Chapter 34: Stretch Out Your Hand, Bow Your Head; All the Beauty Lies in Zen

Xu Fengnian awoke with a splitting headache. He sat up unsteadily, took a bamboo flask from beside the bed, and drank some spring water. He then went to the table, took a celadon vase, poured out the last two elixirs, and swallowed them with the remaining cool water from the bamboo flask. As his headache receded and he felt instantly refreshed, he noticed the Embroidered Winter saber resting on a pile of martial arts manuals. Reaching for it, he heard the resonant hum of the blade as he grasped it. It was then that he realized his internal energy was flowing freely, nourishing his entire body, and he felt an boundless surge of strength. Xu Fengnian instinctively wanted to draw the saber but suppressed the urge. He stepped out of the thatched hut and saw the person riding an ox lighting a fire at a stove, cooking a pot of winter bamboo shoots.

Xu Fengnian asked, "Were those a few of my chess pieces you stole?"

The young Martial Uncle-Grandmaster feigned ignorance, saying, "I wouldn't know."

Xu Fengnian frowned. Before he could even draw his saber to threaten him, the ox-rider, guilty, bolted and ran. The two or three catties of winter bamboo shoots were painstakingly dug out, spade by spade, but escaping was more important than the delicious food. Xu Fengnian walked to the stove, cooked the bamboo shoots, and slowly ate them all with chopsticks. He then went into the cave below Suspended Immortal Peak and found a small pile of uncarved pebbles. He assumed the ox-rider had placed them there to make amends. Smiling, he sat against the wall and, following the superior saber techniques described in the "Green Water Pavilion's Sixty-Year Saber Practice Record," began carving chess pieces with the Embroidered Winter. However, with the first stroke, his strength was too erratic, splitting a hard pebble in half. Xu Fengnian paused, no longer rushing. He sat cross-legged, calming his mind, and regulated his breathing. Throughout his journey, he had already noticed his five senses were unusually sharp, and now he felt a profound, clear surge of spiritual energy within him. The Daoist immortal art incantation, "each inhale and exhale returning to the root, known as embryonic breathing," now resonated with a mysterious sense of understanding. Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and murmured to himself, "Is this the Great Yellow Court?"

The ox-rider cautiously appeared at the cave entrance and smiled, "It is the Great Yellow Court. Your Royal Highness must not waste it."

Xu Fengnian scoffed, "I've wasted it."

The ox-rider shook his head and chuckled, "It's too soon to say that."

Xu Fengnian calmly said, "There are hundreds of books in the thatched hut. If I give them all to Wudang, will you accept them?"

The young Martial Uncle-Grandmaster grinned foolishly, "We'll take them!"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "And in the future, if I donate a thousand taels of gold annually to Wudang Mountain, will you dare to accept it?"

The ox-rider pondered for a moment and then gave a wry smile, "Not really, no."

Xu Fengnian simply smiled and waved his hand, signaling for the ox-rider to leave. Hong Xixiang retreated, then came back in, saying softly, "Your Royal Highness, please don't hold a grudge about the stolen chess pieces."

Xu Fengnian quietly replied, "Scram."

Xu Fengnian spent half a day adapting to the strength required for holding the saber. After that, carving the chess pieces became effortless; they were perfectly round. Looking at the two piles of black and white pieces, he let out a long breath of accomplishment, accidentally blowing the pieces into disarray, mixing the black and white together. Xu Fengnian cursed in the Western Shu dialect, then reorganized them. He then went to the Purple Bamboo Forest, cut down two Arhat purple bamboo stalks, carried them back to the thatched hut, and spent a day splitting and weaving them into two chess boxes. This skill, though minor, was honed during his three years of arduous travels when he made his own straw sandals. After placing the 361 pieces into their respective boxes, Xu Fengnian glanced at the untouched martial arts manuals in the hut, then strapped his saber to his waist. Holding the chess boxes in both hands, he stepped outside and looked at the desolate vegetable patch. His two senior maids, Hongshu and Qingniao, waited quietly nearby. Only Hong Xixiang was there to see him off from Wudang, a send-off not much grander than the sparse welcome he had received.

As expected, Hong Xixiang accompanied him to the Archway of the Rising Black Tortoise. Xu Fengnian already saw two hundred armored Northern Liang iron cavalry waiting to depart. He looked back at Lotus Peak and asked absently, "How does that saying go?"

Hongshu, understanding his thoughts, chuckled sweetly, "A cycle of sixty years in the mountains, a thousand years in the world."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Has that 'White Fox Face' in the Tide-Listening Pavilion reached the third floor yet?"

Hongshu shook her head gently and replied, "Not yet. Everyone in the Wutong Courtyard is betting on it. I bet another year and a half, staking six taels of silver. Green Ant and the others think it will be even later."

Xu Fengnian sat in the carriage and said, "Then I'll bet ten taels of silver that White Fox Face reaches the third floor within a year."

Hongshu massaged His Royal Highness's shoulders. Xu Fengnian leaned against her chest, opened a chess box, and rubbed a piece between his fingers. He closed his eyes and softly said, "A bit heavier."

Hongshu, whose natural scent would fade in winter, hummed in acknowledgment, her gaze darting towards Qingniao in the Wutong Courtyard, with whom she had the most disagreements.

Qingniao remained silent, her eyes bright as she looked at His Royal Highness's brow.

The thoughts of the two personal maids were left unspoken.

As the two hundred iron cavalry entered Liangzhou, the citizens on the main city road spontaneously parted. Xu Fengnian stopped his carriage midway and sent Hongshu to a favorite braised beef shop to buy some for his craving. The cooked meat there was exquisitely flavored, the beef the best in Northern Liang, and the secret sauce unparalleled. Ingredients like yellow bean paste, cinnamon, old ginger, and star anise were perfectly proportioned. Besides that, just the bottle of dark soy sauce on the table tempted many diners to try and pilfer it after their meal, though none ever succeeded. In the past, after Xu Fengnian committed mischief with his troublesome friends, Li Hanlin and Yan Chiji, he would always come here to feast. Li Hanlin was even more overbearing and ruthless, almost trying to move the entire century-old shop back home. If Xu Fengnian hadn't interceded for the old shopkeeper, who was tear-streaked and snot-nosed, the city's residents wouldn't have been able to enjoy this authentic dish—though primarily, it was to satisfy Xu Fengnian's own discerning palate.

The most interesting thing wasn't the braised beef itself, but a delicate little girl who worked at the shop. She was supposedly the daughter of a distant relative of a distant relative of the shop owner, making their connection incredibly tenuous. Curiously, five or six years ago, when she first arrived in the city, she carried a rope, leading a clumsy, black-and-white "big cat" that resembled neither a bear nor a cat. Later, learned scholars from Liangzhou, after much research and quoting of ancient texts, determined it was a "Momo beast" unique to Western Shu, affectionately known as a panda. Ancient texts recorded that these Momo beasts enjoyed eating copper and iron, but in recent years, there had been no reports of neighbors' iron gates being devoured. Instead, the girl was often seen holding bamboo branches and leaves. After Xu Fengnian returned from his travels, he never saw the girl or the large cat again. Before his travels, whenever he went to the shop for beef, he enjoyed teasing the girl. Several times, when Li Hanlin tried to steal soy sauce, she would rap his hands hard with a bamboo stick. If His Royal Highness hadn't intervened, the little girl and her pet would have been thrown into a beast cage.

While waiting for the beef, Xu Fengnian saw an old beggar in the distance, shivering against a wall. The beggar's face was ashen, clearly suffering from hunger and cold, close to death. The wealthy enjoyed winter; even if they couldn't afford the endless coal for underfloor heating, they could wear comfortable and luxurious mink furs, making their outings more dignified. But for all the poor under heaven, this was the most dreaded season.

Besides the ragged old beggar, Xu Fengnian saw a delicate figure crouching there. Beside her stood a young novice monk wearing a green-edged, light red kasaya. After they exchanged a few words, the young monk hurried away.

Xu Fengnian frowned and remarked, "Although there are many Buddhist sects, the rules for wearing kasayas are generally similar. How can a young novice wear robes of this color? This is for lecturing monks. Does a young novice have the right to expound scriptures and preach the Dharma? Furthermore, when monks travel, shouldn't their robes cover both shoulders? Why is that novice only covering his right shoulder?"

Because the Northern Liang Princess Consort was a lifelong devout Buddhist, His Royal Highness had naturally been influenced and was very knowledgeable about Buddhist rules and etiquette.

Qingniao corrected him, "That young novice is covering his left shoulder."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Where did such a young monk come from?"

Despite his notorious reputation in Northern Liang, Xu Fengnian had always been exceptionally tolerant and kind towards monks, often giving them rewards whenever he encountered them. Generally, most monks would refuse gold, silver, or other valuables, and Xu Fengnian didn't mind. This led many fortune-tellers in Liangzhou city to switch professions and become cheap monks. They didn't care about deceiving their masters or disrespecting their ancestors; receiving a casual reward from His Royal Highness was considered the true path.

Xu Fengnian suddenly narrowed his eyes, fixating on a middle-aged Tantric monk slowly walking down the road. Draped in a large crimson kasaya, with a gaunt face, the monk walked to the wall's base. Seeing the dying old beggar, he showed a look of compassion.

When the young novice monk, dressed in his uncustomary robes, rushed to the corner with a steaming basket of buns, he only saw the old beggar tilt his head and pass away.

The Tantric monk bent down, reached out, and held the old man's hand, chanting scriptures for the deceased.

The young novice handed the meat buns to the girl who had stood up, then bowed his head and silently recited a prayer.

Xu Fengnian watched all this, feeling a pang of emotion.

The two monks, one large and one small, regardless of where they came from or where they were going.

Reaching out was Zen.

Bowing one's head was also Zen.

Hongshu entered the carriage. Xu Fengnian suddenly found the braised beef, which had made his mouth water while on Wudang Mountain, somewhat bland. He set it aside and softly said, "Even if I've gained the Great Yellow Court of the Wudang sect leader, I still prefer monks more. The Two Zen Temple, which only comprehends two forms of Zen, and Mount Lantuo, which produces many ascetics, seem more appealing than Wudang and Longhu."

Xu Fengnian was preparing to return to the manor along the road when he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the girl's profile. He paused, then his mood brightened considerably. Picking up the bag of braised beef, he stood up and smiled, "Hongshu, Qingniao, I'm going to see an acquaintance. You two go back first."

Xu Fengnian left the carriage and stood at a distance. Only after all the Northern Liang iron cavalry had departed did he walk towards that corner of the wall.

Xu Fengnian was very fond of that girl, whom he knew casually. When he and Old Huang were at their lowest point, traveling to Langya Commandery, they coincidentally met this runaway little girl. She claimed she wanted to roam the martial world as a female knight-errant and still had some loose silver and copper coins, though she was already quite pitiful. After their initial skirmishes turned into acquaintance, she generously treated them to a lavish meal of fish and meat, then found herself completely penniless. The three of them spent a month together in humble misery, bickering and even stealing chickens and dogs, which was quite amusing. Usually, she would act as lookout while His Royal Highness and Old Huang took the risks, and the little girl with two pigtails could run as fast as the wind when escaping. Eventually, she said she wanted to go south to see the sea, and they parted ways. Xu Fengnian only knew her surname was Li, and she liked to call herself Miss Li. If someone called her "Female Knight Li," it could make her happy for days, even on an empty stomach.

Xu Fengnian slowly approached. Why was there a young monk next to Female Knight Li?

Her home certainly wasn't a temple, was it?

As he thought this, Xu Fengnian, still holding the beef in one hand, gripped the Embroidered Winter saber with the other.

That Tantric monk was no ordinary person.

As he drew closer, he heard words very much in Miss Li's style. She stood with her hands on her hips, lecturing the young novice monk, "You silly Nannan! How many times have I told you?! You can call me Dongdong, or Xixi, but you are not allowed to call me Dongxi! 'Dongxi, Dongxi,' doesn't that sound awful?!"

The young monk, wearing a green-edged, light red kasaya, had rosy lips and white teeth, and a remarkably delicate appearance; even three years ago, Xu Fengnian could tell he possessed unusual innate talent. The young monk meekly said, "Dongxi, I think your name sounds quite nice."

Miss Li, no longer wearing her two upturned pigtails, reached out and twisted the young monk's ear, indignantly saying, "Try calling me that again?"

The young monk, completely oblivious to social cues, stupidly repeated, "Dongxi."

The girl was furious. She jumped up and hit the slightly taller young monk on the head. "You're so stupid! A thousand, no, ten thousand times stupider than Xu Fengnian!"

Xu Fengnian's lips curled into a smile.

"See?" he thought. "There are still some people with discerning eyes in this world."

The young monk mumbled, "Monastics do not lie. If I call you 'Plum,' you'll hit me again."

The girl retorted furiously, "Then let me ask you, can monastics like girls?! Monks must abstain from sexual desire, understand?!"

The young monk wasn't truly stupid; he looked up at the sky, feigning deafness.

The young girl turned to look at the old beggar, who had passed away without getting to eat the meat buns, and her expression grew a little mournful.

The young monk whispered, "After buying the buns, we have no money left. I didn't bring much when I snuck out, and you spend so..."

He ultimately didn't dare to say the words "lavishly" or "extravagantly."

The girl got angry and fumed, "I told you long ago that my dad's private stash was hidden in a begging bowl under his bed. Couldn't you have stolen more?! What else could you be if not stupid?"

The young monk nervously replied, "If I stole too much, back at the temple, Master would punish me by making me buy cosmetics for your mother."

Upon hearing "cosmetics," the young girl's interest was piqued. She stopped bothering about the name issue, her eyes gleaming.

Seeing her reaction, the young monk quickly said, "We really have no money left!"

The young girl sighed heavily.

Standing behind them, Xu Fengnian chuckled and said, "Miss Li, do you want cosmetics? I'll buy them for you. The largest cosmetics shop in Liangzhou city has 'Green Yan Zhi,' used by even the palace concubines. It's not expensive, and I won't even need to spend money to buy it."

The young girl spun around abruptly. Seeing Xu Fengnian, no longer disheveled and wearing coarse clothes and straw sandals, she didn't recognize him at first. After a long look, she jumped excitedly, exclaiming, "Xu Fengnian?!"

Xu Fengnian held up the braised beef and smiled, "Indeed?"

The young girl patted her barely budding chest, finally relieved, and beamed, "I remember you said you were from Western Liang. I was afraid I wouldn't find you when I got to Liangzhou!"

Xu Fengnian smiled faintly, "Don't worry. Here, it's harder to *not* find me than to find me."

The young girl didn't ponder his words; she was simply happy.

The young monk showed no reaction to Xu Fengnian's presence, only fretting over what to do with the basket of meat buns. He couldn't eat them himself, and "Plum" didn't like them either.

Xu Fengnian was just about to take the little girl to the cosmetics shop, which viewed him as a wolf or tiger, when his Embroidered Winter saber instinctively began to slide from its sheath.

The middle-aged Tantric monk merely stepped forward.

The monk asked in a difficult accent, "You are Xu Fengnian? The Northern Liang King's eldest son?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "And you are?"

The monk's tone was calm. "This humble monk comes from Mount Lantuo in the Western Regions. I wish to invite His Royal Highness to Mount Lantuo."