Ye Qiu glanced at Qian Duoduo in surprise, hardly expecting such a profound remark from this bootlicker.
“Hahaha…”
Master Du’e burst into hearty laughter.
“Master, how’s my answer?” Qian Duoduo asked.
Master Du’e smiled, “Amitabha, your answer is excellent, benefactor. It seems you have a deep affinity with the Buddha!”
“Exactly! If I didn’t have such affinity, how would I have met you, Master?” Qian Duoduo chuckled.
Ye Qiu gave Master Du’e a long look, sensing something peculiar about the old monk’s behaviour.
Could it be that Master Du’e had taken a liking to this bootlicker?
Was he planning to guide Qian Duoduo into the Buddhist path?
Ye Qiu quickly cautioned, “Master, my cousin is the only male heir of the third generation of the Qian family in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Please don’t set your sights on him.”
“Amitabha, Benefactor Ye, you overthink,” Master Du’e said, glancing at Qian Duoduo. “What is meant to be will come in time; what is not meant to be cannot be forced.”
“What does that mean?” Qian Duoduo pressed.
Master Du’e smiled faintly, said no more, and gestured invitingly, “Please, benefactors, come inside.”
With that, the group followed Master Du’e through the dilapidated temple gate.
Inside, a century-old bodhi tree stood in the courtyard, its branches lush and vibrant with life.
A bronze bell hung from its sturdy trunk.
“Master, forgive my bluntness, but why is Tianlong Temple in such disrepair?” Qian Duoduo asked directly.
Master Du’e smiled, “Because what you see is not the true Tianlong Temple.”
“Oh? Then where’s the real one?”
“The true Tianlong Temple was destroyed centuries ago.”
Ye Qiu: “…”
Lin Jingzhi: “…”
Qian Duoduo: “…”
Master Du’e continued, “This temple was built through the alms collected by my master and me.”
Ye Qiu grew even more puzzled. Given the renown of Master Du’e and Master Kongjian, if they wished to rebuild Tianlong Temple, a single word would have rallied countless supporters.
At the very least, raising a few hundred million to construct a temple would be no issue.
Moreover, the government would likely contribute funds as well.
Why, then, had they built only this rundown temple?
Sensing their confusion, Master Du’e explained, “A Buddhist sanctuary should remain pure. If it were adorned in opulence and swarmed with pilgrims, it would resemble a marketplace, defying the original purpose of building a temple.”
“Furthermore, constructing a grand temple requires extensive labour and resources, which burdens both people and wealth.”
“Thus, as long as the Buddha resides in one’s heart, the size or state of the temple—whether grand or humble, thriving or declining—does not hinder cultivation.”
Ye Qiu was deeply moved.
This was the mark of a true eminent monk!
One who pursued spiritual practice, not fame or fortune.
Unlike some modern temples, scheming to make money—some running martial arts schools, others promoting tourism, and a few even operating like corporations.
If not for the Buddha statues and bald monks within, such temples would be indistinguishable from businesses.
In the inner courtyard, there were a few meditation rooms.
At the entrance of one room hung a couplet:
“Tianlong endures forever, untainted by a speck of dust; perfect enlightenment brings freedom, all realms are empty.”
To the astonishment of Ye Qiu and his companions, the temple housed no statues of the Buddha or other bodhisattvas.
Ye Qiu immediately asked, “Master, why is there not a single bodhisattva enshrined here?”
Master Du’e pressed his palms together, saying, “Amitabha, the Buddha resides forever in this old monk’s heart. As for whether statues are enshrined, I trust the Buddha would not take offence.”
This was the realm of a true master!
Ye Qiu marvelled silently, then said, “Master, I wish to pay my respects to Master Kongjian. Could you please arrange it?”
“My master is not here,” Master Du’e replied.
Ye Qiu was taken aback. “Then where is the divine monk?”
“My master is at the back mountain!”
Master Du’e explained, “My master was cultivating here until yesterday morning, when magpies chirped incessantly outside his window. He deduced that Benefactor Ye would likely visit soon, so he went to the back mountain to await you.”
Master Du’e added, “Meet my master, and you shall see the sword manual!”
Ye Qiu spoke frankly, “Master, I’ll be honest—my time is tight. After Dali, I must head to Jinling to compete in medicine with the Great Han Medical Sage. So, I’d like to ask you to take me to Master Kongjian as soon as possible.”
“Rest assured, Benefactor Ye. Before my master left for the back mountain, he instructed that when you arrived, I should bring you to him.”
Turning to Lin Jingzhi and Qian Duoduo, Master Du’e said, “Benefactors, I will take Benefactor Ye to the back mountain. Please wait here.”
“Why can’t we come along?” Qian Duoduo asked, puzzled.
Lin Jingzhi smiled and said, “The divine monk’s name is renowned across the land. I, too, wish to pay my respects.”
Master Du’e replied, “It’s not that this old monk is unwilling to bring you both to meet my master, but to see him, one must pass several trials. These trials are quite challenging, so I ask that you both wait here.”
Ye Qiu had anticipated this.
The Six Meridians Divine Sword was Tianlong Temple’s supreme martial art, a treasure of the temple. For an outsider to obtain it would naturally be no simple feat.
As expected, Master Kongjian had set trials.
What those trials entailed, however, remained unknown.
“If that’s the case, Cousin, you go meet the divine monk. Sister-in-law and I will wait here,” Qian Duoduo said.
Lin Jingzhi, concerned for Ye Qiu’s safety, whispered, “Do your best, and stay cautious.”
Ye Qiu smiled, “Don’t worry. The divine monk and Master are both enlightened beings with compassionate hearts. They won’t make things difficult for me.”
“Then I’ll trouble you both to wait here. There’s tea and wild fruits in the room—please help yourselves. Benefactor Ye, follow me.”
With that, Master Du’e exited through a side gate in the courtyard wall.
Ye Qiu followed closely behind.
Master Du’e led Ye Qiu down the mountain to its base, then along a path for a while, until they stopped before a peak.
The peak was low, only a few dozen metres high, barren and devoid of vegetation.
Master Du’e pointed at it, saying, “Benefactor Ye, the gate to the back mountain lies within this peak. Find the gate and open it, and you will have passed my master’s first trial.”
“That simple?” Ye Qiu asked, surprised.
Master Du’e said, “Do not underestimate it, Benefactor Ye. Back then, it took this old monk three years to find the gate and another ten years to open it.”
“Is that so?”
Ye Qiu activated his Heavenly Eye, his gaze piercing through the peak. He stepped forward a few paces and struck the cliff with a powerful fist.
“Boom!”
The rock shattered, revealing a cave entrance.
Master Du’e’s face was filled with shock.
He found it that quickly?
Was he even human?
Recalling how he had taken thirteen years to open the gate, Master Du’e’s face flushed with embarrassment.
At that moment, Ye Qiu’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and saw a message from the War God.
It contained just four words:
“Dragon Six has left the capital!”
