Chapter 449: Chapter 404, The Final Daoist Conflict_2
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After a moment, a group of monks wielding weapons rushed over, and all the believers on the street promptly moved to either side, instantly causing chaos on the street.
The monks, weapons in hand, surrounded Jin Naluo, pointing their weapons at him.
Jin Naluo brought his hands together in a prayer position and bowed, smiling as he said: "Jin Naluo, this humble monk, has the honor of meeting all the junior brothers!"
A muscular monk with a small mustache stepped forward, thumping his iron staff onto the ground, and barked: "Jin Naluo, the elder wants to see you, come with me!"
Jin Naluo followed a multitude of monks to a splendid temple, which had three large characters written over it: Dahua Temple.
Inside a grand hall of Dahua Temple, an elderly monk sat cross-legged on a golden carpet, his white hair meticulously kept, with his hands on his knees, but he had only six fingers, missing two on each hand.
Jin Naluo entered the grand hall, his hands pressed together in a prayer, smiling gently: "Little monk Jin Naluo pays his respects to the elder!"
The elder shouted: "Impudent Jin Naluo, do you realize Yun Brahman is a place where Mahayana Buddhism spreads its teachings, yet you, a disciple of Lesser Mahayana, have crossed boundaries unbidden, what justifies this?"
Jin Naluo spoke gently: "The Buddhist Law is to ferry all beings, naturally I am here to lead people towards goodness."
"Where the shadow of Mahayana Buddhism lies, why would others need to ferry?"
"What does the elder think of Lesser Mahayana?"
"Grains of light!"
"And how about Mahayana Buddhism?"
"Vast as the Great Sun!"
Jin Naluo smiled and said: "If the elder has such faith in Mahayana Buddhism, why fear my teachings? How can the light of mere grains challenge the radiance of the Great Sun?"
The elder paused, then burst into a hearty laugh, his aged laughter ringing out: "Sly with words, you rogue! Well, if I give you no opportunity at all, it would seem like I am cowardly and guilt-ridden. The Buddha Sect is merciful; today I will make an exception for you. You merely need to meet one condition, and I will permit you to teach!"
Jin Naluo clasped his hands together, smiling as he said, "Please speak, elder!"
"In Yun Brahman, there are three great villains. Since you claim to teach and lead people towards goodness, if you can convert these three terrible people with the Lesser Mahayana, I will acknowledge your right to teach."
"May I know who these three great villains are?"
The elder looked towards the muscular monk and said: "Qiu Ji, introduce these three from Lesser Mahayana to the great monk."
"Yes!" Qiu Ji bowed and then stood upright, looking at Jin Naluo, he said: "In Yun Brahman, there is a man called Aliu; he is from a family of thieves. His grandfather, his father, and he himself are all thieves.
Aliu, with his profound thieving skills, roams unchecked, even boldly stealing from the Royal Palace. In Yun Brahman, anyone who opposes him gets robbed completely, he is ruthless, known as the Thief King.
Another is called A Dao; he formed the biggest violent gang, the Big Saber Sect, in Yun Brahman. He is known for his brutal and ferocious nature, and no one dares to provoke him, dubbed as tyrant."
Pausing, Qiu Ji continued: "The last person is called A Xiu, the most beautiful woman in Yun Brahman, yet she is a prostitute. Any man who goes to her, comes out with one less finger by the next morning."
Jin Naluo subconsciously glanced at the elder’s hands which only had six fingers, each hand missing two.
The elder spoke calmly: "In the past, I too attempted to convert these three people on my own to spread the Buddhist Law.
The first I tried to convert was A Xiu, but alas, I failed, losing four fingers in the process."
Qiu Ji bowed deeply in reverence and said: "The elder sacrificed himself to lead others, we hold you in high esteem!"
The elder sighed and said: "If I do not enter Hell, who will? This is my duty. The Buddha is merciful!"
Looking up at Jin Naluo, he said: "Jin Naluo, if you can convert these three people with the Lesser Mahayana, I will no longer hinder your teachings."
Jin Naluo said, "I will abide by your words, elder!"
"Since it’s a wager, there should be stakes. My stake is that if you win, I will allow Lesser Mahayana to teach. What is your stake?"
"What does the elder wish for?"
"I want your Bodhisattva Fruit Position, are you willing to part with it?"
Jin Naluo did not hesitate at all and nodded in agreement: "Let’s follow what the elder said."
The elder laughed heartily and said, "Good! Since you are so forthright, the bet starts now."
He extended a palm and said, "You have three months. If you cannot convert these three individuals within that time, you lose."
"After three months, I will come to see the elder again," Jin Naluo turned and walked towards the outside.
Inside the hall, Qiu Ji respectfully asked, "Great Elder, what if he really manages to convert those three great villains?"
The Great Elder calmly said, "In Yun Brahman, my will reigns supreme! If I say it cannot be done, then it absolutely cannot be done!"
A monk’s voice came from outside: "Great Elder, the King seeks an audience!"
"Come in!"
A king, adorned in gold and silver, entered from outside, bent down quickly and reached the Great Elder’s feet, knelt down and kissed the Great Elder’s shoes, sincerely saying, "Greetings, Great Elder!"
The Great Elder looked down at the King and gently touched the King’s head, softly saying, "Buddha will bless you!"
The King joyfully said, "Buddha is merciful!
Great Elder, I heard that a demon from Small Mahayana Buddhism has come to Yun Brahman. Please advise us on how to expel the demon!"
"Dispatch the great army, ready for my command!"
"Yes!" the King immediately responded.
The bet set for three months, yet just after one month, Jin Naluo consecutively converted Aliu and A Dao. Aliu broke his hand to signify he will no longer steal, and Big Saber disbanded the Big Saber Sect, took refuge under Jin Naluo and repented for his past.
These two events consecutively caused a huge stir in Yun Brahman, and Jin Naluo, a disciple of Small Mahayana Buddhism, became well known among the local people, even garnering quite a few followers.
...
A tranquil long river crossed through Yun Brahman, like a verdant color ribbon tied around the waist of Yun Brahman, surrounded by lush green trees, blooming flowers, with numerous pavilions standing tall, lively sounds of laughter from the pavilions, and small boats wandering in the river.
A unique Red House stood by the river, with no other buildings within a hundred meters, almost as if it stood isolated from the world.
"Ah~" a sharp and miserable scream came from the Red House, passing men all looked up at the Red House, glanced at their own hands, shook their heads unwillingly, and left.
Moments later, a man, disheveled, stumbled out from the Red House, holding his bleeding hand, quickly leaving.
Above the small building, a window opened, a beautiful, lazy woman, holding a basin of water, splashed it outwards, the red blood-water scattered into the river, causing a flurry of small fish to nibble.
Jin Naluo, clad in a moon-white robe, approached the building, twisting the prayer beads in his hand, pushed open the door and walked inside.
Inside the hall, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, with some flower pots placed around, emitting a serene fragrance.
A girl in green clothes walked by, sizing up Jin Naluo, frowned slightly and asked, "Do you have an appointment?"
Jin Naluo said in astonishment, "Why would I need an appointment?"
The girl in green pursed her lips, huffed, and said, "My lady manages her own guest times; it’s not about you wanting to see her and doing so. Go back! She is not receiving guests today."
Jin Naluo placed his palms together in a greeting, apologetically said, "It’s my oversight for not inquiring before coming. I will visit again tomorrow."
The girl in green looked at Jin Naluo’s hands, a flash of surprise in her eyes, as all fingers were intact. She hesitated and said, "Don’t come back."
Jin Naluo straightened up, smiling, said, "Thanks for your kind intention, I will come again tomorrow!"
"Hmph!" The girl in green scoffed coldly, looking contemptuously at Jin Naluo, thinking him a lecher.
A soft voice from upstairs came out: "Little Green, let him come up."
The girl in green turned to look upstairs, anxiously said, "Miss, you just had a client, your health..."
While speaking, Jin Naluo had already passed by Little Green and was heading upstairs.
Little Green subconsciously wanted to stop him, frightened of angering her mistress, could only clench her teeth in frustration as she watched Jin Naluo approach.