Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 171 The Day We Meet Again in Another Life
This monk was handsome and dignified. If he were born in the future, he could play the role of an emperor, and his tears at this moment would be like dew on jade, making him all the more moving.

Madam Murong was the only person in the world who understood Murong Bo's various shady dealings; beneath her kind face lay a heart of stone.

Even someone as remarkable as her couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy at this moment.

With a sigh, he thought to himself, "I don't know what tricks my deadbeat husband has used to make this foreign monk so miserable. He's really not a human being."

She began, “Now that you mention it, Master, I do recall something. One year, my late husband returned home for the New Year and said that he had met a Tibetan monk at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain. Although the monk was young, his talent was unparalleled in his life. What was especially rare was his open-mindedness. As soon as they met, the monk taught him a set of earth-shattering martial arts. Let me think… that’s right, it’s called the Flaming Blade!”

Kumārajīva exclaimed with delight, "Yes, yes, it is indeed the Flaming Blade! So Elder Murong held this humble monk in such high regard!"

Madam Murong smiled kindly, "Of course, you inherited my late husband's skills. He practiced day and night, but he still couldn't master them. He told me that his talent was far inferior to yours. I even joked with him, saying that you might as well practice in the kitchen, which would save me firewood..."

As he spoke, his smile faded, revealing a hint of sorrow: "He spent his life striving for great things, constantly on the go, exhausting himself and others. If he knew that many years after his death, there would still be friends who missed him dearly, I wonder if he would regret not spending more time with you and having more drinks with you back then."

Upon hearing this, Kumārajīva both cried and laughed, muttering, "I became a monk at the Great Wheel Temple in the Great Snow Mountain when I was young. At the age of fourteen, I was invincible in debates. At nineteen, I mastered the six great supernatural powers of this temple. All the monks in the temple respect me, but they also keep their distance from me... The Great Wheel Temple is a Nyingma sect of esoteric Buddhism. When I was twenty-eight, the evil followers of the Black Sect were rampant. Our master could not control the situation, so he passed on the secret manual of the Flaming Blade to me."

At this point, Kumārajīva glanced at everyone and said with a wry smile, "This skill is the number one divine skill of the Nyingma school. Its power far surpasses the six supernatural powers of the Great Wheel Temple. It's laughable that the masters of the school can't even master it themselves, and they are unwilling to let others learn and practice it. If it weren't for the Black Sect's aggressive approach, this humble monk would not have had the chance to learn this divine skill."

Jiang Mingzhe didn't know why he suddenly started talking about his past, but he listened with great interest. He thought to himself, no wonder Kumārajīva was so open-minded about martial arts and was willing to pass on such a great skill as the Flaming Blade so easily. So he had such an experience. Heh, it can be said that he never forgot his original aspiration as a dragon-slaying youth.

Then Kumārajīva continued, "When I was thirty, I mastered the Flaming Blade and swept through the Black Sect's Dharma Kings. The Tibetan king, hearing of my fame, appointed me as his national teacher. Even my sect's master could not suppress me, so he took charge of the Great Wheel Temple and was called the Great Wheel Bright King! At that time, I considered myself invincible, so I went to the Central Plains to test my sword. Hehe, thanks to the Buddha's blessing, I was able to meet Mr. Murong and was fortunate enough to receive his guidance. Many of my doubts were resolved, and I realized that there are heavens beyond heavens. So I returned to the Great Snow Mountain to continue my cultivation."

Kumārajīva clasped his hands together and sighed, “Alas, how could a monk like me not know the principles of non-birth and non-death, non-defilement and non-purity? But Mr. Murong was my only true friend in my life. Only after hearing the news of his death did I realize that I had spent half my life practicing Buddhism in vain and still had not broken through the cycle of love, hatred and death.”

Jiang Mingzhe was also moved upon hearing this, and murmured: "Not observing birth and death and impermanence, but only chasing after reincarnation towards death, even the most brilliant and worldly-wise are utterly lost in this. Alas, the wild horse on the mountain is hard to tame, but traps can still subdue it..."

He suddenly stopped reciting this line, thinking to himself, "The next two lines are 'I lament that I possess supernatural powers but cannot tame the person beside me.' If I recite it verbatim, will this monk go mad and beat me to death?"

His sudden stop caused a stir among the crowd watching him.

Kumārajīva was exceptionally talented. Upon hearing this poem, he realized it was written for him.

His goodwill towards Jiang Mingzhe increased greatly, and he clapped his hands and praised, "Master Jiang is well-versed in Buddhism. What a fine example! He does not observe the impermanence of birth and death, but only pursues the cycle of reincarnation and death! I just don't know what will happen when a wild horse is hard to tame and he becomes trapped in it?"

Azi, beaming with joy, grabbed Jiang Mingzhe's hands and swung them around, shouting, "Stop arguing, all of you! Don't disturb my beloved Jiang's poetry!"

Mu Wanqing shouted, "You're the noisiest one here!" After saying that, she looked at Jiang Mingzhe, her eyes suddenly becoming soft and charming, full of intoxication.

He thought to himself: Father said last time that he and his brother could teach me to write poetry. It seems that I really need to learn it properly when I have time. Otherwise, if Azi can sing along with her, but I can't even understand it, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?
Then she heard Zhong Ling whisper and ask her, "Sister Mu, what does Brother Jiang's poem mean? Is he trying to tame a wild horse? And what is a trap? I don't want to ask Zi Yatou, otherwise she'll smugly say I'm stupid again, you know?"

Mu Wanqing naturally didn't understand, but she wouldn't let Azi steal the spotlight, so she forced herself to say, "Of course I understand. Wild Horse is my Black Rose, and Trap is my Hidden Arrow. Jiang Lang said that although he is extremely smart, he will live and die with me."

Zhong Ling exclaimed in surprise, "It was written for you?"

Mu Wanqing glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to their whispers, then quickly and proudly nodded.

Zhong Ling couldn't help but pout, thinking to herself, "This Brother Jiang, he wrote poems for A Zi, he wrote poems for the wooden man, he even wrote poems for the wooden man's horse, why didn't he write one for me?"
Duan Yu exclaimed, "Second Brother, what a talent for poetry! Quickly, what are the other two lines? I can't wait!"

Jiang Mingzhe had a sudden inspiration. He took the first two lines of these six lines, rearranged them to make a rhyme, and barely managed to end the poem: "On the day I meet you again in the next life, a young man like a jade tree in the wind."

Kumārajīva trembled and couldn't help but recite it to himself: "Not observing birth and death or impermanence, but chasing reincarnation towards death, supremely intelligent and proud of worldly wisdom, yet he is always lost in this. Alas, the wild horse on the mountain is hard to tame, but traps can still restrain its body. On the day I meet you again in the next life, a young man like a jade tree in the wind... Good, good indeed, this poem by Jiang Gongfeng truly expresses the feelings of this humble monk. If this humble monk could be reincarnated and meet Mr. Murong again in our youth, and travel the world together arm in arm, how happy this life would be!"

Duan Yu, being a Pisces man, possessed an exceptionally strong capacity for empathy. He listened with tears welling in his eyes, then hooked his arm around Jiang Mingzhe's shoulder and said, "Second Brother, I'm much luckier than that monk. I became sworn brothers with you so early on, and we've been traveling the world together. It's truly a blessing!"

Azi, Mu Wanqing, and Zhong Ling all nodded in agreement upon hearing their brother's words. Six pairs of bright eyes were fixed on Jiang Mingzhe, all sharing the same thought: I don't need to reincarnate, nor do I need to wait. This handsome young man is already mine...

Sisters are of one mind, and thinking of this, the three of them looked at each other at the same time, frowned, and all thought: If only there were no wooden brat/purple brat/purple wooden brat!
Duan Yu's emotions erupted, and he couldn't contain his excitement. He patted Kumārajīva again and said, "Great monk, although I still refuse to give you the Six Meridians Divine Sword manual, because of what you just said, after I kowtow to Elder Murong, I will definitely recite it to him from beginning to end, and tell him that it was his old friend, the Tibetan Great Monk, who specially went to Dali Kingdom to invite me. If he has a spirit in heaven, he will surely be grateful for your kindness."

Kumārajīva wiped away his tears and smiled, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will not covet your sword manual. What Elder Jiang said earlier resonated with me. Although I have mastered the Flaming Blade technique to its peak, I am not necessarily unable to go further. I will use this as a foundation to create a Great Wheel Flaming Blade, and open a new flower for martial arts in the world!"

Madam Murong was also moved and said, "To be honest, Master, my late husband had many enemies during his lifetime, so my family dared not let anyone know where he was buried. But the Murong family cannot betray your kindness. Please stay at the manor for today, and I will have Fu'er take you to pay your respects early tomorrow morning."

Kumārajīva said happily, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

Madam Murong smiled and nodded, saying to Murong Fu, "I am tired. My son, you must take good care of Master Kumārajīva and these young friends."

Murong Fu snapped out of his daze and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Mother, rest assured, I understand."

Several maids then escorted the old lady to the back hall. A'Zhu smiled and said, "Young master, the banquet is ready. Shall we begin?"

(End of this chapter)