Chapter 37

For ordinary people, there are two aspects of Mount Lantou that are most tempting: one is the ability to attain Buddhahood instantly, and the other is the practice of dual cultivation between men and women. As for whether these claims are true, since the world is far from Mount Lantou, the teachings and doctrines inevitably get distorted in transmission, and the truth has long become blurred. Moreover, no one from Mount Lantou has ever come forward to refute these claims, making it a mysterious and unresolved question. Xu Fengnian actually supported Mount Lantou's silence, thinking that it was better to leave some room for imagination rather than to speak too clearly and definitively.

Xu Fengnian first went to the third floor of the armory to find the old Taoist priest Wei Baoxiang, who was in charge of the pavilion. On this floor, there was a set of regularly updated records of figures. Xu Fengnian first found the Buddhist section, where over twenty large and small sects were listed, with Mount Lantou's Esoteric School ranking first. Therefore, the first volume of the Esoteric School was easy to find. Xu Fengnian quickly flipped to the section on the Esoteric Master, whose title was long, including "Great Compassionate Dharma King" and "Bodhisattva of the Future." From the looks of it, her status was almost on par with the two senior monks ranked above her.

She was born into the royal family of Central India and, at a young age, followed a high monk on a journey through over ten countries, translating numerous scriptures. The most famous of these was the "Mahayana Treatise on the Awakening of Faith." Historical records show that, in addition to studying the Great Perfection Dharma from the royal lineage, she also traveled to Central China to learn astronomy and calendar systems, and had contact with all five schools and seven sects of Chinese Buddhism, indicating that she was not one to sit on a mountain and observe the world from a distance.

The record included a vivid portrait of the young female bodhisattva, who was indeed beautiful and captivating. Xu Fengnian exchanged this secret record with the old Taoist priest surnamed Wei and sighed, "Forty-two. Just a bit too old."

He sighed all the way out of the Tingchao Pavilion, where Qingniao was waiting on the platform, dressed in green. To the prince, this chief maid was only missing a good sword; with her demeanor and grace, no female knight outside could compare. When she saw Xu Fengnian, she respectfully whispered, "The monk is standing at the entrance of the mansion."

Xu Fengnian walked to the lakeside pavilion and smiled, "Bring him here. I want to meet this Esoteric monk. Also, have the servants prepare some vegetarian food and ensure no one else approaches the lake."

While waiting, Xu Fengnian closed his eyes and focused, first pondering the secret information about Mount Lantou collected by the mansion's spies. Despite having only a few hundred people, Mount Lantou was divided into various sects, each with thousands of followers. For example, the Red Sect of the Esoteric School, to which the monk Longshou belonged, had only three representatives on Mount Lantou but millions of followers outside.

In his mind, the image of the female Esoteric Master finally came into focus. Xu Fengnian shook his head, temporarily setting aside this matter. Since he had already descended the mountain, he needed to start planning carefully for himself. The armory was static, but people were dynamic. Learning from White Fox Face, who had read through all the martial arts manuals, Xu Fengnian believed that the more he knew about combat techniques, the better his chances of survival in future battles. This was similar to how beginners in Go often need to memorize fixed patterns. The more techniques one knew, the better. Xu Fengnian did not claim to have great insight, but his memory was so good that even his second sister Xu Weixiong could not match it. If not for this, he could not have played Go in the air without any pieces or board with Li Yishan.

Xu Fengnian muttered to himself, "It's unrealistic to read all the books in the armory like White Fox Face, but it shouldn't be too difficult for him to select two or three books for me each day. One day, I will read all the secret manuals of the major sects in the world. When I left the mountain, Niuren passed a message to the head of the sect, Wang Chonglou, saying that the Great Yellow Court was dormant within me and needed to be fully integrated. To achieve this, I need to practice the Three Yellow Courts alone, which requires several secret manuals from Dragon Tiger Mountain. Borrowing? These are all closely guarded secrets, so it's unlikely I can borrow them. Stealing? My current sword skills are not up to the task. Seizing? To storm these two holy sites, I would need at least six to seven thousand elite cavalry from Northern Liang. To conquer them, I would need around ten to fourteen thousand. Before coming to Wudang, I thought a few thousand cavalry could crush the entire martial world, but that was underestimating the heroes of the world. Even Xu Xiao, without an imperial decree, would be considered a rebel if he mobilized more than five hundred troops outside Liang."

If Jiang Ni were around, hearing such crazy talk about linking cavalry with the martial world, she would likely be tempted to stab the prince with her talisman.

The graceful and plump Hongshu brought some exquisite vegetarian dishes to the lakeside, where no one else was in sight. The prince's words, no matter how outrageous, were more authoritative in the mansion than any imperial decree.

Xu Fengnian had no suspicions about the maid who had grown up with him and said to himself, "It's time to cultivate a loyal following. Without a solid base, how can I navigate the martial world? Should I talk to Xu Xiao about it?"

The monk Longshou, led by Qingniao, arrived at the pavilion. Xu Fengnian gestured for the monk to serve himself. The monk, wearing a large red robe, did not hesitate but only picked a little food, chewing it very slowly. It was hard to say whether he was even filling his stomach, let alone satisfying his hunger. Esoteric practice was indeed arduous. In the fourteen major and minor kingdoms of the Western Regions, all other schools of thought were excluded, and only the Esoteric School was revered, with the Red, Yellow, and White Sects. During the chaotic wars of the nine states in Central China, the root cause was the debates among the Confucian scholars of the Shangyin Academy, while in the Western Regions, the "Three Kingdoms" of Red, Yellow, and White were more like a battle of the gods. The Yellow and White Sects were traditionally powerful, while the Red Sect adhered strictly to the ancient Nine Levels of the Three Teachings, focusing on the practice of the Great Perfection Dharma. The master of the monk Longshou was the first female Dharma King in the history of the Esoteric School, a position that no other female consort, no matter how high their status, could match.

Xu Fengnian came straight to the point, "The Six Pearl Master wants to practice dual cultivation with me?"

The monk Longshou remained calm and nodded. When it came to dual cultivation, the monk showed no emotion, which made the prince, who had experienced many things, feel absurd. Even Hongshu and Qingniao exchanged glances, looking bewildered.

Xu Fengnian asked in confusion, "Do all Esoteric Masters who do not practice dual cultivation with a partner fail to achieve the Dharma Body and the Buddha Body?"

The middle-aged monk, still wearing the large red robe, replied in a wooden tone, "Only those who have left desire can practice the Supreme Yoga, which is for those of the highest capacity."

Xu Fengnian, feeling a headache, asked, "Why me?"

The monk shook his head, indicating that he did not know the details.

Given this, Xu Fengnian would not go to Mount Lantou. At forty-two, the age was not a brief moment for a bodhisattva, but for a real woman, it was quite old. No matter how well she was maintained, it was not something Xu Fengnian could accept.

Moreover, the struggle between the Red, Yellow, and White Sects of the Esoteric School had intensified in recent years. If the secret record was correct, and the Six Pearl Master could achieve great perfection through dual cultivation, the more powerful Yellow and White Sects would not let the Red Sect gain such a significant merit in the Western Regions. Xu Fengnian might not even reach Mount Lantou before being stripped and flayed by the monks. Some Esoteric practitioners even used the skulls of those whose heads had been cut off as magical instruments to drive away evil spirits, and the use of human bone robes and human skin drums was not uncommon in historical records, which was truly terrifying. The Six Pearl Bodhisattva was indeed powerful, revered as the fundamental master, and the Red Sect believers firmly believed she was the manifestation of Amitabha Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Six Pearl, it was said, referred to her six transformation forms, such as the Self-Awakening Master, the Lotus King Master, and the Wrathful Vajra Master. Despite her power, she still had to follow the senior monks of Mount Lantou.

Xu Fengnian did not trust the Red Sect, which had to survive between the Yellow and White Sects. Besides, he did not want Mount Lantou and the female Dharma King to disrupt his initial plans.

Refusing to go was one thing, but unnecessarily offending the Red Sect of the Esoteric School was another. It would be best to negotiate. Moreover, the monks from Mount Lantou were all valuable. Xu Fengnian forced a smile and explained, "I am currently unavailable."

The monk still said the same thing, "The little monk can wait."

Xu Fengnian curiously asked, "How long can you wait?"

The monk slowly replied, "Thirty-one more years."

Xu Fengnian almost spat blood.

What a bizarre patience. In the future, he would avoid dealing with Mount Lantou. If someone held a grudge, his life would never be peaceful.

The monk Longshou did not stay in the mansion but did not leave the city. Given the tolerance and kindness of Northern Liang towards monks, this strange monk from Mount Lantou would not starve.

Xu Fengnian sat in the pavilion and muttered, "Bizarre."

Hongshu teased, "Your Highness, why not accept the offer from the Esoteric Master?"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "A forty-two-year-old old maid! She's not eating young grass like that."

Hongshu sat beside the prince, gently massaging his shoulder, and coquettishly said, "Perhaps the female bodhisattva has a way to maintain her youth."

Xu Fengnian glared at her.

Qingniao calmly said, "Today is the day for the release of the cards."

Xu Fengnian perked up, "Is there a big catch?"

Qingniao calmly replied, "Two groups of unidentified martial artists have gathered in the city, and their leaders have the strength of third-rank martial artists."

Xu Fengnian regretfully said, "They would have been a big catch in the past, but now I have seen much bigger things. Oh well, something is better than nothing."

Hongshu smiled.

The prince had always had a knack for finding entertainment, a result of the Grand Marshal Xu Xiao's neglect or deliberate indulgence. There were no signs of him reining in his behavior. In fact, the Grand Marshal had only spoken about two things in the past decade, one of which was not to touch a sword for ten years. After that, he never gave Xu Fengnian any guidance on how to behave. Whether Xu Fengnian was a wastrel or a loafer, it was all his own doing. The national scholar Li Yuanying did not bother with trivial matters. When his second sister Xu Weixiong was at home, she could keep the prince in check, but once she went to the Shangyin Academy to study, Xu Fengnian became like a wild horse, doing as he pleased, indulging in women, spending a fortune on poetry, and keeping vicious servants. No wonder the scholars who left Liang to achieve success all cursed the prince for being uneducated and a scoundrel.

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Order everyone to let them in tonight without any pretense. Since they sneaked into the city while Xu Xiao is away, they are likely targeting me. I will wait here. Qingniao, please bring one swordsman and one knife fighter from the mansion. I want to watch the battle. The techniques these desperate men use in a life-or-death situation are the most flexible and useful, more so than the rigid descriptions in the manuals."

Qingniao quietly left. She was always meticulous in her work, no matter how big or small.

Hongshu extended a slender finger, wanting to touch Xu Fengnian's crimson forehead.

Xu Fengnian grabbed her bold finger and smiled, "Rebellion?"

Hongshu pouted, "Just a touch."

Xu Fengnian shook his head.

Hongshu looked resentful.

Xu Fengnian did not show any tenderness, instead, he frowned and said, "My second sister is coming. The mansion will be stormy."

{Piaotian Literature}