Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 59: The Prototype of "Black Myth: Journey to the West"
His heart skipped a beat. Logically speaking, Yanfu Temple, which had the image of a monkey-faced human on a pilgrimage, had not yet been built at this time.

"Oh, that's the Monkey Walker."

Lu Guangyu explained, "Many merchants in Luzhou believe in this. The legend says that there was a monkey-faced, human-bodied monkey who called himself the 'King of 84,000 Copper-Headed, Iron-Foreheaded Macaques of Ziyun Cave in Huaguo Mountain,' who protected the monk Xuanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. This led to the belief that he was there to protect merchants on their journeys."

"In addition, there is a minor deity called 'Deep Sand God,' which we will see later. Legend has it that he is ugly and lives in the river. He once devoured the monk Xuanzang twice. Later, he was subdued by the Monkey King and went with him to India to obtain the scriptures. The purpose of worshipping him is to protect the safety of boats on the water."

Sure enough, behind them was the palanquin of the "Deep Sand God".

It turns out that the prototype of the story of the journey to the West had already existed among the common people of the Song Dynasty at this time.

It seems that much of the material used in Yuan Dynasty dramas and vernacular novels evolved gradually from the Song Dynasty.

"Writing 'Journey to the West' at this time shouldn't be banned, after all, we're still far from that Daoist emperor."

The thought flashed through Lu Beigu's mind.

It seems quite feasible, after all, the people of the Song Dynasty at that time generally believed in Buddhism.

"However, if I were to write a Black Myth version, wouldn't all future Journey to the West stories in this world follow that version?"

Next, many more palanquins, each containing a minor deity, were carried along the street in a procession.

This procession seemed to have elements of Nuo dance or deity procession. In addition to people dressed as gods on stilts, Lu Beigu also saw many people wearing ghost masks, dancing rhythmically, and parading through the city with the palanquin.

In the bustling market, a man wearing a blue-faced, fanged Nuo mask suddenly darted out from the procession of the deity's palanquin, bowing and opening his arms to the little girls by the roadside.

He deliberately brought the mask close to the little girl with her hair in twin buns, making a strange "gurgling" sound in his throat, and his wooden fangs, stained with vermilion, almost touched the little girl's nose.

The little girl, who was being targeted, chuckled while clutching the peony stem, her round eyes curving into crescents: "Brother's belt is showing!"

It turned out that the dancer hadn't fastened the sash properly in her haste, and half of her indigo headscarf was sticking up from behind the hideous demon face.

Other girls, seeing this, also gathered around, tiptoeing to reach the fluttering strips of cloth. The silk skirts embroidered with intertwined branches bloomed like colorful clouds at the man's knees.

The dancer behind the mask, realizing she had been recognized by her sister, immediately deflated and fled in panic, clutching her crooked ghost mask, leaving behind a string of silvery laughter.

The girls resumed their chasing and playing, treating the earlier incident as just another ordinary fun event during the Buddha Bathing Festival.

After all, on this festival where both humans and gods rejoice, even ghosts and monsters seem exceptionally clumsy and adorable.

"It's a pity I couldn't bring my sister-in-law and the two children to come and see this too," Lu Beigu said with some regret.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a tall man also wearing a ghost mask, who quietly left the crowd and entered the alley.

However, no one cared about these things, because the dancers in these advance teams were not monks from temples, but local people from Hejiang County who played the roles.

So whether these people are going home, using the restroom, scaring people, or going to buy something, it's all perfectly normal, as long as it's not like a whole group of people has disappeared.

"It looks somewhat familiar."

As Lu Beigu was pondering, he suddenly felt someone tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"Brother Lu!"

Ji Yun emerged from the crowd behind him. He didn't have the ability to pinpoint Lu Beigu in the crowd, but rather because he was short and there was a stone lion nearby.

He intended to get a better view from the height of the stone lion, which is why he came here, and just happened to find Lu Beigu, who was also located here.

Where are the Han siblings?

"They must be watching from a high place in the restaurant."

Just as Lu Beigu was about to say something more to Ji Yun, a tsunami-like cheer suddenly erupted in the distance.

"Here it comes! Brother Lu, please help me!" Ji Yun stood on tiptoe on the stone lion base next to him, but his legs were too short to get up.

Lu Beigu reached out to support his swaying body and, with a strong effort, lifted him onto the stone lion.

Riding the stone lion, Ji Yun suddenly felt a sense of "looking down on all the mountains," and excitedly grinned, waving to the crowd in the distance. Although at this moment, no one had time to pay attention to him.

In the distance, the procession of Buddha statues finally arrived.

"Clang—" The clear sound of the bronze chime dispelled the hustle and bustle.

From a distance, the Buddha statue was enshrined in a tall, decorated float covered with a purple curtain and adorned with dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and trees.

The novice monks accompanying the floats played cymbals in unison, and countless believers followed to watch the ceremony, creating a very grand scene.

Leading the way were a group of monks in robes, who handed out cooked broad beans from bowls to the people on both sides of the road as they walked.

Lu Beigu also got a handful, examining the broad beans covered in salt in his hand, and asked, "Is there any special meaning behind this?"

“These are ‘bond beans’!” Lu Guangyu explained. “They’re given to passersby to symbolize forming a good connection, regardless of whether they believe in them or not.”

"A relationship given away for free is a good one."

Lu Beigu muttered to himself, and then, seeing that everyone else had eaten, he put some in his mouth as well.

It's alright, it tastes like stir-fried broad beans, crunchy and a bit salty, not bad as a snack.

As he ate, he realized why the monks distributed "beans for good fortune."

—I'm afraid the audience will get restless if they keep waiting too long, with their hands and mouths idle!

This is similar to why some melon seeds and peanuts are usually placed on the wedding banquet table. With a little snack, people can stay put no matter how long the process is.

But if there's no food and you're just sitting there, not knowing anyone around, you'll get bored after a short while.

Lu Bei looked around and, sure enough, no matter if he knew anyone around him, the audience seemed very relaxed once they started eating the beans.

Behind the monks distributing the "beans of good fortune" were the monks chanting sutras.

A clear and melodious chant instantly drowned out the noise of the surrounding crowd.

These monks were reciting the text of the "Buddha Speaks of the Maha Kshatriya Sutra" with devotion.

“When Shakyamuni Buddha first appeared in the world, he was dressed as a white-robed man. He accumulated merit and virtue, and in every life he restrained himself. He was reborn in the five realms without coveting wealth and treasures. He was born as a prince and was born at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month when the morning star appeared. He took seven steps and all the people came down with twelve kinds of fragrant water and mixed flowers to bathe the prince. The prince stood up and became the Buddha, opening the Dharma to show the world.”

This scripture is about bathing the Buddha. It was translated into Chinese as early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties period and is a very good Buddhist classic.

The chanting of scriptures by monks has a specific rhythm and has a calming effect.

As he listened to the chanting of the scriptures, Lu Beigu's initially irritated heart gradually calmed down.

Once all these people have passed by, the float carrying the Buddha statue will arrive.

The abbot of Fawang Temple, draped in a golden robe, slowly poured fragrant water onto the shoulders of the Buddha statue. The splashing water droplets in the sunlight drew rainbow arcs, further highlighting the boundless power of Buddhism.

"Amitabha!"

This bathing Buddha ceremony symbolizes purifying the body and mind and taking refuge in the Three Jewels.

For the believers on both sides, it is a prayer for the protection of Buddhism to dispel greed, hatred, and ignorance.

Among the people nearby, some were holding their children and wrapping colorful threads around the Buddha's feet, which was similar to "hugging the Buddha's feet" and was meant to bring good luck.

(End of this chapter)