Chapter 7

"Thank you, Brother Mo!"

"Don't thank me, you once saved my life."

"Brother Mo, have you practiced martial arts?"

Mo Xian nodded and said, "Just some rural techniques, not worth mentioning. Miss Lüru, have you practiced martial arts?"

"No."

"Oh!" Mo Xian frowned slightly.

"But I have practiced some spells. Brother Mo, what's the book 'Muni Sanpan Jing' in your room about?" Lüru changed the subject and asked.

Mo Xian's heart stirred, and he said, "You understand spells, so you can understand that book! I got these books, including 'Huangting Jing,' from a Taoist I found in the mountains when I left you. He was already injured and dead."

Mo Xian didn't tell the truth; the Taoist was indeed injured, but he was killed by Mo Xian.

"That's how it is. I want to copy it, can I?" Lüru asked with a tone of longing.

"Sure, I can't read it anyway, it's all strange and bizarre," Mo Xian said nonchalantly.

"Stupid brother, the terms used in spell practice are actually quite simple once explained."

"Really simple?"

"Very simple. 'Muni Sanpan Jing' is a secret text of a sect considered heretical by Buddhists. It's not like regular martial arts. If it were a Taoist text, you might understand it."

"Taoist? I have a 'Huangting Jing' too. I flipped through it, and it talks about many gods in the human body."

"That's not a spell book, but a type of Taoist cultivation. It mainly involves imagining various gods within your body, the clearer the better. Of course, you can also recite them. This is somewhat similar to the visualization in 'Muni Sanpan Jing,' but 'Muni Sanpan Jing' also includes qi circulation and out-of-body consciousness."

"Qi circulation? Its meridians are completely different from the twelve main meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians I learned."

"Of course, it divides the human body into three main meridians: left, right, and central. There are lotus-like energy centers along these meridians, divided into seven levels: the root chakra with four petals, the navel chakra with six petals..." Lüru explained in detail.

Hearing this, Mo Xian finally understood why he couldn't understand it.

"However, 'Muni Sanpan Jing' is the foundation of the Muni Sect. More advanced spells are in 'Erzong Sanji Jing' and 'Foshuo Dachun Jing.' Those are the profound texts of the Muni Sect." Lüru added, "Brother Mo, you can try it too."

"Maybe later. We still need to go see if it's your sister tomorrow under the pretense of offering flowers." Mo Xian smiled, "Are you feeling better?"

"Just some minor injuries." Lüru smiled back, not mentioning that her injuries had already been healed by spells.

After dinner, the two returned to their rooms. Mo Xian didn't go to Lüru's room but stayed in an empty room in the west wing. Lüru, however, spent the night copying 'Muni Sanpan Jing.' The book wasn't thick, and it took her nearly two hours to finish the copy.

After she finished, Lüru sat on the bed, thinking about various things: tomorrow's events, and how Mo Xian's fundamental energy seemed damaged. She planned to save her sister and then repay him. She thought about the Yuzhi from Luoshan Guiyan Peak and the Yin-Yang Guiyuan Lotus from Lingxi, both of which could help restore vitality.

She thought a lot. She wondered if her sister would agree to her being with Brother Mo. She decided to focus on her cultivation, even though the environment here wasn't as good as in the mountains. She would start with the 'Muni Sanpan Jing' and lay a foundation.

Mo Xian didn't know that Lüru hadn't lain down all night but had sat in meditation.

Before dawn, Mo Xian got up and practiced Xingyi Quan and Ape Gong Sword. He hadn't practiced his old martial arts for a long time. Although those techniques were mysterious and unpredictable, they drained his life potential. He was currently recuperating and felt himself getting better day by day, though slowly. If this continued, he might live for another twenty to thirty years.

As he moved in the courtyard, Lüru opened her eyes. After washing and dressing, Mo Xian had already started a fire to cook breakfast. By the time she was ready, the breakfast was done.

While eating, Mo Xian said, "Miss Lüru, you can't dress like this."

"Why not?" Lüru asked, puzzled.

"Dressed like this, you don't look like a gardener." Mo Xian looked at her. Lüru's clothes were simple, but her beauty couldn't be hidden. The material of her clothes was clearly not from an ordinary family, even though she dressed simply.

Lüru suddenly understood and said, "I see, I thought I was at home."

After breakfast, Lüru changed her appearance. This time, she looked disheveled, hiding her beauty, and her clothes no longer fit well.

...

On the side of Chunshan, a Buddhist temple was faintly visible among the green trees. In the mountains, there were creatures resembling apes that constantly laughed like humans. They were called You'e, known for their ability to communicate with spirits and often played tricks on people.

Since Zhitong came to this ancient Huasi Temple to preach, the You'e seemed to be influenced and settled in the trees outside the temple, no longer playing tricks on people. The locals believed Zhitong had great supernatural powers.

Zhitong was deeply meditating, having reached the fourth dhyana. Suddenly, he glimpsed a thread of heavenly insight and broke out of his meditation. He instructed the monk beside him, "Please bring my disciple Huiming here."

Huiming came forward, bowed to his master, and Zhitong said, "Huiming, you've been here for several months. How is your cultivation?"

"Master, I recite the Buddhist scriptures daily and practice the four foundations of mindfulness at night. I feel my wisdom is growing," Huiming replied.

Zhitong looked at him for a while and sighed, "You are a beginner, but there is someone who needs your help. In your past life, you were a protector of the Buddhist law, with profound knowledge. Although you have awakened in this life, your wisdom and supernatural powers have not fully returned. This person is your karmic enemy. Nevertheless, I will lend you your past powers. Go and save her, but once you save her, don't ask many questions and return to the mountain quickly. Do not repeat the mistakes of your past life."

"Master, who is she?" Huiming felt a pain in his heart but didn't know why.

"Do not ask. She is the concubine that Lord Zheng is about to marry. Go with Hanu to the back of the mountain to a stupa and retrieve a weapon." Zhitong said.

Huiming bowed to Zhitong and followed Hanu to the back of the mountain. Hanu, a spirit Zhitong had tamed, led the way, hopping along. Many You'e in the trees saw Hanu and laughed. Hanu laughed back, and the You'e followed them to the back of the mountain. After a few turns, they found a stupa hidden among the green trees and vines. Huiming was surprised; he had never seen it before.

In front of the stupa, a dragon-entwined staff was half-buried in the stone. When Huiming saw the staff, it felt like meeting an old friend. He instinctively grasped it with both hands.

As soon as his hands touched the staff, he felt a sense of unity, as if the staff was an extension of his body. He tried to pull it out, but it didn't move. He tried again, but still couldn't pull it out.

Reluctantly, he let go, feeling a bit disappointed. He looked at the stupa again and saw the words "Huiming Stupa" on it.

He was stunned, then realized this was his stupa from his past life. It was not in the stupa forest but alone here. His master had told him he died of regret in his past life, but he didn't know there was a stupa.

Since it was his past stupa, he should pay respects, even though it seemed strange to worship himself. He remembered a story about Guanyin Bodhisattva, where a believer saw her worshiping her own statue and asked why. Guanyin said, "It's better to seek oneself than to seek others."

Although it was a legend, it contained profound wisdom. Huiming smiled and bowed before his stupa. As he bowed, he heard a crack, and a sarira shot out. Huiming felt a loud boom in his mind and was stunned.

Hanu and the You'e saw the stupa suddenly emit a golden light, and Huiming also radiated golden light. In an instant, Hanu and the You'e fell to the ground in worship.

Huiming felt an infinite surge of strength. He turned, placed his hand on the dragon-entwined staff, and with a roar, a stream of golden light flowed over the staff, and it rose in his hand.

Zhitong saw the golden light from the back of the mountain and smiled.

Huiming, carrying the dragon-entwined staff, ran quickly over.

Zhitong clapped and laughed:

"Past causes, present fruits, transcending emotions to attain the true nature;

Today, I see the dragon-entwined staff again, the great path is achieved, and the nature returns to purity!"

He continued, "Disciple, now that you have the dragon-entwined staff, do you know any staff techniques?"

"Master, before I became a monk, I practiced martial arts with the general Duanmu Liang and learned staff techniques," Huiming said.

"Show me what you know."

"Yes, Master, I learned the Thirteen Staff Techniques of Battle." Huiming demonstrated, striking, lifting, chopping, covering, pressing, circling, sweeping, thrusting, supporting, poking, flicking, and stabbing, showing a fine set of staff techniques.

"Good, these are excellent battlefield techniques, but they differ from Buddhist techniques. As the saying goes, 'A spear is like a dragon, a staff is like rain.' I have a set of guardian staff techniques, called the Mad Staff, which complements your techniques. I will teach you, and under the power of the Buddha, who can resist!" Zhitong's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Please teach me, Master!" Huiming said happily. He had been reciting scriptures and meditating for months and was already tired of it. Hearing that his master would teach him staff techniques, he was overjoyed.

Zhitong taught the staff techniques. Perhaps due to his past wisdom, Huiming quickly grasped them with just a little guidance. The dragon-entwined staff in his hands moved like rain, emitting golden light.

"Huimai, you and Huiming will go to Luoyi to save the person. Once you save her, return to the mountain immediately, without delay," Zhitong said to a young monk.

Huimai clasped his hands and said, "Namo Shakyamuni Buddha, I will obey!"

Huiming was only eight years old, while Huimai was over thirty. With Huimai leading, taking a young novice along didn't seem out of place.

The two figures, one large and one small, walked further down the road, with the young novice carrying a dragon-entwined staff much taller than himself.

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