novelnext Chapter 150 Luo En's Half-Conversion to Buddhism and Taoism
Chapter 150 Luo En's Half-Conversion to Buddhism and Taoism
Chapter 151 Luo En's Half-Conversion to Buddhism and Taoism
Meanwhile, Harry devoured five more Dementors, but his mind was filled with wicked thoughts, which were truly corrupting.
If it were anyone else, they would have been completely captivated. Harry, however, merely snorted, then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, chanting incantations.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha, Tathagata Buddha, Tadyatha..."
Do you know what sutra he was reciting? It was the "Rebirth in the Pure Land Mantra," which is specifically for removing karmic obstacles, liberating evil spirits, and eliminating habitual tendencies.
When Lu Ping saw him suddenly acting strangely, he thought something had gone wrong and was so frightened that his hands and legs went weak, fearing that his words might have harmed his deceased friend's son.
He wanted to teach Silver Wolf to drive away a few of the Soul-Stealing Ghosts, but he was afraid of causing more harm, so he hesitated and dared not step forward.
After Harry recited it three or five times, the waves of malice in his mind vanished into a cloud of wailing smoke. When he stood up, his eyes regained their clarity.
Seeing that he had opened his eyes, Lupin rushed forward and asked with concern, "Harry? Are you alright?"
Harry exhaled and put his hands together. "Amitabha. Uncle, thank you for your concern. Just now, I was blinded by the evil thoughts of those black bastards and lost my mind for a moment, but I am fine now."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ping was still in shock. After pondering for a long time, his face turned pale.
"Damn it! Harry, you're going to cancel the ritual!"
"Without the protection of your guardian spirit, a direct connection has been established between you and the Dementors, allowing their malevolent thoughts to be transmitted directly into your mind!"
"If you continue to make connections with more Dementors—your brain may suffer damage!"
Lu Ping felt utterly devastated and was extremely anxious. He never imagined that his impassioned words would harm his own nephew.
His words were terrifying, but Harry remained unperturbed, thinking to himself:
I once wore a Taoist-style sideburn and Buddhist prayer beads around my neck; I have long since memorized the classics of both Buddhism and Taoism. Let alone just three or five treacherous ghosts, even thirty or fifty would be no problem for me.
Thinking of this, Harry helped Lupin to his feet and comforted him, saying, "As the old saying goes, a duck knows best whether it's hot or cold in the water. I know exactly how many Dementors I can hold in my belly."
"Five of them are nothing to worry about."
Having said that, he waved his wand, and the giant worm leaped into the cluster of Dementors, opening its mouth and continuously swallowing and spitting.
In no time, all eighteen Dementors patrolling the Forbidden Forest were transformed into vengeful spirits.
Immediately afterwards, Harry sat cross-legged, performed a Zi-Wu Mudra, and recited the "Supreme Mysterious Treasure Sutra for Saving from Suffering and Removing Sins".
After about half an incense stick's time, he exhaled again, said "May the Heavenly Venerable grant me boundless blessings," and then got up.
When Lupin saw the Dementors lined up neatly in front of Harry as if in training, he was so shocked that his jaw dropped and he remained silent for a long time, just like a clay statue of Vajra or a wooden Arhat, staring blankly with his eyes as big as copper bells.
Harry cupped his hands and smiled, "I thank you for your guidance, Uncle. You have also taught me to recruit a group of good soldiers."
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just proposing a theory; you're the one who actually put it into practice." Lupin smiled wryly, then cautiously added, "But Harry, controlling a dozen Dementors really doesn't have any impact on you?"
"Ha! I only regret that there are too few Dementors around this forest. I must go and plunder some more elsewhere tomorrow."
Seeing that he was composed and spoke with a booming voice, yet did not appear to have any mental impairment, Lupin immediately relaxed.
"Okay, I'm glad you're alright—by the way, what kind of spell were you chanting just now?"
"I've never heard of such a convoluted spell before. It's longer than ten Animagus spells in a row."
Harry laughed and said, "Not at all! What my nephew just recited was scripture, which is completely different from this spell."
"Scriptures?" Lupin frowned. "You mean... the religion of Muggles?"
"Oh my! Second Uncle is quite knowledgeable. I usually prefer to study Buddhism and Taoism."
Lupin did not know what religion it was, but he had heard of Buddhism and knew that it consisted of men and women who shaved their heads and abstained from meat.
He read it for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Harry, you...aren't you interested in girls?"
"If I remember correctly, monks aren't allowed to marry, right?"
Harry was displeased upon hearing this and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting, Second Uncle! My parents' great revenge is still unavenged, how can I talk about romantic love! Haven't you heard that the land of gentle pleasures is the grave of heroes!"
Lupin was scolded by Harry, but instead of being angry, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it's not that I'm uninterested in girls, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to sleep well.
"Hey Harry, I think we should go back and get some rest now—look, it's almost one in the morning."
The moonlight was deep at that moment, and Harry dismissed the ghouls. The worm swallowed five of them and disappeared on its own. The two then went to rest in the Great Hall, talking amongst themselves.
When dawn broke the next day, all the students were awake, and Dumbledore used the Amplification Charm to announce:
"Good morning, children. After a turbulent night, I can assure you that Sirius Black is not inside Hogwarts Castle."
"So please bring your bedding, follow the prefect to the lounge to freshen up, and then come to the auditorium for dinner."
"Given that Sirius Black is still at large, I think this year's Quidditch match—"
"Cancel it again?!" Wood jumped up and roared, "Cancel it for two years in a row?!"
It should be noted that Wood is now in seventh grade, and if he cannot compete this year, he will miss the chance to personally lift the Quidditch Cup.
He looked extremely anxious, but Dumbledore remained unmoved. "I'm sorry, Wood, I have to be responsible for all the students."
"The board members are very worried..."
Before he could finish speaking, Harry slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Worry, worry, what's there to worry about!"
"This Black is no match for Quirrell and the Basilisk!"
Wood glanced at him gratefully and replied, "Harry's right. Quidditch matches are in the castle, and it's daytime. I don't think it's dangerous!"
With Harry present, the three Quidditch team members from the other houses also tried to dissuade him, but Dumbledore ignored them and only exchanged a glance with Harry.
Seeing his calm demeanor, he slowly nodded and replied, "Alright, but you'll need a professor to supervise your training at the Quidditch arena."
After saying that, he sent everyone to pack up their bedding and return to the lounge.
Harry had barely wrapped himself in his bedding when Ron and Hermione flanked him from either side, their faces showing deep concern.
"Harry, I really don't think holding Quidditch matches is a good thing," Hermione said urgently. "The stands will be packed with people, and Black will definitely not miss the chance to assassinate you."
"Ha! I'm afraid he won't come."
Then Harry beckoned the two of them to come closer and explained in detail the Marauder's Map and the matter of Peter Pettigrew.
As soon as she finished speaking, Hermione exclaimed in surprise, "You want to use this Marauder's Map to find out where Black is hiding?"
"That's right, this guy must have come to Hogwarts to see me. He's so conspicuous on the field, he's definitely waiting for his chance to make a move."
"At that time, I will need to trouble my elder sister and brothers to keep an eye on things and just catch him making a mistake. We must not alert him."
"Of course, no problem," Hermione agreed without hesitation, then hesitated, "But... but, is Scabbers really Peter Pettigrew?"
"Ron, you've lived with it for over two years, have you noticed anything wrong?"
The two turned their heads to look, but saw no one beside them.
Looking back, one could see Ron standing there, his face ashen, his eyes dull and lifeless, his bedding rolled on the ground, leaving footprints all over it, yet he was unaware of it.
Harry went back and gathered his bedding, wondering, "What's gotten into my brother?"
"hehe."
Ron gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with despair. "You mean, I slept with an old man for two years?"
She was still only wearing her underwear and holding him in her arms.
"I even bathed him myself, cleaned his poop, and I even kissed his forehead!"
Seeing his heartbroken expression, Harry comforted him, "Brother, don't act like a child. You saw me changing naked in the bedroom, and this guy saw right through me. What's there to be ashamed of!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Was this supposed to be comforting? It would have been better if she hadn't said anything at all!
She suppressed her grumbling, patted Ron on the shoulder and said, "Don't overthink it, Ron, it's just a guess."
"Does this even need guessing? I think it couldn't be clearer," Ron murmured. "Why the Spyglass kept spinning, why he lived for thirteen years, why he appeared after Harry's parents were murdered... I finally understand now."
"Maybe...maybe it's all just a coincidence?" Hermione racked her brains. "The Mirror Spin was because there were unscrupulous merchants on the journey, and Scabbers lived so long because of their special bloodline—just like the Crookshanks have cat-like blood."
"What am I supposed to say on the day I breed with Spotty?!" Ron's eyes widened, and he swung his arm around, "That huge puddle!"
"Is that the amount a rat could possibly have?"
If Fred and George were here, upon hearing this amusing anecdote, they would surely take turns reciting a poem, just as:
The spotted rats have been passed down through generations, but today they have transformed into living human faces.
Don't praise her cute appearance, for a single shot can splatter the entire heavens.
Hermione blushed and turned her head away. "I... I don't understand what you're saying. I wasn't in the lounge that day, okay?"
"Heh... Don't try to comfort me, Hermione. You don't believe it yourself, do you?"
Seeing that Ron's face had brightened, Harry simply shoved the bedding into Ron's hands and solemnly bowed, saying:
"Brother, don't worry. If that smug guy really has ulterior motives, and is actually Peter Pettigrew in disguise, I'll rip his heart and liver out and make a hangover soup for you!"
These words struck Ron's heart like a hammer blow, his sentences like sharp chisels, making him think of Quirrell's severed head.
He shuddered, instantly becoming serious, and gripped Harry's hands tightly.
"There's no need for that. Actually, I don't hate him that much. If I think about it carefully, we do have many good memories together..."
He rambled on for a while, then took another breath, "In short, let's forget about hangover soup and all that."
Harry laughed and said, "Brother, if you say so, I'll do as you say."
Ron breathed a sigh of relief and dared not mention Scabbers again. He quickly called Harry and Hermione back to the common room.
Upon reaching the tower, the lounge door remained exactly as Harry had smashed it the night before. As they stepped inside, they heard wails and angry cries rising from the dormitory building.
"Merlin's hair! Who opened my suitcase?!"
"My wand is missing!"
"Damn it! My dorm looks like it's been robbed!"
Hearing the students' conversation, Ron whispered to Harry, "Harry, did you do this last night when you were looking for Peter Pettigrew?"
Harry looked suspicious. "This is really strange. I clearly only went into one bedroom last night, so how come so many people are suffering?"
The three were puzzled and went back to their respective dorm rooms. When Harry and his companion pushed open their doors, they found the rooms spotless, exactly as they had been when they left.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like we were lucky enough not to be—"
Before he could finish speaking, Harry yelled, "Damn it! Which scoundrel plucked the top leaf of my mandrake?"
Ron, Seamus, Neville, and the others went up to take a look and saw that the soil in the flowerpot was completely bare, indicating that someone had indeed pulled out the leaves.
"That's really strange. Why would someone steal mandrake leaves?" Simon mused. "Couldn't they just take the whole pot of mandrake?"
Harry examined the broken part of the leaf closely and saw that it was jagged and of different lengths. He knew in his heart that it must have been bitten off by some kind of animal, and was definitely not done by human hands.
He thought to himself: Could it be that Peter Pettigrew stole this blade of grass from me? But I wonder what this fellow wants it for.
After tidying up the dormitory and finding nothing else damaged, the group made up their beds and headed to the auditorium for their meal.
Enough of this rambling. After Halloween, the north wind grew even fiercer, and the chill penetrated to the bone. The dark mass of Dementors seemed frozen, moving like drunkards, a fraction slower than usual.
Ron and Hermione, knowing his powerful ability to turn Dementors into their henchmen, also helped mark the Dementors' tracks.
Within three to five days, he used the giant insect to capture more than thirty soul-devouring monsters, which he then refined into errand boys to await orders.
There are too many soul-devouring ghosts outside the bodies of these wandering guardian deities, so scriptures must be recited every morning at dawn to suppress them.
Over time, even Ron and the others in the same dormitory memorized a few lines of the Rebirth Mantra.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha, Tathagata Buddha, Tadyatha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha..."
At dawn that day, Harry and Ron sat cross-legged on their beds, muttering to themselves.
Seamus and Neville tossed and turned in bed, their faces contorted in agony, as if they were having a nightmare.
After reciting the prayer, Harry and his companion exhaled and clasped their hands together.
"Amitabha."
"Amitabha."
"Phew~ Harry, that scripture of yours really works." Ron leaned back and fell onto the bed. "I feel much calmer now, and I've completely let go of Peter Pettigrew."
Harry laughed and said, "Brother, just keep reciting this scripture every day. It will greatly benefit you. It will help you clear your mind and cleanse your inner demons. In the future, when you fight with someone, they will not be able to disturb your mind in the slightest."
Immediately afterward, he got off the bed and changed his clothes, intending to transform a few more soul-devouring ghosts.
Seeing him take the Marauder's Map and head out, Ron just sighed, "Don't bother looking, Harry. There aren't any wild Dementors in the castle now."
"You have it all under your control."
(End of this chapter)