The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

This person is actually curious about the sword-testing tournament? Shen An felt a growing sense of unease.

The two sat down on the stone benches in the pavilion, bathed in the bright moonlight and a gentle breeze from the river.

The scholar cut to the chase: "I've heard that lately, the martial arts world has been talking about an ancient figure named 'Dugu Qiubai' and a woman named 'Qingyin Fairy.' Friend, being in the martial arts world, could you enlighten me and tell me your opinion on this matter between the two?"

Upon hearing this, Shen An's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself, "They're here!" But he remained outwardly calm and asked in return, "Why do you ask this, sir?"

The scholar frankly said, "I was passing through Hengyang and stayed at Shigu Academy. I heard that a 'Sword Testing Tournament' was going to be held. With nothing else to do, I followed the rumors and investigated the source of almost all the rumors. I also consulted the relevant county and prefectural gazetteers of Hengyang and Changsha, but I did not find any evidence or record of the existence of these two people."

He looked at Shen An with piercing eyes.

"In my opinion, this matter is completely devoid of any evidence; it's purely based on hearsay and fabricated legends. In the end, it's nothing more than a marketing tactic carefully concocted by the Hundred Refinements Workshop, the organizer of the sword-testing tournament, to inflate sword prices and attract business. Its purpose is simply to fool the public and grab attention."

Stop talking, or Shen Anhan will come down.

"And by this logic," the scholar's tone suddenly turned cold, "the sword pact between Shen An of the Hundred Refinements Workshop and that lecherous scoundrel Tian Boguang was probably just the final climax of this marketing campaign. For fame and fortune, he didn't hesitate to collude with a notorious lecher to deceive the heroes of the world. How is such behavior any different from that of Tian Boguang? He truly deserves to die!"

"Cough...cough cough...cough cough cough!"

Shen An suddenly coughed violently, and he seemed to have a stitch in his side.

"What's wrong, young man?" The scholar stepped forward, reached out, and gently patted Shen An's back, feeling a gentle force in his palm.

"Cough, it's nothing, thank you for your concern, sir." Shen An paused for a moment, then, looking at the scholar's appearance, a bold idea suddenly popped into his head, and he asked, "Sir, you... really don't know martial arts?"

The scholar frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled as to why he suddenly asked this question, but he still answered frankly: "I have studied poetry and books since childhood, and I am quite proficient in archery and horsemanship. As for martial arts in the Jianghu... in my opinion, they are of little use for self-cultivation, family management, governing the country and bringing peace to the world, so I have never practiced them."

"That's not surprising, that's not surprising." Shen An chuckled and continued, "Since you are not familiar with martial arts and swordsmanship, you naturally don't understand where the evidence for the legend of Dugu Qiubai lies."

"Oh? What do you mean?" The scholar's curiosity was piqued.

"For example, 'Attack where the enemy has no choice but to defend, anticipate where the enemy has no choice but to respond,' and 'A heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice.' These words may seem like empty words to you, sir, who does not practice martial arts. But for a true swordsman, these are the supreme principles, the profound truths that can help one's swordsmanship reach new heights."

"A person who can utter such words must have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Does his existence need any historical records or physical evidence? These few words are the greatest proof."

This is precisely why Shen An made those remarks.

However, having these guidelines doesn't mean everyone can become a peerless swordsman.

After all, Shen An had studied Feynman's lectures on physics for several years, but he still didn't become a physicist.

Upon hearing this, the scholar fell into a long silence, and his sharp gaze gradually softened.

The river breeze stirred his clothes, and the moonlight illuminated his pensive profile; time seemed to stand still at that moment.

After a long silence, he nodded thoughtfully and murmured to himself, "So that's how it is. The key isn't whether the rumors are true or false, but... the listener's heart."

He looked up at Shen An: "It's those who believe. Deep down, they harbor a yearning and a desire to explore higher principles of swordsmanship. Those few words resonated with their inner desires, confirming the 'principle' in their own hearts. That's why they chose to believe. It wasn't the rumors that made them believe; they chose to believe on their own."

"The mind is principle itself. Is there anything in the world outside the mind, or any principle outside the mind?"

This simple sentence, upon reaching Shen An's ears, instantly reminded him of the "Mahavairocana Sutra" he had been studying.

Tantric Buddhism emphasizes visualization, rituals, and the lineage of the guru. Many practices in the scriptures require practitioners to visualize Vairocana Buddha, recite mantras, and form mudras, as if the power comes from an external "deity." However, there is always a layer separating these practices.

But those words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog!

Mind is principle...

My heart is Buddha!

Why seek externally? The Great Sun Tathagata is not a deity hanging high above, but a manifestation of the light of my own nature! My heart is the Great Sun! My intention is lapis lazuli! All visualization rituals are merely means to wipe away the dust from the mind and allow the light of one's own nature to shine, not the root cause.

My mind is Buddha! There is no other Buddha outside my mind!

At that moment, Shen An felt as if he had been enlightened, and his whole body felt relaxed and comfortable.

Shen An had only come to inquire about the situation, but unexpectedly gained something from it. He understood why the "Glassy Body Sun King Mantra" had instructed him to come.

Suppressing his elation, he bowed again and asked sincerely, "Sir, your words are thought-provoking. May I ask your opinion on Buddhist teachings?"

"Buddhism?" Upon hearing this, the scholar raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised that a wandering swordsman would be interested in Buddhism. However, under the bright moon, on the banks of the three rivers, discussing metaphysics was indeed an elegant affair. He considered this young swordsman to be a rare and interesting person, and, intrigued, pondered for a moment before shaking his head and saying:

"From dawn till dusk, from youth to old age, if one wants to be without thought, one is already unaware; this is either a deep sleep or a withered tree and dead ashes."

"In your opinion, is Buddhist teaching truly useless?"

"Indeed," the scholar nodded. "But now you wish to easily extinguish the previous thought and prevent the next thought from arising, which is what the Buddha called severing one's nature and entering into withered wood and dead ashes."

In an instant, Shen An felt a sense of lightness throughout his body, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Why should one confine one's own "Vajra Body Sun King Mantra" to the theories of Tantric Buddhism?

Many obscure and contradictory passages in the text, which contradicted Shen An's own understanding, suddenly became clear and perfectly understood.

He knew that his understanding of the "Lapis Lazuli Body Sun King Mantra" had entered a completely new realm.

"A single word from you is worth more than ten years of study," Shen An said sincerely, bowing deeply. "I have learned a great deal."

The scholar waved his hand and laughed, "It's just a matter of mutual learning. Your theory of 'real-world experience' has also cleared up my confusion."