62: Ground Golden Lotus

Lunar Star Lord hesitated, as if she had something difficult to say.

Tang Ku looked at her, and after a long while, he suddenly nodded and said, “I generally understand… Hmm, since the Daughter’s Country is now safe and I, Poor Monk, am here to protect it, this place no longer needs Lunar Star Lord’s protection. Please find another place to reside!”

“This…”

The expression on Lunar Star Lord’s face changed several times before she gritted her teeth and said, “Holy Monk, we, the Immortals and Gods of the Upper Realm, indeed need to possess a human body to survive. After all, all our Buddha Power was used to escape our Primordial Spirit, which is why I couldn’t cure Your Majesty the Queen of this severe illness!”

Tang Ku sneered, “Is that really so? Heh heh, well, I’ll believe you for now, then. You can stay in the Daughter’s Country, but on one condition…”

Tang Ku’s expression turned stern as he said in a deep voice, “Don’t covet the Luck of the Daughter’s Country, or else, my fists, Poor Monk, won’t be merciful, understand?”

Sweat appeared on Lunar Star Lord’s forehead, as if she was under immense pressure. After a long while, she said, “Holy Monk, rest assured, this servant will not do anything foolish. After all, I still need to take refuge under the wings of a mortal emperor. From now on, if there are any errands, this servant will not hesitate to die a myriad of deaths!”

“That’s good. Does Lunar Star Lord have anything else important?” Tang Ku asked, narrowing his eyes.

“No, no, this servant will leave now, will leave now!”

As she spoke, her figure slowly faded and disappeared.

“You have such great spirit now, yet you don’t even put the Gods in the sky in your eyes?”

The Queen walked down from the throne and came before Tang Ku, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Tang Ku felt uncomfortable being stared at. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking to see if you’re a demon or monster in disguise. Otherwise, how could a cowardly monk suddenly change his personality?”

The Queen laughed.

“…It’s a long story… I didn’t intentionally try to make things difficult for Lunar Star Lord just now; I really had no choice but to be wary…”

Tang Ku said helplessly, “Do you know why she couldn’t remove the toxins from your body? Heh heh, even if her Buddha Power became weaker, with Lunar Star Lord’s strength, it’s impossible for her not to be able to deal with such a small amount of toxin. Don’t forget, besides Taishang Laojun, she is the one most skilled in pharmacology. Even without exerting power, she has many ways to save you!”

The Queen was surprised and said, “Then why did she…”

“To test me!”

Tang Ku sighed, looking up at the sky, “It seems that although all the Gods in the Immortal Realm appear to be dead, in reality, a large portion of them must be like her, fallen into the mortal world and hidden. And their hope of rising again, in fact, rests on me alone… Since that’s the case, if they don’t test me, how would they know if I am capable?”

“You, Monk, speak such big words. Aren’t you afraid of the Buddha’s wrath?” The Queen smiled radiantly. With Tang Ku’s Buddha Power nourishing her before, her appearance not only didn’t look haggard, but seemed much younger than before. This smile was like that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl in love, making one’s heart flutter.

The Monk stared at her exquisite beauty and couldn’t help but be stunned. The Queen laughed, “What are you looking at now?”

“Looking at a blooming flower!”

Tang Ku laughed.

“You have indeed changed; you’ve become much more glib!”

The Queen looked at the Monk’s face again. “I almost don’t recognize you anymore!”

“I didn’t want to change, but this world now forces me to…” Tang Ku gave a helpless bitter smile, “I had every intention of sharing with you, but this matter involves too much, and I don’t want to drag you into trouble…”

“So, many things, I don’t ask, and you don’t tell, is that what you mean?” The Queen said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hinder your Zen heart. Do whatever you want, as long as you still remember me in your heart and can come back to see me often, I will die content!”

Tang Ku’s heart trembled. Her Majesty the Queen was so understanding it was heartbreaking. He suddenly extended his right hand and gently stroked the Queen’s head, rubbing it affectionately, “Don’t say the word ‘die’. With me here, you won’t die!”

“But you’re leaving!”

This time, the Queen neither resisted nor stubbornly demanded Tang Ku to stay. A glimmer of light flickered in her eyes, “When you leave, perhaps I will fall ill again, and then, I may not be able to…”

“I will come back, I promise, I will be back very soon!”

Tang Ku laughed, “With Lunar Star Lord here, I believe no demon will dare to harm you again!”

“But that Lunar Star Lord should also harbor ill intentions. If you don’t deter her, I’m afraid she will… Hmm, how do you say it? Seize Luck?”

The Queen tilted her head and said, “Is that what you mean?”

Tang Ku was startled, then nodded and said, “It was my oversight…”

After some thought, Tang Ku suddenly had an idea and said to the Queen, “It’s late today. Tomorrow at court, you will announce that I, Poor Monk, will preach in the central sky, spreading Buddha Dharma…”

The Queen didn’t understand his meaning, but still readily agreed.

That night, Tang Ku returned to the courier station alone, diligently cultivating, trying to raise his Buddha Power a bit more. At the very least, he needed to recover to a normal flying capacity, as constantly relying on the Somersault Cloud for flight indeed consumed too much of his physical energy.

The next morning, Tang Ku was still meditating in his room until almost noon, when a palace guard reported that His Majesty invited the Holy Monk to preach.

Tang Ku nodded, then suddenly soared into the air, slowly rising into mid-air. The Buddhist Dharma Form abruptly appeared behind him. The enormous Buddha of Sandalwood Merit statue floated in mid-air, in a lotus position. Tang Ku proclaimed a Buddhist chant, his voice shaking a thousand li.

Immediately, verses of Buddhist scriptures spread from the mouth of the Great Buddha throughout the entire city. Countless citizens of the Daughter’s Country, seeing this extraordinary phenomenon, prostrated themselves, praying for the Buddha’s blessing. For a time, everyone’s Soul seemed to have undergone some kind of sublimation at this moment.

And as the explanation of the Buddhist scriptures grew deeper, golden lotus flowers suddenly appeared out of thin air in various parts of the city, from streets to rooftops, from muddy ground to bricks and tiles. The flowers bloomed, radiating golden light, enveloping the entire city in a vast golden glow.

In the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom, from the emperor, generals, ministers, and scholars down to the common people and peddlers, everyone devoutly worshipped the Buddha. All their minds were focused on the golden Buddha statue they had never seen before. Historians had already recorded all the details of this scene, and painters were also on the spot, drawing and printing this golden Buddha statue onto paper.

When the Buddhist scriptures finished, they lingered in the air, echoing throughout the city.

“I am Buddha of Sandalwood Merit of the Western Buddhist Realm. Now that the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom respects my golden body and devoutly worships the Buddha, I shall naturally protect it and ensure the nation’s peace and stability! All subjects of the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom, adhere to the teachings of the Shramana, do good and abandon evil, and hold the Seal of Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, and you shall not fall into Avici Hell!”

The golden body’s right hand pointed to the sky, and its left hand held the Abhaya Mudra. All who saw this hand seal firmly remembered it, imprinted on their Souls.

Buzz!

All the golden lotus flowers instantly transformed into golden dust, scattering throughout the city. Golden powder slowly permeated into almost everyone’s heads and shoulders.

The citizens of the city all proclaimed the name “Buddha of Sandalwood Merit,” and the sound in the city roared like thunder.

On the highest tower in the Imperial Palace, Lunar Star Lord watched all this with a gloomy expression, secretly thinking, “What a Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, cutting off all retreat!”