Chapter Thirty-One: An Accidental Encounter and a Dispute

Chapter Thirty-One: A Chance Encounter and Strife

Chapter Five: The Tiger Leaps and the Dragon Soars, Competing Roars as the Mystic Blade and the Spirit Sword Battle for Supremacy (Part Seven)

The three of them lingered in conversation for quite some time. Glancing at the sky, they saw the sun shining brightly overhead; roughly one or two hours had passed. "Why aren't Senior Brother and the others out yet?" Li Yulin muttered impatiently. Before Ye Hua could reply, footsteps sounded from beyond the wall. "They're coming!" Ouyang Tai announced. The three turned towards the entrance, just in time to see several figures appear. Leading them was their master, the monk Zhiku, followed by several uncles in the order—Zhigang, Zhiwei, and others—while their elder brothers came at the rear.

"Master, uncles, senior brothers," Ye Hua and his two companions quickly bowed their heads in salute. "Mm, you have waited long enough," Zhiku said, casting a brief glance at the trio before turning to address the assembly. "First, we shall pay our respects to the ancestral teachers. Only then do we set out for the Grand Fu Lingshan Monastery." "Yes," the group replied in unison.

In a solemn procession, they entered the Hall of Thunderous Sound. The hall was vast, with a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha at its center and, on either side, images of Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara, and Ksitigarbha—the Four Great Bodhisattvas. Among them, Manjushri, who stands to Shakyamuni’s left, is held in highest esteem. Manjushri is famed for great wisdom, Samantabhadra for great action, Avalokiteshvara for great compassion, and Ksitigarbha for great vows—these are the four wondrous truths among the Buddhas.

Beneath the four Bodhisattvas were sandalwood spirit tablets, the uppermost inscribed with Master Lingmiao, followed by Masters Ruci, Rujing, Ruzhi, and many more—a careful count revealed no fewer than a hundred. As Ye Hua observed, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at how deep and far-reaching the heritage of Biyun Monastery was, not to be underestimated.

Once the rites were complete, Zhiku announced, "Very well, let us proceed. At Grand Fu Lingshan Monastery, matters are not as they are at the Northern Terrace—at all costs, do not act recklessly." "Yes, Master," all disciples bowed their heads in response. Zhiku nodded slightly and spoke no further, leading the way out of the Hall of Thunderous Sound. The group followed into the outer courtyard.

"Let us go!" Zhiku intoned.

With those words, Zhiku rose, transforming into a stream of emerald light that soared into the sky. The others dared not delay, each summoning their own magical treasures and following after him. More than a dozen rays of multicolored light burst forth, dazzling as a rainbow after rain, all streaking through the heavens.

Ye Hua, too, summoned the Moonlight Sword, unwilling to be left behind, and went with the group. Beneath them, the green peaks of Biyun Mountain stretched in grand array, ravines crisscrossing in every direction. Amidst the mist-shrouded peaks, temples lay hidden, and from time to time, sudden rainbows of light would flare—evidently, disciples of other temples were also en route to Grand Fu Lingshan Monastery.

"Things are certainly lively along this road, Junior Brother," Qingxia whispered, sidling up to Ye Hua.

"Ah? Oh! Fourth Senior Brother, do you know which temples we've passed along the way?" Ye Hua asked softly.

"Just now, we passed Wanghai Peak. The temple atop it is the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Buddhas, presided over by Uncle Zhiyi. His cultivation is not especially distinguished among the uncles, but his third disciple, Fan Zhen, is said to be truly outstanding! Ahead lies Heilong Peak, home to Shouning Monastery, under the guidance of Elder Zhiwei. That monastery is rather desolate—among the hundred and twenty or so temples, it is ranked near the bottom. Look at that tallest peak in the distance: that is Xiantong Monastery, which is truly formidable. In terms of strength, it could rival the Five Great Monasteries; its reputation outshines even that of the Eastern and Southern Terraces..." Qingxia narrated with effortless familiarity, evidently well-versed in the temples of Mount Wutai.

"Senior Brother Zhiku—ah, even Zhigang and Zhiwei are here! Your junior pays his respects to you all!" Suddenly, dozens of beams of white light swept in from afar, coming to a halt beside the Northern Terrace group. From the light emerged a host of figures; at their head stood an elderly monk in a dark monk's robe, his countenance heavy with care, bowing with palms joined towards Zhiku. Behind him followed several dozen young disciples, male and female, monastic and lay alike.

"Junior Brother Zhixian, it has been years since we last met. I had not expected to see so many talented disciples under your tutelage—what a joy and blessing for Qixian Monastery!" Zhiku said with a gentle smile as he regarded the youthful assembly. "You flatter me, Senior Brother. How could we compare with the esteemed Biyun Monastery, one of the Five Great Zen Forests? My unworthy disciples are hardly a match for Nephew Bai Xian under your care!" the troubled-looking old monk replied.

Ye Hua thought to himself, "Qixian Monastery? I hadn't guessed their disciples were so numerous—there must be thirty or forty of them!" Before he could finish his musings, a cold snort came from within the group, followed by the faint words: "What's so great about Biyun Monastery? All name and no substance! If only I could compete with Bai Shisong, I'd show him..." Since Ye Hua and Qingxia were at the rear of the group and went largely unnoticed, they overheard these words.

Ye Hua looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall, gaunt man with an aquiline nose and green eyes—hardly the look of a native—his face set in haughty pride as he murmured to a few of his fellow disciples.

"There are quite a few temples on Jinxiu Peak," Qingxia said aloud to Ye Hua, "but outside of Yanqing Monastery, Yanshan Monastery, and Yuanzhao Monastery, which remain busy and prosperous, the rest are... well, you know..." Qingxia trailed off, exasperated. Ye Hua blinked in confusion. "Fourth Brother, what about the other temples on Jinxiu Peak?" he asked, not understanding.

"It’s just that! That... How can you be so dense?" Qingxia snapped, clearly annoyed.

"What?" Ye Hua persisted.

With a huff, Qingxia said loudly, "Utterly insignificant!"

At once, all the young disciples from Qixian Monastery turned to glare at Ye Hua and Qingxia, their eyes brimming with anger. Ye Hua was startled, unsure why. Qingxia, seeming not to notice, lifted his head and continued loftily, "In the past, Jinxiu Peak did produce some truly accomplished monks—men of profound virtue and modesty, the very paragons of Mount Wutai. Alas, that tradition has been lost!"

Hearing the first part, the Qixian disciples’ expressions softened somewhat, but as the latter words landed, their faces instantly darkened with sullen fury. The meaning was plain: Qixian Monastery, situated on Jinxiu Peak and ranked among the lowest, once had worthy forebears, but now their legacy has vanished—was that not a thinly veiled insult, declaring their current generation unworthy? How could they not be incensed?

From among them, a short youth with a pockmarked face, likely scarred by childhood illness, slowly drifted towards Qingxia and Ye Hua. "This junior is Wang Jun, senior disciple of Qixian Monastery. May I ask your name, brother?" he said.

Qingxia stiffened inwardly. "The Phantom Snake, Wang Jun? So it is him!" he thought, though he betrayed nothing. He gazed at Wang Jun and smiled slightly. "I am Qingxia."

Wang Jun's eyes narrowed. "So you are the Twin-Pure Sword, Qingxia! To think we would meet like this. At Grand Fu Lingshan Monastery, I hope to learn from you. What do you say?"

Qingxia replied with a gentle smile, "I would be honored. I eagerly await your guidance!"

Wang Jun nodded, his gaze cold. "Very well. Take care until then." With that, he drifted back to rejoin the Qixian disciples.

As Ye Hua and Qingxia had spoken quietly at the rear of the group, their exchange with Wang Jun of Qixian Monastery went unnoticed by Masters Zhiku and Zhixian, who were still engaged in friendly conversation at the front. However, a few of Ye Hua's senior brothers seemed to glance back at them from time to time.