Chapter 58

"Two months from now, our Guangxiao Temple will welcome a descendant of Nanyang. This person has a deep connection with our temple and is someone with great Buddhist affinity."

Master Zhi Ren repeated Master Jue Ming's words, his eyes piercing as he stared at Qin Yu, as if trying to see through his soul. However, Qin Yu had already recovered from his shock and his face showed no emotion.

"Since Master Jue Ming said so, have the two masters encountered the so-called descendant of Nanyang?"

"No, Master Jue Ming only said that the person would be a descendant of Nanyang, but did not leave any clues about their name, age, or any other details. Our Guangxiao Temple receives thousands of visitors every day, and finding the descendant of Nanyang among them is extremely difficult."

Master Zhi Ren's brows furrowed, clearly troubled by the ambiguity of Master Jue Ming's words. In desperation, Master Zhi Ren sought out his close friend, Master Jian Kong from Nanhua Temple. The two discussed Zen under the Bodhi tree, hoping to attract the descendant of Nanyang. After all, Master Jue Ming had said that this person had great Buddhist affinity and should be able to understand the Zen principles in their words.

"So, you think I am that descendant of Nanyang?" Qin Yu asked.

"Over these many days of discussing Zen, you are the first person to understand the Zen principles in our words. May I ask, are you the descendant of Nanyang?" Master Zhi Ren's expression was serious, as Master Jue Ming had repeatedly emphasized the importance of finding the descendant of Nanyang, which was crucial for the future of Guangxiao Temple.

"I am not a descendant of Nanyang; I come from a city in JX." Qin Yu shook his head. His ancestors were not from Nanyang, and the family records clearly stated that they had migrated from a place far away from Nanyang.

"That's strange. According to Master Jue Ming, the descendant of Nanyang will come to our temple in these few days." Master Zhi Ren's brows were tightly furrowed, seemingly surprised by the situation.

"Qin Yu, think carefully. Do you have any connection to Nanyang? It doesn't necessarily mean your ancestors have to be from Nanyang." Master Jian Kong interjected.

"What connection could I have with Nanyang? I don't even have relatives in Nanyang. Wait a moment..." Qin Yu had just smiled and shaken his head in response to Master Jian Kong, but suddenly paused, his pupils contracting sharply.

Descendant of Nanyang, descendant of Nanyang, wasn't Mr. Zhuge from Nanyang? He had inherited Mr. Zhuge's legacy, making him Mr. Zhuge's disciple. As the saying goes, a teacher is like a father. If that's the case, couldn't he be called a descendant of Nanyang? Qin Yu quickly sorted out these thoughts in his mind. If this were true, then the descendant of Nanyang that Master Jue Ming spoke of could very well be him.

"Has Qin Yu recalled something?"

"I dare not hide anything from the two masters. My teacher is from Nanyang, and if we consider a teacher as a father, I can also be called a descendant of Nanyang."

"Ha ha, that's right. Qin Yu must be the descendant of Nanyang." Master Zhi Ren laughed heartily, standing up from the cushion and said, "You can understand the Zen principles and are a disciple of Nanyang. There can be no mistake. Please follow me, Qin Yu."

"Where are you taking me, Master?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled, as he also stood up.

"To retrieve something that is closely related to you." Master Zhi Ren spoke in riddles, not directly telling Qin Yu, and led him down a side corridor, passing several halls, and entering a small courtyard.

"Deep in the Zen room, the path leads to a secluded place." Qin Yu couldn't help but recite this famous poem as he entered the small courtyard. In the bustling Guangxiao Temple, there was actually such a quiet courtyard.

"Qin Yu, please go in by yourself. I will wait outside." Master Zhi Ren pushed open the courtyard gate for Qin Yu, stepping aside to let him pass.

"Go in by myself?" Qin Yu pointed to himself, and Master Zhi Ren nodded. Although he didn't know what Master Zhi Ren was up to, he straightened his clothes and stepped into the courtyard.

"Click! Click!" As Qin Yu's foot crossed the threshold, the courtyard gate closed. He heard Master Zhi Ren say from outside, "Qin Yu, I will guard you from outside. You can go in and retrieve the item inside with peace of mind."

"What's going on? So mysterious, and even needing someone to guard me?" Qin Yu muttered, then turned to look inside the courtyard. In front of him was a path of green stones, with flowers and plants on both sides. The neat arrangement of the plants indicated that they were frequently tended to.

As Qin Yu's gaze swept over the flowers and plants, he looked further ahead. In front of him was a temple gate, which was already closed. His eyes followed the gate up to the wooden plaque above it, and he was greatly surprised.

"South Palace Purple Mansion Void Profound Ancestor Supreme Venerable Hall" Qin Yu softly read the words on the wooden plaque. The words on the plaque were a bit awkward, and ordinary people might not know which Buddha or Bodhisattva was enshrined inside. However, Qin Yu knew, and he was clear about who was enshrined in this hall.

The South Palace Purple Mansion Void Profound Ancestor Supreme Venerable is the holy title of the Nine Heavens Empress, who is widely recognized as the ancestor of metaphysics. How could Qin Yu not know the holy title of the Nine Heavens Empress?

"In a prestigious Buddhist temple, there is actually a shrine dedicated to a Taoist deity. This..." The puzzled look on Qin Yu's face deepened. Clearly, Master Zhi Ren outside would not tell him the answer, so all the answers must be inside the hall.

Qin Yu no longer hesitated, and he strode across the green stone path, pushing open the temple gate and entering the hall.

"Indeed, it is the statue of the Nine Heavens Empress."

As soon as he entered, he saw a gilded statue on a high platform. Qin Yu recognized it as the statue of the Nine Heavens Empress. In front of the statue was a long wooden box, intricately carved with auspicious clouds, which was very eye-catching.

When Qin Yu's gaze fell on the long wooden box, the mental power within him became active again, far more so than when he saw the Heavenly Righteousness Stone. In addition to the mental power, the Zhuge Inner Canon, which had been dormant in his mind, now radiated with light. Qin Yu could feel the emotion transmitted from the Zhuge Inner Canon, a joy of reuniting with an old friend.

"Is this the item that Master Zhi Ren wants me to retrieve?"

Qin Yu's eyes flashed with an inexplicable light. The activity of the mental power and the unusual behavior of the Zhuge Inner Canon all indicated that the item in the long wooden box was related to him. As he moved closer, the agitation of the Zhuge Inner Canon became more intense. When he finally picked up the long wooden box, a mysterious sense of sorrow passed through the box into his mind.

This emotion was like a child sensing the presence of a loved one, filled with joy, but suddenly realizing that the loved one's presence was coming from a stranger. The joy and sorrow, Qin Yu could clearly feel.

Qin Yu had already guessed what was in the wooden box. He slowly untied the rope and opened the lid. Inside, he saw a long sword, its blade emitting a cold, greenish glow, with an ancient and elegant design. The sword and hilt were seamlessly integrated, and near the hilt, seven gems were embedded to form the pattern of the Big Dipper. Just looking at this pattern, Qin Yu felt as if his mind was being drawn in.

"Indeed, it is the Seven Stars Sword."

Qin Yu murmured to himself. Before opening the long wooden box, he had already guessed. The item that could cause the Zhuge Inner Canon to react must be related to Mr. Zhuge, and the shape of the box suggested that it most likely contained Mr. Zhuge's magical weapon—the Seven Stars Sword.

Qin Yu carefully took the Seven Stars Sword out of the wooden box. As soon as he gripped the hilt, the Seven Stars Sword trembled slightly, emitting a clear and pleasant sound. A message was transmitted from the Seven Stars Sword to Qin Yu's mind, forming a scene.

It was night, the stars were shining brightly, and the military camp was silent and windless. A large flag with the character "Shu" stood still. Outside the main tent, forty-nine soldiers, dressed in white, held white flags, forming the Seven Stars Array around the tent.

Inside the tent, a man in white, burning incense, was worshiping the stars. Next to him, a main lamp was brightly lit, and outside the main lamp, there were seven large lamps. Beyond the seven large lamps, there were forty-nine small lamps.

"Born in a chaotic era, ... I did not expect the star of the general to be about to fall, and my life to be nearing its end. I humbly write this letter, to inform the heavens: I humbly request the mercy of the heavens, to hear my plea, and to extend my life..."

The man's voice slowly echoed, and after the worship, he held the sword, on which the pattern of the Big Dipper could be faintly seen. He performed the sword dance in the air, stepping in the pattern of the Big Dipper, and the main lamp became even brighter.

The man's face showed joy, and just as he was about to sheathe the sword, a commotion came from outside the tent. A figure rushed in, shouting, "The Wei army is here!"

The figure came so quickly that the wind it brought extinguished the main lamp next to the man. Seeing the main lamp extinguished, the man dropped his sword, his face showing sorrow, and he sighed:

"Life and death are determined by fate. I tried to extend my life, but it was foolish!" He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his appearance suddenly aged, losing the vigor he had before.

"I just regret not completing the task entrusted to me by the emperor!"

PS: Finally finished, second update is here. Now I'll try to write the third chapter. Two more updates to go, and I'll try to complete one chapter today. I have some bad news for you all: there will be no recommendations next week. Please, if you haven't already, add Nine Lamps' book to your collection.