I will return shortly after dealing with Lü Dongbin. Wait for me!"

Having just suffered a loss at the hands of Lü Dongbin, Hua Sheng hurriedly reminded him, "Abbot, the opponent is Lü Dongbin! One of the Seven Sages of the Founding Realm! Don't act as calm as if you were slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm! You must be extremely careful! Extremely..."

But the footsteps of Master Ruokong outside the door had already faded away, and Hua Sheng didn't know if he had heard her instructions.

No sooner had Master Ruokong left than Huasheng in the guest hall became restless, pacing back and forth.

Mie Ying said irritably, "Stop pacing around, you're making me dizzy."

Hua Sheng said, "No, I have to go and see. I can't drag Daqian Temple down with me. If Master Ruokong is implicated for harboring criminals, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!"

"You can't even protect yourself, yet you're concerned about others."

"We can't drag Master Ruokong into this. If things get too complicated, I'll show myself and go with them."

"Don't go!" Ignoring her injuries, Mie Ying stood up and blocked the doorway. "No! I won't allow you to go!"

Hua Sheng had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright! But I'm still worried. I'll go check it out. If Master Ruokong can't stop Lü Dongbin and the others, I'll immediately come back and leave through the back door to avoid being caught red-handed by Lü Dongbin. Even if I'm caught outside of Daqian Temple, Master Ruokong won't be held responsible for harboring them. What do you think?"

Mieying then stepped aside from the doorway, and as she moved, slight blood seeped from the bandage on her shoulder.

Hua Sheng felt a pang of guilt and felt even more ashamed. He helped Mie Ying slowly walk back to her seat, and after settling her in, he quietly opened the door and tiptoed onto the corridor.

Then, using the stone wall beside him, he climbed onto the roof and crouched down, moving quietly forward on the glazed tiles. Just as he saw the temple gate, he lay down and intently watched the situation at the gate.

The once quiet temple became somewhat noisy in the middle of the night.

The gates of Daqian Temple were open, and Lü Dongbin and Tianjizi stood outside with solemn expressions, clearly having some doubts about the temple.

Two monks stood inside the gate to greet him. Upon seeing Lü Dongbin's arrival, their legs trembled uncontrollably, whether from the cold or fear.

Guided by the lanterns of the guest monks, Master Ruokong walked through two corridors. In order to reach the mountain gate more quickly, he walked straight out of the corridors and crossed through the central open space of the Zen temple.

Amidst the swirling snow and wind, Master Ruokong walked past the Thousand-Year Incense Burner. The heat emanating from the burner met the cold air, creating an upward airflow that billowed his brocade robe. He stood tall, hands clasped in prayer, his steps unwavering, fearlessly traversing the snow and wind, heading straight for the enormous problem outside the door.

Hua Shengjian waved his hand to dismiss the two trembling monks at the door, then calmly faced Lü Dongbin and Tianjizi alone.

Master Ruokong put his hands together and said, “These two immortals have graced Daqian Temple with their presence in the middle of the night. This humble monk has not been able to greet them properly. I hope you will forgive me!”

Lu Dongbin asked impatiently, "Abbot, if I didn't have something to ask you tonight, I wouldn't have come to bother you."

Ruokong replied, “Not at all! Chunyangzi, you flatter me. It’s just a pity that I and the other monks have been staying in the temple for too long and have become quite lax. Otherwise, we would definitely be enjoying ourselves. Daqian Temple doesn’t open its gates often, which has turned the monks into homebodies. Most of them are straightforward and don’t know how to interact with others. I hope you two will be more tolerant.”

Lu Dongbin, with a serious expression, went straight to the point: "High monk, there's no need for formalities. I've come here only to ask a question. Have you seen a young man and woman?"

Ruokong replied calmly, "A monk does not lie. Of course, I have seen men and women, and young people!"

Hua Sheng felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing this, wondering if Master Ruokong was being inconsistent in his words and actions.

Tianjizi hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Is the abbot's statement true?" "Of course it is true."

Where are those two now?

Master Ruokong, however, showed a puzzled expression: "Strange, didn't you two see any young men or women in the vast sea of ​​people in Shengpingning? Aren't young men and women everywhere?"

Tianjizi then realized he had been tricked, and said with some anger, "We are asking whether you saw him tonight!"

Master Ruokong shook his head in sudden realization, then uttered two words decisively:

"no!"

Hua Sheng, who was on the roof, nearly fell when she heard Master Ruokong's reply. She couldn't help but think that Master Ruokong was a genius at boasting! He could lie to the Eight Immortals without batting an eye! He spoke so resolutely, even saying that monks don't lie.

If Hua Sheng was already like this, then Lu Dongbin and Tian Jizi, who were facing Ruo Kong, were even more furious, their faces turning green with rage.

Seeing this, Hua Sheng felt relieved, thinking that Master Ruokong was handling things so well and should be able to get through this. Then, feeling aches and pains in his back and a wave of fatigue, he went down from the roof to the guest hall to find Mieying.

At this moment, Lu Dongbin at the mountain gate would not let it go. Instead, he approached Master Ruokong and said sternly, "I'm afraid that's not right! Abbot, if you did not receive any guests tonight, why did you come out in such a hurry, dressed in a brocade robe as if you had been prepared?"

"This humble monk enjoys nightlife. Does being a night owl even concern you, sir?"

Lü Dongbin squinted and asked, "The eminent monk enjoys a good night's life. Since your esteemed temple is in such a mood tonight, why not invite us in for a seat as well?"

Master Ruokong replied with a smile, “It’s a pity that the temple’s curfew has long passed. If the Taoist immortals want to force their way into the temple in the middle of the night, you two might as well prepare a letter of self-reproach and submit it to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, and also send a copy to Venus. You two immortals might as well start drafting it now, so that it can be placed on their desks by dawn.”

Lü Dongbin remained silent, his face contorted with anger. Tianjizi, however, could no longer contain himself and shouted, "So what if you trespass on your temple!"

Having said that, Tianjizi was about to cross the threshold of the mountain gate. Suddenly, Master Ruokong's expression changed, and he waved his right hand in the Abhaya Mudra.

Suddenly, the entire Daqian Temple was illuminated by a bright Buddhist light. The dazzling light shone directly from behind Master Ruokong, striking Lü Dongbin and Tianjizi, forcing both of them to raise their hands to shield themselves.

Immediately afterwards, a vast and resounding chanting of Buddhist hymns surged from behind Ruokong like a tidal wave, causing the snow on the ground and eaves of the entire Daqian Temple to instantly pulsate as if boiling.

At this moment, Tianjizi's right foot, which had been extended into the temple, was suspended in mid-air and unable to move.

Master Ruokong smiled and said, "Although I am a vegetarian, do you two think that the Great Thousand Observation of Self-Existence Dharma Gate is also vegetarian?"

Tianji gritted his teeth and had no choice but to forcefully pull his right foot back. Unexpectedly, he exerted too much force and lost his balance, staggering back three steps and nearly falling off the stone steps of the mountain path.

Master Ruokong then withdrew his supernatural powers and continued, “This humble monk may not be able to stop the two celestial beings from entering the temple, but I am confident that once you are inside, you will not be able to leave. You two must have heard of the Hundred-Day Great Thousand Array of Avalokitesvara. If you are interested in enrolling in this temple’s exclusive Hundred-Day Course on Listening to the Dharma and Reciting the Buddha’s Name, you might as well try your luck at this Dharma Gate of Freedom. This humble monk is eloquent and will surely make you feel right at home, giving you a five-star review!”

Upon hearing the words "listen to the Dharma and recite the Buddha's name," Lü Dongbin and Tianjizi were furious, but they dared not force their way into Daqian Temple without evidence, out of respect for Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.

Lu Dongbin flicked his sleeves and said, "Very well! But if I find out that it was you, Master Ruokong, who protected the demon, I will definitely demand an explanation from Tang Sanzang!"

Master Ruokong pinched his thumb and forefinger together, making a Dharma mudra gesture, and said with a smile, "This humble monk has often heard that Saint Pingning has always considered himself a champion of freedom and democracy. Please, Great Immortal, do as you please."

Lü Dongbin snorted, turned around, and flew away on a cloud. Tianjizi, who was standing to the side, seemed unwilling but had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow Lü Dongbin.

After watching the two immortals leave, Master Ruokong closed the mountain gate and walked back.

The old monk, still looking panicked, hid in the corridor. When he saw Master Ruokong return, he asked, "Abbot, what should we do if we tell Lü Dongbin that the two children are not in the temple, and they are found out later?"

Master Ruokong smiled lightly and said, "The Buddha said that nothing is established in words. As long as words can be spoken, they are not the true words. Moreover, if our temple is powerless to protect a child who once wore the monks' robes and ate vegetarian food with the monks, how can we talk about the boundless Dharma and the Buddha's compassion?"

The monk nodded after hearing this, put his hands together, and stepped behind Ruokong without saying anything more.

Two monks walked through the corridor in the wind and snow. When Master Ruokong pushed open the wooden door of the guest hall, he said cheerfully, "Look, benefactor, this humble monk put on a light show and managed to get Lü Dongbin away!"

But there was no sound from inside the room. When Master Ruokong entered, he found that Huasheng and Mieying had fallen into a deep sleep on the wooden tea table due to exhaustion.

The monk asked, "Do the two benefactors still need to rush to Butterfly Spirit Manor? Shall I wake them up now?"

Master Ruokong sighed softly and said to the guest monk, "Go and call Buxu here first, and tell him to make some preparations. Let these two birds in distress sleep a little longer!"

(End of this chapter)