Chapter Fourteen: The Visitor

Chapter Fourteen: A Visitor Arrives

Part Three: A Lonely Figure on Green Mountain Contemplates the Vastness; The Cold Moon Alone Pities and Sends Forth Sorrow (Six)

That day, after finishing his meditation, Ye Hua found himself seized by an inexplicable, overwhelming distress. He had been practicing the Four Noble Truths technique for over half a year now. According to the Jade Codex, he should have already cultivated a certain amount of Buddhist spiritual energy within, enabling the preliminary tempering of his Buddha heart.

The Buddhist spiritual energy and the Daoist energy he accumulated through practicing the Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique, though both forms of vital energy, were fundamentally different—just as snow and ice both come from water, yet each has its own nature and cannot be regarded as the same. The most unique aspect of the Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique was its reversal of the normal flow of meridians. The accumulated Daoist energy could be stored in the elixir field or dispersed throughout the limbs and bones, rendering the elixir field as hollow as a secluded valley. To the uninitiated, it might even appear as if he were not cultivating at all.

Yet Ye Hua himself could not sense the slightest trace of Buddhist spiritual energy within, let alone temper his Buddha heart. Every time he practiced the Four Noble Truths, a faint warmth would circulate through his meridians and gather in his elixir field, but when he switched to the Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique, the hard-won Daoist energy would be scattered throughout his body, leaving him with nothing—like drawing water with a bamboo basket.

At first, Ye Hua attributed his difficulties to his unfamiliarity with the techniques or the short time he had spent practicing. But now, after all this time, there was not the slightest improvement over when he had first begun. Gazing blankly at the stone wall, Ye Hua let out a long sigh. “Is it that these two techniques cannot be practiced together, or am I simply lacking in talent and aptitude for the Dao?”

He recalled that when he first joined the monastery, the senior brothers often spoke of cultivation. Among the disciples at Green Mountain Monastery, Ling Yun’er was the most gifted, breaking through the first three layers of the Four Noble Truths in just a year. The eldest brother was next, and even the slowest, Seventh Brother Ouyang Tai, managed to break through the first layer within half a year.

Unexpectedly, he had now set a record at Green Mountain Monastery for the slowest progress, an embarrassment indeed. Rising to his feet, Ye Hua paced within the stone cave, then approached the stone door and peered outside through a crack. It was morning—the sun shone brightly, birds sang, and sunlight scattered through the woods, bringing him some solace. “Why is this Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique so strange?”

“I’ve been secluded here for half a year. I wonder if Senior Brother has delivered my letter home. What are my parents doing now? When will I be able to visit them?” At this thought, tears welled up unbidden.

After a moment of idle thoughts, he resolved to focus on his cultivation, reasoning that if he succeeded, he could descend the mountain sooner. Returning to the stone chamber, he seated himself and meditated, steeling his heart. “The path is hard. If I cannot endure even these small hardships, how can I ever achieve the Great Dao?” With this, a sense of calm and joy settled over him. Thus reassured, he continued his cultivation in silence.

He had not expected that this period of practice would last yet another year. One day, awakening from meditation after completing the Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique, Ye Hua allowed himself a rare smile; he had finally accumulated a trace of Buddhist spiritual energy within. It was meager in the extreme, but compared to before, it was significant progress.

Though his attempts at the Four Noble Truths had been disappointing, he found comfort in the fact that he had reached the peak of the first stage of the Sixfold Mysterious Heavenly Wishful Technique, and his Daoist energy had reached the pinnacle of the Seven Treasures Third Realm. If he could just break through this barrier, he too could soar through the skies like his senior brothers.

He was still savoring this joy when he suddenly heard a silken voice in his ear: “Little brother, little brother.” It was Senior Sister Ling Yun’er, transmitting her voice into his mind. Over the past year and a half, Ling Yun’er had occasionally emerged from seclusion to chat with him. “What is it, Senior Sister?” Ye Hua replied.

“You little recluse, it’s time to come out! This time, Master wants us to report to him after our cultivation. He has something important to tell us.” Ling Yun’er’s laughter echoed in his mind. “Alright, Senior Sister, I’ll come right out,” Ye Hua replied, hurriedly rising to his feet. Glancing down, he couldn’t help but smile wryly: after a year and a half of seclusion, his clothes were in tatters, barely covering his body.

As he hesitated, Ling Yun’er’s laughter sounded again: “Little brother, your new clothes are at the entrance. Don’t come out looking filthy—a slovenly monk, haha.” Hearing this, Ye Hua’s cheeks flushed, and his heart was touched.

“Who would have thought Senior Sister would be so considerate, taking such care of me. She once risked her life to save me from the Pixiu; her kindness is as deep as the sea.” He recalled first seeing Ling Yun’er in the temple of the Fire Sovereign—her crimson robes like flames, stunningly beautiful. His heart fluttered at the memory.

Suddenly, Ye Hua caught himself: “Why... why can’t I stop thinking about Senior Sister? Could it be that I... like her?” His face burned, and he hurried to the entrance, unwilling to dwell on the thought.

“Senior Sister, I’ll be right out. You can just leave the clothes by the door.” “Alright, they’re right outside,” she replied, laughing.

Ye Hua opened the stone door a crack and saw a set of brand-new, dark clothes neatly folded at the entrance. He brought them inside, changed, and looked himself over. Immediately, he felt refreshed and clean.

Pushing open the stone door, the sunlight was dazzling—he hadn’t seen daylight in over a year. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a beautiful young woman in crimson, smiling warmly at him. Who else could it be but Ling Yun’er?

“Little brother, you’ve grown taller this past year, and far more handsome than before,” Ling Yun’er teased.

“Please, Senior Sister, don’t make fun of me,” Ye Hua replied, somewhat embarrassed. “How is Master?”

“Master is well. Let’s hurry to the main hall. The senior brothers are waiting; we shouldn’t keep them.” Ling Yun’er urged.

“Do you know why Master has called us out this time?” Ye Hua asked in confusion.

“It seems to be about the Chanlin Assembly. I saw disciples from Qingliang Monastery of Central Terrace arriving—they must be here for that.” Ling Yun’er replied. Ye Hua nodded and said no more.

The two walked swiftly and soon reached the Mahavira Hall. Before they entered, they heard voices:

“Uncle Master, this Chanlin Assembly is unlike those before. I heard from Master that this time outstanding disciples will be chosen to go to the Eastern Sea’s Cold Capital for training.”
“Eastern Sea’s Cold Capital? Isn’t that under the supervision of the Putuo lineage? Why are we being sent there?”
Ye Hua recognized the voice as that of Master Zhi Ku.

The two entered the hall. Master Zhi Ku sat on a mat before the Buddha image. Ye Hua’s senior brothers stood on either side of him. In the center of the hall stood a young man in white, about twenty years old, with three more young men standing respectfully behind him, heads bowed. Ye Hua’s senior brothers greeted him with a smile but said nothing.

At that moment, the young man in white spoke respectfully: “Uncle Master, that’s correct. The Cold Capital is indeed overseen by Putuo’s Universal Salvation Monastery. A month ago, they sent word that the Demon Star has risen in Yingmo, and unrest is brewing. Should trouble break out, Putuo alone may not be able to cope. Thus, they have invited the heroes of Wutai, Emei, Jiuhua, and the world to investigate together, as a precaution.”