If I don't have money to go to college, I can only go to slay the dragon.

The bell of the temple on the top of the mountain rang, and the monks who rang the bell were overwhelmed. The bell echoed throughout the mountain. Birds gathered from the forest and flew across the gorge. In the bird's eyes, a huge Buddha statue as tall as a mountain was reflected, sitting in the vast vastness. In front of the Sanjiang River, the slightly drooped Buddha's eyes overlook the entire border town across the river. When people boating and fishing on the river pass by and hear the bells in the mountains, they all kowtow to the Buddha devoutly and pray.

Li Xingchu withdrew his gaze from the birds on the mountain path, looked at the young monk beside him who was wearing a monk's robe with his hands clasped and stringing beads, and asked, "Little Master, do everyone in this city believe in Buddhism?"

After all, there is such a miraculous Buddha statue standing there. Why do you think that the people in this city who look at it from across the river every day will convert to Buddhism over time, right?

The young monk shook his head gently, pondered for a moment and then replied, "Donor Li, please look to your right."

Li Xingchu looked to the right and saw the unhappy little moon he was holding in his hand. He seemed to be still angry and frustrated that the trip to the amusement park had turned into a day trip to Buddhism. After noticing his father's gaze, he became even more " "Huh!" She deliberately turned her head away from him, but she never let go of the big hand she was holding.

"More to the right." The young monk smiled and bowed.

Further to the right, Li Xingchu's sight passed through the mountain road and forest, and saw the confluence of three rivers in the corner outside the mountain.

"In this city, faith flows like rivers, each with different sources. Some people devoutly integrate into Buddhism, just like rivers flowing into the sea, seeking peace of mind and wisdom; others believe in other gods, just like rivers flowing endlessly. . No matter what everyone believes in, in the end they all reach the same destination through different paths, just to find the meaning and strength of life, so Buddhism welcomes all friends who come from afar." The young monk held the prayer beads in his right hand and stood in front of him, kowtowing in the direction of the big Buddha.

"What a Zen opportunity." Li Xingchu sighed, and at the same time thought this was a quite clever and tactful answer.

He thought for a while and decided to get straight to the point, "Little master, does Master Yuncheng welcome us today?"

"Master Yuncheng has always opened his heart to accept all those who are destined. Even if you come from an unkind invitation, there is no need to worry. In Buddhism, all living beings are Bodhisattvas. No matter where you come from, you can seek spiritual comfort and guidance." The little monk smiled slightly and looked at Little Moon who was hiding next to Li Xingchu and peeking at him secretly. The other person was probably curious about why this little brother had a smooth head with polka dots.

"If you knock hard, you will make a loud sound; if you knock small, you will make a small sound." Li Muyue's voice came from the front. The two of them looked up and saw Li Muyue turning sideways from a mountain wall to look at the steps behind. They said, "I believe Master Yuncheng will give us a satisfactory answer today."

After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the mountain. The little moon next to Li Xingchu shouted loudly that "Mom is here to compete in mountain climbing", then she let go of her big hand and ran towards the figure in front of her.

Li Xingchu walked to where Li Muyue was standing just now and looked at the mountain wall. Four large red characters were engraved on it. Stone carvings can be seen everywhere on the mountain. Zhao Zengze and Su Shi both left calligraphy treasures here, and Li Muyue did it. The remaining stone inscriptions made Li Xingchu stand there in a daze for several moments.

Back to shore.

"The female layperson seems to have a good understanding of Buddhism. Are you ready to convert to Buddhism?" The young monk stood behind Li Xingchu and asked with a smile as he looked at Mu Yue who was climbing the mountain with Little Moon.

"I can't imagine her chanting sutras and chanting Buddha's name." Li Xingchu smiled bitterly and shook his head, "What did she mean by what she just said?"

"'Big knock' and 'small knock' refer to different ways of ringing the bell. The female layperson is using the previous sound of the bell as a metaphor that she believes that Master Yuncheng will respond to your merciless request with a compassionate attitude, just like the bell. The reverberation of the sound is the same, adapting to different situations and giving different responses." The young monk said, clasping his hands and bowing his head, "Almsgiver Mu Yue has the root of wisdom."

"Then do you think I have wisdom?" Li Xingchu pointed at himself and smiled shyly, "How about I become a monk together with Mu Yue?"

"The donor is joking." The young monk shook his head helplessly. He still treated others poorly. Whoever came to meet Master Yuncheng was not respectful? This is the first time I have seen someone like Li Xingchu beat a snake and then use a stick.

Several people went up to the top of the mountain amidst the ringing of the bells. As soon as they went up, Li Xingchu saw Little Moon standing behind the guardrail and shouting. A huge stone Buddha head stood outside the guardrail. This is one of the observation decks of the Giant Buddha.

The full name of the Big Buddha is "The Great Maitreya Stone Statue of Jiashan Lingyun Temple". Standing behind the guardrail, you can look directly at the side face of the Big Buddha. The red stone washed by wind and frost, after slightly fading, becomes as red as the skin of a living person. The whole Big Buddha looks like Sitting there quietly as if alive, comprehending the meaning of Mahayana Zen.

"Here you are invited. During the meeting with Master Yuncheng, the young benefactor can be taken by the young monk to visit the Plum Garden."

"Trouble." Li Xingchu bowed to the young monk.

Watching the little monk walking towards Little Moon, Li Xingchu turned his head and looked at Li Muyue who was also looking at him on the platform not far away. Not far away was the gate of Lingyun Temple.

The plaque on Lingyun Temple is the calligraphy of Zhao Xi, a calligrapher of the late Qing Dynasty. The character Ling in Lingyun Temple was deliberately written as the radical of "氵", which means that this is the place where three rivers converge. Before I even got close to it, the scent of incense floated out along the thin smoke inside the wall, accompanied by the sound of neatly chanting sutras and reciting Buddha's name. It was the monks doing morning prayers, and the tapping sound of wooden fish was like It can cleanse the soul and make people calm.

Entering Lingyun Temple, you first enter the Hall of Heavenly Kings. To the left and right of the seated gold and jade Maitreya statue made of white marble are the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings carved from golden nanmu. After paying homage as usual, Li Muyue and Li Xingchu walked through the front hall to the open space in front of the Main Hall. A long bronze incense burner It was filled with incense from the incense burners. In the cold wind, a large number of monks knelt down on futons and chanted the Buddha with their eyes closed. The Buddha's voice was loud and the Zen spirit was clear.

When the two of them stopped to watch, a young monk in gray robes walked up to them and performed Buddhist rituals, "The host has been waiting for a long time. Please come with me, the two donors."

Li Muyue and Li Xingchu were led through the Buddha's sound and walked into the main hall of the Mahavira Hall. Oncoming were three golden statues of Sakyamuni (Dharmakaya, Yingsakaya, and Sambhogakaya). Under the Buddha statues , there is a broad and strong man on a red futon wearing a gray monk's coat. He looks very simple, and his face is somewhere between mature and young. If you look closely, there is a statue of Maitreya, which makes people feel pious and respectful. .

"Master Yuncheng." Li Muyue knelt down and sat on the yellow futon that had been prepared for the two of them. Li Xingchu also sat down beside him.

Master Yuncheng opened his eyes, "For the past few days, I have been thinking deeply every night. I originally planned to go down the mountain to meet you soon, but I didn't expect you to come first. Maybe this is the wonder of fate, just like Buddhism. As the saying goes, there is no need to deliberately look for Zen opportunities, Zen opportunities will always meet along the way."

"Has Master Yuncheng already thought of an answer?" Li Muyue asked softly.

Master Yuncheng sighed slowly, "Before he passed away, senior brother left a suicide note, explaining in detail the affairs before and after his death, including the requests of the two donors. Senior brother has gone further along the path of Buddhism than any of us. To be far away, he has already calculated that you will find me after he passes away, so he specially asked me how to handle this matter. The past few times when Muyue Almsgiver came to visit, I could not give an exact answer, maybe because of my inner Not yet determined. However, now I feel that I have found the opportunity for Zen, and Buddhism has provided me with an answer that makes my mind peaceful. At this moment when Zen is flowing, I will face this important funeral event with a clear heart."

"So, what is your answer, Master?" Li Muyue lowered her eyes slightly.

"Mu Yue." Li Xingchu spoke appropriately to remind people around him not to be anxious or impatient.

"Is this your husband?" Master Yuncheng turned his attention to this man when Li Xingchu spoke, looked at Li Xingchu completely with a considerate yet polite gaze, and then nodded, " A truly good match, entrusting one's life to love, is a state that others only dream of."

"Thank you, Master." Li Muyue bowed before Li Xingchu, who was still confused as to whether he should be humble or not.

"However, there are certain conditions for this." Master Yuncheng looked at Li Muyue who was making a grand ceremony, twirling the Buddhist beads in his hand, and his voice was like a breeze. "Once the heart of the evil dragon is cut out from the donor's body, it will immediately It will be received and suppressed by our Buddhist sect. This is the only condition, and everything else you need will be provided by our temple. Only the heart of the evil dragon needs to be properly kept by the Buddhist sect to prevent it from harming the world again."

"You want the 'Holy Will'?" Li Xingchu was stunned. He looked at Master Yuncheng, who also met his eyes. His eyes were clear and there was no trace of greed.

"How can the heart of the evil dragon be called 'holy will'? This is just a delusion of those who pursue vain immortality." Master Yuncheng sighed, "Senior brother mentioned it in his suicide note to me. When Muyue Donor first came to explain everything in detail, his mood had already begun to waver. However, he had been worried about the cause and effect caused by the evil dragon's heart, and worried that it might plunge Buddhism into a place of right and wrong, so he had been difficult to make up his mind. This was also It became his most painful regret before his death."

"We don't want to see Buddhism stained with blood, but it is really a helpless move to find Lingyun Temple. Master Wuche is a man of great wisdom. Everything he worried about during his lifetime may indeed come true. The pursuers behind us will not To give up this evil dragon's heart, their determination and the power they can leverage cannot be underestimated. If Master Yuncheng is really determined, then please keep the dragon's heart well after everything is over." Li Muyue said calmly.

This is also the most direct statement that she is willing to give up the "holy will" in her chest.

"Good." Master Yuncheng saw the determination in Li Muyue's eyes, lowered his head slightly and recited the Buddha's name. Starting with the sound of his Buddha's name, the sound of wooden fish outside the hall suddenly stopped, and then the sound of the Buddha's name began to be chanted in unison, echoing throughout the whole place. Before and after the Main Hall.

Li Muyue suddenly stretched out her hand to cover her chest. Li Xingchu's face changed and she was about to get closer to care, but was stopped by Li Muyue. She shook her head slightly, indicating that she was fine, or that she had never felt better. Her heart The dragon's heart, which has always been restless, actually fell silent in the neat Buddha's name, as if an invisible noose was imposed on it, extinguishing all the restlessness and rage and flowing into the peaceful nature of Buddhism.

"How about the two benefactors please move to the plum garden to calm down?" Master Yuncheng stood up from the futon and held the rosary beads to signal the two of them to leave the hall.

Li Muyue held Li Xingchu's hand gently, stood up with him, and followed Master Yuncheng, leaving from the side path of the Main Hall, walking all the way through Lingyun Temple, and going around the viewing platform of the Giant Buddha on the mountainside. Walking eastward, when passing by the head of the Big Buddha, the prayer bell on the side was rang again. The strong and bare-chested monk held the bell pillar with one hand, lowered his eyes and chanted the name of the Buddha in a low voice, ringing the bell again and again. Once echoed in the mountains and forests.

After passing the prayer bell, there was a small road ahead. When he reached the middle of the road, Master Yuncheng stopped and looked sideways at the red wall of the mountain. The rocks here are mostly red sandstone, and the rock formations where the Buddha was carved. It's the same kind. There is a cave on the reddish mountain. There are iron ropes hanging on the cave, and you can only rely on the iron ropes to get in and out.

"That is..." Li Xingchu asked proactively.

"Master Haitong's former residence is also his burial place."

Li Xingchu naturally knew who Master Haitong was. The majestic stone Buddha on the mountain behind him was initiated by Master Haitong. Monk Haitong, whose ancestral home was in Guizhou, was raised in Lingyun Mountain. When he saw the Minjiang River, Qingyi River and Dadu River, he After gathering at the foothills of Lingyun Mountain, floods often occurred, such as "boats follow the waves and people disappear", so they decided to dig a statue of Maitreya Buddha on the cliff to reduce the flow of water and suppress the wind and waves forever.

After more than 20 years of alms work, coupled with the astonishing deeds that "one's own eyes can be cut out, but Buddha's wealth is rare", this giant Buddha was finally erected, which is comparable to other stone carvings in the world such as the Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings in the Nile.

Such a great master should have sculpted a golden body and built a five-layered coffin with relics, but in the end he just dug a hole in the red sandstone layer next to the Buddha and was buried inside.

"If possible, I hope the surgery to remove the dragon's heart will be done here." Master Yuncheng said.

"Conditions in the cave." Li Xingchu hesitated. He had never performed surgery in a cave.

"Afterwards, we will definitely arrange it according to the conditions required by the donor."

"Wouldn't this damage Master Haitong's hometown?" Li Xingchu still hesitated.

"The feng shui of this place is the most pleasant. The three rivers meet, and the luck is also prosperous. The righteous energy is high in the sky, and the power to suppress the heart of the evil dragon is the most powerful. If you choose to perform the ceremony here, everything will be suitable." Master Yuncheng clasped his hands and saluted towards the tomb. "If the flood is not eliminated, the alms will continue. If the hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha. Master Haitong is a man of great perseverance and great Dharma. If he can help the world after his death, it will be a good thing."

"Thank you very much, Master. I hope that I will be the chief surgeon to remove the dragon's heart. Please ask Lingyun Temple to prepare the surgical equipment and other troublesome materials. I will send the specific list to the temple at a certain date." Li Xingchu also faced the same question. The two-meter-high red sandstone cave salutes.

"The equipment is already on the way. Earlier, Muyue Donor provided everything she needed to Senior Brother Wuche, and he left it to me along with the suicide note. On the night when I made the decision, everything was Preparations have begun.”

Li Xingchu smacked his tongue slightly, because of Master Yuncheng's willingness, and because of Lingyun Temple's strong financial resources and heritage. If there were no surprises, the list submitted by Li Muyue was the version he had discussed with him before. There were piles of things in it. The value of being together cannot be measured simply in terms of money. Just 1 ton of dragon blood mercury used to draw the alchemical matrix is ​​enough to wipe out the wealth of an average mixed-race family, but Lingyun Temple took it out without blinking an eye. .

"Wannian Temple is also aware of this matter, and Huizongtang also agrees with it. This is not a decision made by Lingyun Temple. The two donors received the support of Mahayana Buddhism." Master Yuncheng said calmly. said.

They hiked through the trail, and as they walked forward, they suddenly saw a large piece of plum blossom garden in front of them. The winter wind was howling, the plum blossoms were blooming in the snow, and the laughter of the little moon, as clear as a silver bell, was also heard among the plum blossoms. Come, accompanied by the melodious bells in the mountains in the distance, the parents who stopped in front of the garden were somewhat fascinated by the beautiful scene in front of them.

"The two donors are destined to be together. I believe that I, the Buddha, will definitely protect them through the Dharma." Master Yuncheng also said softly while looking at the little moon playing hide-and-seek with the little monk in the plum garden.

"Master, thank you for your kindness. Although it is a bit redundant, I still want to know what made you determined to plunge into this muddy water?" Li Xingchu looked at Master Yuncheng and asked seriously.

"Buddhism is natural." Master Yuncheng said, "Senior Brother Wuche's suicide note left behind, this is what he suggested to me regarding your issues."

"Is Buddhism natural?"

"Like rivers flowing together, perhaps the two of you came to the land of Buddhism as a result of the guidance of Buddhism. Buddhism has no reason to shut out fate." Master Yuncheng looked at the sea of ​​flowers in the Plum Garden, "I I had disagreements with my senior brother on various matters, big and small, so I moved into Wuyou Temple alone and cultivated my mind day and night. My senior brother stayed at Lingyun Temple to save all sentient beings. On the day that my senior brother passed away, I learned that he would preside over the ceremony. After the inheritance was passed down to me, I understood that my brother’s Buddhism was already Mahayana. Buddhism is natural, and my brother implemented the natural way at the last moment. I recalled the past disputes with him, and then looked back on the present. Right and wrong are natural, and victory and defeat are natural. , my nature is the other's nature, conformity is natural, and disagreement is also natural. Now, it is my turn to continue walking down this path and achieve my nature. I hope I can take on that responsibility in this nature."

Li Xingchu listened in confusion, but Li Muyue's eyes became clearer. She saluted Master Yuncheng again and asked, "Master, please pay more attention to outsiders in this small town. If nothing happens, the people behind us have already followed the traces." When you come, please pay extra attention to the safety work in the temple."

"It doesn't matter." Master Yuncheng shook his head, "The reason why Senior Brother Wu Che rejected the two donors many times is that Senior Brother himself does not like to fight and is not good at fighting. The name of 'Orthodoxy' is famous far and wide, and Senior Brother should really be concerned about this. Taboo. But in the end, this is Lingyun Temple, not orthodox."

"Please don't underestimate the 'orthodox'. It's about Gu Long's heart. Their means and determination may be beyond imagination." Li Muyue reminded slightly seriously.

"If given the opportunity, I hope to teach some Mahayana Buddhism to the 'orthodox' visitors and explain the natural principles of Buddhism." Master Yuncheng clasped his hands and bowed his head.

"The people they sent may not be too willing to listen to your Dharma, Master." Li Xingchu shook his head.

"If you don't understand Buddhism, a poor monk actually knows a little bit about martial arts."

Master Yuncheng raised his head, and a naive smile appeared on his Maitreya Buddha-like face. However, Li Muyue and Li Xingchu saw from that smile the majesty of the statues of the Heavenly Kings on both sides of the front hall, with frowning eyebrows and angry eyes.

ps: The next chapter is Huoyue (the end), and it is also the last chapter of Huoyue.