Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 200 Singing Sand Cave
The two followed Li Tuo to Mingsha Mountain, where they saw caves of varying sizes scattered along the long cliff face. They were not numerous or densely packed, but rather scattered here and there, like small nests embedded in the yellowish-brown rock walls.

The clanging and banging of the chisels echoed through the valley.

With iron chisels and hammers in hand, the craftsmen painstakingly carved out the outline of the Buddhist grottoes on the steep cliff face. In lower places, they could climb and carve by piling up stones, while in higher places, some people were tied with ropes and suspended from the top of the mountain to carve, and then the broken stones were loaded into vine baskets on another rope and lowered to the bottom of the valley.

Others were busy inside the cave, supporting the dome with wooden frames and constantly polishing the stone walls with fine sand in preparation for the subsequent carving of statues and painting of murals.

At the foot of the mountain, camel caravans slowly moved along, carrying colored minerals and clays transported from the western border or the interior of the country. Cinnabar, lapis lazuli, malachite, and other colored minerals were processed on-site, ground into powder, and then the craftsmen mixed them with water in earthenware bowls to extract bright and dazzling pigments: ochre like the setting sun, ultramarine like the deep sea, cinnabar like a jar of intoxication, and gold powder shimmering and shining.

Inside the cave, the painters climbed ladders, dipped their brushes in paint, and outlined rare patterns, flowing robes of flying apsaras, and solemn images of Buddhas on the smooth rock walls.

Cai Zhu'er was amazed and couldn't help but ask, "What are they painting?"

Li Tuo replied, "The simplest is a floral background, used to highlight the painted sculptures inside the cave. Some of them depict the life of Shakyamuni, which came from India. For example, the story of Shakyamuni entering the womb on an elephant and the story of him leaving the city at midnight. There are model copies available for reference."

“There are also Jataka tales about cause and effect, karmic retribution, and ascetic practices… Look, in this cave is the story of Sarnath sacrificing himself to feed a tiger, and over there is the story of the nine-colored deer sacrificing itself to save people. Many painters also like to paint spontaneously, so even if it is the same story, the paintings are very different.”

Cai Zhu'er was overwhelmed by the beauty: "It's so beautiful!"

Shentu Zhuo looked up at the caves and sighed, "More and more caves have been opened in recent years, which shows that more and more people in Daxuan are beginning to believe in Buddhism."

Li Tuo nodded: "That's right. Caravans traveling to and from the Western Regions often bring back these original paintings. Whether they are commoners or high-ranking officials, they can all understand them. The Buddha taught people to practice asceticism and do good, which can cleanse the impurities in their hearts. It's not a bad thing."

Cai Zhu'er said, "Our Mohe's Monroe God also teaches people to be good, but it hasn't spread as widely as it has."

If you go deeper in, you will reach the cave opened by the Li family.

Li Tuo's elder brother, Li Ran, was sculpting a Buddha statue. The clay Buddha was covered with gold leaf, and Li Ran used a soft brush dipped in glue to brush layers of gold powder onto the Buddha's body, then used an agate knife to smooth and polish it. As the light shimmered, the Buddha's face appeared compassionate and solemn, echoing the lotus patterns in the surrounding murals.

Lotus pattern...

Cai Zhu'er's gaze fell on the lotus patterns, which were indeed exactly the same as those in her mother's dressing case.

Li Tuo called out, "Brother, I brought you some sesame cakes!"

Li Ran peered out of the cave and looked down. Because he was backlit, Cai Zhu'er couldn't see his face clearly, but she heard him ask warily, "Who are those two people next to you?"

Li Tuo said happily, "It's from my sister and her uncle! It's my aunt's daughter who came looking for us!"
-
The Li family's cave wasn't very high, and Li Ran climbed down in a few quick movements. He untied the rope around his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up his water bag to drink some water, and looked at Cai Zhu'er and Shen Tu Zhuo.

He was much older than her, so Caizhu called him "elder brother".

Li Ran showed neither doubt nor the enthusiasm they expected, simply saying, "Hmm, she is indeed Auntie's daughter."

"You recognize me?" Cai Zhu asked in surprise.

“I don’t recognize you,” Li Ran said casually. “My grandfather said that my aunt married a Mohe person and had a son and a daughter. You look like a Mohe person.”

"Just...just because of this?" Cai Zhu'er was both amused and exasperated.

“When my grandfather found my aunt in the capital of Mohe, I saw her briefly. You were very young then, so I didn’t see you. Now, your eyes and mouth look quite like my aunt’s,” Li Ran said casually. “Besides, you’ve come looking for your relatives, so you must have some kind of token, right? Li Tuo may be a bit simple-minded, but he’s not that easy to fool.”

Li Tuo: "..." Cai Zhuer took out her dressing case and told him about the various twists and turns.

Li Ran took out a flatbread from her younger brother's satchel and ate it while listening to what she said. After listening, she snorted: "Just for those few scrolls of bamboo slips, it's hard for you to find your way here."

Shen Tu Zhuo pressed further, "Do you know where these bamboo slips are?"

Li Ran said unhurriedly, "I'm very hungry. Let me finish eating these flatbreads first, then I'll take you to get more."

Shentu Zhuo could not hide the turmoil in his heart: "It really is here with you!"

Li Ran waved her hand: "My grandfather is a stubborn fool. He said he'd find my aunt no matter what, even if it meant crossing mountains and deserts. He said he wanted to repay Lord Shentu's kindness, and he'd keep his promise even if it meant ruining his family." Perhaps choked by the flatbread, Li Ran choked for a moment, then drank some water before recovering. "To be honest, what kind of nonsense is this? Why does he have to take it all on himself..."

Li Tuo couldn't help but interject: "But Grandfather did nothing wrong. He has lived a life without shame before heaven and earth."

Li Ran said with a self-deprecating smile, "In his eyes, all of this is the cause and effect of the Li family. His grandfather's life has been quite eventful. I repaired the cave for him and his mother, hoping that they can live more comfortably in their next life."

After we finished eating the flatbread, the sun was almost setting.

Li Ran got up, wiped his hands, and retied the ropes. He gestured for Shen Tu Zhuo to tie them up as well, but the latter couldn't wait any longer and shook his head, saying it wasn't necessary. Relying on his agility, he followed him and leaped into the cave in a few quick movements.

The cave was taller and more spacious than the one where Li Ran was sculpting the statue.

Caizhu waited at the foot of the cliff.

She asked Li Tuo, "Are all the people who carved the caves Buddhists?"

Li Tuo said, "Those who come to Mingsha Mountain to open caves have all heard some stories and scriptures about Buddha, but not all of these caves are opened for themselves; some are just for making a living."

Cai Zhuer learned that among these cave carvers were craftsmen and painters struggling to make a living, hired by powerful and wealthy families to complete "merit caves" for those families, as well as believers like the Li family, who carved their family beliefs and remembrance of their relatives into the rock walls, hoping to achieve peace and health in the next life after this arduous journey.

Shentu Zhuo safely retrieved the five scrolls from the Buddha's pedestal in that cave.

Seeing that his eyes were slightly red, Cai Zhu'er didn't ask what was written on the bamboo slip, but instead changed his mind and asked, "I can't see from down there, what's painted in that cave?"

Shen Tu Zhuo said, "The painting depicts King Sibi sacrificing his own flesh to buy a dove, which is about..."

King Nassibi made a great vow to save all sentient beings and attain the Bodhisattva path. To protect the doves being chased by hungry eagles, he cut off pieces of his own flesh to feed the eagles.

The hungry eagle weighed his flesh and blood together with the pigeon's and said that the flesh was far from good enough.

King Sibi cut off almost all of his flesh and blood, but it was still not enough to weigh as much as the pigeon. In the end, he put his entire body on the scale.

Ultimately, he proved himself to be the one who had attained enlightenment, and Indra restored him to his former state through divine power.

Listening to the captivating stories and accompanied by the sound of the wind in the valley, Caizhu walked through one cave after another, as if she could see the lotus flowers belonging to her mother spreading from Jiangnan to the desert, blooming in this eternal river.

Soon after, the King of Qin arrived in Dunhuang County.

Shen Tu Zhuo placed the five volumes of bamboo slips on his desk.
-
Next chapter: To avenge our grievances, this is far from enough.