Jia Zhuangyuan chuckled and said, “This requires a bit of thinking. All of you recall how that creature chased me and Cai Qingchong underwater. We should lure it again, this time drawing it to the lakeshore, trapping it in the shallow water there, and then shooting it to death.”
As Jia finished speaking, Liu Dashao shook his head and said, “That creature moves too fast underwater. Who dares to go in again to lure it? Besides, even if it does come to the lakeshore, we won’t be able to trap it. Once we fire our guns, it will just dive back underwater and, as Fan Debiao said, it might never surface again.” Jia nodded and replied, “You’re right. That’s why our plan must be foolproof. I have an idea, although it’s a bit risky. Let me share it and see what you think.” He smiled mysteriously at the group as if holding back a secret.
Eager to hear more, everyone urged him to continue.
Jia said, “I will still take the responsibility of luring it. But I need you all to ensure my safety. Once I lead it to the lakeshore, Liu Dashao, you will have to use your Taoist techniques to trap it. As a descendant of the Celestial Master, you should be able to hold it with magic for a while. Then, we can use our guns to eliminate it and serve justice.”
With a cunning glint in his small eyes, Jia looked at Liu Dashao. Everyone turned to Liu with great surprise and anticipation.
Liu frowned and said, “I can use Taoist magic to trap the water monster for a while. But how will you stay safe underwater? We still need you to guide us once we enter the Wujimozang. If you get eaten by the monster before you even lure it out in the volcanic lake, we’ll all be doomed.”
Jia jumped down from the rock and laughed, “Tsk tsk! Don’t jinx me, kid! I, Jia, am not that unlucky.”
Liu asked, “Then how do you plan to lure it out? Tell us.”
Jia smiled and said, “I can go into the water tied to a rope. As I move underwater, the rope on shore will go in with me. Once I encounter the plesiosaur, I will try to retreat. At that point, the rope on shore will stop going into the water, and everyone can pull me back immediately.”
He gave a slightly strained smile and continued, “I know it’s risky, but someone has to take the risk. We can’t just stall here forever. There might be other ways to enter the Wujimozang without going through the actual entrance. Those five people might have already found the entrance using precise instruments and forced their way in.”
Hearing this, everyone was shocked. If those people had really entered the Wujimozang, it would be a big problem. Everyone started to feel worried and anxious.
Seeing their expressions, Jia waved his hands and said, “Don’t panic. From my observations along the way, this place has the most mysterious and exquisite burial methods. The anti-theft mechanisms here are rare and unparalleled in the world. Those people don’t understand the subtleties of ancient Chinese civilization. In fact, the safest and quickest way to enter the dragon tomb is through the real entrance. They will pay a heavy price for using so-called modern instruments to break into the tomb. Moreover, the people who built this place might not even be from our planet. To them, our technology would be like laughable building blocks in a child’s hands.”
After hearing this, everyone felt somewhat reassured. Liu Dashao then walked over to Jia and said, “Master Jia, let’s follow your plan to lure and kill the plesiosaur. But please be extremely careful.”
Jia looked up at him with a “hehe” chuckle, his expression relaxed as he said, “Kid, I’ve been in countless life-or-death situations over these past few decades. Don’t worry about me!”
Liu nodded and signaled Fan Debiao to bring the rope for Jia to tie around himself.
After Jia and Cai Qingchong tied the rope securely, he nodded to everyone and said, “Everyone, I’m off now. Keep your eyes wide open. When the rope stops going into the water, pull with all your might. My life is in your hands.”
Everyone urged him to be careful as he slowly walked to the lakeshore and carefully slid into the water. As he entered the water, everyone’s hearts were gripped with anxiety. Liu Dashao stood behind Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong, watching the water closely.
One end of the rope was already stretched out, and everyone except Liu Dashao held onto it. The coiled part on the ground gradually entered the water as Jia moved.
Liu Dashao slowly walked to the lakeshore, ready to cast a spell to trap the plesiosaur as soon as it appeared. Yang Weidong was thinking: What kind of magic would this young man use to control the plesiosaur? Is Chinese Taoist magic really that powerful?
Time passed, and the deep blue lake remained calm. The rope was almost gone, and everyone began to feel anxious. But as they saw the rope continuing to go into the water slowly, they believed Jia should still be safe.
Suddenly, Liu Dashao let out a low cry. Everyone saw the lake water ripple slightly, and the rope abruptly stopped moving. Fan Debiao shouted, “Sh*t, pull the rope!” Everyone gripped the rope tightly and began pulling quickly.
The rope in the water became taut, and a line of water rapidly moved from the center of the lake toward the shore. The lake water suddenly started to surge, and a massive whirlpool rose from the surface, making everyone’s hearts tighten. It seemed the plesiosaur was about to surface.
At that moment, the rope, pulled taut by two people, suddenly had Jia Zhuangyuan burst out of the water with a splash. He quickly moved toward the shore as everyone pulled. The massive whirlpool followed closely behind him, moving at an incredible speed, almost right on his heels.
Everyone desperately pulled the rope, and Jia was almost at the shore when suddenly the whirlpool let out a deafening roar. The furious plesiosaur broke through the water, extending its long neck and opening its tooth-filled mouth to bite down on Jia with a furious growl. In an instant, everyone was horrified, and all they could do was pull the rope with all their might.
With a loud “thud,” the plesiosaur’s head hit the water, and Jia Zhuangyuan disappeared from sight, leaving only a splash of water. For a moment, everyone’s hearts sank: Could it be…?
Fortunately, everyone kept pulling the rope without stopping.
After the water settled, Jia Zhuangyuan finally reappeared in their field of vision, with the plesiosaur roaring furiously right behind him. As Jia and the plesiosaur drew closer to the shore, Liu Dashao, who had been standing by the lake, let out a sharp cry. His sleeves fluttered without wind as he formed the Zhenwu Daotian seal with his hands and swung it toward the plesiosaur, shouting, “Seal it!”
Suddenly, the furious plesiosaur seemed to lose its sense of direction. It shook its head and began to spin in place while roaring. This created distance between Jia and the creature. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Jia onto the shore.
Several people released the rope and quickly ran to the shore, ready to shoot the plesiosaur.
At this moment, the plesiosaur seemed to sense something was wrong. It shook its head and tried to dive back into the water. Suddenly, Liu Dashao leaped into the air and dove into the water. The people running toward the shore were startled by his sudden action, not knowing what Liu Dashao was trying to do.
Jia Zhuangyuan stood up on the shore and shouted to the group, “The kid is going underwater to set up a barrier. Everyone, shoot now and kill the plesiosaur.”
Upon hearing this, everyone was confused. Barrier? What was that? Not understanding, they decided to just shoot the water monster first. Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong raised their guns and fired a barrage at the plesiosaur. Immediately, bullet holes appeared on the creature’s body, blood gushed out continuously, and it screamed in pain. It twisted its massive body in place, desperately trying to dive back into the water, but for some unknown reason, it couldn’t sink. It seemed that the so-called “barrier” Jia mentioned was taking effect, as if an invisible wall surrounded it, trapping the creature in place.
As the group continued firing, the plesiosaur’s roars gradually weakened, and its body movements slowed down. Finally, it slowly lowered its long neck, tilted its body, and fell into the water. Possibly due to the “barrier,” it did not sink but lay quietly on the lake’s surface. Around its body, the lake water had turned into a shocking red from the blood it had spilled.
With a splash, Liu Dashao emerged from the water, drenched, and landed on the shore. Then, facing the plesiosaur’s corpse, he solemnly whispered a few words. Everyone watched as the plesiosaur’s body slowly sank beneath the surface.
Jia Zhuangyuan walked from the lakeshore to the group, his face showing dissatisfaction. “You young ones, didn’t you eat enough during the break? When you were pulling the rope, you were all so weak. My butt almost became a snack for that plesiosaur.”
With the water monster gone, everyone’s mood improved. Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s complaint, Liu Dashao, who was wringing out his shirt, smiled and said, “Master Fei, your butt is still safely attached to you. We all used every ounce of strength we had. No one held back. Please don’t complain anymore.”
Fan Debiao also laughed and added, “Yes, yes, Master Fei, no one dared to slack off.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and glanced at everyone, then said, “Guess what I found underwater?”
Everyone listened intently and eagerly urged Jia Zhuangyuan to tell them what he had discovered underwater.
Jia Zhuangyuan said, “I touched that demon-like figure at the spot where I first went underwater. When I was trying to move the demon figure to see what would happen, I accidentally noticed some large colorful patterns on a black square rock to the right of the demon figure. I quickly swam over. Just as I landed on the rock and was about to examine it closely, that cursed plesiosaur appeared. I had no choice but to turn around and run.”
Everyone was listening intently, but Jia Zhuangyuan’s last sentence made them all involuntarily smile.
Liu Dashao asked, “Master Jia, did you manage to see what those patterns on the rock were?”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded and said, “I had a general look. It seemed to depict a place, like a temple or monastery. There was a very prominent statue of a monk sitting on a strange beast. The surrounding patterns all seemed to revolve around this monk.”
“A monk?” Liu Dashao muttered to himself, frowning.
Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “If I’m not mistaken, the pattern on the underwater rock is of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The place depicted on the pattern should be the Temple of Ten Thousand Ghosts.”
Everyone looked puzzled. Fan Debiao was the first to ask, “Master Jia, who is this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva anyway?”
Jia Zhuangyuan laughed heartily and said, “Don’t be disrespectful. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is a famous guardian of the Buddhist faith, and you’re the only one who doesn’t know. Well then, I’ll tell you the legend of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!”
Fan Debiao hurriedly said, “Master Jia, please go ahead. I love listening to legends the most.”
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll tell you. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is one of the five great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, and his status is very high. However, unlike Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Avalokiteshvara, who often appear in public, he is not so well known. You know, after Shakyamuni entered Nirvana and before the future Buddha Maitreya descends, who is responsible for guiding the sentient beings in this Saha world (our world)? Shakyamuni entrusted this task to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, showing how high his status is.”
“Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s main working place is in the most difficult place—the hell. His merits are boundless, and he has already reached the wisdom ocean of the Buddha, with his merits complete and perfect, and he should have already become a Buddha. But he made a vow long ago: ‘Only when all beings are delivered will I attain Bodhi; only when hell is empty will I become a Buddha.’ Therefore, he conceals his true merits, using his vows and supernatural powers to appear everywhere, teaching and saving all beings. Legend says that in countless aeons past, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was a filial daughter named Guang Mu. Her mother loved to eat fish eggs and committed grave sins of killing. Guang Mu knew that her mother would surely fall into the evil paths after death, so she asked an Arhat to meditate and observe. Indeed, her mother was suffering greatly in hell. Guang Mu devotedly recited the Buddha’s name, showed reverence and made offerings. With the power of sincere filial piety, she rescued her mother from hellish suffering. Later, she vowed to deliver all beings with grave sins and descended into hell to save them.”
“In Chinese Buddhist temples, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has a distinctive image. Usually, Bodhisattvas are depicted wearing jeweled crowns, celestial robes, and adorned with necklaces, resembling celestial beings. However, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is often shown as a monk with a shaved head or wearing a Vairocana crown, draped in monastic robes. He holds a staff in one hand and a lotus in the other, or sometimes a banner, a canopy, or a precious pearl. It was by recognizing this that I identified the statue.”
As Jia Zhuangyuan spoke, everyone fell into deep thought. Fan Debiao softly said, “Master Jia, I didn’t know a monk could have such a long history.”
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled and said, “Now you all know. The pattern underwater is a statue of a Buddha, and it just happens to be Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the guardian of hell. This further strengthens my belief that the entrance to the Wujimozang is at the bottom of the lake. Now, we just need to go underwater and explore thoroughly; we will surely find the entrance to the Wujimozang.”
At this point, Liu Dashao said, “Then we should not delay. Master Jia, how do you suggest we proceed?”
Jia Zhuangyuan said, “I and Cai Qingchong will go underwater again to locate the exact entrance to the Wujimozang, and then everyone can go down together.”
Liu Dashao nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll follow Master Jia’s instructions.”
Jia Zhuangyuan stood up, stretched his body, and said, “Didn’t think I’d have to go underwater for the third time to find the entrance to the Wujimozang. That plesiosaur really gave me a hard time. Cai Qingchong, come with me again, old man.”
With that, he walked toward the lakeshore again.
Cai Qingchong answered and followed Jia Zhuangyuan to the lakeshore, and the two slowly went back into the water.
As the two disappeared into the water, Fan Debiao suddenly blurted out, “Do you think there might be other water monsters in there?”
Everyone was stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh. Fan Debiao glared at the others and continued, “I’m just worried about Master Jia and Cai Qingchong. Besides water monsters, who knows what other traps or beasts might be guarding the entrance to the Wujimozang.”
Everyone was taken aback again. Thinking about it, the entrance to the Wujimozang was so well hidden that even a plesiosaur, extinct for 40 million years, was guarding the lake. No one could say what other security measures or traps might exist at the entrance.
Thinking about this, everyone couldn’t help but worry again. Liu Dashao then spoke up, “What kind of person is Master Jia? What kind of tomb hasn’t he entered? Although the Wujimozang is extraordinary, Master Jia will definitely be cautious. There’s no need to worry. If he can’t get in, we definitely can’t either.”
After hearing Liu Dashao’s words, everyone felt somewhat relieved. Master Jia is a top tomb raider of today, very knowledgeable about tombs and traps. He should be fine.
Waiting is a long process. Although we all believed in Master Jia’s abilities, as time went on, everyone began to feel anxious. It had already been more than ten minutes, and the lake remained calm.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the lakeshore, hoping to see Master Jia and Cai Qingchong suddenly surface and bring good news. Fan Debiao even walked to the lakeshore, squatted down, and stared into the water.
A few more minutes passed, reaching the twenty-minute limit Jia had said he could hold his breath. The water surface still showed no ripples, and everyone started to really worry. Even Liu Dashao stood up, surprisingly showing signs of anxiety.
Yang Weidong walked to Fan Debiao and said, “Brother, I think I should go underwater to check. My house is right next to the Yellow River, and although my swimming skills aren’t as good as Master Jia’s and Brother Cai’s, I can hold my breath for about ten minutes.”
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