Chapter 42 This mountain boy wants to improve The sun gradually rose higher and reached above the treetops in the forest. Its light was so bright that it could hardly be completely blocked by the leaves. Beams of light penetrated into the white mist, making the nearby mountains and forests look even more dreamy. Pinggong Qianye's speed in the forest was not very fast. He was fine for rushing forward, but his control in turning was still a little lacking. After walking for about 20 minutes, the mountain boy leading the way finally stopped. It was holding a vine tightly in its right hand and hanging on a large cypress tree. Below, as far as its eyes could see, on the other side of the cliff, there appeared a flat, ink-smooth stone. To be precise, this is a huge piece of jade that was split in the middle to become two bed boards, with energy clouds gathering inside the jade. On top of the jade, there lay an old mountain boy, his gray hair had almost fallen out and his face was covered with deep wrinkles. The right shoulder, which should have been strong, seemed to have been brutally torn off after some bloody battle.
Its life is coming to an end. It would be difficult for it to continue to maintain either its body or its lifespan. I don’t think I’ll survive this winter. Monsters do live much longer than humans, but they are not immortal. The mountain boy on the tree pointed to the old mountain boy to Pinggong Qianye. The boy swung the vines over the cliff, landed lightly on the ground, knelt on his knees beside the old mountain boy, and uttered a few mournful cries. The two little mountain children on its shoulders covered their eyes with their hands and also whimpered a few times. Pinggong Qianye squatted down with his knees slightly, passed through the leaves, jumped directly over the cliff, and landed on the opposite cliff. "Human beings..." The old mountain boy slowly opened his eyes. His cultivation had reached a higher level and he had learned to use human language. It’s just that his tone is dry, probably because he hasn’t talked to anyone for a long time. "Birth, aging, sickness and death are normal and part of the cycle of reincarnation for all beings in the six realms. Even monsters are no exception." Pinggong Qianye refused the request that Lao Shantong might have made. "I already know my impending end, but I just can't let go of this child." The old mountain boy spoke fluently and reached out to push the young mountain boy who was kneeling beside him. "I would like to ask you to help it become a mountain god." Become a mountain god? Is this about moving from being outside the system to being part of the system? This mountain boy is really eager to improve. No wonder people often say that the end of the universe is the civil service exam. Even the children in the wild are thinking about becoming civil servants. Ping Gong Qianye glanced at the young mountain boy and shook his head to refuse. "To confer the title of a god is a matter of Shintoism, not something I am good at."
"The demons are about to cause chaos. You humans occupy so many mountains, rivers and lakes. You also need to appoint gods to defend the four corners of heaven and earth. This is a mutually beneficial thing for both sides." The old mountain boy coughed a few times, recovered a little, and said, "It has a pure mind. It has lived in the mountains since it was a child. It has never killed anyone. Instead, it has guided lost travelers out of the mountains many times and picked herbs in the mountains to help the villagers at the foot of the mountain." This time Pinggong Qianye did not refuse directly, because he could tell that what the old mountain boy said was true. Pinggong Qianye had no ill will towards natural forest spirits such as mountain boys. Buddhism also often converted some monsters that had a connection with the Buddha, allowing them to follow around and listen to Buddhist teachings and practice. However, the practice of conferring titles on gods is almost exclusive to Shintoism. But if we trace back to past history, as a practitioner of Shingon Buddhism, he also had the ability and qualifications to confer deities. During the Kamakura period, the Shingon sect promoted the Shinto doctrine of the unity of Shinto and Shinto, and successively formed the Two-Part Shinto and Tendai Shinto. At that time, the Shinto theory of the Shingon sect used the Vajra Realm and Garbage Realm of the Esoteric Buddhism Vairocana Buddha to explain and demonstrate the unified relationship between the inner and outer shrines of the Ise Grand Shrine. It is recorded in "Reikiki" that Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestor god of the Japanese royal family, is the incarnation of Vairocana. The native goddess of Amaterasu enshrined in the inner shrine of Ise Grand Shrine is the Garbha-kai Vairocana Nyorai. The native place of the great god Fengshou worshipped in the outer palace is Vajra Realm Vairocana Tathagata. Both gods were transformed from the body of Vairocana Tathagata. Therefore, Vairocana Tathagata and Amaterasu Omikami are of the same origin. However, in the Meiji period, after the "Abolish Buddhism and Destroy Buddhism" movement, Shintoism was revered as the state religion. The status of both sides has changed, and this part of history can only be buried with history. After all, you can’t use the sword of the previous dynasty to kill officials of the current dynasty. "Ahem, although I am old, this eye of mine is still intact. When you stepped onto this mountain, I could vaguely sense that you possessed a powerful force like the sun across the sky." "You are definitely not a simple human practitioner. I believe you can fulfill my last wish." He talked too much at once and the old mountain boy coughed heavily a few times. "If you are willing to help me realize this last wish, my soul after death is willing to be driven by you." "Mountain boy, the darling of the mountains, controls the power of the earth and mountains, and is very suitable to be the spirit of the Zen staff in your hand." "If the staff in your hand can bear it." The old mountain boy added another sentence. Pinggong Chiye was indeed a little tempted by this condition. There is indeed a Zen stick in his family, which is passed down from his ancestors and is very old. But he found it very uncomfortable to use. It was light and fluttery, and waving it around was not much different from waving a matchstick. So when he went out to exorcise evil spirits, he didn't want to bring the Zen stick with him. Carrying a Zen stick with you takes up a lot of space and is very conspicuous. But if the soul of the old mountain boy in front of him was infused into it and transformed into a weapon spirit, the power and practicality of the Zen staff would undoubtedly be greatly increased.
"I still can't answer you directly. I need to wait until I go back and find someone from Shintoism before I can give you an answer." The temptation was great, but Pinggong Qianye still chose to refuse. When it comes to Shintoism, he thinks it's better to be cautious. If it causes religious disputes, it will be a serious problem. Nowadays, apart from Buddhism, Shintoism is the largest religion in Japan, followed by Onmyoji. There is no subordinate relationship between them and their status is equal. The old mountain boy felt it was a pity and quietly closed his eyes, remaining silent for a long time. After a while, it opened its eyes again and said, "I can probably only hold on for another three months. I hope the monk can give me an answer before then." Pinggong Qianye agreed to this matter. The old mountain boy looked at the young mountain boy and communicated in their unique language. It was probably a mixture of cooing, chirping, and quacking sounds that were difficult to understand. The mountain boy kneeling beside the jade stone stood up and ran into the deep forest. After a while, he emerged with a light brown skin. This is the skin of a mountain boy, also known as the clothes of a mountain god. Only a mountain boy who grew old naturally could leave behind such a strange thing after his death. The more intact it is, the greater its value and power. It can probably bring three abilities to the wearer: Flowers blooming on the ridge: Loved by the natural mountains and forests, you will never get lost no matter how deep in the mountains and forests you are. In the deep mountains, there will be flowers blooming on the ridge. Resistant to water and fire: This skin is tough and can withstand sharp blades, avoid water and fire, and even poisonous insects, snakes and ants dare not approach it. Giant Strength Blessing: As the name suggests, it can greatly enhance the wearer's strength. Such a strange thing has only one small side effect. Those who wear this item all year round will find it difficult to conceive. "This is the reward for inviting the monk to take this trip." The old mountain boy is very polite and has also learned the human world's custom of giving gifts when asking for favors. But how can I put it, this thing... is a bit hot. Pinggong Qianye looked up at the sky, his eyes shining through the gaps between the leaves and seeing the blue sky and white clouds. Although he currently, at least at this stage, has no intention of getting married and having children. Instead, the majority of people are devoted to practicing Buddhism. It's just that he doesn't have to have this kind of thing, but he definitely can't do it. Well, it's a matter of principle. Seeing that Pinggong Qianye did not reach out to take the mountain boy's leather bag, the old mountain boy seemed to have sensed something, opened his eyes, forced a smile and said: "I was inconsiderate. The monk is still so young, and he still has a long way to go to enjoy his life." After saying this, it spoke a few words to the young mountain boy in the mountain boy's unique language.
After a while, the young mountain boy brought out another item from the deep forest. A slightly damaged scripture book, its cover is a rare crimson color, like a layer of red clouds. Pinggong Qianye took the scripture. The paint on the cover had gradually faded over time, and the font was small to begin with, making it difficult to read clearly. This scripture must have been in existence for a long time and can be considered an antique. "In ancient times, there were often some eminent monks who came to the cliffs deep in the mountains and forests, dug caves to live in, and practiced in seclusion. When they left or passed away, they would always leave one or two items behind." While the old mountain boy was talking, Pinggong Qianye tried to turn a few pages. My pupils dilated slightly. This scripture actually had colorful illustrations! He closed the scripture with a snap and looked at the old mountain boy with a complicated expression. It’s hard to say whether the scriptures are decent or not, but this old mountain boy is definitely not decent! (End of this chapter)