The Awakened One

"Thus have I heard: In the Pure Lapis Lazuli Realm, there is an Awakened One..."

"Medicine-Offering Pure Light of Lapis Lazuli..."

Benefiting from her status as an immortal, Shaodian Qingnu found her path of spreading the faith to be remarkably smooth. Did they want miracles? No problem—snow in the height of summer or sweet rain upon parched earth could be summoned at will. Even when it came to fortune-telling, whether it was an individual's future, the length of a lifespan, or the destiny of a city or nation, she could always offer a revelation or two.

Even treating illnesses was no issue!

Though her medical skills could not truly raise the dead or grow flesh back onto bare bone, most difficult and incurable diseases were easily handled by her.

'Sigh...'

Shaodian Qingnu could not help but reflect that following Chunyu Tiying to learn medicine back then had been the right choice.

Having walked the jianghu for thousands of years, she found that one could never have too many skills.

Furthermore, the Lapis Lazuli Sutra consisted of only one volume with three chapters, making it easy to understand. In less than a year, the common folk across vast stretches of the eastern Kushan Empire could recite a few verses.

Her reputation for mercy spread far and wide!

Gradually, people began to propose the construction of temples dedicated to the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva, and the place where Shaodian Qingnu stayed came to be known as Medicine-Offering City.

News of this soon reached the capital of the Kushan Empire.

At that time, there were eminent monks from India spreading their teachings in the capital, one named Kasyapa Matanga and the other Zhu Falan, both of whom were profound scholars of Buddhist law. Hearing the rumors of the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva, the two set out, leading eight hundred bhikshu and bhikshuni from the west toward the east.

This was no pilgrimage; in plain terms, they were coming to expose a fraud.

Medicine-Offering Pure Light Bodhisattva of Lapis Lazuli?

They had never heard of her!

No legends of such a person existed in either the Mahayana or Hinayana scriptures, so where had she come from?

The monks traveled day and night, finally arriving half a month later.

At the moment of their arrival, Shaodian Qingnu, who was treating patients in the city, felt a premonition. She looked toward the city gates with a light smile on her lips.

"Sister Bird, guests have arrived!" she said. "Go and lead them here to see me."

"On it!"

Hongluan moved swiftly.

Kasyapa Matanga and his group were pondering how to find the one spreading these teachings when they saw a qingniao flying toward them!

Hongluan blocked their path and said, "The Medicine-Offering Pure Light Bodhisattva of Lapis Lazuli invites you all to come over."

A bird that could speak human tongue?

Hongluan's words left Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan utterly astonished.

"Are you... an attendant of that bodhisattva?"

"Indeed, I am! Follow me."

Hongluan bobbed her head and turned to fly back into the city.

Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan exchanged glances and quickened their pace to keep up. Behind them, the massive crowd of eight hundred bhikshu and bhikshuni also tried to enter, but they were stopped. Only the two eminent Indian monks were granted permission to enter and meet Shaodian Qingnu.

The main structures of the Lapis Lazuli Zen Temple were already complete. Atop a massive lotus pedestal sat an Awakened One in green robes.

Though her posture was not particularly solemn, horns sprouted from her hair!

A jade-like pearl was suspended between the two horns, shimmering with a continuous treasure-light that filled the hall with a vast, brilliant radiance.

"Bodhisattva..."

With just one look, the two eminent monks were certain of Shaodian Qingnu's identity as a bodhisattva.

As that treasure-light washed over them, they felt a soothing warmth, and the exhaustion of their long journey was swept away in an instant.

With such a divine appearance, if she was not a bodhisattva, who was?

Seeing the two monks who had come so aggressively to debunk her now bowing in worship, Shaodian Qingnu marveled at how useful her identity as an immortal truly was!

"I know why you have come, and I have no intention of blaming you. The Buddhist law is boundless, and even we Awakened Ones do not truly perceive the myriad worlds; we have simply walked the path a bit longer. I have here a Lapis Lazuli Sutra in one volume and three chapters. Go and study it."

Shaodian Qingnu's words were cryptic, yet they struck a chord with Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan.

In their view, a bodhisattva should be exactly like this!

Thus, the two believed in her without a shadow of a doubt, bowing as they said, "We humbly obey the divine decree!"

Spreading a faith required the skills of professionals.

After receiving the Lapis Lazuli Sutra, Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan studied it day and night, writing commentaries for the text. With the assistance of the bhikshu and bhikshuni under their command, the Medicine-Offering Pure Light Bodhisattva of Lapis Lazuli was linked to the Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures in a very short time.

In the version of the Lapis Lazuli Sutra written by Shaodian Qingnu, her status as the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva was somewhat unique.

She was not a disciple under the Medicine Master Buddha, but rather his peer.

This was a small bit of calculation on her part.

After all, she couldn't just let others scheme against her, could she? She had to do a bit of scheming of her own.

Above the Lapis Lazuli Zen Temple, the wind and clouds drifted. In the sky, the mists transformed into the shape of a buddha, which let out a sigh before dissipating.

Shaodian Qingnu looked up at the sky, silent for a long time, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Was that a buddha manifesting?"

"I don't know."

Hongluan shook her head. she hadn't seen any buddha manifesting; in the entire Medicine-Offering City, only Shaodian Qingnu had witnessed that scene.

Shaodian Qingnu did not stay in Medicine-Offering City for much longer. After fooling Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan into taking over the task of spreading the faith, she set out to return to Mount Tai.

Half a year later, envoys from the Han arrived from the east to visit Medicine-Offering City.

The eastward transmission of Buddhism began here.

Cai Yin and Qin Jing, the two Han envoys, invited Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan to return with them to Luoyang. The two monks had long heard of the Great Han to the east and its vast lands. Seeing the envoys invite them to spread the faith there, they were overjoyed; it was a perfect opportunity to propagate the Buddhist law!

Thus, the two left the eight hundred bhikshu and bhikshuni behind to continue worshipping the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva.

Upon their return to Luoyang, Liu Zhuang ordered the construction of the White Horse Temple outside the city for the preaching of the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters, the Lapis Lazuli Sutra, and other scriptures.

When the White Horse Temple was completed, Shaodian Qingnu came by for a visit.

She saw the temple's providence rising toward the heavens!

Just as she was about to leave, she bumped into someone as she turned around. She let out a cry of surprise, wondering who could possibly bump into her hard enough to cause pain, only to look up and see that old scoundrel Heaven standing there, watching her.

Heaven looked her up and down, staring at where she was rubbing her head, and asked, "Does it... hurt much?"

"Why don't you try getting bumped into?" Shaodian Qingnu grumbled.

Heaven replied, "But just now, weren't you the one who bumped into me?"

Shaodian Qingnu: "..."

"You didn't come here specifically just to annoy me, did you?"

At this question, Heaven shook his head and said to her, "No, I came to congratulate you! With this identity as the Medicine-Offering Pure Light Bodhisattva of Lapis Lazuli, the Buddhist order coming from the east will find it impossible to use the transition of myths to bind your fate."

Specifically, the Lapis Lazuli Sutra was the very first scripture brought to the east.

"Well... of course! Look who I am!"

Shaodian Qingnu tilted her head up slightly, a hint of pride in her voice.

Seeing her so proud, Heaven suddenly sighed and said, "In this matter, I am also to blame for not keeping a closer watch, allowing the western Buddhist sect to enter the Han Emperor's dreams."

The Buddhist order had been invited in personally by the Han Emperor; Heaven could not stop it.

Only by having Shaodian Qingnu occupy a certain position within the Buddhist law beforehand could they prevent her from being influenced by the changing myths or being tricked away by the Buddhist sect.

"Sigh..."

Hearing Heaven's words, Shaodian Qingnu let out a sigh of her own.

She shook her head and said, "Why must I be dragged into the struggles between gods and buddhas? Truly, when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer."

Heaven corrected her, saying, "You are not the fish in the moat. You are the city gate."

Shaodian Qingnu: "..."