This is truly hopeless!
The Jade Emperor, with his head bowed, did not notice Laozi's expression. He was pondering whether this outsider would have any negative impact on the existing order of the Three Realms, and how to deal with this outsider.
However, although he didn't know what the outsider's intentions were, the Jade Emperor understood the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
These two people, who repeatedly clashed with Buddhism, were actually friends of the Jade Emperor.
If one could exchange the position of one of the Four Heavenly Emperors for the assistance of a powerful ally, it would be a worthwhile deal.
After pondering for a long time, the Jade Emperor finally made up his mind and said, "I will obey the Dao Ancestor's order. After I return, I will have Venus descend to the mortal realm to deliver an imperial decree, bestowing upon this person the title of Great Emperor of the Western Pole!"
"good!"
Lao Tzu turned around and nodded slightly.
…………
The Western Paradise, Mount Ling, is located between the celestial realm and the human world. Its space is vast, and like the Thirty-Three Heavens, it is an auxiliary space that was created at the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth.
The Jade Emperor and others were born earlier and occupied all the good places like the Thirty-Three Heavens. Buddha was born later and had nowhere else to go, so he had to occupy the land of Mount Ling.
There are countless such secondary spaces throughout the Three Realms, some as large as an entire realm, others as small as a corner of a place.
Among them, the most famous are the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
Let's get back to the main topic.
On this day, the Tathagata gathered a group of Buddhas, Arhats, Gatekeepers, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, and Bhikkhus at the Great Thunder Temple to preach the Dharma.
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the temple, startling the Buddhas who were listening to the sermon inside. All of them looked displeased and turned to look outside.
The Buddha stopped preaching and asked, "Who is making a commotion outside the door?"
Huian Xingzhe Muzha stood outside the door looking dejected. It was hard for outsiders to imagine what he had gone through during this time.
The term "行者" (xíngzhě) means follower or attendant, and given his status, he was naturally not qualified to enter the temple to listen to the Buddha's teachings.
Therefore, Ling Chanzi and the others guarding the door refused to let Muzha in, but Muzha was worried about Guanyin Bodhisattva's safety and insisted on forcing his way in, and the two sides almost got into a fight.
Fortunately, Buddha spoke up, interrupting the next move by both sides.
"Hmph, I'm not going to bother with you!"
Muzha, who was confronting Ling Chanzi, snorted coldly, turned his head to look into the hall, and replied loudly, "Reporting to Buddha, this disciple is Huian Xingzhe, who is by the side of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and has important matters to report!"
"Come in!"
"It is Tathagata, sitting on the nine-tiered lotus platform, who spoke calmly."
Upon hearing the Buddha's words, Ling Chanzi and the others stepped aside.
Muzha strode into the Great Thunderclap Temple and, under the watchful eyes of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, knelt down with a thud.
"Please, Buddha, save the Bodhisattva!"
He cried as he said, "The Bodhisattva has been kidnapped. That person asked his disciple to deliver a message to the Buddha, saying that the Buddha must personally come and negotiate with him!"
"What? Guanyin Bodhisattva has been kidnapped?"
"Who dares to be so audacious as to blaspheme Buddhism! They deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
"With Guanyin Bodhisattva's strength, even if she were no match for someone, she shouldn't have been captured, right?"
"Could there be some kind of conspiracy involved? Using Guanyin as bait to lure the World-Honored One into a trap?"
As soon as Muzha spoke, it caused a commotion among the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and others in the hall.
"quiet!"
The Buddha's expression remained unchanged as he gave a light command.
"Huian, tell me the whole story!"
After everyone quieted down, he looked at Muzha, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, and said.
"That day, the disciple and the Bodhisattva left Mount Ling... (omitting ten thousand words)... and arrived in Chang'an... sneaking into the palace at night... were knocked away... and finally returned to Mount Ling after many hardships..."
Upon hearing this, Muzha immediately began to recount everything that had happened to him and Guanyin after they descended from Mount Ling, telling everyone in detail what had occurred.
"What? Such a person is hidden in the mortal realm?"
"Suppressing Buddhism, the Great New Empire, what a Great New Empire!"
"We beseech the World Honored One to intervene and suppress that ignorant clown, so as to uphold the prestige of Buddhism!"
"Indeed, this person has challenged the dignity of our Buddhist sect. If we don't teach him a lesson, how will our Buddhist disciples be able to walk in the world in the future?"
"The dignity of our Buddhist community cannot be disrespected; this person should be severely punished!"
"There are no people there, only demons causing trouble."
"Indeed, it is the work of demons!"
Muzha's words drew angry glares from all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats in the hall, who shouted their rebukes.
boom!
Like a depth charge exploding, it sparked a public outcry.