Chapter 60: The Luo Book (IV)

In the center of the valley lay a giant rock as tall as a person. A Tibetan Buddhist monk wearing a mask with green face and sharp fangs was sitting cross-legged on it.
Several young lamas ran to the base of the rock and whispered a few words in Tibetan. The monk slowly opened his eyes. Despite the mask covering his face, his piercing gaze still carried immense authority.
Seeing that all the believers had taken their seats, the monk cleared his throat and said, “Today, I will teach you the teachings on the merits of reciting mantras. Follow me and recite along.”
“The merits of chanting mantras are beyond description. Men, women, old, and young, rich and poor—everyone can recite them. Day and night, in every situation, it is never inappropriate.”
He first recited it in Tibetan, paused briefly, then repeated it in Tang dialect. The ancient Sanskrit sounds seemed to possess magic, causing the believers to bow their heads to the ground, tears streaming down their faces.
“Develop a bodhicitta and cultivate great compassion. With sincere devotion, turn to Avalokiteshvara. Keep your mind focused on one object; do not let it wander. If practiced consistently, all disasters and illnesses will be avoided.”
The Tibetan monk kept repeating these words, his lips moving rapidly, leaving everyone dazzled.
“Any wish you make will be fulfilled. Reciting this mantra dispels evil spirits; it protects you from harm; it clears karmic obstacles; it brings wisdom; it leads to success; it frees you from the cycle of rebirth; it takes you to paradise…” (Note 1)
Zhang Yanji shrugged and said, “Brother Kuo, what kind of magic did this demon monk use to drive everyone crazy?”
Li Kuo frowned, sensing something was wrong but unable to pinpoint it. A cold wind blew, and the people kneeling and chanting looked up at the sky. Dark clouds gathered from the southwest, quickly covering most of the sky. Before anyone could react, torrential rain poured down.
“Pitter-patter.”
The raindrops hitting the rocks made a crisp sound, as the believers greedily drank in the rain falling on them.
“Om—Ma—Ni—Pa—Mi—Hum.”
The Tibetan monk chanted the six-syllable mantra at just the right moment, instantly intensifying the atmosphere in the valley.
“Om—Ma—Ni—Pa—Mi—Hum…”
The people repeated after him, their pace growing faster, their eyelids fluttering, almost in a trance.
“Brother Kuo, it’s so scary. Let’s leave.”
Fearing the terrified expressions on the people’s faces, Zhang Yanji stepped back a few steps.

Li Kuo remained silent. He saw a man—none other than Feng Dian! On either side of the Ghost-Faced Buddha Monk stood two guardians. One was the Red Robe Monk who had preached Buddhism at Jianfu Temple earlier; the other was thin, with a giant python coiled around his waist. Feng Dian was right behind the Red Robe Monk!

A bitter smile tugged at the young man’s lips. Ever since the Qingchen incident, Dezi had become withdrawn and taciturn. He had tried to visit him several times, but Dezi had always found excuses to avoid him. It had been nearly a month since they last met. Yet he never expected his good friend to be involved with those Tibetan Buddhist monks!

“Look at the way they’re looking!”

Zhou Wucui’s voice turned icy as he stared in shock at the worshippers ahead.

Those weren’t the eyes of ordinary people! Greed, hatred, lust—those were the eyes of beasts!

“Om—Ma—Ni—Pa—Mi—Hung—Kill!”

The green-faced, fang-covered Buddha Monk suddenly raised his voice, issuing a cold command.

“Ah!”

The two men beside him, upon hearing the command, frantically pounced on their companion and bit down on his throat without hesitation. The victim struggled a few times before falling silent, standing upright on the ground.

“Sss!”

Zhang Yanji gasped in horror and instinctively stepped back several steps.

Those two men had been killed on the spot by bites!

By now, the situation in the valley of Zhongnan Mountain was completely out of control. The people there were tearing and biting each other like beasts, letting out hysterical roars from their chests…

A middle-aged couple who had come to worship the Buddha were now tangled together, rolling in the mud. The man-like giant had just pinned his wife to the ground, about to bite her, when he felt pain at his ear—his left ear had been torn off by his wife!

Two brothers who made a living by chopping wood now acted like strangers, punching and kicking each other while letting out strange screams. The younger brother left five bloody marks on his elder brother’s face, laughing foolishly. Enraged, the elder brother bit down on his brother’s neck. Blood gushed out like a fountain from the younger brother’s neck, “gurgle, gurgle.” His body trembled as blood flowed out, and eventually he stopped moving due to excessive blood loss.

What had once been a lush valley had now turned into a hell on earth, with corpses and terrifying, ignorant smiles everywhere…

“What kind of Buddhism is this, that turns fathers against sons and brothers against each other?”

Li Kuo shouted in anger and rushed forward to confront the Tibetan demon monk.

“Om—Ma—Ni—Pa—Mi—Hung—Kill—Kill—Kill!”
The Buddhist monk wearing a green-faced mask seemed to notice that Li Kuo and the others were still conscious, his face filled with anger. With a wave of his hand, he shouted at Li Kuo.
The believers who had been fighting each other moments ago stopped immediately and turned to look at Li Kuo and the others, their eyes like those of a pack of wolves spotting some plump antelopes.
“Kill them, and you can become a Buddha. By killing, you can achieve enlightenment right away. Killing one person makes you a Bodhisattva of one dwelling; killing ten makes you a Bodhisattva of ten dwellings…”
The monk’s lips moved as he uttered these persuasive words, causing the deluded believers to surround the youths. (Note 2) It was an extremely terrifying and oppressive atmosphere; the youths felt as if their blood had stopped flowing.
It must be a problem with the holy water and talismans they provided! Li Kuo smiled bitterly and drew the black knife from his waist.
“Brother Kuo, are you really going to start killing?”
Zhang Yanji asked tentatively upon seeing Li Kuo draw his sword.
“Of course I have to kill them. If I don’t, we’ll be torn to death by those wild dogs!”
Zhou Wucui said through gritted teeth, “Besides, they are no longer the people of our Great Tang Dynasty—they are demons without souls!”
Dozens of believers remained silent, forming a circle. The circle grew tighter and smaller, making the youths feel extremely confined.
Looking around, they saw no way out.
A human wall had been formed, trapping them like in a prison. Even though there were old paths, there was no escape.
“Cut down the men in black behind them. Ignore these believers!”
A familiar voice came from behind, shocking Li Kuo.
He drew his sword and faced them with a cold expression.
In that moment, there was only determination.
Each strike was fierce, each cut a desperate effort.
His long sword struck out like an eagle diving through the sky toward one of the believers, while his black sword slashed through the air with a hissing sound.
That strike only knocked the believer to the ground, rendering them unable to fight, but not killing them.
But Li Kuo didn’t have time to think about such things. His long sword moved forward like a coiling dragon, forming a proud lotus flower.
Moving swiftly like a shadow, his sword reached the enemy just as quickly. When his black sword clashed with the cold, elegant sword of the man in black, in that split second, Li Kuo clearly saw a hint in his expression.
Note 1: All these are from the teachings of the “Sutra on the Merits of Recitation.” I’ve always thought such things are highly deceptive.

Note 2: During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a man in Jizhou named Faqing, who was known as the New Buddha. He founded what was called the Mahayana Buddhism, designating Li Guibó as a Bodhisattva of the Ten Stages. Other religions emphasize saving both oneself and others by doing good deeds. Yet this sect advocated achieving Buddhahood through killing, with more killings considered better. This Mahayana Buddhism used a drug that could drive people insane, turning husbands against wives and brothers against each other—extremely terrifying.