Chapter 258: Entering the Empty Gate
“The Buddha Mother in the Buddha Mother Temple is most effective in blessing people with peace. And because she has a golden face, she also blesses people with wealth. It’s very efficacious!” The old farmer said.
The temple where Liaocheng resided was called Heart Buddha Temple, but because the main deity enshrined was Mahakala Buddha Mother, it was also known as Buddha Mother Temple by the surrounding people.
“The Buddha’s Disciple next to the Buddha Mother is most effective in blessing people with children and heirs, and for the safety of their children.” The old farmer added.
Good heavens, I’ve become a fertility deity.
Shi Feizhe had a strange expression on his face.
It’s unheard of for the black-bodied, golden-faced Mahakala Buddha Mother to bless people with wealth.
In the Jianghu, the God of Wealth’s incense is the most prosperous.
No matter what kind of deity, as long as it can claim to bless people with wealth, then its incense will definitely be good.
Many years ago, Old Man Yuan also said that his master when he was young relied on turning the deity of a dilapidated temple into the God of Wealth to support the two of them, master and disciple. This shows the power of the God of Wealth!
As for becoming a deity of fertility and blessing children with safety, it was truly unexpected.
However, the Buddha’s Disciple blessing children with safety seems to make sense, and is easier for people to understand.
“Is the Buddha’s Disciple blessing children efficacious?” Shi Feizhe asked.
“It’s definitely efficacious!” The old farmer nodded and said, “Someone in our village had a son after praying to the Buddha’s Disciple.”
“Ha~ So that’s how it is. This is my first time visiting the Buddha Mother Temple. I’ll have to take a good look around and burn some incense later!” Shi Feizhe snorted, making it impossible to tell what he really meant.
He indeed had never been to the Buddha Mother Temple. When he left, Liaocheng had only just started planning to build it.
“Speaking of which…” The old farmer looked at Shi Feizhe and said with a smile, “Speaking of which, old man, I think you look a bit like the Buddha’s Disciple in the Buddha Hall.”
Of course they looked alike. It was modeled after Shi Feizhe.
If it were a few years ago, they might even look exactly the same.
It’s just that over the past few years, Shi Feizhe’s appearance and temperament had changed a bit, so the old farmer said they looked a bit alike.
“Is it possible…” Shi Feizhe said solemnly, “that I am the Buddha’s Disciple in the Buddha Hall?”
The old farmer was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Young man, you’re really good at joking.”
“Hahaha~” Shi Feizhe also laughed and said, “You wouldn’t believe it even if I told you, the Buddha’s Disciple statue was modeled after me.”
“Ha~ Young man, you’re really good at boasting!” The old farmer shook his head and whispered, “Young man, don’t say that when you get to the Buddha Mother Temple later, lest you offend the Buddha Masters in the temple.”
“…”
Shi Feizhe sighed and said, “Do the Buddha Masters in the Buddha Mother Temple also bully people?”
“Look at what you’re saying, where are there Buddha Masters who don’t bully people!” The old farmer said, “But the Buddha Masters in the Buddha Mother Temple are much better. Only a few Buddha Masters have bad tempers and often beat and scold people.”
“Most Buddha Masters are still good. And most of these Buddha Masters are working in the fields, there are not many Buddha Masters in the temple.”
“But what are the Buddha Masters in the Buddha Mother Temple thinking? The Buddha Mother Temple’s incense is so good, why are they still farming? Farming all year round, only those of us who are destined to suffer can barely make ends meet.”
Seemingly familiar with Shi Feizhe, the old farmer rambled on.
“You all get an eighty percent share for farming now, so this half bag of wheat must have been saved for a long time, right?” Shi Feizhe said.
“My son is the breadwinner of the family, he can still get by at home. As for the wheat, it’s just a matter of eating less on a regular basis.” The old farmer said.
“Things will get better and better in the future.” Shi Feizhe said with a smile.
“Thank you for your kind words.” The old farmer said.
The two chatted about other things for a while, and soon Shi Feizhe heard their stomachs growling.
So Shi Feizhe took out his dry rations to eat, and even shared them with the old farmer and the child.
The child ate Shi Feizhe’s dry rations and kept saying they were delicious.
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“Even if it’s delicious, you shouldn’t eat too much. Eating too much and drinking water will make you bloated.” Shi Feizhe said, stroking his head. “Have you ever thought about going to school?”
“What’s school?” The child asked, tilting his head.
“It’s a place where you can practice martial arts, gain knowledge, learn skills, and see the wonders of the world!” Shi Feizhe said.
Hearing this, the old farmer looked at Shi Feizhe warily. After talking so much along the way, this person finally revealed his true colors, wanting to abduct his grandson.
“No! I want to farm. Dad works very hard.” The child shook his head and said.
“Haha~ What a filial child.” Shi Feizhe laughed heartily.
After eating the dry rations, they continued up the mountain and soon saw Heart Buddha Temple.
Heart Buddha Temple was built on the former site of the Three Mountains and Seven Academies in the Kongtong Mountains. The temple gate had four pillars and three doors.
The middle door represented the Empty Gate, the left door represented the Empty Appearance Gate, and the right door represented the No Desire Gate.
Entering through the middle door meant entering the “Empty Gate,” therefore, the middle door was used by the monks in the temple. People like Shi Feizhe and the old farmer, in theory, should enter through the two smaller doors on the sides.
But Shi Feizhe insisted on entering through the middle door.
He was, after all, the Buddha’s Disciple designated by the Heart Sect, entering through the middle door was only right and proper!
If he entered through the side door, it would be a joke!
So, under the old farmer’s surprised gaze, Shi Feizhe returned the half bag of wheat to him, then pushed open the middle door and walked in.
“Grandpa, why did he go through that door?” The child asked curiously from the old farmer’s back.
“I don’t know either.” The old farmer looked at Shi Feizhe’s back and shook his head.
Shi Feizhe walked into Heart Buddha Temple, crossed the threshold and the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and saw Liaocheng standing at the bottom of the steps in front of the Buddha Hall, already waiting for him.
When Shi Feizhe was coming up the mountain, Liaocheng had already sensed the aura of a powerful individual.
Ordinary people couldn’t sense it, only a Heaven’s Barrier martial artist like him could.
It was the aura of an expert as imposing as a mountain.
Fortunately, Liaocheng sensed the goodwill emanating from this powerful individual, so he wasn’t nervous.
He just wondered if the visitor was the Path Leader of the Yellow Heaven Path?
He never expected…
“It’s you!” He looked at Shi Feizhe, who had entered through the middle door, in surprise.
He certainly remembered Shi Feizhe, he had a deep impression of him! But he didn’t expect that after so many years, Shi Feizhe would become so powerful.
He was clearly still very weak back then.
Shi Feizhe came to him and said, “What’s wrong? Are you surprised to see that I’m not dead?”
“The Buddha’s Disciple has an extraordinary origin and deep blessings, how could he die?” Liaocheng said in his usual honest tone.
“Eh, how do you know I have an extraordinary origin?” Shi Feizhe asked, “Could it be that you know where I came from?”
“It’s just a flattering remark, why would the Buddha’s Disciple take it seriously?” Liaocheng said honestly.
“…”
I thought you, a bald donkey, knew my identity?
“This place wasn’t finished when I left that year, won’t you show me around?” Shi Feizhe said, looking at the temple which seemed large but was actually quite empty.
“How can it be called a tour? The Buddha’s Disciple is clearly returning home!” Liaocheng stretched out his hand and said, “Buddha’s Disciple, this way please!”
Liaocheng truly lived up to his reputation as an honest monk, he was just so honest!
