Chapter Nine: The Sutra of the Underworld
ext you'd like me to translate!The water monkey hurriedly returned to the tent, holding a piece of paper and whispering, "General Qin, Zheng Kun sent a message. Three days ago, there was indeed an ear...The well is dry. We have to carry water for drinking, washing, and watering the garden. The stairs are high and slippery, making it especially difficult to climb.
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Mingyue pouted, her tone unhappy, and her small eyes peeked at Qin Sang.
Qin Sang noticed Yue Ming's little thoughts and smiled faintly, "From now on, younger brother, you'll be responsible for washing and cooking. I'll take care of these rough chores."
"Really!"
"The bright moon jumped up and clapped happily, "But that'll have to wait until my senior brother's leg is healed."
Children are indeed easy to please. Mingyue immediately warmed up to Qin Sang.
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Qin Sang looked around and pointed to the last row of houses, saying: "Can I choose a house here to live in"
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He harbors secrets unknown to others, and wishes to distance himself from the reclusive monk, for fear of being discovered.
"Of course," Mingyue said, "Master is just about to tidy up these rooms. Before, some people came to the mountain to borrow houses and lived here for a while, but they all moved away later. Now that more and more disaster victims are coming from the north, Master said that the weather is getting colder and colder. He wants to open up these houses to shelter those who have no place to live and help them get through the winter. Some temples on the mountain have already started doing this. Master said we don't demand merit, but we should do good deeds."
Qin Sang chose the house in the northeast corner. Inside, dust covered everything and cobwebs hung everywhere.
Actually, it was three rooms connected together, separated by bamboo walls in the middle. Both inner rooms had old bamboo beds. Qin Sang chose the one on the edge, where the setting sun shone in directly through the window, and faintly, between the mountains, you could see a stretch of river. The scenery was quite beautiful.
The food was vegetables, salted vegetables and steamed bread. After the meal, he drank the herbal decoction that Ming Yue had boiled for him, and the two of them went upstairs together to clean the room. They changed the bamboo bed with new bamboo strips and made up the bedding. They were busy until deep into the night.
Without a clock, Qin Sang didn't know what time it was. Looking at the bright moon and constantly yawning, he urged him to go back to rest.
The moonlit night had finally spoken, and Mingyue reluctantly said to her senior brother, “Brother, I’ll go boil some water for you to wash up.”
Qin Sang practiced a series of Tiger-Crushing Fists, then washed up and cleaned himself. Carefully listening for a while, he realized that both Ji Xin Dao Ren and Ming Yue had fallen asleep. Only then did he carefully close the door and windows, using a sliver of moonlight to take out the few items on his body and examine them.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, with a money pouch, seven-colored pouches, sheepskin paper, wooden sword, Hell's Banner, and a book laid out in a row.
The pouch and the sheepskin, really don't look like anything special. I'll just put them aside for now.
Holding a piece of ebony sword, Qin Sang frowned, utterly unable to comprehend how this small wooden sword could have transformed into a flying sword.
Do you want it to bleed
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The thought had been swirling in Qin Sang's mind for a long time. He made up his mind and, with a bamboo sliver, cut a gash on his finger. A drop of blood fell onto the blackwood sword.
Ignoring the pain in his fingers, Qin Sang eagerly watched the ebony sword, only to see fresh blood drip onto it, then slide down the gleaming blade.
Qin Sang watched, dumbfounded, as the blood bloomed and spread on the ground.
Qin Sang was unwilling to accept defeat. He touched the Yanluo Banner, attempting his old trick again. He even tried the embroidered pouch and the sheepskin, but nothing reacted.
Qin Sang cursed under her breath and picked up the book.
The Netherworld Sutra, the three large characters at the top of the book, a mere dozen or so thin pages. Every sentence was obscure and difficult to understand, with many words that he couldn't recognize. Qin Sang flipped through it roughly until the end, only to discover that the last two pages contained a Yan Luo banner, whose content remained equally incomprehensible.
At the very least, this book is related to the Hell Scroll.
The man in black used the Yan Luo Banner and died with the boy, it must be a divine weapon from the immortal realm!
Thinking that this book was most likely a cultivation scripture, Qin Sang's heart immediately burned with excitement. However, he also realized that even if it was indeed a method of cultivation, he had to understand it first. Otherwise, if he went astray and suffered from demonic possession, he would die without knowing how.
Understanding it first requires knowing the characters. It seems I really need to settle down and study scriptures at Qingyang Temple for a while.
This mountain temple is very quiet, and there's food and drink available. It wouldn't be bad to stay here for a while. I should also take some time to organize my chaotic thoughts.
Although Qin Sang inherited Qin Sanwa's memories, he didn't have the same deep feelings for Qin Sanwa's family. Besides, his parents probably thought he died at the hands of bandits.
It's fine if we don't see each other. I'll make it up to you another time.
He was unwilling to return to Wangjiacun. Even if he didn't seek immortality, he wouldn't want to be trapped in that kind of place and live an ordinary life.
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If Qin Sang hadn't witnessed the sword flying into the heavens with his own eyes, he would have been no different from his past life, seeking only wealth, fame, power, and pleasure. When on the ship, he would have certainly tried his best to curry favor and not disembark so easily.
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Bai Jianglan said that immortals were hard to find, but this Netherworld Sutra gave Qin Sang hope. Perhaps he really had a chance...
My thoughts were muddled, and I don't know what time I fell asleep. I had no dreams all night. The next day, Qin Sang was woken up by the sound of birdsong, and the sky was already bright.
Qin Sang hurried up, tidied himself up, and with his cane went down. Just as he reached the back door of Qingyang Hall, he heard the sound of chanting scriptures and wooden fish coming from inside.
Entering carefully, I saw Master Jixing and Master Mingyue performing morning prayers before the incense altar. Three people seeking medical treatment were already in the main hall, along with an layman reciting sutras with Master Jixing.
Qin Sang didn't dare to speak and disturb, just saw Mingyue glance at him sideways, winking at him, motioning him to go forward.
Qin Sang understood the divine will. He nodded to the person seeking medical attention and walked to the firewood shed in the courtyard. He saw a bowl of congee left for him on the stove, still hot.
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After washing his face and hastily eating a bowl of porridge, he started his busy day.
With Qin Sang's help, the pressure on Ji Xin and his apprentice was significantly reduced.
Qin Sang didn't understand medicine. She sat behind the desk, helping to record and grind herbs.
The old Taoist is a true master, skilled in diagnosis, prescribing medicine, drawing talismans, interpreting fortunes, calculating auspiciousness, and reciting sutras for blessings.
The bright moon received patients and incense guests, boiling water, grabbing medicine, and cooking. She was also very busy.
Unknowingly, dusk was approaching. After sending off the last patient, Master locked the gate of the Taoist temple, and the three disciples divided their labor to clean up the messy main hall.
“Today is the seventh day,” the old Taoist said, holding up a yellow calendar and looking at it for a long while. Then he flipped through several pages of account books and said, “I will go down the mountain tomorrow to do two small rituals. You guys stay here to look after the Taoist temple.”
Saying this, Ji Xin Daoist stood up and rummaged through the medicine cabinet. "On the ninth and tenth days of the lunar month, I will go to Huanghuang Mountain to collect herbs. If there are patients who come up the mountain, Mingyue will see to minor illnesses. For those that are unclear, I ask them to come back on the eleventh day. Go make dinner, and after we eat, we will do our evening prayers."
Yes, Master.
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Qin Sang followed Ming Yue out. Seeing the disappointment on Ming Yue's face, he learned that Shi Xin Dao Ren went up the mountain to collect herbs every month. This time, they went to Huang Huang Mountain deep in the mountains. The terrain was dangerous and there were many rare medicinal herbs.
Besides healing the sick, whenever a favorable day arrives according to the Yellow Calendar, households would invite Ji Xin Daoist down the mountain to perform rituals.
This business can be profitable, but it can't compete with the well-established monasteries and temples like The Way of the Great Dao. Generally, when performing ceremonies, the monks from the Ji Xin Dao tradition will bring a full moon lantern down the mountain to broaden their horizons.
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Qin Sang knew that Ji Xin Dao Ren still didn't trust him.
Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!ndered for a moment, then glanced at Qin Sang and burst into laughter. "Little brother, you are truly a lucky charm! This old man racked his brains and struggled through several tricky barriers before...