I, the poor monk Tang San, buried the sky, buried the earth, buried all living beings

Tang Ku felt that there was something big going on here!

Otherwise, Yang Jian and Nezha wouldn't have been stumped by Lao Niu's question!

"Ugh……"

Yang Jian, who had always been arrogant and conceited, actually lowered the three-pointed, double-edged sword in his hand, and was dejected and speechless.

The Bull Demon King couldn't help but sneer: "Why, you can't answer? Haha, Yang Erlang is naturally arrogant, I don't think he will be threatened by me. Since you don't want to speak ill of the Heavenly Court, that's up to you, but you have to understand that these high-ranking guys in the Heavenly Court are not that great."

Yang Jian gritted his teeth and wanted to say something, but he couldn't say it.

Being stumped by the question was already embarrassing, and not daring to admit it made him even more embarrassed.

"Hmph, what you're saying, is there no good person in my Heavenly Palace?" Nezha curled his lips and said, "At least my Li family doesn't have those people who just sit there and do nothing. My father is in charge of the army and only moves when there's war. I'm in charge of nothing, and I haven't let the people down!"

"Back then, you acted recklessly, causing the Dragon King of the East China Sea to flood Chentang Pass. You've committed so many wrongdoings, and how did you manage to become an immortal along with your father in his physical body?"

The Bull Demon King kept talking about old things. Nezha wanted to refute him, but when he thought about how his reckless behavior had brought disaster to the people of Chentang Pass, he was choked and speechless.

"Well, um, Mr. Bull Demon King, I have never offended you. Your talk about gods and Buddhas has also insulted me!"

Tang Ku coughed lightly and smiled bitterly.

"Monk, I know you. You made a great vow to bring the scriptures back to the Tang Dynasty in order to save all living beings. You are flawless. But don't forget that spreading the scriptures is one thing, but strengthening the faith of those in the Western Buddhist world is another. If it weren't for the widespread dissemination of Mahayana Buddhism within the Tang Dynasty, do you think Tathagata would have given you the scriptures?"

The Bull Demon King sneered, "The Buddhist scriptures are so precious. They contain the power and spirit of the Buddha. What do you think would be a suitable exchange for them?"

Tang Ku was also immediately stunned by the question. He couldn't help but frown and said, "According to what you said, there is no selfless good person among the immortals and Buddhas in this world?"

"Well, I didn't say that. I said it from the beginning, 90%..." Bull Demon King slapped his thigh and said, "Among the Taoists, I admire my brother's first teacher the most, the one from the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon. Among the human sects, the Three Saints from the Fire Cloud Cave are all people who have made great contributions to heaven and earth. As for Buddhism, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is the most admired. As for the others... hehe, Old Bull, I'd better not say much, so as not to incur envy!"

As he said this, he looked at Yang Jian and Nezha as if implying something.

Tang Ku suddenly laughed: "People die for money, birds die for food, no living creature is immune to this. The Bull Demon King scolded me well! Then I also have a question for you, but I don't know if you can answer it!"

"You say!" The Bull Demon King looked at the monk indifferently, and thought to himself: I just want to see how eloquent you are as a monk. Today I will see your Buddhist teachings.

"As long as there is life in this world, selfish thoughts will persist. Whether it's gods, demons, humans, or animals, everyone needs to survive. Unless the world returns to chaos!" Tang Ku said, "Selfishness breeds desire. Desire is the suffering of all living beings and breeds sin. So here's the question... When you're cursing the gods and Buddhas, have you ever considered that your own desires are actually sinful?"

The Bull Demon King laughed heartily. "I thought you were going to say that... Humph, I, Old Ox, am a heavy drinker and a womanizer, with an insatiable appetite. If you call it a sin, that's fine, but I've never killed a single mortal. I'm far superior to those immortals and gods who punish mortals for the slightest offense! I heard you passed through Fengxian County on your pilgrimage. Do you remember the story of the Jade Emperor who refused to rain there?"

"Of course I remember this, but when Donor Niu says he has no sin, that's a bit of a sophistry!"

Tang Ku narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You abandoned your wife and children, married a new lover, and caused marital discord. Is this a sin? Although you yourself did not kill or injure anyone, you allowed Red Boy to become a demon and devour countless people. A son's untaught son is the fault of his father. Is this also a sin? Although I am not a great monk, I obtained the scriptures to save all living beings. When I passed by the Flaming Mountain, I asked Wukong to borrow the banana fan. Not only did I clear the way, but I also wanted to ensure that the people of this country could live and work in peace. However, you obstructed me along the way, causing the Flaming Mountain to remain extinguished for a long time. Is this also a sin? For a long time, the local residents have been suffering from the Flaming Mountain, and your wife Luosha has no compassion. She could save people from the water and fire, but she watched them die of thirst, starvation, and heat. Is this also a sin? You always claim to respect the meritorious gods like Ksitigarbha, but you yourself are unwilling to follow their example. Isn't this hypocrisy? Before you criticize others, reflect on yourself. If you don't do it yourself, how can you expect others to do the same?"

Lao Niu was speechless at this moment. Although Tang Ku's theory was a sophistry, he had to admit that he was speechless and had nothing to say.

This was not the first time that Nezha and Yang Jian had witnessed Tang Ku's verbal skills, but this was the first time that they felt so relieved.

The Bull Demon King wanted to refute, but in the end, he couldn't utter a word. He couldn't help but sigh and said, "Buddhists are very good at talking. I finally saw it today!"

"Donor, you are quite intelligent. I don't need to say this!" Tang Ku said. "After all, every life inevitably has desires. No one can escape them. Even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, as you mentioned, hopes that hell will be completely empty and that there will be no more evil people in the world. This wish can actually be considered a kind of desire. The Three Sages spread writing and taught humans to slash-and-burn agriculture, hoping that the human race would develop greatly. Isn't this also a desire? And Patriarch Subhuti taught the unruly and accepted disciples from all over the world, encouraging them to do good deeds and accumulate virtue. His purpose was to enable more people to have the ability to fight against the natural world. Isn't this also a desire?"

"Everyone has desires. The only difference lies in their fundamental purpose and how to control them."

Tang Ku stood up, walked over to Nezha, took the palm-leaf fan, and slowly handed it to the Bull Demon King. He said softly, "There are evildoers among the immortals and gods, and there are good people among the demons. Good and evil among all living beings cannot be judged by desire. We should look at what they have done and make a comprehensive assessment. Doing good and avoiding evil is the right path. Donor Niu, don't you agree?"

The Bull Demon King stared blankly at the palm-leaf fan that was handed to him, then suddenly gave a dejected smile: "I never thought that I would be educated like this by a Buddhist disciple... Monk... No, Saint Monk, you are right. If I hadn't neglected her, Luosha wouldn't have disappeared. This is all my fault... Alas, I don't know what to do now. I hope the master can give me some advice!"

"Good, good, good!"

Before Tang Ku could speak, Shi Jingmo, who was standing beside him, clasped his hands together and said to the Bull Demon King, "My master's words are actually very clear. Donor Niu, can't you wake up?"

The Bull Demon King suddenly understood. Looking at Tang Kuci's gentle smile, he immediately grabbed the palm-leaf fan and said solemnly, "I understand... Holy Monk, although I, Old Bull, cannot convert to Buddhism, if you send me any orders from now on, I will not hesitate to die!"

Tang Ku didn't let go, and said calmly: "What I want is not your unwavering help, but I hope you can find your wife. But don't forget, your son is with Guanyin Bodhisattva. If all the gods and Buddhas..."

The Bull Demon King then remembered and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Could it be that my child is also..."

Tang Ku finally let go of his hand and squinted his eyes, saying, "It's too early to draw a conclusion now, but... we have to work together to find out!"