Chapter 1376: Chapter 621: Persuading the Pharmacist to Defect, Three Great Principles
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After almost arranging everything regarding the mortals in the city, Cheng Yun arrived at Leiyin Temple.
Due to Pharmacist City’s high status in the surrounding area, the Leiyin Temple in the city was naturally prosperous.
Even before entering the temple gate, Cheng Yun saw three towering white pagodas, with wisps of white mist rising up, making the spires look as if they were in the clouds.
A deep sound of Buddhist chanting emanated from within the temple. Cheng Yun stepped over the knee-high threshold and at a glance, saw the statue of Liuli Buddha in the Treasure Hall staring at him.
Several monk officials under the Buddha statue were striking wooden fish, chanting scriptures.
Outside the hall, many believers were burning incense and praying, devoutly kneeling.
Even though the Great Leiyin Temple attracted many mortals from the city, there were still a few people who were closer to Leiyin Temple, and some even harbored a bit of hostility towards the Great Leiyin Temple.
Not to mention those monk officials.
Seeing Cheng Yun, the outsider and demon from the Great Leiyin Temple, visiting, these people stopped striking the wooden fish and reciting scriptures, and just glared at Cheng Yun with angry vigilance, but did not dare to speak.
Cheng Yun, on the other hand, was exceptionally at ease, strolling like sightseeing, looking around leisurely.
This demeanor made those people on the opposite side even more shocked and angry.
He arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Hall, folded his hands in salute to several monk officials, and said loudly, "Cheng Yun, under Maitreya of the Great Leiyin Temple, comes to visit Medicine Buddha."
The resonant voice echoed far in the Leiyin Temple, sparking some whispers.
But no one came forward to respond.
Cheng Yun was not embarrassed, remaining calm, with a look of unwillingness to leave.
After a long period, the voice of Medicine Buddha came to everyone’s ears:
"Please enter the Medicine Buddha Hall."
A monk official walked out from the great hall, leading Cheng Yun around the Treasure Hall.
Behind the Treasure Hall was the Medicine Buddha Hall.
The Medicine Buddha Hall was quite grand, with two floors. In the main hall, there was a sitting statue of Medicine Buddha, even taller than the statue of Liuli Buddha in the Treasure Hall.
The arrangement of the Leiyin Sub-Temple was very distinctive—they had a certain territorial consciousness, adopting a system similar to the fiefdom of Divine Dao.
The Treasure Hall was present in every Leiyin Sub-Temple, enshrining the statue of the current ruler of Leiyin Temple, previously Lu Yao, now Liuli Buddha.
Besides the Medicine Buddha Hall, there were other palaces in Leiyin Temple, which differed greatly.
For example, in Pharmacist City, there was a Medicine Buddha Hall, which was actually slightly more important than the Treasure Hall—this represented that the "lord" of this place was Medicine Buddha.
This is also the origin of the Five Directions Buddha.
These five individuals were actually the previous five largest Leiyin "lords," the directional names indicating their territorial positions in the West Continent.
In other words, the most accurate name for the Leiyin Sub-Temple in Pharmacist City should be Medicine Temple; Medicine Buddha had a great deal of control over this place.
Cheng Yun walked into the Medicine Buddha Hall, there was no sight of Medicine Buddha in the main hall. He looked around and then went up the wooden stairs leaning against the right wall, ascending to the second floor.
Medicine Buddha was sitting on a meditation cushion, looking at him with complicated eyes.
He probably guessed what Cheng Yun was there for.
Cheng Yun walked to the meditation cushion in front of Medicine Buddha, a young acolyte offered scented tea and quietly retreated.
Only Medicine Buddha and Cheng Yun were left on the second floor.
But Cheng Yun still did not speak.
After a long time, Medicine Buddha sighed, and a golden wheel flew out from his hand, rising up to the roof, bathing the two in precious light.
"You may speak now."
Cheng Yun didn’t start with the main topic, but curiously looked at the golden wheel above and suddenly laughed: "You indeed have a way to hide from Liuli Buddha."
"How did you guess?"
"Because only Pharmacist City is the most lenient with us," Cheng Yun said frankly, "In other places, we encountered other Bodhisattvas and Arhats; they might not be more loyal to Liuli Buddha, but they wouldn’t allow us freedom as you do. We even have conflicts at times."
Cheng Yun understated it.
In some places, Maitreya and Qingnv even had to intervene to suppress.
As for Liuli Buddha, he should be afraid of being attacked on two fronts by justice, always hiding in Leiyin Temple and not coming out.
It must be said that they indeed caused considerable obstacles to the Great Leiyin Temple.
The situation in Pharmacist City naturally attracted attention.
Medicine Buddha is one of Liuli Buddha’s most trusted disciples, yet he basically paid no attention to Cheng Yun and others.
The underlying thoughts naturally attracted speculation.
Moreover, many Arhats and Bodhisattvas dared not openly oppose the Great Leiyin Temple.
But they would display some resistance against the Great Leiyin Temple —such as not appearing personally but letting subordinates harass, indicating a stance.
The reason is easy to imagine — the Divine Dao Skill’s features allow Liuli Buddha to monitor disciples from various paths; those Arhats and Bodhisattvas would at least make a show to avoid arousing Liuli Buddha’s suspicion.
Oddly enough, Medicine Buddha showed nothing.
Maitreya and others naturally guessed that he possessed Exotic Treasures that insulated against Divine Dao Skill.
Medicine Buddha glanced at Cheng Yun, seeming a bit impatient, directly asking, "What do you want from me?"
"Would the Bodhisattva be willing to take refuge in our Great Leiyin Temple?"
"..." Medicine Buddha’s expression changed slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Cheng Yun had a sense of clarity.
This Medicine Buddha indeed intended to jump ship, at least he had lost faith in Liuli Buddha.
So he was unwilling to excessively offend the Great Leiyin Temple.
But on the other hand... he was also afraid.
Afraid not of Liuli Buddha, but like Maitreya and others, wary of Thunder Sound Buddha among the three, unwilling to easily bet.
So he hesitated, facing the Great Leiyin Temple’s entry into Pharmacist City, neither wanting to resist nor daring to join, without any action, like a powerless husband.
