Chapter 368: Chapter 220: The Buddha’s Sigh—That Scythe Is Still So Sharp
"Creak—"
After securing his bank card, Lu Taiyi opened the door again and entered the cellar.
He lit incense candles, removed the red cloth, and bowed again and again to the statue in the shrine.
Then he turned to another secret chamber, pulling out a box made of elm wood from the darkness.
The box was evidently ancient; the red lacquer outside was peeling off, and even the iron lock had traces of rust.
"Click!"
Opening the iron lock, just like the shrine, all that met his eyes was a thick layer of red cloth.
He slowly opened the red cloth, his pupils widening constantly, his eyes filled with uncontrollable excitement and frenzy. When the red cloth was lifted, inside was unsurprisingly another statue.
Unlike the statue in the shrine, which lay on the ground with a perpetual smile, this Maitreya statue, though similarly chubby, was seated upright, seemingly smiling yet not.
Its entire body was not the yellow of pear wood but an eerie blood-red, as if just soaked in blood.
The curve of its mouth was slightly higher than usual, and its gaze unusually lively, just one glance was spine-chilling.
The statue in the shrine was returned to the elm box and tossed back into the pitch-black secret chamber, while the blood-red statue was set up in the shrine.
Lu Taiyi respectfully lit three sticks of incense and then kneeled for a long time.
Only after the incense completely burned did he rise from the ground, extinguish the candles, and retreat.
His words to Yang Anbang and the other two were half-true. Most of it was accurate, but he was clearer about the ascetic monk’s origins.
The Maitreya Sect’s founder was a monk named Qi Ci from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
Qi Ci, with a chubby face and big ears, was carefree, often carrying a cloth bag, begging along the streets, filling his bag with whatever he received. Later, he stumbled upon Buddhist teachings and entered the path of cultivation.
After entering the Dao, Qi Ci borrowed Buddhism’s name to establish the Maitreya Sect, worshiping Maitreya Buddha, considered a branch of Buddhism.
However, the Maitreya Sect’s teachings drastically differed from Buddhism, which advocated kindness and virtue, and the cycle of cause and effect.
Maitreya Sect emphasized immediate retribution, urging people to resist through violence, using blood and fire to summon Maitreya to the mortal realm and establish a Buddha country.
It’s said: "To kill one person is to become a Bodhisattva, to kill ten is to become ten Bodhisattvas!"
From its inception, this sect was malformed. Though it was born from Buddhism, it perversely regarded Buddhism as an old demon, absurd as it was.
During Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei, the Jizhou monk Fa Qing self-proclaimed as the "New Buddha," appointing Li Guibo as the "Ten Bodhisattvas," creating "Great Vehicle Buddhism."
The so-called "New Buddha" was a reference to the Buddhist scripture saying "Maitreya becomes Buddha," claiming that Maitreya Buddha replaced Sakyamuni Buddha to save the world.
Opposing Buddhism’s Five Precepts, fervently advocating "violence and chaos," "killing to become Buddha," persecuting monks, burning scriptures and images, betraying the teachings.
Due to these teachings, it was never recognized by orthodox dynasties, yet had countless followers and significant influence.
Until the Tang Dynasty, Maitreya Buddha openly entered halls and ascended to temples.
Empress Wu Zetian, to stabilize her reign, abandoned both Buddhism and Daoism, boldly utilizing Buddhism to manipulate public opinion.
She even compiled the "Great Cloud Scripture," proclaiming herself as Maitreya reincarnated, saving everyone.
Upon ascending the throne, she adopted the title "The Benevolent Ancient Golden Wheel Divine Emperor," essentially considering herself Maitreya.
Since then, the Maitreya Sect was officially recognized in Dragon Country,
Its peak was when Ming Yuzhen founded a nation in the Sichuan and Chongqing Region, abolishing Buddhism and Daoism, widely establishing Maitreya Buddha halls, and designating Maitreya as the state religion.
Yet when Dragon Country was founded, the Maitreya Sect was labeled heretical; not only were temples dismantled, but its cultivation technique manuals were completely destroyed.
Knowing Yang Anbang’s hidden intentions, he naturally wouldn’t share this information.
After all, the teachings had significant issues from the start. Really, whose good teachings involve killing people to become Buddha?
...
Lu Taiyi chose not to speak on certain matters, and Yang Anbang wasn’t naïve, naturally not believing merely by listening.
Upon returning to the hotel, he promptly utilized his family’s connections to thoroughly investigate Lu Taiyi.
However, no matter how he investigated, Lu Taiyi’s resume matched his words, and those acquainted with him praised him highly, calling him a living Buddha helping others.
Yang Dingguo, or Father Yang, specifically advised Yang Anbang to show utmost respect to Lu Taiyi, regardless of whether he was truly a master or not.
If he was a master, the Yang Family would benefit greatly; even if not, their loss would be merely some money, of little concern.
In the following days, Yang Anbang visited daily, discussing Buddhist teachings or distributing tea, rice, oil, and salt to nearby villagers in Lu Taiyi’s name, without mentioning other topics.
Faced with all this, Lu Taiyi merely smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Finally, after a week.
At a villa north of Z City, two Hummers stopped first, followed by four pickup trucks carrying several heavy elm boxes.
Hummer doors opened, with three people first disembarking, precisely Lu Taiyi and Yang Anbang.
Entering the villa, they saw over a dozen tall trees neatly arranged in the courtyard, their crowns covering the sky, casting shadows everywhere, with cool breezes flowing.
Passing through two courtyards and five rooms, traversing a pebble-paved path, they reached the central hall, adorned modestly but exuding an indescribable natural beauty.
Once everyone settled, Yang Anbang smiled and said, "Master, do you find this courtyard satisfactory?"
