Chapter 8, Demons Arise

In the village, the elder Grandpa Zhao immediately held up a tray with both hands, covered with red silk. The monk, with a blank expression, uncovered the red silk, revealing a dozen or so copper coins quietly lying on the tray

Old Zhao was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude, while the villagers behind him cried and bowed to the monks, creating a warm scene of harmony between the monastic and lay communities.

In a previous life, it seems I heard about smallpox on some television channel. At that time, I was merely watching it for entertainment and completely forgot about it afterward. What the hell is used to treat smallpox? ... There was a British man who seemed to have come up with a method, it seems ...? ... Using a cow? What about the cow? It seems to be something from a very private area, and then what?

This is not correct, it should not be like this

Unexpected variables should be addressed, reversed, and brought back to the established course of events

Li Daozheng sat every day on the threshold, his face dark and sullen as he gazed at the vast expanse of fertile fields outside his home. With spring approaching and the time for sowing wheat drawing near, the damned plague had to spread at this critical moment, delaying the spring planting. Even if the plague were to pass, what would everyone eat this year

The plump monk cast a sidelong glance, and another short monk immediately took the tray.

Three bald monks are seated in the middle of the earthen ground, bowing their heads and striking a wooden fish, murmuring an unknown scripture with solemn expressions that reveal a hint of compassion, praying to the Bodhisattva in the western heavens for the sake of all sentient beings.

Which Bodhisattva is so bored

After a moment of silence, Li Daozheng suddenly sighed heavily: "Old Three has died, and Old Four is said to have started running a fever; his parents, however, are fine..."

Hmph! Li Su let out another hmph, purely experimental in nature

Just when I was thinking about something crucial, who is making noise outside? At a time like this, is there still the mood to beat drums and gongs, to court disaster?

After being kicked in the rear, Li Daozheng lowered his voice and angrily said: "One must be sincere when praying to the Bodhisattva! What nonsense are you talking about!"

A large crowd knelt behind the monk, and in these past few days, men, women, and children who had been too frightened to move at home all came out. Li Su even saw the two brothers, Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi, with their eyes red and swollen, kneeling in front of the villagers with a dazed expression.

Li Daozheng rushed into the room, urging excitedly: "Get up quickly, the monk has come to the village, hurry and go with me to worship the Bodhisattva. After worshiping the Bodhisattva, the plague god will not dare to harm us..."

Li Suxin felt a pang in his heart; although he had only interacted with the Wang brothers for an afternoon, he had already regarded them as friends

Divine Synchronization

Amitabha, the benefactor is mistaken. A monastic should be free from greed and anger; what use is there for wealth? Wealth is offered to the Bodhisattva, to accumulate merit in this life, and to eliminate the karmic debts of past lives. " A slightly plump monk, with a shiny complexion, corrected firmly.

In the medically backward Tang Dynasty, the control over diseases and epidemics was quite powerless, often relying on fate, luck, and even the intervention of deities. Whenever there were great disasters or upheavals, the emperor could only lead his ministers in offering sacrifices to heaven and confessing their sins, saying, "All sins shall be borne by me alone, and let not the common people suffer."

At the moment when the villagers of Manping were bowing their heads in gratitude, Li Su quietly slipped out of the kneeling crowd while her father was not paying attention, and hid behind a haystack. Listening to the three monks spreading their deceptive words, Li Su let out a heavy grunt of anger

The people of Guanzhong are never afraid of visible enemies, as everyone has two arms and two legs, and the blood that spurts from a knife thrust into the chest is the same shade of red. However, what about invisible enemies

In the previous life, the surrounding wall of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing was a famous echo wall. Could it be that the men from Guanzhong unintentionally created an echo wall while stacking haystacks?

Has the Bodhisattva manifested? Seeing a mortal displeasing him, did he specifically descend to take revenge, and the method of this revenge is to hum back at him?

Hmph

When the flowers bloomed and spread to the outskirts of Chang'an, the hearts of the people in Chang'an were already in turmoil. In the eastern and western markets, about sixty to seventy percent of the shops had closed down. Merchants and common folk in the neighborhoods were hastily taking their wives and children to seek refuge with relatives and friends in other places. Despite the earnest persuasion of the local officials and military leaders, they were still unable to quell the people's fear of death

Li Su suddenly realized that visiting the Bodhisattva was quite a good idea, at least better than the experience of being beaten with a rattan stick

Shops have closed, workshops have ceased operations, incidents of theft and robbery in the city have become frequent, and grain prices have inexplicably soared... A series of chain reactions triggered by the plague have become increasingly severe. Li Shimin finally realized the terrifying nature of this epidemic and summoned civil and military officials to the Taiji Palace for discussions late into the night. Officials from the three provinces and six ministries worked tirelessly throughout the night, busy handling one emergency after another, plunging the entire court into a chaotic busyness.

"Father, how is the Wang family doing?" Li Su quietly asked Li Daozheng, who was beside her

Li Su followed the sound and, after circling around two stacks of hay, finally saw this boring Bodhisattva—perhaps not a Bodhisattva, as a Bodhisattva would not have their hair tied up in a bun, nor would they wear a flat Hunyuan hat, ... and certainly would not be dressed in a blue-green Daoist robe ...

It is not 'to give', but 'to offer with respect'! The monk earnestly corrected again, a typical case of mild obsessive-compulsive disorder

Yes, yes, yes

Li Su was placed under house arrest, and not just him; the entire village was under similar restrictions. The villagers anxiously remained in their homes, with only a meager supply of food left for survival. Families sat together in their rooms, fearfully and vigilantly surveying their familiar surroundings, as if guarding against the covert schemes of an invisible enemy. The helpless despair gradually consumed all the warmth and beauty that once existed.

... ...

Li Su is actually very afraid; having lived two lifetimes does not necessarily mean her body is stronger than others. If she contracts smallpox, she will inevitably die.

Hmph

The stout monk lowered his head and silently recited a few verses of scripture, then pointed to the incense burner on the altar in front, which was piled high with ash, and said: "My fellow monks and I, three in total, do not fear the plague, and we toil tirelessly, even exhausting our lifelong skills to pray for blessings and longevity for the villagers of Taiping. This incense ash has been empowered by our practices, and Master Zhao may distribute it to the villagers. When mixed with water and taken, it will dispel the calamity of smallpox within five days"

Whenever there is chaos, monsters emerge; this saying is indeed true. Monks are also monsters, taking advantage of the situation to plunder.

The loud sound of drums and gongs from outside interrupted Li Su's memories. Li Su opened her eyes, sat up from the bed, and felt a bit irritated.

The time has come to take action now that the wealth has been secured

Li Su let out a hum, just about to decline her father's earnest invitation, when she raised her eyes and saw a surge of murderous intent in her father's gaze, the rattan whip appearing and disappearing like a magical artifact outside her father's solemn visage

The crowd of worshippers followed the monk's actions; when the monk bowed, everyone bowed in unison, and when the monk recited the scriptures, they knelt quietly without moving, interspersed with the suppressed sobs of the women.

The chaotic and tangled memories were fragmented into one incoherent piece after another, and Li Su furrowed her brows, straining to recall and piece together, to the point where her head ached, yet she still could not find the answer

... ...

Li Su lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The desperate sobs of Wang's parents echoed incessantly in her mind, along with the bone-chilling screams of Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi as they were forcibly taken away by the villagers. Scene after scene of dark and sorrowful images surged forth, as the warm and beautiful pastoral life was completely destroyed by the plague

Li Su's mood grew increasingly heavy as she sat up and looked at the Wang family brothers in front of her, who were numbly praying. Their backs appeared so desolate and dispirited that even Li Su could clearly feel the bone-deep pain of their grief over the loss of a loved one

Ten years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era, the Khagan Xieli of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate led an army of one hundred thousand fierce warriors from the steppe, conquering numerous strongholds of the Tang Dynasty, advancing all the way to Jingyang County, which is only sixty li from the city of Chang'an. The Eastern Turkic soldiers, devoid of humanity, committed acts of arson, murder, and plunder in Jingyang, slaughtering men and violating women

Li Su stared wide-eyed, feeling quite speechless

During that most difficult and trying time, the villagers of Jingyang County had never felt such fear as they do now. The men and women of Guanzhong are full of spirit; faced with the enemy's blade looming close, the men abandoned their hoes to join the militia, while the women led the elderly and children into the deep mountains. The men fought to protect their homeland, and the women fought to preserve the lineage of their families. Everyone risked their lives and gritted their teeth to endure that calamity.

Having inexplicably arrived in this era, Li Su feels extremely lonely and is in great need of friends

Not knowing how long they had knelt, the monks finally stood up, chanted a long "Buddha" sound, and then closed their eyes, remaining still

Old Zhao nodded repeatedly with a smile, saying: "Yes, yes, the old man is wrong, it is for the Buddha, for the Buddha..."

I, a person who has lived two lifetimes, cannot resolve the issue of smallpox, yet a monk can solve it with just a few recitations of scripture? Oh, the wisdom of the people, oh, the wisdom of the people!

The damned plague has severely disrupted Li Su's plan to live a peaceful life in the village.

The entire village, young and old, has gathered, and only this little remains, which I wish to offer to the masters as incense...

It is quite strange that there is actually an echo in the haystack...