Yang Hong stared at the man with glittering eyes, feeling a chill run down his spine. He knew that look well – it was the gaze of a pervert discovering a lone, provocatively dressed beauty. It was also the same look he’d seen on himself in his past life when he’d spotted a coveted collectible figurine. This old monk, he realized, must have discovered a secret about him that even he himself was unaware of.
Yang Hong straightened his expression, casting a curious glance at the elderly monk. "Old monk, give me a reason."
"Amitabha. Young friend, you are fated with my Buddha." The Turning Sutra Dharma King solemnly chanted a Buddha's name before explaining further. "Young friend, your face is round and square, with a dignified countenance. Your very visage resembles that of a Buddha. Moreover, your eyes possess great compassion. Should you cultivate the Buddhist dharma, you are certain to become a highly esteemed monk and a great virtuous master, perhaps even with a chance to attain Bodhisattva status in the future."
The Dharma King spoke in a mystical manner, but to Yang Hong, it simply meant his potential was so high that this old monk was willing to abandon national affairs just to take him as a disciple. Yang Hong glanced around; everyone was looking at him with envy and jealousy. Yang Guang’s eyes even held a gaze that mingled envy with malice. Blood continued to trickle from his lips, yet he made no move to wipe it away.
Yang Hong then looked at Yang Zhong. Yang Zhong's eyes held a hint of envy, but more prominently, worry and hesitation. It was clear that he also wished for Yang Hong to become a disciple of the Turning Sutra Dharma King; otherwise, he would have spoken out against it.
A thought sparked in Yang Hong's mind. "Master, what benefits would I gain by becoming your disciple?" He no longer addressed the monk as 'old monk' but as 'Master.'
"As long as you, young friend, take this humble one as your master, I shall impart to you the Vajra Temple's supreme skill, the [Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill]. This is not some low-quality 'Indestructible Vajra Skill' found in the outside world. This is a divine technique that anyone, regardless of cultivation aptitude, can cultivate to the Celestial Being realm." As he spoke, the old monk straightened his posture, exuding an aura of the Celestial Being realm. The martial artists in the plaza all bent their waists, and many with lower cultivation levels collapsed onto the ground. Yang Hong remained standing, as the old monk’s aura deliberately avoided him.
Seeing the people sprawled on the ground, Yang Hong’s smile widened. He continued to ask, "Hmm, that sounds good. Anything else?"
"Young friend mentioned earlier that you are already married. In that case, I can also teach you the 'Secret Tantra Joyful Zen.' This is also an authentic great technique of Buddhism, which can further assist you in advancing your cultivation."
"Hmm, this is quite good." Yang Hong's smile grew even broader, and he nodded. Seeing Yang Hong nod, the old monk felt he had found Yang Hong's weakness and decided to sweeten the deal. "Furthermore, if young friend has the need, I can arrange suitable 'furnaces' for you."
"Uh, no need for that. I am very fond of my wife." Yang Hong quickly waved his hands in refusal.
However, the Turning Sutra Dharma King followed up, "Disciple, you need not worry. Those furnaces consider it their fortune to assist you in your practice. Moreover, you need not concern yourself with offspring. Cultivating the 'Secret Tantra Joyful Zen' allows you to control the birth of children." He was convinced that Yang Hong would undoubtedly become his disciple.
The others in the plaza wore expressions of constipated discomfort. How could a Celestial Being expert suddenly transform into a sycophant? And the peculiar thing was, this sycophant was exuding Celestial Being pressure, making their prostration very strenuous. Their envy and jealousy towards Yang Hong intensified.
Yang Hong observed the eager Turning Sutra Dharma King and felt the time was right. "Master, I have some karmic entanglements, which prevent me from cultivating martial arts."
"Karmic entanglements?" Upon hearing Yang Hong's words, the old monk paused, then began performing a series of mudras that Yang Hong couldn't understand, murmuring incantations. After a while, two faint golden beams of light shot from the old monk's eyes and struck Yang Hong. Yang Hong did not dodge or use his internal energy to resist the golden light. He too wanted to know why he couldn't cultivate. Using the old monk's abilities to discover the great secret within him was the true reason for his prolonged back-and-forth with the monk.
Meanwhile, after emitting the golden light, Yang Hong's image changed dramatically in the old monk's eyes. Yang Hong now appeared to him as a luminous bulb, a small sun, radiating golden light of merit. Yang Hong's future was filled with immeasurable merit, far beyond the reckoning of the Turning Sutra Dharma King.
"Slurp—" Sometime later, the old monk's incantation ended, and a string of drool escaped the corner of his mouth. "Young friend, I will bear your karmic entanglements. I will bear them all. No matter how much karma you carry, I will bear it all." The Turning Sutra Dharma King's eyes turned red. With so much merit, all he had to do was accept Yang Hong and guide him slightly, and he could share in a vast amount of merit. His cultivation would skyrocket, and he might even break through the nine stages of immortality and become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva in the future. The moment he saw Yang Hong, he had noticed the manifestation of merit around him, and the more he looked, the more extraordinary Yang Hong seemed. He never expected that upon using his 'Dharma Eye of Broken Illusions,' Yang Hong would appear as such a massive beacon of merit. He now wanted to snatch Yang Hong away at all costs. However, considering that sharing Yang Hong's merit required Yang Hong's willing participation to maximize the benefit, he had patiently coaxed him.
Yang Hong smiled and asked again, "Master, the karma on my body, will you truly bear it, and bear it all?"
"This humble one will bear it all." The Turning Sutra Dharma King nodded solemnly, his voice filled with anticipation. Anticipation of bearing Yang Hong's karma.
Beside them, Yang Guang's initially pale face turned ashen, then livid. Yang Hong, a useless prince, had such an opportunity to soar, stirring not only his jealousy but also his resentment. His fists clenched, and his teeth gritted with a cracking sound.
Yang Hong also heard it. Yang Hong suddenly stopped smiling and looked at the old monk, posing another condition. "Master, as long as you dare to swear that you will bear all my karma, I will immediately become your disciple." After Yang Zhong and Yang Jian had lifted their restrictions on him, Yang Hong had read a lot of books. Besides various agricultural texts, he was also allowed to read some legends and novels. From these books, Yang Hong learned that the Five Directions Dynasty once had abundant spiritual energy, but later, something occurred that even legends couldn't record. The spiritual energy suddenly vanished, and cultivation disappeared from this land. People could only practice martial arts. There was definitely a colossal secret behind this. Yang Hong had subtly inquired from Yang Zhong multiple times, and it seemed his inability to cultivate martial arts was related to the life and death of all living beings in the Five Directions Dynasty. Having read novels, he knew this must involve some karmic entanglement. He would now see if this old monk could withstand such karma.
"Hahaha—Hahaha—Young friend is truly benevolent! I, the Turning Sutra monk, swear by my true name, that as long as the person before me... Right, what is your name, young friend?" The old monk was about to swear when he suddenly remembered he hadn't asked Yang Hong's name. He quickly inquired.
"Yang Hong."
"Yang Hong? You are Yang Hong?" Upon hearing Yang Hong reveal his name, the Turning Sutra Dharma King's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "You are Yang Hong! Yes! You must be Yang Hong! Hahaha—As expected of Yang Hong!" The old monk's reaction went from surprise to confusion, then to sudden realization, and finally to elation. "I, a Turning Sutra monk of Buddhism, swear to the Heavenly Dao that as long as Yang Hong becomes my disciple, I am willing to accept all of Yang Hong's karma. Let heaven and earth bear witness to this oath."
As the Turning Sutra Dharma King completed his oath, three muffled thunderclaps echoed from the clear sky. The oath was established. Now, the ball was back in Yang Hong's court.