Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 90 The White Snake Enters the Calamity
Since that's the case, let me show you how powerful a literary plagiarist can be.

Suddenly a gust of moisture swept in, and the damp wind carrying the smell of earth filled my nostrils. Dark clouds drifted over without my noticing, and raindrops began to pelt the ground.

"It's raining, it's raining."

The wild boy who used to be so outrageous with his chest exposed was no longer wild; he picked up his clothes and ran away.

Pedestrians on the street, as well as scholars selling calligraphy and paintings, all took shelter under the eaves to avoid the rain.

Only Jiang Ziwei and a few others stubbornly stood there, leaving Xu Xuan speechless. "Are you Yiping? Why do you have to compete even on a rainy day?"

Just as he was about to lose his temper, an oil-paper umbrella appeared above his head.

The several scholars opposite, who had been gesticulating wildly, suddenly froze like statues.

Turning to the side, I saw a woman in a simple white dress, like the purest clouds and the gentlest moonlight, standing beside me holding an umbrella.

Just one glance was enough to instantly calm my anxiety.

"I guess you don't know where I am,"

"I'm still wondering how to find you."

The two spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time. This inexplicable tacit understanding made Xu Xuan's soul unconsciously grin from ear to ear.

Then, in my mind, I chanted "Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha" repeatedly.

She was just my senior in spiritual practice.

This is a love tribulation, Fahai, be mindful of your status.

Bai Suzhen also found it strange; she had only come to pick up Xu Hanwen, so why did her heart flutter?

But stopping here isn't a good idea; people are already looking this way.

She never denied the attraction her beauty held for living beings, and thus she decided to leave the crowd.

"let's go."

When the beautiful woman spoke, Xu Xuan naturally agreed without hesitation.

Jiang Ziwei is nothing compared to the dust kicked up by raindrops.

In the misty rain, they looked like a perfect couple walking along the shore of West Lake, like a painting.

The students, soaked to the bone by the rain, remained rooted to the spot by the lake.

We lost, and that's a complete and utter defeat.

The goddess descended to earth, yet her eyes were fixed on only one person.

Jiang Ziwei stared blankly at the distant figure, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

Although I longed for it, at this moment there was no jealousy. The two figures were so harmonious, as if they were born to stand together.

By the lake, Xu Xuan was trying to calm himself down, reflecting on the rather peculiar rain that had just fallen.

"Miss Bai, did you find me through this rain?"

"Hmm, I forgot to arrange a meeting place with you, so I used this gentle and persuasive technique."

This technique is derived from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals' ability to summon wind and rain. It seems simple, but it requires a great deal of skill and understanding and control of water to perform.

Every time I see Bai Suzhen and Xu Xuan, I realize that this is a world of cultivation.

Spells, cultivation level, supernatural powers, magical treasures, and realms—these things are very much like those in the fantasy world of Xianxia (Chinese fantasy).
While the senior brother's action of carrying the Pure Land and hammering people was impressive, it was not very much like a fantasy novel.

Xu Xuan then expressed his gratitude, saying that they had just resolved a minor conflict.

"You can solve the problem even without me, but I sense that your soul is somewhat unstable. If you indulge yourself, you will lose your composure and fall into the demonic path."

"Although your cultivation is not deep, your state of mind is very special and this situation should not occur."

"Is Instructor Xu encountering some trouble?"

Bai Suzhen was also a very good senior, willing to give guidance on matters of cultivation.

Xu Xuan then didn't stand on ceremony, because he really cared about the matter of the Ten Kings Temple.

We really need to ask this local bigwig about things around West Lake.

"Zhu Erdan, who is worshipping the Heavenly Emperor, is a deity of the Underworld. Does Miss Bai know this?"

I know that Bai Suzhen's eyes are a bit strange, but it's a bit odd that you, a mere human cultivator, also know that.

They didn't hide anything and directly admitted that they had interacted before.

About half a year ago, this deity from the underworld visited the bottom of West Lake.

I mentioned that the Jiangnan Literary Gathering will be held at West Lake. At that time, the cultural heritage and fortune of the human race will converge, which will exert some pressure on the demon race. I hope Lady White will not take offense.

She had no objection to this matter.

It is neither the Water God of West Lake nor a Great Sage of the Demon Clan. This cave dwelling was only temporarily opened up and there are not many taboos.

If you're going to open it, then open it; just make sure Xiaoqing stays far away from it.

This was the only contact with the deity of the underworld.

"The Ten Kings Temple by West Lake was demolished, and the statue of Judge Lu should also have been destroyed."

Bai Suzhen frowned, realizing how troublesome this matter was.

But what does this have to do with Xu Xuan? The one who should be worried is Judge Lu of the Underworld.

"I didn't tell you last time, but I had some not-so-friendly exchanges with Judge Lu."

Next is the past of the God of Rejection in the Third Courtyard.

They even revealed that the Jiangnan Literary Society was organized and connected by itself.

Bai Suzhen listened intently, becoming quite absorbed.

The Mahavairocana Sutra speaks of "six fearlessnesses": fearlessness of goodness, fearlessness of the body, fearlessness of selflessness, fearlessness of the Dharma, fearlessness of the Dharma's selflessness, and fearlessness of equality.

At that time, Xu Hanwen had just entered the Dao and dared to stand alone against the deity; this was true fearlessness.

And using wisdom to leverage the cultural heritage and fortune of Jiangnan to gamble with the opponent is even more terrifying.

If these actions represent the limits of human capability, then doing them can only be described as demonstrating skill and resourcefulness.

But to draw a sword against a Yin spirit with such a weak body and proclaim it, regardless of victory or defeat, is already a legend.

Looking at the person next to him again, he had a special sense that this man was not some ordinary cultivator, but a true dragon about to take flight.

The most difficult aspect of spiritual practice is cultivating the mind.

"Judge Lu has been cultivating in the underworld for countless years, and the Investigation Department is also in charge of rewarding good and punishing evil. He should be even more aware of the dangers of the human world."

"The Jiangnan Literary Gathering is a prosperous era for the human race. Even if someone secretly sabotages it, they cannot break the literary lineage and destiny. I will keep an eye out for you at the bottom of the lake."

"It is because you are thinking too much. If this continues for a long time, it will exhaust your mind and cause your cultivation to regress."

"I happen to have a copy of the Heart Sutra that I can pass on to you."

"Consider this a donation from Xiaoqing to you for her studies."

He then led Xu Xuan to a tall tower. "This place is most suitable for a Buddhist disciple like you to cultivate and spread the Dharma. Let's go in."

Xu Xuan remained motionless, which puzzled Bai Suzhen. What was wrong now?

"Wait, Miss Bai, do you... do you know where this is?"

The tower in front of us has eight sides and five stories, each covered with copper tiles. Copper brackets are set at the corners, with upturned eaves and corners. It is more than 20 zhang tall, and the stone surface is carved with patterns of Mount Sumeru, ocean waves, fish and dragons, symbolizing "nine mountains and eight seas".

"Leifeng Pagoda."

Crackling sounds filled my mind, as if struck by lightning.

"The timing of this tower is wrong."

"How could it be wrong? This pagoda has been here since I came to West Lake a hundred years ago. Occasionally, monks from the surrounding area come here to clean it. It has a profound Buddhist atmosphere and is very helpful for meditation."

It should be the Northern Song Dynasty. But never mind, this era has everything, and talking about dynasties is meaningless.

The real problem lies with the people who entered the tower.

We are clearly a human and a snake, but in an instant, the complex relationship between us becomes somewhat difficult to unravel.

Now, Lady White Snake wants to invite Xu Xuan into the tower. Should he go in or not?

With mixed feelings, he entered a pagoda with which he had an extremely complicated relationship.

Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a genuine pagoda, not some magical artifact.

so far so good.

This brought an end to the chaotic relationship.

The Buddhist atmosphere in this pagoda is indeed profound. Upon reaching the top of the pagoda, Bai Suzhen took out a scroll from her sleeve.

"The origin of this Heart Sutra is beyond words, and I have been trying to understand its meaning for hundreds of years without success."

Hopefully, this will clear up your confusion.

When Lady White Snake solemnly opened the scroll, countless golden rays slowly rose from it, rearranging and combining in the air in a rhythmic manner.

Seeing this scene, I thought the White Lotus Creation Scripture had reappeared.

However, when the female Guanyin appeared, Xu Xuan realized that things were very serious. She had her hair tied in a coiled dragon bun, wore a plain silk robe, had eyebrows like crescent moons, eyes like twin stars, a joyful face, and a touch of red on her lips. She held a vase of sweet dew and a willow branch.

This Heart Sutra is of extremely high purity.

Fortunately, it was only a fleeting moment. The statue appeared in thirty-three different forms, eventually transforming into fifty-four sentences and two hundred and sixty characters.

When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are all empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress. Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form.
The Pure Land of Three Feet manifested itself, and these words found a place to be contained and slowly floated in, while Zen Master Fahai also fell into the emptiness of the five aggregates.

The Pure Land Dharma, the Ksitigarbha Dharma, and the Heart Sutra of Avalokitesvara—three Buddhist teachings collide within his heart, with the White Lotus Holy Father sitting in the center to help Xu Xuan sort out and strengthen his will to avoid being assimilated.

Outside, Bai Suzhen was somewhat conflicted after seeing the other party fall into enlightenment.

"Xiaoqing regards you as a close friend, and I also regard you as a fellow Daoist, therefore..."

He took out half a special willow leaf from his sleeve and placed it between his eyebrows, saying, "Let me see what's going on with your karma and destiny."

Bai Suzhen opened her eyes again and looked in Xu Xuan's direction.

Ah!
She covered her lips with her delicate hand.
A multicolored light enveloped what lay ahead; was this the causal line?
It radiates in all directions like a light source.

Moreover, a straight red thread of cause and effect connects her to Xu Xuan.

When she touched it, she saw countless images.

Guanyin manifests her power, using supernatural abilities to penetrate the cycle of cause and effect.

It takes ten years of cultivation to share a boat ride; it takes a hundred years to share a pillow.

If fate brings us together for a thousand years, we'll grow old together, our hearts united, right before our eyes.
On the boat, a woman in white and a scholar pledged their love for life and celebrated their wedding night.

Bai Suzhen's Dao heart is unstable. This female lead seems to be me? Is that man Xu Hanwen? Why is he singing?
Then, in another turn, different people, similar stories.

A scholar named Xu Xian sincerely expresses his love to the woman in white.

"Life is but seventy years. Subtracting ten years of ignorance and ten years of old age and weakness, the time truly left to spend with the loved ones is very little."

"I don't want you to think I'm a smooth-talking philanderer. I just want to tell you that if I only have two or three chances to meet you in my life, I've already wasted the first two. This is the only one left, and I can't let it slip by. What I want to say is that I've liked you since the first moment I saw you!"

Bai Suzhen felt dizzy. "Is this really me? And is that man still Xu Hanwen? What shameless words."

The screen changes again.

The waters flooded Jinshan Temple, a red cassock obscured the sky, a white snake gave birth on the Broken Bridge, and this time, Xu Hanwen was nowhere to be seen—what a scumbag.

But is this still me?
She plucked a willow leaf from between her brows and tucked it back into her sleeve, breaking her tranquil and detached demeanor and adding a touch of worldly dust to her appearance.

Like the first rays of dawn tinged with the crimson glow of the sunset.

Bai Suzhen's face flickered between light and shadow, her delicate hands clenching and unclenching.

His magical power circulated continuously, devouring all vital energy like a black hole, and in a short time, he actually drained the vital energy around West Lake.

She only seeks the Great Dao, so why does she have to suffer a love tribulation?

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Xu Xuan carried a hint of something indescribable.

"Or should we kill him?"

A bold idea came to mind: just a light punch.
No, he's innocent too.

Furthermore, what is the difference between this method and entering the path of demonic possession?

A predestined love affair is determined by fate, and one needs its help to overcome the tribulations of love.

But thinking about those scenes of marriage and childbirth, even the most powerful demon couldn't suppress his instincts.

Just then, Xu Xuan woke up.

"This Heart Sutra contains profound truths, I... Miss Bai, are you alright?"

"very good!"

His tone was forceful and not gentle at all.

"Xu Hanwen!"

"You say."

Being suddenly called by his full name was a little awkward, but Xu sensed danger and quickly changed his tone.

If you're not gentle, then I will be, okay?

"Since you were worried before, let's go and ask Judge Lu together now."

"He's in the academy."

Bai Suzhen stood up, unleashing the full aura of a peerless demon who had upheld the righteous path for 1,700 years.

"Then please ask him to come out!"

　Day 2 of daily updates. Just wanted to let readers know that from now on, I'll be updating around 6 PM every evening.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)