Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Veil of Desire and the Restraint of Anger

Although Du Shisanniang was also quite curious about the young monk Du Shiyi had mentioned, Du Shiyi did not want to bring too many people along to avoid drawing attention. After much persuasion, he finally managed to pack her and her maid, Zhuying, into an ox cart, specifically instructing the Cui family servants who had accompanied them to ensure they were returned safely to the Cui residence in Yongfeng Ward. Once he watched the cart depart, leaving only Tian Mo behind, he turned to nod at Mingguang, signaling for him to lead the way.

Dunhua Ward was located east of Changxia Gate Avenue, the fifth ward to the north, directly across the street from Yongfeng Ward. Although it shared the identical grid layout of intersecting streets, the moment Du Shiyi entered the south gate, he sensed it was different from the bustling wards filled with wine shops and inns. The people coming and going seemed few, and most of the pedestrians moved with a leisurely pace. The streets and alleys were steeped in an atmosphere of tranquility, elegance, and perhaps even a touch of indolence. This languid mood reached its peak when Mingguang, who was leading the way in a bamboo hat, brought him and Tian Mo past the main gate of a particular residence.

In Luoyang, the other grand mansions he had seen were all guarded by imposing servants, but at the gate of this grand yet peeling estate, two boys of about ten years old were sitting on the steps, their heads bobbing as they drifted off to sleep.

Seeing the name "Lu Residence" inscribed on the gatehouse and the rows of halberds displayed in front—a clear sign of a person of significant power—Du Shiyi could not help but ask after they had passed, "Who resides in this Lu house?"

"This is the residence of Lu, the Crown Prince’s Chamberlain," Mingguang replied. Seeing Du Shiyi’s contemplative expression, he added, "He is the same Lord Lu who famously declared that there is no trouble in the world, only foolish people who create it for themselves."

So it was indeed Lu Xiangxian, the advocate of governing through non-action!

When Du Shiyi turned the corner and passed another grand entrance, no less impressive than the Lu residence, Mingguang explained that it belonged to Yuan Qiaoyao, the Mayor of Jingzhao, who kept a home in the Eastern Capital. Du Shiyi’s expression became even more subtle. Both men had served as Prime Ministers—one advocating benevolence, forgiveness, and quiet inaction, the other a quintessential "good man." He finally understood the source of the laziness at the Lu gate and the lethargic atmosphere of Dunhua Ward.

As expected, Mingguang explained as they walked that there had originally been other officials living in the ward. However, because both the Lu and Yuan families held high rank, whenever a new official moved in, the younger members of those two clans would visit to offer "advice." The message in their words was always the same: they hoped the residents of Dunhua Ward would uphold proper customs and restraint in their banquets and entertainment. Over the years, those who remained were either officials with detached personalities, recluses, or even monks who preferred not to register at the major temples.

"That is why the Abbot established a residence here in Dunhua Ward. It was originally intended to host monks from various sects who arrived in Luoyang from afar but did not wish to stay in the temples. I never expected it would be put to such a different use this time."

Mingguang knocked on the courtyard gate for quite a while before someone came to open it—a young boy with hair in tufts. He peered at Du Shiyi with great vigilance, but the moment he saw Mingguang remove his bamboo hat and reveal the clear ordination scars on his head, he threw the gate wide open and dashed away, shouting as he ran, "Luo Ying! Luo Ying! Someone from the temple has come to pick you up!"

Before Mingguang could stop him, he let out an annoyed grunt and hurried in pursuit. Du Shiyi couldn't help but smile. After entering and signaling for Tian Mo to close the gate, he glanced around. The house was clearly a common residence; the front courtyard was square, with a large, ancient locust tree in the center, its dense canopy like a cloud, clearly having stood there for many years. At this time of year, the branches were already sprouting bright, tender green leaves, which were quite beautiful.

"Young Master, the little monk is here!"

Seeing Mingguang virtually dragging Luo Ying out by the collar, Du Shiyi recalled a nearly identical scene from the previous day and couldn't help but laugh aloud before stepping forward to greet them. To his surprise, however, instead of showing curiosity at his arrival, Luo Ying displayed an inexplicable sense of guilt. Even under Mingguang’s urging, the little monk kept his head bowed and remained silent, which infuriated Mingguang.

"Luo Ying, what did I tell you? Master Du came specifically to see you!"

Du Shiyi had only found the little monk interesting the day before, but after hearing about the incident that occurred last night, he naturally felt even greater interest. Yet, seeing Luo Ying biting his lip and stubbornly refusing to speak, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion. After scanning the boy several times, his gaze settled on one spot, and he said with a half-smile, "Little Master, why are you not wearing the string of Bodhi beads I gave you yesterday?"

At these words, Mingguang released his grip, and Luo Ying slumped to the ground as if struck by lightning. After a long while, he looked up with a crestfallen expression and stammered, "Master Du, I really didn't do it on purpose! I couldn't sleep last night, so I got out of bed to stroll through the bamboo grove behind the temple. I never expected to encounter several dark figures sneaking around, trying to climb the wall. I rushed forward to stop them without thinking, and eventually, it alerted Lady Gongsun and the others inside. But those fellows turned the tables and claimed I was the one with malicious intent..."

As he spoke, his voice filled with deep frustration. "The prayer beads must have been lost then... If I hadn't lost my trusty staff, I would have beaten them to a pulp! Hmph, Master Gongye said that a gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years!"

Hearing that familiar name, Du Shiyi raised an eyebrow, lost in thought. Mingguang, however, lacked such depth. Seeing that the little monk was still obsessed with revenge and failing to realize the severity of the situation, he rapped the boy’s bald head twice. "Still talking about revenge? If you had shouted for help the moment you saw them, the others in the temple would have been alerted, and they would have retreated. There wouldn't have been any trouble! The Abbot had a hard enough time protecting you; you should be reflecting on your actions! And why were you wandering in the bamboo grove in the middle of the night? Is it any wonder they accused you of malicious intent? You even lost the gift Master Du just gave you, and you didn't even have the courage to take responsibility!"

"I didn't have malicious intent, and I'm not irresponsible!"

The little monk shouted back. Seeing Mingguang turn and walk away without looking back, he panicked and rushed to grab him. But as he cried out, "Brother Mingguang!", there was a sharp *rip* as his monk’s robe tore, yet Mingguang paid no heed and continued striding out the door. Left standing there, bewildered and hurt, Luo Ying suddenly felt a wave of bitterness and sat down, burying his head in his knees. The next moment, he felt a warm hand gently stroking his shaven head.

"There, there. A man should not shed tears easily. Your brother Mingguang was likely just very angry with you; he’ll be fine once he cools down."

"I wasn't crying!" Luo Ying lifted his head, sniffled hard, and stood up, puffing out his chest. "Master Du, I’m sorry I lost the beads you gave me."

"It’s lost, so be it. You can't be blamed for what happened in the heat of a skirmish. But..." Du Shiyi shifted the subject, asking directly, "What exactly were you doing in the bamboo grove last night?"

Faced with this question, the little monk’s face turned bright red. He initially wanted to mumble and cover it up, but remembering Mingguang’s lecture about responsibility, he steeled himself and stammered, "I wanted... I wanted to know that even if there was a wall in between... I just wanted to know that Lady Yue was safe inside." Thinking that although he hadn't yet taken his vows, he had grown up before the Buddha, and now he had violated both the precepts of anger and desire, Luo Ying’s face burned like a boiled shrimp. He hurriedly tried to explain, "I really didn't mean anything else. I just wanted to take one look from across the wall. It was those other people who had the malicious intent..."

"Alright, alright, that’s enough. If the Abbot didn't trust you, he would have cast you out long ago instead of going to the trouble of sending you here." Du Shiyi interrupted the boy’s repetitive explanations and said with a smile, "When your Brother Mingguang brought me here earlier, he mentioned wanting to send you to the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song to avoid the storm. You mentioned a Master Gongye just now—did you learn your martial arts from him?"

"No, I learned staff techniques from the warrior monks in the temple. Master Gongye only taught me how to stand in a horse stance; it was much more tiring than the one the monks taught." Speaking of this, the little monk’s face lit up with excitement. "The masters at Shaolin are amazing! No wonder the staff-monks like Master Tanzong were able to protect Emperor Taizong and help him defeat Wang Shichong! When I master my martial arts, I want to be a great general like Master Tanzong and make that General Wang—who couldn't even teach his own son properly—get lost!"

This time, Du Shiyi could no longer suppress his reaction and burst into laughter. Seeing the little monk standing there looking indignant, he patted his bald head just as Mingguang had done. "Good, you certainly have ambition! But you must know that in all these years, the Shaolin Temple has only produced one Great General in Master Tanzong. No matter how good your martial arts become, they can only be used to protect the temple. How can you compare yourself to that General Wang? Besides, you’re so young, yet you’ve already developed such thoughts for Lady Yue. Is your heart truly devoted to the Buddha?"

"I... I..."

Luo Ying was a straightforward person; he couldn't handle Du Shiyi’s step-by-step questioning and was left stunned. Du Shiyi didn't press further, but instead stood with his hands behind his back, smiling. "In any case, think carefully about what you should do in the future. If you want to take your vows and become a monk, you must let go of your thoughts of revenge and your romantic longings. Otherwise, you will be failing the Buddha, the Abbot of Anguo Temple, and most importantly, yourself. Now, I’ve said enough. I came today because I truly wanted to see the staff techniques you learned at Shaolin. How about it, Little Master Luo? Can you demonstrate them for me?"

Though he was still somewhat confused by Du Shiyi’s words, this last request was simple enough for Luo Ying. Without another word, he returned to the inner courtyard to retrieve his staff. After a brief warm-up, he began to swing it with abandon. At that moment, filled with pent-up frustration, he swung his staff with such force and vigor that it seemed as if he were venting all the anger he had harbored since the night before. Thrusts, strikes, slashes, and sweeps—every movement was swift and fierce. When he let out a wild, angry shout and unleashed a complex staff technique he had not yet fully mastered, Du Shiyi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Excellent!"

He had visited Shaolin several times for the sake of Gongye Jue, but since the areas where the warrior monks practiced were not easily accessible to pilgrims, he had never witnessed their true prowess until now!