Fox Song

Chapter 63: Getting Up and Entering the Temple
Chapter 61

Xiangguo Temple is the largest temple in Jinling, and Zixuan and the others naturally know that.

However, in order to break the curse of the undead, Lan Lan suggested other people, perhaps Zi Xuan would not be surprised.

But if she asked the monk from Xiangguo Temple to crack it, she would have to be cautious.

In China, although there are many schools of thought, there are three major schools of thought that are incomparable to other schools in terms of the long history and influence on people's thoughts and society. They are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. These three schools of thought are unmatched.

Confucianism advocates involvement in the world, self-cultivation, family management, governance of the country and peace in the world; Taoism emphasizes detachment from the world and following the laws of nature; as for Buddhism, it advocates saving oneself and others and transcending the cycle of reincarnation.

Due to different ideologies, their influences are different. The influence of Confucianism mainly radiates in the political arena, while the influence of Taoism and Buddhism mainly lies in the underworld.
Because of this, although Zixuan has lived in the world for many years and has been to many famous places, there are two places that she has never been to in all these years, and they are the Taoist and Buddhist practice sites - Taoist temples and Buddhist temples.

Of course, she wasn't afraid of anything, but she was naturally sensitive. Over the years, she had learned about the thoughts of the two sects in the human world, and had also seen and come into contact with many Taoist and Buddhist films and TV shows about fighting demons and defending the Way, which made her stay even further away from them.

Not only that, she also reminded Xiaojing and Lanlan many times not to go to these two places to avoid complications.

However, it was obvious that Lan Lan did not do as she said.

When Lanlan saw Zixuan and Xiaojing's expressions, she knew what they were worried about.

She smiled and said, "Don't think it's so mysterious. With our cultivation level, we shouldn't be afraid, right?"

Zi Xuan rubbed her nose and chuckled, "That being said, I am still not so comfortable after all. After all, we are the demon race. Humans are used to putting demons and monsters together, demons, monsters, demons, demons, it can be seen that they still have prejudices against us——"

"Sister Zixuan is right!" Xiaojing nodded and said, "Sister Lanlan, don't you remember the legend of the White Snake? As soon as Fahai saw the snake demon White Lady, he wanted to take her in?"

"It's okay. I won't talk about other temples. I've been to Xiangguo Temple twice!" Lan Lan said self-deprecatingly, "Why hasn't anyone come to take me in? Is it because I'm not charming enough to compare to White Snake?"

"This..." Xiao Jing thought for a moment and said, "That's because you didn't touch it!"

Lanlan shrugged without commenting, obviously she did not agree with Xiaojing's point of view.

Zi Xuan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you know the monk from Xiangguo Temple?"

Lan Lan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "No, I went there to play with my friends, I never thought I would make friends with them."

"If you want to break the curse of the dead, your cultivation must be high." Zi Xuan then asked, "Lan Lan, you have been there twice. Do you know the cultivation level of the monks in Xiangguo Temple?"

"The first time I went there with my friends, I only saw ordinary monks." Lan Lan recalled her experience with a serious face, "But on New Year's Eve, I noticed three powerful monks."

"New Year's Eve? Why are you going there during the New Year?" Xiao Jing asked curiously, "Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

Lan Lan laughed and said, "I was dragged to watch the bell ringing on New Year's Eve. It struck 108 times. I came back not long after watching it!"

"Watch the bell ringing? What does that mean? What's so interesting about the bell ringing?"

"Uh, this... my elder sister is very knowledgeable and has a good memory. Let her explain it to you!"

Zi Xuan was speechless. How did the topic get brought up like this and she was implicated.

However, seeing Xiaojing's eager eyes, Zixuan had no choice but to explain it to her again.

It turns out that ringing the bell 108 times on New Year's Eve has two main meanings. One is that there are 12 months, 24 solar terms, and 72 seasons (five days for each season) in a year, which add up to 108. Ringing the bell 108 times means the end of a year, getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. The other is that according to Buddhist legend, mortals have 108 kinds of troubles in a year, and if the bell rings times, all of people's troubles will be eliminated.

Therefore, every New Year’s Eve, many people gather in temples to listen to the bells, bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, and pray for peace.

Zixuan finished her speech patiently, then she brought the topic back to Lanlan and said, "What level of cultivation did the three monks you saw on New Year's Eve have?"

"One should be in the late Nascent Soul stage, a little stronger than me." Xiao Jing said solemnly, "I can't feel the other two, but the faint pressure they exude should have reached the Spiritual Transformation stage." "Spiritual Transformation stage?" Zi Xuan narrowed her eyes slightly. With her understanding of Lan Lan, she would not doubt Lan Lan's judgment at all. "In this case, they may be able to resolve the curse on Xiao Jing and me!"

Xiao Jing nodded and said, "It's just that when Lan Lan went there that time it was New Year's Eve, a day of celebration for all..."

"Yes!" Zi Xuan exclaimed, "So the key question is, what will they do after they know our identities?"

"Sister, then we're not going?" Xiaojing asked.

"Let's go! This is one way anyway. Although there are potential risks in going to the temple, it is much better than waiting for the master of the human puppet to come to us! Weighing the pros and cons, this is the best option at the moment!"

When Xiao Jing mentioned the puppet's master, her face changed slightly. This seemed to be a venomous snake hiding in the darkness, and no one knew when it would jump out and deliver a fatal blow.

Zixuan hesitated for a moment, glanced at Lanlan and Xiaojing, then smiled faintly, "Since we have to make this trip sooner or later, why don't we go tomorrow!"

……

Xiangguo Temple in Jinling is located on Yujian Mountain in the western suburbs and is one of the famous Buddhist temples in China.

Xiang means to assist. Xiangguo Temple was first built in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu named it Xiangguo Temple in memory of his lay disciples Nie Feng and ten others who helped him ascend the throne.

Xiangguo Temple was highly respected by the royal family and was expanded many times in history. It is one of the largest temples in southern China. Today, Xiangguo Temple has become a national tourist attraction.

Early in the morning of that day, after the Xiangguo Temple opened its gates, pilgrims and tourists waiting outside filed in.

Among these people, there were three women in plain clothes. They bought tickets and walked in side by side. These three people were Zixuan, Xiaojing and Lanlan.

However, the three of them had changed their appearances with magic, and their facial features were just regular, but their looks were ordinary, no longer as beautiful and charming as before. A woman with this appearance would not attract attention in a crowd, and it would not necessarily be easy to find her.

There is a constant stream of people coming and going in Xiangguo Temple, and there are an unusually large number of pilgrims.

But Lanlan had been here twice after all, so she was familiar with the place.

Led by a young monk, they walked through a corridor into a guest hall and soon met the temple's deacon who was in charge of reception.

The deacon was a fat middle-aged monk wearing a cassock, holding a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, and always with a smile on his face, which made people feel close to him.

After the four people came in, the monk looked around with sharp eyes, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

The cultivation level of the early Nascent Soul stage! Zixuan and the other two looked at each other and saw what was in each other's mind.

"Uncle Huiming, three female donors want to see you for something!"

The young monk bowed to the fat monk.

"Okay, I understand." Huiming said to the little monk, "Yuantong, you go out first!"

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Yuantong turned around and slowly left the room.

"Amitabha, my Buddhist name is Huiming!" The fat monk clasped his hands together and bowed to Zixuan and the other two. "Three female donors, what brings you here today?"

"No one comes to see you for no reason!" Zi Xuan also felt his emotional fluctuations and knew that the other party had vaguely seen through their identities.

She then slowly said, "We would like to see the abbot. Please introduce us to him, Master!"

……

(End of this chapter)