Chapter 387: The Buddha's Execution Ground of Jiangsheng

This was an opportunity not to be missed. Monk Huitong glanced at the woman in front of him and said, his voice as steady as possible,

“Grand Princess, this monk has an old friend who has traveled a long distance to visit, and I need to meet with them. I hope you can grant me this convenience.”

The woman in the peach-colored dress sat up straighter, unconsciously turning her head to look towards the doorway before looking back at Huitong.

“Since it’s an old friend who has come, then Ru Yan will not disturb you, Master.”

The woman stood up and gracefully bowed to Monk Huitong, who had also risen.

“Praise be to the Great Ming King Buddha!”

Huitong returned the Buddhist salutation. He walked with the Grand Princess towards the door, and when he opened it, the capable female official was standing right there. The monk who had come to announce the visitor was waiting not far away.

The Grand Princess smiled and said to the female official,

“Let’s go to the temple grounds. We can return to the detached residence later.”

While the Grand Princess was speaking, Huitong also subtly gave a signal to the monk nearby. The latter understood immediately and quickly left to inform the guest who was still waiting outside.

Ji Yuan waited at the archway in the inner courtyard for less than fifteen minutes when he saw the monk who had left in a hurry return just as quickly.

“Praise be to the Great Ming King Buddha, Benefactor Ji,” the monk said. “My Uncle-Master asked me to invite you over. This way, please!”

After the Buddhist salutation, the monk extended his hand to guide him. Ji Yuan returned the gesture, said, “Thank you,” and followed.

Though separated by only an open archway, once he passed through, the din from outside Daliang Temple noticeably diminished. Inside, he truly felt the serenity of a Buddhist sanctuary.

“This way, Benefactor!”

At every turn, the monk would go first.

After turning another corner, as Ji Yuan and the monk proceeded, they happened to see a capable female official slowly walking alongside a woman dressed entirely in peach-colored attire.

In Ji Yuan’s eyes, the female official moved with precision and had deep, steady breaths. Combined with her vigorous vitality and the subtle yet solid official aura she possessed, she was likely a highly skilled individual holding an important position.

The woman in peach, meanwhile, carried herself gracefully with an air of nobility. A faint royal aura accompanied her, indicating she was undoubtedly a member of the imperial family. Combined with prior rumors, her identity was practically obvious.

As Ji Yuan observed them, the Grand Princess and her attendant were also looking at him.

They noted Ji Yuan’s relaxed gait, which exuded a sense of calm detachment. Even when his gaze swept over them, it held no hint of aggression, as if calmly appreciating mountain flowers. After a brief glance, he looked away, showing no further interest, which was quite gentlemanly. Crucially, his expression was composed, and he was quite handsome.

After all, society still judges by appearances. If Ji Yuan had a swollen face covered in pockmarks and a prominent nose, even the most graceful actions would likely earn him ridicule behind his back.

They passed each other without any verbal exchange. Only the monk leading the way, as the two women approached, quickly stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and bowed. Ji Yuan, however, did not even pause his steps.

After Ji Yuan had passed, both women unconsciously turned to look at his retreating figure, noting that he hadn’t even turned his head to glance back.

“Is that Master Huitong’s old friend?” the official remarked. “Indeed, his demeanor is extraordinary!”

The female official was accustomed to people of great wealth, high rank, and generous salaries, but seeing Ji Yuan still prompted her to offer a heartfelt compliment. The Grand Princess beside her simply smiled.

“A visitor who can bring such pleasant surprise to Master Huitong is naturally no ordinary person,” she said.

The two women exchanged a few words and slowly departed. A short while later, Ji Yuan arrived at a secluded monk’s hall. Monk Huitong, still appearing young and handsome, was standing there. Upon seeing Ji Yuan approach, he immediately stepped forward to greet him and performed a Buddhist salutation.

“Praise be to the Great Ming King Buddha! It truly is Mr. Ji!”

“Master Huitong, I trust you have been well since we last met?”

Ji Yuan cupped his hands in return. A shared smile and a brief exchange of pleasantries were enough for them to know that both had been doing quite well.

Huitong gestured to the monk at his side.

“Zhixing, you may go now.”

“Yes, Uncle-Master!”

Once the monk had left, Ji Yuan finally spoke a remark he had been holding back, in a slightly teasing tone.

“Master Huitong,” Ji Yuan said, “there are quite a few infatuated women deeply fond of you. Dealing with them must be more tiring than chanting scriptures, wouldn’t you say?”

“Alas… more than you know,” Huitong sighed. “It’s even more exhausting than traversing mountains and rivers or performing rituals for the deceased! Please, Mr. Ji, come inside.”

The two men took their seats in the monk’s hall. The table was the same as before, and even the pastries and tea hadn’t been replaced, but the occupants were different.

After they conversed for a while, Ji Yuan learned about Huitong’s experiences over the years.

“So, although Tianbao isn’t exactly teeming with demons and monsters,” Ji Yuan mused, “it still faces internal strife and external threats, showing signs of an unstable dynasty?”

“Precisely.” Monk Huitong nodded.

“When I left, I first traveled around my homeland, Tingliang. After staying at Daliang Temple for a while, I immediately headed north to the Great State of Tianbao. In just about forty years, the situation there has changed drastically from when I first visited. I mentioned all of this in detail in the letter I sent you, but it seems you didn’t receive it.”

Monk Huitong’s letter was sent to the foot of Tingqiu Mountain, entrusting the mountain god of Tingqiu Mountain to deliver it into Dazhen territory, where it would then be handled by Dazhen’s postal service.

Ji Yuan hadn’t been in Ning’an County for these past years, so he wasn’t sure if the letter was lost in transit, or if it arrived but was held at the yamen because of his absence. The last time Lu Shan Jun transformed, Ji Yuan also wasn’t in Ning’an County.

“If both the political climate and social atmosphere are poor,” Ji Yuan said, “three or four decades are indeed enough for some people to leave a country riddled with holes. The Tianbao Dynasty must have been established for about four hundred years now, right?”

Ji Yuan asked with a sigh.

“Yes, it’s been that long,” Huitong replied. “In the past, when I traveled through Tianbao with my master, I felt that everything there was good and wonderful. But even then, my master said, ‘If people who can barely recognize a few characters can become prefects and magistrates, then glory is sometimes just an illusion.’ I was still young then and didn’t quite understand it. Now, looking back, my master had already seen through it all.”

“All that glitters is not gold, indeed!” Ji Yuan murmured, and then, with a touch of curiosity, asked another question.

“Is your esteemed master currently at the temple?”

Monk Huitong uttered a Buddhist salutation.

“Praise be to the Great Ming King Buddha,” Huitong replied. “My master, whose Dharma name was Fudu, passed away thirty years ago. He was eighty-six years old.”

Ji Yuan frowned.

“Such an eminent monk lived for only eighty-six years?” Ji Yuan asked. “Do the Buddhist Ming Kings not transmit their wisdom dharma?”

“Life and death are matters of destiny,” Huitong explained. “Our Daliang Temple is not a true Buddhist sacred ground, and even an incarnation of a Ming King has not appeared here. Although we possess some of the wisdom dharma of our Buddha Ming Kings, not everyone can achieve enlightenment unless aided by elixirs of immortality. My master’s Buddhist teachings were profound, yet he could not defy his natural lifespan. But surely his soul has returned to the side of the Ming King.”

To put it plainly, those with profound Buddhist knowledge naturally possess elevated spiritual states, but if they do not cultivate spiritual energy, miraculous dharma does not naturally emerge, and their physical bodies cannot withstand the ravages of time.

Ji Yuan shook his head. *Surely his soul would return to the side of the Ming King?*

Buddhism does not have a complete system for guiding souls like the Underworld does. When an ordinary old monk passes away, unless an incarnation of a Ming King, the Ming King themselves, or a high-ranking Buddhist cultivator guides their soul away, it’s highly likely they will still enter the Underworld.

However, Huitong now possessed true Buddhist dharma and understood this matter to some extent, so Ji Yuan decided not to elaborate.

“By the way, Master, what exactly is your relationship with that Grand Princess?”

“Oh, please, Mr. Ji, don’t even mention it!” Huitong exclaimed. “You must have seen the Grand Princess when you arrived, didn’t you? Don’t let her delicate appearance fool you; she’s incredibly cunning. And she’s the current Emperor’s elder sister, so no one in the entire Tingliang kingdom dares to offend her. I don’t know how she took an interest in this monk. It’s exhausting dealing with her!”

Now that the important matters had been discussed, Monk Huitong began to pour out his grievances.

Such complaints, Huitong could only voice to Ji Yuan. His status at Daliang Temple was unique, leaving him with no one else to confide in. Although many monks outwardly claimed that the moment they shaved their heads, they also shaved away their worries, monks themselves still had worries.

“Heh heh,” Ji Yuan chuckled. “I saw that Grand Princess; she’s young, elegant, and gracefully built. Her looks must also be quite good. Master, have you never considered returning to secular life? I see that while your Buddhist dharma is profound, your Buddhist nature isn’t like that of an old monk immersed in deep meditation. Perhaps you could consider it!”

“Mr. Ji, please don’t joke like that!” Huitong said nervously. “It would be disastrous if the Grand Princess were to hear it.”

Hearing Ji Yuan’s words, much of Monk Huitong’s aura as an eminent monk vanished. Even though he knew no one was outside, he still cautiously glanced towards the doorway, then spoke with a wry, helpless smile.

“The current Emperor actually issued a special decree for his own sister, ordering me to personally teach the Grand Princess scriptures,” Huitong lamented. “But how is she here to study scriptures?…”

Ji Yuan laughed.

“Hahaha,” he said. “Is she… lusting after you?”

“Uh…”

Huitong’s face froze for a moment. Though Mr. Ji’s words sounded extremely awkward, he couldn’t find anything to retort with.

Daliang Temple was the national temple of Tingliang, and its ties with the Tingliang court were quite deep. Even though Huitong was a monk with true Buddhist dharma, he could only comply with the Emperor’s decree.

“Let’s not talk about that anymore, then,” Ji Yuan said. “This ‘peach blossom tribulation’ is for you to sort out. Oh, speaking of tribulations, something occurred to me. Master, did you ever guide a person named Zhao Long in Dazhen, who later became a monk with the Dharma name Jueming?”

Huitong frowned in thought, then shook his head.

“This monk does not recall such an incident.”

“Oh, then it must be another monk with the same Dharma name…”

“The same Dharma name as this monk’s?” Huitong pondered in confusion, although he knew the character ‘Hui’ was indeed commonly used in temple names.

“Master, you don’t need to worry about it.” Ji Yuan smiled, and using his Dharma Eye, gazed in a certain direction. It was as if his gaze penetrated the wooden walls of the room, straight towards Daliang Temple’s largest Ming King Hall.

There, incense smoke swirled, and Buddhist energy was abundant. Faint chanting echoed, never fading.

“I recall that your main deity is the Buddha Seal King of Light?”

“That’s right, it is indeed the Buddha Seal King of Light,” Huitong confirmed. “Mr. Ji, have you discerned something?”

Monk Huitong knew well that the person before him was a highly accomplished master with profound spiritual attainment, and he wouldn’t speak without reason.

“Your Daliang Temple has striven for so long,” Ji Yuan continued, “with its Buddha statues listening to scriptures daily and long imbued with the power of incense and prayers. It seems an incarnation of the Ming King is finally beginning to take shape. It is said that when a Ming King sends forth an incarnation, the true body of the Ming King will personally descend. I wonder if that’s true?”

Ji Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked at Huitong.

“Uh, well,” Huitong stammered, “this monk’s cultivation and knowledge are shallow, so I cannot answer your question, Mr. Ji.”

Once Daliang Temple had an incarnation of a Ming King presiding over it, regardless of how much Buddhist power this incarnation possessed, Daliang Temple would no longer be considered an ordinary Buddhist temple. It would become a true Buddhist sacred ground, equivalent to a newly emerged place of cultivation.