Chapter 1858: All Shall Be Settled In This Life (II)
Chapter 1858: All Shall Be Settled In This Life (II)
The Pavilion of Profound Order.
The year's cold and snow had lingered unusually long. Beneath the immortal terrace, everything lay blanketed in white, with snow and frost frozen over the steps. A small black figure moved over them.
The monk wore plain, rather thin black clothing. White cloth wrapped his calves, contrasting sharply with his black cloth shoes. Beside him, Maha Fachang supported him, looking ashamed.
"I am sorry to trouble you with this journey, young ancestral master..."
The black-robed monk shook his head, unconcerned. He even seemed rather interested as he continued up the steps. Halfway up, they encountered a man in white strolling down.
His black hair hung loose, and his gaze was gentle. He seemed possessed of an immortal's ethereal grace amid the white snow.
Wei Xuanyin of Great Zhao smiled. "Forgive me for not coming farther to welcome you! I am Xuanlou, a disciple of Guanhua."
The black-robed monk returned his smile. "Thank you for the trouble. Kongshu, of the dharma realm."
The black-robed monk was none other than Kongshu, the dharma realm's disciple with the greatest Dao mastery and most powerful divine abilities!
Fachang felt delight mingle with his surprise at the encounter, with even a touch of excitement.
The Pavilion of Profound Order belonged to the Pavilion Viewing faction. Through the Guanhua Dao lineage's web of connections, it could trace its origins back to a personal disciple of the Lord of Tongxuan. Its pedigree was exalted indeed, and its cultivators consequently treated Buddhist cultivators with little courtesy.
Even a Buddhist cultivator as well connected as Guangchan would not be offered a seat here, much less welcomed personally by the host!
Wei Xuanyin had always been modest, so his coming out to greet a guest seemed natural enough. But when that guest was a Buddhist cultivator, the gesture carried considerable significance.
It seems the Pavilion of Profound Order acknowledges the young ancestral master's standing and recognizes his Dao conduct... No wonder, after passing the task back and forth, they finally had him make the journey.
The thought gave Fachang greater confidence in their mission. He followed silently behind Kongshu as the black-robed monk sighed. "You honor me too greatly, senior."
Wei Xuanyin replied, "The Liao River Temple is an orthodox Buddhist lineage, and the very place where Supreme Chan Tianjia attained the Dao. Such a welcome is only fitting."
But Fachang's heart sank. His delight drained away, leaving only bitterness. So that is it... That is the standing he acknowledges!
Kongshu fell silent for a moment. For the first time, a fleeting uncertainty crossed his face. He pressed his palms together and replied, "The Liao River Temple belongs to the past. You need not concern yourself with it, Senior Xuanlou."
Wei Xuanyin gave no answer. He led them higher and stopped before the inscribed plaque. Kongshu pressed his palms together and said, "There is no need to enter. That will spare you any difficulty, Senior Xuanlou."
Wei Xuanyin hesitated briefly. Snow drifted thickly around them. He lowered the hand resting against the hall doors and replied, "Very well."
The three strolled through the snow on the broad terrace. The black-robed monk seemed lost in some memory and remained quiet for a long time before saying, "Dayang Mountain and our dharma realm have had some disagreements over our approach to the south. Our dharma realm cannot smooth this over alone. We must ask you to help us consider a solution, Senior Xuanlou."
Wei Xuanyin shook his head and said, "You have come because of Guangchan, Venerable One. It seems... Dayang Mountain cannot stomach this loss and means to use it as a pretext to make me act, reclaiming Great Primordial Hidden Radiance Mountain for you."
Kongshu did not deny it. Clasping his hands, he said, "I am ashamed. Between putting the dharma lineages in order, gathering the dharma corpses, and further disputes within the dharma realm, the matter was delayed again and again, until today."
Wei Xuanyin's gaze grew colder, though he smiled. "Even monks, untouched by worldly affairs, have occasions to pass responsibility among themselves."
The remark was cuttingly sarcastic, but Kongshu merely shook his head. "Our disciples lack the cultivation to remain untouched by worldly affairs. Their Dao conduct is insufficient, and they lack the state of mind to make a boat upon the sea of suffering itself. Naturally, they dare not accept the task."
"Hmm?"
Wei Xuanyin paused, then frowned at him. Seeing his candid expression and clear, bright eyes, without the slightest hint of insincerity, he realized he had misunderstood and nodded inwardly.
He truly is more accomplished than Fachang!
Before the black-robed monk could speak, Fachang sighed. "Fellow Daoist Ch'i oversaw the campaign, and a Maha of our Dao met a violent death. Though he had no intention of harming him, the karmic ties remain. This is certainly not a matter that can be dealt with lightly... Within the dharma realm... many have begun questioning Lord Wei..."
Wei Xuanyin looked briefly taken aback. "Me?"
His Dao conduct was profound, and he was exceptionally intelligent. That single remark was enough for him to understand. He suddenly laughed. "Oh? They think I am harming Bright Yang to advance my own cultivation?"
"Absurd!" Kongshu shook his head and raised a hand, cutting Fachang off. "Senior Xuanlou, Guangchan fell to his own karma. No one else is to blame... I merely have one question."
Wei Xuanyin raised his head as the black-robed monk asked, "What are you waiting for, Lord Wei?"
The monk pressed his palms together and looked directly at Wei Xuanyin. "Since the Pavilion of Profound Order has been entrusted to you, Lord Wei, the mountain's intentions must be clear. Yet you seem reluctant to act as Bright Yang's enemy. Had you been willing to act, the situation would not have reached this point."
A smile appeared on Wei Xuanyin's face as he replied, "I hear the Realm Lord possesses many Golden Lands, some with vacant positions. Why, then, do you keep delaying your own advancement, Kongshu? Why spend your days listening to scriptures, expounding the Dharma, and contemplating Buddhist teachings? Had you wished to advance, you might already be an exalted figure by now."
The monk showed no surprise. At last, he smiled, though his expression held a trace of regret. "Lord Wei, Bright Yang rises today, awaiting its fall. This is not an auspicious time. Why not withdraw from the Yin position for now and serve the greater plan... Seize the destiny you need, then seek the Dao again in your next life? Is that not a familiar practice of your lineage?"
Wei Xuanyin scoffed. "If I embrace corruption in this life, how could I cast it off in the next? Every one of you hopes I will wallow in the same filth and establish myself through a crooked Dao. Even the Zhao Emperor joined in your schemes against me, deliberately granting me a royal title. I understand. You have calculated that I will fall, that I will be slain, that I will seek the Dao in vain.
"But my nature and life are my own. If I succeed, who can scheme against me? And if I fail..."
He lowered his eyes to the snow, brushed the white flakes from his sleeve, and said evenly, "The great Dao I seek in this life, I shall see through in this life!"