Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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The little dragon swayed in the air a few times, then twisted around and wrapped its head around Xie Lingya’s fingers, rubbing against them as if it were both being affectionate and begging for mercy.
Xie Lingya pinched the tip of its tail in exasperation. The situation didn’t allow him to discipline it any further, so he only complained a few times. Xiao Dian, who was nearby, heard this and weakly advised him, “Forget it, Teacher Xie, it’s just new here and doesn’t know how fierce…powerful you are. There’s no need to be afraid.”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Xie Lingya thought about it and felt relieved. He stood up and said, “Let’s go back first.”
Because he wasn’t sure if these things would be useful, Xie Lingya used the bag that originally contained ritual implements to pack the internal organs and dough figurines. Just then, a taxi drove by, and Xie Lingya hailed it.
The taxi slowed down, the window rolled down, the driver leaned out and looked at them, then sped up as if he’d seen a ghost, stepping on the gas and speeding away.
—Guo Xing was covered in blood; anyone who saw him would think it was a crime scene.
Helpless, Xie Lingya had no choice but to tell Guo Xing to hide. He hailed a cab and got in first, then had Guo Xing come over from the shadows.
The driver, who had been leisurely holding the steering wheel, noticed the bag in Xie Lingya’s hand and asked what kind of meat he had bought, noting the strong smell.
At that moment, a person covered in blood on their face and chest jumped into the car, causing the driver to scream in terror.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and, realizing it wasn’t Guo Xing’s blood, but he still trembled, saying, “Buddy, I’m about to change shifts. You’d better find another car.”
“What shift changes at this hour?” Guo Xing was also in a terrible mood, saying dejectedly, “Don’t be afraid, it’s cow blood.”
The driver finally breathed a sigh of relief, “Hey… you should have said so earlier. I thought it was a brawl.”
Guo Xing: “This is near the police station. I’d be crazy to have a brawl here.”
Seeing that Xie Lingya still had a bag containing internal organs, the driver was completely relieved.
Xie Lingya sat in the passenger seat, while Guo Xing and Xiao Dian sat in the back. They headed towards Jin Gui Pedestrian Street. Xie Lingya didn’t dare mention they were from Baoyang Temple; their blood-soaked appearance would be too offensive.
*Crunch…crunch…*
The sound of a plastic bag being squeezed rang out.
Guo Xing, who had been looking out the window with a sense of unease, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and turned to look at Xie Lingya.
Xiao Dian also tensed up. Xie Lingya looked down and saw the hand of the Lingga figurine moving. Shi Changxuan had said that there were many ghosts inside a Lingga, and some might not be completely dead…
Xie Lingya wasn’t afraid. Without hesitation, he grabbed the Lingga by the neck through the plastic bag.
The driver casually asked, “What? Is there something alive inside?”
The Lingga struggled wildly in Xie Lingya’s hand, causing the driver to shrink back in fear. “What is that?!”
Xie Lingya didn’t have time to answer. He gripped the Lingga tightly, while his other hand drew a talisman.
The next second, the Lingga suddenly exerted its strength and sprang forward!
“Snap!”
It slipped from Xie Lingya’s grasp, but due to the car window’s obstruction, it slammed against the window, accompanied by a loud crash. The cow’s blood inside splattered again, overflowing the plastic bag and blooming into a large bloodstain on the window.
The rat, already in a final burst of energy, shattered completely upon impact and fell, only to be caught by Xie Lingya’s hands.
The driver, however, was stunned. “…”
….
“Excuse me, excuse me.” Xie Lingya paid for the car wash and led the two men out of the car.
The driver’s face was grim. Although Xie Lingya had told him it was a bamboo rat, large and wild, upon closer inspection, he vaguely felt that the thing inside was hard, unlike an animal.
This was too eerie at night. A strange creature, three young men, one of whom was covered in blood, and the thing next to him with a cloth wrapped around his back that now looks a bit like a weapon…
The driver didn’t dare say it aloud. Actually, if Xie Lingya hadn’t given him money, he wouldn’t have dared to ask for the car wash fee. He took the money and ran away like his life depended on it, thinking that he should go to the supposedly very effective Baoyang Temple tomorrow to pray and get rid of the bad luck.
“Let’s go.” They weren’t far from Baoyang Temple, and Xie Lingya didn’t want to cause trouble for other drivers, so he simply took Guo Xing and Xiao Dian and walked back.
After knocking on the door, Zhang Daoting opened it, startled by their appearance.
Guo Xing was another story; the smashing earlier had even splattered blood on Xie Lingya’s face and body. Along the way, many pedestrians had thus run away in terror.
Xie Lingya went in, quickly put the things on the ground, took Guo Xing to take a shower, and found some of his own clothes for him to change into.
When he came out again, Shi Changxuan was already squatting on the ground examining the Lingga’s “remains.”
The video footage was still unclear, and it was nighttime, so Shi Changxuan finally noticed that this Lingga was larger than a regular one. He pinched off a small piece, smelled it, and said, “This was probably made in the Central Plains.”
“How so?” Xie Lingya came over, pulled up a small stool, and sat down to ask.
“This has to start from the beginning,” Shi Changxuan showed him the small piece of dough. “The killing of Lingga is part of the Cham ritual. Cham is a unique Buddhist activity in Tibet, created and integrated by Guru Padmasambhava of Tantric Buddhism. Lingga is made with yak butter and tsampa— that is, barley flour. But this one isn’t made with tsampa, nor is it dyed with the blood-red color of the plants unique to Tibet, as is customary there.”
Xie Lingya frowned and asked, “Is there any way to find out who performed the ritual?”
Shi Changxuan thought for a moment and said, “The Cham rituals are different in each sect and even each monastery of Tantric Buddhism, and the methods of making Lingga also vary. Most sects make Lingga in human form, while a few make them in the form of rats and other abhorrent animals. Perhaps asking around in this direction can provide some clues.”
This evil Lingga was coming straight for Xie Lingya. He didn’t think it was a chance encounter; it seemed more like it was aimed at him. So, of course, he had to find out who it was.
“Alright, I’ll inquire again tomorrow.” Xie Lingya pondered to himself, then picked up the bag again and asked, “How do we deal with this?”
Xie Lingya had slain and subdued the ghosts in Lingga, but he was worried about what to do next because the two religions had different practices.
Shi Changxuan simply said he would study the materials further. Although he had a wide range of knowledge, it was impossible for him to know every religion in such detail.
“Oh… what about these intestines and internal organs?” Xie Lingya asked. “Can we still eat them?”
The group, who had been listening with considerable tension, were bewildered.
Guo Xing exclaimed, “Teacher Xie, how can we eat this!”
Zhang Daoting also said nervously, “Actually, we don’t need to be so frugal…”
The temple’s finances were far from tight now!
Shi Changxuan said dryly, “The internal organs and blood are put in so that blood will flow out during the ritual. These should be clean, but it is not recommended to eat them because they are somewhat tainted by evil spirits.”
“I just find it strangely fishy; it’ll smell even worse if it spoils while I leave it here to be processed,” Xie Lingya explained, but everyone’s expressions were somewhat indignant, as if Teacher Xie was deliberately messing with them again.
Guo Xing was deeply hurt by this ordeal and didn’t dare sleep alone that night, instead sharing a room with Xiao Dian.
Seeing his state, Xie Lingya guessed he was reconsidering his decision to inherit the Lushan Dharma.
Xie Lingya himself went to rest, whispering with Shi Changxuan before falling asleep, telling him not to let him know who was causing him trouble again, and in such a disgusting way.
….
The next day, Xie Lingya got up and called the Religious Affairs Bureau, hoping to obtain the contact information of Tantric practitioners to consult on some issues.
The Religious Affairs Bureau knew he was in charge of Baoyang Temple and also knew his relationship with Lian Tan, so they said, “You can just ask Abbot Lian Tan about this. As soon as the temples in the scenic area opened, a Tantric monk came to visit; they’re friends. Moreover, Abbot Lian Tan used to be at Donglin Temple, where he interacted with many other sects and has extensive connections in the Buddhist community.”
Xie Lingya was surprised to hear this; there were Tantric practitioners in Zhuyang now?
A strange feeling flashed through Xie Lingya’s mind, but it was probably just a coincidence. He asked the monk’s name and confirmed he didn’t know him; the monk lived in another province most of the year.
However, because of this news, Xie Lingya called Lian Tan again to tell him what had happened the previous night.
Lian Tan was even more surprised than Xie Lingya to hear he had been attacked by a Lingga and immediately said he would inform his friend.
Lian Tan’s friend was a monk of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, commonly known as the Red Sect. Their sacred site was Samye Monastery, where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) created the Cham dance, so their Cham dance was of the same lineage. He himself had participated in many Cham rituals and knew them very well.
This monk, named Lie Cuo, had visited other Buddhist temples in mainland China many times for exchanges and was said to have been recognized as a patriotic and law-abiding advanced monk. His Chinese was also quite good.
Xie Lingya took Lingga with him to a hotel where they met with Lie Cuo and Lian Tan, along with Shi Changxuan, Guo Xing, and Xiao Dian. He brought Shi Changxuan along because he was worried about the matter and wanted Shi Changxuan to help him with the investigation.
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