Chapter 3

Mo Xian opened his eyes, the bitter taste of medicine still lingering in his mouth.

He thought he was surely going to die this time. Mo Xian had never seen the true form of the Shadow Ghost, but he knew it was just a phantom. Its Iron Lotus was usually a small hammer, with a chain made of tarantula silk at the back. Once the lotus bloomed, the enemy would be sent to the underworld.

Mo Xian was hit, and although he used his palm to block it, he still spat out blood and fainted during the fall.

"You're awake!" a soft female voice said.

Mo Xian was taken aback, "Did you save me?"

"My sister and I found you lying in the river and brought you back."

Only then did Mo Xian realize he was lying on a bed. The bed was near the window, which was propped up with bamboo poles. A pot of Arum lilies on the windowsill emitted a faint fragrance. A woman was sitting by the table, embroidering, but she turned her head. Mo Xian, a killer, had seen many beautiful women, but seeing her, he was momentarily stunned. She was like a bright moon, making all the other beauties he had seen pale in comparison. She had a natural calmness that made people feel at ease, naturally ignoring everything around them.

"Thank you, Miss, for saving my life!" Mo Xian tried to struggle to his feet, "May I ask your surname?"

The woman quickly stood up, but before she could speak, the door curtain was lifted, and another woman entered: "Sister, is he awake?" The woman glanced at Mo Xian, surprised, "Oh, you're awake. Don't get up, you're seriously injured."

"This is my sister, Hu Luru. I am Luoyi. Brother Mo, please lie down." Luoyi stopped Mo Xian.

"Where am I?" Mo Xian struggled, but the pain was intense, as if his body wasn't his own. He had no choice but to lie down as instructed.

"We are deep in Luoshan, on a small plain. This place is called Hu Family Village. You must have fallen into the river upstream and were washed down here." Luoyi explained.

Mo Xian didn't know what was at the bottom of Eagle's Beak Cliff. He had climbed it from the other side, where the terrain was steep but there was a path. The cliff behind it was a sheer drop, shrouded in mist all year round. He had never investigated it deeply. Eagle's Beak Cliff was just a place he stayed when he had free time, but most of the time, he was out on missions.

He believed what Luoyi and her sister said, not paying much attention to the inconsistencies.

"Brother Mo, how did you fall into the river?" Luru asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. Her beauty was on par with her sister's, but she lacked the same composure.

"I was picking a herb and accidentally fell off the cliff. Thank you, Misses, for saving me." Mo Xian lied.

"We don't deserve the title of 'Miss.' Just call us 'girls.' Our parents are away, and there are only the two of us at home." Luru's eyes flashed, but Mo Xian didn't notice, though Luoyi did.

The two sisters took care of him for a while and then left the room. Mo Xian fell into a deep sleep.

"Sister, Brother Mo is lying!" Luru said.

"Are you falling for him, Sister?" Luoyi asked.

"No way, Sister!" Luru pouted.

Luoyi sighed, "He's definitely lying. He must be a man of the world. If it weren't for the protective array here, he would have died from the fall. His internal organs were ruptured, and he had multiple fractures. If he hadn't encountered our clan, he would have died long ago."

"Sister, Brother Mo is very handsome. We live in the deep mountains and rarely see anyone."

"You can't get involved with him. Humans are cunning and treacherous. If you fall for him, I'll kill him."

"Sister, isn't your husband a human? He could die for you. Humans aren't what you say they are!"

"Don't mention your brother-in-law!" Luoyi's face turned stern, and her voice rose.

Seeing her sister's change in expression, Luru looked afraid. Luoyi realized she had overreacted and softened her tone, "I shouldn't have fallen for a monk, and even caused him to reincarnate."

The sisters fell silent. Luoyi couldn't help but think of him, a monk named Huiming, whom she had caused to reincarnate.

Luru didn't speak but had a stubborn look on her face. Luoyi didn't notice, lost in her memories.

She didn't know that Huiming had returned to his master. At this moment, the young monk Huiming, only eight years old, was striking the wooden fish and reciting the *Agama Sutras*. Suddenly, a wave of emotion surged in his heart.

Huiming's recitation paused slightly. In the temple, only the old monk Zhizhong frowned. Although Huiming had reincarnated, he hadn't reached the level of an Arhat, let alone a Bodhisattva. Even with the protection of the old monk, he still had the confusion of a newborn, but it was fortunate that he could vaguely remember his true self.

Now, Huiming was just a novice monk, a驱乌沙弥 (driving crow novice monk). Those who had just entered the Buddhist order and had not yet received the full precepts could not be called bhikkhus, or monks.

"Huiming, what's on your mind?"

"Master, I feel a kind of attachment in my heart, but I can't explain it."

"You've only been here a few days and haven't started your practice yet. I asked you to read the *Agama Sutras*. This scripture is from the Theravada tradition, spoken by the Buddha himself. It is divided into the *Digha Nikaya* (Long Discourses), *Majjhima Nikaya* (Middle Length Discourses), *Samyutta Nikaya* (Connected Discourses), and *Anguttara Nikaya* (Numerical Discourses). It is based on the Four Noble Truths, which encompass all phenomena. Suffering and its origin represent the deluded world, while cessation and the path represent the enlightened world. The worldly, conditioned result is the Truth of Suffering, the worldly, conditioned cause is the Truth of Origin, the unconditioned, unworldly result is the Truth of Cessation, and the unconditioned, unworldly cause is the Truth of the Path. The attachment in your heart is a manifestation of the Truth of Suffering and Origin. Greed, love, and desire are all included in love, which leads to the suffering of separation. Love is part of the Truth of Origin, and from this cause, the suffering of separation and unattainability arises. Do you understand, Huiming?" Zhizhong said kindly.

Huiming was confused, finding it profound.

Seeing Huiming's puzzled expression, Zhizhong realized he had been too hasty and sighed, "It's not your fault. I was too eager. The you of today and the you of your past life are two different people before your wisdom is fully developed. Read the *Agama Sutras* thoroughly for now."

"Master, I've been here for a few days, and all I do is recite scriptures. Didn't you say you would teach me the Dharma?" Huiming looked up at the old monk Zhizhong.

Zhizhong was a bit displeased, but then he smiled, "Very well. Today, I will teach you the Four Foundations of Mindfulness from the Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment. Come closer."

Huiming immediately jumped off the cushion and ran to Zhizhong's side. The old monk explained in detail, a major practice of the Theravada tradition, which is also known as the Hinayana tradition. The teachings are based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, also known as the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, are about observing things as they truly are: "mindfulness of the body as body, mindfulness of feelings as feelings, mindfulness of the mind as mind, and mindfulness of phenomena as phenomena." The essence of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is to observe things as they are, which means "to recognize them as they truly are." Observing things as they are means closely and directly experiencing the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena in the present moment, without any interpretation. Only by doing so can one see the truth in the present moment and truly let go of inner attachments, effectively alleviating suffering and anxiety. — One should not cling to "observing things as they are," as it can create illusions. Removing "self-righteousness" is key, and one should be humble and open to the world.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness include mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of feelings, mindfulness of the mind, mindfulness of phenomena, and the general mindfulness.

Zhizhong explained the key points, and Huiming was delighted, bowing to his master.

Zhizhong looked at his disciple with loving eyes, unsure if his actions were correct.

Luoyi didn't know that the man she had once loved had returned to his master and was now just a novice monk. Luru, however, began to appear more frequently in front of Mo Xian. Mo Xian noticed this but, as a killer, didn't want to involve these rare beauties in the world of martial arts and vendettas.

Although Mo Xian was a killer, it was just a means of survival. He had already foreseen his end and knew that one day he would be dead and gone. Moreover, he remembered what the Shadow Ghost had said: his lifespan was less than ten years. Falling in love with Luru would only harm her.

To say that he was not moved by such a beauty would be a lie, but loving someone doesn't mean being with them.

In the remaining years, he had to take revenge on the Yama Hall. He had no sense of belonging to the Yama Hall, and the martial arts he practiced were designed to unleash his life's potential. He knew this, but he hadn't expected that he had only ten years left. If the Yama Hall could do it, he wouldn't hesitate to do the same.

He knew the Yama Hall was full of experts, but he was in the shadows, and the Yama Hall probably thought he was dead. Since he had less than ten years to live, even if he couldn't overthrow the Yama Hall, he would make them feel the pain.

He treated Luoyi and Luru with respect, maintaining a distance. Luru loved and hated him in secret, wanting to harm him but unable to bring herself to do it. Mo Xian pretended not to notice.

This made Luoyi curious and relieved.

Mo Xian could now walk around. When he stepped outside, he saw the village, with only a dozen households, but the houses were well-built, comparable to those in bustling towns. A wide river flowed in front of the village, with swift currents.

The village was surrounded by mountains. Mo Xian didn't know that such a place, almost like a paradise, existed in Luoshan. He wanted to find Eagle's Beak Cliff but couldn't see it. It seemed that, as Luoyi said, he was lucky to fall into the river and be saved by her.

After more than two months of recovery, the villagers were very kind and didn't say much. There was even a teacher in the village who taught a few children to read and write.

Mo Xian got along well with the villagers and gradually forgot the inconsistencies. There were no young people in the village except for Luoyi and Luru.

Luru often looked at him with a sad expression, and he had to pretend not to care.

Luoyi remained the same, and Mo Xian felt that although she had saved him, she was only superficially warm. This feeling lingered in his mind.

Luoyi and Luru had different attitudes toward Mo Xian. Mo Xian was grateful to them and had a bit of a crush on Luoyi, but he felt ashamed and couldn't understand himself. He despised himself.

He decided to leave, forget this place, and write a letter explaining his identity, hoping they would forget him and thanking them again. He placed the letter on the table and left the village under the cover of night.

He didn't know that as soon as he left the room, someone appeared in his room.

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