I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Hearing that the Great Immortal Zhenyuan, who is like the same king as the world, came to visit, all the Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and venerables under the Buddha's seat left the Mahavira Hall one after another, riding auspicious light on colorful clouds to the mountain gate to welcome the ancestor of the Earth Immortal.

When the Great Immortal Zhenyuan was surrounded and arrived in front of the main hall, Tathagata also got up and flew down from the lotus seat, and walked to the front of the main hall to greet him with a smile.

"Zhen Yuanzi, I'm sorry, I haven't seen you for a long time, please enter the hall and serve tea."

While talking, Tathagata brought Great Immortal Zhenyuan into the room, sat down and said with a smile:

"I only thought you would arrive in a while, why did you come so soon? But it happened that I bumped into my kingfisher delivering a message on the way?"

Immortal Zhenyuan suddenly looked puzzled, and asked in doubt: "Where did the Buddha start talking about it? What kind of kingfisher sends a message?"

Startled slightly, Tathagata immediately explained:

"I used the kingfisher to send a letter to Wuzhuang Temple in Longevity Mountain, and I wanted to invite you to Lingshan for a small gathering and discuss some things...Since the letter has not been received, why is the Great Immortal coming to Lingshan?"

"It turns out that I missed the Buddha's invitation. It's a pity."

After hearing Tathagata's words, Zhen Yuanzi shook his head regretfully, and said unhurriedly:

"To tell you the truth, I just returned home yesterday as a guest in Miluo Palace in the Great Heavenly Venerable. I wanted to retreat for a few days, but as soon as I returned to Wuzhuang Temple, I heard the disciple who stayed behind tell me that Erlang Zhenjun When he and his three friends passed through Longevity Hill, they visited my Taoist temple, and left letters, keepsakes, arrays and other things.

"After reading the letter, I calculated it again, and suddenly realized that there is still a part of the master-student fate to be continued. Hey, Pindao cherishes Yin Wenjiao's talent in formations and is eager to accept apprentices, so he chased him overnight. I flew to the Buddha's place without paying attention. I hope the Buddha will forgive me for rushing to visit this time."

After listening to Zhen Yuanzi's explanation, the smile in Tathagata's eyes faded by three points, and his slightly lowered eyes turned on Zhen Yuan's face, which was somewhat meaningful.He didn't know if this mistake was really a coincidence, or did Zhen Yuanzi do it on purpose?

"Probably on purpose," Tathagata smiled in his heart, thinking to himself, "Hey, being a Taoist priest really doesn't hurt you, especially the ancestor of Taiyi Xuanmen. In a few words, I left aside the introduction of my Buddhist sect. Because of the recommendation, I came directly to the Daleiyin Temple to recognize my apprentice. If you are really anxious to accept an apprentice, why have to wait until now? It is because my Buddhist sect has already recognized the merits of learning the scriptures, and the fate of master and apprentice between you and Yin Wenjiao is complete It's confirmed, otherwise I don't know when I will wait. It is obvious that my Buddhist sect is involved in this, but you Zhen Yuanzi just want to shirk it completely..."

The Immortal Zhenyuan met the Tathagata Buddha's scrutinizing gaze, raised his eyebrows and smiled indifferently, thinking that thanks to Yuanshi Tianzun's reminder, he left for Lingshan one step ahead of time, and "coincidentally" missed the Kingfisher.

He thought again, his future little apprentice was implicated in the reincarnation of the Buddha, how many hardships and accidents he had suffered in these years?The kalpa of death is also for the sake of fulfilling the suffering of the Buddha's son, and now she has worked tirelessly to help escort the Buddhist scriptures, and she deserves a serious compensation for her hard work.Of course, there is no way not to give, but how can you inexplicably accept the matter of apprenticeship that is almost a matter of course?Also by the way to compensate for the credit?

These two great powers sat and drank tea, and within a few words, a small contest and temptation was hidden.

The Buddha Tathagata smiled kindly and kindly, and the ancestor of the Earth Immortal behaved gracefully and gracefully. On the surface, the guests and hosts were polite and harmonious, but in fact they each had their own positions.

They all felt that they suffered a dark loss and were wronged, but it was not worth being cold-faced for a little friction.Therefore, in the following relationship, the two parties have to be humble and make room for each other.

"In this way, Zhenyuanzi, you came to Lingshan in a hurry to accept disciples. It's a coincidence that I sent you a letter to discuss this matter," Tathagata pretended to be stunned, and then raised his voice, "Since that's the case, there is no need Excessive words. That Yin Wenjiao from the east, come forward, this is Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of the Earth Immortal who is honored as the same king as the world, and you have a mentoring relationship with you."

Hearing the Buddha's call, Pei Xiang walked gracefully in front of Zhen Yuanzi, and made a respectful salute. Although he didn't address him as "Master", he was already performing the disciple's salute.

Zhen Yuanzi accepted the gift calmly, then said softly with a smile:

"Yin Wenjiao, after I returned to Wuzhuang Monastery yesterday, I saw the formation diagram you left behind, and it is indeed quite unique. According to your idea, you can set up a defensive protection formation for Cao Huandan, in case that unruly or violent The insidious and ignorant people hurt the unique spiritual root among the four states in the world.

"You are meritorious in offering pictures and have some understanding of Taoism. I want to accept you as a disciple and pass on the method of longevity. Just because you have already said goodbye and left, I calculated your location and searched all the way. Unexpectedly, I found it in the holy land of Lingshan. You. Just now, after listening to the words of the Buddha, you have bothered the World Honored One to worry about your apprenticeship. Why? Tell me carefully."

Facing Zhen Yuanzi's inquiry, Pei Xiang naturally wouldn't hide anything, and he even explained everything about escorting the Buddhist scriptures westward.Then, she gave a detailed account of what happened when she visited the Buddha before, and carefully explained why the Buddha wanted to worry about her apprenticeship for her.

After listening to Pei Xiang's narration, Great Immortal Zhenyuan put down his teacup quickly, and said with a smile to Tathagata Buddha:

"Buddha, it seems that my sudden visit interrupted the matter of rewarding meritorious deeds. It is really a sin. Please continue, Buddha, don't delay important things because of me."

Tathagata also smiled, nodded and said:

"Zhen Yuanzi, you are worrying too much. Even if you don't come, I will send a letter to invite you to come. Why delay it?"

"The Lord Buddha is generous. Since this is the case, let me sit in and join in the fun. Just now, I heard from my little apprentice that the Lord Buddha gave a blue brocade pouch to Xiansheng Zhenjun. I am a little curious about the treasures in the brocade bag. What kind of rare treasure is it?"

Tathagata shook his head and said: "Now is not the time to unpack the kit, the answer will be revealed on the day when the Holy Lord and the True Monarch feel something."

When he didn't care about some human favors with the Tathagata Buddha, the Great Immortal Zhenyuan still trusted and admired the Buddha of the West Heaven very much, so after hearing what he said, don't even ask carefully, so as not to break the secret and cause trouble.He turned his eyes, pointed at Pei Xiang and asked the Buddha:

"Then what about my little apprentice's request? Lord Buddha, in my opinion, this request is a bit unnecessary. Since the past, gods, Buddhas and immortals are not allowed to intervene at will. In other words, the reincarnation of the Buddha This test is to allow Buddhists to choose freely according to their inner nature, whether it is to Buddha, Taoism or Confucianism, it is destiny, so why deliberately propose it as a reward?"

Tathagata raised his eyebrows slightly and said meaningfully:

"In addition to personal fate, there is general trend and great luck. That is the real will of God. God's will is irreversible, and following the trend is the right way."

These words made Pei Xiang's eyes light up.

She and Yang Jian looked at each other as if realizing something, and both of them were a little stunned at this moment, and they thought at the same time, no wonder Tathagata was so generous and friendly before, in fact, his focus has always been on Wuji.

As for Pei Xiang's death and the reward gift to Erlang Zhenjun, to the Buddha, it was just a side matter.If small favors and favors can be exchanged for the gratitude of the Buddha and the trust and favor of his relatives and elders, why not do it?

"So, the Buddha probably never prepared to agree to my request... What is the general trend? Is Buddhism spreading to the east? Under this general trend, personal joys and sorrows are no longer important..." Pei Xiang frowned in thought, his eyes shining Slightly cool.

At this moment, Zhen Yuanzi chuckled lightly, shook his head and said:

"Buddha's words are justified. It's just that, what is the general trend and great fortune? Although the secret of heaven has already appeared, it has not been determined and cannot be changed. With our cultivation base, we should know that variables are always there, and God's will is unpredictable. World Honored One Ah, what is obedience, what is rebellion, how can there be a clear boundary? It’s just this moment and that moment. Going with the trend, and following the trend, should also be the true heart of a person who has gone through calamities.”

Facing the rebuttal, Tathagata gave a noncommittal "hmm", then smiled and remained silent.

Zhen Yuanzi continued slowly:

"Speaking of the original heart... When Yin Wenjiao comes to my sect, her child will have a deep connection with my Taoist Wuzhuang Temple. At that time, he will be by my mother's side all the time in contact with my sect's supreme and mysterious Taoism, If you understand the yin and yang and the five elements, you will have an epiphany, and it is possible to ascend in the daytime. If there is a day, you have to invite the Buddha to come to my Wuzhuang temple to drink a cup of Feixian wine."

Tathagata Buddha's eyelids twitched slightly, and he deeply felt that Zhen Yuanzi was making unreasonable words.

If these words were uttered by Pei Xiang or Erlang Zhenjun, he would just smile and ignore them, just like he was not going to agree to Pei Xiang's request today.

But facing Immortal Zhenyuan at this time, he had to make some compromises.Otherwise, if the Great Immortal Zhenyuan really took Wuji under his sect without hesitation, it would really break the long-term arrangement of the Buddhist sect, and even if the Buddha's child proves the fruit status in the future, he will owe the karma of the Taoist sect.

Thinking about it this way, the Buddha no longer entangled in the choice of the Buddha, but directly sent a voice transmission to Pei Xiang and made a promise:

"In the future, if the Buddha attains fruit status, the order of honor and status should be based on the understanding of cultivation and merit."

Pei Xiang got this promise, and secretly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, but replied neither humble nor overbearing:

"Thank you Buddha for fulfillment. Wuji has always had a heart for Buddha, and he is gifted with excellent understanding. Given time, I believe he will achieve something. And, no matter what his achievements are, he will never live in mediocrity and waste his time."

Hearing this, the Tathagata sighed and said no more.Because of Zhen Yuanzi's intervention, he finally backed down a little by three points.

And Pei Xiang didn't mean to force a fierce resistance.Because from Wuji's point of view, the path that Buddhism chose for him may not necessarily be against his own wishes, maybe it is still his dream.As a mother, Pei Xiang does not want anyone to restrict the future development of the child, but she will not deliberately block the wide road in front of him because of worry and helplessness.

Zhen Yuanzi was not curious if he could not hear what Tathagata said to Pei Xiang.He and this Buddha have known each other for many years, and they have a certain understanding of each other's temperament and handling methods, and know that there will be no major mistakes at this time.After relaxing, he was in the mood to chat with the reincarnation of an old friend.

For Zhen Yuanzi, Wuji was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, the second disciple of the Buddha. The two had met at a Buddhist meeting, and he always remembered that he was a dignified and elegant Buddhist monk.

Therefore, after discovering that Wuji has a lively, mischievous personality and loves beauty, Zhen Yuanzi suddenly finds this very interesting.He even began to think secretly that this was probably Jin Chanzi's nature.At the beginning, Jin Chanzi had the honorable name of the second disciple of the Tathagata, so he couldn't act rashly, but now he forgot his past and showed his true nature.

All of a sudden, the Daxiong Palace was filled with Wuji's brisk voice describing his journey westward vividly.

This is not because Wuji is contemptuous of the majesty of the Buddha, or even frivolous and reckless in the solemn Buddhist hall, but because Wuji knows that the Great Immortal Zhenyuan who is talking to him in front of him will be his mother's master, and he will also help her to untie her. That death.For this reason, he is very grateful and respects this unrestrained and leisurely Taoist monarch, and hopes to repay him as much as he can.

Therefore, seeing Zhen Yuanzi smiling when he heard him speak, Wuji thought that he was curious about mortal things, so he tried harder to tell the story.

After one stick of incense...after another stick of incense, several Arhats and Jialan were also attracted by the ups and downs of Wuji's story.Although they still lined up on both sides of the main hall to worship the Buddha, their gazes frequently fell in the direction of Wuji. When they heard something exciting, an arhat even changed his standing posture.

Tathagata: ... I, Jin Chanzi, are not like this...

Zhen Yuanzi: From now on, Wuzhuang Temple will be lively. This kid will definitely be able to play with Qingfengmingyue and the others.

Finally, just when Tathagata couldn't help but want to ask Pei Xiang and Yang Jian how to educate their children, Master Kongwen, who had gone to collect the scriptures before, came back.

His appearance interrupted Wuji's narration about the distribution of westbound monsters, the love and hatred of royal families in various countries, and the characteristics of basic necessities of life in various places...

The sacred atmosphere of solemnity and peace has been restored in the main hall.

Tathagata nodded slightly and smiled after listening to which scriptures Master Kongwen had taken away.

Afterwards, the Buddha said to this devout Buddhist scripture learner that he could stay on Lingshan for [-] days, listen carefully to Buddhist principles and ask for advice on doubts, and then return to the Eastern Tang Dynasty with the scriptures to promote Mahayana. Dharma.When the merits and virtues are perfect, Master Kongwen will be able to prove the status of Arhat.

Therefore, Master Kongwen was overjoyed and grateful to pay homage to the Tathagata Buddha, and planned to stay on Lingshan for [-] days, listening to the mantra of Buddhism day and night.

Because Master Kongwen wanted to stay, the four people traveling west to learn Buddhist scriptures had to separate at this point.

Pei Xiang's mother and son, Yang Jianhui and Zhenyuan Daxian return to Wuzhuang Temple in Wanshou Mountain.There, Pei Xianghui officially worshiped under the ancestor of the Earth Immortal and became his direct disciple.And Wuji, as a family member, naturally had to follow Pei Xiang to live in Wuzhuang Temple.

As for whether Zhenjun Erlang can be a long-term guest...

Just after witnessing a solemn and formal apprenticeship ceremony, he received the order of the Jade Emperor, ordering him to lead a group of generals from Guanjiangkou and some heavenly soldiers to the Beichuan Ice Field to quell the chaos.This trip took about a few years.

On the eve of parting, Pei Xiang quietly invited Zhenjun Erlang to soak in the hot spring.

At first, she didn't think about doing anything else, she just planned to check up on her handsome lover, and didn't want him to have more hideous scars after he came back from the war.

Then somehow, the water in the hot spring pool overflowed a lot, the amber wine flowed out from the crooked white jade pot, the dew was spilled, the hosta fell off, the blue hair was messed up, and the clothes to be changed were wet and dry , dry and wet, those small flowers and grasses are also overwhelmed piece by piece...

After a long delay, Erlang Zhenjun, who needed to hurry, left Longevity Hill overnight. He was dressed neatly, and the auspicious clouds under his feet were always glowing red.

It wasn't until the bitter cold wind howled over the Beichuan Ice Field that the temperature of the crimson cloud gradually dropped and turned into a dignified, pure and auspicious cloud again.