From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 327 Coming out of seclusion
Lanruo Temple.

The Zen Platform was packed with people, bustling with activity.

According to the rules, the first thing to do is to have a martial arts competition, which will be completed in three to five days, and then the debate on Zen principles will take place.

However, because Meng Yuan and Jin Hai fought so fiercely, everyone who came on stage after them fought desperately, resulting in a battle every day, leaving both sides severely injured.

The literary debate only began a few days ago; it is a discussion on Zen and the Way, with Master Jiujie and Abbot Zhiguan taking turns to propose topics for debate, and the two sides sitting down to discuss them.

Today, a high-ranking monk from Shengguo Temple is making an appearance, while his opponent is a disciple of the Arhat Wusheng, both of whom are bald old monks.

Xiangling had just arrived at Lanruo Temple with Ying Rushi last night, and before she could even rest, Ying Rushi was summoned by the Imperial Preceptor, and Xiangling was taken away by Mingyue and forced to sleep.

When dawn broke, Xiangling was once again taken out by Mingyue to broaden her horizons.

Xiangling was a country bumpkin, but she had once had a respectable job in the city. However, she was still surprised to see so many monks coming to ask about Zen.

"No wonder they're giving out eggs! It looks like a bunch of eggs all together! My godmother received so many eggs, but she didn't get as many as these bald monks." Xiangling was truly dumbfounded to see so many monks gathered together for the first time.

As Xiangling muttered to herself, she followed the others and quietly listened to the two bald men arguing.

"What are you babbling about?" Xiangling listened intently for a while, only to feel dizzy and lightheaded. But everyone else in the room was listening very carefully. Seeing that Mingyue was ignoring her, she tugged at the sleeve of the person next to her and asked, "Friend, did you get your eggs?"

Xiangling was also curiously looking at other people's cuffs.

"What eggs? Where do we get eggs?" Mo Tingyu, who had been focused on Ning Qufei, looked completely bewildered by Xiangling's question.

"No eggs?" Xiangling was shocked. "They didn't even give out eggs. Why did everyone come to class? If my godmother were here, she would have been secretly cursing them already!"

Xiangling put her two short arms on her hips, looking like she'd seen it all, while Mo Tingyu suddenly realized and pointed at Xiangling, exclaiming with delight, "You're Fellow Daoist Meng's little darling!"

As she spoke, Mo Tingyu lifted the headscarf from Xiangling's head and pinched the small bundle on Xiangling's back. "How fashionable!"

Xiangling initially thought Mo Tingyu was rather impolite, but when she heard him praise her, she couldn't help but feel happy.

"Do you know the young castrator?" Xiangling tightened her bundle and asked happily.

"Fellow Daoist Meng is our dearest friend, a sworn brother!" Mo Tingyu tugged at Ning Qufei beside her.

"So you're all friends!" Xiangling bowed politely, clearly someone who had experience in the martial arts world. She said, "I am Laobiekeng Xiangling. May I ask your names, my dear husband?"

Xiangling was a capable woman. She knew that traveling the world was not easy, so she had done her homework before setting off and received a lot of advice. For example, when she met a young couple who looked like a pair, she would call them a virtuous couple; when she met an older person, she would call them an old gentleman; when she met a Taoist priest, she would call him a Taoist priest, and when she met a Buddhist monk, she would call him a master; if she was really unsure, she would just call them fellow Taoists regardless of gender or whether they were Buddhist or Taoist.

Sure enough, as soon as Mo Tingyu heard Xiangling talking about a virtuous couple, she was overjoyed and speechless.

Ning Qufei was quite composed. He returned Xiangling's greeting but didn't say anything more.

"My dear Xiang, my senior brother and I aren't married yet." Mo Tingyu hugged Xiangling tightly, already regarding her as a close friend.

"Then you'd better hurry!" Xiangling struggled slightly in Mo Tingyu's arms, nudging her little head against Mo Tingyu's chest, and said, "Looks like you can have children too!"

"We should wait for them to make the first suggestion." Mo Tingyu's face was as bright as the sun and her voice was so low that Xiangling could hardly hear her. She was too embarrassed to say anything more, so she asked, "Are you here to see Meng Feiyuan?"

"That's right!" Xiangling saw that Fellow Daoist Mo Tingyu's voice had suddenly become soft and sweet, completely losing its previous dashing demeanor. She didn't ask any further questions, but simply said, "I want to go find the little castrator, but Aunt Mingyue won't take me."

“Fellow Daoist Meng is in seclusion; you won’t be able to see him even if you go,” Mo Tingyu said.

"Watching the door is fine too!" Xiangling made a good point. "I'm the best at watching the door!"

As she spoke, Xiangling took out a handful of pine nuts from her small bundle and gave them to Mo Tingyu, saying, "Let's eat and talk."

Mo Tingyu took the pine nuts, and the two of them started eating and chatting at the same time, ignoring the stares of those around them.

The two chatted for a while about their experiences in the martial arts world, when suddenly a deafening roar of cheers erupted from all around, mixed with shouts of curses.

Xiangling quickly jumped onto Mo Tingyu's shoulder, stood on tiptoe and strained to see inside, but she couldn't tell which old bald man had the upper hand. "Aunt Mo, lift me up."

As soon as she spoke, Xiangling noticed that the cheers suddenly became sparse and then quieted down.

Xiangling then realized that everyone here, regardless of whether they were bald or not, was looking southwest.

It was midday, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the sky was cloudless and a deep green. But a streak of fire rose intermittently, turning half the sky red, as if vying with the sun for brilliance.

The firelight illuminated countless rays of light on the horizon, which lingered for a long time.

No one in the audience went to watch the discussions on philosophy and Zen; they all craned their necks to watch the fireworks in the distance.

This strange phenomenon of firelight has been appearing for several days, but it is always suppressed by the sunlight during the day, like tiny fireflies, and only becomes more noticeable at night.

Some people here say that the monk Jiujie secretly set the mountain fire, some say that the great demon Jin Chan spat out a pearl, and some shamelessly say that all the nuns of Yunshan Temple have become enamored with worldly desires and are unable to quell their lust.

However, those with a slightly sharper eye and hearing would know that it was Meng Feiyuan, who had previously defeated Monk Jinhai, who was climbing the Heavenly Stairs.

Moreover, news has spread that the Arhat Wusheng intends to take Meng Feiyuan as his disciple, and even praised Meng Feiyuan as a prodigy.

"This..." Mo Tingyu was dumbfounded, finding it unbelievable.

Breaking from the sixth rank to the fifth rank is an extremely important step for a martial artist, but judging from the unusual phenomena that accompany him, there would never be such a huge commotion, as if the sky were about to collapse.

Moreover, despite the distance, Mo Tingyu did not perceive the fire as particularly domineering or raging, yet it seemed impossible to extinguish or put out.

"When the celestial beings are born, what extraordinary phenomena will that be?" Ning Qufei, being a martial artist, yearned for it, yet felt like a mayfly opening its eyes to see the blue sky. He had the desire to bravely catch up, but also felt powerless.

"Grandma, let's go find the young castrator." Xiangling immediately climbed onto Mingyue's shoulder, her tone no longer that of the old man from the martial world, but rather a plea made with great effort.

“He’s at a critical juncture, so even if I went there, I wouldn’t be able to see him.” Mingyue was the most composed. “Besides, he’ll be successful soon, and I reckon he’ll need a couple of days to recover.”

"Then I'll find someone else to take me!" Seeing that Mingyue was unmoved, Xiangling turned her head, spotted an acquaintance, and quickly waved, "Senior Brother!"

"Oh, it's Xiangzi!" Lin Yan said with a grin.

"A letter from the medicine girl!" Xiangling took out a letter from her small bundle, then looked at Zhou Ying and Fan Ye, and then took out two more. "And two more for you!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan quickly stepped forward and respectfully accepted it.

"Xiangling, you're so kind!" Zhou Ying happily accepted the gift, but instead of opening it, she took out a packet of pine nut candy.

Xiangling immediately jumped onto Zhou Ying's shoulder, happily took the bag, and praised, "You're really good!"

At this point, Xiangling sighed again, "Take me to the young castrator. His wife has a letter too; I've almost forgotten about it. If you need anything, you can also give me directions; I don't get lost anymore!" Xiangling rarely asked for favors, so she gently touched Zhou Ying's cheek and said, "I'll find you a good marriage then!"

"There's no need for a marriage proposal. We just got back." Lin Yan finished reading the letter, carefully put it away, and then said with a smile, "Besides, your little castrator has a beautiful nun watching over him. He's long forgotten about his wife at home!"

"A beautiful little nun? How beautiful?" Xiangling had seen people from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, but she had never seen a nun before. So she forgot about her serious business and became curious instead.

"Is it Suwen?" Mingyue suddenly asked.

"That's right." Lin Yan dared not be joking anymore and immediately said, "Master Suwen has been guarding my junior brother's door day and night, never leaving his side!"

"Let's go take a look." Mingyue scooped Xiangling up and headed down the mountain.

"Junior brother is quite capable." Lin Yan sighed as he saw Mingyue leave immediately after he mentioned Suwen.

After descending the mountain, Mingyue did not hold back and immediately headed towards Yunshan Temple.

As the fiery image drew closer, the moon felt increasingly vast and desolate, as if the sun itself were about to be obscured, creating a world entirely different from the heavens.

Finally arriving at Yunshan Temple, Mingyue didn't go inside. Instead, she bypassed the temple gate and headed directly to the thatched hut behind the mountain.

Upon approaching, one would see that a large crowd had already gathered there, all sitting cross-legged a hundred feet away from the thatched hut, forming several circles around it.

Most of those people were bald nuns, which showed that almost everyone from Yunshan Temple had come.

Master Xuanji and Abbess Liaoxian stood at a distance, while an old nun seemed to be giving orders, instructing the other nuns to carefully sense the fire in the area.

As Mingyue moved forward step by step, she felt a slight burning sensation, a mild pain in her body and mind, but it didn't seem domineering. Moreover, the strange phenomenon of the great fire seemed to illuminate an entire area, giving her a feeling of warmth, but not like being in swaddling clothes; rather, it was like a spring breeze.

The thatched hut remained standing and untouched by the flames, but its shape was no longer discernible.

Upon arriving before Xuanjizi, Xuanjizi stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Young friend Meng has succeeded and is just waiting to emerge from seclusion. This old Daoist can then consider his service as a protector of the Dao complete."

"You've worked hard, Daoist Master," Mingyue said.

"It's nothing. He's my junior sister's person, so naturally this old Taoist priest has to take good care of him." Xuanjizi said this before turning to Mingyue and asking, "Why is junior sister lingering at Lanruo Temple?"

"I don't know." Mingyue shook her head slightly, then said in a low voice, "Nowadays, the people of Lanruo Temple, regardless of whether they are Confucian, Buddhist or Taoist, all seem to have some signs of madness. The desires in everyone's hearts seem to be surging and growing, and they are difficult to control."

"So you've come?" Xuanjizi asked.

The bright moon remained silent.

“Amitabha.” Abbess Liaoxian shook her head slightly and said, “It is the Arhat Wusheng who is causing trouble.”

"The Arhat Wusheng who suppressed the two eminent monks of Lanruo Temple is probably trying to take this opportunity to advance further," sighed Daoist Xuanjizi.

Master Liaoxian and Mingyue were at a loss for words, feeling that there was nothing they could do to reverse the situation.

Xiangling couldn't understand the words of the wise man. She jumped off Mingyue's shoulder and rushed to a man in black.

Xiangling's eyes widened in surprise. "The little castrated man is playing with fire inside the house?"

“That’s right.” The man in black, Cangshan Jun, sat down and smiled slightly at Xiangling.

"Then you'll wet the bed!" Xiangling was very knowledgeable.

"..." Cangshan Jun was at a loss for words for a moment, and could only say, "Don't worry, it will dry out once the fire is lit."

Upon hearing this, Xiangling stretched her head forward with all her might, twitched her nose, and then shook her head, clearly not believing Cangshan Jun's words. "You're quite knowledgeable."

As they were talking, Xiangling realized that there were many nuns gathered here. She was dazzled and felt that she was seeing a grand scene. She was even more surprised than when she saw a mountain full of monks at Lanruo Temple. "These are nuns?"

For some reason, Xiangling spotted a person at a glance. The person was thin and weak, sitting cross-legged in the distance, looking at the thatched hut with a worried expression.

"That person smells really nice." Xiangling touched her wet little nose again.

"She is a descendant of a medical family and has been surrounded by medicine since childhood, so she carries a hint of medicinal fragrance," Cangshan Jun said with a smile.

"Sigh." Xiangling sighed.

"Why do you sigh, young lady?" Cangshan Jun asked.

"It's a pity she can't get married!" Xiangling thought of Meng Yuan whenever she saw a nice girl. She was no longer a country bumpkin and knew that monks and nuns couldn't marry.

“That’s alright, quite a few monks have left the monastic life.” Cangshan Jun was very knowledgeable and said with a smile, “The little nun is only sixteen years old, in the prime of her youth, and her master shaved her head. This life of a Buddhist monk and the dim light of the lamp cannot stop a young girl from longing for the mortal world.”

At this moment, Meng Yuan was unaware that Xiang Ling had become a matchmaker again outside. He was bathed in firelight, and his body and spirit were in harmony. Although he was bathed in firelight, he no longer felt any pain.

After more than half a month of seclusion, Meng Yuan finally broke through his cultivation level, ascended to the second level of the Heavenly Rank, reached the fifth rank of martial arts, and attained his own Dao.

His body underwent another transformation, becoming even stronger and more resilient than before. In terms of physical strength, Meng Yuan was already far superior to his peers when he was at the sixth rank, and could even suppress fifth-rank martial artists. He was no less than a fourth-rank martial artist. Now, after this transformation, although it is not as effective as the tempering by the essence fire, it has reached a new level.

Meng Yuan thought to himself that if a fourth-rank martial artist made a move, although he would still find it difficult to fight back, he should be able to withstand a few blows due to his strong physique.

The physical transformation was only a minor detail. This time, with his realm advancing again, Meng Yuan had obtained a secret method, but it could only be considered as having obtained half of the fire.

This Heavenly Secret Method is strange, like a mayfly's method of accumulating power, but it is different.

This method requires constant internal stimulation. It has no outward manifestations, but as it circulates within the body daily, the person's body and mind will become stronger and stronger, as if nurturing a fire within the body.

Although it is not outwardly visible, it undergoes internal changes, signifying immortality. Its effect is that it is extremely difficult to die, most likely to rise from the ashes, and its vitality is extremely vigorous.

Furthermore, this method does not become stronger the longer it is nurtured, like the mayfly in the universe; rather, it becomes stronger the more it experiences life and death, and may even be reborn from the ashes.

True outward display of power requires great perseverance, a grand vision, and a heart capable of both destruction and rebirth; it is like turning oneself into fire, creating a prairie fire.

Meng Yuan has not yet personally witnessed the power of this technique, and needs to find someone to practice with.

Moreover, after this change, Meng Yuan felt a sense of awareness, knowing where his own celestial being was and where he should go to pursue the path to the fourth rank.

This feeling was extremely ethereal. Meng Yuan sensed that everything in the world was what he was pursuing, but it vaguely pointed to the southwest, as if there were places where grudges were settled and the path to enlightenment was attained.

With a tranquil mind, Meng Yuan felt as if the world was vast and he could roam freely.

(End of this chapter)