Zhuang Rui was somewhat helpless. He had driven all the way from Chengdu to Lhasa, and Mangkang and Zogang County were both close to Chengdu or Kunming. This journey was not easy.
"Come on, Brother Zhuang, let me introduce you. This is Jiacuo, you can just call him Brother Jiacuo. Jiacuo is very familiar with the roads in Tibet, he's your driver and guide this time... This is Suonan, he's a staff member of our district government and the leader of this expedition team. Um, no need to introduce Basang Lama, you all know him..."
Yang Kaiwen led Zhuang Rui to the front of the first car. After the people in the car got out, they introduced themselves to Zhuang Rui.
Gyatso was in his early thirties, a typical Tibetan with a prominent ruddy complexion from the high altitude. He wore a traditional Tibetan robe, with one shoulder exposed.
The man was a bit older, probably around forty years old. He wore glasses and had a scholarly air about him. When Yang Kaiwen introduced him, he nodded to Zhuang Rui in a friendly manner.
"Greetings, Brother Gyatso. I hope you will take good care of me..."
Zhuang Rui greeted the group of people. He knew that Gyatso was a very common name in Tibet, meaning to have a heart as vast as the ocean.
This time, Zhou Rui, who is familiar with Tibet, did not come along, so Jiacuo played a very important role. Although Zhuang Rui had traveled the Tibet-Sichuan route once, if he were to go on the trip by himself again, he would be completely lost.
"Mr. Zhuang, it's not about taking care of you, I'm quite familiar with this route, I just need to make sure you don't get lost..."
Gyatso smiled and answered Zhuang Rui, speaking fluent Mandarin. Suonan smiled at Zhuang Rui but didn't say anything. The young lama, who respected Zhuang Rui the most, bowed respectfully to Zhuang Rui and Bai Shi.
"Director Yang, who's driving this car?"
Zhuang Rui noticed that the search team was very small. Apart from himself and Peng Fei, who were not permanent staff, there were only three people actually searching. It seemed that they didn't need two cars.
Yang Kaiwen smiled and said, "This car is full of supplies and gasoline. You and Xiao Peng can drive it for now. When you leave, drive it to a city with an airport, and I will arrange for my colleagues to receive you..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Well, I guess I've even become a driver..."
"Don't be upset, look what this is..."
Yang Kaiwen opened the car door, lifted the back seat, and gestured for Zhuang Rui to look.
Zhuang Rui peeked under the seat and saw two Type 56 submachine guns and six magazines. He couldn't help but curl his lip and said, "They're just guns, aren't they?"
If this had happened a year or so ago, Zhuang Rui might have been interested, but now, he's really not that interested in guns. Putting aside everything else, if he just went to his own jade mine in Myanmar, let alone submachine guns, even if he wanted to play with rocket launchers, Hu Rong could probably satisfy his every whim.
"Hey, you've got quite the nerve. Oh, right, I almost forgot, you really don't care for this..."
When Yang Kaiwen thought of Zhuang Rui's mother's background, he immediately understood. With the Ouyang family's influence in the military, playing with a gun was really nothing.
"This is for your self-defense, so please don't take it out carelessly. Also, you must abide by wildlife laws and not shoot wild animals indiscriminately..."
When on official business in Tibet, a gun is essential, but Yang Kaiwen needs to make it clear to Zhuang Rui, otherwise if something goes wrong and Zhuang Rui runs away, Yang Kaiwen will have to take the blame.
"Alright, or, Director Yang, would you like to take us to Zogang?"
Zhuang Rui waved his hand at Yang Kaiwen, saying that with a gun that broken like that, he didn't even know if it would explode when used, yet Yang Kaiwen still had the nerve to tell him so much.
After opening the door of the second SUV, Zhuang Rui let Bai Shi get in and said, "Peng Fei, you stay in the first car, I'll drive this one. Master Basang, please ride with me, I have some things I'd like to ask you..."
Zhuang Rui didn't want to be a driver, but he wanted to find an opportunity to be alone with Basang and ask him about Buddhist supernatural powers. Basang had mentioned the Five Eyes Supernatural Power yesterday, but Zhuang Rui couldn't find it online.
"Hey, Brother Zhuang, what's wrong with you...?"
Yang Kaiwen gave Zhuang Rui a wink; Zhuang Rui's words had a hint of overstepping his bounds.
After Zhuang Rui finished speaking, he forgot that he was not the team leader. He quickly looked at the scholar-official and said, "Excuse me, Brother Suonan, I would like to ask Master Basang some questions about Buddhism. Do you think this arrangement is acceptable?"
"Okay, that's settled then. If you get tired, just use the walkie-talkie in the car to call out, and I can take turns driving..."
Suo Nan was quite easy to talk to and nodded in agreement to Zhuang Rui's plan. ...
After saying goodbye to Yang Kaiwen, the two SUVs headed out of Lhasa. The roads around Lhasa were in good condition and there were few vehicles, so they could drive at a higher speed.
The car ahead, driven by Gyatso, was going very fast. Zhuang Rui glanced at it and realized that it would take 140 miles per hour to catch up. He couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. If Gyatso were to drive in the mainland, he definitely wouldn't be used to it.
"Master Basang, are you alright? Would you like some water?"
Zhuang Rui noticed that Basang, who was sitting next to him, seemed a little uncomfortable. His originally dark and ruddy face was now somewhat pale. He quickly took his left hand off the gear shift and handed him a bottle of mineral water.
"It's alright, Layman Zhuang. You have a karmic connection with Buddhism, so please don't call me Master..."
Basang lowered the car window closest to him a little, and the breeze from outside made his complexion look much better.
"Okay, then I'll call you Basang..."
Zhuang Rui slowed down the car a little and said, "Basang, yesterday you said that Buddhism has the Five Eyes. Could you explain to me what kind of supernatural powers each of the Five Eyes possesses and how they are cultivated?"
The spiritual energy that Zhuang Rui saw, from its initial formation to its subsequent advancements, all occurred inexplicably. He couldn't grasp any pattern, so he wanted to see if there were any specific cultivation methods within Buddhism.
"Well... Layman Zhuang, Buddhism emphasizes the state of mind; supernatural powers are ultimately not the right path..."
The young lama seemed quite resistant to supernatural powers and offered some words of advice to Zhuang Rui.
"Hehe, Basang, I'm just curious, not trying to learn supernatural powers. Don't say I'm not a Buddhist, even among Buddhists, I doubt many can cultivate supernatural powers, right?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. This little lama was really interesting; it was as if he could learn it just by hearing what the lama said.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Basang smiled and said, "The Five Eyes are a type of skill in Buddhist practice. They refer to non-visual abilities that a person develops through practice, namely, the Physical Eye, the Heavenly Eye, the Wisdom Eye, the Dharma Eye, and the Buddha Eye..."
Zhuang Rui's pupils contracted sharply, but he feigned nonchalance and asked, "Could you explain in more detail?"
Basang nodded and said, "The naked eye means you can see both near and far, without any issues of nearsightedness or farsightedness. It's also extremely sensitive, and the ability to see further varies depending on the level of skill. Those with higher skill can see much farther than ordinary people... The celestial eye, on the other hand, is a further development of the naked eye through training, resulting in non-visual abilities. That's the celestial eye, possessing X-ray vision and remote viewing capabilities. This ability generally manifests as the head acting like a fluorescent screen, allowing one to see very far, pass through obstacles, and see through the human body..."
"What? The Heavenly Eye can see through obstacles in the human body?"
Zhuang Rui cried out in disbelief. If what Basang said was true, wouldn't he have opened his Heavenly Eye?
Basang shook his head dismissively and said, "The Heavenly Eye is only considered a first or second-level skill among supernatural abilities. It only allows one to see, but seeing doesn't necessarily mean understanding..."
Fearing Zhuang Rui wouldn't understand, Basang quickly explained, "The Heavenly Eye is like seeing something; you only know what it looks like—is it square, pointed, or black? You can only describe its shape, but you can't define it..."
"And what about the ability to see with wisdom?"
Zhuang Rui pressed for an answer.
"After reaching the Heavenly Eye, the next level is the third ultimate skill, namely the Wisdom Eye. The Wisdom Eye is further divided into four states: Multiple Eyes, Analyzing Eyes, Tracking Eyes, and Predictive Eyes."
The multi-eyed can see things from three-dimensional angles, and the analytical eye can analyze them, knowing at a glance what they are, what their name is, and what their meaning is.
The ability to trace the past and follow previous events means that in addition to seeing the present, one can also see residual information, shadows, and sounds from the past.
The ability to foresee the future allows one to see and predict what is to come. The development of anything has a certain direction and trend, and change begins with quantitative change, eventually leading to qualitative change. With the skill of "foreseeing the future," one can see the process of this quantitative change...
"Wait, Basang, are these things passed down from Buddhist scriptures, or did you hear them from someone else?"
Zhuang Rui became increasingly confused as he listened. How did they even bring up quantitative and qualitative changes? This didn't sound like Buddhist teachings; it was more like they were using science to explain it.
Basang nodded and said, "This is what the teacher said during a lecture. I don't quite understand it either, but that's roughly the meaning in Chinese. I only told you since you asked, Mr. Zhuang..."
"Then let's talk about the other two supernatural abilities..."
Zhuang Rui thought the first two were unreliable, and the third one's analysis of things was somewhat related to the spiritual energy in his eyes, but the predictions and omens that followed had nothing to do with it.
"The Dharma Eye must possess two functions: the ability to see and the ability to use. The ability to see means having high energy, while the ability to use means being able to apply and correct things."
People with the skill of "seeing through the eyes" can see a steel wire break with focused concentration, and some can restore torn leaves, postcards, etc. This is not magic, but skill.
There's an old saying, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." Most people don't understand this; only those who have reached a certain level of cultivation can grasp its meaning…
The Buddha's Eye of Light speaks of the Buddha's light shining everywhere, strict etiquette and justice, and universal salvation. It is a level higher than the Dharma Eye of Light. When one reaches the Buddha's Eye of Light, the radiance around them is extremely strong. When the Buddha's Eye of Light looks out, the Buddha's light shines everywhere, allowing many people to benefit at the same time.
At this level, one can automatically correct certain things and do good deeds for many people. However, it is difficult to reach the level of Buddha's Eye of Truth through cultivation alone; it is generally an ability brought by reincarnated high monks from their previous lives..."
When the young lama was explaining the Five Eyes, his face was solemn, and he had the air of a highly enlightened monk.
"Could it be that I was a monk in my past life?"
After listening to Basang explain all five supernatural powers, Zhuang Rui was somewhat stunned. According to Basang's understanding of the Buddha's Eye Power, the meaning of the Buddha's light shining everywhere is that it can eliminate diseases, which is similar to the function of the spiritual energy in his eyes.
The third ability, the ability to see clearly, is also related to the supernatural power of seeing. It's rare that I really have a connection with Buddhism, and that I was a reincarnation of Buddha in my past life.
Zhuang Rui's mind started to wander. The spiritual energy in his eyes had advanced several times, mostly in Buddhist holy sites. Could there be a connection between them?
"Layman Zhuang, supernatural powers are for Buddhists, used to save all sentient beings and eliminate disasters. You can't just cultivate them casually..."
Basang saw Zhuang Rui standing there in a daze and quickly reminded him.
"Uh, how do you cultivate with this?"
Zhuang Rui composed himself and focused his attention on the road.
"I don't know," Basang answered simply.
"Fine, never mind..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about it. Anyway, the changes in his eyes had brought him the health of his loved ones and so much wealth. Whether it was Buddhist supernatural power or something else, it wasn't a bad thing. He had been getting a bit stuck in a rut lately.
He slammed on the gas pedal, and the SUV suddenly accelerated, catching up with the car in front of it at breakneck speed. This feeling of speed broadened Zhuang Rui's mind considerably.
Around 12 noon, the two cars had already left the Lhasa area. After finding a place to eat some of the dried meat they had brought with them, the group continued on their way.
Gyatso didn't take the Sichuan-Tibet Highway; instead, he led Zhuang Rui and the others into the grasslands. He said this route would save at least two days of travel time. ...
"Brother Gyatso, why did you stop?"
After driving for more than two hours across the grassland, Zhuang Rui noticed that the vehicles ahead of him had slowly come to a stop.
Gyatso opened the car door, looked at the sky ahead, and said, "A storm is coming, we can't go any further. We can only continue when the storm stops..."
Zhuang Rui followed Jiacuo's gaze in confusion. The sky was still very blue, and apart from a large floating cloud, there seemed to be no dark clouds looming overhead before a storm.
Chapter 732 The Storm
"Brother Gyatso, the weather is so nice..."
The afternoon sun shone on the vast grassland, radiating boundless vitality. The distant hills and snow-capped mountains, with their snow that never melted, were shrouded in a golden light, showing no sign of an impending storm.
"There's no mistake, Xiao Zhuang. Let's drive the car to the foot of that hill ahead and park them close together..."
Gyatso took a deep drag on the cigarette, which was now just a cigarette butt, threw it on the ground, stubbed it out with his foot, and then turned and got into the car.
Suo Nan, who got out of the first car, patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother, you're right to listen to Jiacuo. When he was five years old, he traveled back and forth on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway with the car. He knows much more about the climate on the grasslands than we do..."
Zhuang Rui's identity in this search team was simply that of a living Buddhist layperson with a connection to Buddhism. Apart from Peng Fei, no one knew about Zhuang Rui's background, so everyone spoke to Zhuang Rui very casually.
"Waaaaah..."
The white lion, seemingly out of nowhere, leaped out of the doorway in front of Zhuang Rui, nuzzled him with its large head, and then roared in the direction Jiacuo pointed, its deep voice carrying far and wide.
"White Lion, get in the car..."
Seeing Bai Shi's actions, Zhuang Rui sensed something was wrong. He quickly opened the back door, let Bai Shi get in, started the car, and sped off towards the seemingly nearby hills, following Jiacuo's SUV.
As the saying goes, "looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death." The hills ahead didn't seem far away, but it took Zhuang Rui a full twenty minutes to drive there. At that moment, the weather suddenly changed.