Chapter 112: The Ancient Scrolls of Kulan

Chapter 112: The Qulan Ancient Scrolls

Ye Hua felt a flicker of joy in his heart. "It seems I shall have company on my journey to the Cold City! The Zhenyue Palace on the Five-Cloud Peak of Mount Hua is said to be the most renowned Daoist sanctuary in the northern mountains, its fame spreading far and wide. Every cultivator in the Jin and Shaanxi regions holds it in the highest esteem. I never expected to have the fortune of meeting someone from Zhenyue Palace today!"

With this thought, he bowed slightly to the burly man and said, "Many thanks to you three fellow Daoists!" Another burly man smiled at Ye Hua, saying, "Young Friend Ye, our trip to the Cold City is not for sightseeing, but to defend the nation against enemies. You had best think this through clearly!"

Ye Hua replied respectfully, "My master and several of my senior brothers are currently in the Cold City, and I am heading there to find them. Even if there is some danger, what is there to fear?"

The elderly man surnamed Hong nodded and said, "Hong Ri, do not discourage Young Friend Ye any further." He then turned to Ye Hua. "Hearing you say this, I am reminded that the Wutai lineage and the Putuo of the East Sea have always acted in concert. Putuo has defended the Cold City in the East Sea for hundreds of years. With the recent rise of the Ying demons at the Cold City, I suspect the Wutai lineage has already received word and headed there to assist. I only wonder why you are currently traveling alone. To go by yourself, heh..."

Ye Hua remained silent for a long moment after hearing the elder's words, his lips moving slightly but uttering no sound. The elder, seeing this, understood that the youth must have his own hidden reasons and chose not to press further. He spoke lightly, "Hong Ri, Hong Xing, where shall we lodge for the night? We shall depart again tomorrow."

The two burly men beside him replied, "Master Uncle Wang, perhaps we should go to the Daxing Chan Monastery on Mount Datong. I hear that Zen Master Dao'an has returned from his travels in the ancient Kingdom of Tianfang."

The elder surnamed Wang let out a soft exclamation. "Indeed! Heh, calculating the time, it has been five or six years since we last met. Since that is the case, let us all go to Daxing Chan Monastery! I wonder if Young Friend Ye would care to join us?"

Ye Hua bowed his head respectfully. "Many thanks, Elder Wang. I would be honored to accompany you!"

Elder Wang nodded slightly. Hong Ri took the lead, and since Mount Datong was not far from the Divine Martial Field, the group arrived after a short while.

They ascended several hundred gentle stone steps until they reached a wide plaza, where a solemn and elegant memorial arch stood before them.

Hong Ri smiled. "Young Friend Ye must be here for the first time. This arch was built to commemorate the Qiling Pagoda and the Qiling Temple."

Ye Hua looked closely at the arch. It was a four-pillared, three-bay structure with stone bases, rising like a canopy. On the central gate facing south were the seal-script characters for "Relics of Qiling," with a side inscription by Yao Yu, the Salt Commissioner of the Jin Dynasty's Yongxi era, written in a bold and beautiful hand.

The pair of stone lions crouching in front of the arch were particularly striking—vigorous and heroic, their heads turned with waist-straight postures, front paws flattened as they gazed proudly into the distance. Embedded in the east and west walls before the temple were two stone tablets: the east one inscribed by Jiang Hengshan with "The Greatest View in Huai-East," and the west one with Wang Shu's calligraphy reading "The Fifth Spring Under Heaven."

Ye Hua thought to himself, "The Fifth Spring Under Heaven? I wonder what the story behind that is!" Just as he was pondering, he saw Hong Ri walk forward and gently push the gate open.

Two young novices came forward to meet them, bowing with palms pressed together. "May I ask the purpose of your visit, benefactors?"

Hong Ri returned the bow. "We are old friends of Zen Master Dao'an. We heard that the Master has returned from his travels and have come specifically to seek him out. You need only report that we are from Zhenyue Palace, and the Master will surely understand."

The novice pressed his palms together. "Please follow me, benefactors." The group followed the guest-monk in a single file until they reached a quiet, elegant hall, where another novice departed to deliver the message.

Before long, a voice boomed from the entrance, shouting the Buddha's name, "Amitabha!" The voice was resonant and full of vigor. Upon hearing it, Ye Hua imagined the monk must be an exceptionally tall and sturdy man.

He turned toward the door and, indeed, saw a very tall monk appearing. His appearance was solemn and dignified, his expression radiant and serene. Upon seeing the elder surnamed Wang, the monk's face lit up with joy. He stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and bowed his head. "Old Man Wang, I never thought it would be six years since we last met!"

The elder surnamed Wang looked at the monk, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, he reached out, and a five-colored cloud flew out, swiftly enveloping the monk.

The tall monk let out a light laugh. "With green pines and crimson maples, and mountain flowers dazzling the eye, I never thought you would actually succeed in mastering the Five-Colored Cold Haze of the Five-Cloud Mountain!" No sooner had he finished speaking than the colorful cloud reached him.

Unexpectedly, a transformation occurred. Ye Hua was startled and nearly cried out for caution, but he saw the tall monk lower his eyelids, and suddenly, a Buddha-light rose from the top of his head. It burst forth like golden flowers, with a fine rain of spiritual energy falling like a canopy of celestial blossoms, curling downward to protect his body.

The five-colored cloud was held at bay just three or four inches above the monk's head, unable to descend any further. The elder surnamed Wang, his expression unchanged, said, "The real power is yet to come!" He pointed with both hands, and the five-colored auspicious cloud spun rapidly. Within the hazy mist, a few arcs of light suddenly flickered.

Though the tall monk's eyes were lowered, he seemed to see them clearly. Upon seeing these arcs, he suddenly opened his eyes, his features tightening in shock. "Mist-Rain Arc Light! You—!"

Before he could finish, the arcs of light became blindingly bright, leaping and slashing through the clouds to strike the Buddha-light the monk had conjured. The Buddha-light rippled intensely.

The monk's expression grew deeply serious. Spiritual light shimmered in his hands as a green orb the size of a basket suddenly flew up. It shone with the clarity of a pure moon, flickering as if alive, and moved to meet the arcs of light. When the arcs struck it, the green orb erupted in brilliant light, causing the arcs to rebound and scatter, while the orb itself appeared to dim slightly.

Seeing this, the elder surnamed Wang wore a peculiar expression. He reached out and gestured, and the five-colored cloud rapidly shrank, flying back into his palm and vanishing in an instant. The monk, seeing the elder withdraw his technique, smiled slightly, pressed his palms together, and allowed his protective golden light and the green orb to fade.

The monk and the elder stared at each other for a long moment before they both burst into hearty laughter. Ye Hua finally relaxed, fearing that if these two continued their duel, he might become a bystander caught in the crossfire.

Hong Ri and Hong Yue seemed to share the same sentiment, their faces showing relief. "Master Uncle and the Zen Master are still evenly matched! Hahaha!"

After the laughter subsided, the elder surnamed Wang heard Hong Ri's comment and snorted. "You bald monk, I only used four or five parts of my Mist-Rain Arc Light's power. Heh, if I had used seven or eight, you would have been forced to admit defeat!"

The monk shook his head and smiled. "Old stubborn, still vying with me. I wonder how many years you spent facing the wall at the Sun-Moon Cliff in the White Emperor's Golden Light Cave to master that Mist-Rain Arc Light? Heh, I imagine it was not easy!"

Hearing the monk's words, Ye Hua thought to himself, "Mist-Rain Arc Light? I read about it in a geography gazette when I was young. It said it was a unique spectacle of Mount Hua, usually appearing on the Sun-Moon Cliff on clear mornings after summer or autumn rains. At such times, clouds and mists swirl around the cliff, and suddenly, a few arcs of light pierce through the gaps, dazzlingly bright, making the stone patterns on the misty Sun-Moon Rock clearly visible. There is no thunder after the light, and it is considered one of the great mysteries of Mount Hua."

"Ancient legends say the White Emperor dwells in the Golden Heaven Cave on the cliff. Because the clouds and mists obscure the view, making it difficult for travelers to climb the treacherous paths after the rain, he displays compassion by making the sun and moon shine to illuminate the way. I never imagined it was a treasure of heaven and earth, and that cultivators could actually use it to refine magical artifacts!"

The elder surnamed Wang rolled his eyes and retorted, "The Sun-Moon Cliff is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round; of course it is difficult! I wonder what secret techniques you learned during your travels in the ancient Kingdom of Tianfang? Heh, that green light just now must be a new treasure you obtained, right?"

The monk nodded frankly. "Indeed, it is a Pure Liberation Bead. Although it is a replica of one of the Buddha's 108 Great Liberation Beads, it already possesses seven parts of its power."

Ye Hua was shocked again, nearly crying out, "A Pure Liberation Bead! It's actually a Pure Liberation Bead! My uncle and Elder Lingxu once gave me two of them, along with the 'Mysterious Bead Record' manual! But my two are certainly incomparable to this one obtained by Zen Master Dao'an. The difference in power is worlds apart—it cannot even be measured!"

The elder surnamed Wang remained noncommittal, laughing as he shook his head. "It couldn't just be one Pure Liberation Bead! There must be other treasures; speak up! I am not envious of you!"

Zen Master Dao'an smiled at this, then sighed for a long while. He shook his head and said, "There is one more item, but I do not know if it is a treasure or a curse. Heh, regardless, it has brought me endless lethal danger." Elder Wang, Hong Yue, and Hong Ri were all startled. "What do you mean? Please, Zen Master, explain."

Zen Master Dao'an smiled faintly, sat down, and said, "It is a long story. You must be patient! Have you heard of the Qulan Society of the ancient Kingdom of Tianfang?"

The elder surnamed Wang pondered for a moment. "I seem to have heard of it. It was said to be a first-rate sect in the ancient Kingdom of Tianfang with immense power, though it has since declined and fallen into obscurity."

Zen Master Dao'an nodded. "Exactly so. The Qulan Society has been passed down for over a thousand years. There is a widely circulated legend that twelve elders once governed the society together, and that there was a supreme classic called the 'Qulan Ancient Scrolls.' Those scrolls were lost and scattered during the disputes among the twelve elders..."

The elder surnamed Wang exclaimed, "Could it be that you obtained the 'Dead Sea Scrolls'?"

Zen Master Dao'an smiled. "How could I have such heavenly fortune? Furthermore, if I had obtained them, you would be looking at my corpse today! What I obtained is merely related to those 'Dead Sea Scrolls'!"

The elder surnamed Wang urged him, "Speak quickly! What is it?"

Zen Master Dao'an smiled slightly. "I just said to have patience! Why are you so impatient?" He paused, then spoke in a deep voice, "It is a copied volume of the 'Extra-Canonical Texts.' These texts, along with the legendary 'Deuterocanonical' and 'Apocryphal' books, are all rumored to share the same origin as the 'Qulan Ancient Scrolls,' all stemming from the 'Dead Sea Scrolls'."

Zen Master Dao'an gave a bitter smile. "It sounds ethereal and illusory, yet it is precisely because of such ethereal matters that people keep coming after me! Some have even followed me for hundreds of thousands of miles, chasing me all the way from the ancient Kingdom of Tianfang to the Central Plains!"