From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 326 Breaking the Situation
The night was quiet and still.

Su Wen had expected the results to be available soon, but she hadn't anticipated that it would take so long. Therefore, she remained on edge, fearing that Meng Yuan might fail to break through his cultivation level, so that she could quickly provide assistance.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, but there was still no result.

Flames occasionally flickered from the thatched hut, sometimes as faint as fireflies, seemingly about to fall; at other times, they shot into the sky, obscuring the surrounding area.

Xuanjizi was already used to it, and lay down on the recliner, already snoring softly, clearly fast asleep.

Suwen lit a fire and brewed tea. She didn't dare to slack off, circling the thatched hut every now and then, afraid that the birds and beasts in the mountains might be startled and dart out, disturbing the person in seclusion.

But Suwen noticed that the area around the thatched hut was lush and green. Although it was springtime and everything was coming back to life, the greenery and flowers here were more verdant and vibrant than elsewhere.

It seems that this fire is not meant to destroy or annihilate all things in the world, but rather to nourish them.

With the moon high in the sky, Suwen sat on a small stool and saw that the flame in the thatched hut was small, and the faint light could only be seen faintly outside the window.

Suwen was afraid that Meng Yuan would disappear like this fire. She wanted to ask Xuanjizi for advice, but she didn't dare to, because she had asked him many times before and had been scolded by Xuanjizi.

Just as she was worrying, someone patted her on the back. Startled, Suwen turned around and saw that it was her two senior sisters, Suqiu and Suxin.

"It's not like you're climbing the ladder to heaven, what are you so nervous about? Can't you even hear us?" Suqiu said irritably when she saw that Suwen's hands were clenched into wrinkles in his monk's robe. "You've gotten so thin these past few days!"

"Here!" Su Xin stuffed the lunchbox into Su Wen's hand, but then said, "Senior Sister, don't talk about Su Wen. She's an honest person. Master Xuanji invited her to take care of her, and she has to do her duty."

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Suwen quickly got up and took the food without opening the lunchbox or daring to argue. She simply lowered her head, moved a small stool over, and invited the two senior sisters to sit down.

"What loyalty?" Suqiu was knowledgeable. She glanced at Suwen, then looked at the thatched hut, and said, "I'm just afraid that Junior Sister has become tainted by worldly desires!"

Upon hearing this, Su Xin secretly glanced at Xuan Jizi, who was fast asleep in the distance, then looked at Su Wen and whispered, "Junior Sister, you mustn't break the rules."

"Senior sister, how did I break the precepts?" Suwen asked blankly.

“How did you break the rules? I think you were only concerned with guarding and forgot to guard your heart!” Su Qiu patted her sleeves and said in a low voice, “This Meng Feiyuan is a descendant of the Ying family. He later joined the Demon Suppression Division. His abilities are naturally not bad, and his appearance is not bad either, but his character is worrying.”

Upon hearing this, Suwen curiously looked at Suqiu. Suxin, who was also quite young, tried to appear mature, but couldn't help but lean forward, clearly wanting to hear more details.

Seeing that her two junior sisters were curious, Suqiu continued, "He was a castrator by trade, and he understands the essence of 'power' best, therefore..."

"Senior sister, what does 'where the power lies' mean?" Su Xin asked as she noticed Su Wen blushing for no apparent reason.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!" Suqiu scolded Suxin, then continued, "He later entered the Prince's mansion to learn martial arts. His master originally didn't want to pass on his skills to him, but he seduced his master's only daughter and made it a fait accompli. His master had no choice but to accept it!"

Su Qiu had clearly inquired about this beforehand, and she continued, "As his abilities grew, so did his ability to seduce women. I heard—"

Upon arriving here, Suqiu lowered her voice, "She even seduced a nobleman from the Dugu family!"

Upon hearing this, both Suwen and Suxin looked at the thatched hut, but their thoughts differed; the former was dumbfounded, while the latter was amazed.

“This…” Su Wen’s face was still red, but she still asked in a low voice, “How come I heard that Senior Brother Meng is exceptionally talented, which is how he received his master’s true teachings? Also, Senior Brother Meng is well-versed in Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist classics, and he is also gentle and refined, not like a bad person.”

"Take half of what they say. He is indeed quite talented, but the more talented someone is, the more you should be wary of him." Su Qiu was very knowledgeable.

Suwen looked bewildered and asked in a low voice, "Who told you that, Senior Sister?"

“The Four Disciples of Chongxu Temple.” Suqiu seemed to think highly of the four, and then earnestly instructed them, “You have been away from the mountains for too long and do not know the dangers of the world. They have not taken vows like us and can lie. Have you forgotten why he kept trying to get you to talk? Is it because you can eat with your words? Or can your words heal your wounds? You ruined your cultivation with just a few words.”

“But Senior Sister,” Su Xin said, “I was there when we went down the mountain for disaster relief. I was there when we went to Lanruo Temple. Why didn’t he try to talk to me then?”

"You're not as good-looking as Junior Sister Suwen, nor are you as gentle and innocent as her," Suqiu said bluntly.

"It's truly Amitabha!" Su Xin clasped her hands tightly together, her tone revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

"Suwen, have you memorized it?" Suqiu asked earnestly.

"I understand." Suwen lowered her head, realizing that her senior sister's words made sense, and then asked, "What should I do if he insists on talking to me?"

"Recite the sutras." Suqiu, as expected of her senior sister, was very experienced and instructed, "Worldly desires are all empty, they only waste your energy and spirit. There are many foolish men and women in the world, that is because they cannot understand or comprehend. We have entered the Buddhist gate, we must never be tainted by defilement."

“Junior sister understands.” Suwen sincerely agreed.

The three sisters argued for a long time when they heard laughter and conversation coming from afar.

"I saw the fire here when I was at Lanruo Temple. The old monk Jiujie even asked about it. I told him that Yunshan Temple had dismantled some of the temple pillars for heating, but I never expected that it was my junior brother who started the fire."

“Amitabha, benefactor, you need not worry about saving face for this humble monk. Just call me an old bald monk. This humble monk can take it.”

The three Suqiu sisters turned around and saw Lin Yan from the Demon Suppression Division and Jueming from Lanruo Temple walking side by side, followed by Zhou Ying, Fan Ye, Xuan Bei, and others, as well as two nuns from Yunshan Temple.

Lin Yan approached and circled the thatched hut before bowing to the three Su Qiu sisters. Seeing that Daoist Xuanjizi was fast asleep, he asked, "Junior brother, is it that you won't come out unless it's successful?"

“Amitabha.” Monk Jueming said with great insight, “Benefactor Meng has profound blessings. This fire sometimes grows large and sometimes small, like the way of light and shadow, as if it is in the cycle of reincarnation. It is truly mysterious. When Benefactor Meng comes out of seclusion, he will surely make a name for himself.”

"Junior brother, aren't you famous enough?" Lin Yan chuckled, winked at Zhou Ying, and said, "Look, I acted as a pimp for you back then, and you didn't appreciate it!"

Ignoring Zhou Ying's unpleasant expression, Lin Yan looked at Su Wen and asked, "Junior Brother has been in seclusion and hasn't said anything?"

Suwen shook his head.

Seeing that Su Wen was timid, Lin Yan didn't ask any more questions. He simply sat down by the stove, took out his wine gourd, and poured himself some wine.

Suqiu didn't try to stop them, but simply bowed to Abbot Jueming and asked, "Senior Brother, what's the procedure for the magical duel at Lanruo Temple now?"

"Amitabha." Monk Jueming glanced at the thatched hut and said, "We came here for this very reason. Too many people have died in the fighting." At this point, Monk Jueming looked at Lin Yan and said, "Now is the time to discuss Zen, but my junior brother Juesheng is nowhere to be found."

The monk Juesheng had been invited by Ding Chonglou to capture Jie Kaiping, but his attempt backfired, resulting in the deaths of Ding Chonglou and his nephew. Juesheng then fled and joined forces with Jie Kaiping.

Although Lin Yan did not know the details, it was clear that Ding Chonglou and his nephew had also disappeared and probably died outside.

As for Monk Juesheng, he either died or defected to the enemy.

Lin Yan had also heard Xuan Hui mention the monk Juesheng. He waved his hand and said, "He's probably out there fooling around! You know, Juesheng was bored in Lanruo Temple for too long and couldn't understand Buddhism, so he went out to find a girl to amuse himself."

Monk Jueming had always been quite familiar with Lin Yan, and knew that this boy didn't speak like a human being. So he didn't get angry, but simply explained, "What kind of person is Junior Brother Juesheng? Why would he go looking for prostitutes for no reason?"

“If you say it’s not a woman, then it might be a man! You bald monks don’t discriminate between men and women either,” Lin Yan said.

"Amitabha." Monk Jueming bowed his head and put his palms together, while Xuanbei beside him glared angrily at Lin Yan.

Suwen and Suxin didn't dare to say a word either. They were still young and didn't quite understand Lin Yan's shameless words.

Su Qiu, however, was angered and rebuked, "This is a sacred Buddhist place. If Benefactor Lin is going to spout nonsense again, please go somewhere else!"

"In this world, you can't even speak the truth." Seeing the disdain on Zhou Ying's and Fan Ye's faces, Lin Yan responded with a hint of grievance, but didn't dare to say anything more.

Upon seeing this, Monk Jueming said, "Junior Brother Juesheng followed Benefactor Ding in his search for the peacock, but both of them have now disappeared without a trace. They must have met with misfortune."

"Do you think Jie Kaiping is someone to be trifled with?" Lin Yan, a man of great experience, sneered. "Ding Chonglou is outwardly tough but inwardly kind, narrow-minded, and arrogant! It's just a matter of whether he dies sooner or later! As for Monk Juesheng, once the matter at Lanruo Temple is settled, you can send people to find him!"

Upon hearing this, Monk Jueming remained silent.

Lin Yan pressed his advantage, laughing and saying, "You always blow your conch shells so loudly, but when things really get tough, your Lanruo Temple is no good."

Monk Jueming put his hands together and sighed. He had been practicing Zen and seeking the Dao for decades. Although he was not good at witty debates, he had been influenced by them. However, he did not know how to speak at this moment.

Lanruo Temple is now in dire straits, with its two third-rank patriarchs being suppressed by the Arhat from the West. As the local lord, he caused a sudden snowstorm to fall in Ping'an Prefecture, bringing disaster to countless people. It was only thanks to the intervention of the Imperial Preceptor that the Arhat of No Birth stopped in time.

Then came the martial arts competition. Although Jin Hai was strong, he was ultimately suppressed by Meng Feiyuan. However, the subsequent battles were progressively worse. Of the three people from Lanruo Temple, two died, and only one survived, who is still seriously injured and has not yet recovered.

Over the course of these days, the millennia-old heritage of Lanruo Temple seems to have vanished. The leader of the Buddhist community is being suppressed and unable to lift his head, and the differences between the gradual and sudden enlightenment schools are widening.

"I heard that my Lanruo Temple also contributed to the death of Old Master Ying. Is it really because killing is an ominous sign? Is the fortune of Lanruo Temple dissipating?" Monk Jueming murmured as he looked up and saw the stars and moon shining brightly, the night breeze blowing gently, and a tiny spark of fire rising up, only to be knocked down and quickly retreating back into the thatched hut.

"Don't forget the important matter." Zhou Ying whispered a reminder when she saw Lin Yan constantly poking fun at Jueming.

Sure enough, Lin Yan slapped his forehead and hurried to the recliner. Seeing that Xuanjizi was still snoring, he said, "Daoist, your four disciples have been captured by the bald monk Jiujie. He said he was going to take them to the West to teach them the true scriptures. They refused and were almost beaten to death!"

Xuanjizi didn't even open his eyes, and said, "For the sake of my junior sister, please collect their remains."

"That's not necessary. I've already gotten them out." Lin Yan chuckled and said, "The Third Miss has arrived. She was summoned by the Imperial Advisor. She asked me to give you a message that she'll come to see you in a couple of days."

"What's she doing here?" Xuanjizi sighed and waved his hand.

Lin Yan said no more, circled the thatched hut again, and then came to the three Su Xin sisters and said, "Junior brother often says that there is a divine nun in Yunshan Temple, which is a place where spiritual energy gathers. This is also the reason why he came here to cultivate in seclusion. Please take good care of my junior brother, senior sisters."

Seeing that Lin Yan had finally spoken a sensible word, Su Qiu stopped being cold and instead politely bowed to him.

Once Lin Yan left, Jueming and Xuanbei didn't want to linger, so they also took their leave. However, the two of them refused to travel the same way as Lin Yan.

In an instant, the world became quiet and peaceful.

At this moment, Meng Yuan was in a thatched hut, his body enveloped in tiny sparks.

The sparks were endless, and although they were not very bright, they seemed to never die out. They not only roamed around the body, but also burrowed into the flesh and organs, and even the mind had to endure the torment of being burned.

Meng Yuan carefully sensed it, not knowing how long it had been, only that it seemed to have gone through countless reincarnations and countless rebirths, until it was burned to ashes by fire, then gathered up and molded into a human.

Life and death, death and life, it's like falling into an endless hell, constantly being scorched by fire.

Fortunately, after several body tempering sessions, both his body and mind became extremely stable, and Meng Yuan gradually persevered.

After an unknown amount of time, Meng Yuan suddenly felt a surge of restless flames both inside and outside his body. Then, the flames rose from his heart, and the fire in his body intensified, to the point that the fire inside and outside resonated with each other.

In an instant, Meng Yuan felt as if he were in a boundless land, where he saw only a few sparks of flame, which then grew into a raging torrent.

He was plunged into the fire once more, both inside and out. The fire was constantly circulating around him, as if it were tempering his body.

The burning pain was even worse than the repeated body tempering. Moreover, the mind was extremely clear, and the pain was so intense that it could not be shaken off, and could only be felt bit by bit, minute by minute.

In a daze, Meng Yuan sensed that the fire inside and outside his body was strange and extraordinary, as if there was a cause and effect in it, but he did not know where the cause was or where the effect was.

"This is karmic fire? What kind of karmic fire?"

Upon closer examination, Meng Yuan initially thought the fire was the Buddhist fire of ignorance, but then realized it was different and definitely not a Taoist fire.

This fire seems to be immortal; even if it is as small as a grain of rice, even if mountains crumble and the earth splits, even if rivers and seas are combined, the more it is suppressed, the more it persists, the more vibrant it becomes, and the more powerful its flames grow. Even if it is extinguished temporarily, it can be reborn from the ashes.

This fire, once started, seemed destined to become a prairie fire.

With inner and outer unity, Meng Yuan was engulfed in flames. As countless memories flooded his mind, the flames rose and fell several times. Finally, the fire blazed up, no longer bound by the small thatched hut, nor by heaven and earth.

(End of this chapter)