“This monk is here!”
The four words echoed like a sacred chant, lingering in the air.
Ye Qiu scanned his surroundings, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
In the next moment, his gaze locked onto the Buddha Tower, his heart trembling.
Master Kong Jian was in the tower!
Consider this: Ye Qiu stood a hundred meters from the tower.
That meant Master Kong Jian, from within the tower a hundred meters away, had heard Ye Qiu’s conversation with Master Du E.
Ye Qiu marveled inwardly, Truly a legendary monk with peerless cultivation!
Master Du E pointed to the tower. “This is the Tower of Enlightenment.”
“Built in the Song Dynasty, it has stood for over eight hundred years.”
“The Tower of Enlightenment rises above the cliff. Many seniors of our Tianlong Temple have attained enlightenment here, ascending to the Western Paradise.”
“My master has been meditating here in recent years. Oh, and the manual for the Six Meridians Divine Sword is also inside.”
“Benefactor Ye, let me take you there!”
With that, Master Du E led Ye Qiu to the base of the cliff.
The Tower of Enlightenment was perched atop the cliff, two hundred meters above the ground, with no path leading up.
“Master, does everyone who visits the tower climb the cliff barehanded?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Benefactor Ye is perceptive—exactly so,” Du E replied.
“Enlightenment requires a certain level of cultivation.”
“Per Tianlong Temple’s rules, only the abbot, elders, and stewards were allowed in the tower. Guests from outside need the abbot’s permission to enter.”
“Benefactor Ye, in the last century, you are the third guest to enter the Tower of Enlightenment.”
Ye Qiu immediately asked, “Who were the first two?”
Master Du E said, “Both were extraordinary talents.”
“The first was the unrivaled master of his time, Ye Wushuang.”
“The second was the great lord of the Forbidden City, Long Yi!”
Ye Qiu was stunned again. His father and the Forbidden City’s boss had both been here?
He pressed, “What did Ye Wushuang and Long Yi come here for?”
“What else? To discuss the Dao with my master,” Du E said.
“Ye Wushuang debated with my master for three days and nights before leaving Tianlong Temple.”
“Who won?” Ye Qiu was eager for the outcome.
Du E shook his head. “Unclear.”
What?
Ye Qiu was puzzled. How could it be unclear?
Du E explained, “My master and Ye Wushuang didn’t fight. They sat face-to-face, discussing Zen for three days and nights. I couldn’t understand most of their words, so I don’t know who prevailed.”
“But as Ye Wushuang left, my master said to him, ‘A single conversation with you surpasses ten years of study.’”
“I suspect my master lost.”
Ye Qiu gained a new perspective on his father. He hadn’t known he was versed in Buddhist philosophy.
“And Long Yi from the Forbidden City?” Ye Qiu asked.
Du E snorted. “Long Yi claimed he came to discuss Zen, but he was a scheming villain who knew nothing of Buddhism. He even ambushed my master when he was unguarded.”
“Fortunately, my master’s skills were superior, and Long Yi couldn’t harm him.”
“But my master couldn’t detain Long Yi either.”
“It ended in a draw, I suppose.”
Du E’s tone grew heavy. “Long Yi’s skills were terrifying back then. After years in seclusion, when he emerges again, he may truly be unmatched…”
Suddenly, Master Kong Jian’s voice rang from the tower atop the cliff. “Du E, how can you neglect an honored guest?”
“Yes, Master, I stand corrected,” Du E replied, bowing respectfully toward the cliff. To Ye Qiu, he said, “Benefactor Ye, let me guide you up.”
“After you, Master,” Ye Qiu said.
No sooner had he spoken than Du E moved.
Taking a deep breath, Du E leaped into the air. His fingers curled like claws, gripping the rock face like iron hooks. Agile as a rabbit, he scaled over ten meters in one breath, face unflushed, breathing steady.
His cliff-climbing technique was clearly well-practiced.
After ascending a dozen meters, Du E glanced down to see Ye Qiu still at the cliff’s base, frowning.
“Benefactor Ye, what are you thinking?”
Ye Qiu pointed at the cliff, candidly admitting, “I’m wondering how to get up.”
“Haven’t you figured it out?” Du E chuckled. “What I just used was the Dragon Claw Hand, one of Buddhism’s seventy-two supreme techniques. Shall I teach it to you?”
“Is there a catch, Master?”
“Benefactor Ye is sharp. Just join our Tianlong Temple.”
This old bald donkey—why’s he so set on recruiting me?
Ye Qiu shook his head. “Master, you misunderstand. It’s not that I lack ways to climb—it’s that I have too many, and I haven’t decided which to use.”
Du E’s smile froze.
Why didn’t you say so earlier?
You’re just slapping my face on purpose!
You’ve done it multiple times today—does my face look that slappable?
“Fine, pick one!” Ye Qiu said.
Silently, he traced a talisman.
Then, stepping onto the rock face, he walked as if on flat ground, shooting upward like an arrow, his speed dizzying.
In a blink, he was nearly at the cliff’s summit.
Du E’s face stiffened further.
Could you slow down a bit?
You’re making me lose face—don’t you get it?
He scrambled to climb faster.
Reaching the cliff, Ye Qiu saw an emaciated old monk seated cross-legged on a cushion at the tower’s entrance.
The monk’s cheekbones jutted sharply, his face gaunt, skin dull. His eyes were sunken, wrinkles like rough bark, exuding a weathered air, as if he’d endured endless trials.
His eyes were closed, deep in meditation.
This is Master Kong Jian?
He looks like an ordinary old monk, his aura weak, like a candle flickering out, ready to leave this world any moment.
Ye Qiu dusted off his clothes, straightened them, and bowed deeply. “Junior Ye Qiu pays respects to the divine monk.”
Whoosh!
The instant the old monk opened his eyes, it was as if divine light shot forth, deep and abyssal.
In that moment, Ye Qiu felt transparent, as if all his secrets were laid bare before Kong Jian.
The monk stared for a full half-minute.
Finally, he spoke. “One leaf falls, and the world knows autumn. Benefactor Ye, greetings!”
“Greetings, Master!” Ye Qiu kept his posture humble.
“No need for formality,” Kong Jian said with a faint smile. “Meeting you feels like reuniting with an old friend.”
“Oddly, seeing you, I can’t help but think of someone from the past.”
“I’m sure my disciple Du E mentioned him.”
“His name was Ye Wushuang!”
