On the same night, some people were chatting about life, some were planning conspiracies, and some were so worried that they couldn't sleep all night.
Xuanzang meditated in front of the Buddha for three hours, but he still couldn't calm down.
Since he took over Daci'en Temple, the temple has become more and more prosperous. He even founded Faxiang Sect in addition to Zen Buddhism with this temple.
Xuanzang comprehensively studied the theories of Tianzhu Buddhism, investigated the deeds of Sakyamuni Tathagata throughout the process, and understood the Buddha and the Dharma.
Then, by integrating Chinese Buddhism, the Dharma-Xiang Sect was created that was beneficial to practice, cultivation, and practice.
Although he has become transcendent, Faxiang Sect has been his life's work. Now that Faxiang Sect is facing extinction, he can't help but worry.
Since Xuanzang founded Faxiang Sect, he has been continuously suppressed by Zen Buddhism.
Relying on his prestige and the status of Daci'en Temple in Buddhism, Faxiang Sect withstood the pressure and gradually gained a firm foundation.
However, the arrival of the Tubo people disrupted the situation.
They challenged Da Ci'en Temple by name. It would be good if Da Ci'en Temple won, but if it lost, its reputation would plummet.
It is likely to be annexed by Zen Buddhism by then.
This is not over yet. Recently, Empress Wu asked him to build a Buddha statue in Daci'en Temple.
It was a good thing to gain the queen's trust, but a murder occurred while the Buddha statue was being built.
All kinds of troubles came one after another. Although Xuanzang had advanced cultivation, he still felt a little exhausted mentally and physically.
There were three challenges to the Tubo people. He had already won the debate on Buddhism, but he was not sure about the last two, which was a martial arts competition and a meditation session.
When I opened the door of the Zen room, the sky became slightly white.
After Xuanzang drank a bowl of hot porridge, he went to the Buddha statue on the back mountain. Several officials from Dali Temple stayed in front of the Buddha statue all night.
Xuanzang stepped forward to inquire about the case, and when he learned that there was no new progress, he left a little disappointed.
He went all the way to the Mahavira Hall, took morning lessons with his disciples, and then returned to the Zen room to continue practicing.
At about the end of Chen hour, a disciple knocked on the door and reported, "Master, the Tibetan Lama is here."
Xuanzang nodded, stood up, and went out to greet him.
The disciple said again: "Master, His Royal Highness the King of Zhou is also here."
Xuanzang was slightly startled and walked faster.
When he came to the front door, he saw Zhou Wang Wu Chengsi talking to Lianhuasheng.
He came forward to see Li, and secretly wondered: How could His Highness the King of Zhou know Lianhuasheng.
Wu Chengsi respected Xuanzang very much, returned the gift, and said with a smile: "Master Xuanzang, I came here specifically to see your competition with Zen Master Lianhua today."
In the morning, he first went to the palace to recommend Zhang Jianzhi to Wu Mei as the doctor of the Ministry of War, and then went straight to Da Ci'en Temple.
First it was Cai Yang, then two murders, and then the Tubo Lama, all of which revolved around the Daci'en Temple.
Wu Chengsi then decided to come and have a look in person.
Following Xuanzang, the group came to an open space in the west of the temple, which was the location of the second round of competition.
There is a row of meditation rooms to the north of the open space, which is the venue for the third round of competition.
Before the competition time came, Xuanzang and other monks from Daci'en Temple, and Padmasambhava and other Tibetan lamas divided into two camps and sat on the ground to wait.
Before long, more and more guests came to watch, and among them were three handsome young men walking together, attracting no one's attention.
One of the young masters suddenly caught a glimpse of Wu Chengsi and exclaimed: "Hey, why did Brother Wu come here instead of going to the military camp?"
The voice was clear and sweet, and you could tell it was a woman.
The expression of the person beside her changed and he said: "Let's go quickly, don't let the prince see me like this."
The first young master smiled and said: "Zhiying, aren't we just pretending to be afraid of meeting acquaintances? There is nothing to be afraid of. He will definitely not recognize us."
These three people were Xue Yujin, Li Zhiying and Cheng Caiyi who were disguised as men.
Li Zhiying was worried and asked Cheng Caiyi: "Caiyi, can he really not recognize us like this?"
Cheng Caiyi muttered: "If we stand alone, he should be able to recognize us if he looks carefully, but if we stand in a crowd, it will be difficult for him to recognize us."
Li Zhiying nodded and moved closer to the crowded place.
Wu Chengsi didn't notice that his wife had also arrived. His attention was attracted by the monk's residence for the third competition.
This monk's residence was much more gorgeous than other monks' residences. It was like a palace. He asked a novice beside him: "May I ask, Master, why is the monk's residence there different from other places?"
The novice replied: "Go back to your lord, that is where our temple entertains the royal family."
After a pause, he raised his head and said, "The Tubo lamas said they had never seen such a palace, and insisted on competing there for the third time." He was quite proud of himself.
Wu Chengsi nodded and looked in another direction. Nie Ziyun was walking towards this side.
"Have you found Cai Yang?" Wu Chengsi asked.
Nie Ziyun shook his head and said, "I took one of Cai Yang's men to identify all the monks in the temple, but he was not found."
Wu Chengsi frowned.
Could it be that I guessed wrongly that Cai Yang was not at Da Ci'en Temple?
At this moment, the bell rang, and it was time. The second competition between the Tubo Lama and the monks of Daci'en Temple finally began.
Both sides need to send three monks each to win two out of three games.
Padmasambhava took a few steps forward, clasped his hands and said, "Master Xuanzang, we are ready."
Xuanzang said: "Then let's start the first competition."
A lama behind Padmasambhava said: "The first person sent by our temple is Guru Padmasambhava. I wonder who your temple will send to the battle?"
Xuanzang looked at Padmasambhava and said, "Let the poor monk learn the master's brilliant advice."
Wu Chengsi, who was watching the battle from a distance, was surprised and asked: "Does Master Xuanzang know martial arts?"
Nie Ziyun smiled and said: "Master Xuanzang is very skilled in martial arts. A few years ago, Zen master Shenxiu came to Daci'en Temple to challenge Master Xuanzang. The two of them also discussed Buddhism first and then martial arts. The competition was very sensational."
"Who's winning?"
Nie Ziyun said: "Master Xuanzang won in the discussion of Buddhism, but there was no difference between the two in the discussion of martial arts. Overall, Master Shenxiu lost."
Wu Chengsi was about to ask again when suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd. It turned out that the Tibetan side actually sent a young lama, not Padmasambhava.
Xuanzang frowned and said: "Zen Master Lotus, didn't your temple just say that you would fight the first battle?"
Padmasambhava pointed at the young lama and said with a grimace: "I dare not hide anything from Master Xuanzang. This master's name is also Padmasambhava. He will be the first to fight. You have misunderstood."
Wu Chengsi sneered secretly.
The Tubo Lama was too shameless, and it was estimated that Padmasambhava did not have the confidence to defeat Xuanzang, so he sent a miscellaneous fish into battle, trying to use Tian Ji's horse racing method to defeat the monks of Daci'en Temple.
After all, Xuanzang was not as shameless as Padmasambhava. Although he frowned, he still agreed to confront the young lama.
The two sides only exchanged three moves before Xuanzang slapped the young lama on the shoulder and took seven steps back before he stood still.
He knew that he was no match for Xuanzang, so he readily gave up.
When it came to the second game, Xuanzang said: "I wonder who will play in the second game in your temple?"
The lama behind Padmasambhava said: "The second formation in our temple will be led by Master Padmasambhava!"
Xuanzang learned well this time and confirmed to Padmasambhava: "Master Padmasambhava, are you going to do it yourself this time?"
Lianhuasheng said with a bitter face: "Yes."
Xuanzang nodded and looked back at his two disciples. One of them was called Qiuji and the other was Puguang. They were the two people in the temple who were second only to him in martial arts.
Xuanzang thought to himself: "Just win one of the next two games." Then he said to the disciple who was less skilled in martial arts: "Pu Guang, you can do it this time."
Monk Puguang said so respectfully, came to Padmasambhava, and got ready to take action.
Padmasambhava kept his hands clasped together and remained motionless.
Puguang said: "I'm offended." He stepped forward and punched seven times in a row. The punches were so fast that afterimages appeared.
In Wu Chengsi's eyes, he seemed to have a few extra hands.
Liansheng, however, only retreated and dodged, his hands still clasped together, as if he didn't take Pu Guang seriously.
Puguang was furious, squatted down and kicked him horizontally. Lianshuang flew back and dodged.
Puguang pressed his hands on the ground, moved a little closer, and then swept away with one leg. Lianhuasheng dodged to the left and dodged again.
I saw Puguang's legs moving one after another, spinning continuously on the ground, as if the person turned into a top, constantly approaching Padmasambhava.
Lianhuasheng was extremely agile and managed to dodge all Puguang's attacks.
What's even more surprising is that he still puts his hands together, giving people a feeling of ease.
Nie Ziyun folded his hands, shook his head and said: "Master Puguang fell into the Tubo Lama's scheme. I'm afraid he will lose in thirty moves."
Wu Chengsi turned his head and said strangely:
"I see that lama can dodge Master Puguang's punches and kicks without using his hands. His martial arts should be better. Why do you say that Master Puguang fell into his scheme?"
Nie Ziyun said: "Your Highness does not know that when the Tubo Lama dodges with all his strength, his hands are actually of little use."
Wu Chengsi revealed it at once, his eyes flickered and he said:
"He deliberately clasped his hands together and pretended that he wanted to do it, but it was actually a kind of psychological warfare. If Master Puguang cannot fight for a long time, his mentality will inevitably be unbalanced and his flaws will be exposed."
Nie Ziyun secretly praised and said: "That's it, but having said that, although Master Puguang's martial arts is not inferior to that of Lianhuasheng, his mentality is far inferior to his opponent, so it is destined to be difficult to win."
On the other side, Xue Yujin sighed:
"Well, this Monk Puguang is no match for Padmasambhava at first glance. This Tubo Lama is so cunning. He doesn't dare to fight Master Xuanzang. He only knows how to pick on the weak."
Li Zhiying said: "They must have had this idea in mind and asked for three competitions."
Cheng Caiyi shook his head and said: "The other party is deliberately plotting. It seems that the masters of Daci'en Temple are going to lose."
The three women all felt that Padmasambhava was deliberately playing tricks on Puguang, and they felt pessimistic in their hearts.
At this moment, Puguang changed his strategy again and used a set of claw skills.
I saw his fingers spread out, and his attack became more fierce. Liansheng's dodge was not as easy as before, and his clothes had been scratched in several places.
Nie Ziyun said: "The victory or defeat lies within five moves."
Feng Wu on the side suddenly said: "That's not right." But she didn't explain the reason.
Nie Ziyun glanced at her and saw that her mouth was moving slightly, as if she was eating something, and he thought to himself: "How can you, a little girl, be more discerning than me?"
He shook his head, not paying much attention to her words.
At this moment, Puguang's offensive in the field was seen to have slowed down. After grabbing two claws one after another, his movements stagnated for a moment.
Lianhuasheng's eyes flashed, and his hands that had been folded quickly launched a move "Double Dragons Move" as fast as lightning.
Two fists hit Puguang's chest up and down.
Pu Guang spat out a mouthful of blood and flew back five feet, causing the crowd to scream in surprise.
Nie Ziyun said calmly: "The winner has been decided."
After speaking, he glanced at Feng Wu, only to find that he was staring at the open space intently.
At this moment, the crowd screamed again.
Nie Ziyun turned around and saw that Pu Guang stood up again and fought with Liansheng Ju who was bullying him.
The crowd of onlookers originally thought that Lianhuasheng's martial arts was far superior to Pu Guang, and even knocked Pu Guang away with one move.
However, when I looked at it, I found that Lianshuang, who was using both hands, was still in a stalemate with Puguang.
This time it was Lianhuasheng's turn to attack fiercely, Pu Guang dodged, and saw Lianhuasheng's five fingers close together into a cone, using a set of snake-shaped fists.
Although Puguang dodges eight out of ten moves, he can occasionally land two punches.
Everyone then realized that Lianhuasheng's martial arts was no better than Pu Guang's.
Xue Yujin cursed loudly: "What a cunning lama, he can pretend to be a ghost and cheat!"
Li Zhiying said: "Presumably he did this intentionally to put pressure on Master Puguang's psychology."
Cheng Caiyi said: "Look, Master Puguang can't hold on anymore. It seems that the injury just now is quite serious."
In the open space, Pu Guang was already a little embarrassed, and there was a bloody hole poked in his shoulder by the five fingers of Lotus Flower.
Suddenly, a figure rushed into the arena and struck out three palms in a row, knocking Lianshuang back five steps.
The man clasped his hands together and said, "This temple has surrendered." It was Xuanzang who took action.
Puguang said in a hoarse voice: "Master, this disciple can still fight."
Xuanzang looked at him lovingly and said warmly: "Puguang, you have done well enough. Go and recuperate quickly."
Putting a hand on Puguang's shoulder, Puguang turned his head to look and shouted in a low voice: "Senior Brother Qiji."
Qiuji's eyes flashed coldly and he said:
"Puguang, if you hadn't stood up again just now and exposed this lama's trick, others would have thought that this stinking lama's martial arts skills are much better than yours. They would even think that he is more powerful than the master. You did a good job, and the rest
Leave it to me."
Nie Ziyun touched his forehead and said with a bitter smile: "Miss Fengwu, how do you know that the monk will stand up again?"
Feng Wu opened her mouth, and just when Nie Ziyun thought she was going to answer, she spat out a candied haws seed.
She bought the candied haws on her way here. She held the last one in her mouth and didn't finish it until now.
Wu Chengsi couldn't look at it anymore and said: "Feng Wu, Nie Si Cheng asked you something, why didn't you answer?"
Feng Wu glanced at Nie Ziyun and said, "That monk is very strong and will not be defeated so easily."
Nie Ziyun asked again: "How do you know he is very strong?"
“You’ll know just by looking at it.”
Nie Ziyun smiled bitterly, understanding that the other party's eyesight was better than his, and thought to himself: "No wonder His Royal Highness the King of Zhou allows such a little girl to be the captain of the personal guard. It seems that it is not because she is good-looking."
At this moment, the crowd made another noise.
Wu Chengsi turned around and saw that Xuanzang had admitted defeat in the third game!
"Master, why do you want to admit defeat?" Qiuji lost his voice.
Xuanzang looked closely at the tall lama next to Padmasambhava and sighed: "The third person they sent is very powerful, and you are no match for him."
Qiuji then looked at the lama, gritted his teeth and said, "Master, do you know him?"
Xuanzang nodded and said: "He was the best master in Tianzhu back then. Because he didn't want me to bring Buddhism from Tianzhu back to the Tang Dynasty, he fought with me three times and my teacher almost died in his hands."
Qiuji took a deep breath and finally realized the importance of this competition.
If the opponent lets this lama face Xuanzang, he will have a chance to win.
But they would rather lose some face and adopt a more prudent strategy. This shows that they are bound to win this competition.
"Master, as for the third game... are you sure about it?" Qiuji gritted his teeth and said.
Xuanzang shook his head and said, "Let's go all out."
At noon, all the guests left the Buddhist temple and had lunch at a nearby inn or teahouse. Wu Chengsi was invited by Xuanzang to have a vegetarian meal in the temple.
After noon, the bell rang and the third game finally began.
Wu Chengsi and the guests came outside the row of exquisite Zen rooms. There were five Zen rooms in total, and the competition venue was the two on the far right.
This time the competition is zazen, and it is done indoors.
It is said that the most powerful monks can sit for three days and three nights, and some monks even passed away while sitting.
Xuanzang was still at the Daci'en Temple, but the Tibetan side sent a middle-aged lama.
This lama's face and arms were pitch black and stained with mud, as if he had rolled in the mud.
There are ascetics among the lamas in the Western Regions who deliberately choose to live the most difficult life, and it is not surprising that they are dirty.
I don’t know if it was because he was afraid that the monks at Daci’en Temple would cheat, so the Tubo Lama took the initiative to choose a meditation room.
Xuanzang agreed and asked them to choose a room on the left.
After finishing the selection, the Tubo Lama was still worried and sent someone to carefully check the Zen room on the far right to see if there was any hidden water or food.
After the inspection, Padmasambhava said: "Master Xuanzang, this competition is very important to our country. Please allow me to make a request."
Master Xuanzang said: "I wonder what Master requires?"
Padmasambhava said: "I, the Tubo monk, can only sit and meditate for the longest time when facing the Buddha statue. The young monk hopes to carry a Buddha statue in. Please grant your permission."
Xuanzang pondered for a long time and said: "Okay, but the Buddha statue needs to be inspected."
Lianhuasheng said: "That's natural." He ordered to go down, and after a while, four lamas came over carrying a Buddha statue as tall as one person.
This is a Maitreya Buddha. It is chubby and holds a small banana fan in its hand.
Xuanzang inspected the statue very carefully, and only after confirming that there was no place to hide anything on the statue did he allow the other party to carry the statue inside.
At this moment, a group of Qianniu guards and eunuchs suddenly came from a distance, led by Wei Dongfu, the eunuch who was beside Li Zhi.
Wei Dongfu originally held his head high and was quite arrogant. But when he saw Wu Chengsi, his expression changed and he quickly came over to greet him.
"Old slave pays homage to His Highness King Zhou!"
"Manager Wei, there is no need to be polite. Why are you here?"
"The old slave came to see Master Xuanzang on orders."
After saying that, he turned to Xuanzang and said: "Master Xuanzang, your majesty has also heard about the discussion of Buddhism between your temple and the Tubo lama, and you have specially asked me to deliver an oral message."
Xuanzang led all the monks to kneel on the ground and said: "The poor monks are here to listen to the holy edict."
All the guests onlookers knelt on the ground. As Prince Wu Chengsi, he only had to bow. Apart from him, there was also one person among the guests who only bowed but did not kneel.
Just as Wei Dongfu was about to speak, Wu Chengsi suddenly said: "Wait a minute." He stared at the Tubo Lama and said, "Why don't you kneel down?"
Lianhuasheng said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. We are the people of Tubo and we only worship the King of Tubo."
Wu Chengsi said coldly: "In our land of the Tang Dynasty, we only follow the laws of the Tang Dynasty. If it is blatantly illegal, don't blame me for not showing mercy to you."
The top expert in Tianzhu had an angry look on his face and was about to speak when Lianhuasheng hurriedly grabbed him and said with a wry smile: "Since the prince said so, we will obey your orders." He led all the lamas to kneel down.
Wu Chengsi then said to Wei Dongfu: "Eunuch Wei, you can pass on the oral message."
Wei Dongfu smiled and said: "Yes." He held his head high and said loudly:
"His Majesty decreed: If Da Ci'en Temple can defeat the foreign monks in the debate, I will canonize Da Ci'en Temple as the first temple in Chang'an."
Xuanzang was surprised and delighted. He cupped his hands and said, "I respectfully receive the edict."
Padmasambhava slowly stood up and said calmly: "Master Xuanzang, can we start?"
Xuanzang nodded and entered his Zen room first, followed closely by the Tubo Lama.
Later, the monks from Daci'en Temple formed a circle and sat outside Xuanzang's gate, and the Tubo lamas formed a circle and sat outside their own lama's gate.
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