Although Lin Wan’er had instructed Old Zhang to search for them, such materials could not simply be bought with money; they required luck and opportunity.
Until the materials were secured, Charlie wade intended to keep at least five pills in reserve for emergencies.
That left only five pills he could use to trade with the mysterious entity.
…
Early next morning, back at the villa, Charlie wade, Grace Lowes, and Song Rife began secluded practice.
This time, their main focus was mastering the thirty-six hand seals until they became second nature.
However, thirty-six seals were not easy even to memorise perfectly, and performing them required the mind to think ahead each step. Raising efficiency was not something that happened overnight. It was like a difficult piano piece: only by building powerful muscle memory could speed increase dramatically.
And muscle memory is a long process. Even the greatest pianists require more than a decade of relentless practice to reach the pinnacle.
They remained in seclusion until evening, when Charlie wade’s alarm sounded. As he opened his eyes, Grace Lowes and Song Rife also emerged from meditation at the sound.
Charlie wade instructed the two women to prepare to go out, then stepped into the living room first.
There, Lin Wan’er was chatting happily with Helena.
Helena had initially been wary and somewhat competitive towards Lin Wan’er, but after talking for a while, she discovered this girl possessed a charisma that defied imagination. Her intelligence and emotional wisdom were astonishing, and her breadth of knowledge was terrifying. While the three were in seclusion, Helena had dragged Lin Wan’er into conversation, and before long they had become bosom friends.
Seeing Charlie wade emerge, Lin Wan’er hurried forward, gave a slight curtsey, and said, “Young Master, this servant has consulted some classical texts and combined them with things I have seen and heard before. I now have a rough judgement about the hand seals you have been cultivating these past two days.”
Charlie wade’s eyes lit up. “Miss Lin, please tell me quickly.”
Lin Wan’er replied, “If this servant is not mistaken, the seals transmitted to the Young Master through the aurora by that mysterious entity should be the authentic Mahāvairocana hand seals, also known as the Virocana Seal.”
“Mahāvairocana hand seals?” Charlie wade asked. “What is their origin?”
Lin Wan’er explained, “The Mahāvairocana seals practised today are completely different from the true ones. The genuine Mahāvairocana seals are the meditation seal of Vairocana Buddha and possess real dharma power. In other words, they are actual Buddhist cultivation seals. Later, however, the versions with true power were lost, and what circulated became mere ceremonial gestures.”
Charlie wade knew little about religion and humbly asked, “The Vairocana Buddha Miss Lin mentioned, which Buddhist master is that?”
Lin Wan’er smiled. “Vairocana Buddha is the Great Sun Tathāgata, that is, Śākyamuni. Yet they are not exactly the same. One may understand it this way: Śākyamuni is the response body that the Buddha manifested to suit the mortal world. Buddhas have three bodies: the Dharma body, the response body, and the reward body. The Buddha’s Dharma body is precisely Vairocana.”
Charlie wade sighed in awe. “Buddhism and Daoism may differ in philosophy and purpose, yet on the path of cultivation they reach the same goal by different routes. It seems the legends of attaining sainthood are not mere myths. Perhaps those ancient sages really did open their own pure lands! I never imagined I would have the honour of learning authentic secret Buddhist Dharma. It truly is the fortune of a lifetime.”
Lin Wan’er nodded devoutly. “This servant has believed in Buddhism since childhood, yet never had such blessed opportunity as the Young Master. It seems the Young Master is the one truly fated with the Buddha!”
Grace Lowes and Song Rife, hearing this, were so moved that tears poured down their faces.
Ever since they first witnessed the seals up close, their emotions had become fragile; they teared up at the slightest provocation.
They were already infinitely grateful to Charlie wade for bestowing such opportunities upon them. Now, learning that these might be the incomparably precious authentic Mahāvairocana seals, their gratitude knew no bounds. Never in their lives had they dreamt of such fortune, and all of it was thanks to Charlie wade.
Thus, hand in hand, they once again knelt before him on both knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Charlie wade’s head ached. These two really were addicted to kneeling; they dropped to their knees at the slightest excuse, and he truly could not handle it.
He hurried forward to help them up, but the two women had no intention of rising, their legs still bent at ninety degrees.
Grace Lowes choked out through tears, “Young Master Wade may not know this, but ever since Lowes awakened to the path, I have been like rootless duckweed, a beggar of cultivation. Obtaining even one technique or one pill was harder than ascending to heaven. I was forced to bow and scrape at Wu Fiona’s side, doing all manner of evil for her, just to receive the meagrest resources. Yet since meeting Young Master Wade, before I have rendered even the slightest service, I have already received successive heaven-defying opportunities from you. The gratitude in my heart cannot be expressed in words. I have only one wish: that one day I may throw my life away for you, spill my hot blood, and repay Young Master’s grace with my death!”
