From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 338 Departure
Above the Wuwei Waterfall, the Buddha's light surges.

Before long, a beam of Buddhist light shot into the sky.

In an instant, all those who witnessed the ceremony were moved, realizing that the cause and effect of the world all originated here and ended here.

Seeing cause and effect in this way, one deeply feels the arising of non-self and further understands the meaning of the emptiness of one's true nature.

As a result, many monks inside and outside Lanruo Temple, as well as Taoists, Confucians, and many martial artists, knelt down and worshipped the Wuwu Waterfall.

However, most of the people who came to watch the ceremony at Wuwei Waterfall were of high spiritual level and were protected by many experts, so they did not lose their minds.

Soon the Buddha's light faded a bit, and the broken Wuwu Waterfall surged down again. The lake below no longer boiled, but many fish leaped out of the water, seemingly overjoyed.

Auspicious clouds swirl in the sky, signifying that wisdom and enlightenment have been achieved.

"Amitabha." Abbot Zhiguan looked up at the Wuwu Waterfall, then put his hands together in prayer, showing neither joy nor sorrow, but it was unclear what he was thinking.

The other monks of Lanruo Temple were unaware of Zhitong's past or the great vows he had made. Upon seeing the high monk of their temple attain enlightenment and advance in his practice, they were all filled with joy.

"Amitabha." The old monk Jueming's face was full of reverence. He saw Meng Yuan standing next to Abbot Zhiguan, his hand on his knife, looking up. He said, "Uncle, you have a discerning eye. You saw that Benefactor Meng would be where he is today."

Meng Yuan remained silent, powerless to stop them. The western clouds were thick, and he could only wait until another day to deal with it.

Wang Er stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought.

Ying Rushi and Xuanjizi stood side by side, witnessing the advancement of a Buddhist monk to the fourth rank for the second time.

But like Songhe Prefecture, they felt powerless, as if their hands and feet were bound and unable to move.

Xiangling had already woken up. She nestled in Mingyue's arms, rubbing her eyes. "The weather's pretty nice!"

She saw auspicious clouds in the sky and couldn't help but sigh. In a daze, she sensed something was different and immediately snuggled into Mingyue's arms. "The big rat is here again?"

Xiangling had also witnessed the upheaval in Songhe Prefecture, and immediately sensed that today's strange phenomenon was somewhat similar to the time when Qingguangzi attained enlightenment.

Mingyue gently pressed Xiangling's little head and said slowly, "Don't be afraid."

Xiangling was the most timid, but she knew that Mingyue was capable, so she felt a little more at ease and peeked out to take a look.

The auspicious clouds in the sky remained unchanged, while the clouds churned a hundred miles to the west, with a straight line of clouds sweeping in.

The cloud trail moved extremely fast and was multicolored, a truly auspicious sign.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at Wuwei Waterfall. The colorful clouds scooped down and then quickly retreated into the distant clouds, disappearing without a trace.

Seeing that Zhitong had just attained enlightenment and was immediately taken away by the Buddha of Freedom, the onlookers at Wuwei Waterfall, even if they did not know about Master Zhitong's past, had already sensed that something was wrong.

In an instant, everyone came to see Abbot Zhiguan.

"Amitabha." Abbot Zhiguan put his hands together, closed his eyes, and bowed his head, saying, "This humble monk is of meager virtue and is not worthy of the position of abbot."

"Abbot?" For a moment, the three abbots and all the monks were stunned.

The leaders of many Buddhist temples in Heian Prefecture were also puzzled.

"Brother Zhiguan?" Abbess Liaoxian of Yunshan Temple also frowned and asked. She had been in Ping'an Prefecture for a long time and had been in charge of Yunshan Temple for quite some time. She knew that Abbot Zhiguan was highly skilled in Buddhism, had profound Buddhist knowledge, was upright in character, and had excellent moral character.

Now that Zhitong has attained enlightenment, he wants to resign from his position as abbot, which shows there must be a reason for it.

Abbot Zhiguan looked at the Wuwu Waterfall, then at the distance, and finally at his fellow Buddhist practitioners. He said, “We cultivate Zen in order to seek great liberation. So-called realms are nothing but external things. The higher one’s supernatural powers and mystical methods, the higher one’s karmic obstacles become.”

"Without great cultivation, how can one dispel the confusion in one's heart and break through the karmic obstacles in the world?" said Abbess Liaoxian.

"Such an obsession with dispelling inner turmoil and breaking through worldly karmic obstacles—isn't it also an inescapable predicament of greed, anger, and ignorance?" Master Zhiguan clasped his hands in prayer and said, "Qingguangzi, also known as the Holy King of Light, wished to establish a Buddha-land in the world, so that all people would be free from harm and illness, but he has harmed countless people. The Arhat of No Birth saw through the cycle of reincarnation and wished to empty hell, but how much karmic obstacle has he created this time?"

As he spoke, Abbot Zhiguan crushed the prayer beads in his hand and tore off the Buddhist beads around his neck. “To help others is to help oneself. But now I can’t even help myself, let alone help others. I am ashamed and dare not continue to serve as the abbot of Lanruo Temple.”

His aged face still held the benevolent expression of a virtuous monk. He bowed to his fellow Buddhists, then to those who had come to observe the ceremony, and finally looked towards the northwest of Lanruo Temple, where the two third-rank patriarchs of Lanruo Temple were clearly residing and meditating.

However, Zhi Guan said nothing, but spat on the ground, completely losing his demeanor as a high monk, and instead looking like an old man who had been wandering the world.

"May we meet again in the vast world, my friends." Master Zhiguan waved his black robe and drifted away.

"Where are you going, Senior Brother?" Zhi Guan took a few steps forward, and the monk Jiu Jie, being carried by several people, came to ask in a daze.

Jiu Jie was stunned. Ever since he was defeated by Meng Yuan and seriously injured, he had completely lost his spirit.

The sparks burned incessantly within his body, and he faced death and rebirth several times during the Nine Tribulations. He felt as if his cultivation level had dropped a bit, but his mind remained clear.

The longer the starlight entered Jiu Jie's body, the more he felt that he was just an ordinary person, no longer a highly virtuous monk with profound Buddhist teachings.

Moreover, witnessing the fall of the Arhat Wusheng, Jiujie felt even more deeply that all things are inherently empty.

From then on, Jiu Jie lost all intention of returning to the Western Paradise, but instead felt lost and didn't know what to do.

Just then, Abbot Zhiguan offered some guidance and agreed to take him in, so Jiu Jie decided to stay and become a temporary monk to experience the local customs and hospitality.

At this moment, seeing the abbot of Zhiguan Temple break his prayer beads and appear to be about to return to secular life, Jiujie felt lost and helpless again.

"Senior brother, where are we going?" Jiu Jie, supported by several novice monks from Lanruo Temple, asked in confusion, "Your temple has a highly accomplished master, so why is the Buddha of Freedom protecting you?"

"That's why I left." Zhi Guan smiled slightly. "This place is corrupt, and I'm powerless to change it. I'm also cowardly and afraid of death, and I have no face to stay here."

Jiu Jie stared wide-eyed, then asked blankly, "Where did Senior Brother go?"

"Exorcise the demon," Zhi Guan said.

"I will go with my senior brother!" Jiu Jie forced himself to stand up straight, grabbed Zhi Guan's sleeve, followed Zhi Guan for a few steps, then turned back, his gaze finally landing on Meng Yuan.

“Benefactor Meng, if you wish to take my life, you may do so at any time,” Jiu Jie said.

“Your Excellency is still alive today, which shows that the time is not right. If fate allows in the future, I will take your life,” Meng Yuan said.

Jiu Jie said no more, lowered his head slightly, and took Zhi Guan's black robe. The two of them went down the mountain hand in hand.

For a moment, everyone stared at the two bald men, speechless.

"Little gelding, why did he leave?" Xiangling, seeing that there was no danger, broke free from Mingyue's embrace, jumped onto Mengyuan's shoulder, shaded her eyes with her paws, and went to look at Zhiguan and Jiujie.

"Perhaps he's still angry," Meng Yuan said.

Upon hearing this, Xiangling nodded blankly. After this matter was settled, news of Abbot Zhiguan's departure spread, and the monks of Lanruo Temple lost all interest in celebrating Zhitong's enlightenment; instead, the atmosphere was deathly still.

The monk Jiujie also left. The Western guests were leaderless, but Wang Er did not make things difficult for them. Instead, he sent Xiao Taotao to escort them away.

The old imperial advisor has disappeared without a trace; it's unknown whether he returned to the capital or went somewhere else.

Master Xuanji and Abbess Liaoxian returned to Yunshan Temple together, while Ying Rushi went to the other courtyard with the Dugu sisters.

At the end of last year, Qingguangzi attained enlightenment in Songhe Prefecture, and then Wusheng Luohan came from the west. Meng Yuan came to Lanruo Temple for these two things: one was to witness the demeanor of the Western monks, and the other was to find the demon who secretly helped Qingguangzi.

In addition, they found Qing Guangzi's accomplices. Although Zhi Tong had attained enlightenment, there would always be a time when they would meet again!

Now that the Arhat Wusheng has died, it is clear that even the third-grade realm is nothing more than this. If others can kill him, how do you know that I cannot?
Meng Yuan did not stay at Lanruo Temple, and Wang Er did not assign any tasks. Instead, he followed Mingyue and Dugu Ying to a separate courtyard to rest.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When Meng Yuan saw that there was nothing left to do and it was time to put the matter of heading south on the agenda, Lin Yan came looking for him.

"Junior brother, you are still lucky." Lin Yan changed into new clothes and looked quite dashing, but his appearance was revealed as soon as he opened his mouth.

Lin Yan was followed by Zhou Ying and Fan Ye as usual, along with four other people, the four disciples of Chongxu Temple.

"You're enjoying yourself here, with the princess by your side day and night, while I, your senior brother, am sleeping in a monk's den." Lin Yan spoke in a nonchalant tone, pulling Meng Yuan to a restaurant.

I didn't originally intend to bring the four disciples of Chongxu Temple, but they were really difficult to deal with. They clearly knew that Lin Yan was going to host a banquet for Meng Yuan, so they shamelessly followed along.

Lin Yan knew that Meng Yuan was not returning to the capital this time, but instead was going south to seek the method of the transformation of heaven and man. He was about to return to the capital, so the two brothers drank and chatted.

"Who are you planning to take with you?" Lin Yan asked with great concern. "You have the Third Miss and your sister-in-law to take care of you at home, but it won't be easy for you outside. You need someone to accompany you."

He pointed at Zhou Ying and said, "Zhou Ying is quite clever. You might as well keep her by your side and mentor her. She'll also have someone to talk to."

Zhou Ying lowered her head, her face flushed, but she did not refute, clearly indicating that she had already agreed with Lin Yan.

“Junior sister is such a person, and she is also the only direct disciple of Uncle Master. You…” Before Jingchen could finish speaking, Yuan Jingfeng covered her mouth.

“You should know that this meal was paid for by Benefactor Lin. We only got to eat because of Senior Brother Meng’s connections,” Yuan Jingfeng said.

Sure enough, Jingchen held back, picked up some food to eat, and poured herself some wine, as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"Senior brother's intentions are kind, and Miss Zhou is also very kind, but the place we're going to this time is too far and too dangerous, so it's really not easy to bring anyone along," Meng Yuan declined.

Over the past three days, Meng Yuan, the Third Miss, and the Dugu sisters discussed the matter at the villa. They concluded that the journey south would be difficult, and Meng Yuan had no choice but to go, especially since he would be traveling with Mingyue.

Moreover, Meng Yuan and Ming Yue are quite familiar with each other. They are not exactly intimately acquainted, but they are not far apart in terms of knowledge. Although their strengths differ, they are at the same level. If they travel together, they can protect and support each other and overcome difficulties together.

Meng Yuan had originally planned for Yingmei in the red cloak to go along as well, so that he could bring two beauties with him, but unfortunately, Dugu Ying had no such idea at all.

Upon hearing Meng Yuan's words, Zhou Ying's eyes immediately reddened. She looked up at Meng Yuan, bit her lip, but still remained silent.

"Sigh, what's the point of women?" Na Jingshan took a big gulp of wine. "The world is vast, and the most boring thing is women! Only the world, only the people!"

No one paid any attention to Jingshan.

Lin Yan had obviously anticipated this. He smiled at Zhou Ying and said, "My junior brother never refuses to give me face, but this time is different. He's going to risk his life. You should stay home!"

Zhou Ying remained silent.

After everyone had drunk their wine and were about to leave, Zhao Jingsheng took out a letter and gave it to Meng Yuan.

"I forgot about it after drinking," Zhao Jingsheng hiccuped. "It was a little nun who asked me to give it to you when we went to Yunshan Temple!"

“It’s Suwen!” Yuan Jingfeng remembered it clearly, “It’s that bald-headed doctor.”

Upon receiving the letter, I opened it and saw that it didn't contain much information. It simply said that Suwen had already gone to find his hometown, Xiangji Kingdom, and bid farewell to Meng Yuan.

"What's it like being a nun?" Lin Yan, with his thick skin, leaned in for a look, then stroked his chin and scrutinized Meng Yuan, seemingly unable to discern which type Meng Yuan preferred.

After bidding farewell to Lin Yan and the four disciples of Chongxu Temple, Meng Yuan returned to his separate residence.

He wrote letters to Jiang Tang and Nie Qingqing under the cover of night, with Xiangling grinding ink beside him and the bright moon lighting the lamp.

"Let's write a letter to Huanxi too," Xiangling said, being the most reliable and worldly-wise. "She's a gatekeeper all day, and nobody writes her a letter. A single candy can make her happy all day. If you write her a letter, she'll talk about it for months!"

Meng Yuan was very receptive to advice, and wrote another letter to Huanxi.

As for the gifts for Zhao Wannian and the others, Meng Yuan has already entrusted Lin Yan to deliver them.

"Here, take this." After finishing writing the letter, Meng Yuan took out a small jade stone and handed it to Xiang Ling.

Xiangling's bundle had changed its style, clearly resembling a nun's robe. She also wasn't wearing any cloth flowers on her head, saying it was out of fashion.

At this moment, Xiangling saw that Meng Yuan had given her a gift, and she happily accepted it, overjoyed.

"It's so beautiful!" Xiangling exclaimed happily, holding the jade with her bright, lively eyes. "Grandma Mingyue, move the lamp closer to me!"

Xiangling has always been very skilled at various activities.

Mingyue remained expressionless, but still pushed the candle forward and took out scissors to trim the wick.

"Hey, there are words on it!" Sure enough, Xiangling immediately noticed something. She pressed closer to the jade, "It says 'one...one...'"

After struggling for a while, Xiangling still couldn't finish reading it. She always liked to teach others, but she was also very humble and eager to learn. She had no idea what face was, so she immediately went up to Mingyue and asked, "What character is this?"

“This is insect script.” Mingyue glanced at it and read aloud: “First, it dispels evil spirits; second, it heals grievances and illnesses; third, it reveals fortune and misfortune.”

Hearing this, Xiangling was overjoyed and said, "My godmother said that knowledge is like the water in the Canglang River, it can never be fully learned! Oh my, it's so true!"

She is extremely humble and eager to learn, and is already whispering about learning the art of insect seal script.

After a good night's sleep, Meng Yuan got up early, while Xiang Ling, who always gets up early, was still fast asleep.

Last night, Xiangling talked about her adventures in the martial arts world for most of the night by Meng Yuan's pillow. It was all taught to her by her godmother, which is why she is still dozing off now.

Meng Yuan didn't disturb Xiang Ling. He went out and had breakfast with the Third Miss and Dugu Ying, and then set off with Mingyue.

Both were martial artists and did not carry many valuables, traveling light and simply.

Meng Yuan once again mounted his little red horse and embarked on the arduous path of martial arts.

(End of this chapter)