519: Another acquaintance

Abbot Guangming, the abbot of Huichang Temple, had once been a friend of Tang Ku. When he first heard that Huichang Temple had monks who acted like bullies, driving away non-believers who came for porridge, Tang Ku knew that something must have gone wrong at Huichang Temple, because Abbot Guangming was a renowned and virtuous high monk who would never do such things to ruin his reputation.

However, he had been in a rush to help Sun Wukong restore his Physical Body at the time, so he temporarily ignored this matter, never expecting it to lead to today's disaster.

After Bianji died, Pigsy transformed into an ordinary believer and entered Huichang Temple, only to find that it was completely different. The monks here were extremely kind; even when dealing with non-believers, they were patient and meticulous. Not only did they provide medical care and medicine, but the porridge stalls they set up were also open to anyone who wanted to eat.

"I've checked the porridge; it's thick and they are generous with the ingredients!" Old Pig smacked his lips and said, "Moreover, there are no toxins or any other tricks in it!"

"Is the difference between then and now really that big?" Tang Ku frowned slightly. "What exactly are they trying to do?"

Old Pig shook his head and said, "I don't know what they are planning either, but that Huichang Temple... When we returned to Chang'an after the pilgrimage, I had met Abbot Guangming, the abbot of Huichang Temple. However, when I went there, Abbot Guangming was not around. The abbot of Huichang Temple seemed to have been replaced by a guy named Monk Yiyuan..."

"Hmm, he was about forty years old, with a kind face and gentle eyes. He looked like a virtuous high monk. When I asked him where Abbot Guangming had gone, he said that Abbot Guangming felt the Buddha Dharma was profound and deep, and that his own Aptitude was limited, so he went to travel the world to gain insight into the great Dao."

"I then tried using those allusions you used to tell me to ask him about the Buddha Dharma, and the monk answered fluently. It is clear that he is definitely not a simple character..."

Tang Ku said in a deep voice, "Did you not find anything suspicious in the temple?"

"Yes!" Old Pig said in a deep voice, "There is something suspicious. Behind the Mahavira Hall, there was originally a well in the courtyard, but that well has been covered with a huge wooden lid, sealed with paper strips, and locked with chains. There are several yellow talismans around it, which looks very suspicious... But other than that, there is nothing else!"

Tang Ku smacked his lips: "What did that old Daoist Yuan Tiangang say? What about Sun Simiao?"

"They have both checked it, and basically tried every method they could, but they just couldn't find the cause of the illness. They can only use medicine with Spiritual Qi to keep the people in the city alive... Hmm, one-third of the pan tao trees have been used for medicine, and even nearly half of the leaves have been used..."

Old Pig said, "Fortunately, the pan tao tree is different from ordinary peach trees. Growing in the Human Realm, whether it's the leaves or the peaches, they grow continuously and do not wither. In fact, a few days after the peaches are picked, flower buds will grow again, and after a while, they will bear fruit again... This way we can cycle through them, and keep the pan tao tree in a vigorous state, so we won't run out of medicine..."

"In other words, up until now... only Bianji has died?"

Tang Ku sighed helplessly, "Sigh, it is just fate. I still couldn't save him in the end!"

"Yeah, when Junior Sister Wu Zhen heard that he died, she cried until her eyes were swollen... I heard that before she became a nun, she had a romance with Junior Brother Bianji?" Old Pig asked curiously.

"Just a fated tribulation, not worth mentioning..." Tang Ku said, "What did you want to tell the Emperor when you entered the palace this time?"

Old Pig sighed: "Of course I came to find the old Daoist Sun to ask him to adjust the prescription. The flesh on some of the critically ill patients is starting to rot into their bones. If this continues, I'm afraid they won't last long before they kick the bucket... As for the others... I guess they won't live long either!"

"The Imperial Palace is still unaffected?" Tang Ku frowned slightly.

"It's fine, basically no one has shown symptoms... Hmm, this thing is very contagious, but if you catch it, you catch it, and if you don't, you remain healthy. It seems like there's a type of person who is naturally immune to the infection!" Old Pig said.

"Hmm, these people should have antibodies or something similar, so they are not affected... Hmm, continue!" Tang Ku said.

"The day before yesterday, which was the second day after the epidemic broke out, Huichang Temple started providing free medical treatment to the people in the city, but..." Pigsy gave a wry smile, "But these guys are actually fooling the public, saying that this epidemic is because the Emperor lacks virtue and Heaven is punishing him, and only by believing in the so-called Buddha they worship can they be spared..."

"Hiss, that's a ruthless move, actually using the Emperor to make a fuss? This is exactly the same routine as the scum of the Buddhist sect before. Could it be that the Buddhist sect is playing tricks again? Hmph, looks like I need to go ask Guanyin!" Tang Ku said in a deep voice.

"Uh, I don't think so!" Old Pig said helplessly, "They definitely have ulterior motives, but they are absolutely not true members of the Buddhist sect, or rather... Hmm, or rather, they don't believe in any Buddha in this world... They believe in a Buddha named the Yaoguang Golden Swastika Buddha. I have seen the statue of that so-called Buddha, which has replaced Shakyamuni and is worshipped by them in the main hall of the Mahavira Hall... Hmm, the appearance is rich, but for some reason, I always feel that there is an evil aura emanating from that Buddha statue... The kind of evil aura that makes people very uncomfortable!"

Tang Ku was silent for a moment, then asked: "Have many believers in the city gone there?"

"Not many!" Old Pig smiled wryly, "This should be the only thing we are proud of, because most of the people in Chang'an City are your believers, and they always believe that you will save them. As for those miscellaneous Buddhas, they disdain to believe in them. Even if they die, ninety percent of the people in Chang'an will not believe in that thing! But..."

"However, some wealthy people, some refugees with nowhere else to turn, and some high-ranking officials and nobles have chosen to believe in them!"

Tang Ku thought for a while, then said, "Oh, it seems that after they chose to believe, the epidemic on their bodies or their family members' bodies got better, right?"

"That's right... I suppose those fake monks must have done something!" Pigsy said, "Master, what should we do now? Since you and Senior Brother are both back, should we take action against Huichang Temple now? The Emperor has been so anxious these past two days that he's been tearing his hair out. When the Emperor saw that he was about to collapse, he came every day to help him handle government affairs. He said: 'Even when I was on the throne, I was never this tired!' These were the exact words I heard earlier!"

"Indeed... Well, we're here..." The two flew slowly, mainly to allow Pigsy to explain the situation clearly. Now, the two lowered their clouds and appeared in front of Li Chengqian's bedchamber.

Before they could let the guards announce them, voices came from inside the hall. The door suddenly swung open, and a surprised voice said: "Holy Monk? You are actually here too?"