Chapter 12: The Convergence of Taoism and Buddhism

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  The brocade-clad guest leaped down from the Star-Picking Pavilion and immediately employed his lightness skill, his large sleeves fluttering as he rode the wind away. In an instant, he had exited the Cuiwei Palace and descended to the Golden Summit of Mount Emei. When he reached the foot of the mountain, he once again lifted his head to gaze at the stars in order to determine his direction, then followed the path and turned around two mountain valleys. Suddenly, what was before him became wide open and clear. It was a small mountain valley. At this time, it was still early winter, and Mount Emei's elevation was extremely high, with all its peaks covered in white snow. However, inside this small valley, there were green grasses everywhere, and flowers bloomed like brocade. The weather was warm, and it was no different from a spring day. Under one of the ancient pines that reached the sky in the mountain valley, there was a figure sitting cross-legged in meditation.

  The guest in the brocade robe slowed down his pace, neither too fast nor too slow, and walked with a smile, calling out: "Fang Shi Mei."

  She opened her eyes and swept a glance at the brocade-robed man, saying lightly: "Ning Shixiong. What was the outcome of this meeting with Tian Shi?" Her voice was clear and gentle as a mountain stream, with a natural musicality; but upon closer listening, it seemed to be an aged pure brew that could make one drunk without drinking. And those almond-shaped autumn pupils seemed like a heavenly maiden from the Jade Pool descending to earth, without any worldly dust or impurities. Although her face and figure were hidden in the shadows of the trees and couldn't be seen clearly, she was unmistakably a woman.

  Even with the determination of a guest in brocade, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. But he was after all a refined cultivator and quickly recovered. He sighed and said: "Heavenly Master's single-minded assistance to Yang Yong to restore his position as crown prince, although it is clear that it is impossible, yet he has made up his mind to do so, even wanting to use the method of reversing heaven and changing fate for this purpose, obviously his obsession is deep, and it is difficult to persuade him again."

  The woman smiled faintly and said, "We are all people in the red dust, this is also inevitable. If we have really achieved great enlightenment, then you and I would not need to stay in this mundane world, and would have broken through the void long ago. But Brother's words, however, cannot avoid being suspected of laughing at others for taking fifty steps while having taken a hundred steps oneself."

  The brocade-robed guest bowed solemnly and said, "Elder sister's words are indeed correct, I have learned from them." After a pause, he continued, "Although this is the case, our sect's principles naturally follow heaven and cater to humanity. In the end, it cannot be compared to Heaven's will. The Li family should rise, the Yang family should fall, this is where heaven's fate lies. Whether for the sake of all living beings or for our own sect's calculations, assisting the Li family in ascending to the throne and establishing a nation is an unshakeable righteousness."

  The woman nodded slightly and said, "It should be so. However, Yang's luck is still strong at present, and we must be even more cautious in our actions. Let the master take care of the light, while we work in the dark, taking a long-term view and making detailed plans without delay."

  Brocade Robe Guest said: "The injury that the Heavenly Master has suffered is extremely severe, and only the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir can cure it. I was just about to go to Daxing City to visit Huanwangzi and ask him to return to the mountain to help the Heavenly Master refine the Golden Elixir. Firstly, this will ease the Heavenly Master's mind; secondly, it will also weaken that treacherous official Yang Su, making him lose one of his right arms. Thirdly..."

  He pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Just now, the purple lightning flashed across the sky, and the dragon's aura appeared at the horizon. However, three great emperor stars have appeared, competing with each other in brilliance, an extraordinary phenomenon that has never been seen in a thousand years. Venerable Sister, what do you think?"

  The woman said faintly, "The Purple Pulse Dragon Qi is an empty rumor. Even if the Emperor's star shines brightly, it doesn't necessarily mean one can sit safely on the dragon throne. The Buddhist door only believes in cause and effect. When the time comes, everything will naturally fall into place, so there's no need to worry about it. But that Emperor's star born from Yang Guang's dependence is indeed suspicious. Qing Hui also wants to go to Daxing City to investigate, but coincidentally meets up with her senior brother."

  "The brocade guest burst out laughing and said: 'As you wish, I dare not invite you.'"

  The difficulty of Shu Road, although it is more difficult than ascending to the blue sky, cannot stop the master with extraordinary martial arts. Passing through Yizhou and entering Hanzhong, then exiting Longyou, and going along the Wei River to the Guanzhong Plain 800 miles away. On the way, Yang Jian changed the era name to Tai Shi, and issued a series of imperial edicts, formally declaring the Orthodox Church as the national religion, demoting the Goguryeo envoys, and promoting Yang Zhao to King of Henan. Within a few days, all under heaven knew about it. The brocade-clad guest and the woman both seemed to be thinking deeply, but they didn't discuss it either.

  This day was the thirteenth of the first month. The two men hired a black awning boat, mixed among various boats going back and forth between north and south, slowly passing through the water gate into the Yong'an Canal that flowed through the city. For convenience, the brocade-robed guest had already disguised himself, covering up the extraordinary air about him. He looked no different from ordinary merchants. The old boatman was very generous and talkative, seeing that he had previously claimed to be visiting Daxing City for the first time in his life, couldn't help but take on the role of a free tour guide, speaking profusely, constantly telling the brocade-robed guest about the various sights of Daxing City.

  The guest in the brocade robe listened with a faint smile, and didn't feel bored at all. The old boatman chattered on excitedly, saying: "Up ahead is the Jumping Horse Bridge. You gentlemen must know that this Jumping Horse Bridge..." As he spoke, a bamboo pole was thrust into the river bottom, propelling the small black-awninged boat forward.

  The old boatman had done this action countless times, and it was so familiar that he didn't make any mistakes. But at this moment, the boat drifted down with the current, and suddenly there was a loud crash, causing the entire boat to shake. It turned out that they had collided with other boats. The old boatman cried out in surprise, looked up and saw that the originally wide river channel was now congested with big and small boats, making it impossible for water to flow through. In the distance, under the Jumping Horse Bridge, which was clearly empty, not a single boat dared to pass underneath.

  The old man on the boat suddenly shouted, "What are these porcelain dolls doing standing still? Get out of here! Get out of here!" Just as he was shouting, the sail seemed to move slightly, and a fragrant breeze blew by, making people feel dizzy. The guest in the brocade robe furrowed his brow, casually tossed down a small silver bean as payment for the boat fare, and with a fluttering sleeve, rose into the air on the wind and leapt onto the riverbank, rushing straight towards the big bridge. His movements were smooth and natural, as if he had merged with the vast sky and could not be separated from it. Even in broad daylight, he did not seem out of place at all.

  In a hundred paces or so, they arrived in the blink of an eye. The guest in brocade had extremely sharp eyesight and with one glance, he saw that on the bridge above and below, two people were standing facing each other from a distance. The monk under the bridge was ferocious-looking, his entire body emitting both icy and fiery auras, giving off an evil aura that was oppressive to others. On the bridgehead, however, was a young noble son who had just come of age. His aura was far from being as flourishing as that of the monk, but his whole body was surrounded by auspicious omens, and he did not fall short either.

  The brocade guest stopped in his tracks and whispered, only to feel the wind rustling faintly by his ear. Turning back to look, he saw that the woman was already standing silently beside him. Her head was covered with a bamboo hat, and her face was completely hidden behind layers of silk gauze. She spoke in a hushed tone using the secret transmission method: "This monk from Tianzhu has decent martial arts skills, seemingly from the lineage of Tianzhu's bitter cultivation."

  The guest in the brocade robe nodded slightly and said, "That young man's martial arts skills are far from sufficient. But looking at the vigor on his body, it seems to be a genuine product of the Xuanmen sect. How strange, when did our Daoist sect produce such a talented young disciple?"

  The two of them conversed, and the monk from Tianzhu Temple and the young man asked each other questions in turn. In an instant, they exchanged two blows. The woman exclaimed, "This young man's words about 'the wind moving the banner' are a classic allusion that Qinghui has never heard before. The four-line poem 'The Bodhi tree is originally not a tree' contains even deeper Zen meaning and profound Buddhist dharma. How strange! Who exactly is this young man?"

  "The brocade guest frowned and said, 'Don't mind his origin for now. That Tianzhu monk seems to have a deep-seated evil intention, which is now growing stronger by the minute. He's about to make a desperate move... Hmm? A master has arrived.'"

  The woman's slender body suddenly trembled, saying: "It's the extremely joyful sect's demonic monk!" Before she had even finished speaking, her body changed shape and moved to avoid [the attack], hiding under the eaves of a wine shop on the shore. The brocade-robed guest followed close behind, his voice steady as he said: "That demonic monk is also from Tianzhu, could it be that this Tianzhu monk is one of his web of claws?"

  As soon as the guess was made, the brocade guest immediately knew he was wrong. The words of Tianzhu monk were like ice and fire, urging to the peak, condensing into a mantis-like shape, fierce and crazy pouncing. Yang Zhao exerted all his skills, but still lost due to insufficient power. Mohaye arrived in time, borrowed body transmission, and performed the Six Spirits Technique, easily defeating Tianzhu monk with severed meridians. Then Yang Zhao's cry of "Master" was clearly heard by many people around.

  Tianzhu monk Tianzhu Fa was a strange man of his generation, but he ended up like this. Yang Zhao also couldn't help but sigh when he saw him. According to his memory before crossing over, Tianzhu monk should have lived to be over 90 years old without illness or pain, and only then did he realize that he had written down the experience of getting the Ice Fire Seven Heavens oral secret, entrusting it to his close friend to make public after his death. The practice method of Ice Fire Seven Heavens was thus passed down through the ages, creating a heretical fist path that dominated the country of Simida.

  But now, the Tianzhu monk has passed away ahead of time. Will there be a heretical fist in the future? Is this also considered the first change made to history after crossing over?

  Yang Zhao's mind was a bit muddled, and for the time being, he didn't want to think too much. He casually picked up the cloth bag that had been removed from his waist by Tianzhu monk and walked back to Mohaye's side, saying "Master". The head of the Xile Chong sect nodded and said: "Zhao'er, you were injured quite badly in the battle just now. Why don't you follow me back to Xile Temple for a temporary rest first? Once your injuries have healed, it won't be too late to return to the palace."

  The so-called Wang Fu, to Yang Zhao, was just a big mansion, and there was no sense of belonging. Since Mohe Ye took the initiative, he naturally had no opinion. Moreover, after the intense battle earlier, at this moment, he really felt that his blood circulation was not smooth, and the bones in his chest and right arm were also faintly sore, if he didn't hurry up to treat them properly, it would be unbearable.

  Yang Zhao nodded in agreement. He ordered the surviving palace guards to properly collect and bury the innocent victims who had died, along with the Tianzhu monk. He also sent someone back to the palace to report the events to Yang Guang and Xiao Shi. With everything arranged, the law enforcement officer from the Five Departments happened to arrive in a horse-drawn carriage and respectfully invited Mahayana Ye to get on board.

  Mohe Ye's half-leg crossed over the carriage, suddenly stopped, and immediately turned back to glance around. The sharp gaze swept through the people on the Jumping Horse Bridge and the crowds on both banks, and those who were swept by it felt as if they had been struck by lightning, and they all lowered their heads to avoid it. For a moment, it seemed like thousands of people were bowing their heads in devotion to this supreme master of the Pure Land sect, which was also a spectacular sight.

  Yang Zhao asked in confusion: "Master, what's wrong?"

  Mohe's mouth curved into a subtle, meaningful smile as he said lightly, "Nothing, let's get on the carriage." He gave up searching and boarded the carriage without looking back. Yang Zhao followed closely behind, sat down, and closed the door. The coachman cracked his whip and shouted, "Hyaah!" The two sturdy horses neighed loudly, raised their hooves, and instantly pulled the carriage away with a rumbling sound.